Taste of Darkness

by Maria V. Snyder

  “I missed you, too.”

  “Don’t disappear again.”

  “I won’t if you don’t,” he said.

  I pulled away and gazed up at him. “You’d think that would be an easy promise to make.”

  His deep rumbling laugh rolled through me like a cup of hot tea.

  “How about no misleading the other over one’s death?”

  “I’m sorry about that, Belen. I should have trusted you.”

  “I’ve a lousy poker face. Besides, you were worried about Tohon. With good reason.”

  I tapped my chest. “He still has a hold on me.”

  Belen wrapped me in one of his bear hugs. “Not for long.”

  We returned to deciphering the maps, but no pattern emerged. The monkeys arrived a few hours later.

  “We checked everywhere and couldn’t find a legend for those maps,” Loren said. “It makes sense not to have a key lying around if you’re going to use a code. That would defeat the purpose.”

  Plopping in a chair, I rubbed my stiff neck. Quain picked up a map and studied it. I didn’t have the energy to tell him it was a lost cause. Unless Private Beau knew the codes.

  “Have you seen a young private?” I asked the monkeys.

  “They’re all young,” Loren quipped.

  “One with bright red hair?”

  “Yeah, she was looking for someone,” Quain said, sounding distracted.

  “I need that someone—Private Beau. Can you see what’s taking her so long?”

  “Sure.” Loren glanced at Quain. He put the map down and followed Loren.

  Now what? If we couldn’t sneak up on Tohon, maybe we could attack him. I sorted through the rolls of maps and found the one of northeastern Pomyt. Unrolling it, I weighed down the edges with the rocks that littered the entire building.

  Belen gave me a questioning look, but I ignored it. Guessing Noak’s army waited in the foothills below the Milligreen Pass of the Nine Mountains, I calculated it would take fifteen days for his army to return to HQ. Plus the time it took to send a message via horseback, adding seven days. Twenty-two total.

  Could I last that long? Would Tohon wait that long? He had to know our location. If he attacked, we could hunker down in the mines until Noak arrived. Military strategy was not my thing. Maybe Belen had a few ideas.

  “Recalling Noak’s army could ruin Prince Ryne’s plans,” Belen said.

  “Too bad. So sad. Ryne’s just as bad as Tohon.”

  “Now, don’t go jumping to conclusions. There’s more going on than you think. We need to trust Prince Ryne.”

  “Easy for you to say. You haven’t been used as bait when he promised he wouldn’t.”

  “Did he know about your dreams?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Did Noak tell him about the bond?”

  “Maybe, but—”

  “Did you consider he might be feeding Tohon false information through you?”

  “Uh...”

  “Thought so.” Belen lifted his chin, giving me a smug smile.

  And then I remembered Ryne’s four Ds he’d learned in boarding school for future realm leaders—diplomacy, defense, deception, and disinformation. He’d certainly mastered the deception and disinformation part.

  The monkeys returned with Private Red Hair. The private fiddled with the hem of her shirt. I braced for bad news.

  “Go on, tell her,” Loren prompted the private.

  “Private Beau has disappeared. I can’t find him anywhere.”

  “Is he out on patrol?” I asked.

  “No. The rest of his squad is inside.”

  “Do they know where he is?”

  “He doesn’t hang out with them during down time,” Red Hair said. “They had no idea he was missing.”

  “Lost in the mines?” Loren asked. “Or absent without leave?”

  Frustration boiled. “I’d send search parties, but no one can read the maps.”

  Quain and Loren flipped through the stack.

  Out of ideas, I said, “We’ll wait for Kerrick and Flea to—”

  “It’s a symhextric cipher,” Quain cried.

  “A what?” Loren asked.

  “The maps. It’s been driving me crazy, trying to remember where I’d seen this before. Prince Ryne used this symhextric code to send messages to his scouts. It uses symbols, numbers, and hexagons.”

  “How do you know all this?” Loren asked.

  “Back when we were camped in Zabin with Estrid’s army, he showed it to me.”

  “Can you decipher these?” I asked.

  Quain picked up another map. “I can try.”

  “What do you need?”

  “Uh...a few sheets of blank parchment, a ruler, and a piece of charcoal.”

  I scrambled to assemble the supplies while Loren helped him organize the maps.

  After I finished, he shooed me away. “No need to hover. I’ll let you know if this works.”

  I pulled Belen aside. “Seems a big coincidence that Quain knows this code.”

  “Coincidence or part of Prince Ryne’s grand scheme?”

  Too tired to argue, I said, “I’m going to bed. Wake me if there’s any news.”

  Grabbing an extra lantern, I walked through the oversize loading doors into the next room, skirted the piles of dirt, and descended into the living levels of the mines. I’d been sleeping on the cot in Ryne’s office. My blankets smelled of spring sunshine and living green. I debated about taking the sleep powder. Would Kerrick’s scent keep the Tohon dreams at bay?

  A light tapping sounded on the door. I answered. A man in his late twenties stood at attention.

  “Private Beau, sir. I heard you wished to see me?”

  Rather old for a private, but he could be a new recruit. “Yes. Where have you been?”

  “Scouting in the tunnels, sir.”

  “Are you supposed to be doing that?”

  He blushed. “No, sir. Not without Sergeant Hogan, but I...was... I wanted to show a colleague this...rock formation...and...” Beau squirmed with embarrassment.

  Ah, the old let-me-show-you-this-rock-formation move. Beau probably had a lady with him.

  “That’s okay, you’re here now. I need you to help decipher the maps of the mines. We’re looking for an underground route to the northwest. One that will get us close to the Healer’s Guild.”

  “No problem. That’s the three-triangle route. It’ll get you about two miles west give or take a mile,” he said.

  Excited, I asked how to find this route.

  “I’ll show you the entrance and the symbols you need to follow.” He picked up my lantern.

  I hurried after him. We descended two levels and he headed to a tunnel on the far left. Shining the light on the wall, he illuminated a symbol that resembled three blue triangles in a circle with their tips touching. There were other symbols painted on the wall as well.

  “This tunnel branches in different directions,” Beau said. “Just down here...” He walked farther in, gesturing for me to follow him. “Here’s an intersection. As you can see, the three triangles are painted on this branch, but not this one. All you need to do is follow them, and make sure you keep the symbol on your right, that means you’re moving away from the center. If they’re on the left, then you’re heading back. It can get confusing down here.”

  I agreed. Too bad the shaft wasn’t big enough for horses. “How long does it take to get to the guild?”

  “It’s not a straight shot. Four, maybe five days. Let me see...” Beau continued down the three-triangle tunnel until he reached another junction. “Ah, yes.” He pointed to a symbol that had four circles side by side. “This shaft is a shortcut and will eliminate a couple days. Hmm...t
hree days total.”

  “Sounds like you know this area well. We might need you to guide us.”

  “Oh, sure. I’ve done this route a couple times.” He smiled, revealing yellowed teeth.

  An uneasy chill zipped through me. No one knew I was down here. We had gone farther into the mines than I’d expected. Too far for anyone to hear me yell.

  “Great.” I turned to go back.

  “Wait,” he said.

  I glanced over my shoulder. He’d hung the lantern on a hook and reached into his breast pocket. Beau pulled out a slender object. A blow gun? I shifted my weight to the ball of my feet, ready to flee. Then he dipped his hand in his pants pocket. Was that a dart filled with Death Lily toxin?

  He yanked a piece of folded parchment from his pocket. “I just want to write down these other symbols so I can double-check the directions on the maps.” Beau smiled again. “I don’t want to get us lost. My sergeant would kill me.”

  A mixture of relief and chagrin calmed my heartbeat. It wasn’t foolish to think he might be a spy for Tohon; it was very foolish not to consider it until after it was too late.

  After Beau wrote down the symbols, we returned to the surface. He joined the monkeys. Quain had found the right quadrant, but not the correct tunnels. Beau helped.

  Belen followed me back to Ryne’s office. “What’s wrong?”

  “How did—”

  “Poppa Bear, remember?”

  I explained about my moment of panic. “I’m not cut out for all this...subterfuge.”

  “It’s not one of your strengths,” Belen agreed with a broad smile. “How about we keep a guard nearby just in case?”

  “All right.”

  He peered at me in suspicion. “That was too easy.”

  “As I see it, I’d rather go to Tohon on my own terms than be dragged there by one of his spies.”

  “Ah, that’s our girl.”

  I mixed a teaspoon of sleep powder in a glass of water and gulped it. One way to keep Tohon guessing was to block him from my dreams.

  Belen tucked me in, pulling the blanket up to my chin. Then he turned the lantern’s light down low, dragged Ryne’s chair over by the door and sat with his sword across his lap.

  “Belen, you don’t—”

  “Hush. Go to sleep.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  His chuckle sounded like the sweetest lullaby.

  * * *

  Kerrick and Flea returned in the evening of the sixth day. I rushed out to meet them with Belen and the monkeys right behind me. Too pale and too skinny, they both appeared in serious need of a month’s worth of Mom’s cooking and a week’s worth of sleep.

  I embraced Kerrick, sharing my energy. Instead of stopping me, he drew me closer. Not a good sign.

  Eventually, he pulled away. “Thanks.”

  “I thought Flea could share his strength with you.”

  “He can, but we kept moving and I didn’t want to slow him down.”

  “What did you find out?” Belen asked.

  “Give the man a break,” Quain said. “Let’s get a fire started and heat up some food.”

  “Trust Quain not to miss a meal,” Loren said.

  Quain bumped Loren’s arm hard as he issued orders. In no time, a warm fire blazed and a pile of dirty dishes grew. I snuggled next to Kerrick, anxious to hear his report, but also afraid.

  “I can’t wait any longer—was Tohon at the Healer’s Guild?” Belen asked.

  “Yes,” Kerrick said. “He set up camp right in the middle of the ruins. Big fancy tent with a rug.”

  I straightened in alarm. “You got that close?”

  “No, I caught a glimpse when the flaps opened.”

  “How many troops does he have with him?” Loren asked.

  Kerrick glanced at Flea.

  Flea said, “Approximately five hundred living soldiers, and about eight hundred dead protected with neck armor. And a dozen dead ufas that guard Tohon’s tent.”

  “And we have—” Quain pretended to count heads “—the six of us.”

  Sinking back against Kerrick, I closed my eyes. Tohon was too well protected.

  “We have an idea,” Kerrick said.

  I opened my eyes in time to see Flea nod.

  “Yeah, we’re thinking we can stay downwind of the camp, Loren can shoot a flaming arrow at Tohon’s tent, setting it on fire, and when he runs out into the confusion, Loren puts another one into his heart.”

  “And there’s also Saul’s squad and a few others Ryne has left behind so we can create a nice distraction,” Kerrick added.

  “You really think Loren can get that close?” I asked.

  “Well, there’s a slight chance of success.”

  “How about if Loren comes in from another direction?” I asked.

  “What are you suggesting?”

  I told him about the mine shafts. “If you create a distraction to the east, we could sneak in from the west.”

  Kerrick and Flea exchanged a significant look.

  “Yes, that could work,” Kerrick said.

  “And if it doesn’t?” Quain asked.

  “Plan B,” I said.

  Everyone looked at me.

  “And that would be...” Quain prompted.

  “Retreat through the tunnels.”

  “Not bad.” Quain pursed his lips.

  “When are we implementing this plan?” Loren asked.

  “Wait,” Quain said. “Why rush? Why can’t we send a message to Prince Ryne and have him send a thousand troops to back us up?”

  Kerrick inclined his head. “Tohon knows we’re here. He won’t wait much longer. The sooner we move, the better. How long did Private Beau say it’ll take to navigate the tunnels?”

  “Three days, and we’ll come out about two miles west,” I said.

  Kerrick drew a circle in the dirt with a stick. “The enemy is about a mile deep, but I’m sure Tohon has patrols going farther out. It’ll take the overland and underground teams the same amount of time to reach the Healer’s Guild, so that fourth day will be our action day.” He tapped the stick on his boot. “Do we want to strike at dusk or the middle of the night?”

  “What’s the advantage of dusk?” I asked.

  “It’s like catching them with their pants down,” Quain said.

  “Not quite,” Loren said drily. “They’re settling down for the evening, eating supper, and washing up.”

  “That’s what I said. And middle of the night means we have to be extraquiet—any sound is amplified.”

  Loren leaned forward. “But the enemy is confused and disoriented from being woken. Plus the darkness will help hide us, which will work in our favor since our teams will be—”

  “Tiny, petite, minuscule, infinitesimal.” Quain pinched his finger and thumb together.

  “Mobile, fast, flexible,” Loren countered.

  “The darkness can also make it hard for us to see,” Belen said.

  “Unless the moon is bright,” Flea added.

  “If it rains, we’ll have to wait until it stops. Hard to have flaming arrows in the rain.” Loren lined up an imaginary bow.

  The discussion continued and everyone offered their opinions and advice.

  In the end, Kerrick decided our course of action complete with contingencies in case it rained and set the time of attack to a few hours after midnight.

  “The overland team will be led by me and consist of Flea, Belen, Sergeant Saul, and his squad. The underground team will be led by Avry and consist of the monkeys, Private Beau, and the rest of his squad. We’ll leave in the morning,” Kerrick said.

  The others rushed off to gather supplies and prepare for the mission, leaving me alone with Kerrick. No
cookouts tonight.

  “Well, that was rather convenient,” I said.

  He smiled. “Nice of the boys to clear out.”

  But my mood soured thinking of Belen and the others. Had I just condemned them all to death? Or worse?

  Kerrick brushed a hair from my face. “What’s wrong?”

  “Quain has a point. Why don’t we just go hide until Ryne and his army catches up? He has plenty of personnel now and we’re a small force. It’s suicide.”

  “No. It isn’t.” He turned so he faced me. Taking my hands in his, he met my gaze. “Trust me. This is exactly what we need to do. Okay?”

  Understanding mixed with frustration. Kerrick hadn’t told me everything. He didn’t want Tohon to discover it through me. Smart.

  “I trust you.”

  “Good.” A slow smile spread on his face. “Besides, I’m feeling...energetic.”

  “You shouldn’t waste your energy.”

  Pushing me back until I was on the ground, Kerrick leaned over me. “This is never a waste of energy.” His lips found mine.

  After that, it didn’t take me long to agree with him. And for a few hours, all thoughts of battles, ambushes, and assassinations disappeared. Replaced by every aspect, detail, and scent of Kerrick.

  * * *

  In the middle of the final preparations the next morning, Flea pulled me aside. “Avry, I need you to do something for me.”

  Just by his queasy expression, I knew it involved magic. “I’m not going to like it, right?”

  “No, but it’s important. And believe me, I’m not happy about it, either.”

  Curious. “What is it?”

  “I need you to tell Yuri to listen to my orders.”

  Yuri? Oh, no. “You want to take him along.”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “I can’t tell you.”

  Kerrick’s words trust me repeated in my mind. “All right.”

  Flea tried to hide his surprise with a familiar smoothing of his features. All that time spent with Kerrick was rubbing off on him. He grabbed a lantern and led me down three levels to a small dark room. Inside, Yuri lay on a stone slab.

  Guilt rushed into my heart. I’d been avoiding facing my horrible mistake since I’d arrived. And the poor man had been left all alone. “No light?”