Taste of Darkness

by Maria V. Snyder

  “He doesn’t need it, Avry.”

  I approached the young man. “If I’d been smarter, I could have cured him.”

  “He was part of the learning process. Without him, you wouldn’t have cured thirty others.”

  I glanced at Flea in suspicion. “Did Kerrick tell you to say that?”

  Flea ducked his head. “He knew you’d be upset and I...” Now he met my gaze. “I was awful to you, Avry. I’m sorry. It just freaked me out and I couldn’t deal. At that time, refusing to use my magic made perfect sense.”

  “And I pushed you too hard.”

  “You had to, we’re at war.”

  “What changed your mind?”

  He gave me his lopsided grin. “Belen. Helping him, but even before when I caught a whiff of burned flesh...” Flea hugged himself.

  “Yeah, horrific things can really motivate a person. Tohon’s dead soldiers convinced me to heal Ryne.”

  “And not Belen’s school stories?”

  I laughed. “No.”

  “Quain owes me big!”

  Trust the boys to bet on that.

  “Are we friends again?” I asked Flea.

  “Yep.”

  My smile died when I returned to the task at hand. I approached Yuri and asked him to sit up. He didn’t move. I ordered him. Still nothing. It had been so long since I’d awoken him with my touch, perhaps he didn’t recognize me. Plus I’d avoided touching him since.

  I pressed my fingertips to his forehead. “Yuri, stand up.”

  He complied.

  “Yuri, I want you to obey Flea’s orders from now on,” I said.

  “How do we know if it works?” Flea asked.

  “Tell him to do something.”

  Flea set the lantern on the floor. “Yuri, pick up my lantern.”

  Yuri walked over and grasped the handle, lifting the light.

  “Wow,” Flea said.

  “That’s one thing to go right,” I said.

  “The first of many. Come on, Yuri, follow me.”

  We returned to the surface to join our teams.

  “How much toxin do you have?” I asked Saul.

  “We’re out. Prince Ryne took the last of it when he left. I was hoping you had more,” Saul said.

  I cursed under my breath. “I have two sacks left.” Rummaging in my pack, I withdrew them. “Here.”

  “You keep one.”

  My gut reaction was to refuse, but there was a chance of running into a dead patrol when we crept in from the west. “All right.”

  After a quick review of the plan, we split up. Kerrick and I had said our see-you-laters last night, but I still hugged him tight. Then I hugged Belen and Flea, making them both promise to be careful.

  My team descended into the tunnels and I asked Private Beau to take point with Quain assisting. Quain had found the maps for this shaft and they were tucked into his pack just in case Beau lost his way. I followed them while Loren assumed the rear-guard position. Beau’s squad, led by Sergeant Walmer, stayed behind me. Fourteen people total, including Private Red Hair.

  While not under the most ideal conditions—hard rock, mucky puddles, damp air, clammy walls—our trip went well. Keeping track of the days proved the most difficult task since the lanterns provided the only light. And I had to be careful how much sleep powder I mixed since I didn’t want to waste time by oversleeping.

  Beau stopped us about a quarter mile from the exit. “Do we want to make sure the way is clear before we all go?” he asked.

  Good idea.

  “We’ll go,” Loren said, volunteering Quain.

  “No lanterns,” I said. “There should be daylight outside. Just take a peek and report back.”

  “Yes, sir.” Quain saluted me with his dagger.

  “The shaft veers to the right and there’s a steep slope to the exit,” Beau explained. “Just keep a hand on the wall.”

  The monkeys nodded and soon disappeared into the darkness. Unable to keep still, I fidgeted with the straps on my pack and checked my knives. I counted seconds in my head, calculating how long it would take for them to travel a half mile.

  When they failed to return by my estimate, I pulled my stiletto and mentally gave them another five minutes before we’d investigate.

  To my vast relief, they returned with a minute to spare. However, their serious expressions meant bad news.

  “Well?” I asked.

  “The way out is blocked,” Loren said.

  “A cave-in?” Beau asked.

  “No, but something that’s almost as impenetrable.”

  “Just tell us,” I ordered.

  “The exit is blocked by thirty dead soldiers.”

  KERRICK

  He hated keeping secrets from Avry. But in this case it’d been vital to the success of their mission. And she had understood.

  After Avry’s team left, Kerrick asked Flea about Yuri.

  “It worked, but it might have been too subtle. It’ll all depend on what she remembers.”

  “And where is Yuri now?”

  “Back in his room.”

  “Good.”

  As he led his team through the bare woods, Kerrick marveled over the sheer genius that had brought them all to this point. Amazing. He also wanted to throttle that same genius for putting Avry through so much pain. But if everything went as planned, then it would be over for good and they could live their lives. Provided he didn’t go dormant in the meantime.

  His team followed him in silence. Avry had trained Saul and his squad well. They easily kept up without making a sound. And Kerrick set a fast pace. He limited rest periods and stops. His goal was to arrive near the Healer’s Guild well before Avry’s team.

  After a day on the road, Kerrick slowed and allowed Flea to scout ahead. Flea navigated them around pockets of dead soldiers who had been ordered to hunker down in the dips of the terrain. Flea also shared a bit of his energy with Kerrick. Each day dawned colder than the last, draining his magic.

  As the sun set on the second day, Kerrick prodded the sluggish living green. With Flea’s help, he sought the intruders surrounding the Healer’s Guild, committing their locations to memory because this would be his only chance. The effort exhausted him more than he’d admit to his team.

  “We need to head northeast,” he told the others.

  “But you told Avry we’d attack from the east,” Belen said.

  He didn’t have the energy to explain, but Flea quickly informed Poppa Bear that everything they had told Avry was a lie for Tohon’s benefit.

  “I thought Prince Ryne fed her bad information on purpose, but she wouldn’t listen to me. She’d rather hate him. Again.” Belen chuckled.

  “She’s supposed to hate Ryne,” Kerrick said. “It’s for the best.”

  They spent the rest of the night skirting the outer ring of Tohon’s army.

  “Are we still going to provide a distraction?” Belen asked him when they stopped for breakfast at dawn.

  “We’re going to do more than that. If all goes well, Tohon will be taken care of before she reaches the Healer’s Guild.”

  “Nice.” Belen slapped him on the back.

  Kerrick clamped down on a cry of pain. When he recovered, he noticed Flea studying him. He waved off Flea’s help. Flea needed his full strength. The boy’s magic would be invaluable when the action started. By then, Kerrick would only be able to direct from a safe distance.

  A few hours later, Kerrick led the team to the location he’d zeroed in on earlier. Shuffling his feet, he crunched a few dried leaves and snapped a twig. Belen shot him an annoyed look.

  However, Belen was the least of his troubles. Soldiers jumped from hiding places and swung down from the trees. It happened so f
ast that the ambushers’ swords pointed at his team’s exposed necks before they could react.

  Kerrick held his hands up, showing he was unarmed. “I know this is a cliché, but take us to your leader.”

  They traveled until the early afternoon when they reached a small valley. There more soldiers joined them.

  “Kerrick, are you going to explain what the he—” Belen gaped at the tall muscular man who strode toward them.

  Kerrick stifled a laugh at Belen’s expression. Poppa Bear had probably never met his match in size and strength.

  “Magic Man, this is unexpected,” Noak said. He waved off the warriors. “Did Prince Ryne send you?”

  “Sort of.”

  Noak waited.

  “He arranged for this to happen, goading Avry into not trusting him and doing what she thought was the opposite of what he wanted,” Kerrick explained. “How soon can you be ready to fight?”

  “We go now.”

  “Not necessary. We plan to attack at dusk.”

  Noak gestured to his warriors, giving them the information. “We will be ready.”

  “There are soldiers with metal collars. They—”

  “Unnatural abominations. We cut off their heads.” Noak sliced the edge of his hand across his throat.

  “But the collars are—”

  The tribesman yanked his dadao from his sash. Brandishing the weapon, he said, “One chop. Gone.” He pointed to the dadao hanging from Kerrick’s belt. “Yours, too.”

  Sweet.

  Kerrick introduced Noak to the others. Serious and formal, Noak shook all their hands. When it was Flea’s turn, he gazed at the big man in awe. “Was the ambush at Milligreen Pass just a ruse?”

  “Yes. That army is not a threat until snow melts.” Noak kept Flea’s hand. “You Magic Man, as well. You touched by autumn.”

  “We call it death magic,” Flea said.

  “A part of life. Same thing.” He released Flea’s hand.

  Flea rubbed his fingers, looking thoughtful. Kerrick ordered his team to rest while he discussed strategy with Noak.

  But Noak wouldn’t talk tactics. Instead, he held out his hand. “Something is not right.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Magic Man losing his magic.”

  That alarmed him. Kerrick allowed Noak to take his hand. A cold shiver raced down his back.

  “Healer bond within you is thin, breakable,” Noak said. “Your bond with winter is stronger.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  “You must break the healer’s other bond, no one else. Otherwise she will die with him.”

  CHAPTER 23

  “Thirty dead soldiers?” I asked the monkeys. “Are you sure?”

  “Yep,” Quain said.

  “They had the collars, that dead gaze and stood as still as...well...death,” Loren added.

  Not good. I glanced at my team. With fourteen of us, disabling two each wouldn’t be that difficult, but the narrow confines of the tunnel made it tough. Did we retreat? No. Kerrick said we needed to be here. And enough was enough. It was past time for Tohon to be stopped once and for all.

  “Has everyone treated their weapons with Death Lily toxin?” I asked.

  Nods and “yes, sirs.”

  “Who has the blow gun?” I asked.

  Private Red Hair stepped forward.

  “Loren, are your arrows—”

  “Yes, they’re covered.”

  And my throwing knives had been dipped in the toxin. “Loren, you take point, followed by Private...”

  “Judi, sir.”

  “Judi and me. The three of us will do as much damage as possible from a distance. When they close the gap, we’ll try to push through so you can engage the enemy. Don’t forget there’s a delay before the toxin works. Do you all know the skull jab?”

  More nods and “yes, sirs.”

  “Questions?”

  “What if there are more outside the shaft?” Beau asked.

  Good question. “Once we start the fight, there’s no going back. We’ll keep pressing on until we run out of opposition.” Or they stopped us, but I kept that to myself. “And keep to the plan if anything happens to me. Loren’s the one who needs to get close to Tohon’s tent. I’m just here as backup. Understand?”

  Unhappy agreement.

  Beau extinguished the lantern, and Loren led us through the darkness. We formed a line, keeping a hand on the shoulder of the person in front of us.

  As we neared the exit, the blackness diluted in subtle hues. Loren solidified into a dark figure and shadows defined the rough contours of the walls. The shaft veered to the right. Loren fitted an arrow into his bow, signaling us to be ready.

  I pulled two knives, while Judi primed her blow gun. We fanned out to each side of Loren. Light shone beyond the bend.

  Loren counted under his breath, “One, two, three.”

  On three we stepped into view. The bow twanged and a puff of air sounded. Squinting in the brightness, I aimed at the closest figure on the right without an arrow sticking out of his or her chest. Judi aimed left so we didn’t waste our weapons. I managed to hit another before the first wave of dead reached us.

  We were armed with swords, but the tight space limited their effectiveness. Instead of throwing my knives, I poked the thin blades into the enemy as I shoved through them.

  The stench of the dead filled the tunnel along with shouts, curses, and the ring of metal. After I used my last knife, strong hands clamped on my wrist, tugging me toward the exit. I glanced back to see the gap between me and my team widen.

  Fear and revulsion fueled my efforts to break free. Frantic I pressed my hand on one man’s face, zapping him. Of course, it didn’t slow my progress. I covered another’s eyes. No effect.

  If only they obeyed me like Yuri. But he didn’t obey me until I touched him again. Why not? I gasped. Flea! Flea had checked Yuri’s pulse after I awoke him to confirm Yuri’s status. That was why Yuri didn’t listen to me until after I touched him the second time.

  I reached for the closest dead flesh and yelled, “Stop!”

  He did. Ecstatic, I touched the ones near me, ordering them to stop. However, others pressed in, trapping my arms. They passed me up the steep slope and right into the waiting arms of Tohon.

  * * *

  Tohon smiled. “Fancy meeting you here, my dear.”

  I grabbed his throat, intending to squeeze the life from him. But two living soldiers pulled me off him and yanked my arms behind my back. At least two dozen others fanned out around the tunnel’s exit along with a half dozen dead ufas.

  “Bind her hands,” Tohon ordered. “You try my patience, my dear.”

  Cold metal bit into my wrists—an all-too-familiar feeling.

  “How did you know?” I asked.

  “Your sleep powder actually worked in my favor. I could rifle through your thoughts without your waking or remembering my presence.” Tohon gestured to his guards. “Take care of anyone who makes it out of the tunnel.”

  “Yes, sire.”

  “No!” I said.

  They all ignored me.

  “Don’t, Tohon, I’ll...”

  “You’ll what?” Tohon asked. “Cooperate? Promise not to kill me? Agree to be my queen? It’s too late for that.” He stepped closer to me. “No doubt you’re smart. It’s no surprise you figured out that the dead obey whichever magician touches them last. So let’s not pretend you don’t know what else is going on between us.”

  “You can’t claim me, Tohon. You tried before and failed.”

  “And now I know why. With two magicians, one can’t force it on the other. It grows with time and the use of magic. That’s the beauty of this...bond.” He savored the word.<
br />
  My stomach churned with bile.

  “Do you remember the first time we met?” Tohon asked.

  “Unfortunately.” It had also been my first run-in with his dead.

  “During our brief encounter, I imprinted on you and started the process. Sheer happenstance.” He swung his arm wide. “I’ve been learning all about this wonderful quirk of our magic while waiting for you.”

  Ah. The real reason he’d been camping in the ruins of the Healer’s Guild—the underground storage room with all those crates full of research notes.

  Tohon linked his arm through mine. “Now, let’s go get into position so we’re ready for Team Kerrick. I believe they’re attacking two hours after midnight.”

  I glanced back. No activity at the mouth of the tunnel. Pain clamped around my heart. Maybe the quiet meant my team had retreated deeper in the mines. Beau did know his way around. I clung to that bit of hope.

  The hope expanded a smidge when half of Tohon’s men followed us to the guild with the dead ufas trotting beside them, leaving only a dozen soldiers behind. From the angle of the sun, it was just past midafternoon. I also clutched the fact Kerrick knew about my dreams. Never had I been so glad to be lied to.

  Tohon chatted about what he’d learned about the bond. Half-distracted with worry for Kerrick and my team, I didn’t fully listen. Noak had told me Tohon’s death would break the bond and that was all I needed.

  “...will result in the immediate death of the other,” Tohon said.

  That caught my attention. “Even if the other isn’t hurt?”

  “Yes. So it’ll be in my best interest to keep you alive, my dear. And vice versa.”

  A tightness ringed my chest. Breathing became difficult. Don’t panic, I repeated in my mind. “Except we’re not... We haven’t...completed the process.”

  “Not yet. Kerrick must die or go dormant. After that, we’ll be bonded.”

  “And I’ll have an excellent reason to commit suicide.”

  “Now, now, my dear. Don’t be nasty. Do you remember how your body reacts to my touch?”

  “Unfortunately.”

  “I believe your words were scatterbrained and swooning. Well, I tried clearheaded and cooperative, and was tricked. Then I tried threatening you, scaring you, and killing your sister. Yet, you resisted every effort and almost killed me in the process.” He tsked. “Once we’re bonded, I will ensure that quick intelligence of yours is turned to goo. I will enjoy scatterbrained and swooning Avry very much.”