‘“Leave this holy place!” Chloe shouted, raising her blade in both fists.
‘Liathe spat through bared fangs. “Wretched foolsss, you kn—”
‘“In the name of God and the blessed Mothermaid,” Rafa roared, “I say begone!”
‘The vampire hissed at the priest’s command, backing away from that searing light. Her chest was split wide, mask shattered, ribs and hands still smouldering from Ashdrinker’s kiss. Rafa cried again, “I said BEGONE, devil!” wielding his wheel like a sword. And just as when we’d fought at the watchtower, Liathe’s body seemed to tremble, exploding into a thousand blood-red moths, now whirring and spinning up into the pale snows.
‘I bent double, spitting blood. And as I watched, that storm of tiny wings rose up through the feeble sunlight and scattered into the gloom.
‘Phoebe stood on unsteady legs, the lioness shaking herself head to tail and snorting blood. Dior came barrelling across the bailey, skidding to a halt at Saoirse’s side.
‘“Saoirse?” the boy demanded, grabbing her hand. “Are you aright?”
‘“B-bitch … kicked me … i-in the c-cunny …” she hissed.
‘“Who the hell is that devil?” Dior demanded.
‘“And how in God’s name did she enter holy ground?” Rafa asked.
‘“She was a blood witch.” Chloe looked at me, green eyes wide. “Gabe, could she …”
‘But the good sister’s voice failed as I shook my head. I’d thought the same myself at first – some foul arte dark enough to break even God’s law. But looking at the bloody stone at my feet, the stink of burning bodies still hanging in the wind, I’d realized the simple truth.
‘“There’s no magik at work here. Just murder.”
‘Bellamy stood above, crossbow in shaking hands. “What do you mean?”
‘I looked around the bloodstained belly of San Guillaume and sighed. “I mean how can this ground still be sanctified, when it’s been soaked with the blood of God’s faithful? How could it remain hallowed, when defiled in the name of that very same God?”
‘“The Inquisition …” Rafa whispered.
‘“In murdering the monastery’s brethren, flaying and burning and torturing them, those fools profaned this place. Soaked it in the blood of innocents and holy men.” I shook my head, retrieving Ashdrinker from the stone. “San Guillaume is sacred ground no longer.”
‘And d-doom rides t’wards it, on black black wings.
‘Saoirse dragged herself to her feet, wincing. “That bitch said the Beast of Vellene will be at our throats by nightfall. If she spoke truth …”
‘Chloe looked to me, paling under her freckles. “How can we hope to stand against Danton without God beneath our feet?”
‘“We could put those feet to use?” Bellamy suggested. “We could run?”
‘“Cowards never triumph, Bellamy,” the slayer growled.
‘“They don’t die very often either, Saoirse,” Chloe noted.
‘I scowled back down the hill. “The one path we have to flee by will lead us straight into Danton’s arms. That bastard could track a piece of hay through a stackful of needles. And if he catches us in the open at night-time, he’ll carve us up like springtime lambs. We’ve no choice but to make a stand here.”
‘“But that blood witch said Danton has gathered every wretched for miles,” Bellamy protested. “We barely held back a few dozen at Winfael, and that was without a highblood leading them. We’ve trapped ourselves like bloody rats!”
‘I looked around the group, saw Bellamy’s fear seeping into them like poison. Dior’s jaw was clenched, all colour gone from his face – it was his decision that had brought us to these walls, after all. Chloe was pacing, dragging one hand back through her curls as she looked to the walls behind us, the sheer cliffs, the hopeless drop into the river a hundred and fifty feet below. Bellamy spoke again, voice trembling with fear.
‘“We should never have come here, mes amis.”
‘“Hold your nerve, Bouchette,” I growled.
‘“My nerve?” the lad scoffed, almost laughing. “Did you see that monster? She carried a blade made of blood! She turned into a storm of fucking moths! Perhaps such horrors are commonplace for a silversaint, but I’m only a soothsinger! I’m not even a soldier!”
‘“Soldier?” I sighed. “Let me tell you about the soldiers I’ve fought with, Bellamy. All those great battles you sing about? The heroes who fought at Tuuve and Báih Sìde, Triúrbaile and Coste? They were boys, for the most part. Teenage boys, just like you. Stonemasons and carpenters. Farmers and fishermen. They fought because they didn’t have rich fathers. They fought because they didn’t have a piece of parchment with the Emperor’s seal to save them. They fought because they had to. And they’d nothing to look forward to afterwards, most of them. All they’d be at the end of it was alive. But before every battle I ever fought, I’d look at the faces of those boys, and in their loyalty to each other, in their courage at the sight of those horrors, I tell you sure and true, I used to see the face of God.”
‘I walked to the monastery wall and thumped my fist against it.
‘“We have strong stone around us, Bouchette. Liquor in the cellars and water to be blessed. Holy wheels and silversteel.” I looked around the group, fire in my eyes. “We don’t need soldiers to win through this. We need only stand together.”
‘“Véris, Silversaint.” Père Rafa smiled, clutching his wheel tight. “Véris.”
‘Dior squared his shoulders and nodded. Chloe put her arm around the boy and squeezed tight. Even Saoirse stood a little taller.
‘“Bouchette, I want you fetching as much water as you can. Rafa, get to blessing it. Saoirse, start hauling liquor from the distillery. There’s barrels of it, pure and strong as sin. Chloe, Dior, I want you looking for tallow, wood, bedding – anything that will burn. We don’t have long ’til sunset, and I want to be ready when His Majesty arrives.”
‘I looked at the soothsinger in the lingering still.
‘“You’ve still got your seventh song to write, Bellamy. You’re not dying tonight.”
‘The company set about it, Dior headed to the kitchens, Saoirse to the cellar, Bellamy following Rafa, still looking shaky. Only Chloe remained. She stood a foot and a half shorter than I, clad in chainmail and silversteel, hands on hips as she smiled.
‘“You always did give a rousing speech, mon ami. You haven’t lost your touch since the Battle of the Twins.”
‘I shrugged, turning away so I didn’t have to watch that vein, pulsing just below the line of her jaw. “When you’re playing your last song, always pick a crowd-pleaser.”
‘“… Last song?”
‘Still refusing to look at her, I murmured so none might overhear. “When Danton arrives, keep Dior close. I’ll cut you a way out if I can.”