Curses and Warfare

by Jeri Baird

  He opened his eyes. The pup lay, whimpering, with an arrow in his side. Why couldn’t he have missed?

  Geno held out a knife. “Kill him.”

  He shrank back. “I can’t.”

  Unwavering, Geno stood with the knife, handle out. “If you’d shot with your eyes open, you might have made a clean kill. He’s in pain. Finish it.”

  Zeph took the knife and knelt at the pup’s side. Soft brown eyes stared up at him. If he didn’t do it quickly, he wouldn’t be able to.

  He slit the pup’s throat.

  Smirking, Geno nodded. “You might make an assassin after all. That was lesson one.” He strode back to the stable.

  Lifting the dead pup, Zeph choked back sobs. He couldn’t bury it in the frozen ground, but he could take the body to the woods. He carried it out the corral door and into the trees where he kicked aside the blanket of leaves. He wrapped the pup in his blood-stained jacket and laid him to rest.

  He could never kill a man. Never.

  Chapter TWENTY-EIGHT

  Alexa

  Alexa woke as a rosy dawn graced her window. She snuggled under the warm coverlet, holding onto her dream. She’d sewn half the night, and would rather go back to sleep, but Kaiya and the other women were counting on her help. She had the stitchings. If Merindah helped with the words, Alexa could spell them into the cloth.

  The dream danced in her mind, fuzzy and out of reach. Sometimes it was her and Zander, sometimes her and Merindah, but always they walked ahead of her, and she couldn’t quite catch up. Frustration at not understanding the meaning drove her to throw back the covers.

  In the chilly winter air, she dressed, grabbed the bag of embroidery, and ran downstairs. Mother had baked as late as Alexa had stitched. The still-warm oven heated the kitchen, and fragrances of yeast and sugar filled the air. Sturdy loaves of bread lined the shelves, ready for market, and Mother’s special cakes and feather-light rolls filled the front tables. Moira had favored Mother with the knowledge of how to blend herbs and flowers into her baking so that the scent delighted the nose and the taste dazzled the tongue. Alexa knew the recipes, but lacked the imagination to create. Thank the stars Moira had called her to be a fortune-teller and not a baker.

  She sliced two thick pieces off the not-perfect oat loaf on the center table. All her life, Alexa had eaten the bread that didn’t rise quite right or the rolls that over-browned from sitting too close to the oven wall. They tasted fine and filled the belly, but Alexa chafed from always feeling second-best, as though she wasn’t worthy of the good stuff. She hesitated only a moment before she grabbed a sweet roll from the shelf reserved for the elders’ wives and scurried out the door.

  As she walked through the market, the Protectors changed shifts. The ones leaving exchanged information with the replacements, who rubbed sleep from their eyes. Cobie’s father, the coppersmith, clanged his pots as he set up shop. Cobie should have followed in his father’s tradition. Instead, Moira had called him to train as a healer. After their quest, the village had gone from one healer to four. All in preparation for war.

  A shudder rolled through her that wasn’t from the cold. What if Zander failed to protect the village? He was foolish to dismiss the women from training. They needed Fulk and Geno’s knowledge. And she had to prove to him that her magic would help. Stubborn brother.

  She skirted past a horse pulling a cart of root vegetables and headed catty-corner across the market toward Paal’s father’s estate. He’d agreed to lend them use of his archery range for the mornings.

  The sun burst above the trees and blinded her just as she glimpsed Merindah’s dark clothes ahead. “Hoy, Merindah.”

  Alexa ran to catch up. The dream flashed back to her. When Merindah turned to greet her, Alexa stumbled. Circles under her friend’s eyes appeared purple against her dark skin. Was she not sleeping at all?

  They continued to the range. Alexa asked, “Did you have any trouble getting out of morning prayers?”

  “The priest understands. I do what I need to do.”

  Alexa blinked. That didn’t sound like Father Chanse, but he’d changed since Alexa had disgraced him in front of the church. He’d gone into seclusion for two months, and when he returned, he was subdued and contrite. At that same time, Melina Odella had withdrawn from Alexa.

  As Alexa struggled to find a response, Merindah placed her hand on Alexa’s wrist and squeezed lightly. “I’m the anchoress, Alexa. Father Chanse and the nuns understand I follow God’s will, not theirs.”

  A vision of the Queen of Swords card superimposed itself over Merindah’s face—the people’s champion, but not a person to cross. Alexa clutched Merindah’s hand. “You’re not going through with that, are you?”

  Merindah tipped her head and examined Alexa. “Of course I am. It’s my destiny.”

  The Death card hovered between them. The end of one phase of life for another.

  They walked in silence. Alexa’s thoughts swirled round and round. Merindah choosing to enter a cell, Zander choosing to fight, and the village in danger. Was her role more than stitching magic scenes?

  They found the five warriors already in practice. Kaiya stood at the first post, stance strong but relaxed, her auburn hair gathered into a top knot at the crown of her head. She held her bow in position and called out for the others—“nock, draw, release.” Five arrows whistled to the targets. Only Kaiya’s flew true and hit the center.

  Alexa dug in her bag and pulled out five small squares of embroidery. The women gathered around her, chattering and laughing at their depictions on the cloth. Each scene showed a woman with bow aimed at a round target.

  “I need to add the spells.” Alexa glanced at Merindah. “Will you help? I have trouble getting the words right.”

  Merindah hesitated.

  Kaiya held out her square. “Think of it as a prayer. Ask God’s blessing upon us.”

  It would take more than a prayer, but Alexa kept the thought to herself. If Merindah composed the words, Alexa could add her magic.

  Merindah closed her eyes. She held her palms out and in a clear voice chanted, “Arrows from God, fly true. Target hit, not askew.”

  Quickly Alexa threaded a needle with a single strand of the gold silk thread from Tshilaba. As she stitched a line connecting the arrow to the center of the target on Bindi’s cloth, she joined her voice with Merindah’s. In her mind, Alexa watched as the words blended into the thread. She tied the knot and handed it to Bindi. “Try it.” As the worst shot, Bindi would be the best test of the magic.

  After tucking the small square up her sleeve, Bindi moved to the post. She fumbled with her arrow and dropped it. “I’m nervous with all of you watching.”

  Kaiya moved next to her and drew her bow. “We’ll do it together.” She planted her feet. “Nock, draw, release.”

  Two arrows sailed to the target. Two arrows flew true. Two satisfying thuds as they hit the bulls-eye.

  “Take that Zander!” Bindi whooped as the women surrounded her. “We’ll show him we can be better than the men.”

  This wasn’t about the women against the men. Alexa stepped back away from the group. They needed to work together. But the women’s excitement was contagious, and she couldn’t help but join in. She finished the rest of the embroideries while chanting with Merindah.

  Shot after shot, every arrow hit the center circles. With each success, Alexa’s smile grew larger. Even Merindah looked pleased.

  Kaiya spun in the opposite direction and aimed at a tree twice as far away as the target. “Let’s see what happens.”

  As Kaiya released the arrow, Alexa realized her mistake. Halfway to the tree, the arrow jerked up and flew backward. Kaiya ducked as the arrow whizzed past her and on to the target to hit the bulls-eye.

  Wide-eyed, Kaiya twirled to face Alexa. “This isn’t going to work.”

  Alexa he
ld up a hand as the babbling women surrounded her. “I made a mistake. It can be fixed.”

  “A mistake?” Yarra snorted. “You nearly killed Kaiya.”

  To Alexa’s surprise, Kaiya grinned. “I’ve survived Alexa’s mistakes before.”

  She referred to the quest, when Alexa’s plan to fight their omens together almost caused Kaiya to be attacked by a snake. Alexa appreciated Kaiya’s confidence, then and now. “I need to take out the target and stitch something that will work on anything you aim at.”

  “You could stitch a man,” Gia suggested. “That’s who we’ll be aiming at if we’re attacked.”

  “What if the arrows fly toward our men?” Rosa asked.

  Bindi sniffed. “It would serve them right for throwing us out.”

  No. That wasn’t what Alexa wanted. “We need to work with the men, not against them.”

  Merindah tapped her hands at her sides. “It needs to be something the shooter can think of as their target in any situation. Let me see one of the cloths.”

  “What if you took out the target and stitched an X?” Rosa handed hers back to Alexa.

  Alexa cut out the stitches for the target and replaced them with a large black X. Then she stitched a tiny third eye on the figure of Rosa. “You need to concentrate on the target you want.” She wasn’t sure it would be that easy, but it was a start.

  “Watch out.” Rosa faced the tree.

  The others scooted away from the targets. Rosa squinted as she drew her bow. She breathed in deeply and held it before she released the string. The arrow stayed true and hit the trunk with a resounding thunk.

  As the others cheered, Alexa let out the breath she didn’t realize she held. Using magic to control the arrows had been trickier than she’d expected. She’d need to be very careful with what she planned next.

  Chapter TWENTY-NINE

  February Festival of Victoria

  Zander

  Zander reached the top of the gulch and bent over to catch his breath. He and Shadow had been scouting places to lay traps. It had been weeks since he’d sent Kaiya to work with the healer Eva. He’d heard nothing from either of them.

  “Hoy, Zander!” Greydon called out to him from the trees on Elder Terrec’s land line.

  He squinted. Damn. Alexa was with him. They wanted him to join them at the Festival of Victoria. Before the quest, the festivals were his favorite time of the year. Now, he avoided them. Too many people made it difficult to keep his shields up, and he hated seeing all those secrets. Even worse were the looks from the merchants who resented his taking three dozen men who should have been working in guilds. And he really didn’t want to see Kaiya at the festival that celebrated love.

  He met them halfway and scowled at Alexa’s hopeful face. He hated disappointing her. “Heading to the Quinary?”

  “Come with us? Please, Z?” She took his arm. “You haven’t been to a festival since the quest.”

  “With good reason. You know how the guilds feel about me.”

  “An argument for attending.” Greydon rubbed his chin. “They need to see you. If you’re their leader, let them see you lead.”

  “Lead what?” Zander snorted. “A bunch of warriors getting drunk?”

  Greydon leaned in. “It’s Lash they see swaggering about, bragging how he’s going to save the village. Father says he’s gaining their confidence and placing doubt on your leadership.”

  Anger rose from Zander’s gut. “It was your idea to have him be our liaison.”

  “Liaison, not leader. They need to see you.”

  He felt the wisdom even as he despised the reason. “Let’s go then.” He and Greydon hadn’t talked again about Zander’s favor, but they’d fallen back into being comfortable with each other—if comfortable meant Greydon not looking Zander in the eye.

  Alexa walked between them, tucking her hands through their arms. As good as it felt to be with his sister and friend, Zander dreaded seeing the villagers. As they neared the market, shoppers crowded the booths, searching for trinkets and gifts only offered during celebrations. After the quiet of living at the stables, the din of the festival assaulted his ears. Shadow tucked into Zander’s legs as if the noise bothered him, too.

  “Hoy, there’s Odo and Kaiya.” Alexa tugged on his arm.

  He knew Greydon would be happy to join the cousins, but Zander wasn’t ready to see Kaiya. They hadn’t talked since he’d asked the women to move to the healers. He was certain she was still angry with him, but then she turned and flashed a big smile. He checked behind him. Yep, it was for him. He let Alexa pull him to the wooden bench where they sat.

  Clear quartz beads threaded through Kaiya’s hair, which she had braided down the side and tied in back. When she turned her head, the sun sparkled in the beads. She’d lined her eyes, not as thick as Alexa wore hers, but enough to define her hazel eyes. She didn’t look mad, she looked excited to see him.

  Alexa tapped his arm. “Z, want a cider?”

  “Um, sure.” He squirmed. “Uh, nothing in it but cider, right?” He didn’t want any of Alexa’s potions added in. He had enough problems without adding in girl trouble.

  She grinned and whispered, “No love potion for you.” She nodded toward Kaiya. “You don’t need it.” She disappeared into the crowd.

  Greydon and Odo moved to a stand selling roasted nuts, leaving Zander alone with Kaiya. He plopped down on the other end of the bench and glanced over at her. Still smiling—that was good. “So . . .”

  “Let’s not talk about it. I want to enjoy the festival and forget about war today.”

  Zander slid over next to her. He didn’t want to fight. Maybe Alexa was right. It was good to be at the celebration.

  Someone spat at his feet. Garrick, the guild master, stood in front of Zander, arms crossed, feet planted wide. “Surprised you had the guts to show yer face.”

  He stood, but Zander avoided looking the man in the eye. He didn’t want the man’s secrets. “What are you talking about?”

  “You increased our tithe last month to support your little games.” Garrick spat again. “You too shifty to look me in the face?”

  Zander blanched. He’d known better than to trust Lash, and yet he’d let Greydon convince him. It would undermine his leadership if he tried to explain he hadn’t given the order. He met the man’s stare. “I think the coffers are level now. I’ll see if we can reduce your duty to below the original commitment.” He hoped the books were in order. He’d left that to Greydon.

  Garrick grunted, but he dropped his arms. “I’m not the only one unhappy.”

  “I’ll adjust everyone’s contribution.” And see that Lash wasn’t taking a cut. It was time to deal with him. He couldn’t wait for proof.

  The guild master leaned in. “You better hope that invasion comes soon.” Garrick sauntered away.

  What the hell? Hope for war? Zander wanted to punch the smirk off his face.

  Kaiya took his arm and guided him toward the music tent. “Find seats. You need more than cider.”

  In one corner of the tent, a Protector played a fiddle tucked under his chin. Next to him, Eva played a flute. Kaiya’s father beat a complicated rhythm on the drum, and Merindah’s mother tapped a tambourine against her leg. The center of the tent overflowed with drunken couples dancing to the lively music.

  Zander stood at the tent flap and searched the crowd for one face. If Father was there, nothing would make Zander go in. When he didn’t see him, Zander stepped inside. The music reverberated in his chest.

  He found three empty seats at a small table shoved in a corner and waved at Kaiya. It was the first festival he’d attended since the quest. The first time he’d been old enough to drink. He knew most of the boys had sneaked mead before their quest, but with Father being a drunk, Zander had never been interested. Kaiya sat next to him and slid a tankard in front o
f him. Zander eyed the pint of black mead brewed for the festivals. The other warriors were having a good time. He deserved to forget about invasions and wars for a day. As Greydon had said, one pint wouldn’t make him a drunk.

  He tipped the mug up and choked at the bitter taste as Kaiya sipped her own pint, amused at his reaction. Why would anyone drink the stuff? But by the time the pint was empty, he understood. The only time he felt that relaxed was when he meditated, but even then, he carried the responsibility for the safety of the village. After the second pint, his worries had disappeared. After the third, he was tapping his foot to the music and roaring at the drunks stumbling around the tent.

  Alexa joined them, and the disgusted look she gave him made him reconsider, but a fourth pint appeared in front of him and he drained it. Kaiya pulled him up, laughing, and dragged him to the dance floor. He must have looked panicked because she leaned in and said, “It’s not that hard.” There were enough people tipsy with drink to make him feel comfortable as he tried to imitate the dancers. When he stumbled and Kaiya threw her arms around him, he stayed with her, enjoying her warmth and the smell of lavender that drifted from her hair. She didn’t seem to mind when he pulled her closer.

  He whispered into her ear, “You’re pretty.”

  She pulled away and pursed her lips. “That’s what you think of me? That I’m pretty?”

  Somewhere in his foggy mind he knew he was on dangerous ground, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint why. “I thought girls wanted to be pretty.”

  Kaiya flipped her hair and batted her eyelashes. “Is that what you want? A pretty girl to cook for you and sew your clothes?”

  Now he was confused. Is that what he wanted? He didn’t think so, but he wasn’t sure. “Uh, is that bad?”

  He knew he was in trouble when tears glimmered in Kaiya’s eyes. She rubbed them away. “I expected better of you, Zander. You’re just like the others. At least Lash told me I was beautiful and strong.”

  Lash? Anger shot through him. He’d had enough of Lash. He turned from Kaiya and pushed his way through the crowd and out the door of the tent.