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

Touch of Power
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My confusion lasted until I felt the air being pulled from my lungs. I struggled to keep it and to draw in more, but couldn’t. My lungs strained as black and white spots swirled in my vision. My healing magic flared to life, fighting Jael’s power. The wall of air holding me up disappeared. Weak kneed, I sank to the ground, sipping air. But not enough.

“She’s strong.” Jael sounded impressed.

“Jael, stop,” Kerrick said.

“Ohh… You care. How sweet. But she needs to learn who is in charge.”

On the edge of consciousness, I reached to gather my magic, but healing Kerrick had depleted my strength. The world faded as I suffocated.

I woke with a blinding headache. Unfortunately, my encounter with Jael hadn’t been a dream. She sat on an overstuffed armchair reading a book. Groaning, I rolled over. Someone had dumped me onto a couch.

“There’s tea on the table next to you,” she said. “Drink it. It will help with your headache.”

I fumbled for the cup. Sitting up, I fought off nausea and gulped the warm liquid. The pounding behind my eyes eased a bit. I downed the rest in two swallows. Feeling better, I scanned the room. Bookshelves, desk, chair, another armchair and glass tables filled the room. Afternoon sunlight streamed in, illuminating a beautiful black-and-silver rug underneath the desk. A fire crackled in the stone hearth. No guards stood by the door. If it wasn’t for the powerful magician sitting across from me, the room would be quite cozy.

Jael closed her book with a thud. “Now we can have a private chat.”

I wondered where they had taken Kerrick. If she liked to play head games, I wasn’t about to ask her about him and give her something to use against me.

“Don’t look so frightened, Avry. I’m not some Death Lily ready to swallow you up. If you cooperate, no one will harm you. In fact, I’m hoping you will join us.”

“Us?”

“My mother-in-law, High Priestess Estrid of Ozero, has been helping the poor plague survivors to put their lives back in order. We’ve amassed quite an army. And we have a few magicians working with us. However, we’ve had some skirmishes—it’s an unfortunate side effect of progress, and we’ve had our fair share of injuries. Plus disease and infections have taken a toll.” She leaned forward. “We’re in need of a healer. And it seems you are the last alive.”

Sweeping an arm out, she said, “You will be treated well, given every comfort and well protected. The High Priestess gives you her word that no harm will come to you.”

A dream job. So what was the catch? Stalling for time, I asked, “You can speak for her?”

“Of course. I married her oldest son, Stanslov of Ozero. He was first in line for the throne, but he left me a widow.”

Interesting how she appeared more upset about being a widow than in losing her husband. “Doesn’t the High Priestess have another son?”

“She did, but he died of the plague along with his wife. They left a little girl, the High Priestess’s only grandchild, but she’s very ill. In fact, we’d been searching for you for some time. She would like you to heal Nyrie first, if possible.”

“How far away is Nyrie?”

“She’s upstairs.”

Surprised, I asked, “Isn’t she in danger?”

“Oh, no. Our efforts to restore peace have expanded throughout Pomyt, so she’s quite safe. And when we heard you were in the area, we took a chance that we might catch up to you.”

I stood. “Take me to Nyrie.”

She gained her feet. Shock blanketed her face and I knew that was the first true expression she’d shown me.

“Does this mean you’ll join us?” Jael asked.

“I need some time to think about it, but I’m not going to use a sick child as a bargaining chip.”

“Oh.”

I had caught her off guard.

It didn’t last. “This way.”

I followed her down a plush hallway. Flames flickered from gold sconces, and elaborate paintings hung on the walls.

“You mentioned hearing about me,” I said. “From who?”

“We had a report from our training camp near Grzebien.”

My apprehension about being here turned into fear. They knew about my sister. Which meant they could use her to force me to work for them. Thankfully, Jael had the decency not to mention it at this time.

We climbed a grand staircase. The child’s room lacked for nothing. Her nanny sprang from a chair beside the canopied bed. She had been reading to the girl. Long copper hair fanned around the girl’s pale face. I guessed she was around five years old.

Jael introduced me to her niece. Nyrie gave me a wan smile despite the pain shadowing her eyes.

I perched on the edge of her bed and took her small hand in mine. She shot Jael a frightened look.

“What story was your nanny reading you?” I asked her. Healing magic swelled from my core, and I sought the source of the girl’s sickness.

“The story of Neil, the First Queen’s champion who crossed the Ronel Sea. He was the only one brave enough to request help from the sea dragons.” Her thin voice matched her skeletal body.

She had the wasting disease.

“Is that the story where he brings back fifteen dragon scales that turned into warriors when the First Queen’s grateful tears touched them?” I asked as I gathered the black fibers of the disease and drew it from her.

“Yes. The warriors chased the tribes into the wildlands and the First Queen gifted land to each of them. That’s why we had Fifteen Realms.”

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I noted her use of the past tense. If Estrid kept expanding, then it was more than a possibility that the Fifteen Realms would cease to exist outside of stories. Pain bit down on my intestines as the wasting disease settled deep in my guts.

Nyrie sat up. Her warm brown eyes glowed. “My stomach doesn’t hurt,” she marveled.

Releasing her hand, I said to the nanny, “Don’t let her eat too much or else she’ll throw it up. Start with soups for a day, then gradually increase to thicker food.” I turned to Jael. “Is there some place I can lie down?”

“Of course. There’s a guest room.” She led me to another opulent room.

I slipped into the bed. Despite the needle-sharp pains in my lower stomach, I enjoyed how the mattress cushioned my back and the comforting weight of the supple blanket over me. Now this was luxury.

“Can I get you anything?” Jael asked.

“Nothing for now, but in about five or six hours I would like more of that tea.”

Only when she left did I wonder what happened to my knapsack, new cloak and weapons. Those thoughts led to Kerrick and the others. What were they doing? Was Belen organizing a rescue? I worried about them, but it wasn’t long before the fight to cure the disease consumed all my energy.

When I woke hours later a servant appeared with a pot of tea. She fetched more when I had drained it, and then brought me a tray overflowing with food. As soon as the scent of hot stew reached me, I felt ravenous. I devoured the stew, bread and cheese in no time.

After the girl cleared the tray, she waited for more instructions. The girl looked to be about thirteen. She wore an acolyte’s ruby-colored robe. I wondered if she had applied for this job or been conscripted.

Not wanting to start with personal questions, I asked, “Do you know where my knapsack has gotten to?”

“What do you need it for?”

“I’d like to change my clothes.”

“Would you like me to draw you a bath?”

I froze. “A bath as in a bathtub?”

“Yes, miss.”

“That would be wonderful.”

She smiled at my enthusiastic response. When she finished filling it, I eyed the tub as if it was the peaceful afterlife.

“I’ll still need clean clothes,” I said.

“Yes, miss. While you’re soaking, I will inquire about your effects.”

“Thank you.”

This time her grin included surprise before she darted from the room. Poor girl acted like she had never been thanked before.

I shed my smelly clothes and dipped a foot into the steaming water. All thoughts about the servant, my situation, Noelle, Kerrick, Belen and Jael disappeared as I sank into paradise. Lulled by the warm water, I dozed.

When the girl returned, I jerked awake. She carried my knapsack. “The High Priestess wishes to see you, miss. Do you have appropriate attire for a meeting with the Blessed One?”

The Blessed One? “What is considered appropriate?”

“Not travel clothes, miss. An acolyte’s robe would be best.”

“I have a skirt in my pack.”

“I can fetch you a robe.”

“No, thanks. I prefer my own clothes.”

She clutched my knapsack a little tighter to her chest.

“Would the High Priestess be upset with you if I showed up wearing inappropriate attire?”

“Don’t worry about me, miss. I’m just—”

“In a bad situation and trying *****rvive? Forced to be a servant for the High Priestess’s family to avoid being sent to a training camp?”

“I…”

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“Inari, miss.”

“Inari, how about a compromise?”

She gazed at me in astonishment.

“I’ll wear my skirt and tunic, but I’ll wear the robe like a cloak.”

Inari considered.

“And I’ll let you do my hair.”

The clincher. She brightened. “That would be acceptable, uh, yes, miss.” Setting my pack down, she grabbed a towel and held it out for me.

I stepped from the tub, turning so she could wrap it around my shoulders.

Inari gasped. “Your back…”

Probably looked horrid. “Doesn’t hurt.” Curious, I asked, “What color are the marks?”

“A deep red, almost purple.”

Farther along than they should be. At least, that’s what I thought, having no real experience with such deep lacerations. I examined the scars on my stomach. It had been about forty days since I healed Belen. Visible but not red, the puckered skin shone a bit lighter than my beige skin.

Inari drew the towel around me. “Who would do such a thing to you?”

“I did it to myself.”

The girl covered her mouth with both hands. I suppressed a grin. She was too young to remember when healers had been respected. When all the big cities had at least one healer who lived and worked there.

“I healed a…” What to call Kerrick? Not a friend. “Someone who had been whipped.” By the High Priestess’s soldiers, but I didn’t want to increase Inari’s apprehension. Instead, I explained how my magic worked as I dried and dressed in my green skirt and yellow tunic.

Inari swept up my hair into an elegant knot. She pulled a few tendrils down and curled them with a hot iron rod. Then she fetched a robe and soft leather shoes. I eyed the shoe heel. Not too bad, but I wouldn’t be able to run far with those things on.

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Finally ready, I followed Inari to the High Priestess’s receiving room. Two oversize soldiers guarded the ornate double door. Inari tapped on the wood. The doors swung inward. Inari knelt and bent forward so her forehead pressed on the floor.

I couldn’t see too far inside, but Inari waited until a voice gave her permission to speak. My opinion of the High Priestess slipped several notches.

Inari introduced me, and if the Blessed One thought I’d kneel for her, she was in for a surprise. I entered and Inari left, closing the doors behind her. Estrid sat on a divan, reading a story to her granddaughter. Nestled in her lap, Nyrie stared at the pictures in the book. Estrid’s powerful gaze, though, was focused on me.

Should I curtsy? Or bow? I decided to remain standing. The High Priestess gestured to the nanny who had been sitting in an armchair by the window to take Nyrie for her afternoon nap. The woman rushed to obey.

When we were alone, I braced for… I didn’t know, but predicted it wouldn’t be pleasant. Except I was wrong.

Estrid smiled. “Please sit, Avry.” She gestured to a seat near her.

The room matched the others I’d seen. Dark furniture, gold trimmings, lush carpets and bookcases lined the walls. I perched on the edge of the cushion.

“Thank you for healing my granddaughter,” Estrid said.

“You’re welcome.”

“If I had lost her, too…” She glanced away as grief creased her face. After a moment she continued. “Have you considered our offer?”

“I have.”

“And?”

“I’m sorry, but I cannot accept at this time.” I waited for the threats.

Instead, she asked, “Why not?”

“I gave my word to Kerrick to travel with him until we reach his sick…friend.”

“I’m well aware of Prince Ryne’s con***ion. Will you be able to heal him?”

“I can heal him, but I haven’t decided if I will.”

She laughed. “His reputation is worse than mine.” She tapped long elegant fingers on her lips. “Are you aware Tohon of Sogra is after you?”

“Yes.”

“He’s trouble. And I don’t think my army will be able to hold him back once he decides to move into Pomyt.”

Not about to get into a discussion of the trouble she had caused, I kept quiet.

“If Tohon succeeds in gaining all the Realms south of the Nine Mountains, then my rules to keep a pure heart in the name of the creator will seem a mere nuisance to the populace in comparison.” Again her gaze grew distant. “Do you think Kerrick is capable of getting you to Ryne?”

“Yes.”

“What would you do if I threatened your sister’s life if you didn’t stay here and heal my warriors?”

And just when I thought she wouldn’t resort to threats… Grief filled my heart. I had caused Noelle so much pain already. “I would stay.” Until I figured out a way to escape with Noelle and Kerrick.

A side door opened and Jael strode into the room. She wore a uniform and a sword. “We just caught Belen and three others trying to rescue Kerrick from the jail,” she said to Estrid. “Perhaps one of them will—” She noticed me.

At her announcement, I slumped against the back of the chair.

“We have all your companions now. And your sister is on her way here so we can keep a close eye on her,” Jael said.

“Jael, that’s enough.” Estrid seemed to mull over the news. “Was Belen that commoner they allowed in school with you and Stanslov?”

“Yes. He was supposed to be Kerrick’s bodyguard, but Kerrick treated him like an equal. Kerrick spent more time protecting Belen than the other way around.”

“Is that how you met Kerrick?” I asked Jael.

“Yes. And how I met Stanslov. We were in boarding school together. All the children born to the leaders of each Realm attended. As future leaders, it was supposed to teach us tolerance and cooperation of the other Realms. But all we did was make alliances and fight.”

“Which was a more accurate representation of how the Fifteen Realms interacted,” Estrid said. “Now, all bets are off.”

Silence descended as we mourned the past. Jael’s comment about the students being future leaders sunk in. Kerrick, a prince? Hard to believe, but Noelle had called him by that name. It didn’t matter. It wouldn’t change how I felt about him. And just how did I feel about him?

Jael said, “If you’re finished with Avry, I’ll take her down to the infirmary.”

“Not yet. Leave us,” the High Priestess ordered her daughter-in-law.

Jael gave her a curt bow and left by the same door she had entered. From the fire in her eyes, I knew she was angry. I wondered why she obeyed Estrid’s orders. She commanded the very air, while her mother-in-law had no magic. But then I realized that power came in many different forms, and Estrid commanded the army.

As if she could read my thoughts, Estrid said, “Avry, how about a compromise?”

Estrid used the same word I had with Inari, which made me wonder if she had sent an acolyte to spy on us. Wary, I asked for details. She explained her terms. I agreed. We shook hands. When I left, Inari appeared beside me.

“Can you direct me to the infirmary?” I asked her.

“Yes, miss. Do you wish to go now?”

“I need to change first.”

Inari looked strickened. “I…took your clothes to be washed. They—”

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“Stank?”

“Oh, no.”

“We’re going to be together for a while. I’m not like the High Priestess and Jael. I want you to be honest and to call me Avry,” I said.

“They reeked and were stiff with dried blood, Avry,” she said as if reporting battle statistics.

“That’s a start. Where can I find some clothes that I can get dirty? I’m sure it’s a major sin to get blood on the robes.”

Inari led me to a laundry. They had a few extra sets of plain tunics and pants that the infirmary workers wore.

I worked in the infirmary for two weeks, teaching the caregivers how to bandage wounds, clean cuts, set bones and how to recognize and use medicinal plants. I healed those who wouldn’t survive without my magic. And even though I returned to my room exhausted and sick every night, I felt happy that I was able to help others without the fear of being executed. If I wasn’t in a bad situation, I would be quite content to stay here. This was my future before the plague ruined it, healing people. Too bad I would never have an apprentice to show my scars to with pride.

Also during that time, I half expected Kerrick to escape, arrive in my room and drag me away, claiming we wasted more precious time. While I didn’t care if we’d reach Ryne or not, my desire to leave increased each day.

Not because of the effort to heal her people, but because I learned Estrid’s strict rules for a pure heart, which included no music, dancing or any form of entertainment. No lying, swearing or violence against fellow acolytes. Laughing was bad. Also, all unmarried women must be virgins or they were sent to the monastery in Chinska Mare to spend the rest of their lives praying for forgiveness. If it hadn’t been for the timely arrival of Inari, providing a distraction, Estrid’s Purity Priestess and her four goons would have had spread my legs and inspected me. Although I would have passed, I still shudder at how close I’d come to being examined.

Noelle arrived in town at the end of the first week, but she refused to see me. Instead, she was assigned as Jael’s page. The magician delighted in taking Noelle under her wing. And Noelle went to great lengths to avoid me.

When Estrid was satisfied that I was true to my word, she had two of her personal guard escort me to the jail early the next morning.

Kerrick and his men each had their own cell. When I entered the block with my two guards, various expressions rippled through the guys. Loren and Quain didn’t bother to get up from their beds. An air of hopelessness surrounded them. Belen’s worried frown deepened. Flea jumped to his feet and hung on to the bars, grimacing. Kerrick’s gaze stayed wary.

“About time you joined the party,” Quain said.

“I see you’ve been lazing around here doing nothing for the past two weeks,” I said. “Unless there’s a tunnel you’ve dug hidden somewhere?”

“I wish,” Flea said. “I’m so bored, hard physical labor sounds like fun.”

“Well, then, gentlemen. Are you ready to go?” I asked.

Their reaction was worth the collection of extra scars I’d earned in Estrid’s infirmary. The monkeys leaped from their beds. Flea whooped. Belen transformed back into happy Poppa Bear. However, Kerrick remained the same.

My escorts unlocked the cells, returned all our possessions and led us outside. The guys reveled in the fresh air and sunshine.

“We can stay in town until the passes melt,” I said to them. “We’ll be safe behind Estrid’s front line.”

When we were a few blocks from the jail, Kerrick rounded on me. “This—” he gestured at the surroundings “—doesn’t come without a price. What did you promise Estrid?”

He still didn’t trust me. I decided to let him sweat for a bit. “Let’s see. I promised her that Loren and Quain will babysit her granddaughter anytime. That Flea would give her soldiers lessons on how to pick pockets and that Jael can use you for target practice. I offered to keep Jael company for that one.”

The others suppressed their grins, but Kerrick failed to find it amusing. “Avry,” he growled.

“Lighten up, Kerrick,” I said. “I just spent two weeks teaching her medical staff how to care for their injured and in exchange she let us go. Actually, you benefit the most from all this.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

Anger boiled. “You shouldn’t. I swore an oath, and I’ve stuck to it all this time. But you’re right. There is a catch. If I heal Ryne, I’m to tell him Estrid wants to join forces with him to fight Tohon. Does that sound bad to you?” I didn’t wait for an answer. “No, it doesn’t. It sounds like an ideal situation. Happy, happy for everyone.”

“Even you, Avry?” Belen asked.

His concern doused my fury. “No. Not me.” I walked away, heading in no particular direction. Estrid was scared of Tohon. Kerrick, too. If Estrid, who enjoyed being in charge, was willing to make an alliance with Ryne, that weighed heavier in Ryne’s favor than all of Belen’s school stories.

“Where are you going?” Kerrick asked.

I stopped. The guys had followed me. “To find a tavern. I need a drink.”

“Estrid has banned alcohol. She calls it the devil’s drink,” Loren said.

Quain gasped. “We can’t stay here! The next thing you know, we’ll be wearing those red skirts and promising our souls to the creator.”

“You’d look good in red, Quain. And you can show off those shapely legs,” Loren teased.

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“Estrid provided us with fresh provisions,” Kerrick said. “There’s plenty of daylight left. We’ll head north toward the Nine Mountains as planned.”

The others looked at me, which didn’t make Kerrick happy. Although, as far as I knew, nothing made him happy. Having no interest in leading, I said to Kerrick, “Lead on.”

We walked through the streets of Zabin. I noticed how the citizens who didn’t wear the robes kept their gazes on the ground. They hurried along as if afraid someone would stop them.

Exiting the city, we followed the border road so named because it paralleled the border between Vyg and Pomyt. Without having to worry about Estrid’s soldiers, we could use the road and camp on the Pomyt side. Most of Vyg was still disputed territory.

An hour outside Zabin, we encountered trouble. Kerrick cursed and pulled his sword, warning us before six horses broke from the forest. I yanked one of my throwing knives as everyone grabbed their weapons, but it didn’t matter. Jael led the ambush. No weapon could match her magic.

Armed soldiers rode on the other five horses. And, as an added bonus, Noelle shared Jael’s mount. Sitting behind Jael, my sister wouldn’t meet my gaze, but she stared with a cold disgust at my companions.

“Estrid was a fool to let you go,” Jael said. “Our army is more than capable of handling Tohon’s.”

“Did you come all this way just to say goodbye?” Kerrick asked.

“Oh, yes. This is goodbye,” Jael said. “Unlike Estrid, I’m not a fool. You’re too dangerous to leave alive.”

“Estrid won’t be happy,” Kerrick said.

“That’s why I’m not dragging the healer back with me. She’ll just squeal to the High Priestess, and I don’t want to tip my hand just yet.”

“But you trust Avry’s sister?”

“My little protégée has been surprisingly helpful. She’s also proving to be quite valuable and loyal. We agree on so many things.”

Not good. Noelle finally met my gaze and I was the one to glance away. Pure joy over my imminent demise shone from her face. Not only had she changed, but she’d found another person to shadow.

“You don’t need to kill my men,” Kerrick said.

“And leave them to avenge your deaths? Didn’t you hear me when I said I wasn’t a fool? Goodbye, Kerrick, I’m afraid there’s no chance of us ever getting back together.”

In desperation, I threw my knife at her, aiming for her neck. But the air thickened, stopping the weapon in midair. It dropped to the ground.

Jael tsked, shaking her head at my lame attempt before a wall of air slammed into us, knocking us to the ground. When the wall retreated, it sucked all the breath from our lungs. This time Jael wasn’t playing around.

Chapter 15

Lying on the ground, I strained to draw a breath. Familiarity with this particular situation didn’t prevent my panic from rising, but knowing Belen and the others also suffered kept my fear from dominating.

My healing magic surged and fought to keep air in my lungs. Jael’s power pressed harder, but another magic tingled along the back of my hand. I looked to my left. Kerrick lay next to me with his arm outstretched. Jael either didn’t know about his forest magic or didn’t believe it would make a difference. On its own, it probably wouldn’t, but combined with mine…

I grasped his hand and it felt as if I had just been struck by lightning. Instead of sharing my energy with him, he sent his to me. And, damn, the man was strong. The forest’s vast energy waited for me to tap into it. Air flowed back into my lungs as the healing power won the battle. I “healed” Kerrick and reversed the flow of energy, letting Kerrick tap into mine.

Not quite understanding what had happened, Jael frowned at us. Suffocating six people required all of her strength, but now she only had four. And if we didn’t stop her soon, she would kill them.

Keeping a grip on Kerrick’s hand, I grabbed one of my knives and flung it at her. It struck her upper arm. She yelped and I sent another into her thigh. The horse reared at the scent of blood. Noelle clutched Jael’s waist, but they remained in the saddle. My attack did break her concentration. Noisy gasps erupted behind me.

Her soldiers drew their weapons. Kerrick dropped my hand in order to engage the soldiers while the others recovered. Heavy branches dropped from the trees above us, scaring the horses. Against five on horseback, Kerrick was holding his own. It was impressive, but I knew with the energy he spent he wouldn’t last. I wounded two of the soldiers. By then Belen, Loren and Quain joined in the battle.

Although boastful, Jael’s claim of not being a fool proved accurate. She called for a retreat and the six horses galloped away.

We cheered and congratulated ourselves until we realized Flea remained prone on the ground. He stared at the sky, but he wasn’t moving. I raced over to him. Blue lips, eyes vacant and the pasty pallor of the dead greeted me.

I touched Flea’s slack face. No magic swelled from my core. “Kerrick,” I yelled.

He knelt next to me and covered my hands with his. Magic flowed into me, but I couldn’t funnel it into Flea. I tried until exhausted. And I would have kept going, but Kerrick pulled me away. Healers couldn’t bring the dead back to life, but I had hoped just this once I could.

Numb with grief, I sat next to Flea as Kerrick and Belen discussed the macabre yet necessary task of burying him. Loren and Quain stood nearby, looking miserable.

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“…ground’s too hard, s****ngers will dig him up,” Belen said.

“…a pyre will alert every merc in Vyg of our whereabouts,” Kerrick said.

“…****…seal off the entrance?”

I tuned them out as I remembered Flea’s energy and enthusiasm. His lopsided grin, puppy-dog pouts and utter joy as he mastered juggling three rocks. He had such potential… The word caused a flood of memories, but not of Flea. The Death Lily had wanted him. It said he had potential.

Scrambling to my feet, I interrupted Belen and Kerrick. “Offer Flea to a Death Lily.”

Their reactions matched. Shocked, repulsed, upset and angry. I explained as much as I could without sounding like a lunatic. They argued. Not surprising, it went against logic and compassion and plain old moral decency. But, damn it, I knew it was the right thing to do.

“Avry, you’re grieving and not thinking clearly,” Belen said.

“Belen, I spent hours inside a Lily. This is what we need to do for Flea.”

Belen, Loren and Quain shook their heads sadly. They thought I had lost my mind. And maybe I had.

“How can you not trust me?” I asked, attempting one last time. “Did you even see my sister’s joy at the prospect of my death? I could have stayed with Estrid and tried to repair the damage between us. But no, I…” My throat closed as tears threatened. “Forget it.” I turned my back to them so they wouldn’t see me cry.

“There’s a cluster of Lilys about two miles west of here,” Kerrick said.

I wiped my face and glanced back. Kerrick pressed his hand to the ground. “It’s in Vyg, but there’s no one else around.”

“Are you nuts?” Quain asked. “You’re not going to—”

“We are. Belen, get Flea’s blanket.”

Belen wrapped Flea in the blanket and carried him over his shoulder. No one said a word. By the time we reached a grove, darkness had descended.

Gently laying him down, Belen told a story of how he had taught Flea the facts of life and how the boy thought it was disgusting, but a few months later, he had changed his mind and asked for more details. Loren and Quain took a turn relating how they taught him to fight.

“My son in all ways but one,” Kerrick said.

The others agreed.

I couldn’t speak.

Kerrick removed the blanket and carried Flea over to a pair of trees. I went with him just in case the Lily attacked. The base of the tree trunks almost touched, but the upper trunks bowed away, making the trees look like a giant V. The Lily grew right behind them. Death or Peace? We’d find out soon enough.

It didn’t hiss or move fast, but the petals parted, dipping toward Flea. The tips of the petals bent under his body. The Death Lily gathered Flea as if it were his mother. Then Flea was gone.

We traveled north along the border road for the next six days. Encountering no resistance from Estrid’s platoons, or mercs, we covered roughly two hundred miles. Conversation was kept to the minimum. No one smiled or laughed or teased.

At night, we followed a routine, gathering firewood, cooking a meal and sitting by the fire. Except we stared at the flames instead of talking. My thoughts dwelled on Flea or on one of the empty villages or farmsteads we passed that day. There had been so many. By the end of the night, I would be leaning against Belen. He’d wrap his heavy arm around my shoulder and we’d comfort each other. Poppa Bear had lost one of his cubs, and I think he suffered the most. Although, half the time I would fall asleep on him and he’d tuck me into my bedroll.

Why Belen? His steady solid presence eased my pain. I considered him an ally and a protector. But more important, he was my friend. The first one I’d had since…before I left for my apprenticeship with Tara. Loren and Quain relied on each other. Not physically, but they were brothers in all but name. And Kerrick didn’t need or want anyone as far as I could tell. Jael had crushed his heart. It had shriveled and died in his chest four years ago. Yet, he strived to find a healer for Ryne. Perhaps he wasn’t beyond hope, after all.

As I grieved for Flea, I began to believe Kerrick had it right. Keep a distance. Especially during this mission. It was dangerous. Too late for me. After having no friends or family for three years, I had grown quite attached to these three guys. Or was that four?

On the seventh day, Kerrick veered to the east, taking a small road that branched from the main one. An icy wind blew, biting into exposed skin, reminding us that it was midwinter’s day. Before the plague, cities and towns across the Realms would celebrate the halfway mark to spring. Now, it passed with a sense of relief that we had gotten halfway through another winter without starving.

Two hours later, Kerrick stopped at a large ruin. Three magnificent buildings had stood here at one time. Their fancy stone columns had toppled, their roofs had collapsed and their interiors had burned. Other smaller structures filled the area. All had met the same fate.

“The compound of the Healer’s Guild,” Kerrick said.

I had forgotten about visiting it. No surprise that it hadn’t survived. The people had been angry, miserable and grieving. We poked around the wreckage, searching for anything useful.

Memories from my single visit to Guild headquarters bubbled to the surface of my mind. Healing, research and teaching had been their three goals. Each of the three grand buildings was dedicated to one goal. If I had graduated, my ceremony would have been in the building of teaching. Those seeking medical aid entered the building of healing. The last one housed those who worked to learn more about our healing powers and about the plants that could provide relief.

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The researchers shared the information with others, but they had also been careful in protecting all they had learned. One of Tara’s comments tugged. Something about a room known only to the healers. A place sheltered from the elements and secured. A room not located in the building of learning.

I walked over to the smallest structure in the compound, but stopped. That would be too obvious. It would be an unremarkable building sized to match others around it.

Kerrick followed me. “What are you looking for?”

I explained about the hidden room. “It probably didn’t survive.”

He considered. “If it is underground and protected by stone, it might still be here.” Instead of focusing on the buildings, he scanned the forest around us.

I wondered why until I realized the forest had broken through the edges of the compound. Kerrick pressed a palm to the ground. If the roots had grown in far enough, he might be able to sense an oddness.

Kerrick stood and headed east of the main buildings. I trailed behind him. He stopped at a building that met my criteria—basically unremarkable.

“An underground room?” I asked.

“Maybe. There’s something underneath this building.”

We called the guys over. Everyone helped to clear the rubble. Belen’s strength continued to amaze me as he hefted large pieces of the broken stone wall with ease. As we worked, a sense of purpose formed. And for the first time in days, I wasn’t brooding over Flea’s death. After a while, I noticed the others making a few comments. Quain teased Loren for his girlie arms. Belen growled good-naturedly at Kerrick to stop supervising and to get back to work. It wasn’t the same as before, but it was a start.

It took us a day to unearth the top half of a potential doorway. As we cleared the debris, dark gray clouds crept over the ice-blue sky. Quain frowned at the approaching front and studied the clouds. He sniffed the air, claiming a snowstorm was on its way.

“How soon?” Kerrick asked him.

Quain gauged the wind by scattering dead leaves. “Half a day at most.”

“How bad?”

He pulled a strange glass vial that resembled a skinny teapot filled with a silver liquid. Tapping on the glass, he whistled. “A midwinter howler.”

Kerrick cursed.

“You shouldn’t complain,” Quain said. “It’s been unusually dry. Otherwise, we’d have been hiking though two-foot drifts the past few weeks.”

Sensing Kerrick would stop our efforts, I said, “Perhaps that door leads underground and we can shelter in there.”

“What happens if we can’t?” He didn’t wait for me to answer. “Then we wasted all that time and will be caught out in a blizzard.” He scanned the darkening sky, then the forest. “You can keep working for now. I’ll scout out the area, see if there’s a **** nearby.”

Not another ****! But I stifled a groan. In this situation, it would be ideal. After Kerrick left, we exposed the door. It had been made of iron and was locked. Belen pulled out a set of lock picks with a sly grin. He worked on the lock.

After about twenty minutes, he sat back on his heels and gave up. “It’s one of those complicated ones with double pins to make it all but impossible to pick.”

“Could Kerrick open it?” I asked.

Belen huffed. “What makes you think he would be better than me?”

“Uh, more practice?”

“He’s certainly gotten into more trouble than me. That’s for certain.”

“Really? Jael said Kerrick was constantly getting you out of trouble.”

“Don’t you believe her, Avry. Everything she says is a lie. In fact, almost all the skirmishes and problems we had in school were because of her. With her beauty and intelligence, she played us all like she was conducting Queen Jenna’s ninety-six-piece orchestra. And it took us many years to figure it out.”

“But she kept Kerrick from killing Ryne. How?”

“That’s not my story to tell.” Belen lumbered to his feet. “And even Kerrick couldn’t open this door. The blasted lock is also rusted tight.”

Disappointment stabbed. Rust had destroyed… The word triggered a memory. When the guys had rescued me, the bars to the window appeared to have rusted away, but all the other ones had been fine.

“What did you use on those bars?” I asked Loren.

“What bars?”

I explained.

“Oh! Quain, do you still have some of that lightning juice?”

His eyes lit up. “Yes. It’s in my pack.” He strode over to where we had dumped our stuff. “Too bad I didn’t have it with me when we were rotting in Estrid’s jail for two weeks.” Rummaging in the pockets, he brought out a glass jar filled with a clear liquid. “We need some way to pour it into the lock.”

We all searched. Belen found a broken piece of pipe that worked. The lightning juice filled the keyhole. Metal sizzled and the smoke smelled like brackish water.

When the sound stopped, Quain told Belen to give it a try. He pressed his shoulder to the door and pushed. Nothing happened. Quain poured in more juice. Belen tried again. Nothing.

“Perhaps we should douse the hinges?” Loren asked.

Before Quain could move, I said, “Wait.” The door’s hinges were visible. “Belen, try pulling on the handle.”

He grasped the heavy latch. With a screech of metal, the door opened, revealing a staircase that descended into blackness. A musty odor with a hint of decay wafted from below followed by a faint rustling sound. Rats? Or the wind?

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We all peered into the darkness.

“We’re going to need torches,” Belen said.

“Maybe there are some hanging just inside,” I said.

Quain walked down the first few steps. “Hooks are here, but no torches.”

Loren and Belen went in search of materials, while Quain and I waited. The winds died. Soon after, fat flakes of snow drifted down.

“I thought you said it would be a howler,” I said.

“It will. First the storm dumps piles of snow, and then the winds come, blowing all that white stuff into drifts and creating more problems. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fun for the storm if the winds came first. Nothing for it to swirl around.”

“I don’t think the storm cares.”

“Probably not a normal storm.”

I searched Quain’s face to see if he teased. “Aren’t they all normal?”

“No. Some are influenced by air magicians to do more damage than they would on their own.”

“Do you think Jael sent this storm?”

“She killed Flea and tried to kill us. This could be another attempt.”

I shivered at the memory.

Quain focused on me. “We need to talk about what happened with Flea.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been replaying Jael’s attack and the aftermath in my mind, thinking of nothing else. Why did you yell for Kerrick to help you with healing him? And how did Kerrick know the exact location of a Death Lily?” Quain started making more connections. “In fact, all those months we hiked through the woods, we’ve never encountered a single Lily. Except for that village. What’s going on, Avry?”

His questions were inevitable. “You’ll have to ask Kerrick.”

“Why?”

“It’s not my story to tell.” I used Belen’s line.

Loren and Belen returned in time to see Quain scowling at me.

“What’s the problem?” Loren asked.

I answered before Quain could. “We can discuss it when we’re stuck in some **** for days because of the storm.”

Belen brushed the snow from his hair. “We’d better hurry.” He handed out torches and Loren lit them with his flint.

We descended the dust-covered steps. It spiraled down for two, maybe three stories before the walls opened up, revealing a storage room. Rows of shelves lined the floor. The shelves had been filled with wooden crates. A list of each box’s contents had been burned into the outside wood.

I read the titles as we walked between them.

Dissection notes on twenty-two-year-old female—cause of death: childbirth.

Dune grass seeds from Bavly Realm.

Results of Apgull Poison test.

Maps of known Red Tiger trees.

As we continued, it became apparent that the room was huge. We hadn’t reached another wall, and the shelves disappeared into the darkness.

“We found the secret record room. Now what?” Belen asked.

“I was hoping to find some information that could be useful,” I said.

“You don’t think the ‘contents of an ufa’s stomach’ is useful?” Loren asked.

“Only if the report lists what killed the ufa.” As we neared the foothills, ufa packs would become another danger.

“We could split up,” Belen suggested. “Cover more ground. What would be useful, Avry?”

“Anything that mentions medicinal plants or herbs.” I hesitated, but decided to throw it out there. “Or mentions the plague.”

Silence, then Belen said, “Okay, everyone take a row.”

After a few minutes, I realized we would need days to go through the entire room. And it might take that long just to find valuable information. Perhaps after the storm we could come back. If the door wasn’t buried beneath a snowdrift.

I scanned crates until my vision blurred. My torch sputtered a warning. It wouldn’t last long. Besides, it seemed we had been down here a long time and Kerrick still hadn’t returned. Worry swirled as I followed my trail of dusty footsteps back to the entrance.

No one else had returned. With a hiss and pop, the flames, and therefore my light, died. Then the distinct tap of boots on the stairs sounded. Kerrick? Or one of the others? Or someone new? Pressing up against a shelf with my knife in hand, I waited as the taps grew louder and a black silhouette appeared. Kerrick.

Relief rushed through me. I slid my knife back into its sheath, stepped away from the shelf and surprised him without meaning to. He knocked me to the ground and sat on me, pinning my arms until he recognized me. I hadn’t realized my eyes had adjusted to the dark, but his hadn’t.

“Don’t surprise me like that,” he said.

“Already figured that out,” I said. “Can you get off me now?”

He stood and pulled me to my feet. “Where are the others?”

I rubbed the back of my head. “Searching for something useful. My torch died.” I peered into the darkness, hoping to find a sign of one of the others.

Kerrick cupped his hands around his mouth and called, “Gentlemen, time to go.”

Rustlings and footsteps approached. Quain and Loren appeared. Only Loren’s torch still burned.

Quain carried a crate. “It’s really creepy in here when the lights go out.”

“What did you find?” I asked.

“Notes on all the failed remedies for the plague. I wasn’t sure if it would be useful, but it was the only one I saw.”

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“It’s a start.”

Kerrick gave me his care-to-explain look, but I ignored him as we waited for Belen.

“Why can’t we shelter in here?” I asked Kerrick.

“No back door.”

“There could be one,” I said.

“Without more torches, we won’t be able to find it. Belen’s probably stumbling around in the dark by now.” Kerrick called to him.

No reply. Loren offered to search, but Kerrick said no. Another fretful ten minutes passed, then Kerrick emitted a high-pitched and painfully sharp whistle.

“Over here,” Belen called back. “I’ve found something!”

We followed his voice. He stood at the far end of a row of shelves. The torchlight made a yellow puddle around his feet. When we drew closer, he moved the light, revealing a desiccated body on the ground.

Dried-out flesh clung to the bones. The man, I think, lay on his side. I bent closer to examine the corpse. Quain made a disgusted sound. As part of my healer training, I had assisted in autopsies and dissections in order to learn about the internal parts and organs of a body.

However, it didn’t take a healer to figure out what killed this man. A sword had been shoved between his ribs, piercing his heart. He had been murdered. I sat back on my heels, mulling it over. If the grieving public had gotten in here, they would have burned all the records. The door had been locked. Someone who had a key perhaps, or knew of this room’s existence. Too many unknowns at this point to determine why he had been murdered.

“There’s a broken crate underneath him,” Belen said. “Maybe he was protecting the contents.” He rolled the man onto his back.

I swept out the pieces and connected the ones marked with letters. There weren’t many. The crate had held Death Lily seeds.

Chapter 16

“Why would anyone want Death Lily seeds?” Quain asked.

“Or more important, why would the Healer’s Guild have these seeds in the first place?” Loren asked.

“To study them,” I said.

“Or to find a way to kill them,” Kerrick added.

Belen moved the dead body and the last bits of the broken crate to the side as if searching for something. “I don’t see the seeds anywhere. They’re gone.”

“How do you know what they look like?” Quain asked him.

“When that Death Lily had us in its grip, I had an up close and personal view of its seedpods.”

Loren ****ed his head, staring at the body. “So, public sentiment turns on the healers, and it’s the last days of the Guild. Again, why are those seeds worth protecting? Do you think they might have something to do with the plague?”

Belen shrugged. “Possible.”

“Are there any records?” I asked, scanning the crates stacked on the shelves nearby. Nothing.

“This puzzle will have to wait,” Kerrick said. “The snow is piling up outside.”

“What about the body?” Quain asked, hefting the crate he had found. “Should we feed another Death Lily? Or don’t they like the crunchy ones?” No one was amused by his sarcasm.

We retraced our steps and climbed the stairs. Belen closed the door, and leaned a large piece of stone against it. “That should keep the snow and wind out.”

About four inches of snow had fallen since we entered the record room. Following Kerrick, I noticed the quiet stillness of the forest. I was glad for my fur-lined boots, but worried about our tracks. They would be visible until the winds swept them away.

Quain saw me glance back and said, “If Kerrick’s not fussing about our tracks, that means no one is close enough to us.” He gazed at his leader. “He always knows where the mercs are hiding in the woods. Do you know anything about that, Avry? Or is it his story to tell?” He shook the crate in his hands. “What other secrets are you hiding from us?”

I didn’t want to increase his agitation so I didn’t answer. Instead, I wondered if he would have the courage to question Kerrick directly or just make sarcastic comments until I or Kerrick told him.

No one was surprised when Kerrick led us to a ****. I watched Quain add another uncanny skill to Kerrick’s list. The snow made it difficult to find firewood. All our piles, except Kerrick’s, were meager.

Dinner was a quiet affair, more so because we were tired from uncovering the records room than because of an all-consuming grief for Flea. The grief would never go away completely, but it would fade into a background ache. Being survivors of the plague, these men had so many people to grieve for; it had to be numbing. Me, too, but I couldn’t claim to be a survivor of the plague since, in another odd quirk of the disease, healers were immune to it.

Why hadn’t the healers caught the plague, too? We sickened with other ailments like everyone else; we just recovered faster. But there had been no reports of a healer contracting the plague unless they’d assumed it from a victim. At least once we sickened, we were never contagious to others.

Quain started his questions soon after we had finished cleaning the stew pot. Loren gave him a warning look until he realized that Quain was determined. Then his focus shifted to Kerrick. Belen, too, kept his gaze on Kerrick. I couldn’t read Belen’s expression, which was unusual, or Kerrick’s, which wasn’t.

“You are going to explain what’s going on,” Quain said. It was a statement not a question.

Kerrick looked at me.

“Don’t blame Avry. She didn’t say a word,” Quain said. “I just started putting things together.”