Taste of Darkness (An Avry of Kazan Novel - Book 3) (33 page)

“Do you want me to check and make sure it’s not something else?” I asked. “I felt a cut on Trey’s arm, it could be infected.” I dangled one of the common worries for foot soldiers—infection which could lead to gangrene.

“Uh...”

I returned to Trey’s side. Lifting his right arm, I tugged his sleeve down, but it was awkward. “Here, hold his arm.” I thrust it at the other man.

Instinctively, he grabbed it. Big mistake. I covered his hand with mine and zapped him, pushing the full strength of my power into his body.

He cried out and hunched forward against the pain, exposing the back of his neck. One quick touch and he collapsed over Trey.

Yes! I ripped off the bloody rags and changed into a clean undershirt. Then I stripped the second man’s shirt off and donned it. The long sleeves hid the bite-shaped wounds. I kept my pants as they resembled the ones worn by the king’s troops, but I rifled through the guards’ pockets and helped myself to a few other items, including a sword.

Slinging my pack over my shoulder, I paused for a moment as a wave of pain radiated. I hoped the Skeleton King suffered greatly before he died from the plague. When the sharp pain eased back into a steady throb, I peeked through the flaps of the tent. The sun’s final rays painted the sky with yellows and oranges. I debated waiting until full dark to make my escape, but the camp appeared to be deserted.

Glancing at the woods to the north, I figured Belen, the monkeys, and Flea had all escaped by now. But I worried about Kerrick. He had used much of his energy during the attempt to rescue me, and that first guard mentioned someone collapsing after being escorted to another tent. I scanned the encampment again, this time seeking signs of a guarded tent before realizing that if Kerrick was awake, he’d have slipped pass his guards by now, and if he wasn’t, then why would they assign men to watch an unconscious man when they were under attack?

Now or never. I strode from the tent and moved through the camp as if I belonged there. Peeking inside every tent I encountered, I discovered they all were empty except for messy blankets and scattered personal items.

I spotted a prone form in the tenth one I checked. Even in the dim light, I knew it was Kerrick. Rushing to his side, I called his name. No response. I felt for a pulse, pressing my fingers on his cold neck. After a moment, I pressed harder. A faint throb pushed back. I shook his shoulder and, not caring who heard, I yelled, “Wake up,” in his ear.

Nothing.

I put a few clues together and gasped.

Kerrick had gone dormant.

KERRICK

Some...thing...

Tugged...

Called...

Wouldn’t...stop...

Energy flooded him, buoying him back to the surface. He opened his eyes. A dark shape bent over him. A warm hand pressed against his frozen cheek. The smell of vanilla filled his nose.

Kerrick blinked. “Avry?” He struggled to sit up. His hands were still manacled behind his back.

She pushed him down. “Easy.”

“Don’t waste—”

“Hush. I’m not letting you hibernate.”

He smiled at her. “I don’t think I have a choice.”

“You won’t survive until spring.”

“But the forest...I survived before.”

“That was only for three weeks. I’m not taking any chances.”

A wave of vigor infused him. His protest died with one look at the stubborn set to her shoulders. After a few more minutes, he felt better.

“Ah, there’s some color,” Avry said, removing her hand. She searched her pockets and produced a small key with a flourish. “Good thing I found this because
someone
hasn’t taught me how to pick a lock yet.”

The pressure around his wrists eased as the cursed cuffs popped open. His stiff muscles ached and Kerrick groaned as blood rushed to his hands. This time Avry let him push into a sitting position.

“Where are the others?” he asked, rubbing his wrists.

Avry sat back on her heels. “I hope they’ve all escaped. I’m pretty sure Belen is long gone.”

“Not without you.”

“But he would be violating a direct order.”

Kerrick stared at her. They were talking about Belen after all.

She sighed. “Yes, well, the camp is deserted. Seems the Skeleton King is being attacked by Fydelia and her lady warriors.”

Ah, some good news. “Belen and the others most likely joined the fight.” He considered. “Didn’t Fydelia’s women go north with Ryne?”

Now it was her turn to give him a don’t-be-stupid look. Right. They must have looped around to the south, which meant Ryne had lied to Avry, the infirmary workers, and the soldiers left behind to protect them.

He surged to his feet as fury pulsed through him.

Avry hopped up and clutched his arms. “Relax.”

“Relax? That son-of-a-bitch used you for bait again. I’m going to kill him.”

“After the war, he’s all yours. But right now we should find a safe place before the soldiers return.”

Kerrick spotted a sword tucked in Avry’s belt.

“Don’t even think about it,” Avry said. “You’re in no condition to fight.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but a shrill cry tore through the air.

“That’s our cue to leave.” Avry stepped close to him, tucking her shoulder under his armpit.

He refused to lean on her for support, but after a few steps, he abandoned his pride. His weak legs threatened to collapse under him. Damn legs.

In the fading twilight, they headed north, aiming for the woods. Shouts mixed with the clangs and scrapes of metal as the battle sounds grew louder. About halfway to their destination, victory yells echoed along with a stampede of boots.

They paused. Kerrick glanced back. Hundreds of soldiers raced toward them.

Avry tugged on his arm. “Come on. Once we reach the forest—”

“I can’t do a damn thing.” He yanked the sword from Avry’s belt and spun, sliding his feet into a fighting stance.

The soldiers stopped in the middle of the camp and stabbed their bloody swords into the air as they celebrated. Almost all of them were women. Relief coursed through him.

Fydelia approached. “And what exactly do you plan to do with that?”

Kerrick lowered his weapon.

Avry embraced the woman with a whoop. “Did you—?”

“Yep, we captured the Skeleton King. Prince Ryne has him under guard.”

Ryne was here? Kerrick straightened.

Touching his arm, Avry said, “Easy.”

He shot her a look, but his murderous plans would have to wait. Another cry pierced the air and, in a blink of an eye, they were surrounded by Belen, Flea, and the monkeys all talking at once.

“...so cool, you should have seen the look on their faces.”

“...not expecting a battalion of very pissed-off women.”

“...or a death magician...”

“...and then Belen comes roaring in, I swear the guy I was fighting peed his pants when he saw him.” This from Quain.

Kerrick held up a hand, stopping the excited chatter. “Report.”

Fydelia filled him in. “We looped in behind the Skeleton King’s forces and waited for Prince Ryne to give the signal. After that, it didn’t take long to overpower them.”

“What about Tohon’s forces in the north?” he asked. “He probably sent Cellina and a bunch of troops over the Nine Mountains to use the Milligreen Pass to ambush us.”

“Noak and his warriors are en route to intercept them. Everything is covered.”

So Ryne had already figured it out. Kerrick shouldn’t be surprised. He glanced at Avry, but she gnawed on her lower lip as if deep in thought. Belen and the others sported cuts and bruises. Wet muck coated Flea’s back as if he’d been wrestling in the mud.

One of Fydelia’s officers rushed up. “The camp is secured. Prince Ryne wishes to speak to you.” She swept her arm out. “All of you.”

“Come on,” Fydelia said.

“We’ll catch up in a minute,” Avry said. “I need to check my guys, make sure no one is hurt.”

The monkeys protested, but Avry glared them into silence.

When Fydelia hesitated, Avry said, “Can you tell Ryne that the Skeleton King has been infected with the plague? No one should touch his blood.”

That stopped Fydelia. “Blood?”

“Yes. Just keep your distance from him. I’ll explain everything to Ryne.”

With a queasy expression, Fydelia nodded and left.

“How did the Skeleton King get the plague?” Kerrick asked Avry.

She smiled sweetly. “I gave it to him.”

“How?”

“Long story, I’ll tell you later.”

“At least tell me what’s going on.”

“We’re not joining Ryne,” she said.

“We’re not?” Belen asked.

“No.” The steel in her voice dared anyone to question her.

“Fine by me. Where are we going?” Belen asked.

“North. Let’s get moving, I’ll fill you in on the way,” Avry said.

“Okay.” Belen handed him his dadao sword. “I found this with ours. Nice weapon, Kerrick, I want one for my birthday.”

“I’ll see what I can do. Er...when is your birthday?”

Belen muttered under his breath as they walked. It had been a recurring joke between them that Kerrick could never remember Belen’s birthday. Yet somehow an anonymous gift would appear on the correct date.

They continued toward the forest and stopped at the place they had hidden their packs and the saddles. The horses waited there, as well. Kerrick marveled at Hux’s loyalty as he scratched him behind the ears. He dug out the feed bags. Hoping to have the horses saddled and ready before full dark, Kerrick hustled and barked orders at the others to help him.

After one snide comment about weed boy, they were on their way. Flea and Belen on Tea, the monkeys riding Coffee, and he and Avry on Hux. Energy flowed into him as she wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled against his back. The effort to prep the horses had drained him and, while he’d like her to save her strength, he’d need to stay focused.

“How did you manage to infect the Skeleton King?” Kerrick asked.

Her arms tightened around him for a moment before she relaxed. “He had a syringe full of the horrid stuff and threatened to use it on Belen.” She chuckled. “That was until Belen rammed the post and knocked the tent down.”

“All right!” Quain high-fived Belen.

Poppa Bear’s queasy expression didn’t match the gesture.

“...in the confusion, I found the syringe and stabbed him.” Avry finished her story.

“That filthy cannibal needs to die,” Belen said with such vehemence, Kerrick studied his friend.

“Won’t the plague kill him?” Flea asked.

“I don’t know,” Avry said. “He ingested some of my blood and that might protect him.”

Alarmed, Kerrick turned to glance at her. “How?”

“He bit me. It’s nothing.”

Kerrick doubted that was the full story.

“Do you think Prince Ryne will send soldiers after us?” Flea asked. “He probably thinks we’re deserting him again.”

Kerrick considered. “He might. It would depend on what he planned for us to do after the attack on the Skeleton King.”

“I don’t care about his plans anymore,” Avry said. “I’m tired of being used as bait.”

“Is that the reason we left so fast?” Quain asked.

“One of them. But think about this... With Ryne’s forces split to the north and south, what’s left?” she asked.

Following her logic, Kerrick said, “The middle.”

“Right. And who’s going to fill that middle, keeping Ryne’s troops divided?”

Kerrick cursed under his breath. “Tohon.”

“Exactly.”

Loren said, “Prince Ryne has troops at HQ.”

“Not enough,” Belen said. “Tohon’s been amassing his dead armies in Vyg. Probably just waiting for the right moment.”

“Are we going to warn the soldiers at HQ?” Quain asked.

“We can, but that’s not the reason we’re going north,” Avry said. She drew in a deep breath.

Unease rippled through Kerrick. He braced for Avry’s next sentence, knowing it would be big. She didn’t disappoint him.

“Warning them won’t help in the long run,” she said. “We need to assassinate Tohon and stop this war.”

CHAPTER 21

Stunned silence.

Only the soft steps of the horses sounded in the dark forest.

Kerrick recovered first. “Shouldn’t assassinating Tohon be Ryne’s job?”

“It should,” I agreed.

“But?” he prompted.

“But no one can get near him. I’ve thought about this. Wynn and Sepp were right, I’m the only one he won’t kill right away. I’m the only one who can get close.”

“He’s not going to underestimate you again,” Kerrick said in a quiet tone.

“True. That’s why I need all your help.”

“Do we even trust Wynn that Tohon is awake?” Flea asked. “That could be a ruse to get us to storm his castle in Sogra and be ambushed.”

“Storm the castle?” Quain huffed. “You and what army? It’s more like sneak in and hope for the best.”

Ignoring Quain, I mulled over my dreams with Tohon, Wynn’s and Sepp’s palpable fear, and the increase in attacks by the squads of dead soldiers.

“He’s awake,” I said. “And his castle’s a trap. That’s a given. He’s probably in Vyg somewhere near the action, but not too close to the danger.”

“What about Zila?” Kerrick asked in a subdued tone.

“If she survived, then she’s either at the castle or with Tohon.”

“And the chance that she’s alive?” Flea asked me.

“It’d be a miracle.”

No response. We rode on in silence.

“How do we find Tohon?” Belen asked. He’d been quiet during most of the discussion. “Vyg is a big place.”

A nervous tingle shot down my arms and legs. “Uh...” Reluctance blocked my words.

Kerrick stiffened. “I’m not going to like it, am I?”

“No.”

“Just tell me.”

I explained about the dreams. “...and I think I can discover his current location.”

Kerrick twisted to look at me. His face a mask of hurt fury. “And you’re just telling me this
now.
”

“After you returned, the dreams stopped until I was in the monastery. At the time I believed they were just nightmares.” The words rushed out. “Once we escaped, they disappeared again. I didn’t dream of Tohon until you left for Mom’s. That was when Noak told me about the bond. Besides, it’s not like we’ve had a lot of time to talk since then.”

“But why didn’t you tell me you’ve been dreaming about Tohon?”

“Kerrick,” Belen said. “She already covered that. Plus Tohon’s the stuff of nightmares and she probably didn’t want to worry you.”

“Or hurt your feelings,” Flea added.

“Which isn’t hard to do—he’s the sensitive type,” Quain teased.

“The good news is we can locate Tohon,” Loren said.

“And the bad?” Quain asked.

“It will be almost impossible to get to him without being killed.”

* * *

“What’s the next step?” Flea asked after a couple hours of hard riding.

“We don’t want to cross into Vyg,” Kerrick said in a gruff tone—probably still angry. He faced forward. “At least, not yet.”

“How about I find out where Tohon is first and then we can plan our route,” I said.

“We need to keep moving. I don’t want Ryne catching up to us,” Kerrick said.

“Then let’s keep going north,” I said. “If Tohon is in Vyg, maybe we can pull the same stunt as Cellina.”

“By sneaking in behind him?” Belen asked.

“Yes. We can cross the Nine Mountains by using the main pass, then go west and cut back over the Orel Pass to drop in behind Tohon.”

“Except we’d have to wait until spring,” Quain said. “And if Cellina plans to cross Milligreen, then her trap is also poised to strike at that time.”

“Poised? That’s a pretty impressive word, Quain,” Loren teased.

Quain showed remarkable restraint in ignoring the jab.

I searched my memory, trying to remember one of the maps Ryne had at his HQ. The one with the red Xs marking the enemy positions in Vyg. “Maybe Tohon’s forces aren’t that far north. We could slip through Peti and loop around that way.”

“But how can we be sure they’re not there?” Belen asked. “Kerrick can’t sense them, and if they’re camouflaged we could walk right into them.”

He had a point. I mulled over the problem. Perhaps when we stopped at HQ, I could take a look at those maps—I gasped as an idea flashed. When I glanced up, Quain stared at me from Coffee’s back.

“Oh, no,” Quain said. “I recognize that look. It means trouble.”

“It means she has a plan,” Loren corrected.

“Same difference,” Quain muttered.

“Are you going to share?” Flea asked me.

“We’ll meet at Ryne’s HQ,” I said.

Kerrick jumped on that. “Meet?”

“Yes, meet. I can’t connect with Tohon if I’m with you. We’ll split up into two groups.” I touched his shoulder, stopping Kerrick’s outburst. “We should be safe. As long as we avoid Grzebien, there’s nothing between here and Victibus.”

Clearly not happy, Kerrick asked, “Why can’t we travel together and just sleep apart?”

“I think there needs to be some distance between us.”

“Won’t that strengthen his bond with you?”

Ah, the real problem. “A little, but we need to know where he is.”

“It’ll only be five days on horseback,” Quain said.

Kerrick glared at Quain.

“Hush,” Loren said to Quain. “Let Mommy and Daddy fight.”

“Will you be able to keep our secrets from him?” Kerrick asked.

A good question. “He lied to me in the dreams, so I should be able to lie to him, too.” I hoped.

“How about we just separate the last night?”

“The dreams usually start a couple days after you’re gone.” I shifted closer to Kerrick. “It’ll be fine.”

His shoulders sagged. “All right, but I decide who goes with you.”

“Custody battle,” Loren quipped.

I scowled at him, but Loren just smiled. Squeezing Kerrick’s waist, I said, “All right.”

“Belen and the monkeys will go with you. Flea stays with me.”

A protest died in my throat. Hard to split three horses evenly. “Okay.”

“We’ll split up after our first rest stop.”

“Yes, sir.”

Loren beamed. “Aww—”

* * *

Kerrick woke me before checking on the horses. It took me a moment to remember where we were—in the woods. My arms and chest muscles had stiffened while I slept. I pushed up my sleeve and took a quick peek. Purple and red welts ringed the still-tender bite marks. The wounds should have been further along in the healing process, but I’d given most of my magical energy to Kerrick.

Belen approached and I tugged my cuff down, covering the bruises.

He inclined his head at my arm. “Is there a reason you haven’t told anyone about those?”

“I mentioned it yesterday.”

“One bite is a far cry from what he did to you.”

“It’s in the past. No need to worry anyone. They’ll heal.” I stood and rolled up my blanket.

“You mean, no need to worry
Kerrick,
” he corrected.

“Yes.”

“He’ll find out eventually. Just like the dreams.”

“But if I tell him now, he’ll refuse to let us split up.”

Belen raised a bushy eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”

Before I formed an answer, he turned and joined Kerrick at the horses, helping to saddle Tea, who wouldn’t stand still for anyone except Poppa Bear—the annoying man who had a good point.

Before we mounted, I pulled Kerrick aside. “I need to talk to you...in private.”

He nodded and we walked deeper into the forest.

“What’s wrong?” he asked as soon as we were out of hearing range.

How to tell him? I leaned my back against a tree and closed my eyes.

“Avry? What’s the matter?”

His voice held worry, alarm, and a softness—love.

Opening my eyes, I met his concerned gaze. “Remember when I’d said the Skeleton King bit me?”

Kerrick nodded.

“The reason... Well, he asked me a bunch of questions, and when I refused to answer...” I yanked my collar down, exposing a couple of the half-moon-shaped teeth marks. “He’d bite me. And you know me... Stubborn.”

The horror of the torture slammed into me anew. Kerrick drew me into his arms and held on as shudders racked my body.

When I calmed, he asked, “How bad?”

“Most of my upper body.”

He growled low in his throat. “If he doesn’t die from the plague, I’m going to chop him into a million little pieces and feed him to a pack of ufas.”

I smiled at the image. “I’ll help.”

Kerrick pulled back to look at me. “That’s my girl.”

“Yours?”

“Oh, yes. After this is all over, we’ll make it official.”

While a warmth spread throughout my body, I couldn’t resist saying, “Are you asking or telling me?”

He groaned. “Oh, no, I’m not going to answer. I’m not falling for it.”

“Falling for what?”

“The trap. If I say I’m asking, then you’ll tease me forever about my horrible timing. And if I say telling, then you’ll automatically do the opposite.”

“Come on, lovebirds,” Quain called. “We’re burning daylight.”

Kerrick grew serious. “My first reaction to your...news was to insist we stay together. But I’ll never get that chance to propose until we stop Tohon. So I’ll have to settle for saying, be very careful.”

“Belen and the monkeys will be with me. What can go wrong?” Not the right answer if I interpreted his flat stare correctly. “I will.”

“Good.” He kissed me.

We joined the others and I mounted Tea, settling in behind Belen. Even with all the weight he’d lost, he still blocked my view. Kerrick insisted we take the northeast route around Grzebien while he and Flea headed northwest and closer to Vyg’s border. Worry about Kerrick hibernating without me near him flared. Flea should be able to share energy with Kerrick and keep him awake.
Should,
which didn’t mean he could—hence the worry.

With a wave goodbye we set off. I wrapped my arms around Belen, glad for this time with him. Glad he forgave me for letting him think I’d died back in the spring. From enduring the burning heartache when I’d believed he’d been turned into one of Tohon’s dead, I realized how cruel it had been for me to pretend to be dead. And then with Kerrick... I shuddered. No, I wouldn’t dwell on that horrible time. Instead, I would enjoy these five days with Belen and the monkeys. And I vowed to treat each moment as a gift.

* * *

“So nice to see you again, my dear.” Tohon said, sitting across from me.

I glanced around his forever garden. Nothing was different. Greenery glowed with life and steam curled from the teacups.

Tohon gestured to the chair opposite of his. “Sit down and rest. You’ve been so busy. Tell me what you’ve been up to, my dear.”

Perching on the edge, I reached for my cup. Warmth soaked into my fingers. “Why bother? If we’re...linked as you claim, then you already know.”

He laughed. “True. Lots going on—Sepp dead, Wynn frozen, and the Skeleton King captured. Just marvelous. You saved me a lot of time and effort. Revenge can be tiring work.” He sipped his tea.

“Since I saved you time, can you tell me what happened to Zila?”

“Ah, the lovely Zila. Such a dear child, giving her life for mine.” He gazed out the window.

Ah, hell. Pain ringed my chest, squeezing tight.

“I just couldn’t watch her die,” he said.

Poor Zila, left alone in her final moments.

“Oh, my, you do have a low opinion of me, my dear. I shared my life magic with the girl. She’s alive and well and living like a princess. In fact, I’m going to adopt her so she
will
be a princess.”

I stared at him. Did he just say...?

“Why so shocked? You could be living like a queen right now if you hadn’t been...corrupted by nasty Kerrick and his goons.”

Recovering, I jumped on the opening he’d given me. “So you’re saying I’d be here at the castle with you instead of on the road?”

“You’re really not cut out for deception. It’s sweet that you want to know my location, my dear.”

Time to wake up. I pinched the skin on my arm, drawing blood with my fingernails. Nothing.

Without warning, Tohon stood and put his hands on my shoulders. I startled.

“Look out the window,” he whispered in my ear.

The rolling valleys and farm fields of Sogra Realm transformed into forest surrounding a large ruin. Toppled stone columns and the remains of three once magnificent buildings littered the ground—their interiors burned and their walls shattered. A handful of smaller structures had also been destroyed.

“You’re at the Healer’s Guild headquarters.” A surprise because it was located in Pomyt Realm and not Vyg. “Why?”

“It all started here. Fitting that it should all end here.”