by Beam, Brian
Several moments later, he was able to speak again. “At least they’re in Loranis’s loving arms now,” he whispered.
Briscott had gone through such pain, yet he had kept strong. He hadn’t let it take away his kindness. He hadn’t let it keep him from finding moments of happiness. Briscott was dealing with a pain that I could only pray I’d never have to feel. Suddenly the rock in my chest didn’t seem so bad. Slavery and physical pain were merely candle flames next to the blazing hearth of heartbreak Briscott had endured. And here I’d mocked his talk of Loranis. I decided then and there that I’d never again ridicule his beliefs.
“May Loranis bless their souls and take them into his loving arms,” I said with another squeeze of his shoulder. My words were a sentiment that had stuck with me when Til’ had spoken his funeral passage for Bhaliel. I still didn’t necessarily believe in gods and goddesses, but Briscott didn’t need to know that.
“Thank you, Korin,” he replied with a gracious smile and a sniffle.
“Anytime.” Before I could say anything else, the crunching of dead leaves caught my attention. I turned to see Ullian, wearing a black cloak and one of the leather cuirasses, approaching the camp. Tagin was striding forward from the opposite direction. It appeared their watch was over, though I had no idea how they were keeping time.
“Hello, fellows,” Briscott called. “Any activity last night?” Neither man acknowledged Briscott, both silently making their way to the tents. They glared at us with tired, angry eyes.
Briscott turned back to me. “They’re upset that I’ve been kept out of rotation to watch over you,” he explained, wiping the remnants of tears from his face. “Not that they would’ve blighting spoken anyway, I suppose.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t start ignoring you. That is, unless you try to shoot me again.” I arched an eyebrow.
My joke had the intended effect, sending him into laughter that even touched his dampened eyes. “I have to say, Korin—”
Briscott was cut off as Eyebrows’s hoarse voice cut into the air. “Briscott, bring our new recruit over here,” he called, his voice cracking.
With a compunctious nod, Briscott stood, keeping his balance on the now teetering cart. He offered his hand to help me to my feet. Being idiotically prideful, I held up a hand in rejection and tried to stand on my own. The effort got me dropped flat on my ass back onto the cart floor. Though my head was starting to throb, the tashave leaf was still making me weak. That, or the Malki-blooded stone in my chest.
Either way, I took Briscott’s hand this time and allowed him to help me off the cart. If he hadn’t held on to my arm as I dropped to the ground, I would’ve ended up right back on my ass again. Briscott turned and crouched, his back to me. I couldn’t tell what he was doing, but after a moment he joined me outside the cart.
Once I was sure I could keep to my feet, I started walking slowly towards the camp. I put all my concentration into setting one foot in front of the other while keeping a stolid look plastered on my face. I wouldn’t let Eyebrows know how much everything was getting to me. In situations like this, you have to enjoy the tiny victories; sometimes they’re the only ones you get.
Eyebrows stood just outside one of the tents, Ullian and Tagin at his side. Kevrin was at another tent, stretching his arms and yawning, with stout Oslen emerging from the tent flap behind him. None of them looked ready to be awake. None of them except for Kait’, that is, who was approaching from the third tent. Her tilted eyes locked on me as she walked with swaying hips towards Eyebrows, her cloak and hair billowing behind her. Add in the wicked grin on her full lips, and it was a pretty dramatic entrance. Vhillin followed at her heels and looked weary enough to collapse. He was wearing one of the cuirasses, so he must have been on watch like Ullian and Tagin.
I stopped short of the tall Gualanian, finding it hard to look up and make eye contact when the eyebrows that earned him his nickname seemed to be fuller of life than his eyes. His hair was drawn back behind his ears, and black stubble covered his face, except where his braided chin hair hung.
Keeping my expression neutral, I forced my gaze to move from his eyebrows to his eyes. “Good morning, Jefren. I hope you slept well.” I put as much genuine kindness into my voice as I could, just to mess with his head. If he happened to look down at my balled fists, which were literally shaking as my fingernails cut into my palms, my ruse would be revealed.
Eyebrows simply looked past me to Briscott. “We’ll be packing up and moving out in two hours. Is he recovered enough to take watch?” Briscott hesitated for a brief moment. “Tell me the truth,” Eyebrows commanded.
There was no hesitation this time. “Yes, he should be able to.” Eyebrows started to turn away, but Briscott continued. “He should get some food in him first.” He flashed me a knowing expression that said the food he had given me earlier was not to be spoken of.
“Very well. Get him fed, dressed, and ready to circulate the camp with Oslen,” Eyebrows rasped, turning to his tent. Briscott immediately started back towards the cart.
“Jefren,” Kait’ called, gracefully strolling to Eyebrows’s side. She put a hand to his shoulder and her mouth next to his ear.
I couldn’t hear a word she said, but Eyebrows chuckled in amusement and turned back to me with a smirk. “I don’t see why not,” he replied to whatever Kait’ had asked.
Eyebrows pointed at Kevrin. “Kevrin, you will join Oslen on watch. Both of you get dressed and start out. Korin, eat quickly and then put on a cuirass. You’ll be scouting ahead with Kait’.” With another smirk directed at me, Eyebrows ducked back into his tent.
Something about the situation didn’t sit well in my stomach. It didn’t help that my headache was growing worse as the tashave leaf wore off, the pain nauseating. I needed to remember to ask Briscott how he dealt with his headache so well. Maybe it was just a matter of getting accustomed to it.
Kait’ stepped forward with a wicked smile stretched across her face. “Looks like we’re going to have some time to get to know each other.” Her eyes sparkled with sinister amusement. “Don’t worry, it’ll be fun.”
I could only nod dumbly and try to swallow the lump in my throat. The tone of Kait’s heavy-accented voice was unsettling, to say the least. I had a strong feeling that there would be nothing fun about whatever she had planned. If I’d only known just how right my feeling was.
Chapter 13
Blood of the Past, Inappropriate Laughter of the Present
My body was in a perpetual state of tension as I walked an arm’s length from Kait’s side. My hand was positioned to draw my shortsword at a moment’s notice. The only problem was the fact that Kait’ could do anything she wanted to me, and I wouldn’t be able to use it against her. Stupid green-glowing rock.
We had made our way back to the road, which was currently cutting through a lightly forested landscape. Kait’ had declined taking one of the horses, leaving us to plod down the road on foot. I couldn’t see the ground for the fallen leaves crunching beneath our feet, but there was obviously a man-made road that had been cleared through the trees. Aside from the leaves, the random cracks of twigs, and the rustling of unseen small animals, the world was silent, as if holding its breath as we made our way northward.
The graying sky was damp with the promise of rain to come. The cuirass and black cloak I now wore did little to protect me from the chill of the morning. I was grateful for the cuirass, though, since it allowed me to forget about the glowing rock underneath it. At least, it almost let me forget it. The dull pain in my chest was a constant reminder. In all actuality, the pain in my chest was not dull; it only seemed so compared to the pounding in my skull. Even with the sun well below its noonday peak and plenty of gray clouds filling the sky, the daylight bore into my eyes, making me long for a dark hole to curl up in.
I figured that if I kept the hood of my cloak pulled forward, I could not only dampen the light, but also keep from having to deal with Kait’ by pretending she wasn
’t even there. If only I could’ve been so lucky.
“So, Korin,” she began in her breathy voice, “you will truthfully answer the questions I ask you. Can you tell me about your friends who are on their way to the Wizard Academy?”
“I’m sure I can,” I answered, proud of my ability to dance around the answer she was looking for. Given that my mouth started moving as soon as she asked, it appeared my mind was still quick enough to be somewhat witty.
Kait’ grabbed my shoulder and turned me to face her. Without even thinking, I yanked my shoulder from her grasp, not wanting the leeches on her arm to touch me. Real manly, huh? Kait’ stared at me with a knowing grin from within her cloak’s hood.
“Clever. Why are your friends being taken to the Wizard Academy?” she asked with a tinge of irritation.
“Because the Grand Wizard sent for them,” I answered, still dodging her questions as well as I could.
With a huff, Kait’ turned back to the road and motioned me to follow with a crook of her finger. “Why does the Grand Wizard want them?” she continued. Clearly, Kait’ was not going to be satisfied with my glancing answers.
“Because one of them is his daughter,” I answered, even though I fought to keep my mouth shut. Having the words torn from me felt like more of a violation than I can even express. Kind of like when your parents make you apologize for something that you completely feel justified in having done. Even with a history of my mouth having a mind of its own, at least it had usually been on my own terms.
“Really?” She sounded intrigued. I nodded in response.
Through Kait’s questioning, I ended up revealing that Max was the other friend, though I escaped having to reveal his nature as a wizard squirrel. She didn’t delve for further information about Max or Sal’. For her and Eyebrows, I guess the only important information was what I could bring to their little group, not details about my wizard friends.
“Why were you being chased by those men back in Laurlan?”
“They were hired by my previous Setter to hunt me down. I kind of cheated my way out of our Activated Contract while still being able to fulfill his Terms. He’s a little unhappy with me.” I gave myself a mental pat on the back for answering Kait’s question without giving her any solid details.
However, my answer got me thinking. After the fiasco in Byweather, was Galius still after me? Would Bill really still be working with the greasy count after what happened? Maybe my advice for Julan to have Galius null the Activated Contract had gone unheeded, and therefore Bill was forced to find me or become a slave. A slave like I’d become. Or maybe Bill had some ulterior motive, like trying to get me to tell him where he could retrieve Galius’s “gem” for himself.
Kait’ was silent for a moment before continuing, as if thinking. “Interesting. And so you were on your way to the Wizard Academy when we found you.”
It hadn’t really been a question, but I answered anyway. This time on my own accord. “Until you took away my freedom,” I growled.
Kait’ laughed a deep, rich laugh, and I hate to admit it, but it was a beautiful sound. “Ah, but you still have some freedom,” she claimed once her laughter ebbed.
My face flushing with anger, I shot a fierce look Kait’s way. “From my perspective, it’s kind of hard to see that.”
Kait’ stopped suddenly and turned to me. “Jump ten times,” she ordered.
Before I could think, I stopped and jumped ten times in place, feeling like a complete idiot. “Okay, you’ve just proven my point,” I told her, my eyebrows drawn down in irritation.
Kait’ chuckled, amused at my annoyance. “I didn’t specify when you were to jump. The stone’s link to your body caused the inclination to respond immediately. With a little thought, you can fight that inclination and give yourself more freedom. You’ve already proven your ability to do this with some of your answers to my questions. You knew what I was asking for but worked around it.” She paused and gave me a deliberate look with one eyebrow raised. “Jump ten times.”
My muscles tensed, my knees bent, but I kept my feet from leaving the ground and forced my body to relax. Just as I’d fought against answering Kait’s questions, I fought against her command. It felt good to know I had some control.
Kait’ smiled and gave a showy clap of her hands. . “Well done. Now, you may never have to actually follow that command. If you ever find yourself jumping for some other reason, it’ll count towards those ten times, but otherwise, it’ll just be stashed in the back of your mind.”
It was at that point that I realized just why it was so important to include a timeframe when dealing with Contracts. Without it, the Activated Contract was essentially meaningless. The same held true with the rocks. No timeframe meant no means of completely enforcing a command.
“Now, I want you to immediately walk to that tree over there,” she ordered while pointing to a random tree. My body started moving directly towards the tree. “With a little thought, you will be able to do so in any way you choose,” she called after me.
I put her words to use and turned to the right of the tree, circling back around to actually arrive at my destination. The action gave me a thought. Against my better judgment, I voiced that thought. “Doesn’t this just prove that I can leave you at any time as long as I come back eventually?”
With another rich, beautiful laugh, Kait’ made her way over to me. “No, it doesn’t work that way. We’ve commanded you to not attempt escaping. I would like to see you convince your mind that secretly leaving us is not escaping.”
There went my chances of leaving long enough to find Til’ and save Max. Still, it was good to know that I’d be destined for failure before actually trying; discovering that fact on my own would’ve been quite devastating and likely not without repercussions.
“Now, Korin, if I told you to fight someone, what do you think you’d do?”
“I guess I would fight them,” I responded warily, unsure of what she was getting at.
Her dark eyes lit with amusement. “Yes, you would be forced to. However, with a little work with your mind, you wouldn’t have to just jump headstrong into the fight. You could defend yourself. You could retreat to a better position. As long as in your mind you know that your actions are giving you the ability to follow the command, you can do them. Just as you took a meandering path to that tree, you can fight without just recklessly throwing yourself against your opponent.”
Kait’ may have believed she was helping me with her advice, but I was starting to grow angry. It was nice to know that I had more freedom than I’d thought, but it all just reminded me of why those little bits of freedom meant so much in the first place. “You can sugarcoat this all you like, Kait’,” I sneered, “but I’m still just a slave, no matter how you try to spin it.”
Her grin was unsettling. “Be that as it may, keep what I’ve told you in mind. Follow beside me now.” With that, we started back down the road.
My headache had grown so painful that I could hardly think. I found myself stumbling over twigs as well as my own feet, unable to concentrate on even the simple task of walking. Kait’ noticed and pulled something from inside her cloak. “Take this,” she ordered.
I opened my hand, and Kait’ dropped a small glass vial in my palm. It was sealed with a small cork and was filled with a cloudy white liquid. I held on to it and gave her a questioning look.
Kait’ exhaled loudly. “Uncork the bottle and drink what’s in it immediately.”
Against my will, I uncorked the bottle and swallowed its contents. It was nauseatingly bitter and made me gag. With another swallow, I kept it from coming back up. I’m not sure if the second swallow was purely reflex or my body just following Kait’s order.
“What was that?” I asked with a grimace, the bitterness of the liquid lingering on my tongue.
“Something to help,” she answered vaguely, starting back down the road. I followed, even though she hadn’t commanded me to. It’s not like I could have run awa
y anyway.
It wasn’t long before my headache was only a minor annoyance, and my chest and shoulder pain were completely relieved. Unlike with the tashave leaf, nervous energy begin to course through my body, and my mind felt clearer than it had in days. Colors were more vivid, the cold more biting, sounds crisper, smells richer.
“Wow,” was all I could say.
“That’ll last you a good couple hours. I’m going to want you clearheaded soon.” Kait’ pointedly left off what she wanted me clearheaded for. I didn’t care, though. I felt like dancing a jig.
I started whistling as we walked, a stupid grin plastered across my face. I relished the feel and sounds of the fallen leaves covering the ground. I took in their earthy aroma, wanting to somehow trap the scent within my nose.
“That’s some great stuff,” I announced loudly. “I feel wonderful.” My grin widened. “You know, I guess you’re not all that bad.”
“Is that so?” Kait’ sounded and looked entertained.
“Yes, it is so.” I leaned closer to Kait’, keeping my voice low. “And quite beautiful, I might add.”
Kait’ chuckled and kept walking. “As hard as that’s hitting you, it’s almost like you’d never had ellifil before.”
Even with my euphoria, my breath caught. Ellifil is a highly addictive narcotic. Most ellifil addicts can be found huddled in alleyways or begging for coins on street corners. Others can be found in prisons, clawing at the walls as withdrawal kicks in, having been imprisoned for stealing or killing to get their hands on more ellifil. You can usually tell an ellifil addict by their blackened teeth, yellowed eyes, and emaciated faces. Kait’ in no way showed any signs of ellifil addiction, but her nonchalance towards dosing me with it was disturbing.
My concern dropped away, and the ellifil-induced euphoria regained its hold. “If only I knew this is what it felt like. Wow. Wow!”
Kait’ rolled her eyes. “Settle down. As I told you, I just want you to have a clear head. The effects will lessen shortly, but you’ll still be plenty alert.”