[English] Touch of Power (Năng Lượng Thần Kỳ)

Touch of Power
Page 20



“Get some sleep, Avry.”

Despite Kerrick’s promise of a peaceful rest, a commotion outside my door woke me in the middle of the night. The lantern had been turned down low, and Quain had replaced Loren. He stood near the door with his dagger in hand.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

He shushed me, and cracked the door open. Mom’s frantic voice pierced the darkness. Pounding steps drummed past my room. Other voices joined Mom’s. Unable to wait any longer, I slid from the bed and crept beside Quain. He shot me a dark look before returning his attention to the hallway.

“Well?” I whispered.

Quain pointed his dagger at me. “Go back to bed.”

After being on Kerrick’s bad side, Quain’s attempt to intimidate me didn’t work. It fact, it had the opposite effect. “No.”

He jerked in surprise. Opening his mouth, he paused, then shut it.

The noises from the hall died down. Then Kerrick pushed into my room with the others behind him. Their expressions told an interesting story. Belen concerned, Loren uneasy, Flea angry and Kerrick impassive as usual.

“Since we’re all awake, we’ll leave now,” Kerrick said.

Flea swallowed his squawk of protest when Kerrick glared at him.

“Why’s Mom so upset?” I asked.

“It’s not our concern,” Kerrick said. “Belen, do you have her cloak?”

Belen nodded.

“Belen, tell me,” I said.

“Melina’s missing,” Flea answered. “Over the past six weeks, someone’s been kidnapping girls and disappearing into the woods. None of the town watch has been able to find them.” He stared at Kerrick.

“It’s not our concern,” Kerrick repeated. “We don’t have time for this.”

I rounded on him. “You’re a cold, heartless bastard.”

He remained calm, but I sensed his fury simmering. It would soon boil. Too bad.

“Of course it’s our concern! Mom took us in, she helped me. You can find them.”

“In case you haven’t been paying attention, if Ryne is more important to me than Belen’s life, then he’s certainly a higher priority than some girl.”

“Girls, Kerrick. Not girl. The beast has done it before and will do it again. You hold your prince in such high esteem, what would he think about you abandoning Melina and Mom for him?”

Anger twitched on his face, but Kerrick held his temper.

Belen answered for him. “Ryne would be appalled.”

That was the first good thing I’d heard about Ryne. Unfortunately, the argument had no effect on Kerrick.

Time to make a concession. “Find Melina, and I won’t make any more escape attempts. We’ll be able to travel faster if I cooperate,” I said.

“And you’ll heal Ryne?” Kerrick asked.

“No, but I’ll give you until we reach him to change my mind. How’s that?”

“Will you swear to it?” he asked.

“I, Avry of Kazan Realm, give you my word.”

“Agreed.” He held out his hand.

When I clasped it, a strange tingle of magic zipped up my arm. I let go quickly.

“Okay, gentlemen, looks like we’re going hunting,” Kerrick said.

Everyone rushed to get ready. Before Flea hustled from my room, he touched my shoulder. “Thanks, Avry.”

“Are we friends again?” I asked.

“Yep.” He flashed his lopsided grin and ran after Quain.

I stopped Belen. “Do you have my knapsack? I need to change into my travel clothes before we leave.”

“You’re staying here,” Kerrick said.

“No. Melina might need me.”

“We’ll bring her back here.”

“If she goes with you. She might be traumatized and not trusting a bunch of men. Forcing her will only make it worse.”

He considered.

I added more incentive. “The town watch is combing the woods—there’ll be no one here to protect me if the mercenaries catch up to us.”

Belen hid his smile as Kerrick’s shoulders drooped just a smidge. “Fine.”

When Kerrick left, Belen shook his head. “Flea argued and begged Kerrick to help Melina. I tried and so did Loren. No luck. But you changed his mind.”

“Only because I gave up my freedom.”

“I don’t think so. You can really get under his skin. This has been a most interesting trip. I can’t wait to see what else happens.”

“I can.”

When Belen returned with my knapsack, I asked him why Kerrick was the one in charge. Belen was a few years older, stronger and more personable.

“Prince Ryne asked him to find a healer.” Belen turned his back so I could change into my extra set of black travel clothes. Which were now my only set. I folded the tunic and skirt, tucking them into my pack just in case.

Belen handed me his two daggers. “Keep them with you just in case.”

“Won’t Kerrick be upset?”

“He never ordered us not to give you a weapon.”

I smiled, thinking how he and Kerrick acted like brothers. “Kerrick and you are both from Alga Realm. So how did you meet Ryne?” I asked.

“Long story. Let’s find Melina first.”

Easier said than done. Despite Kerrick’s magical connection, we couldn’t find the man who had taken Melina. When dawn woke the colors of the forest, I hoped we’d find a trail to follow. No luck.

Touch of Power
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I worried that Kerrick would give up the search, seeing it all as a colossal waste of time. When we encountered yet another large group of people, I remembered how the forest reacted to intruders. Finding two people among all these searchers would be almost impossible.

“We need to talk to Mom,” I said to Kerrick during one of our breaks.

He sharpened his sword with a stone. “Why?” he asked without looking up.

“Only she can empty the woods for you.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know.” I gestured at the surrounding trees. “How the intruders feel to the forest, like an infection or pox on a sick patient.”

Kerrick stopped in midstroke, glancing at me with suspicion. “How do you know that?”

“From you.”

“I didn’t tell—”

I huffed. “When you grabbed me from the mercs. Remember? Your skin and hair turned the colors of the forest, and—”

“I know what I did. I just didn’t know you could…feel it, as well. I never could explain the experience to anyone.” He considered. “You’re right. We should ask Mom to empty the forest of searchers.”

Shocked that he admitted I was right, I almost missed the next thing he said.

“But Mom doesn’t know,” Kerrick said.

“Doesn’t know what?” Belen asked. He had returned from scouting and sat down next to me.

Kerrick stared at me with a hint of amusement as I realized Belen didn’t know about his forest magic, either. And Kerrick wasn’t inclined to tell him. Though he didn’t seem worried I’d tell Belen. Hell.

Magicians tended to be skittish, as well. When a family discovered their child was gifted with powers, they kept it quiet until the child learned control of his magic and could protect himself. Kidnapping of young mages had been an unfortunate problem before the plague. Children with magic could be sold for a thousand gold pieces to the northern tribes living in the wildlands.

“Mom doesn’t know I’m a healer, so if we find Melina and she’s injured it would be better not to have anyone around.” I don’t know why I covered for Kerrick. Perhaps I could use it to my advantage someday.

“Oh.”

We sat in silence for a while. I thought about the problem.

“The kidnapper has gone to ground,” I said. “We’ll tell Mom we know where, but he won’t emerge until everyone has given up. Mom will understand and order everyone but us out.”

“And what if we still don’t find them?” Kerrick asked.

“Do you have another idea?”

“No.”

Kerrick followed my plan, asking Mom to bring in the searchers. Since there had been no signs of Melina, she was happy for any bit of good news. Guilt churned in my stomach over our little deception. Little—how was that for trying to make myself feel better?

After all the watchmen and volunteers returned to the Lamp Post Inn, Kerrick ordered his men to stay behind, as well. “We will go alone,” he said, gesturing to me.

They protested and I wondered what Kerrick was up to. He didn’t change his mind. As we headed out, I tucked one of the daggers Belen gave me into my belt and the other into my boot. Kerrick noticed the action, but didn’t say a word.

When we reached the door, Belen stepped in the way. “If any harm—”

“Comes to her, you’ll rip out my arms. Got it,” Kerrick said.

“I’m serious,” Belen said.

“I know. Do you really think I’d put her in danger?”

“Not on purpose, but things happen that are beyond even your control.”

Kerrick gave him a tight smile. “You mean I’m not omnipotent?”

“You’re not even semipotent.”

“Is that even a word?” Kerrick asked.

“He probably meant you’re impotent,” I offered.

It was worth Kerrick’s glare to hear Belen’s deep chuckle. He pushed Belen aside. The big man’s laughter followed us as we left the inn.

Kerrick paused just after entering the forest. “We don’t have much light left. We’ll need to move quickly. How committed are you to finding Melina?”

An odd question. “Very.”

He held out his hand. “Two is better than one.”

Understanding rolled through me. I really didn’t want to touch him, but this wasn’t about me. When his fingers wrapped around mine, magic zipped along my skin, connecting me with the forest.

My awareness expanded into the trees and along the ground. The living green rustled with unease. Unwelcome irritants had trampled its young shoots. It pulsed with pain from broken branches and cut foliage. Deep in its heart, a splinter throbbed. A sore spot the forest wished to remove.

United through the forest’s essence, we searched for that thorn without saying a word. No need. I was no longer Avry, but an extension of green.

Together we found the path of a dangerous intruder. Light at first, it darkened as if rotting with excessive moisture. The smell of decay hung in the air.

And then it loomed before us. An infection oozing with an unnatural bile. Kerrick released my hand. I sank to my knees as the living essence retreated and Avry returned.

I sucked in deep breaths to clear my head, letting my eyes adjust to once again being an observer and not a part of the forest. I mourned the loss of the forest’s state of being, and I wondered how Kerrick could be so grumpy and mean when he had that ability to sink into the living green at will.

Touch of Power
Page 22



He crouched next to me, pointing to a hillside. “See that?”

“The hill?” I squinted in the semidarkness. The shape had an odd…bump.

“That’s how he’s managed to avoid capture. He built a cabin into the hillside and camouflaged it with moss, grass and dirt. Stay here.” Kerrick crept through the woods, keeping well away from the hidden cabin. No sound marked his passage. Soon he disappeared from my sight.

I waited as the air cooled and darkened. My concern about Melina grew with each minute I spent doing nothing. We should storm the cabin before that bastard could harm her. What if she was dead?

Kerrick returned after full dark. A satisfied smirk twisted his lips.

“Where have you been?” I whispered.

“Did you miss me?”

“Not possible. However, there’s a girl—”

“I looped around the cabin. There isn’t another entrance or any windows. But I found a chimney of sorts. He’s using a small metal pipe to vent the smoke from a fire.”

“And this helps us how?”

“Think about it. There is only one way to get inside. If we try to go through that door, he’ll be waiting for us. He has the advantage.”

But if he came outside, we would have the upper hand. What would force him to leave? “You blocked the pipe?”

“Yep. We’ll smoke him out.”

Clever. But I wouldn’t admit I was impressed.

“When he emerges, I’ll take care of him. You find Melina and help her. Understand?”

“Yes.”

Kerrick positioned himself near the entrance while I crouched a few feet behind him. It didn’t take long for the moss-covered door to swing open. A shaft of firelight pierced the darkness as white smoke billowed out. A tall man waved his arms to clear the haze. He coughed once before Kerrick pounced, wrapping his hands around the man’s neck.

I straightened. Intent on telling Kerrick not to kill the guy, I stepped closer but froze as three more men ran from the cabin.

Chapter 8

The three men rushed Kerrick, knocking him and the tall guy to the ground. Even surprised by them, Kerrick managed to land a few blows before he was overpowered. Two men sat on him, while the third took his sword. They questioned him, but Kerrick remained silent.

I stood in the open, unnoticed for now and afraid to call attention to myself. I stepped back into the shadows, but I caught the tall guy’s attention. Recovered from his near strangulation, he dashed forward and clamped a hand on my arm, hauling me into the firelight streaming from the cabin.

“What do we have here?” he asked.

I was getting tired of being manhandled all the time. My fear transformed into anger. “Are you blind?” I asked. “Oh, that’s right. You’ve been playing with girls so long, you’ve no idea what a woman looks like.”

Instantly angry, he backhanded me. Expecting the attack, I leaned away and caught a glancing blow. The force knocked me to the ground. While there, I pulled the dagger from my belt and held it close to my body. Tall Guy pulled me to my feet by my hair.

I pressed his fist against my head, trapping his hand. Not only did the move stop the pain, but I now touched him. Skin to skin. Magic exploded from my core. I channeled it into him. He screamed, but I held on.

The man with Kerrick’s sword charged. I spun, putting Tall Guy between us. He dropped to his knees still yelling, which made it easier for me to press the tip of my knife against his throat. Sword Man stopped in midcharge. I reduced the amount of pain, quieting Tall Guy.

Nice to have everyone’s undivided attention. “Release the girl, or I’ll slit your buddy’s throat.”

The two squatters on Kerrick jumped off and yanked him to his feet. Sword Man aimed the blade’s tip at Kerrick’s neck. “I can play that game, too,” he said.

“You’re assuming I care about him.” I laughed. “Go ahead. You’ll be doing me a favor.”

By their stunned silence, I guessed they hadn’t been expecting that response. Kerrick kept his expression neutral, but I felt his glower. His gaze flicked to the ground for a second before he resumed looking bored. Turning the dark gray color of the forest, Kerrick’s boots and legs seemed to disappear. Vines twisted around the squatter’s ankles as Kerrick used his forest magic.

I zapped my captive. He jerked and cried out. “Go get Melina or he dies,” I said.

As far as distractions go, it wasn’t the best, but it worked. Kerrick faded into the surrounding woods. When the squatters realized he had gone, they moved to chase after him, tripping over the vines. As they rolled on the ground in panic, the ivy twined around their legs, tightened their hold. Sword Man tried to cut them free with the blade.

The scene would have been comical except Kerrick appeared behind Sword Man and grabbed his head the way he had trapped the merc’s.

“Don’t kill him!” I yelled.

Instead of snapping Sword Man’s neck, Kerrick squeezed until the man stopped struggling and slumped to the ground. I released the pressure on Tall Guy’s fist. His hand dropped. I pushed his head forward, exposing the back of his neck. Quickly finding the sweet spot, I knocked him out.

I checked on Kerrick’s victim. He still had a pulse.

“Take care of the others,” Kerrick said. Strain tightened his voice. He leaned against a tree with his eyes closed.

I hurried to the two squatters. The vines had trapped their arms. I touched that sensitive spot on each of their necks, rendering them both unconscious.

Touch of Power
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“How long?” Kerrick asked.

“They’ll be out three hours at least.”

“Good.” He collapsed.

I knelt beside him. “What’s wrong?”

He batted my hand away. “Go check on Melina.” But when I wouldn’t move, he added, “Vines are stubborn in autumn.”

“Oh.” I glanced at the two prone forms. The leaves had already turned brown and the vines looked brittle. Kerrick had sapped his energy.

“Go,” Kerrick ordered.

I rushed to the cabin’s entrance and paused for a second, dreading what I might find inside. She had been alone with four men for almost a day. I entered into an open sitting area. A fire burned inside a stone hearth built into the left wall. A row of cots lined up near the right wall. Smoke rolled along the ceiling and spilled out the door. Along the back wall was another door. Running across the sitting area, I fumbled to unlock it. I yanked it open, revealing blackness. I hesitated in the threshold, afraid of what I might find. “Melina?” I called.

“In here,” she said with a sob.

I sagged with relief. “Hold on, I’ll get a lantern.”

I rushed to light one. Holding it in front of me, I entered the dark room. Melina flinched as the yellow glow illuminated her bleeding and battered face. Her left wrist was chained to a cot and she wasn’t alone. Two other girls sat on other beds. They were similarly shackled. One of them also sported bruises, but otherwise they appeared to be unharmed. They stared at me in surprise.

“Are you hurt?” I asked.

Melina touched her cheek. “Not bad.”

“Did they…” I couldn’t finish.

“No,” the girl with the bruised face said. “We’re to be sold. But if you give them trouble, then…” She slammed a fist into her palm.

“Sold for what?” I asked horrified.

She looked at me as if she couldn’t believe how naive I was. “Wives if we’re lucky. Slaves or prostitutes if we aren’t.”

The other girl gestured toward the door. “Are they gone?”

“They’ve been, uh, neutralized. Do you know where the key to the cuffs is?” I asked.

“One of them carried it with him,” Melina said.

I placed the lantern on a nearby table. “I’ll be back.”

Outside, the men remained where I’d left them. Kerrick appeared to be asleep, but when I neared, he asked, “Is she…?”

“She’s alive, but injured, and there are two others.” I explained what I learned while I searched the men’s pockets for the key.

“Unfortunately, selling women is not limited to this area. The plague has left many places with an uneven population. There’re gangs who will find wives for survivors for a price.”

I glanced at the men. Bastards. Maybe I’d let Kerrick kill them, after all.

“Did you heal Melina?”

“Not yet.” This earned me an appraising glance. I dug my hand into Tall Guy’s back pocket and finally found the key.

“Good. Release them and take them to Mom’s right now.” Kerrick pushed up on one elbow with obvious effort.

“Why?”

He huffed. “Can’t you just follow orders for once?”

“Do you really want an answer?”

“Only if it’s, ‘Yes, sir.’”

“Not going to happen.”

He paused as if summoning the willpower not to bark at me. “There’s a group of people—seven men and two women—heading this way. I can’t tell if they’re friendly or not, so you and the girls need to leave well before they arrive.”

“What about you?”

“I can handle myself.”

I pushed on his shoulder. He fell back onto the ground.

“Uh-huh. Want to try that again?” I asked.

“No one’s after me,” he said. “You’re the one in danger. Plus you’ll be risking the others.”

“What happens when these four wake up?”

“I thought you didn’t care. They’ll be doing you a favor.”

“I’d love to leave you. Believe me. But I gave my word. Come on.” I helped him to his feet.

Even though Kerrick was taller than me, my shoulder ended up being the perfect height for supporting him.

“Now what?” he asked.

“We’ll hide inside the cabin until the others pass us by.”

“What about the prior occupants?”

“I’ll drag them inside.”

“Your plan—”

I pulled him along. He was too weak to resist. Fun. I dumped him onto one of the cots in the sitting room before releasing Melina and the other girls. They rubbed their wrists and followed me out to the main room. They froze when they spotted Kerrick.

“You remember Kerrick from the inn, don’t you?” I asked Melina.

“Yes.”

“He’s part of the rescue team.”

She glanced around. “Are there others?”

“Ah… No. We had been expecting one man. Not four.”

Melina shuddered.

“And we have a bit of a problem.” I explained our situation to the three of them.

They offered to help.

“Where’s the chimney?” I asked Kerrick.

Although dubious of my plan, he explained how I could find the metal pipe in the dark. It took me longer to locate the chimney than I had hoped. Kerrick had shoved a clump of muddy leaves to block it. I cleared it and hurried back.

Touch of Power
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While I was gone, Bianca—the girl with the fading bruises—Peni and Melina had dragged the unconscious men into the hideout. They’d shackled the men to the cots in the back room and locked the door. Nice.

Empowered, they discussed what they’d like to do to the men in great detail. Kerrick muffled a horrified croak. He had one foot resting on the dirt floor. “If you ladies are done plotting revenge, you might want to cover our tracks outside before the others reach us.”

“How long do we have?” I asked him.

“Ten, maybe fifteen minutes max.”

Damn. I rushed outside and let my eyes adjust to the darkness. Between the scuff marks from the fight and the drag marks, even I could figure out which way we went. They would discover the hidden cabin in no time.

Melina relayed instructions from Kerrick as I smoothed the ground with my hands and… “Are you sure he said to sprinkle the leaves?” I asked her.

“Yes.”

I worked as fast as I could to hide the marks, backing up until I reached the cabin. Standing in the threshold, I studied my efforts. We were in big trouble.

Nothing more to do, I closed and latched the door. I gave Bianca my knife before picking up Kerrick’s sword. Both Melina and Peni armed themselves with kitchen knives.

“Give me your other knife,” Kerrick said.

I had forgotten about the one in my boot. But he hadn’t.

When I handed it to him, he said, “Help me stand.”

“But you’re too—”

“They don’t know that.”

Good point. I grabbed his wrists, pulling him to his feet. A weak pulse of magic traveled up my arm. I had a brief sense of the travelers close by before I let him go. He wobbled, but steadied himself with a hand against the dirt wall.

Bianca and I positioned ourselves on each side of the door. Ready for… I wasn’t entirely sure. I strained, listening for any sounds, but I watched Kerrick’s expression.

A few minutes passed without incident. Then Kerrick straightened.

“They’re suspicious,” he whispered.

“What are you doing?” I asked, pitching my voice low.

“Increasing the camouflage around the door.”

All color drained from his face. “I…” He swayed and reached for the cot. “They’re…”

I debated for a second before abandoning my post. Kerrick sat on the edge. Taking his hand in mine, I released my healing power, sending it into him. Energy flowed through him as it drained from me. Through Kerrick, I learned the moss on the door had thickened and grown over the bare spots that would have given us away.

Magic surrounded two of the nine people searching outside. Kerrick’s awareness stretched farther into the forest. Finding what he searched for, Kerrick shook a tree about a mile away. A dead limb crashed to the ground. I felt the impact through Kerrick. The noise drew the others away.

He released my hand.

“But I can—”

“No. Save your strength.” His voice rasped.

Melina came over. “Are they…?”

“Gone.” Keeping one foot on the ground, Kerrick lay back on the cot and fell asleep in an instant.

I stood on unsteady legs.

Melina twisted the bottom of her tunic. “Can we leave now?”

“No. We have to wait for Kerrick to regain his strength. Sorry.”

“He’s a magician, isn’t he?” she asked in a low voice.

“Yes. Although I don’t think it’s common knowledge.”

She nodded as if she understood. “I don’t blame him. With ten golds being offered for information on the whereabouts of magicians, I’d keep quiet, too.”

“Ten golds? Why?”

“Mom told me that since many of the Realms’ legitimate leaders have died, the remaining powerful people are all scrambling to amass armies, grab Realms and stockpile resources, including magicians.”

“I thought that was just one of those paranoid rumors.”

“Where have you been?” she asked, but didn’t wait for an answer. “We had a customer from Grzebien who told us his town was in the middle of reorganizing when a large army arrived to help. Except they set up their own town watch and declared the city an official member of the Ozero Realm, and under the protection of the High Priestess’s holy army.”

“Was there any resistance?”

“I doubt it. If Grzebien is anything like Mengels, there’s not enough people or energy to put up much of a fight.” She glanced at the back door. “If the High Priestess’s army can stop bastards like them and bring peace back, I’m more than happy to wear one of those red robes and give thanks to their creator.”

Which, from what I’d learned from Tara, Melina would be forced to do. The High Priestess, also known as Estrid of Ozero was intolerant of other faiths, and required her subjects to be members of her cultlike religion. Was she better or worse than Tohon? I mulled it over as I rummaged for food. Bianca and Peni helped me cook a simple vegetable soup. Melina’s pale face worried me. She sat nearby, holding a wet cloth to her bleeding cheek. I asked her who the other powerful survivors were to distract her from the pain.

“Tohon of Sogra and Prince Ryne of Ivdel until he disappeared. I’ve also heard a couple Algan princes, President Lyady’s daughter and a few other minor nobles lived, but they’re not looking to rule, just survive like the rest of us. Oh, and some guy claiming he’s the Skeleton King has a small army in Ryazan Realm.”

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“That’s it?” Now Kerrick’s comment about Tohon wanting Ryne dead made more sense. As I thought about the problem, I wondered how greedy Tohon could be? Fifteen Realms split three ways would give each leader five Realms. But who would decide which five? Each Realm had its own assets and drawbacks. The richest ones would be the most desirable.

I found a loaf of bread and a wedge of goat’s cheese to go with the soup. Melina picked listlessly at her portion while I tore into mine. I saved a hunk of both for Kerrick.

When I suggested we get a few hours of sleep, Melina shot to her feet. “No. I’m not… I can’t… I want to go home.” Her body shook.

I embraced her as she broke down. She had been so strong earlier and hadn’t complained at all that I had forgotten how young she was—at least three years younger than Bianca and Peni. Guiding her over to a cot, I lay down next to her. Magic pulsed under my ribs and I released it. Melina had been punched repeatedly in the face. While I could heal her wounds, I couldn’t erase her memories. At least she’d have Mom to comfort her.

A hand shook my shoulder. I jerked awake. Kerrick leaned over me. Annoyance creased his brow. Melina stood behind him. She covered her mouth with her hand, staring at me with wide eyes as she put the clues together. She felt great and I had bruises covering my face. I wondered if Melina or the other girls would turn me in, but I couldn’t produce the energy to care.

“My men will be here soon,” Kerrick said, straightening.

“The ones you ordered to stay at the inn?” I asked, suppressing a grin.

“Yes. They’re leading Mom and half the town watch straight here. Quain is tracking our trail—which should be impossible to follow.” Disgruntled, he glanced at the door. “I taught him too well. Either that or Quain is half eagle.”

“A bald eagle?” I quipped.

Kerrick smiled a genuine smile. One that reached his eyes. Good thing I was already lying down or I would have fainted in surprise. It faded as he studied me.

“Will you be able to travel?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Good.” He strode to the door and unlocked it. With his hand on the knob, he paused and looked at me. “My men had never disobeyed an order before we found you.”

Even though his comment was meant to be a complaint, I said, “Thank you,” just to annoy him.

It worked. He decided to wait for his men outside. Sunlight streamed in from the open door. I blinked in the brightness. Morning already?

“Avry, what happened?” Melina asked. “Your face… Are you…?”

I sat up and made room for her to sit next to me. “Yes, I’m a healer.” I spoke in a low voice so the others didn’t overhear, not that it would matter once they saw me.

“Is that why those people from last night are after you?” she asked.

“Unfortunately.”

“Is Kerrick protecting you so he can turn you in for the bounty?”

She had a quick intelligence, and, out of curiosity, I asked, “What do you think?”

Tugging on the hem of her tunic, Melina considered my question for a few minutes. “He’s protecting you, but not for the gold.” She put her hand on my cheek. “Does it hurt?”

“No.” The truth.

“Did it hurt?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it does.”

“No, Melina, it doesn’t.” How to explain it? I searched for the right words. “Your pain was a reminder of what happened to you. But the pain I felt was connected to you—a bright young lady. By healing your injuries, I was helping you and that transforms how I perceive the pain, making it bearable.”

She still looked unconvinced.

I tried again. “It’s like when I held my newborn sister. Noelle was heavy and my muscles ached, but the discomfort paled in comparison to my awe over her presence in my arms. I would have been content to hold her....” Sudden grief choked off my words. I had been six, but I’d never forget the intense desire to hold and protect her forever. As she grew, she had been full of impish curiosity. And she’d follow me so much that I’d called her my little shadow.

“They’re here,” Kerrick said behind me.

I startled and turned, but he had already left. He needed to wear a bell or something, I grumbled as voices called. In no time, Mom barreled past everyone and gathered Melina in her arms.

The town watch took the four men into custody. Mom squinted hard at me, and I immediately felt guilty. But she didn’t comment on my bruises. As Melina and the others told their tales, no one mentioned my healing powers.

Belen and the others waited outside. They had brought all our travel gear. We could leave from the cabin and not have to backtrack to the Lamp Post Inn first, which made Kerrick a bit happier.

When I joined them, the guys appeared to be glad to see me. Belen inspected my face.

“Good thing I wasn’t here,” Belen said in a low growl. “I would have ripped the four of them apart and scattered the pieces for the s****ngers to eat.”

Quain scanned the ground at our feet. “It looked like quite a fight. What happened here?” He pointed to a long scuff mark.

“That’s where she made good use of Belen’s—or should I say her—knife,” Kerrick said. He turned to me. “You can keep them if you promise not to use them against us.”

I copied his flat expression. “First, it’s not your decision if I can keep them or not, it’s Belen’s. Second, I am not going to promise—”

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“The knives are yours,” Belen said. “And we should teach you how to swing a sword.”

Kerrick coughed. “No, we shouldn’t. She’s dangerous enough.” He ended the discussion by ordering us to gather our packs.

We said goodbye to Bianca, Peni, Melina and Mom.

“You’re welcome to come back anytime,” Mom said to me. “We’ll always have a room for you. No charge. I know what you must have done for my daughter, but don’t you worry, we won’t say a word.”

I hugged her in thanks. It felt good to be embraced even if it was for only a moment.

We headed north. No clouds marred the bright blue sky. The air held a cool crisp scent of leaves and earth—gorgeous weather that was perfect for hiking. Kerrick led, and for the first time since I’d been rescued from Jaxton’s jail, I felt…not quite content since anxiety, worry and fear still shadowed me. But more alive.

When I used my magic to heal others, I had a purpose and felt satisfaction over helping another. I was needed. Even if this “adventure” didn’t last long, it had roused me from the nothingness that my life had been before. Three wasted years. Even though I’d healed a few children, I could have done so much more, but had been too afraid.

Despite the men’s routine, I decided to help when we stopped for the night. As the designated cook, Loren prepared the meal. His concoctions were edible, but plain, so I went in search of something…tastier.

Of course Kerrick followed me. “Where are you going?”

I bit my lip to trap my sarcastic reply. Instead, I said, “If I had intended to break my word, I would have done it last night after you passed out.”

He didn’t respond right away. Finally, he said, “Don’t wander too far.” He returned to camp.

Interesting. I looped around, inspecting the plants. Tara had taught me which ones could be used for fevers and other maladies. She explained that in a few cases like minor injuries, plants worked just as well and would save our healing energy for the more dire cases. In the six months I’d been her student, I had learned so much. But to her, it had only been a small portion of her vast experience and expertise. I not only mourned her death, but the loss of all her knowledge, as well.

I found a few sprigs of rosemary and returned. Ignoring the collective sigh when I appeared, I stripped off the leaves and handed them to Loren.

He sniffed them in suspicion. “What’s this?”

I guess it would take more than my word for them to trust me. “Rosemary.” No glimmer of recognition. “It’s to make your stew taste better. Don’t you know the basic herbs and spices?”

“No. I took this job in self-defense. Quain burns everything. Belen thinks jerky is all we need *****rvive. Flea’s idea of a good meal is something that hasn’t been in a garbage can first. And Kerrick poisoned us—”

“Not on purpose,” Kerrick said. “The meat looked done.”

I realized then that Kerrick had assigned Quain first watch. Another od***y. “Well, my cooking skills are rudimentary, but I know herbs and can help you if you’d like.”

Loren glanced at Kerrick, before he said, “Sure.” He returned the leaves to me.

I broke them into little pieces and sprinkled them into the stew.

“Speaking of food,” Kerrick said. “Belen, do you remember when we were in school and Ryne had gotten upset over the amount of wasted food?”

Here we go. Kerrick was as subtle as a thunderstorm.

Belen chuckled. “Yeah. He’d been assigned garbage duty for fighting.”

The real story.

“I wouldn’t call it fighting,” Kerrick said. “He was protecting the new kid from Stanslov.”

“Good thing Master Fang came when he did. Otherwise, Ryne would have been turned into pulp.”

“Instead, his punishment was two weeks of dealing with garbage.” Kerrick placed another log on the fire. “By the end of those two weeks, Ryne had worked out a way to donate all the extra food to the poor in town.”

I debated ignoring them, but this could be a good opportunity to get more information. “Did you meet Ryne in school, then?” I asked Belen.

“Yeah. The three of us attended boarding school for brats.”

“Brats? I can’t believe you’d fit in that group,” I said.

Belen’s deep laugh vibrated in my chest. “I didn’t.” He jabbed a finger at Kerrick. “Even though I’m four years older than him, his father insisted I go along so I could keep him out of trouble.” Belen huffed. “Didn’t work. And every time he caused problems, I’d be sucked in and we’d both be punished.”

“You’d have been bored otherwise,” Kerrick said.

“Are you two related?” I asked Belen.

“No. My parents worked for his family for years. We grew up together.” Then Belen sobered. “The plague took my mother and my older sister. But my younger sister survived, and Izak, one of Kerrick’s brothers, lived.”

Quiet descended over the campsite.

“As far as I know, my great-aunt Yasmin is still alive,” Kerrick added. “Which doesn’t make sense since she’s ancient and has been ill for as long as I can remember.”

Nothing about the plague made sense. The healers had tried every herb and tonic they knew to heal the victims to no avail.

“Where is your sister now?” I asked Belen.

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“Sayen is guarding Prince Ryne. He has many loyal supporters. We were expanding our reach and bringing order to the chaos, but once he sickened, everything stopped. There’s no one else like him.”

“You’re right. No other Realm leader has executed as many prisoners as Prince Ryne.” The words popped from my mouth before I could stop them. I glanced at Kerrick, but he kept his relaxed position by the fire.

“His father ordered all those executions,” Belen said.

“Come on. Everyone knows King Micah was just a figurehead during the six years after his accident. And he died before the plague struck.”

“A figurehead who still had loyal generals despite his erratic behavior. When Micah decided to clean out the dungeons, they followed his orders. By the time word reached Ryne, it was too late.”

Flea started throwing stones to practice juggling. I joined him, glad for an excuse to end the conversation about Ryne.

Except it picked up where we had left off the next night and the following three nights. I had made a mistake in directing my questions to Belen on that first night. He had a sincere honesty that was hard to ignore, and, after getting the topic steered to Ryne, Kerrick let Belen take over the reminiscing.

However, on the fifth night Kerrick took first watch. Belen paced around the campfire and even Flea remained quiet. During the day, I had noticed the strain in Quain’s face and witnessed a couple intense, but private discussions between the men.

“What’s going on?” I finally asked Loren.

He heated water over the tiny fire—all that Kerrick would allow. Loren exchanged a glance with Belen.

“If you’re trying to protect me from bad news, stop it right now. I don’t like secrets,” I said to both of them. “I can’t help if you keep me in the dark.”

“We’ve a couple bands of mercs on our tail,” Belen said.

Having already warned Kerrick of this possibility, I wasn’t surprised. We then played hide-and-seek with the three different groups of mercenaries for the next two days. Our rest breaks shortened until we skipped them altogether. Cold food and a scant few hours of sleep during the day became our new routine.

Kerrick didn’t have to say that the mercs were closing in. I knew from the others. No one smiled. No one spoke more than a few words. No one put their weapons down.

When the sun rose on the third day, Kerrick stopped. We were at the edge of the forest. Spread before us was an abandoned village. A carpet of thick thorny vines had grown over all the wooden structures, obscuring the streets. White, man-size Lilys dotted the greenery. Peace or Death Lilys—it was impossible for anyone to tell them apart.

“Damn. They’ve been herding us like cattle to the slaughterhouse,” Kerrick said.

Belen noticed my confusion. “The mercs knew this was here.” He swept a hand out, indicating the buried village. “They’ve must have coordinated their efforts because the mercs have us boxed in on three sides. The only way we can escape is through the Lilys.”

Fear energized my tired muscles. Too bad it wouldn’t do me any good.

“We’re trapped,” Loren said.

“We’re dead,” Quain said.

Chapter 9

“Those thorns look sharp, but what’s wrong with going through the Lilys?” Flea asked.

“Nothing if they’re all Peace Lilys,” Belen said.

“Unfortunately, there is no way to know if there’s even one Death Lily hiding among them,” Quain said.

I met Kerrick’s gaze. “Did you know this was here?”

“No. The town is outside the forest. Besides, I can’t tell if a Lily is benign or lethal.”

“No one can,” Quain said. “That’s the problem. You don’t know until the flower opens, and by that time it’s, See you later, sister!”

Staring at the barrier, I tried to find a route that would avoid the white flowers. No luck. When we had plenty of workers, they would pull out the new shoots of all the Lily plants before they could grow a flower. With its deep root system that covered miles, eradicating the plant had been a full-time job. The Lilys also grew in unexpected places and the Death Lilys killed the unwary.

“Now what?” Flea asked.

“We stage an ambush of our own. If we move fast enough, we might be able to fight our way through one side and escape,” Kerrick said.

“Not going to work,” Belen said. “Too many of them.”

“I’ll surrender and they shouldn’t hurt the rest of you,” I said.

“No,” Kerrick and Belen said together.

“We’ll take our chances and go through the Lilys,” Kerrick said.

“You’re crazy.” Quain gestured with his knife. “I’d rather take my chances against the mercs.”

“What are the odds?” Loren asked.

“It’s more like a ratio,” Kerrick said. “Approximately one Death Lily for every hundred Peace Lilys.”

Everyone turned to the field. I estimated there were about three hundred Lilys.

“Approximately three Death Lilys,” Kerrick said. “I’ll pick a route with the least number of Lilys and go first. Belen, keep her close to you. You’ll be last. Who wants to go second?”

This was the first time Kerrick asked for volunteers.

“I’ll take second,” Loren said without hesitation.

“Third,” Quain said.

“Then Flea,” Kerrick said. “If one of those flowers so much as twitches, run.”

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Lining up in order, we followed Kerrick. The flowers’ scent misted the air. A combination of sweet honey and tangy lemon that evoked a strong feeling of déjà vu in me. We climbed through the vines, avoiding the thorns with little success.

When we reached the halfway point, the crash and rustle of many boots sounded behind us. A line of mercs spread out along the forest. No going back now.

The mercs cursed and called us idiots with good reason. If a Death Lily grabbed you, it would do one of two things. Either consume your flesh and then spit out your bones, or spit you out whole. But don’t get too excited about being released. You’d most likely die later. Only ten percent survived the toxin the flower injected into them.

And if you were caught, your friends wouldn’t be able to cut through the petals. They were thick and fibrous. Plus they would need to get close to the plant. Then the vines would ensnare them, saving them for the Lily’s next meal. Nice, huh?

With the arrival of the mercs, Kerrick picked up the pace. We skirted many of the white flowers, but couldn’t avoid them all.

Memories of my younger brother kept surfacing in my mind. Something about the Lily’s scent reminded me of Allyn. He had gone from crawling to running in a matter of days and all before he turned a year old. Once mobile, he’d never stopped moving unless asleep. My family had constantly chased after him. I remembered bolting after Allyn with my heart slamming in my chest. He had wandered into a copse of trees and had been too young to know what traps to avoid. I couldn’t recall if I had caught him or not. The rest of the memory remained elusive.

Funny how one sound could bring everything back. A low hiss. I froze. How could I have forgotten? The shushing noise grew. Flea paused under a big bloom. Kerrick and the others had gone ahead.

The petals above Flea parted. I shoved Flea out of the way as the Lily attacked. A whoosh echoed. White petals surrounded me. Then all was black silence.

Cocooned within the Lily, I waited for the pricks. The toxin was supposed to kill me so the plant could digest me at its leisure. I should be terrified, except this wasn’t my first time inside a Death Lily.

My brother had finally stopped running long enough for me to catch up to him. He’d pointed to a huge hissing white flower, and in a heartbeat the Lily had grabbed me. Obviously, I survived. However, I had no memory of being released.

Two thorns pierced my arms. A familiar feeling flowed over me. I drifted as if transformed into a wisp of smoke. Forgotten memories sprang to life. After being spat out, I’d endured two weeks of sickness. However, the toxin must have blocked the memory of my time inside the Lily, and since no one, except Allyn, had seen me snatched, they didn’t know what had caused me to be sick. The symptoms matched a bad bout of stomach flu.

My consciousness now spread along the plant’s roots and into the plant’s soul. Through this strange mental link, I peered beyond the petals. Kerrick and the others had tried to cut the Death Lily down only to be caught tight in its vines. The mercs had watched them with amusement even though they had been upset over losing me. Or more accurately, over losing their share of forty golds.

The Death Lily dipped to expel me.

Wait, I thought. Keep me until the mercs leave.

It stopped. I sensed its contentment at knowing me again. Its pride over my life since we’d been together. I felt its regret over unsuccessful encounters. Yet it was ever hopeful. It had sensed potential in Flea, aiming for him.

I asked it to allow me to remember. The Death Lily wasn’t truly a predator; it was trying to help, but its efforts either killed a person right away, or they died later. Only a few survived. Time passed. The mercs left with the setting sun.

Don’t take Flea, please, I asked. Let us pass.

Agreement flowed along with sorrow over parting. It pulled the thorns from my arms. I snapped back into my body, feeling heavy, blind, stiff and awkward. Its petals opened and I tumbled out. Belen caught me in midair.

“Avry, what happened?” he asked.

The vines retreated, releasing the men.

“Run before it picks a new target,” Kerrick ordered.

Belen wouldn’t put me down as they bolted to the far side of the village. No other Lilys attacked and soon we reentered the forest. Kerrick kept a fast pace until we reached a small clearing.

“Oh, man!” Quain said. “I thought we were Lily food for sure.” He rubbed at the creases on his neck where a vine had pressed against his skin.

I squirmed from Belen’s arms. Kerrick strode over to me. I stood my ground even though I wanted to duck behind Belen.

“Do you have a death wish?” he asked me. Anger spiked each word.

“Of course not. It was an automatic reaction.”

“Can you survive the toxin? How long do you have until it kicks in?” he asked.

The Lily had granted my wish. I remembered the entire encounter, but I needed some time to sort it all out. “I’m immune to the toxin.” I expected my news would be well received. It had the opposite effect.

Kerrick stepped closer as pure fury rolled off him. “And why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

“I didn’t know earlier.”

My answer threw him. He sputtered before reining in his emotions. “Why do you know now?”

“Common sense. I was in that flower for hours. If I didn’t have a reaction by now, I’m not going to.”

Kerrick let the topic drop, but he barked orders for his men to set up camp. His ill humor lasted through dinner.

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I finally barked back at him. “You should be happy. The mercs think I’m dead. They won’t be chasing us anymore.”

My comment earned me a glare from Kerrick.

Belen slapped his leg. “She’s right! What a day. I thought we’d all die. Killed by a giant plant. Not the way I’d want to go.”

“How would you want to die?” Loren asked.

“Doing something heroic and not something stupid,” Belen said.

“Not like you get a choice,” Flea said. “Starving to death isn’t heroic or stupid, it’s just plain sad.”

It wouldn’t surprise me if Flea had personal experience with starvation. During the two years of the plague, no one tended the fields or cared for livestock. Many people who had survived the disease died of starvation.

Flea sat across the fire, juggling two stones. He’d mastered the technique. I offered to teach him how to include the third stone.

“Sure, that’d be great.”

We searched for a rock that matched the size and weight of the others. When we found a good stone, I demonstrated the motions.

“Hold two rocks in one hand, and one in the other. Remember how you threw the second rock when the first reached the top of the inverted V? When the second rock is at the apex, you throw the third with one hand and catch the first with the other. And just keep throwing so one rock is always in the air.”

He rushed his first attempt. A rock whizzed by Loren’s head. On the second and third try, he pelted Belen’s shoulder. The big man tossed the stones back good-naturedly. When Flea almost clipped Kerrick, we were ordered to move farther away.

At least Flea considered this new step a challenge and wasn’t getting frustrated yet. After twenty tries, Flea performed one successful juggle before dropping all the stones.

“That’s it!” I said. “Now all you need to do is—”

“Practice, I know.” He paused for a moment, sobering. “Thanks, Avry.”

I waved my hand dismissively. “This is fun for me, too. It reminds me of happier days.”

“Not just for teaching me to juggle, but for, you know…saving me from the nasty giant flower.”

“Anytime,” I said.

“No.” His body stiffened as all joviality fled, replaced by a dead-serious intensity. “Don’t risk yourself for me again. I’m willing to die for Prince Ryne. It’s my choice. Not yours.”

Surprised by his demeanor, I considered his words. “You haven’t even met Ryne. Why are you so willing to give up your life for him?”

Flea gestured toward the fire. Quain, Belen and Loren exchanged insults. Kerrick had taken the next shift of guard duty.

“They are willing. I trust them. It’s that simple.” He crossed his arms. “Promise me you won’t risk your life for me.”

“No. Because it’s not that simple for me.”

Flea huffed just like Kerrick. I almost laughed.

“Well, it should be simple for you, as well,” Flea said.

“Why?”

“Don’t you trust Kerrick?”

This time I couldn’t muffle a laugh. “No.”

“What about Belen? You trust him, don’t you?”

“That’s different. Belen sees good in everyone. I know that he’s not lying to me about Prince Ryne, but I don’t trust his judgment.”

Flea gave up and stormed back to the fire. I stayed behind, mulling over our conversation. When Kerrick’s men had found Flea, he’d been on his own for as long as he could remember. They’d protected him and all but adopted him. Of course he would be grateful and loyal. They were in essence his family so his judgment was suspect, as well.

“It’s getting late,” Kerrick said.

I jumped a foot. “Will you stop doing that!” I spun in the direction of his voice.

“Doing what?” He stepped from the shadows, but halted a few feet away.

“Sneaking up on me.”

“I wasn’t. You’re just deaf to the sounds of the forest.” His reasonable tone at least meant he’d gotten over his earlier snit.

“I don’t have your forest magic.”

“You don’t need it. The forest has its own unique…song. I taught my men how to listen for notes that are off-key, and for those silent pauses which means danger.”

Curious, I couldn’t help asking, “Did you teach them how to move without making noise?”

“Yes. Except they do make noise. It just blends in with the forest’s song so it doesn’t stand out. I could teach it to you if you’d like.”

I searched his expression, but I couldn’t tell if he joked or was serious. Instead of responding, I asked him, “Why didn’t you tell your men about your magic?”

“I don’t want them to rely on it.”

“But you use it all the time.”

“Only since you’ve been with us. I don’t want them getting lazy or sloppy, believing I can protect everyone. There’s a reason I taught them how to navigate the forest. If something happened to me, they need to be able to protect themselves.”

“What about Belen? He’s been with you the longest. Doesn’t he suspect?”

“We’ve never talked about it. He may.”

“He probably felt you using magic at some point.”

A strange queasy expression, almost a flinch, creased his face for a second. “Those without power can’t feel it. In fact, I was under the impression that only a fellow forest mage could sense it, and only when we were both in the forest. I can’t feel others’ magic unless they use it when we’re both in the woods.”