Mother of Chaos

  A bayonet jabbed a little deeper, and he groaned.

  She reached into the pouch and pulled out a lead shot.

  “Can you hit him from here?” Alexi asked.

  I am so sorry, my friend.

  She pulled her arm back and threw with all her might.

  Kurkov’s head exploded in a blast of red and gray and white. His body convulsed once and went limp, sagging on its chains. Guards shouted and swore, searching the crowd for the source of the rock.

  Ruxandra and Alexi were already gone.

  Ruxandra didn’t say anything at all as he led her through the city. Tears flowed down her face and she did nothing to stop them. Alexi kept silent as he led her to the warehouse where, weeks before, Kade had destroyed the carriage. The remains of the carriage still decorated the walls and floor, like a scattered toy broken by an enraged, giant child. Alexi walked through the debris and knelt in the middle of the room, prying at something with his knife.

  Ruxandra could see nothing there, but she heard something pop. Alexi lifted his hand, showing her a metal disk surrounded by wax. At the same moment, Ruxandra saw the trapdoor Alexi knelt on.

  “That’s how,” she whispered. “I wondered.”

  “This leads below Terem Palace,” Alexi said. “It will take us to the dungeons.”

  The tunnel was long and clear and easily passible. Alexi brought out a key and opened the door at the end. A set of steps took them up to the dungeon and a pair of men on watch at the door. Ruxandra tensed to attack. Inside her the Beast howled, sensing her intent.

  “Stand down,” Alexi said to the men. “Anna’s orders. The magicians must come with me. Now.”

  The soldiers saluted and opened the door. The Beast snarled in frustration but didn’t attack.

  The men were in bad shape. Bruises covered their bodies, and they had trouble walking. They saw Alexi and began to shake. Alexi ordered them out of the cell and down the tunnel. He explained in short, terse sentences what was going to happen. The men didn’t ask any questions. They were cowed—their wills nearly destroyed by beatings and lack of food. They stumbled forward; their steps were slow and painful. They leaned on each other and Ruxandra, though none would let Alexi touch them. He brought them back to the warehouse, helped them up the ladder, and led them, squinting at the sunlight, to the old church above the library.

  Two secret policemen stood inside, waiting.

  “Ishtar is down below,” one said. “We are to take your sword, Alexi, and lead you all to her.”

  “I see,” Alexi said. “Do you trust me more than her?”

  Before either of the men could reply, Ruxandra killed them.

  A single swipe of her talons took both men’s throats. They dropped to the ground. Alexi stared in shock as his men’s blood spurted across the floor. One of the magicians whimpered.

  “I don’t have the luxury of mercy anymore, Alexi. Do not think I will forgive you that. You made this happen, and I’m ending it,” Ruxandra said. “Come. Now.”

  Face hard, he nodded. She led the way down, the magicians behind and Alexi taking up the rear, his sword in his hand. Ruxandra pushed open the library door and stepped in.

  The Alchemist, Michael, and Derek knelt on the floor, each with a secret policeman behind them and a knife at their throat. Their faces were bleak and frozen in terror. Beside them, fury radiating off him in waves, knelt Kade. A dozen more secret police stood behind them, and Ruxandra smelled four more that she couldn’t see.

  And above them, on the balcony, stood Ishtar, light gleaming off her hair red as fire.

  “Really, Ruxandra,” she said. “You didn’t think you could win this, did you?”

  Chapter 23

  Ruxandra’s feet froze in place, magic holding her feet as surely as if they had bonded with the marble beneath them. She reached into her pouch for the shot. She knew she couldn’t touch Ishtar, but if she could get the secret police off the magicians, she could take out the others.

  “If you throw anything, my men will kill your magicians,” Ishtar said. “So don’t be foolish.”

  “Why?” Ruxandra demanded, not taking her hand from the pouch. “Why kill them? Why do any of this?”

  “I told you. From chaos comes order, from fear one gains power, and from proper subjugation, mankind learns to obey.” She smiled. “As you can see.”

  “You could have helped Anna, could have built up the city—”

  “That never works, Ruxandra.” Ishtar leaned her elbows on the balcony, as relaxed as if she lounged in a drawing room. “I have watched humans for thousands of years. If you build up one group, another just comes along and takes what they have. You build that one up, and the next group does the same thing. No, the only way to make people obey is to tear them down so far that they cannot even dream of rising up again. Which is why Anna needs to put down this rebellion in the most brutal manner possible. Only after that will people properly fear her.”

  “Stupid,” Kade said. “This entire mess is stupid. I had Belosselsky contained. I had Khilkoff and Delfino listening to me, and you—”

  “Exposed them for what they were and gave them the rage needed to begin their insurrection,” Ishtar said, her voice strong and certain. “An insurrection that will be brutally crushed, showing the rest of the nobles that Anna is to be obeyed.”

  “And the church?” Ruxandra fingered the shot in her bag. Even at top speed, she couldn’t get off three before one of the magicians died. She needed to think. “Why stir them up?”

  “Because they are God’s.” Ishtar’s mood turned; she spat the last word from her mouth like foul, rotten flesh. “He abandoned all these people, and they need to realize it. Otherwise they will have hope, which will stand in the way of their subjugation.”

  “Enough of this,” Alexi said. “Ishtar, I am arresting you for crimes against the empress and Russia. Men, take her.”

  No one moved.

  “The empress rescinded your authority, Alexi,” Ishtar said. “I told her you were working with Ruxandra, and she stripped you of your command. You are nothing.”

  Alexi shrugged. “I thought as much. Pity.”

  Then he drew a pistol and shot one of the secret policemen.

  Kade moved in a blur of speed, jumping to his feet and charging at the men who were confining the magicians. Ruxandra hurled a shot at the man holding the Alchemist. His head exploded and he dropped.

  Kade’s talons lashed at the policeman holding Derek, but the magic that protected the policeman made Kade’s hands skid away, like stones thrown on ice. Kade stumbled, blocking Ruxandra’s view of Michael. She switched her aim and threw the second shot at the one holding Derek, taking off the top of his skull.

  The third man shoved his knife into Michael’s throat and ripped it out. Ruxandra’s third shot scattered the policeman’s brains.

  The Alchemist and Derek scrambled toward their friends. Swords clashed as Alexi fought a man Ruxandra couldn’t see. The other secret police rushed forward, swords out.

  “Protect them!” Ruxandra screamed at Kade as she dodged the policemen’s swords. She swung at them, but the magic that had protected Alexi on the bridge protected them, too. She pulled two more shot out and jumped to the balcony. Kade put his body between the men’s swords and the magicians. He spread his arms wide.

  “Get back!” Ruxandra shouted as she hurled her first shot. It went into a policeman’s back, tore through the blood and bone, and exited his chest. “Get into the stacks!”

  The Alchemist and Derek grabbed the other magicians, hauling them out of sight. Ruxandra threw a second shot, killing another man. Six broke off from the fight and ran for the stairs. Ruxandra jumped down, spun, and threw again. The shot blew through two men’s legs, dropping them.

  Pain, so sharp it was exquisite, tore through her body. The point of a sword drove into her back, sliced flesh and organs, and ripped out her stomach. Ruxandra screamed and spun, taking the blade with her as she slashed her talons at an atta
cker she couldn’t see or touch. She howled her rage and threw two more shot at men she could see. One slammed into a man’s chest. The other mashed through a skull. Both fell.

  Another sword slashed through the tendons in the back of one knee, sending her to the ground. The surviving men from the stairs charged. Ruxandra used her one working leg to jump forward. Two leaps took her across the room and over the big table. The men ran after her.

  Ruxandra picked up the table and hurled it at them. Two scrambled out of the way. Four weren’t so lucky. Bones broke, and men fell to the ground, screaming. Ruxandra threw more shot, killing the other two.

  Someone shouted in pain and fell to the floor. Alexi leaned over an invisible body. He came up with a pistol and fired. Another body Ruxandra couldn’t see hit the floor. She sniffed the air, searching for the last one.

  A shot rang out, and smoke hung in the air where the unseen pistol had fired. Ruxandra threw at the shape it outlined. Blood spurted. Alexi stumbled past her, sword in hand. His left arm hung down, limp and covered in blood. He drove the blade into something twice.

  “That is all of them,” he said. “Where is Ishtar?”

  Ruxandra reached out with her mind. “Upstairs. She hasn’t gone back to the Kremlin.”

  “Find her. Kade! Bring the others!”

  Ruxandra pulled the sword from her body and flexed her knees. The wounded one had already healed. She jumped back to the balcony. Ishtar was out of sight, but Ruxandra could smell her easily enough. She followed the scent away from all the bedrooms to the door at the end of the corridor. Ruxandra shouted back to let Kade know where she was and waited.

  Kade appeared first, the magicians behind him, lanterns and scrolls in their hands. Alexi, grimacing with pain, brought up the rear.

  “She’s inside,” Ruxandra said.

  “That’s a closet,” said Derek.

  “Not just.” Ruxandra opened it, closed it, and opened it again as she had seen Ishtar do days before. Machinery ground against other machinery, and the back of the closet moved aside. Ruxandra went up the stairs and found Ishtar sitting in the middle of the room, a lantern in her hand. She looked up at the glowing stars above her.

  “And here you are,” she said. “Did you have fun killing the policemen?”

  “Spread out,” the Alchemist said. “Surround her. Begin.”

  The magicians spread around the room, holding up their scrolls. They began chanting in Latin, the words echoing in the chamber.

  “Really?” Ishtar rose from her seat. “This is your plan?”

  “Don’t move.” Alexi raised his sword. “Unlike the vampires, I have no compunction about hurting you.”

  “Nor I about hurting you.” Ishtar smiled. “But I will tell you what. If you all agree to leave the city, I will not kill your magicians where they stand.”

  “You will not kill anyone,” Kade said. “I cannot touch you, but I can keep you from touching them. We both can.”

  Ishtar nodded. “True, but then, you would have to be able to see me. Vanish.”

  “You gave her a talisman?” Ruxandra yelled at Alexi.

  “Not me,” he protested. “It must have been Anna.”

  “Ruxandra!” Kade shouted. “Where?”

  “There!” Alexi shouted, pointing at Derek. Ruxandra jumped in front of him just in time to take a knife to the stomach. She winced and grabbed for it, but could not touch it.

  “Oh, dear, that must have hurt.” Ishtar’s voice floated in the air. Ruxandra sniffed the air, and even as Alexi pointed, jumped in front of Dmitri. This time the knife drove into her shoulder.

  “How irritating.” Ishtar’s scent moved back, and Ruxandra followed it. “Did you know they need to read the entire invocation to make it work?”

  “The Alchemist,” Alexi said, but Ruxandra was already there. The knife jammed into one of her breasts, tearing through her bodice and hacking open the flesh below.

  “I did wonder how you found the priests without help,” Ishtar said. “I suspected you used scent, but now I know.”

  She retreated to the benches and the lantern in the middle of the room.

  “She’s taking something out of her pocket,” Alexi said.

  The lantern door swung open.

  “The protection spell blocks a person from a vampire’s sight and hearing.” Ishtar’s voice was conversational. “I don’t think anyone thought to block scent. But then, most vampires don’t develop their noses the way you did.”

  Something flared into bright flame. Black smoke, thick and viscous and stinking, billowed out from a suddenly flaming bag on the ground. The stench was terrible—sulfur and vomit and ammonia and death. The humans in the room gagged and coughed, and Victor vomited. Ruxandra breathed hard out of her nose, trying to drive away the stench. Smoke filled the room, making it impossible to see.

  Blades clashed, and Alexi shouted in pain. He stumbled back, blood oozing from the gash across his stomach. Ruxandra ran toward him, sniffing the toxic stench in the hopes of finding Ishtar. Smoke moved and billowed as Kade rushed over.

  Air whooshed out of the Alchemist’s body.

  Ruxandra spun and jumped. She caught the Alchemist around the waist before the other woman hit the ground. Blood poured from her back, covering Ruxandra’s arm.

  “That way!” shouted Derek, running for the door. Terror made the obese man move faster than one would have thought possible. Sasha and Dmitri stumbled after, coughing and wheezing. Victor stayed where he was, retching and throwing up bile. Ruxandra picked up the Alchemist and carried her from the stinking room.

  Halfway down the stairs, she heard a scream of pain, cut short.

  She stumbled out into the library and saw Derek’s body, his hands against the wound that had killed him. Beyond him Dmitri and Sasha lay unmoving in spreading puddles of blood. Ruxandra put the Alchemist on the floor, wrapping her arms tight around the woman.

  “Dammit,” the Alchemist whispered. “It hurts.”

  “You’ll be all right,” Ruxandra began.

  “Not the time for lies.” The Alchemist gasped in a wheezing, pain-filled breath. “She hit my kidney. I’m dying.”

  Tears welled up in Ruxandra’s eyes. Through them she saw a blur of movement as Kade ran past, stepping over the bodies of the magicians.

  “No,” Ruxandra said. “You can’t die. I won’t let you die. I won’t.”

  “You can’t stop me,” the Alchemist whispered. “It’s unfortunate, you know.”

  “No . . .”

  “I really wanted to see China.”

  “No!” Ruxandra shouted it. “Listen to me.”

  The Alchemist’s eyes began to close. Ruxandra shook her hard, making her cry out.

  “Listen!” Ruxandra hissed. “I can save you. I can change you. I can make you like me, and we can go to China together!”

  Ruxandra raised her hand and ripped the fabric around it with her teeth, baring the skin.

  “No.”

  It was a whisper, barely audible. Ruxandra stared down at the Alchemist. Her narrow face had gone pale, her breathing labored, but her eyes were clear and on Ruxandra.

  “No.” The word seemed to make the Alchemist’s voice stronger. “I have lied and stolen for my research. I have done things I am not proud of to survive. But I have never killed anyone.”

  She gasped in a breath and whispered, “Please, don’t take that from me.”

  Ruxandra’s tears blinded her. She brought down her arm and wrapped it around the Alchemist’s body, holding her close.

  “Promise me?” the Alchemist whispered.

  “I promise.” Ruxandra’s voice came out broken, tears running down her face and dripping on the Alchemist. “I promise. Just rest. I’ve got you. I’ll hold you until—”

  But the Alchemist was gone before Ruxandra could finish the sentence.

  Ruxandra wailed. She held the Alchemist’s body tight, rocking her back and forth like a sleeping child as her grief poured out.

 
At some point Alexi stumbled past. Victor crawled out of the stinking room to collapse on the ground, rise, and make his way to the stairs on unsteady feet. Ruxandra didn’t move.

  It wasn’t until Kade came back and sank to the ground beside her that Ruxandra looked up. Kade took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped Ruxandra’s face. He took his time, cleaning all the tears from her face. When he finished, Ruxandra lay the Alchemist’s body down on the floor, then crossed the woman’s arms and closed her eyes. Kade pulled two gold coins from his pocket and lay them over her lids.

  “I couldn’t stop her,” Kade whispered. “I couldn’t get near her. She walked down the tunnel to the armory like she didn’t have a care in the world. I wanted to tear her throat out, but . . .”

  He fell silent, looking at the Alchemist’s body.

  “What do we do?” Ruxandra could barely speak the words. “We can’t hurt her, Anna won’t go against her, and the church won’t listen to us if we go to them.”

  “Leave?” The word came out as a question. “I don’t know what good we can do here. I don’t know if there’s anything we can do here.”

  Ruxandra shook her head, feeling fresh tears start. “There has to be a way.”

  “How?” Kade demanded. “Anna won’t listen to us now; we have no allies that can reach her, and we can’t even touch her.”

  “My dear one, none of my children can hurt me, once they’ve looked on me.”

  Ruxandra still remembered the smile on her face when she’d said it: self-satisfied and certain, secure in the knowledge that she could not be touched.

  Inside her mind the Beast snarled its hunger and fury. It knew that blood had been spilled, that there were lives it could have taken, had Ruxandra allowed it.

  Four days? Or five? Ruxandra shook her head. “I need to hunt.”

  “As do I,” Kade said. “The armies will attack soon, and we can hunt among the victims of the battle. And then . . .”

  No child of hers can touch her once they’ve seen her.

  “I will go to the house after dark,” Kade said. “They will not be patrolling the enclave. I can get the money I have there and clothes for both of us. Then we can leave this city.”