[William of Brinsford:] [MarmariL] There are boobytraps in the stairway to the Odd Fellows building. We have an AIR STEP outside on the 318 side. Ask Airmann how long it will stay up. The leaders who were up there are dead or surrendered. Can you handle it, or is it the State Patrol bomb squad. I don’t think Eddington has one. No clue about Miller County.]

  Through the open windows, I could still hear scattered gunfire, and the sharp zap, crackle, and whoosh of spells being cast to the south and east. The room’s air smelled of ozone, dust, and shattered plaster. And blood.

  There was still some shooting and sounds of spells being cast to the south and east. Ingrid and her crew were still upstairs, moving carefully among the wounded. She had RESURRECTed the hostage who’d been shot and died before we could stop the fighting.

  The other Healers stabilized three more hostages who’d been shot or otherwise injured but were still alive. Anyone wearing a red armband who’s REVEAL STATS of being a mentalist or caster was sedated. The rest had their wrists bound with tape. There was plenty of help from the hostages who’d been kept in the back…hands shaking, faces pale, but determined to help.

  When we killed their leader and a couple of his top Mentalist subordinates, the spine of the group broke. Some surrendered. I heard later that others ran for the woods and the ridges beyond town. They would be someone else’s problem. Not mine. Not right now.

  Shadow and I helped Blaze down the AIR STEPS. We didn’t care that she said she could manage it herself. We weren’t taking chances. She was quiet the whole way down unless she needed to speak. Subdued fit better than tired.

  Viviane had people watching her as well, escorting her down, but she was in better shape. She hadn’t died. She’d only been mind controlled.

  [MarmariL:] [William of Brinsford] [We have EOD back at base, but that’s about four hours away plus ready time. I’ll tell the State Patrol officer about it. I know the state has EOD. Our people have worked with them before. She may know if they’re closer. I’ll tell the captain and let him handle it.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [MarmariL] [Thanks. I’d rather not destroy the building if we can help it. One room’s kind of beat up, but that’s all I saw.]

  [MarmariL:] [William of Brinsford] [Roger that.]

  We were on the last AIR STEP when the System message appeared in my vision.

  PvP BATTLEGROUND OVER

  Blaze glowed with a soft golden aura. She’d leveled. Level 10.

  I hadn’t. When I checked my experience, I was painfully close. If I’d done just a little more, I would’ve crossed the line. Around us, people began to glow as well. Some leveled twice. A few even three times.

  There were a few on the other side as well. The System didn’t play favorites.

  SandB glowed gold. I saw BandS was smiling too. I think they both leveled, but she was quieter about it.

  [William of Brinsford:] [BandS] [Blaze can use some counseling help. She died upstairs and was resurrected. I killed her.]

  [BandS:] [William of Brinsford] [You what?]

  [William of Brinsford:] [BandS] [Ingrid RESURRECTed her. She was mind controlled. It broke the control. She’s still in shock, I think.]

  [BandS:] [William of Brinsford] [Be there in a moment.]

  “Hannah,” I said quietly, pulling her in and hugging her a little tighter. “Baileys on her way. I don’t want to leave you alone, but I’ve got things I need to do.”

  “Warchief things?” she asked.

  I nodded.

  “Until someone else can do the job, I’m stuck with it. At least this time I had a lot of help. I just wish we’d gotten to you sooner. That this never happened.”

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  For the first time since we left the building, I saw the hint of a smile.

  “I know,” she said softly. “It’s your job. They’re going to want a lot of reports from me. Not looking forward to that.” She wrapped both arms around me. “Thank you for rescuing me. Us. I was controlled, and I knew I might die. I tried to put that in the chat message.”

  “I got it. I thought it might happen before we reached Townsend. Ingrid and I talked it through so she’d be ready. She didn’t like it…but she understood.”

  Blaze nodded, then looked past me. A faint chuckle escaped her, followed by a smile.

  I had a pretty good idea who had just walked up behind me.

  “Will? Blaze?” Bailey’s voice came from behind us. SandB was right there with her. She looked happy and she’d leveled up.

  “One of these days, she’s going to catch up to me. I hope sooner than later,” went through my thoughts as I smiled at them.

  “I’m leaving you in good hands,” I said, giving Blaze one more kiss. “And Ingrid’s only a shout away if you need her.”

  “Oh yeah! ’Bout time y’all admitted it! Public PDA!” Shadow shouted from nearby.

  Heat rushed up my face. Blaze’s too. We both laughed…and kissed again. This one was mutual.

  People around us laughed and clapped. I passed Blaze off to Bailey and Sarah and beat a hasty retreat like I had somewhere urgent to be.

  I did.

  Somewhere I could stop blushing.

  I made sure to check in with MathMamm and NiceIce. They were physically fine, but both were still shaking. NiceIce looked shell-shocked. He’d taken bullets and spells on his shields. Some of them would’ve hit him or his mother if they hadn’t been there. She looked worried, but he still looked shocked.

  MathMamm told me he’d seen at least one person he’d hit with ice who didn’t get back up. I pointed her toward Bailey. Grad student or not, she had a lot of experience with this sort of thing. I suggested they talk to her when she’s through talking with Blaze.

  I didn’t say what I did to Blaze.

  “NiceIce,” I said gently. “You’ve just seen the worst side of the adult world. Artificial spawns are one thing. Real people are another. Your ICE SHIELDs saved lives today. Yours and your mom’s at least. From what I heard, you held the line.”

  He nodded faintly.

  “Concentrate on that,” I told him.

  “Ever since this started, I’ve said I’m mostly a shield mage. That’s important. We need people who protect, not just attack. Be the shield when others have to do dangerous things.”

  “Most games are shooting games,” I continued. “This isn’t a game. Keeping people alive is the most important thing you can do with your powers. You and your family come first. The rest of us after.”

  I hoped it was getting through. He stared at the ground, shuffling his feet.

  Then he looked up. “I killed someone today. I hit him with an ICE BOLT and he didn’t get up. I got experience for killing him.”

  The pain on his face was unmistakable as his head dropped, looking at the ground.

  I put my hands on his shoulders. “Look at me. I did too. You weren’t trying to kill someone. You were stopping them from killing you. Did you know him?”

  He shook his head, tears welling up. There were some in mine as well.

  “I killed people today as well,” I said quietly. “I knew one of them. A very good friend. I put my rapier through her neck. She died.”

  There were tears in my eyes which he saw as he looked up at me.

  “How could you do that?” he whispered.

  “She was controlled by their leader. She was trying to kill me.”

  “Did she die?” His mother’s face tightened.

  “Yes.” I let the word sit. “Ingrid used her RESURRECTION spell. She’s alive again.”

  “Could they have done that for the man I killed?”

  “No. Not in the middle of the battle. Only a few Healers can do it. Mostly Holy Healers. And there’s only a short window. Just a few minutes, or it won’t work.”

  “I hate this!” he yelled. “I hate it! I wish I could make it not happen!”

  He broke down, and his mother wrapped him in her arms, hugging him tight.

  “We all do,” I said. “But this isn’t a game. Those of us who can do something…we have to do it. We protect those who can’t. The bad people were here before the System. We’re the ones who stand in their way now.”

  “We are their protectors.” I said, looking him in his watery eyes.

  I waited, then asked softly, “Are you a protector? A sheepdog, or a sheep? What will you do next time? Will you stay at home and hope it all turns out right? Or will you do what you did today? Will you hold the line?”

  MathMamm looked down at her son, then back at me. “I’ve read about sheepdogs. You’re one of them, aren’t you?”

  “Maybe. And so are you. And so is everyone else who showed up today. Wolves prey on sheep. Enough of us stood up and said no.”

  I glanced around. Armored vehicles. People moving with purpose. An Army Stryker. A State Patrol car ahead of us, riddled with bullets and spells. It was likely totaled.

  That’s when I heard a sniffle.

  “Mom?” John said, looking up at her. “I was a sheepdog today, wasn’t I?”

  “Yes.” She hugged him tighter. “We both were.”

  “If I am one,” he said, wiping his nose, “I should be a good one. Right?” He asked, looking up at her. She nodded and smiled.

  Turning to me, he straightened up. Wiping his nose, he told me, “Then I’m going to be the best sheepdog I can be.”

  I laughed. “I think you will.”

  “Can I change my name to IceDog?”

  His mother and I lost it. It took a full minute before we could stop laughing. A few people nearby stared at us, confused.

  We had ourselves a new sheep puppy. And one day, he’d be a fine sheepdog.

  Read 15 chapters ahead.