Chapter 13

Before Valmont's body hit the ground, Garcia opened fire on Snake Boy.

The quick staccato of shots accompanied an explosion of flesh that erupted across his body. At first I thought it was because of the bullets, but realized a heartbeat later that it wasn't due to any wounds. Snake Boy had simply shed the flesh mask he'd worn that looked like Gaston LaRouche, revealing his true form.

His upper body was still humanoid, save for his head. That was entirely serpentine, as was his body from the waist down. His chest and arms were covered in green scales just like the rest, scales that were apparently hard enough to resist the powerful fire from the assault rifle.

Despite his apparent invulnerability, the impacts still seemed to hurt, as Snake Boy started to retreat once he had the tube in hand. Garcia saw that her shots had no effect, and instead dove for her friend, and the remote she'd dropped.

I realized what she intended just before she got there. If bullets wouldn't kill the thing, then perhaps an explosion would. But that same explosion would destroy the Shroud.

"Hexus!" I shouted, unleashing my will in the general direction of the remote. My magic flowed out, shorting out the electronics in the trigger just a second before Garcia pushed the button, trying to ignite the explosive charge in the tube.

I suppose I was lucky that my spell didn't set it off either. I know it'd been in the effect area of the hex, because all of the lights in the room sparked and flared before going out.

And then I was in a dark place, surrounded by monsters, all fighting for the same thing.

I saw blurs in the shadows around me as something moved at speed. The darkness lasted only a long moment, before the room was illuminated by the shining blades of the Swords of the Cross.

The light revealed that Susan and Ortega had gone for Snake Boy. I saw Susan fall away as a massive python appeared out of nowhere, likely summoned up by the Denarian. That was a handy bit of information, as the others I'd seen hadn't shown any talent for magic other than their shape-shifting forms.

The python writhed as it tried to wrap around Susan to crush her. While she dealt wit that, Ortega went for the prize, laying a hand on the tube before Snake Boy slashed his hand through the air at him.

I lost sight of them as everyone charged past me. I was surprised to see Shiro moving at speed, his sword unsheathed from his cane as he went after Snake Boy. But then Nicodemus was there, his shadow blending with the darkness in the room as he tried to catch up with the old man.

The Denarian's blade was out in a flash and spinning toward the short Knight of the Cross, who stopped his charge to block an impossibly fast strike. The two swords clanged together in quick succession, sparks flying as the Knight's bright weapon shone as he swung it back and forth.

As I was pulling the two rods from the small of my back, I turned at the sound of more gunfire. Shots ricocheted off the wall of metal hair that formed in front of Deirdre as she transformed. Sanya held his gun in one hand, unleashing the barrage that did nothing but annoy the metal skinned girl.

When her transformation was complete, she forwent the shield wall of metal hair and simply threw herself at the Knight, who brought his Sword around to meet her.

I caught sight of Michael as he went past, closing on the third Denarian. Ortega was dealing with a mass of snakes that Snake Boy had sent after him, leaving the demon free to try and make his escape. Michael managed to get himself between it and the door, the demon's long tail lashing angrily as he hissed at the Knight.

With all of that going on in the first few seconds, part of me wondered who I was supposed to be fighting. But then the far door opened as the small army of Red Court vampires flowed into the room, joining the two that were leaping at myself and Marcone.

"Fuego!" I shouted, lifting the rod in my right hand up at the fully transformed vampire that was flying at me with its thin membranous wings extended. It was solid black, its limbs laced with thin muscle that ended with dark claws. I knew from experience that the bulge in its belly was its blood bladder, a location particularly vulnerable to bladed weapons.

Not that I needed one, as a thick shaft of blue-white flame shot out from the blasting rod, the magical invocation striking the vampire hard enough to send it flying back toward the others just coming into the room.

The vampire was incinerated in an instant, its burning body offering a little more illumination. It helped me see the guns that the new arrivals were lifting in our direction.

"Down!" I shouted to Sía, even as I lifted my left arm up before me. I subconsciously activated my shield spell, and watched in satisfaction as the translucent wall of energy formed in front of us, the bullets ricocheting off in sparks of blue.

Another eruption of gunfire opened to my right, and I flinched in surprise. But Hendricks hadn't been aiming at us; instead his rounds shot through those charging the room, cutting some down while still others gave way to their full monstrous forms.

With a wall of blubbery beasts charging us, some scrambling across the floor while others clung to the ceiling, I lifted my other rod, waiving it across my front. "Arctis ventas!"

The frost rod wasn't as efficient with wind spells as my staff was, but it was great with using the power of the mantle. The spell I unleashed was a combination of wind and cold, something entirely appropriate for the weapon, and a gale of arctic wind blew at the vampires. The temperature grew so cold that any particles in the air froze, becoming flecks of ice that flew at the monsters, blinding them even as the force of the wind knocked them off their feet.

It wasn't enough to kill any of them, but it did halt their advance. That allowed Hendricks to take accurate shots at them, even as the surviving members of Marcone's forces ran into the room. There weren't many, so I assumed the Reds had taken out most of them before entering.

I watched as Hendricks took aim at one vampire, putting a single round into its head. I'd seen shots just like that get shrugged off as if they were nothing, but the vamp went down with a howling pain, and then another fell in the same manner.

I glanced to my side, and saw Marcone looking my way. "Holy dipped rounds," he said simply.

"Know thy enemy, I guess," I muttered, refusing to be impressed with the man's resources and resourcefulness. Apparently someone had predicted that the Reds might show up for the auction. Or maybe he was just that cautious, now that the vampires were increasing their territory.

Leaving the vampires to Marcone's men, I turned back toward the others, all of whom were in a desperate fight for their lives. Michael had split off from Snake Boy at some point, going to help Sanya against Deirdre. Susan had escaped the python Snake Boy had thrown, and had managed to dart in while he was occupied with Michael. She'd retrieved the case, and Ortega was just arriving to take it from her when my blast of icy air knocked him into a wall.

Susan spun, her eyes wide as she saw my staff pointed at her. But then it dropped as I lifted the other, unleashing another column of blue-white fire at the leaping form of Snake Boy. "Fuego!"

The strike hit him in the chest, and sent him hurtling back into the same wall that Ortega was just pulling himself out of. I took aim at the Duke with my blasting rod, but Susan stepped in between us. "Damn it—" I started.

The rest was cut off as Garcia rose from where she'd been crouching behind the overturned table. I couldn't she what she had in hand, but recognized the sound of a shotgun as she fired upon Susan and Ortega. Pellets struck both, shredding their flesh and sending them to the ground.

Sía slid across the floor, reaching for Garcia's bag as she went. I saw her hands dip in, and she came out with a pair of hand guns. The theif started turning on her, but stopped when she saw Sía open fire on the resurgent Snake Boy.

My date's shots didn't fare any better than the others had. The Denarian didn't hesitate as he thrust a palm toward the two women on the ground. I watched as the air swirled, the latent magical energy within the room coalescing into a writhing bundle of snakes that hurdled at Sía and Garcia.

With her quick reflexes and enhanced strength, Sía grabbed the collapsible table and spun it around just in time to block the oncoming mass of serpents. They smacked into the side before dropping to the floor, where they began trying to work their way around the barrier.

I dipped the frost rod toward them, unleashing another spell. "Arctis ventas!" With the cold spell concentrated in a tighter area, the affect was significantly greater. The funnel of frigid air slammed into the snakes, freezing them to their core even as they were carried toward the far wall. When they struck, their bodies shattered into pieces.

As soon as that spell was away, I fired another fiery blast at Snake Boy. His speed was surprising, but not so fast that he avoided the blow entirely. Blue-white flame tore across his shoulder, leaving his flesh blackened and burned.

I darted toward him, my skin growing a thin layer of frost as the mantle sought to protect me. Part of me wished I'd brushed propriety aside and worn my duster, but there was nothing to be done about that now. At least I was looking dapper in my suit and hat.

When Snake Boy saw me coming, his hands rose again, preparing another spell. "Arctis flagrus!" I shouted, my left wrist rotating toward the Denarian. Power flowed down my left arm, pouring from the end of the frost rod and flicking toward my target. Frigid water froze into round links, forming a chain of ice that coiled around his wrists.

It didn't stop his spell. The air shimmered again as he formed more snakes, sending them at me as I charged. But I did manage to wrench him toward me, closing the distance between us while adding his momentum to my own.

His writhing mass of snakes hit me in the chest, biting and striking across my body. Without my duster I would normally have been vulnerable, had it not been for the ice that had blossomed across my body. Their teeth struck helplessly at the frozen barrier, unable to penetrate the mantle's armor and the lightly enchanted suit.

Snake Boy had just enough time to realize his attack had failed before my ice covered right fist slammed into his jaw. Between our combined momentum, the strength offered me by the mantle, and the rigid row of icy spikes that had formed across my knuckles, I landed a blow that shattered his jaw and nearly broke his neck.

While the Denarian was still reeling, I let my momentum carry me past him. Flicking my left arm up and around, I looped the excess length of the ice chain around his neck. Then it was a simple matter of spinning around, pulling his massive form one-handed to fling him away.

Snake Boy tumbled round and round as he flew through the air, his long serpent's tail writhing until he slammed into the swirling tendrils of steel that Deirdre was using to keep Michael at bay.

Whatever protection his scales offered didn't hold up against her hair. The serpent demon screamed as his skin was shredded to pieces. The other Denarian started to turn, but then Snake Boy slammed into her, carrying her to the ground.

Michael glanced my way, a look of gratitude flickering across his face. He'd moved to shelter the other tall Knight, who was down and bleeding, cradling an arm that didn't seem to be responding. My friend hadn't been spared injury either, and I saw red streaks across his face and hands.

Shiro was holding his own against Nicodemus, the two dancing in an odd blend of shadows and light. The dark tendrils of Nicodemus's power couldn't seem to get past the halo of illumination emanating from the short Knight's sword. At the same time, Shiro couldn't seem to best the Denarian's guard, resulting in a stalemate.

I started forward, only to stagger as something landed atop me. I felt hard claws rake at my icy armor, but the black talons didn't break through.

Releasing my grip on the frost rod, I reached over my shoulder and grabbed at the black blubbery form attacking me. As I tried to seized it, I sent power into my blasting rod, letting it grow hot enough to melt the ice that had formed over it while I'd been punching Snake Boy.

As soon as I grabbed hold of the vampire's neck, I squeezed tight, eliciting a pained scream from the beast that threatened to shatter my eardrums. With the strength of the mantle, I pulled it off and over me, the dark limbs struggling to find purchase as I flung it forward.

"Fuego!" I shouted, sending a column of flame at the thing. The blue-white blast hit it center mast, and the creature screamed and flailed as the column of fire carried it into the far shadows of the room.

A scream from behind me drew my attention, and I turned in time to see Susan drawing back a black-clawed hand to swipe across Sía's throat.

"Susan, no!" I shouted, twisting around.

My words caused her to freeze, her head spinning to look in my direction. I stumbled to a stop as I looked at her, noting the extensive damage done by Sía's and Garcia's combined attacks.

Half of the flesh on her face had been torn away, leaving her true form exposed. More rends had been made in her skin, and her right hand and forearm were nothing more than the dark thin limb of a Red Court vampire.

She seemed to shutter as I looked at her, the still human side of her face twisting into something akin to horror. It was as if me seeing her true form were the worst pain I could have inflicted. There was a long moment where we looked upon one another, one monster laid bare while the other stood covered in frost.

Then she was gone. Susan released her hold on Sía and darted away, heading for the door. She was empty-handed, so I didn't try to stop her.

Instead I started toward Sía, who I saw had retrieved the case. She looked up from where she had fallen, a grim set to her face as she started to rise.

And then a coil of golden line wrapped around her throat, pulling her off balance. Sía's eyes went wide as she was wrenched backwards, and I turned to watch as Sigrun Gard yanked the lycanthrope toward her.

It seemed her jewelry was more than just decoration. The gilded coil around her left forearm was gone, revealed to be a thin whip that the warrior woman had used to strike out at Sía. As the lycanthrope landed at her feet, Gard reached for the cannister in her grip.

Despite being caught off-guard, Sía wasn't ready to give up the fight. A snarl escaped her curled lips as she held fast to the tube, even as she tried to right herself. Her free hand snapped toward Gard's side, landing a powerful blow that would have doubled over any mortal.

Gard barely grunted at the punch, before releasing the whip to grab Sía's face. As the lycanthrope tried to seize at the larger woman's wrist, the warrior simply slammed her head into the wall.

Blood spattered against the dry wall, and my vision went red as I saw Sía collapse weightlessly.

Something must have been left in her, as she held fast to the case when Gard tried to pull it away. The warrior woman wrenched at it with her body, her free hand snapping into Sía's shoulder. The blow was hard enough to break bone, and Sía's grip failed as she flopped to the ground.

Gard had just enough time to turn before I was there, my blasting rod discarded as I gave myself over to the mantle.

Razor sharp ice claws tore into her as she turned, her eyes going wide as her blood arced through the air. She swung a fist around toward me, but my arm shot up and deflected the blow, the thick ice gauntlet around my forearm tearing open the unprotected flesh of her arm.

And then my left fist struck her face, the icy knuckles crushing her just like they had done to Snake Boy. The left was followed by a right, and then another, and another, as I mercilessly laid into the witch that had killed Sía.

An impact on my left side threw me off balance, the icy armor across me taking the brunt of the shotgun blast before the metal pellets sheered through the ice. A wave of pain washed over me as a dozen small spheres thudded into my side. I fell away from the attack, even as I unleashed a torrent of icy wind that shredded Hendrick's armor and skin alike. The man flew back, his massive form shattering a large pane of glass before tumbling outside into the dark alley.

With him out of the way, I glanced to my side, noting the damage I'd taken. He'd fired a shell of steel pellets at me from short range. Only the spells laid into the suit had kept me from being shredded, as the metal shot had torn through the ice provided by the mantle. That, and the fact that he'd aimed low rather than at my head. Thank God sawed off shotguns don't spread the shot quite as much as movies would have you believe.

But while I was in pain, I wasn't dead. Nor had any of the steel pellets pierced my skin, as I could still feel the power of the Winter Knight coursing through my veins, along with its rage. Had the metal punctured my defenses and gotten beneath my flesh, it would have interfered with the mantle. I'd found that out the hard way a short time after becoming the Knight, and was careful not to let such a minor thing take the power from me.

Even as the ice reformed across my left side, I snarled out a summoning spell, holding my right arm out. The frost rod leapt into my hand as if it were on a string. Power flowed into it as I turned back to Gard, the air shrieking at the sudden formation of the ice sword. The mantle was furious, and I wasn't much better. I might not have avenged Susan, but I could damn well avenge Sía.

I reared back, ready to take Gard's head off, when a powerful grip seized me by my left shoulder. That aggravated the pain I was feeling, and I howled with unbridled madness, a howl that would strike fear into any that heard it.

The hand pulled at me all the same, dragging me off the woman. I snarled, my vision a blur of blue ice and red rage as I spun, shrugging off their hand as I rose, the sword whistling through the air as I sought to behead whoever had grabbed me.

Bright light seared my vision as my sword shattered against Michael's shining blade.

My chest heaved as I stared at my friend, who stared back at me in appalled shock.

"Harry, stop," he gasped, his pale face blanching at the sight of me.

"No," I growled out, my voice guttural and savage. "She killed her."

"Harry, you have to control it," Michael urged. "You cannot let it consume you."

"NO!" I screamed, the shout accompanied by an unintended burst of air that rocked Michael back a couple of steps.

"Harry…"

I spun, fury coursing through me like scarlet lightning. I looked for who had spoken, and saw a familiar face looking up at me from where she knelt on the floor. Half of her face was covered in blood, and she was favoring her broken arm, but Sía was alive and breathing.

My breath was a rapid pant as the world spun around me. Sía was alive.

Part of me felt relieved. But another part of me was unable to control itself; my blood was boiling with incandescent rage, still fueled by the thought that she'd been killed. I staggered backwards, my frost-covered arms trembling.

I turned about, looking for someone to unleash my fury at. The room was a mass of shadows, of desperately thrashing bodies all trying to kill one another. It was a maelstrom of death, one that made the mantle sing with joy. It wanted nothing more than to wade into it, slashing and tearing at everyone and everything.

My heart lurched at the visceral desire to kill and maim indiscriminately. I could no longer tell what thoughts were mine and what were the mantle's.

I was pulled apart, my two selves unable to reconcile.

I screamed as I stumbled, a horrible sound that crossed the room in a pulse that shattered the remaining windows and glass bulbs overhead. It was followed by a wave of unbridled power that struck at friend and foe alike, wreaking havoc in the madness.

Wind sheer tore at the vampires and humans still struggling across the way. Ice particles traveling at shotgun speeds slammed into everyone in front of me. Fallen and Knight, gangster and monster. None were spared as most of the room frosted over in an instant.

Time seemed to slow down as I collapsed to my knees, my vision throbbing. My head was pounding, feeling as if it were about to burst. Icy claws clutched at my frost covered temples, trying to dig their way inside my skull to relieve the pressure.

As I fell to one side, my eyes watched as those that survived the onslaught stumbled about. Michael had been closest, and was down on the ground. His back was turned to me, but it looked as if he were covered in ice.

Shiro was further away, crouched on a knee with what looked like an icicle lodged into one shoulder. He'd been sheltering Sanya, who was still down from Deirdre's attacks.

Lady Hydra herself had formed a wall of steel hair to protect herself from the blast. A coating of ice broke from the surface as she moved, revealing herself and the ruined body of Snake Boy behind her. She'd taken some damage at some point in the fight, although it seemed more likely that it had been inflicted by one or more of the Knights rather than myself.

Movement to one side caught my eye, and I saw Marcone rise up. He must have been behind me when I unleashed that last attack, as he looked largely unscathed. The cylinder containing the Shroud was gripped tightly in one hand, while he held an assault rifle in the other. It looked to be the snub nosed one Hendricks had been carrying earlier.

I got a good look at it, as it was pointed at my head.

Marcone's look was as cold as the room as he took aim, ready to end me.

A blur of motion distracted the gangster before he could pull the trigger. He turned to the threat as he back-pedaled, and I saw a flash of silverly steel, followed by an arc of red blood. The gangster fell backwards, his finger pulling the trigger and sending a barrage of shots into Nicodemus, who had swiped his blade up across his face.

The Denarian stumbled, clearly wounded by the shots but not killed. Blood spread across his clothing, but the look on his face imparted that he was more inconvenienced by the attack than actually harmed.

I watched helplessly as Nicodemus stumbled toward the cannister, which Marcone had dropped. A determined glint flickered in the Denarian's eyes as he reached for it.

The blinding light behind him made him spin, as Shiro picked himself up off the floor and held his Sword aloft.

My eyes swam for a moment as more lights appeared, a swirl of blues and reds and yellows and greens. Magenta light flared in front of my face while others swept past, spinning through the air like a dance of fireflies.

Massive, foot tall fireflies wearing armor.

I could just make out Nicodemus as he turned back, only to realize the cannister had been lifted off the ground by a team of small faeries. His shadow flickered forward, but the light from Shiro's sword grew closer, and Nicodemus had to retreat, or leave himself exposed to the man.

The swirl of lights shot past me, leaving only two behind. Tiny faces tried to bring me around, their frantic cries sounding distorted and muffled.

I ignored them, and looked to Sía. She was sitting up and looking my way. She'd been against the wall, and had been spared from my wild burst of magic. I saw her nod, a grim set to her face as she mouthed something.

"Go."

Insistent hands clutched at me, pulling me. Somehow I managed to stumble to my feet, the icy armor melting as the power from the mantle faded. My footing was unsteady, but the two faeries pulled at my shoulders, keeping me upright.

Together we stumbled toward the broken window and out into the night. I passed the unmoving form of Hendricks, who looked to still be breathing. I think that mattered, but my mind was too fuzzy to know for sure.

My bleeding ears could hear an odd warbling. Flashing lights reflected off the walls of the alley, shining in from one end. The two faeries led me in the other direction. A scream in one ear made its way through the fog, something familiar. Something about a veil.

Some part of me understood, and a mumbled spell cast in me shadows as I stumbled away from the carnage, sliding further into the dark.