Bulletproof Witch Page 13

  Unfortunately, Temperance did not account for the force behind such speed. Lucius stumbled too far forward, halting a yard away from the horses. He let out a hiss, and the animals rolled their eyes and pranced about. William stood in their center, tugging on reins to little effect.

  Temperance cursed, then used her jacket to launch herself forward. She closed the distance between her and Lucius before he could even take a step towards the animals. With a quick slashing motion, she raked his back with the hunting knife. Bright sparks exploded in the air wherever the metal blade cut into upyr flesh. Lucius hissed as he reached for her, but Temperance had already sailed well out of range.

  “What’s the matter, Lucius, not used to a victim that can fight back? Maybe you aren’t as powerful as you thought you were.”

  The upyr let out another hiss in response. Temperance tossed the knife from one hand to the next and cast a quick glance at the ground. No good, her runes were too far to the right. She started to circle in their direction, trying to appear casual so as not to give away her intentions.

  Lucius shot forward, the air blurring around him. Before Temperance could get the knife up again he had her by the throat. She sank her blade into the upyr’s shoulder. A burst of lights blinded her, and she launched herself away without knowing her direction, sparks trailing after her as the knife wrenched free.

  The leap carried her almost to the treeline. Through spot-covered vision she managed to avoid getting entangled in a willow’s branches. Another dancing pattern across the leather had the material twisting about to do a flip back towards the clearing.

  As she sailed through the air, the distinct sound of tearing leather reached her ears. Temperance had no idea what part of the jacket had given way, but she doubted it meant anything good.

  Almost out of time. I need to end this.

  Temperance looked around as she landed, then fell backwards as Lucius collapsed on top of her. They hit the ground, rolled twice, kicked about, rolled again. Temperance came up on top and made a feinting slash at the upyr’s eyes. Lucius raised his hands to ward off the attack, so Temperance flipped the blade to an underhanded grip and buried it right beneath the creature’s ribs.

  She leapt to her feet as the upyr thrashed about, barely avoiding a hand as it reached for her, fingernails looking sharp enough to rend flesh. Dark blood dripped from the blade of her hunting knife, sparks flashing whenever it came in contact with the sigils.

  Lucius clambered to his feet. Temperance looked down and noticed one of her runes next to her. Close. So very close.

  Gotta be now or never. Not going to get another shot at this. Temperance took a step back, then held her arms wide, leaving herself open. She grinned a mad, wild grin at the upyr.

  “Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s finish this dance already.”

  Lucius spat to one side. “Bisaule wilota kan!”

  “I’m just going to pretend that’s some sort of compliment.” Temperance took another step back, then planted her feet and waited.

  She didn’t have to wait long.

  The upyr shimmered in the gathering shadows, and the next moment he was beside her. A hand shot forward and grabbed Temperance by the wrist, squeezing until the knife dropped from her grasp. She struggled to break free, but it was like trying to crack an iron bar.

  Then his other hand closed around her throat.

  Temperance’s feet lifted off the ground as the air to her lungs cut off. The grip around her throat tightened, until she was certain that her neck would snap and that would be the end of it all. Lights flared across her vision, and for a moment she heard her mother’s voice calling out her name. It would be so easy just to relax into the warm feeling spreading through her, to give in and let herself float away to somewhere without pain and agony and all the dark regrets that haunted her. All she had to do was give in. Let it all end.

  From somewhere in the back of her head came a familiar voice, part of her and yet not at the same time.

  Is that what you want? To give in? What would your grandfather say if he saw you like this? Imagine his disappointment.

  Anger flared in her chest, and through sheer force of will Temperance pushed away the darkness. Her remaining hand closed around one of the revolvers at her waist. With a flick of the wrist, she leveled it at the upyr’s heart. The sound of it firing was louder than a keg of dynamite next to her head.

  Lucius released his grip on her and stumbled back a step. Reaching a hand to his chest, he wiped away a line of blood that trickled from the hole over his heart. Then with an almost casual grace he flicked the blood aside and looked at Temperance. Jagged predator’s teeth gleamed in the dark.

  Temperance fired again. And again. And again. The upyr stumbled back further, several more holes sprouting from his chest. He gave a curt grunt, although whether from pain or frustration was difficult to tell.

  She didn’t wait around to find out. Temperance rolled away, coming to a stop next to another set of runes, marked out in sorcerer’s chalk. Next to them, a line of glittering crystal spread out across the clearing.

  A perfect circle, made from ixtl slime. One of the best reagents in existence.

  “Corino Necte Vie!”

  Blue light flared across the ground as the ixtl slime activated, turning the circle into the most powerful seal spell Temperance had ever constructed. The air shimmered above it as even motes of dust found themselves trapped inside.

  Temperance collected her knife. She gave Lucius a casual smile and wiggled the blade at him. He growled and launched forward.

  Blue light flared even brighter, and the next moment the upyr stumbled back, clutching at one of his hands. He stared at Temperance with undisguised hatred, then launched forward again, letting out a howl of pain this time as he struck the barrier. Temperance smiled.

  “You can do that all night if you like. Won’t make a lick of difference, but I wouldn’t blame you for trying. Suppose I would too, in your circumstances.”

  She slipped the knife back into its sheath and rejoined William. The boy continued staring at the trapped upyr, wide eyes reflecting the blue light.

  “What . . . what did you do?”

  “Trapped him inside of a seal circle. He won’t be going anywhere until the reagents run out. Which, based on the amount of ixtl slime Mister Dunpeal gave me, shouldn’t be until well after sunrise.”

  She helped William into the saddle, then mounted up onto the pack horse. Giving it a comforting pat, she turned its head to the west. “C’mon, I want to put as much distance between us and this place as we can, even if we have to do it by moonslight. Solid draft horses like this shouldn’t have any trouble finding their way in the dark, isn’t that right, girl?”

  “But . . . .” William cast another look back at the gaunt form watching them from inside the seal circle. “I thought you said that it would hold until morning. Should we wait, and make certain?”

  “Nope. If I’m right, then your problems are over, but if I’m not, do you want to still be here to find out?”

  The boy shook his head.

  Turning the horses towards Sweetwater, Temperance set out into the forest. The twin moons rose in the distance to light their way, while behind them the howls of a furious upyr chased them through the trees.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Five Years Earlier

  The town of Oceanside was as different from Cold Valley as night was to day. Sand and surf replaced forests. Sunlight replaced shadows. People walked about as if they had nowhere more important to be. Quaint shops lined dusty streets, while visitors crowded along the wooden boardwalk running the length of the beach. Out in the bay, fishermen sat relaxing in boats, the only movement that of the surf. Altogether, it looked . . . peaceful.

  Temperance hated it.

  The fishing village spread out across wide plains that sloped gently towards distant hills. Martin told her that the hills were, in fact, another mountain range known as the Maderas. Temperance couldn’t
bring herself to believe it. Mountains were massive, untouchable things. These looked like something she could climb to the peak of in a day, if she had a mind to.

  She craned her neck to take it all in before dropping back onto the buckboard with a sigh. “This is where you live?”

  “That’s right.” Martin cracked the reins, setting the cattle to bellowing. “Oceanside may not be the biggest town in the Red River territory, but you won’t find one nicer anywhere along the eastern seaboard. An old man like me enjoys having a bit of warm sunlight on his bones now and then. Helps keep the aches at bay.”

  “Grandpa had an ointment for that.”

  The old gunslinger gave a chuckle. “Anyway, don’t fret about the town, we won’t be staying long. I live further up in the hills. The sunshine might be enjoyable, but the people that come along with it I can do without.”

  “You have your school up there?” Temperance glanced at the hills again. They weren’t that big, but she supposed you could still find some privacy among them.

  Martin gave a cough. “Ah, no, not exactly. Schools have to be registered and licensed with the territorial governor, then there are all manner of rules and inspections one has to follow, not to mention the taxes . . . no, I don’t hold with all that nonsense. If somebody wants to find me bad enough and can pay for training, I train them. That simple.”

  “But . . . how many students do you have?” It occurred to Temperance that Martin had been gone for weeks traveling to Cold Valley. What kind of apprentice put up with such a long absence from their master?

  “Hmm.” Martin made a show of rubbing his chin. “At the moment, I think . . . one. Yep. Just the one.”

  “One?” Temperance echoed. Her mouth flapped open and closed as she tried to think of something else to say. Martin glared at her.

  “I like to be particular about choosing who I take on as an apprentice. You telling me your grandfather taught every Butch and Harry that wandered into the valley?”

  “Of course not. Every potential student had to pass a rigorous series of tests. Even I hadn’t passed the last one, before—” Temperance snapped her mouth shut, awash in a sudden flush of memories. Even now, months later, she still couldn’t bring herself to examine the attack on Cold Valley in detail. Instead she focused her breathing, gritting her teeth and sucking in several deep gulps of salty air.

  When she came back to herself, Martin had returned to directing the cattle down the road, looking at the distant hills with a far-off expression. If he had noticed the sudden change that came over her, he didn’t comment.

  They rode through the town and began winding their way up into the hills. The warm sunlight and smells of the sea faded behind them, trees and shadows taking their place. The path they followed steadily broke down, turning first to a set of wagon ruts, then to a trail barely wide enough for the wagon to fit. Martin guided the cart up a muddy path that careened and twisted around the mountainside, the trail falling away to a gut-churning drop below them, Oceanside just visible as a smudge where the land gave way to the sea.

  “Whoa, now.” Martin gave a tug on the reins to slow the animals. The Stervalkians needed no encouragement, stopping so quick Temperance almost pitched from the wagon. She looked about. There was little to see beyond more trees.

  “Where are we?” For a terrifying moment, Temperance wondered if Martin meant to hurl her from the cliff and rid himself of his unexpected burden at last. She forced the awful thought from her mind. If the old man had wanted her dead, he’d had dozens of opportunities to do so while she was sleeping during the journey here.

  Martin didn’t answer. He hopped from the buckboard and began prodding the edge of the trail with a stick, muttering to himself the entire time.

  “I know it’s around here somewhere. Leave it to my cobweb-filled skull to forget where I laid one of my own—ah, there we are!”

  There was a clicking noise, and Martin lifted a line of cable that Temperance hadn’t noticed until he moved it. The old gunslinger coiled it to one side and returned to the wagon.

  “What was that?” she asked.

  “One of my methods of deterring visitors. If someone moves the wire without deactivating it first, it sets off a cache of explosives I’ve got buried beneath us.”

  “It does what?” Temperance almost leapt from the wagon and ran back to town then and there. Instead she gripped the buckboard tight as they rolled past where the cable lay. When nothing happened, she heaved a sigh of relief and turned to Martin. “Why the heck would you have something like that?”

  “I just told you. Deterring visitors.”

  Temperance glanced at Martin to see if he was joking, but his face remained as stony as ever. He cracked the reins and stared ahead, pointedly not looking at her.

  “I’m beginning to see why you have so few students,” she said at last.

  “As I said, I like to be particular about who I teach.” A ghost of a smile played across Martin’s face, but it was gone so quickly Temperance couldn’t be sure she hadn’t imagined it.

  The old gunslinger stopped three more times to disable traps along the path, always resetting them after the wagon had passed. Temperance was starting to despair of them ever reaching their destination when the trees broke and revealed a farmstead set between the hills.

  There were several buildings close at hand, with what looked like one or two others peeking over the top of a nearby orchard. The main building was a two-story farmhouse built of weathered brick, windows trimmed with neat whitewash. Beyond it lay a small log house that was either for storage or smoking. Across a bare field stood an old barn, boards going gray in the spring sunshine.

  Temperance hopped from the buckboard as Martin drew to a halt. She studied her new home with a critical eye. “You manage this whole place yourself?”

  “Course not, that’s what I’ve got apprentices for.” The old gunslinger gave a hearty laugh.

  “Apprentices. Right. So only three of us are supposed to keep all of this up ourselves? Not going to leave much time for training.”

  “Don’t worry yourself sick about it. I promised to see you trained, and that’s what I intend to do, Three help me.”

  “Oh no you don’t.” Temperance rounded on the man, planting a hand on her hip the way she remembered her mother doing when her father had gotten himself in trouble. “You promised to treat me like any of your other students. I won’t abide any special conditions.”

  “Suit yourself. I can set you to planting spring wheat in the morning, I suppose.” Martin grabbed a handful of bags and started towards the house. Temperance scurried after him.

  Pushing the front door open, Martin deposited his contents on a rug of green-dyed rakhair that covered the entryway. After dusting his hands, he let out a loud bellow. “Daniel! Get down here and tend to the cattle already!”

  There was a crashing noise upstairs, followed by several curses that were colorful enough they brought a flush of pink to Temperance’s cheeks. Feet padded on the boards, and a head appeared at the top of the stairway. It blinked at the two of them, eyes going wide. The head disappeared again before Temperance got a decent look.

  “Just a moment!” A voice called out. “I need to . . . just a moment!”

  Martin rolled his eyes and looked over at Temperance. “You’ll have to forgive my other apprentice for his lack of manners. He’s probably been busy rifling through my refreshment magazines while I’ve been absent. Now he’s gone to try and return them before I notice. And also put on some pants, I hope.”

  “Refreshment magazines?” Temperance asked.

  More crashes upstairs followed, and Martin rolled his eyes again. He turned and headed back out the door. “C’mon, he’ll be along when he’s ready. In the meantime, best get your bags.”

  The old gunslinger showed her to a room upstairs that clearly hadn’t seen an occupant in quite some time. Dust plumed into the air as the door swung open, setting her into a fit of coughing and beating about with he
r father’s hat. Lungs clear, she surveyed her new quarters.

  “It’s not much,” Martin said, dropping one of her bags and setting off another explosion of black dust, “But it stays warm in the winter and has an excellent view. Probably the best room in the house, if you care about such things.”

  “View?”

  “See for yourself.” He gestured towards the far wall.

  Temperance walked over and cracked opened the shutters. Sunlight coursed in, filling the room and showing off the moth-eaten state of the linens covering the bed. Temperance blinked at the sudden glare, then drew in an involuntary gasp.

  Past her window the mountainside fell away, stretching on through a sea of green trees that ended where the ocean met them in the distance. The view had been impressive enough while they were climbing the trail, but now it took on a whole new light, a majesty of nature painted in colors so vivid they almost seemed to bleed at the edges.

  “Like I said, nice if you enjoy that sort of thing.” Martin started for the door, but paused and turned back to look at her. “You should get some rest. We’ve had a long trip, and training starts tomorrow. Welcome to your new home, Temperance.”

  His footsteps faded away down the hall and descended the stairs. Temperance stood for some time after that, looking out the window and soaking in the beauty of the world. Everything in her life had felt so bleak for so long, it almost felt wrong somehow that she should be standing here, enjoying a moment like this.

  A cough from the doorway broke her reverie. She turned and saw the young man from before outlined in the afternoon sunlight. He was perhaps a year older than her, with long gangly limbs that the rest of him hadn’t yet the opportunity to grow into. On his face sat a pair of wire spectacles, the glass inside them reflecting the sunlight into a multitude of colors on the nearby walls.

  “Greetings,” he said, giving a shy smile. His words had a slight accent to them that Temperance thought she recognized. Somewhere along the north coast. The Calien territory, maybe?