Taste of Darkness (An Avry of Kazan Novel - Book 3) (28 page)

I ducked my head. “I couldn’t help it. Besides, only you three woke up.”

“Others did as well, but they rolled over and went back to sleep,” Loren said. “We knew it was you and...”

“And it’s always better to check than be sorry,” Quain added. “‘It worked’ could be code for the dead are invading.”

“Wow, that’s...really random, Quain. Aside from you, who would ever put those two things together?” Loren asked.

“Shut up, Loren.” He threw a spoonful of oatmeal at his friend.

“You’re asking for it now, pup.” Loren aimed at Quain with a full spoon.

“That’s enough, boys,” I said, pushing Loren’s arm down. “Thank you for coming to check on me. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to return to my patients.”

They watched as I clambered to my feet. Weak-kneed but steady, I searched for Danny. He helped Ginger clean the syringes.

“Amazing, Avry, simply amazing,” Ginger gushed.

I put a finger to my lips. “Keep it under wraps for now. Just in case.”

“Of course. But we have to tell Christina!”

“Of course.”

Danny collected a handful of syringes and followed me to the stage-three cavern.

Sergeant Phelix gave me a weak grin.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I tried a new medicine on you,” I said to him.

“I don’t mind at all. I feel so much better.” He pushed up on his elbow. Hope brightened his face. “Will it...?”

“It might save your life.”

He clasped my arm. “But you said—”

“I did, but that was before yesterday. Today’s a whole new day. And the best thing you can do is rest and regain your strength. Are you hungry?”

“Yes.” He said the word as if amazed by the answer.

“Good. I’ll get you breakfast after I check on the others.”

As I moved away, Danny whispered, “I thought you were waiting to make sure the cure worked before saying anything.”

“Positive thoughts equals positive healing. The mind plays an important role, and if a patient is convinced he’s going to die, it counteracts his recovery.”

The other three appeared to be improving. Relief made me giddy and lightheaded—either that or the blood loss. I stifled a giggle. After asking one of the caregivers to bring Phelix a tray, I moved on to the stage-two cavern. Breakfast had just been served and those who could stomach the food ate, while the others had placed their bowls on the ground.

I glanced around with dismay. With twenty patients, it was the biggest group. And I’d need a lot of blood. This group also had more time to live. I decided to inject them with half a syringe of blood each and, if it didn’t work, I’d give them another half.

Instead of drawing my blood in plain sight, I led Danny to an empty cavern where he helped me. Soon my arms resembled pin cushions. The cave spun and my hands shook.

“It’s okay, Avry,” Danny said. “I’ll inject the blood. I need to learn anyway.”

I kept a hand on his shoulder as we headed back. “Ask them permission first,” I said, puffing. “And start with Gylon. If he agrees, then his squad will, too.” Although I couldn’t imagine anyone
not
agreeing.

Danny approached the sergeant. He held up the syringe, its bright red contents unmistakable. “This might save your life. May I inject it?”

Gylon looked at me and then back at Danny. “Hell, yes, son.”

I instructed Danny on the proper way to insert the needle and push down the plunger. “Only halfway. Save the other half for the next person. But make sure to wipe the metal tip with alcohol between patients.”

Within three patients, he had a rhythm. No one refused the chance to live.

After a while, my legs threatened to give out. I sat next to Gylon, watching Danny.

“What changed?” Gylon asked. “Yesterday you said there was nothing you could do. Today it’s ‘this might save your life.’”

“I had an epiphany.”

“And the ‘might’?”

“I don’t want to oversell it. It’s very promising, but...”

“Nothing worse than false hope.”

“Exactly.”

When Danny finished, he escorted me to my bedroll. I collapsed onto it and managed to say, “Wake me if the half dose doesn’t work.”

“They have a few days, Avry. No need to suck yourself dry.” Danny pulled the blanket over me.

I murmured a thanks and passed out. The best thing about the depth of my exhaustion—Tohon didn’t invade my dreams.

However, shouts of alarm and pounding boots intruded way too soon.

Odd barked out orders nearby. “Don’t let her leave the cave. Understand?”

“Yes,” Danny said.

Flinging off my blanket, I stood, then plopped back down as a wave of dizziness flowed up my body. “What’s going on?” I called out.

“We’re under attack,” Danny said, stepping into the cavern with a grim expression.

“Who?”

“I don’t know.”

“I must go help.” I crawled over to my pack, gathering my knives.

“That’s what Sergeant Odd said you’d do. Avry, you’re the only one who can cure the plague. If you die...”

“But if they get inside, I might die anyway. At least, I can—”

“You’re weak and not thinking clearly.”

I bristled. “And you’re thirteen years old.”

“And I’m acting smarter than you. You can’t just rush off into a situation when you have no idea what’s going on. I did that once and it caused Kerrick a lot of trouble. You’re needed here. We should prepare for casualties.”

Damn. He was right. I staggered to my feet, but still tucked a few knives in my belt just in case. “All right. Food first, or else I’ll be useless.”

Danny smiled. “That was easy. I thought I’d have to sit on you.”

“Then I’d just zap you.”

“Zap? What’s that?” he asked.

“Something you should know and this is the perfect time.” I explained to him how to use his healing powers to defend himself as I grabbed a handful of bread and cheese. “When you heal, your power flows out to the injured, but when you want to hurt someone, you push out the power and zap him. Think of sparks from a fire or lightning striking—a burst of energy. Try it.” I held out my arm.

Danny grabbed it and zapped.

“Ow!”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. You’ll learn how much force to use with practice. But it’ll do for now. And if you zap at this spot...” I touched the back of his neck between two vertebra. “You’ll knock a person unconscious. But it has to be right on that spot or it won’t work. It’ll still hurt the person, but everyone has different pain tolerances.” I swept my hair to the side so he could find the location. “That’s it. I’d let you practice, but...”

We both glanced at the cave’s entrance. Two soldiers stood at the mouth. They held their swords ready, but the clangs of metal and shouts didn’t draw them from their position.

Worried for my friends, I asked, “Did the monkeys go out, too?”

“Yeah, everyone except the caregivers. Sergeant Gylon wanted to join them, but I threatened to tie him to his cot.”

“You’ve got good instincts, Danny. If we are invaded, don’t let anyone know you’re a healer. Okay?”

“Okay. What about you?”

I laughed. “It’s far too late for that. I’m infamous.”

He scrunched up his nose. “Shouldn’t that be famous?”

“Depends on who you’re talking to.”

I finished eating and we helped Ginger and Christina lay out extra bandages and thread for sutures. Every loud clash sent my heart into my mouth. When we’d run out of tasks, I checked on the plague patients.

Gylon’s squad no longer lay in their cots. They sat together, talking animatedly. As soon as they noticed me, they insisted I allow them to fight.

“No. You are to stay here,” I said.

“Why not?” Gylon asked. “We feel great.”

“You might still be contagious, and I don’t want you getting our soldiers sick.”

“Oh.”

A scuffle sounded from the main cavern. “However, if the enemy attacks you here.” I pointed down. “Feel free to defend yourselves.”

“Yes, sir!” Gylon and his squad rushed to arm themselves.

I hurried out, arriving in time to see the two guards at the entrance drop their swords and backpedal into the cave.

Oh, no. I palmed one of my knives, but wilted when Odd, Loren, and Quain arrived with their hands on their heads. Bloody, bruised, and pissed off, they led a stream of soldiers who fanned out as soon as they entered, with their swords at the ready. Cellina’s? Or the Skeleton King’s?

Once my friends reached the center, they turned. Holding my breath, I waited. It was the enemy’s move. Sure enough, a soldier strode into the cave as if she owned the place.

She put her hands on her hips and surveyed the area with a cocky smirk on her face. The smirk spread when the traitor met my gaze.

“No hello for your old friend?” she asked me. “Don’t be rude, Baby Face.”

“Go to hell, Wynn.”

KERRICK

Strong fingers cut off Kerrick’s air, rendering him unable to speak. He tapped on the arms holding him in the air.
Come on, you big oaf! Remember the signals!

“Belen,” Flea said in a loud whisper. “Stop, you’re choking Kerrick.”

“Flea?” Belen rasped, confused. His grip relaxed a bit, then he tightened it again. “Hell. You almost fooled me, you filthy cannibal. Now back away or your man dies.”

“It’s me. Flea. A Peace Lily and Avry saved me. And if you kill Kerrick, Avry’s gonna kill
me
and then
you
even if you are Poppa Bear.”

Belen tossed him aside. Kerrick landed hard and remained on the ground, gasping for breath as Belen scrambled from the pit.

“Flea! You’re alive,” Belen cried.

Kerrick didn’t need to see them to know Belen had Flea wrapped in one of his famous bear hugs. Having felt the same thing about the boy, he understood Belen’s reaction.

“Not if you keep making so much noise,” Flea said in a muffled voice.

Lumbering to his feet, Kerrick rubbed his throat. “Hey,” he croaked.

A big shadow loomed over the opening. “Sorry, Kerrick.” Belen reached down.

Kerrick clasped his friend’s hand and Belen pulled him up with ease.

Then Belen wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Thanks.”

“What’s taking so long?” The Skeleton King appeared at the entrance, then stopped as he noticed the prone forms.

“It’s an escape,” Belen said, tackling the king.

They hit the floor with the sound of bones crunching and a grunt of pain. The Skeleton King’s helmet and crown flew off. Kerrick rushed up to help Belen, but halted. Belen had knocked the king unconscious.

Kerrick picked up the king’s crown. It was similar to the one he sent Ryne. Although not quite as big.

Belen took the crown from Kerrick. “This filthy cannibal needs to die.”

“Yes, he does.”

“Do it,” Flea said.

Belen swung the heavy crown and brought it down on the Skeleton King’s head, crushing it. Blood and brains squirted out from the crumpled skull. Flea threw up.

“That takes care of the Skeleton King,” Kerrick said, thinking Ryne should be pleased.

“Not quite,” Belen said. “This is just one of his princelings. Sadistic bastard, though. Good riddance.”

Oh, no. Kerrick put his hand to the wall as a sudden wave of pure exhaustion washed through him.

“One of...?” Flea’s voice squeaked. “How many are there?”

“At least five that I know of. Damn things have invaded the south and are spreading.”

“Do you know where the Skeleton King is?” Kerrick asked.

“No. He’s been lying low. Probably worried about assassins.”

Voices shouted from the processing area. Reinforcements.

“Time to go,” Kerrick said.

The three of them raced to the window. Kerrick locked the cell as Flea and then Belen climbed out.

As he grabbed the ivy, Kerrick heard a ruckus outside the jailhouse. When he reached the window, he saw Belen tossing guards like they were rag dolls. Climbing out, he yanked the ivy from the jail and concentrated on sending it to twine around the guards’ feet. A temporary measure. He spotted more guards running their way.

“To the woods,” Kerrick ordered.

They jumped the fence and bolted for the forest. The fifteen people they’d rescued huddled around Huxley. The horse snorted at Kerrick.

“Lead us to a good spot, Hux.” Near the end of his strength, Kerrick mounted to keep from tripping over his own feet. He said to the others, “Form a single line and follow the horse,
exactly
. Step where he steps.” He tossed his sword to Belen. “Take rear guard.”

Belen raised his bushy eyebrows at the dadao but helped organize the townspeople. Even though Kerrick didn’t need light to travel in the forest, there was just enough moonlight to see the shape of the trees and other obstacles in their path. Plus most of the leaves had fallen, allowing more illumination to reach the ground. However, the blanket of leaves on the forest floor presented another problem.

Sounding like a herd of cattle, the group jogged through the woods with Hux taking point. Kerrick’s magic alerted him when the guards entered the forest. He lost count after fifty. Too many by far. He urged Hux faster. They wouldn’t outrun their pursuers, but they might outsmart them.

The forest covered the signs of their passage, and after an hour, Hux slowed. Hux had found a small clearing next to a rocky outcrop. Perfect.

Kerrick gathered everyone around. “The guards are closing in. I need you to touch Huxley with your hand or be in skin contact with someone who is touching him. My magic will camouflage us all through the horse. Some of you can sit on the rocks or the ground. If you break contact at any time, you’ll be seen. Hopefully, the guards will give up the search, but we’ll stay hidden and make no noise as long as it takes. Understand?”

Nods and a few “yes, sirs” sounded. Kerrick moved Huxley next to the outcrop and waited for everyone to settle into a comfortable position. A few sat on the rocks, holding hands and making a human chain. Flea and Belen stood near Hux’s head.

“This is new,” Belen said in a low voice.

Flea huffed. “You haven’t seen nothin’. It’ll take us hours to fill you in on all the
new.
”

Kerrick hushed them. “Everyone ready? Operation Disappear starts now.” He rested his hand on Huxley’s neck.

“Operation Disappear?” Flea chuckled. “Now who’s been hanging around the monkeys too long?”

“Quiet.” But Kerrick couldn’t help smiling despite the dangerous circumstances. They’d found Belen!

He’d lost a great deal of weight and was pale. Except where a thick scar crossed from the back of his head to his right temple, his black hair had grown long and bushy, matching his beard.

It didn’t take long for the noise of the Skeleton King’s soldiers to reach them. Kerrick tensed. Black figures moved through the woods, heading in their direction. A few cursed and a couple stumbled. Kerrick connected with the living green. Sluggish, it resisted his efforts to thicken the underbrush surrounding the clearing. Using the ivy for the rescue had almost depleted Kerrick’s resources. Kerrick saved the little bit of strength he had left instead.

The sky lightened, diluting the blackness above. Not good. The rising sun might expose them by casting their shadows on the ground. He watched as the soldiers drew closer. Kerrick urged them on. It would be a race against the sun.

Five of them entered the clearing, while the others continued past. Two aimed straight for them. Kerrick pulled magic. He focused it at a tree root growing underground. The root surfaced above the dirt, high enough to trip them and knock them off course. Then he used his magic to shake the trees to the left of the outcrop, drawing them away.

He sagged forward, lying over Huxley when they took the bait. Flea touched his wrist and energy flowed into him. Kerrick squeezed the boy’s shoulder in thanks. It still amazed him that Flea, Avry, and he could share magical energy between them. After a minute, he pulled Flea’s hand away. No sense draining Flea when his magic might be needed. This wasn’t over.

“Stay quiet,” he whispered to the others. “They’ll be back.”

The sun rose. Kerrick frowned at their long black shadows stretching across the clearing. Nothing he could do but wait. And wait. And wait.

The shadows shortened as the sun climbed higher in the sky. He kept tabs on the soldiers. They had fanned out and covered a wide swath of forest. Too wide for Kerrick and the others to sneak past.

By midday the soldiers had given up and retraced their steps. Once again a few wandered too close and Kerrick distracted them.

Kerrick dropped the camouflage when the soldiers were a couple miles away. Everyone groaned and stretched stiff muscles. He slid off the saddle and Huxley shook off the hands, then trotted in circles. After he fed Huxley, Kerrick collapsed onto the ground.

“We shouldn’t linger long,” he said to Belen, who had plopped down beside him.

Belen agreed. “Those filthy cannibals are like an infestation. They’re quick and strip everything down to the bone.”

“Will one of his followers take the princeling’s place?” Flea asked, joining them.

“I don’t know. I’ve been out of it for a while.” Belen rubbed the scar on his head.

“And instead of listening to Mom, you decided to take on the Skeleton King’s army all by yourself,” Flea said.

“I just went to scout and gather information for Prince Ryne. But I saw them...” Horror reflected in his eyes. “And, well, I couldn’t just stand there and watch them butcher those people.” He grinned. “Did a fair bit of damage, too.”

Kerrick debated if he should explain to Belen how he shouldn’t have charged into the fray without first considering the consequences, but it was Belen and no matter how logical his argument, Belen wouldn’t listen. He’d just smile and say it turned out fine in the end. Except one of these days, it wouldn’t.

“What’s the plan?” Flea asked.

“We’ll take them to Mengels. They can gather supplies and head for safety and we’ll head home,” Kerrick said.

“Home?” Belen asked.

“Back to the infirmary where Avry and the others are,” Flea said.

“Is everyone—”

“Quain and Loren are as annoying as ever.”

“I actually missed those guys,” Belen said with amazement.

“Don’t tell them. They can be insufferably smug,” Flea said.

“I know
that
. What don’t I know? How did Avry and a Peace Lily bring you back to life?” Belen asked.

Flea glanced at Kerrick.

Despite his bone-deep fatigue, Kerrick lumbered to his feet. “Fill him in along the way. We need to get some distance between us and the cannibals.”

Kerrick organized the rescued townspeople into a single line again. He mounted Hux and the group headed northeast toward Mengels. Flea joined Belen in the rear position, explaining everything that had happened since Belen had gone missing.

Even though he tried to keep a brisk pace, eighteen people on foot took six days to travel back to Mengels. Which meant Kerrick and Flea were now nine days late and hadn’t even left Mengels yet.

Of course, Mom insisted on feeding the refugees a hot meal and giving them a good night’s sleep before she’d leave.

“They’ve had a terrible time. It’s the least I can do,” she said, waving off Kerrick’s objections.

Another delay. At this rate they’d be sixteen days late, arriving a week after the first day of winter. He hoped Avry would forgive him for worrying her once she saw Belen.

Instead of spending the extra time brooding over the wait, he searched for a horse strong enough to carry Belen and Mom. Perhaps he needed two horses. Since everyone had evacuated Mengels, Kerrick spurred Huxley out of town, then let the horse decide which direction to go.

After a few hours, Huxley found a small farm northwest of town. The farmer and his young family had packed a wagon, tying on crates and furniture. Two horses had been harnessed to it with two waiting nearby. And a few more grazed in a pasture behind the farmhouse.

Kerrick called a greeting so he didn’t alarm them. Even so, the man grabbed a shovel and stepped between Kerrick and his three small children.

“Easy, sir, I’m just looking to buy a couple horses. Do you have any for sale?” Kerrick asked.

The man tightened his grip.

Pulling his money pouch from his belt, Kerrick spilled a few gold coins into his palm. “I can pay you.”

Now the man relaxed. “You lookin’ to evacuate?”

“Yes.”

He nodded. “You should have left days ago.”

“I could say the same to you.”

The man grinned, exposing large crooked teeth. “True. But my babe was too sick to travel.” He hooked a thumb at his wife. She held an infant. “You hear any news?”

Kerrick told him what he knew. The wife’s strained expression eased.

“We’ve a few days, then. Good. How many horses are you lookin’ for?”

“Two.”

It didn’t take long to negotiate a price, and soon Kerrick headed back to the Lamp Post Inn with a barrel-chested black horse and a cream-colored mare.

After another day, they finally set out for the infirmary early in the morning. Belen rode the cream-colored horse. She’d taken an instant liking to him and wouldn’t let Mom mount her. It would have been funny except Kerrick had been too impatient to appreciate the irony.

Flea and Mom rode the big black, which Flea had named Coffee. He’d also named Belen’s horse Tea, claiming the horse’s color reminded him of tea mixed with milk.

“Avry’s favorite drink,” Flea said as if that ended all discussion, which it did.

Huxley carried Mom’s sacks of cookware, food, and the teapots that she’d insisted on bringing along. Kerrick could never say no to Mom. Hux jingled when he trotted, but with Coffee and Tea pounding behind them, moving quietly was no longer an option.

Again the woods were empty of travelers. They encountered no one the first day and through the living green no intruders disturbed the forest’s peace within a few miles of them. But by midday on the second day, it was a different story. A sense of unease grew in Kerrick’s heart.

After a couple hours, Kerrick stopped Huxley and dismounted. He placed his palm on the ground, seeking the disruption. Just at the edge of his awareness, he encountered a big problem.

Soldiers. Lots of soldiers, filling the woods south and east of them. Filling the space between him and Avry.