Chapter Seven: The Ultimatum

"You're not going anywhere, sweetheart."

Vax froze for an instant as the gruff, growling voice interrupted his sister with a condescending sneer. Several things crossed his mind at once.

First, whoever this was and whatever he wanted, he'd just threatened Vex. That made him a dead man walking. Second, he knew Vax was there, having caught Vex talking to him, Probably knew exactly where he was , too—there was no telling how long he'd been lurking in the hall. Third, knowing what they knew about the Righteous, for that's who this had to be, Vex likely wasn't the real target here. She was a means to an end, which meant he could stall for time and call in reinforcements.

Fourth, this guy probably wasn't alone.

Vax reached up and touched his Earring of Whisper. "Percival," he murmured, low enough that Vex's attacker hopefully wouldn't hear, "if you can hear me, come to the great hall. Jenga. I repeat, Jenga."

Percy's reply was instant and breathless. "On my way. Bringing backup."

With that reassurance, Vax stood and stepped out of his hiding place, empty hands raised. His heart skipped a beat as his eyes fell on the arms of a crossbow sticking out from behind Vex's back. The stocky man wielding it kept himself almost entirely shielded by her body, but icy blue eyes glared over her shoulder from underneath bushy eyebrows and a shock of greying black hair. Those are attack eyebrows if ever I saw them, he thought with an internal snicker. "Hey there, friend," he said as calmly as he could manage, the word tasting sour on his tongue. "Let's not do anything we'll all regret, now, all right?"

The man shoved his crossbow harder into Vex's spine, and she winced, making Vax's breath catch in his throat for an instant. "Watch it," she snarled.

But he didn't respond to her, speaking instead to Vax. "Who says I'd regret anything?" he spat. "I do the will of the Dawnfather."

Vax raised his eyebrows and took a slow step to his left, trying to get a better angle on this guy. "Really?" he asked skeptically. "I'm not a particularly religious man, mind you, but I'm fairly certain the will of the Dawnfather doesn't include cold-blooded murder."

"The will of the Dawnfather is that the usurpers of power in Whitestone be removed! By any means necessary!" the man cried. He lowered his voice to a growl. "And as their conspirators, your lives are forfeit as well."

Fuck. Come on, Percival, where are you?

"Usurpers?" Vex demanded incredulously. "The de Rolos founded this city, you idiot. They've ruled it for centuries!"

"Only by the grace of Pelor," he replied. "And it is clear to all that He has revoked that grace and cursed that family to darkness and ruin!"

The rear door of the hall swung slowly and silently open as he spoke, just a few inches, revealing a tall figure in the shadows just beyond. Vax's sharp senses picked up a gleam of light on glass, the faint click of metal on metal, and a flash of white hair. It's about damn time.

He tried not to look directly at Percy, instead keeping his attention on the man still menacing Vex. He took another step to his left. If he could get a dagger off now, at this angle, he might be able to catch and arm or a shoulder, but it would take every ounce of skill he possessed, and no small amount of luck, to avoid hitting his sister by mistake. And that was only if this psychopath didn't pull the trigger the instant Vax so much as twitched a hand toward his belt.

In his periphery, he saw Percy slip through the door, pepperbox in hand, circling around in the opposite direction from Vax. Another figure lingered in the doorway—Captain Garron, likely as not, shortsword drawn and ready.

Vax knew instantly what Percy meant to do. Taking another cautious step to his left, he maintained eye contact with that icy blue glare. That's it. Eyes on me, fucker. "I don't know about that," he said casually. "Some might say their successful overthrow of the Briarwoods proves their favor in the eyes of Pelor."

As he'd hoped, the man kept his gaze focused on Vax, giving no indication he knew Percy was there. "The de Rolos wrested back power with the aid of sinners, apostates, and non-believers," he spat. "Their rebellion rained down fire and blood upon this city, turning what was mere desolation into a blazing hell as they—"

With a deafening bang that reverberated through the hall like a thunderclap, the crossbow exploded in his hands. Vex cried out in surprise and stumbled forward, catching herself on the edge of the table. Vax had a dagger in his hand in the blink of an eye, but Percy's voice rang out before he could throw it. "Vax'ildan, stop!" he ordered. "See to Vex'ahlia. I shall deal with this one." He glanced over at Garron. "Secure the room, Captain. Make certain there are no more intruders."

Vex straightened with a grimace. "I'm fine, Brother," she said to Vax. "Just a few splinters in my ass, that's all."

Percy, meanwhile, kept his pepperbox trained on the man he'd so spectacularly disarmed. "You listen to me, and you listen well," he said coldly. "When we defeated the Briarwoods, I swore that mercy would be the rule in this city. But you and your ilk are testing my resolve to its limits."

The man snorted contemptuously at him. "How predictable. The noble lord resorts to threats the moment his power is questioned." His lip curled in an ugly sneer. "Go ahead. Make me a martyr."

Percy hesitated a moment, then lowered his weapon but didn't holster it. "I don't want to hurt you," he said. "What is your name?"

"The name I was born with means nothing," the man replied. "I am now called Blaze."

"Blaze." Percy nodded. "You were here that night. You were part of the attack on Lady Cassandra."

"Aye, I was." Blaze held his head high and glared into Percy's eyes with a toothy grin. "I threw the dagger myself!"

Vex gasped and took a step toward him, and Vax reached for his daggers again, but Percy held up a hand to stop them. To Blaze, he said icily, "Do not lie to me."

As they spoke, Vax saw Captain Garron stop suddenly about ten feet behind Percy, frowning. He muttered something under his breath, and everyone and everything within twenty feet of him lit up with a faint blue glow. He turned slowly in place, sword still in hand, and found what he was looking for at the exact moment Vax did.

"My Lord!" Garron barked, at the same instant Vax shouted, "Percival!"

Percy dove to the side as Garron leapt between him and the pale outline of an otherwise invisible attacker. Steel rang on steel as Garron's sword intercepted the one that had been aimed at Percy's back and swept it aside.

Whatever magic had rendered this second intruder invisible now failed, revealing a snarling half-Elf woman with a rapier in one hand and a dagger in the other. As Garron's parry deflected the rapier, she swung the dagger in a wide arc. Garron dodged, but barely, the blade drawing a thin red line across his cheek.

Rolling to his feet, Percy raised his pepperbox and pulled the trigger—and it misfired with a harsh grinding of metal. He took a step back, cursing furiously, as he tried to clear the chamber.

Vax met Vex's eyes, and they formulated a plan instantly in that wordless glance. You go that way. I'll go this way. Do what you do best.

With a sharp nod of understanding, the twins sprang apart, circling around to opposite sides of the fray. Vex swung wide, gaining as much distance as the hall would allow, and aimed an arrow at the half-Elf's knee. It went wide, skittering across the floor as she nocked another.

Vax dove directly at Blaze, hoping to grapple and restrain him before he could offer any help to his co-conspirator. He tackled the older man as he drew a pair of daggers from somewhere under his cloak, but only managed to drag him to one knee before Blaze threw him off with a powerful elbow strike to his gut that knocked the wind from his lungs. Sprawled on his back, coughing and gasping for breath, he could only watch as Blaze sprang toward Percy, daggers raised.

Thankfully, Percy kept his wits about him as he struggled to fix his weapon. He saw Blaze coming in time to deflect his first strike with the barrel of the pepperbox and twist nimbly out of the way of the second. Drawing his own rapier, he bit out, "I said I don't want to hurt you, Blaze, and I meant it. Don't make me."

Vex's second arrow hit home, and the half-Elf staggered and cried out. Garron took the opportunity to wrest the sword from her hand and force her to her knees, blades crossed at her throat. "Yield, intruder," he ordered, and the half-Elf reluctantly threw down her dagger and raised her hands.

Blaze, however, was not so easily cowed. He pressed forward on Percy, inside the reach of his rapier, and stabbed with both daggers again. Percy dropped his sword to catch one wrist, but couldn't stop the other dagger from slamming deep into his right shoulder. He shoved Blaze off with a grunt and stumbled back a step, gritting his teeth against the pain as the pepperbox, too, fell from nerveless fingers to clatter to the floor.

Vax surged to his feet and launched two of his own daggers at Blaze, nailing him first in the thigh and then in the back, knocking him prone. As the blades blinked back to his belt, he strode toward the fallen zealot and pinned him down with a knee on his back, then pressed a blade to his throat. "Percival, give me one good reason not to kill this fucker right now," he snapped.

"I need to know what he knows," Percy ground out. "Captain Garron, take these two to the dungeon and lock them up. But see to their wounds first, and make sure they're treated well. When that's done, see me in my study."

"But, sir—"

"You have your orders, Garron."

The captain nodded, his mouth set in an unhappy line. "Yes, milord."

Vex was already at Percy's side, and he couldn't hide a wince as she wrapped gentle fingers around the hilt of the dagger still lodged in his shoulder. "This is going to hurt, darling," she warned.

"It already—ah, fuck!" he groaned as she pulled the blade out in one swift motion. His knees buckled, but he managed to stay upright as she immediately placed her other hand over the wound, a warm green-gold glow emanating from it as she offered what small healing magic she had to stop the bleeding. "Thank you, Vex, he panted. As he watched Garron secure the prisoners, he muttered, "Damn it all. I'd hoped to do this without bloodshed."

"They didn't give us much choice," Vax pointed out, standing to allow Garron to drag Blaze to his feet. He glared at the still-defiant prisoner and growled, "They don't seem to share your principles."

Blaze spat at Vax's feet as Garron began to lead him and his compatriot away. To Percy, he snarled, "This is only the beginning, de Rolo. We are legion, and we are coming for you. Step down, or face the wrath of Pelor!"