Page 42 of Lured By the Dus
“Devil of Dowler!”
The angry yells of fear and hate rose. I waited for Oren to lift his flute to his lips, to quell them with his magical song. Instead, he opened the door wider, shielding me with his body, and stepped aside. When he spoke, his voice rose like thunder, and the shouts calmed like a storm being tamed. “Come. Take your children and leave this cursed city. If you value your life, you will go and not look back. And you will never return.”
A pregnant silence extended of shock and disbelief. I found my courage and squeezed out from behind Oren. “Listen.” I raised my hands. “I know I’m not one of you. I came from Solynn recently, and ever since my arrival, I’ve dwelled under the shadow of darkness that taints Dowler. My uncle, Lord Faren, has given in to evil ways and doom is coming to his house. It is time for him to pay for his deeds, to reap the consequences of his actions, but you have a chance to escape. Take the children and go through the tunnels. They lead to freedom where you can start life anew, free from the terrors that happened here. But I would caution you, remember Dowler, tell the tale to your children, and your children’s children, so that they might remember there is a cost for wrong doing. That is why the Piper has come, not for vengeance and fear, not to punish you without reason, but to bring justice to those who have been wronged by the actions of my uncle, the priests, the sorcerers, and those who came before them.”
“Who are you that we should listen to you?” An angry woman spat. “You’re his wife, bewitched by him!”
Her vehemence was so potent, I stepped back as if she’d slapped me. “That may be so, but unlike you, I’ve lived with him,” I retorted. “I’ve gotten to know the man behind the tales, the truth about who he is. Do you think for one moment that he would spare your lives, give you so many chances to flee, if he didn’t have a heart?”
Low murmurs hissed, words that made my ears blush as someone pushed through the crowd. Up to the front came Aunt Matzie, with a bloody lip and a black eye swelling on her face. Uropa walked beside her, sporting a bloody lip of her own. I gasped at the sight, fingers tightening into fists. Lord Faren. He had not hesitated to lay his hands on me, nor did he hesitate to punish his wife. And for what?
The mob quieted down, and one voice rang out, “Lady Matzie, who did this to you?”
Facing them, she bowed her head, holding on to Uropa’s hand for courage. “My husband, is not who you think he is.” She proclaimed. “For years, our city has flourished because of magic. Dark magic practiced by the priests and the sorcerers. There are Others, like the Piper, slaves of magic who live in the mountain, their essence tortured out of them so that we might live in success. The Piper has come to help them, and we don’t know what will happen once they are free. They might come after us, they might destroy this city and kill everyone who stays. I, too, was blind to all this, and choose to believe what my husband told me. But little by little, my eyes have been opened to the truth. We were wrong, and the Piper has done us a favor by taking our children. He has forced us to make a choice. To stay or to go. I’ve made my choice, and I’ve paid for it.” She lifted her chin and touched her fingers to her bruised face. “I’m taking my children, and I’m going to start a new life, far, far from here.”
With those words, she met my eyes. Arms wide, I went to her. The woman who’d been so quiet, so complacent through all of this, who’d argued in favor of Lord Faren, had finally seen the truth. Gingerly and awkwardly, she hugged me back. “Where are they?” she whispered.
Something cold and solid brushed my leg, and I looked down at Pip. Oh. Bending, I touched his head and then addressed my aunt. “This is Pip. He’s a gargoyle, but he will lead you to the children. They are sleeping in a hall that leads to the tunnel. Follow it and you’ll come out on the other side, far from here.”
Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of the beast, but she showed no fear. After all she’d been through, it was likely nothing much surprised her. “Thank you, but Tanith, what will you do?”
I tilted my head up at Oren, who leaned against the wall, waiting. “I’m going with him to stop Lord Faren.”
Pressing her lips together, she nodded. “Be careful. He’s stopped torturing the magic-thralls, but I think he knows this is war, and he’s preparing for something big.”
“I understand, but Oren—the Piper—will stop him. I don’t know if our paths will cross again, but regardless, go in peace.”
“You too.”
Pip led the way into the castle and the citizens followed, emboldened by the Lady of Dowler.
Oren took my arm and guided me through the throng of people, the air ominous with fear and tension and anger and rage.
The death horse waited for us outside the stable, but Oren opened the doors and peered inside. “It is time,” he announced.
At first I thought he was talking to me, but then the creatures in the barn stirred, rising to their feet, stretching their wings, and I realized he spoke to his familiars, an army of creatures he’d once healed who owed their allegiance to him. They came when he called, they’d returned to help him, and now they came forth, to help this one last time.
Oren mounted the horse and pulled me up behind him. We thundered through the forest, the creatures racing behind us, and I wasn’t sure if I’d made the right choice. Yes, I wanted to see this through to the end, but to face my uncle, the sorcerers, and the priests was more than I had bargained for.
When we reached the city, it was quiet. The people were gone, or if any had stayed behind, they hid in their homes. I saw what Oren had done to the glory of Dowler—buildings falling down and dead animals rotting in the street. Now and then, one of those hell dogs would rear its head, sending a shudder through me. This was not a place to live anymore. I shielded my eyes against the light as we passed the graveyard where it all began. To my surprise, Oren pulled the horse to a stop and lifted the flute to his lips, just as a ball of fire blasted out of the sky and arched toward us.
32Tanith
Red balls of fire rained down from the sky, sizzling as they struck the ground around us. I screamed and ducked, but Oren had anticipated the retaliation. He played, the magic of his flute sending strands of gold into the air. I watched, astonished, for I could actually see each note as it burst from the flute, and the strings of music it left in its wake, flying up and off into the sky. Still, we weren’t safe yet. As the fire rained down, Oren urged the horse into a steady walk, uphill to where the palace perched like a monster welcoming us into its lair.
As we approached, the sky darkened, clouds rolling across the sun, the light fading as fat raindrops poured out of the sky. Did Oren control the weather too? The fire fizzled under the rain, but it was too late for the houses and fields. They caught, burning steadily even as the rain came down, the scent of smoke filling my nose as I held tight to Oren.
When we reached the gates, the music ceased, and he dismounted slowly, his eyes holding mine, a determination in his gaze.
“This is where it ends, Tanith, and I will not relent. Will you turn back?”
I glanced over my shoulder at the city burning below. I tried to be brave even though my voice shook. “I think it’s too late for that.”
“Then stay by my side. The music will protect us as long as it can.”
He held something up in his free hand. Flakes of gold glimmered, and I realized it was the crystal pyramid. I gasped lightly, recalling that fascinating relic he’d tossed in the air so lightly. I cupped my hands as he gave it to me.
“What is it?” I asked as the wind whipped up, embers floating like lightning bugs before the rain doused them.
