“What just happened?” Bek asked. “Why did she do that? That’s the way she reacts when she gets too close to the light.”
“That is curious,” Zynora said, keeping her eye on the woman. “You mentioned a lamp?”
“Right.” With that, the big trapper disappeared into the next room.
As soon as he left, Zynora stepped forward and once again moved her hand toward the woman, and once again Bek’s wife’s response was the same. The ropes tightened to the point of cutting into her wrists. Zynora looked at Ayrion. “I want to try something else. Stick your hand out there.”
“What?” Ayrion had no intention of sticking his fingers out there to get bitten off.
“I want to see how she responds to you. Her reaction to me is clearly different from her reaction to her husband. But why? Is it because she recognizes him as the one who tied her up, or is it something as simple as he’s a man and I’m a woman? The only way to figure that out is to have you try.”
“How’s that going to make a difference?”
“Because not only are you a man, you are also a stranger. She has no preconceived notions or resentment toward you personally, so if she attacks you the same way she did her husband, then we can at least rule out the possibility of familiarity.”
“Fine,” he said, completely confused but not wanting to admit it. He sheathed his blade and took a step closer. Why was he feeling so apprehensive? The woman was tied to her bed. Still, he had felt less wary facing down the monstrous sniffer back in Woodvale than he did this bound woman.
Here goes nothing, he thought as he raised his hand cautiously toward the bed. He could feel, more than see, the woman’s eyes on him, a calculated stare stemming from her dark gaze. Slowly, he eased his hand forward. She didn’t so much as flinch. So far, so good. He made it halfway to her waist and still no response. Maybe there’s something to this after all.
The tips of his fingers grazed the side of her stomach as Bek stepped through the door. The light from the lantern lit a narrow swath from the door to the bed. Nell’s reaction was swift as she lunged for Ayrion’s hand, her mouth wide and snarling. His reflexes saved him losing a finger or two, but in the process, she managed to snap the binding on her right arm. Her claws tore through his neck, leaving him choking on his own blood.
He dropped to his knees, gasping, and reached for his neck, but before he could get his hand around the opening, everything around him shifted, and suddenly, he was standing beside the bed once more, reaching out.
Bek stepped into the bedroom with the lantern, and Nell snapped her binding once more, but this time, Ayrion managed to grab her arm before she could reach him.
Bek shouted and ran for the bed. Lifting the lantern, he gasped and took a step back. He didn’t move, the lantern swinging back and forth in his trembling grip.
Nell had progressed even further than the villagers they had killed at the rover encampment. Her eyes were the same—black and reflective. Her skin, though, had shifted from white to the point of being somewhat translucent. Black veins could be seen beneath, marbling throughout the visible parts of her body—her face, neck, hands, and lower arms. Her lips curled, revealing sharp, pointed teeth as though they’d been filed specifically just to rip meat from bone. What was left of her hair had been shed across the bed. She truly looked more animal than human.
“Hurry,” Ayrion said, still holding her free arm. “Tie her down.”
Bek shoved the lamp at Zynora, nearly tripping on his own feet as he rushed to the other side of the bed to help secure his wife.
The woman was much stronger than she should have been. It took both hands to hold her back. He wondered if her strength was just another part of the physical changes that seemed to be plaguing these people.
“Careful with her nails,” he warned Bek as the big trapper struggled to get the cord around her wrist. Her nails had grown considerably longer, not to mention thicker. They looked more like talons now than claws.
“What’s happening to her?” Bek asked as he finished tying off the knot on the rope.
“I’m not sure,” Zynora said, “but we’ll do our best to find out.” She lifted the lantern. “She doesn’t seem to be in any pain from the light of the flame.” Zynora continued to wave the lamp around in front of the woman, making sure to bathe every inch of her in its soft amber glow. “Do you have any more lamps or candles we can use to light this room? The more light I have to work with, the better.”
Bek nodded. “I have a few candles in the front and another table lamp in my workroom out back.”
“Excellent,” Zynora said.
Bek didn’t move.
Finally, she turned the lamp on him. “The sooner the better.”
Bek snapped out of his trance as the light flashed across his face. “I’ll be right back.” He crossed the room and stopped at the door. “You’ll let me know if something”—he wrung his hands—“if something happens, won’t you?”
Ayrion felt for the big man. He couldn’t imagine how hard it must be for Bek to watch this happening to his wife.
Zynora lowered the lamp. “I’m sure if it does, you’ll know it.” She smiled. “Don’t worry. Your wife’s in good hands.”
Bek nodded and left the room.
As soon as he did, Zynora turned to Ayrion. “We need to kill it and burn the body. I suggest using your sword to take off the head.”
Chapter 26 | Ayrion
AYRION DIDN’T MOVE. Was Zynora serious? “You just told Bek his wife would be safe.”
“I lied. We need to put an end to this thing while we have the chance.”
“I thought you wanted to study her, to see if you could find a cure. What about your magic? You brought me back when I was half dead—”
“That thing is all dead.”
“But how do you know you can’t help her if you don’t try?”
“She’s too far gone. When I healed you, it nearly killed me . . . and that was just your body. Whatever’s going on here is more than physical—much more.”
Nell writhed in her sheets.
“Please,” Ayrion begged, not wanting to think about what would happen if Bek returned to find his wife beheaded. “If things get out of hand, I’ll do what needs to be done.”
“We don’t have time,” Zynora said, pushing aside the drape to peek out the window. “The sun is getting lower. Even if I somehow managed to stop the transformation, how are you going to get us out of here? I’ll be too weak to ride and so will she.” Zynora shook her head. “No. It’s best we do what’s needed now, before he gets back.”
“You said it yourself: We don’t understand why these people are changing. This is our chance to find out. Maybe there’s a way to stop it, even reverse it. There’s an entire town of crazies out there. What if this keeps spreading?” Ayrion was growing desperate. “This was your idea, remember?”
Zynora sighed. “It was my idea to come take a look.” She looked at Nell. “Well, now we have. It’s time to go.”
“Zynora, this might be our only chance to stop this.”
Zynora shook her head. “I’m going to regret this. But,” she said, pointing a bony finger at him, “if I say there’s nothing more to be done, you promise me you’ll do what you do best. Agreed?”
Ayrion didn’t like how that sounded. Was killing all he was good for? He nodded reluctantly. “Agreed.”
Zynora handed him the lantern and moved closer to the bed. “Hold the light up. I want to get a better look at her face.”
The light accentuated Nell’s twisted features as she bared her unnaturally sharp teeth and growled.
Zynora leaned over to get a better look.
“Maybe you shouldn’t get so close,” Ayrion said, gripping his sword with his free hand.
“Nell, can you hear me?” Zynora asked, waving her hand in front of the woman’s face. “Can you understand me, dear?”
Nell watched the old woman, her dark obsidian eyes carefully tracking Zynora’s e
very movement. She gave no indication of understanding.
“Whatever this is, it seems to obstruct the mind,” Zynora said, frustrated.
Bek walked into the room, his hands, arms, and pockets filled with candles and candleholders. A single table lamp was wedged into the crook of his arm. He kicked the door shut.
Ayrion set the lamp he was holding on the dresser to help the big woodsman before he dropped everything on the floor. Quickly, they spread the candles on every spare ledge and open top they could find, until the whole room glowed with their light.
“How’s it going?” Bek asked, watching Zynora work.
“Your wife doesn’t seem to understand what we’re saying. Although I’m very curious as to why she responds differently with me.”
“Maybe it’s your magic,” Ayrion said.
“That’s what I’m afraid of. It means this was caused by some form of dark magic. I don’t know if I can undo it.”
“Please,” Bek begged. “You have to try.”
Zynora moved to the end of the bed where Nell’s bare feet had been secured and grabbed the woman’s ankles.
Nell shrieked, growling and hissing as she fought to break free. The cords on her legs dug into her skin, black liquid seeping from the wounds.
“Stop,” Bek said. “You’re hurting her. She’s bleeding.”
Nell went completely still. She raised her head slowly and looked directly at Zynora. “You’re too late, healer,” a dark, haunting voice said from somewhere deep inside the woman.
Zynora let go of her legs, and Ayrion drew his sword partway, but Nell simply lowered her head back to the mattress and stared up at the wooden rafters overhead.
“What was that?” Bek asked, his voice trembling. “That wasn’t my wife.”
Zynora shook her head, jostling some of the charms that hung from her purple headband. “I’m afraid this is much worse than I thought.”
Ayrion lifted the lantern back to Nell’s face. “I’d say we learned something very valuable here.”
“We did?” Bek asked, sounding desperate for anything to hold on to.
Ayrion swung the lantern to Zynora. “We learned that she’s afraid of you. Which is a good sign. Means we’re on the right path.”
Zynora looked at Nell, then back at Ayrion. “This is going to be dangerous.”
“Why?” Bek asked.
“Because we have no idea what this will do. It could kill her.” Zynora grunted. “It could kill me.”
Ayrion took a step in her direction. “I won’t let it come to that.”
“You won’t have a choice.”
“Then promise me you’ll stop before it gets that far.” As sympathetic as he felt for Bek’s situation, Ayrion would cut Nell down in a heartbeat if he thought Zynora’s life was in danger. He hoped it didn’t come to that. Not to mention he was the one who had goaded Zynora into doing this in the first place. He couldn’t lose her.
Zynora finally nodded and took a step closer to the bed, prompting Nell to shrink away. Zynora closed her eyes and began chanting in a tongue Ayrion didn’t recognize. A light breeze moved through the room. Candles flickered in their holders, sending shadows dancing around the wood-slated walls, making it feel even more unnerving. The air was thick, pressure building, like being submerged in water, enfolded in a temporary weightlessness.
“What’s happening?” Bek asked, eyes darting back and forth. “Is this normal?”
“There’s nothing about this that’s normal,” Ayrion said, keeping his eyes on Zynora. She seemed to be in a trance.
The chanting continued, growing more forceful as the wind inside the room built. Most of the candles had blown out, their smoke rising and swirling around Ayrion’s head. Zynora kept her eyes shut, her face as taut as Nell’s ropes. She was clearly straining to keep focus. Ayrion wasn’t sure how much more she could take. He’d never seen her perform this before. He had no idea what this was doing to her and how far she could go.
He spared a quick glance at Nell. Her body was shaking. The black veins in her face, hands, and neck were bulging. She howled at Zynora, and Ayrion kept one hand on the hilt of his blade. Bek was too busy watching his wife to see Ayrion slip the blade free. He didn’t want to kill her, but he might not have a choice.
Both of Zynora’s hands were now glowing.
Nell’s face twisted with rage, and the dark booming voice inside her erupted in a horrific otherworldly chant of its own.
Ayrion felt as though he were in a trance, unable to do anything but watch. He listened as the two women seemingly battled each other through a barrage of strange words. This was a fight he was not equipped to handle, a fight of wills and magic, not of swords.
Zynora abruptly opened her eyes and grabbed Nell by her ankles once again. Nell reared back and screamed, this time with her own voice. She twisted and howled as the purple strands of Zynora’s magic worked their way up both legs, spreading through the veins until Nell’s legs were glowing.
Every hair on Ayrion’s body stood on end.
Tiny strands of purple light lanced through Nell’s lower torso. Ayrion thought the woman was going to snap her own limbs as she fought against the ropes.
“Stop!” Bek shouted. “You’re killing her!”
Zynora’s entire body shook as she held on to Nell. The old woman’s legs buckled, and she went to her knees.
Ayrion raised his blade. He had to do something. Zynora looked like she was about to kill herself. As if reading his thoughts, Zynora stopped the chanting and shouted, “Give me light!”
Bek was the first to respond, frantically snatching up the nearest lamp and waving it all around.
“Not that light! The sun! Give me the sun!”
Ayrion tore across the room and ripped down the blankets covering the windows and threw open the shutters.
The late-afternoon sun shot through the window. Nell screamed as the rays engulfed her, back arching into the air. Zynora never let go, continuing to push her magic into the woman.
“You’re killing her!” Bek roared.
But Zynora didn’t stop. As deep as her trance was, Ayrion doubted she could even hear them.
Nell screamed again, and Bek rushed Zynora, losing all sense of reason.
Ayrion tackled him, slamming him to the floor with Ayrion on top.
“Get off me or I’ll kill you too!”
“That woman’s the only chance your wife has!” Ayrion shouted over the sound of the wind and the chanting. “Trust her!”
Ayrion looked up at Zynora, wondering how much longer he should let this continue. Her face was pale, sweat pouring from her brow. Why hadn’t he just listened to her and killed Nell in the first place? If Zynora died, it would be his fault.
The chanting stopped, and Nell went deathly quiet. She collapsed onto the bed, and a black inky substance floated up out of her mouth. As soon as it touched sunlight, it ignited and vanished in a puff of smoke.
Ayrion crawled back to his feet and rushed to catch Zynora as her eyes rolled back into her head. She was barely breathing. He was a fool for talking her into this. Why hadn’t he just listened?
Zynora opened her eyes, and Ayrion breathed a deep sigh of relief.
“How long have I been out?”
“An hour at most,” he said. He held out a small tin of water and helped her sit up far enough to drink it.
When she was done, he helped her to a chair. “We need to get some food in you.”
“Yes. I need to replenish some of what I lost.”
“You scared me, Zynora. I thought we were going to lose you.”
She smiled. “I’m pretty tough to kill.” She glanced at the bed where Nell—still bound hand and foot—was sleeping. Her skin had regained some of its color, and her nails were shorter. “Has she moved since I’ve been out?”
“She hasn’t so much as stirred,” Bek said. He hadn’t left his wife’s side since she’d slipped into unconsciousness. He sat on a stool beside the bed, holding her ha
nd. “Her breathing is steady.”
Zynora nodded. “That’s a good sign.”
“Yes,” Ayrion agreed, “but we have another problem.” He turned and looked out the window. “The sun is setting.”
Chapter 27 | Ayrion
“WE CAN’T AFFORD TO be on the road at night,” Ayrion said, peeking out the window at the fading sky. “We’ll have to stay here and hope none of your neighbors decide to pay us a visit.”
“Night comes early in the forest,” Bek said with a nod.
“Then we better get to work.”
Ayrion and Bek spent what remained of the failing twilight fortifying the cabin while Zynora rested in the chair beside Nell’s bed. In the bedroom, they closed the shutters, nailed boards across the inside, and draped a heavy blanket across the window to hide the light. The glass windows in the main room had no shutters to latch, so Ayrion and Bek set up watch there. Bek secured the front door with a thick bracer.
“First time I’ve ever had cause to use it,” he said. They did the same to the door in the kitchen, then slid an extremely heavy cabinet in front.
Once finished, they checked on the women. Nell was still sleeping.
“Can’t you use more of your magic on her?” Bek asked. “The faster she heals, the faster we can get out of here. As soon as dawn arrives, we need to move.”
“More magic at this point isn’t going to help,” Zynora said, her face still pale. She ate some soup Bek had warmed on the stove, along with dried fruit and cheese from their packs. “There comes a point when using more magic for the sake of magic is simply wasted effort. It can even harm the wielder.”
Ayrion didn’t think Zynora had the strength to do more, anyway. Bek didn’t argue.
Something howled outside, and Ayrion slid one of his swords from its sheath. “What was that?”
Everyone stopped to listen. The howl came again, and Bek laughed.
“Oh, that. That’s just a night fox.” He looked up at the ceiling. “He gets up on the roof sometimes to call for a mate. Stupid thing will keep you up half the night with his whining, and the other half with his mating.”
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