by M A Price
“I’ll always help you, I promise. It’s as sacred as my vow to The Guild.”
She kissed him again, heat burning inside her as things turned more passionate.
“I love you Idyn Dutch. I think I’m really rather in love with you.”
She didn’t think his grin could grow wider, but it did, and his eyes sparkled. “I love you Mara Lars.”
The moment was only ruined as Fendir and Jengen loudly cleared their throats. The two had been adamant about training with them today; anything to avoid Camrin and his surly temper. Yenna wouldn't be having a good time in the pavilion.
"Does that mean we can move on to using weapons now?" Jengen enquired picking up his axe. Idyn blushed and found his swords.
"If you're ready to dance then so am I."
Mara experienced a wash of happiness as she watched them zigzag across the opening. Their weapons clashed as they laughed and ducked. It was an even match, one they enjoyed but still took seriously.
Only Fendir's glum face as he tried to clear up the remains of her blaze soured her mood.
His dark hair was rumpled and the dark purple around his all-knowing eyes had grown.
She bent down to pick up one of the sticks and added it to the small pile he was making. "If there is anything I can do Fendir?" He had been kind to her since the moment she met him.
He tried to smile at her, but it refused to reach his eyes. "I'll be fine lass."
"You don't have to be fine Fendir."
He took a step towards her, his bow bouncing at his side. She wondered exactly how long this man had followed Ivloch Youchnore and believed in The Guild. On a better moon she should ask him.
"He should be back Mara. Lorren has been gone too long, even if he stopped to meet Kat's friend. Something has happened and I can't..." the man, easily old enough to be her father, let out a small mewl. "I can't do anything about it. My duty is here, and I don't know where he is. I just want him back."
She thought she would feel awkward as she went to hug him; but no such feeling arrived. Fendir just seemed grateful for the comfort.
She didn't dare remind him that soon the camp would have to move and if something hadn't happened to Lorren, he would have no idea how to find them. Or how much The Unforgiven would quite like a Guild member in their ranks. With the serum anything was now possible.
Fifty-Nine - Katanya
They found a well-covered clearing in the woods, far away from the road to rest. She took the packs off the horses and fed them; giving both Ballaca and Indy a little of her remaining energy. It would help them rest better and they were the ones that had to carry the load the remainder of the journey.
Reyn, without prompting, took out a metal cup and started making them food. She appreciated the gesture and sent a spark of power to help light his fire.
He sat in front of it, the contents of his own bag surrounding him. He’d been trying for a few minutes to get a blaze started with little success. She had her back to him but heard the noise of surprise as the flames began and he put the food on to cook.
“You did that, didn’t you?”
She was mid-way through brushing Ballaca as she realised what the words meant. She continued to brush, letting an uneasy silence take over as she weighed her options. What to say. How much to trust him? Nobody usually noticed such a thing…Ballaca seemed to take a step back, as if to say enough. Choose and do it now.
Katanya walked purposely towards Reyn and the fire. She raised her hands and un-did the clasp of the short fur cape Jala had gifted her, far more practical for riding, and placed it on the floor. She lowered herself, still not saying a word, and sat directly opposite him. He was studying her; both her face and her body, his expression blank. It bothered her but she didn’t know why.
“It was me.”
“You’re a User, like Jaxon.”
“Yes. Is that a problem?” It had been a long time since she had told anyone what she could do. Now here she was, telling the Prince. The Prince, whose family hunted Users. Who could put her back into a Facility or worse. Probably worse. She was foolish to have helped with the fire. Too emotional and fatigued. It was dangerous and she wasn’t thinking. Risking everything -
“It’s not a problem, it’s fascinating actually.” She raised an eyebrow at him, which he seemed to take as a prompt to continue. “I told you earlier, I have no intention of betraying you. It would be death for me too Katanya. I had my suspicions from the first time I saw you.”
“You first saw me as I handed you a burnt breakfast.”
“Well you certainly weren’t a good cook.”
The heat from earlier was there again, perhaps stronger, but the worry was subsiding. She believed him; wasn’t sure if she should, but she did. You can’t control what your heart wants to believe in. Another one of Becca’s sayings haunted her.
“You might not betray me, but you could fear it. Most people do.”
“I’m not most people and I don’t fear your power or you.
Would it bother you if I feared you?”
“No. It would be smart.”
Reyn kicked his legs out, moving them to shift closer to the meal and stir the meat he had put in the pot. It smelt amazing, especially after not eating for two moons.
“It almost certainly would, but conceivably I’m not the smartest. Is there many of you? With your camp? I’m not asking for information, before you come up with some ridiculous accusation. I’m asking, hopefully as a friend and someone who's interested.”
“Only me and one other now.” The thought of Mara…of what she was.
“Is there…I know the Mark is returning to Jaxon, are there other Guardian’s? Do you know who is blessed by Kara?” He had inched away from the food, interest distracting him. The smell was carrying on the wind. She was definitely hungry.
“Now you sound like you’re digging for information.”
Reyn chortled. “I did then. I suppose I was. It matters. I’m sure you know the story. If there is a hope to actually defeat The Unforgiven, then we will need them. The Guardians and whoever she is.”
“She’s my friend and if you hurt her then I won’t hesitate to kill you.” She meant it. Every word.
“I wouldn’t doubt it.” He pulled bowls from the piles around him, a spoon to dish up the meat. She didn’t know what meat it was and didn’t ask. It was of little consequence, they both needed the fuel. To eat before they fell asleep. It had been dark by the time they reached this place and already a chill was in the air, pulling at their exhaustion.
“Ivloch, is he a good man?” The question came as he served up the food, the serving he offered her breaching the distance between them.
“The best I have ever known.”
“It’s rumoured he is a Guardian himself.”
“Some rumours are true.” She cocked another eyebrow. She didn’t know why she wanted to ask him about the rumours concerning him, but she did. If he got to ask about her life; it only seemed fair.
“Some are not.” He was taking her bait. He had a look of distaste as he bit into his food, the juices seeping onto his already dirty tunic.
She ate, letting them both think. They were the unlikeliest of companions, she was sure he thought the same, but if nothing else there was a begrudging respect growing between them.
No one, even Kyllian, had ever reacted that well to hearing she was a User.
Reyn had finished his food, put the bowl down next to him and moved further towards the fire, warming his dirt-covered hands.
“I suppose we should put this out soon as it gets darker, we don’t want to attract attention.” She nodded, her own bowl discarded. He still seemed to want to talk. “If you were referring to some of the stories I have heard about myself in Tonkara then I’m quite impressed they’ve reached you in The Guild, and would also like to say they’re adamantly not true.”
“Everyone likes gossip. Guild or not. Where did they come from if they weren’t true?”
�
��Now you’re asking the personal questions.”
“You had your turn.”
He poured some water from his canteen onto a shirt he pulled from the bag. Placed it over the fire. The sizzling sound and extra smoke causing a momentary diversion. He seemed to be buying time; but she had done the same earlier. He had secrets too; things he had to work out if he wanted to say or could trust her with.
“Years ago, I was seventeen at the time, I made the horrible mistake of falling in love with one of my mother’s ladies. Hopelessly in love with her, we've all been there. The sort of love that consumes you.” The pain she saw in him told her this story was true, that it was not something often discussed. Her power confirmed it. “I also made the mistake of telling my brother, Hamill, who in turn informed my father. You can imagine how horrified he was, but I stuck to the idea that I wanted to marry her, to be with Denara. She was also pregnant with my child and there was no doubt it was mine.”
Katanya hadn’t expected this level of honesty. She felt embarrassed she had felt so awkward sharing the smallest of details with him.
“My father forbid anything between us, claimed the child wasn’t mine. Sent Denara across the sea before I could stop him. I don’t know what happened to her or the baby and believe me I have tried to find out. She came from a rich family in Torlung. Killing her or sending her to a whorehouse would have brought too much attention, caused a rift he didn’t want. He paid off her father. I wouldn’t attend any functions for a long time after that. I wouldn’t play the dutiful son, so he began to get the servants to spread rumours. I was a drunkard with a new woman in my bed every night. If I was against him then he would turn the people against me. It worked in some ways; utterly failed in others. I'm quite liked in circles he would die before being seen in.”
“He was making anyone who thought you really cared about Denara think you hadn’t.”
“Exactly. I wasn’t entirely honest with you on our ride earlier, there are other reasons I hate my father as passionately as the ones about my mother.”
“I can understand that.”
“Then I hope you understand I won’t betray you either. Or your men.”
She left his words unanswered, mulling them over. It made her hate for the king she already despised somehow stronger.
They packed up the mess they had made and got out their bedrolls. She placed hers nearer the horses. Somewhere along the line they had decided to dispense with a watch, Ballaca and Indy would tell them if anyone was near and they needed the rest; badly. She lay down, her small cloak covering her top half but began to shiver. The cold had gotten worse, Katanya could feel it coursing between her bones and her power was too depleted to assist.
“You should move over here. There’s shelter from the tree behind me and we could both use the body heat. Nothing else. Either of us dying from the cold would be quite a pathetic end, don’t you think?”
She did; and she hated it.
It was with reluctance she moved her bedroll next to his and lay down again. He threw the long and thick fur cape he owned over them both and rolled onto his side. Facing away from her. She could feel his back muscles, stronger than she had anticipated, rippling against her side. The heat of him uncomfortably welcome. Her body reacted to it automatically. She knew the feeling well.
A feeling that, if things were different, she would have acted upon.
She could tell he was attracted to her and as much as she hated to admit it, her to him. It would be so easy to fulfil the urge that was there. Give her body what it foolishly desired.
Something inside her told her not to. It could have been the awkwardness of the next day’s travel, of taking him to camp, even the fact that he was a prince, but she knew it wasn’t.
There was something else, a reason she didn’t want to acknowledge.
It took her some time to fall asleep, for her body to calm itself and relax enough to let the exhaustion win.
Sixty - Jaxon
Jax was late for his shift; even by his own poor standards.
His team were meant to be on patrol duty around the perimeter of the palace. He very much prayed the rest of them were already there. He could make an excuse, fake a meeting…something.
Samiah would be suspicious, angry even, but since their last argument he’d practically become a professional at avoiding her.
It was the Mark that had made him run so far behind. The speckling of grey which had returned on both his wrist and across his stomach had been a stark black when he woke. Even Katanya’s stronger tonic was unable to stop it.
The Guardian Mark he had spent so long avoiding, hiding from, had massacred his own skin for, had returned.
He thought it may be brighter than before he had burnt it away. A vivid stain. There would be no women now, no peace, no rest until he was out of this palace. Away from The Unforgiven.
It took time to find the longest sleeved uniform tunic he owned. It was comically big on the rest of his torso, but the black sleeves would hang low. He found some of the leftover cosmetics Samiah had never returned for and pasted them over it. It could be wiped away, he knew that, but it did add an extra thin veil of comfort.
He drank the tonic. A larger dose, yet again. Since Jaxon and Katanya had left he’d started taking it three times a day, twice as much in each go. Jala cautioned him against it, but after studying the white of his skin had relented, cursing the whole situation further. The more he took the less it seemed to be working, but without it…he wasn’t sure he could get through another moon.
There would certainly be questions and he doubted just from Samiah.
He looked towards the time device he kept on the wall. User enchanted and given to every King’s Man after Xave became Jefferson’s second. There was no excuse for tardiness in this palace.
Another hour had passed. Three since he should have met them…
He pulled his cloak over his shoulders and added the King’s pin to the front of his uniform. If they were patrolling, they should be back near the front of the palace soon…
He dashed through the corridors, stopping for no one, not even the three Unforgiven-possessed Users crowding around the entrance. Each wore a cruel smile, their features contorted. Power emanating from their bodies in waves. He was almost glad he was too worried about everything else to give it much thought.
Air rushed at him as guards pulled the main gate open. It was a horrible day. Rain lashed down on the cobble stones and the front lake was already threatening to overflow. They were there though. His band of loyal soldiers and Samiah. Turning the corner from the King’s main residence. Jala wasn’t walking with them, she was ahead with a figure dressed entirely in blue.
He recognised her as he drew closer and he could also see Jala’s discomfort. The girl had never been made to be a spy, everything that she felt was mirrored in the way she acted, like an easy to read book. Perhaps that was why Reyn had such a liking for her.
Nrenna Landress, or what had once been Nrenna Landress towered over her. Water was soaking through Jala’s uniform and plastering her hair to her forehead but Nrenna looked completely dry, she must be using her power to shield herself. His own cloak already felt heavy with water and he’d only stepped out into the open moments ago.
They both fell silent as he joined them.
“Oh Captain Rowdedge, how wonderful to see you again. I was actually looking for you but apparently the reports of your laziness are entirely accurate.” She bared remarkably long pointed white teeth at him. They were new. More changes to Nrenna’s body. “I’ll let your little friend fill you in now. It is always such a pleasure to keep my eye on her.”
Jaxon didn’t think he imagined the threat in her statement as she hiked up her skirts and disappeared in the direction his men had just come from.
Jala raised her arms and started waving them around in an angry fashion he hoped nobody else could see.
“I hate that woman Jax. She’s evil! Oh, this is bad. Like really bad.”
He waited a moment whilst she heaved, sighed and kicked the wet ground with her muddy boots. The rest of the team had stopped near the gates to the grounds, still in formation except Samiah who loitered further behind, transfixed on him and Jala.
“What did she say?”
“She said we need to pull double duty.” Her feet stamped again.
“What else soldier?” He hated pulling rank, but he wasn’t stupid enough to not think there was more to it. Something Jala didn’t want to tell him.
“It’s pretty abysmal, Captain.” He heard the emphasis on his rank, the tongue in cheek challenge, but he merely raised his eyebrows at her. It must be awful. If there was a positive spin on any situation, she would find it; even when that ability annoyed those close to her.
“Two battalions of soldiers rode out a moon ago, under Xave’s command. Hence the double duty.”
“Xave-free time is a good thing isn’t it?” It was her look of dismay that made him finally understand; but he still needed to hear the words. To remove any doubt.
“They’ve gone to attack The Guild. Users, Unforgiven, and soldiers. They’ve all gone to attack The Guild's camp.”
Jax cursed.
“Reyn, Katanya…they’ll find them. They’ll kill them or worse,” she wailed.
“No. They’re smart Jal. We have to believe they’ll hide or get through this. We have to or we’re dead too.” This couldn't be the way it all ended. “There’s no ruddy way to get a message to them or anything. We don’t know their numbers, their powers. They might even win, get rid of Xave for us. That’d be nice. Wouldn’t it?”
He hated himself for letting her talk him and Reyn out of sending her away and he was under no illusions of her believing the fake optimism.
“Are you coming on patrol or not?” Samiah’s screech could be heard over the rain and the noise of the courtyard. He turned, wanting nothing more than to send back a rude hand gesture but instead put his arm around Jala and started to walk her towards their unit.
“Let’s get through today. We worry about tomorrow when it comes.”