Comatose: The Book of Maladies

by D. K. Holmberg

  Every so often, she felt pressure on the staff. She had grown accustomed to that while navigating the swamp and figured it was one of the eels. Maybe they knew she carried a jar full of their venom. Maybe that angered them.

  At least with her augmentations, she didn’t have to fear them tearing through her flesh.

  Perched as she was on the staff, she was able to survey the section. There was movement that probably shouldn’t be there at this time of night. A dozen or more men moved in the darkness, little more than shadows, but they went in and out of a building that butted up against the swamp.

  Likely, they thought themselves safe.

  The building she had rescued Alec from had not been along the swamp, though it had been near enough to it. And Alec had told her he had gone to a tavern to find information, but that wouldn’t make sense for Ryn to hide out in a tavern. Then again, maybe he wanted to be more like his brother. Maybe Ryn thought he could create the same sort of tavern compound as Bastan.

  Sam didn’t linger. Doing so put Bastan at danger. She didn’t know what Ryn wanted of him, but it probably wasn’t anything good.

  She flipped.

  With the augmentations surging through her, it took a single flip from her point in the swamp to reach the shore. When she landed, she jumped again, rolling on top of a nearby rooftop before coming to her feet.

  Sam crouched quickly and crept forward. She should have requested enhanced eyesight. It was something that she kept forgetting to talk to Alec about, but something that was almost as valuable as any of the other enhancements. With enhanced eyesight, she thought she could see what these men were up to, and where they were going.

  There was no option but to go down.

  She jumped.

  She appeared in the midst of them, not bothering to conceal her sudden appearance. She reacted quickly, swinging her staff around, and she smacked into three of the men in one arc before they had a chance to realize she was there. All three fell, and none of them got back up. By her count, that left at least nine more remaining, though there could be many more than that. How many might she have to face?

  Others converged on her.

  She recognized one of the men from the attack in the street. He smiled at her.

  “You shouldn’t have come here for him,” the man said.

  “You shouldn’t have let me escape,” she said. She took the end of her staff and jabbed him with it. With her enhanced strength, the staff plunged through the skin of his stomach, and he screamed. It had turned into something like a spear, and blood spilled onto the ground.

  That wasn’t quite what she wanted.

  At least he wasn’t going to come after her.

  She jumped. She lifted into the air, spinning around, swinging the staff in a rapid spiral. This time, she managed to connect with four people at the same time. All of them dropped as her staff struck the side of their heads.

  The augmentations began to fade.

  It happened slowly, with a washing sort of sensation, the same kind of sense she had as when the augmentations took hold.

  How much time did she have before Alec realized they were fading?

  Sam spun the staff around again. She was still augmented, and her strength was still greater than it normally was, but it wasn’t quite as impressive. She cracked her staff along the sides of several men, knocking them down. She had to hurry before the augmentations failed entirely.

  There were only two men still standing. She twisted her staff quickly, thankful that her speed remained intact. With a whip-cracking motion, she managed to strike one on the chest and the other on his forehead, and they both went sprawling down. She smacked them again, wanting to ensure that they stayed down.

  Sam hurried back along the street, disappearing into the shadows. She panted, trying to catch her breath. While she did, she realized the augmentations had faded completely.

  Kyza!

  Come on, Alec.

  He needed to repeat the augmentations. And she hoped he remembered the one for her skins. The last time she had faced Ryn, he had somehow managed to poison her, and without Alec here to heal her, she couldn’t afford to make the same mistake again.

  How long could she wait for another augmentation?

  Sam didn’t think she could wait very long. Others would surely come, and she would be facing a dozen or more once again. Even with augmentations, that wouldn’t necessarily be easy. She didn’t want to fight her way through Hosd, especially since she wasn’t entirely sure how much protection Bastan would have around him.

  She couldn’t wait any longer. She crept forward, hoping Alec hadn’t gotten sidetracked by maybe the rats or something else, but as she did, she opened the jar in her pocket, and dipped the pen inside, hopefully loading it with poison. If it came to it, she wanted to be ready for an attack. But, without her skin augmentation, she had to be very careful.

  The men had seemed to be moving in and out of one particular building. Sam focused on that and headed toward it. When she reached that building, she pulled the door open, and stepped inside.

  It was an incredibly well-appointed home. A thick carpet as beautiful as any she’d seen in the palace covered the floor. Lanterns were stationed along the walls, creating a soft glow, almost a welcoming sense. A massive stone hearth occupied almost one entire wall. There were plush chairs scattered throughout the room. On one side, there was a long counter, and behind it a doorway.

  This was a tavern.

  Only… it was nothing like any tavern she had ever been in. This was nothing like Bastan’s tavern. This was much nicer.

  Bastan would hate that. From the smell of the food, she suspected the food was even better than what Bastan served.

  Ryn trying to out-do Bastan didn’t make any sense. Why would he copy Bastan’s business model?

  And where was Bastan?

  The tavern was empty, unlike Bastan’s on any given night, except for tonight. The men who worked for him, people that he depended on, people who were devoted to him, were making their way toward this section at this very moment. Sam was hopeful she could take care of this before they reached here. She didn’t want any of Bastan’s people—her people, she supposed—to get harmed trying to rescue him.

  Sam went for the door on the other side of the room. That had to be where she needed to go, didn’t it?

  She pushed the door open and stepped inside. It was a kitchen, though this kitchen was not at all like Bastan’s. Once again, it was much nicer. Bastan’s kitchen was serviceable, more functional than anything else, and the people who worked in it, men like Kevin and now Tanis, were good cooks, but they had limitations. Part of it was related to the limitations from the food that Bastan was able to acquire, but part of it was related to the skill of the cook.

  Broth boiled within some of the pots on the stove, and Sam couldn’t help it—her mouth started to water.

  She would not tell Bastan about this, especially if he didn’t already know.

  The kitchen was empty.

  Why would the kitchen be empty? Why would the tavern be empty?

  Unless they knew she was coming.

  Kyza. This had to have been a trap.

  Sam raced back into the tavern and skidded to a stop. There were a dozen people here. Maybe more.

  And she had no augmentations.

  “Just you?” Ryn asked, stepping out from a chair near the hearth.

  “Do you think more are needed?” Sam asked.

  “I would have thought he had more men than just you.”

  “I’m not a man.”

  “Clearly. I thought Bastan would have had more people under his employ than just a single young lady.”

  “He does. I’m his favorite.”

  “Is that right? So, when I capture you and torture you in front of him, you will be the reason he breaks?”

  Several of the men started toward her, and Sam tapped her staff on the ground. “I wouldn’t do that. Did you see what I did outside on the street?�
�

  The men hesitated.

  “Yes. That was me. And before you ask, I’m not going to tell you how I did it. Just know that the dozen of you don’t scare me at all.”

  She swallowed. She hoped she sounded more convincing than she felt. Her heart hammered, and she desperately needed Alec to augment her again. What had happened to him?

  “Ah, you would have me believe that we should be intimidated by just you?” Ryn asked.

  “I wouldn’t have you believe anything. I’m just telling you the truth.”

  “You weren’t nearly so disruptive when you were here before. I think… I think that you have help.” He motioned, and one of the men nearest the door scurried away.

  Even with one man fewer to face, Sam wasn’t sure the odds were any better.

  Two men started toward her, and she grabbed the pen out of her pocket and slipped forward, jabbing one of the men in the leg, and spinning, stabbing the other in his arm.

  She jumped back, swinging her staff around as quickly as she could.

  “That’s it?” Ryn asked.

  Sam waited. “What more were you hoping for?”

  Suddenly, the two men started to scream.

  Their screams were pained, agonizing, and black lines began to work along their skin, up from their necks and onto their faces. Both men dropped and began convulsing.

  Sam wanted to look away, but she wasn’t able to.

  This? This was the eel venom?

  Kyza, but this was awful. Alec should’ve warned her, though then again, she had heard the rat screaming. What else had she expected?

  “Come closer, and I’ll see how many more of you want to suffer the same fate.”

  If nothing else, the sudden screaming had disrupted and shaken the confidence of the men arranged in front of her. They hesitated when they had not before. Each of them glanced at the others, and finally, they looked back at Ryn, as if needing assurance.

  “Where is Bastan?” Sam asked.

  “You won’t live to get to him,” Ryn said.

  “No? I’m thinking that you might not live to keep me from him. Tell me where to find him, and I will leave you—and your men—alive. If you attempt to keep me from him, then I will do everything in my considerable power to destroy you. Don’t think for a moment that I’m afraid of these men.” She tapped her staff again, and all of the men jumped back a step.

  “What is Bastan to you? Why do you care so much about him?”

  “What does it matter why I care about Bastan? All that matters is that I do. And I’m not the only one. If you don’t release him, there will be an army of his people converging on you. You will be destroyed.”

  Ryn snorted. “Destroyed? You speak in such absolutes.” He waved his hand. With that, the other men suddenly found their resolve, and they hurried forward.

  Sam focused.

  She knew she could summon the connection to her Kaver abilities. She had done it before. All she had to do was think about the way the augmentation washed over her and focus on what Alec might have written.

  Whatever had happened to Alec, she had to do this on her own.

  For Bastan, she had to do this.

  A wave of cold washed over her.

  Sam took a deep breath. Speed and strength flowed through her, augmentations that she gave herself. She added to that impervious ability, not wanting to be poisoned.

  Then she darted forward.

  Her staff spun, moving faster than any of the men could react. She knocked down three before stepping back, moving off to the side, and swinging out with the pen gripped in her fist, stabbing another man in his chest. Continuing the motion, she flipped her staff around, and jabbed the end of it into one of the men’s forehead. He crumpled.

  Sam stalked forward, making her way straight toward Ryn. His eyes began to widen as he realized that the men he threw at her weren’t enough. Several others came in, and Sam made short work of them, attacking them with her staff and driving them back. No longer was she afraid that she wasn’t going to be strong enough or quick enough. The augmentations had taken hold, and she was able to use her staff to knock them back.

  “Where is Bastan?”

  Ryn managed to calm himself, and he even smiled. When he did, she saw something of Bastan in it, though Bastan didn’t have nearly the predatory grin as what Ryn showed.

  “You really are impressive,” he said.

  “I don’t care if I impress you,” she said.

  “I can see why he favors you. And I can see why she was concerned about you.”

  She? What she would Ryn be referring to that might be concerned about her?

  As she hesitated, she felt movement behind her.

  She paused and swung around, bringing her staff in a rapid arc. The three men who had been stupid enough to approach were knocked back.

  When she turned back to Ryn, he was gone.

  Kyza!

  Where had he gone? And… what had he meant when he’d said Bastan was concerned about her?

  30

  A Kaver Comes

  Alec sat at Bastan’s desk. The man had a comfortable place to work, and Alec understood why he chose this desk, and particularly this chair. There was something about the way it cupped him as he sat here, welcoming him. He made a few notes on the easar paper, scrawling words across the page, and working on his augmentations for Sam.

  It was better that he remained behind. He was safer here.

  And if he was careful with his augmentations, she would be safe where she went.

  Working together, he could ensure that she remained unharmed. He was her Scribe, after all.

  Alec chose the words carefully as he scrawled them along the page. From what he could tell, the words were just as important as the way he wrote them.

  With each line, he felt a cold wash through him. It was how he knew the augmentation took hold. All he had to do was keep this up until Sam returned. With the sheets of paper that Master Helen had left, there was plenty. He didn’t have to worry about running out before she returned. It was a luxury they’d never had.

  Every so often, he glanced over to the box of rats. He still couldn’t believe that the eel venom was countered by something within the eel itself. He also couldn’t believe that the eel venom might be the key to creating easar paper. That surprised him as much as anything.

  He stared at the page, counting moments before choosing to write something else. He didn’t want to go too quickly. If he did, if he documented faster than what Sam needed, there was the very real risk that he would somehow overdo it.

  After another brief pause, he started to document again, wanting to ensure that Sam was never without augmentation.

  The door opened, and he glanced up.

  “Apothecary. It is good that you’re here.”

  Marin stepped forward, and Alec quickly grabbed for his pages of easar paper, trying to think of some augmentation that he might add to himself, but he wasn’t quick enough. Marin managed to grab them and pulled them free of his hand, leaning forward.

  “I think it’s time that you’re done with this.”

  “You don’t understand.”

  “I think I do.”

  “Sam needs me—”

  “She needs you because she’s making a foolish attack on Ryn. I’m fully aware of that.”

  Alec looked past her. Normally, there would be one of dozens of Bastan’s men in the tavern, but Sam had wrangled them all, taking them out to pursue Ryn.

  “Yes. There isn’t anyone here to help you.” She stuffed the easar paper in her pocket and looked at the box. She pulled the top off and reached inside, plucking the dead rat out of the box and dangling it by its tail. “Perfect. I was hoping you had figured out how to harvest the eels.”

  “I haven’t figured out how to harvest anything.”

  “No? If I’m not mistaken, this is from eel venom.”

  “What are you doing? What are you after?”

  “It’s time that this be over,
” she said.

  “What do you mean? What do you want to be over?”

  Marin grabbed the jar of milky white eel venom and stuffed in her pocket. “I imagine this is what you have harvested?” Alec let his gaze drift to her pocket. If all she was after was the eel venom, he would let her take it. She didn’t have the toxic one, not the one that Sam had with her, and there was only so much damage she could do with it. In truth, he had yet to discover what the milky venom did, short of hoping it was the antivenom.

  “This is all I harvested.”

  “No. I can see from the way you answered that there is more. Why don’t you go ahead and tell me where it is?”

  “Because I don’t have it.”

  “And who does… Ah. I see. You left it with Samara.”

  “What do you want with the eel venom, anyway?”

  “I want to end the secrets. I want to end the fighting. And it’s time for Lyasanna to get what she deserves.”

  “It’s true?”

  “Do you think I made that up?”

  “I think you made up many things, particularly when it had to do with Sam.”

  “Only to keep that boy safe. What choice did I have, especially when Lyasanna wanted him dead and the gods only knew what his father would do. Where is he?”

  Alec frowned. Didn’t Marin know? How was it possible that she didn’t?

  Would it matter if he shared with her? Now that he realized what she was after, maybe it didn’t. Maybe telling her that Tray was out of the city would be a way of getting her to leave, and maybe to leave him alone.

  “He left. Escaped, really. And took Ralun with him, probably to learn more about what he is and what Ralun might be to him.”

  “That fool. What was he thinking taking that man off with him?”

  “He’s probably thinking that he wants to understand his father. It’s no different from Sam wanting to understand her mother, and you are the reason that she doesn’t.

  “You know so little about what took place,” Marin said. “You know so little about how I offered a different type of protection. And it doesn’t matter what you think. All that matters is that I find Tray and keep him safe from Lyasanna.”