by Linda Mooney
Chapter 28
Possession
Liam MaGrath pushed aside the curtain, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was occurring outside. The attack had come swiftly and unexpectedly, with some of the Mutah soldiers suddenly turning on Normal soldiers. As the fighting intensified, he had locked himself, his wife, and the two patients who’d been seated in the waiting room inside the clinic. He’d then made them all retreat to the inner rooms where he and his family lived.
“See anything?” Madigan whispered from a few feet away. She held their young son Iain in her arms, gently rocking the child whose face was pressed to his mother’s shoulder.
“No. Nothing. It appears everyone has retreated inside their homes.”
Madigan approached and stood beside him to glance out the window. From where they were, they could see the corner of Yulen and Atty’s lodge. Beyond that, the bell tower and the outer fringes of the shops. “I don’t understand. Why would our soldiers turn on each other?”
“I suspect some of them may not be our soldiers.”
She gave her husband a look of disbelief, which quickly became one of understanding. “Spies?”
“That, or those people were planted here deliberately to create an insurrection.”
“By whom?”
He started to admit he had no knowledge of who could be behind it, or if his idea had any merit at all to begin with, until he noticed something that alarmed him. Turning, he faced his wife. “I’m going into the dining room.”
“What? Why?”
He placed his hands on her arms. “Stay here. Don’t follow me, no matter what you hear. Promise me.”
Madigan’s expression hardened. It wasn’t the first time she’d faced adversity, and she’d never backed away from it. “Tell me what’s going on, Liam. Why must you leave? You were not left in charge of this compound during Yulen and Atty’s absence.”
“You’re correct. I wasn’t.” He gestured toward the window. “I just saw several of our guards being herded toward the front. If there are injuries, I need to tend to them.”
He didn’t wait for her to reply, but hurried into his office to retrieve the satchel he carried with him when he used to travel with the Battle Lord and Lady on their excursions away from the compound. After stuffing a few bottles of unguents and medicants into it, he threw the bag over his shoulder.
Madigan stood in the doorway, partially blocking his way when he started to leave. Grabbing his shirt collar, she gave it a little tug. She didn’t try to disguise her worry. “Be careful.”
He answered her with a quick but warm kiss, also dropping one onto his son’s head. “Bar the door behind me.”
He exited the small door located under the stairs which led up to the Battle Lord’s old rooms, which were now kept for visiting guests. Standing there, he surveyed the large hall that was mostly empty except for the few servants who were cleaning off the table after that morning’s breakfast. It was apparent the din from outside hadn’t yet permeated the building. The front double doors were closed, as was the side door on the other side of the kitchen. MaGrath debated going out that secondary exit when the front doors were thrown open and several soldiers stomped into the hall. They quickly ringed the room. Two men he didn’t recognize approached him, but he held up a hand and showed them his pouch. “I’m a physician. I’m here to help the injured.”
The men, both Mutah, gave each other indecisive looks before turning back to MaGrath. “Stay here. Do not leave this spot or we’ll kill you.”
Lifting an eyebrow in surprise, he nodded. One of the men left but the other stayed to make sure the doctor remained where he was.
More soldiers entered the room. They gave him the impression they were readying the way for someone of importance. MaGrath focused more closely as something became more and more obvious, even to his untrained eye. These soldiers weren’t acting like the soldiers he was accustomed to seeing. They looked more like raw recruits. He checked the guy standing beside him. They weren't even holding their weapons correctly.
Warning bells went off. Were these soldiers even part of Yulen’s regiments?
With a start, MaGrath realized another issue. None of the men were Normals. He studied those standing close by. They appeared to be Mutah, but he knew that could be deceiving. Many Mutah could pass as Normals…
An ugly thought came to him. Or Bloods could pass as Mutah. Remember, old man, for centuries we thought Mutah and Bloods were one and the same thing.
The tension in the room ratcheted up. The soldiers didn’t hide their rising excitement. MaGrath tried to spot who was entering through the front doors, but the men were crowding around that area. Slowly, the troops finally parted, but at the same time they began growling. Jeering and taunting. Brandishing their weapons in a threatening manner as several people limped into the hall.
MaGrath felt the blood run to his feet. His vision blurred for a moment as he tried to grasp the enormity of what he was seeing.
Yulen, naked and covered in dried mud, shuffled in the lead. The Battle Lord’s hands were bound behind his back, and his ankles were hobbled with ropes as he advanced with his head bowed. Several men, similarly tied, followed behind him. MaGrath saw Mastin, Batuset, Del Ray, Renkin, and Fortune. There also appeared to be two Mutah warriors being treated as prisoners, although he didn’t recognize them. Unlike Yulen, they were clothed but without coats or gloves. All of them had icicles clinging to their hair and face.
“Halt!” a voice commanded. Yulen and the others came to a shaky stop. The Battle Lord wavered on his feet. The man was about to collapse. MaGrath started to go to the man when a litter entered the room. The contraption was carried by eight men who appeared to be struggling under the weight. Several soldiers shoved aside tables and chairs to clear an area large enough to allow them to lower the carrier.
MaGrath watched as the curtains were pushed aside and a rotund woman dressed from chin to floor in what appeared to be velvet robes stepped out. He was further astounded when the soldiers showed obeisance to the woman who moved to the front of the room, pausing next to Yulen. She turned and spotted MaGrath. The soldier who had threatened him went over, bowed, then murmured something to the woman. The woman nodded, straightened, and faced the doctor.
“You are a physician.” She made it a flat statement rather than a question.
MaGrath gave a slight nod. “My name is Liam MaGrath.”
Yulen stirred, hearing his old friend’s voice, but the Battle Lord didn’t lift his face to look at him. That demeanor was beginning to worry MaGrath.
The woman stiffened. “I am Mink. I am the Supreme Leader of the New People. Your Battle Lord D’Jacques has turned this compound over to me. You and everyone here are now subject to my will. If you obey me, you will live. If you disobey, or in any way try to overthrow me, my people have standing orders to kill you. Do you understand?”
“I do.” MaGrath waited, curious to know what else the woman had under her sleeve.
She made a motion with her hand, indicating either the hall or the compound. “Show me your most luxurious accommodations. I am weary.”
MaGrath pointed to the rooms upstairs. “Those are our best rooms.”
Mink glanced at where he indicated and sneered. “You expect me to walk up there?”
“Most of our homes are two-storied.”
“Your Most High.” A soldier took a knee before her, keeping his head bowed. “Your Most High, the old battle lord’s lodge is behind this building. It is the most luxurious that we are aware of.”
“Is it two-storied?”
The man looked up. “Yes, but I’ve heard the downstairs area is very spacious. The bed can be brought down for your disposal.”
Mink glanced at MaGrath. “I believe your old battle lord’s rooms are more suited to my needs.” She gave the soldier a nudge. “Show me this lodge and take the prisoners somewhere they can be contained.” Back to the doctor. “Because you are this compound’s physician, that means
the people here have a high regard for you. You will be my spokesperson.”
He clutched his satchel to his chest to hide his nervousness. “Your spokesperson?”
“Yes. I will leave it to you to announce to the rest of the people in this compound that I am now your ruler. Tell them my word is law, and any sign of insurgency will be met with death. You will go outside and tell them that.”
MaGrath bit his lips, then smiled in an attempt to win her favor. “Now?”
Mink smiled in return, but there was no warmth or humor in the expression. “Let me settle into my new lodgings first. I will send a man for you when I am ready to have you accompany me.” Turning, she proceeded to make her way back to her litter. From the way she moved, MaGrath got the impression that she either had no feet underneath those robes, or she had a hundred tiny feet like a human millipede.
The room remained silent as she approached the carrier, when a loud thump interrupted her progress. MaGrath whirled around to see Yulen lying on the floor in an unconscious heap as the other prisoners fell to their knees beside him.
Chapter 29
Reasoning
MaGrath reacted without thinking. Dashing over to the Battle Lord, he rolled the man onto his back as two guards grabbed him and jerked him away. Catching himself before he could fall, the doctor faced them, giving them his best pissed-off expression.
“You were told not to move,” one of the soldiers reminded him. He lifted his spear and aimed it at the physician.
MaGrath dismissed the man and turned to Mink, who had paused in front of her litter. “I told you I’m a doctor. I’ve taken a Hippocratic Oath to give aid to anyone in need, and that includes Normals, Mutah, and Bloods.”
Mink seemed to find his declaration insignificant. “I am the Battle Lord now. He is no longer of any consequence. Leave him be.” She gave a dismissive wave of her hand.
He narrowed his eyes at her. His first reaction was to argue, but a gentle hand seemed to reach inside him and hold back his argument. In his head, an equally soothing voice spoke reason.
Her men hold her in high esteem. They are waiting for any excuse to kill anyone whom they feel dishonors her. This is not the place or time to confront her. Do so when it’s more private. Do not have a pissing contest with her in front of her idolaters. Let her save face. It may pay off later.
Mink continued to stare at him as if waiting for him to react. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, MaGrath gave a nod. “I will be in my clinic awaiting your summons,” he replied.
This time when the woman smiled, although it still lacked warmth, it also reflected Mink’s sense of self-importance. She was totally in charge, and she was already reveling in her dominance.
She climbed into her litter, which was picked up and carried back out through the front doors. Once her litter was out of sight, several of her soldiers converged on Yulen and the others, pulling them to their feet. They showed obvious disgust with the Battle Lord, spitting on him and landing several hard kicks to the man’s body before dragging him out the door. Unable to watch any more, MaGrath slipped out the side door where a guard stopped him.
“Where are you going?”
“To my clinic, where I told Mink I would be waiting for her summons.”
The man snarled. “You will refer to Her Most Holy with respect.”
MaGrath bowed his head. “Thank you for that correction. In the future, I will show greater respect for Her Most Holy.”
His deference appeared to placate the guard, who allowed him to continue, but MaGrath knew the man was watching his every move.
When he reached the clinic’s front door, he raised his hand to knock when the door opened. He quickly slipped inside where Madigan embraced him with relief. It took him a couple of minutes for his body to stop shaking. After which he made his way over to a chair to sit down before his legs gave way.
“We have a problem,” he told her.
Madigan took the seat next to him. “What happened?”
“Yulen’s back, but he’s in bad physical shape.” He held up a hand to stay the flood of questions, knowing how impatient his wife could be. “He’s been brutalized, but I don’t know how badly. The woman…” He stopped and took a deep breath. “Somehow Yulen and some of his men were overtaken by Mutah, but I suspect they may be Bloods. The person leading the Bloods is a woman named Mink who claims to be some sort of holy deity. From what I’ve seen, the soldiers who follow her believe she is who she claims to be. She also says Yulen’s given her Alta Novis.”
“All that fighting we saw earlier, was that between our men and hers?”
“Yeah. And I’m beginning to get the sneaking suspicion some of her men managed to infiltrate this compound to start a coup when she arrived.”
Madigan inhaled sharply. “What about Atty? Is she alive?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know anything other than what I saw. That woman won’t even let me near him long enough to see how badly he’s injured. Maddie, he was naked and covered in mud. His hands and feet appear to be severely frostbitten, and he…he looks beaten. I’m sure he’s been tortured.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Mink wants me to announce to the compound that she’s now in charge. She’s taking up residence right now in Yulen’s lodge. I’m to wait here until she sends for me. That’s when we’re to make the announcement.”
“Then what will happen?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I’m hoping we’ll have a moment alone together so I can argue the need for me to check on Yulen and the others. She’s riding high on self-importance right now. I don’t dare challenge her out in the open, in front of her people. It would be suicidal. I must make sure it’s done privately so she can save face.”
“Where’s Yulen now?”
“I have no idea. Maybe they’ve taken them to one of the old barracks.”
“Or the dungeon.”
MaGrath gave his wife a solemn look. “Those dungeons were sealed after Atty got here.”
“Yes, but if several of that woman’s people managed to get in here, then they could have discovered the location of those cells.”
A sudden pounding at the door made them both jump nervously. MaGrath gestured for Madigan to take refuge in the back. “Bar the door,” he whispered after another quick kiss. As soon as she was out of sight, he lifted the latch.
Outside stood another guard. This one he recognized, although he didn’t know him by name. The man had arrived a month ago, claiming to be from one of the Mutah compounds like so many did. But unlike most of the Mutah who moved to Alta Novis, he’d been alone and without a family. At the time, no one considered the motives of a single male Mutah warrior claiming to want to join Yulen’s army as anything but sincere. The fact that the man had no practical skill when it came to his weapon didn’t raise a red flag, either, since most warriors were hunters at best, or laymen at the least.
“Her Most Holy is ready for you,” the man announced. He pointed his sword at MaGrath and gestured with his head, indicating he wanted the doctor to proceed ahead of him. Still wearing his satchel, MaGrath went straight to Yulen and Atty’s lodge where another guard stood in front of the door. The physician caught sight of the bandaged wound on the man’s arm, and the dark, almost blackish-colored blood staining the crude wrapping. At that moment his suspicions were confirmed. He was dealing with Bloods who could pass as Mutah.
The guard opened the door, allowing him to enter. MaGrath paused inside the small foyer to survey the room. Mink was already lounging in one of the big wingback chairs as a small, almost childlike Mutah or Blood tried to start a fire in the fireplace. Other than the woman, the young female at the hearth, and the guard standing behind him, there was no one else inside the lodge. She looked up when the doctor entered and crooked a finger at him. “Where would be the best place to make the announcement?”
MaGrath pointed behind her. “By the bell tower. It’s where all major announcements are made.�
��
Mink looked interested. “Where is this tower?”
“Just a few meters behind this lodge.”
“How long will it take my men to round up all of your people?”
“You don’t need to round them up. Ring the bell nine times, pause, then ring it nine times again. That will signal for them to gather.”
“Why nine times?” Her suspicions were evident. She didn’t trust him fully and apparently thought the nine times would be sending out a special signal.
“It’s a signal,” he admitted. “Three bells are for a birth, six are for life, nine bells mean death, and twelve bells are usually reserved for a wedding or celebration.”
The woman mulled over it for a few seconds. “Very well. We will leave as soon as my drink arrives.”
MaGrath hid his smile. The woman had not had time to peruse her new dwelling, or else she would have discovered the stocked kitchen. This was the moment he’d been hoping he’d be given to make his case. Stepping closer to the woman, he paused and bowed. “Your Most Holy, if I may.”
He’d piqued her interest. “Proceed.”
“The prisoners—”
“Are of no consequence,” she abruptly cut him off.
“On the contrary. Just hear me out first. Please.”
Letting out an irritated sigh, Mink nodded. “Why do I get the impression you will continue to harp on this issue until you’ve had your say? Go ahead. Get it off your chest.”
“You must keep Yulen D’Jacques alive.” MaGrath didn’t dare mention Atty. Until he knew the Battle Lady’s fate, he would focus only on those who were currently being held. “The Battle Lord is loved by his people. If you allow him to die, the people may rise up against you.”
“They will learn to love me instead.”
“That is true, Your Magnificence. But until that happens, it would be to your advantage to allow him to live. By showing mercy, you will endear these people to you faster and more easily.”