Finding the Fallen

Chapter 18

Tannish stood over the mangled body of his former Fire Captain, swathed in thin white linen in preparation for cremation. Leanne had been impaled numerous times. They found short sections of wood still embedded in her shredded body. Tannish had no idea how long she'd been hanging from the deadly trees before gravity finally did its job. Based on the multiple contusions she suffered, it was likely she had rolled a considerable distance down the hillside after her release, eventually coming to rest against a large oak tree. They found her body wrapped around the base of the tree as if she were afraid to let go. She was gone long before anyone could reach her. The fall and further injuries upon impact with the ground had been too much for even a Servant to withstand.

The plan had been simple and yet extremely effective. It was dark, and Leanne likely could not see well as she ran through the woods after the trio. But Tannish knew Logan could see just fine. He would have used his heightened senses and connection to the Earth to guide the others to the bluff edge. Tannish's Servants found no other bodies at the base of the hill, nor did they find evidence of injury or anything else that might help them track the fugitives. They were at an unfortunate impasse, but he vowed not to allow Leanne's death to go unpunished.

Finding Kala and her partners in crime was even more important now than it had been when she escaped the Tower. Not only did he want to make sure she never talked about Scott, but now he wanted revenge for the loss of his beloved Leanne as well. And that wasn't all that was at stake here.

Tannish had begun to wonder why Scott had returned to the area. When one of his scouts first spotted Scott in a small town about 50 miles to the southwest, Tannish hoped his old friend had seen the light and was making his way north to rejoin the group. But when Scott's movements were tracked to the east instead, it became apparent he was in no hurry to return to Charleston. This action led Tannish to consider the fact that Scott might be spying on him and relaying information to an unseen enemy.

Rumors abounded to the east and west of large groups of Servants roaming the countryside and conquering every city they passed. Fallen Queens were said to be battling in the streets of Chicago and New York for supremacy and territory. Tannish distrusted Scott just enough to believe he was capable of something like this. Perhaps Scott really did want the throne in Charleston, and he had worked out a deal with the devil to get it.

If Kala had been Scott's lover, she was likely in on the treachery, which made her escape a threat to his very existence. And then there was Logan. To think that Logan had been spying on him from within his very ranks caused the hair on Tannish's neck to bristle. He knew Logan was trouble from the moment he refused Leanne's advances. He should have dispatched him then and been done with it. Tannish blamed himself; he might not be in this position if he'd acted earlier to snuff out the problem. In fact, Leanne might still be alive if he'd managed to kill the Water Servant as well. Regardless of his past inaction, he knew he had to act now or risk losing everything.

As he listened to the quiet cries of his remaining three captains at his side, he swore he would find Kala and Logan and make them pay for their transgressions. It was only a matter of time before someone reported seeing them on the road somewhere. With the entire strength of his followers behind him, tracking them down would be simple enough. Taking them down might be a bit more of a challenge, especially if they managed to find help, but he was still confident he would prove victorious in the end. He had no other choice if he wanted to survive.

Tannish closed his eyes and lifted his head. He took in a long, deep breath. The crisp evening air soothed him in this time of tragedy. Lowering his gaze, he nodded reluctantly to a Fire Servant standing directly across from him on the other side of the pyre. Fire flickered to life around the pyre as multiple Fire Servants stepped forward to assist. All at once, a great flash of flames erupted, causing even Tannish to take one step backward to escape the rush of heat that washed over them all.