"Good. We have a project, you and I."
"What's that?"
"We have to ensure that Kaakos never learns how Thorn separated my dreamwalker from my physical body."
"You're worried that he'll attempt to trap Sherra or her dreamwalker, aren't you?"
"Yes. Very much so. I have no illusions that the messages her dreamwalker delivered in that Council meeting will stay within the borders of Az-ca. Who knows how or when, but Kaakos' spies will eventually hear of it and he will know it shortly after."
"That is most unfortunate," I sighed. "The one talented enough, perhaps, to protect us is now in danger, too."
"I hope her dreamwalker realizes the danger she placed herself in by doing as she did."
"I hope that, too. If Kaakos captures either, terrible things will surely follow."
Jubal
They will come to you tonight, the voice informed me. Extra gold will also arrive.
I sure as hell hoped extra gold would arrive. I'd be damned before spending my money on two more hungry mouths, and the village would surely notice the increase in purchases. I'd be forced to send my guests farther afield to buy food and supplies.
Guests. I snorted at the term. These weren't guests—they were leeches. Especially since one of them was an escort. I didn't want any female in my house, but the voice dictated my actions. I'd accommodate, but I wouldn't be civil—not unless I was commanded to do it.
All her fault.
Chapter 6
Ny-nes
Kyri
Garkus was forced to hold back his temper; we were searched thoroughly outside a guardhouse at the gates to Kaakos' palace. Garkus wanted to blast the four guards standing outside as they went about their business—he didn't want their hands anywhere near him.
If the guards found anyone carrying weapons or other contraband, they'd be killed immediately. We were supposed to arrive with the clothes on our backs, the chains on our wrists and nothing more. Even shoes weren't permitted, but most of the population didn't have those to begin with. Callused bare feet were the norm; I convinced Garkus to cover his feet with dirt and cinders to appear normal to the guards.
Once inside the palace, uniforms and shoes would be issued after we were forced to bathe; Kaakos hated disorder and the obvious appearance of filth or poverty inside his home.
Garkus had improved his shields greatly since his arrival, too; we were shielded so tightly against our skin, it was almost uncomfortable. We'd had to leave our clothing outside the shields, so the guards could search it.
As for my appearance, I'd changed it dramatically since my arrival; even Kaakos wouldn't recognize me unless he were very focused, and he never paid attention to his servants.
I hoped that remained true.
After all, when Kaakos and I had fought before, it had been in Ny-nes and I'd called him out. That was a mistake I wouldn't make again. He thought he'd banished me for good, too.
Sherra had gotten around that piece of sorcery. I'd landed so hard on the ground when she tossed me through the barrier, I cursed her name for days as I limped toward Kaakos' city.
I learned later that her dreamwalker had been pressed for time. I wondered if she'd have given me a softer landing, had that not been the case.
"Follow that one," the guard who'd searched us pointed toward a servant waiting inside the gate. "He'll take you where you're supposed to go."
I didn't miss Garkus' angry exhale as we began our journey into Kaakos' stronghold.
Sherra
"Kyri and ah, well, she's now a servant in Kaakos' palace," Pottles informed me when I arrived to hand her a rough draft of the law Cole, Caral and I were putting together.
She held something back; I didn't know what it could be, but reserved my unasked questions. If she wasn't comfortable telling me something, I wouldn't get it out of her.
"This looks good so far," she quickly read the opening paragraphs. "This can't happen soon enough, you know. The troublemakers are trying to bully the younger ones, and we have to watch them every second. Anari is helping with that; she sends mindspeak to me whenever she notices something. So far, those two haven't figured out who's telling the instructors about their misdeeds."
"What sort of punishment are they getting?" I asked.
"Demerits. Extra work and exercises. Reduced rations. What you'd normally expect. If they were adults, I'd burn their power away myself."
"How well can Anari shield?"
"Well enough."
"Tell her to keep a shield up all the time, if she can," I said. I still had bad memories of two instructors burned to death in their beds, because they no longer had the talents they'd been born with.
"I know where that's coming from," Pottles pointed a finger at me. "Still, it's a good idea."
"I'm worried they may target someone whose shields may not be so good," I added. "We don't need injuries—or worse."
"I concur. Those two—I worry they'll carry things to the extreme if they suspect anyone of telling on them, even though they've been warned multiple times."
"If it were possible, I'd remove their power temporarily and put them to work with the drudges," I blew out a frustrated breath. "So they'd get a taste of what their future could be."
"How about working on the farms, instead? I hate the thought that they could spit in classmates' food."
"Now there's a better idea," I agreed. "Do you think we could add that to the proposition?" I nodded toward the papers in Pottles' hands.
"I don't see why not."
"I'll ask Cole to write it in," I said, rising to go.
"I'll keep you posted on training sessions. It's nice to have Caral and the others working with us two days a week."
"I know. Don't let those two get out of hand. They worry me, for obvious reasons."
"I know what you've dealt with in the past, and what the outcome was for all involved. We're doing our best to stay on top of this."
"Are there any others who look to be following in Jeen and Ferni's footsteps?" I thought to ask before stepping away.
"Not to that extent. We get infractions, but most of the time, their punishment is enough to keep them from doing it again. How goes the search for Willa and Narvin?"
"No real sightings, and the false reports have dwindled to nothing. Wherever they are, they know we're searching for them."
"I'd appreciate regular reports," Pottles said. "I'll see you in a few days."
Jubal
Keeping angry words behind my teeth whenever Willa came too close became a chore I greatly disliked. I ate the food she cooked and left the dishes and cleaning up to her, too. That was the extent of her usefulness, in my opinion.
Narvin wasn't saying much, either. On several occasions those first two days, I tried to start a conversation, only to have him cut me off.
They were in my home, eating my food and sleeping in my spare room, and already I wanted them gone.
They were instructed to step away for a few hours every night, to gather information and bring it to me so I could relay it to the voice. The most recent information wasn't important in my opinion—Narvin and Willa said that the Crown was taking a census, when it hadn't done that for decades. The voice paid me for the information, though, so it must have had some importance.
The voice. That's what I called him, since I'd never learned his name. It didn't matter that the voice had changed, either. No matter what, my messages were eagerly received and gold would appear on my table by the following day.
I hoped the amount of gold would increase; I had two extra mouths to feed, now, and they ate to keep up their strength.
Willa refused to look at me as she walked through my small sitting room, carrying clothing to the kitchen to wash. Too tall, she was. Scrawny, too, probably from being away from the regular army for so long and not knowing where the next meal would come from. A pile of mousy-brown curls topped her head. Hell, she was so tall, she could probably brush the cobwebs from the ceiling with h
er dust-mop hair.
Narvin should have left her behind. There were plenty of village girls he could bed if sex was a priority.
I didn't think for a moment that her shielding was as important as people made it out to be. Narvin was lucky to be alive. He'd never said how long he'd served in the army. Willa, if the average lifespan of an escort bore out, had only been with him in the army for less than five years.
"Hmmph." I caught myself making the noise aloud. The sound of scrubbing on the washboard came from the kitchen.
Better her than me.
Sherra
"There's one more thing I'd like to add to the law," I told Cole and Caral that morning. "Pottles and I think that in some cases, the power should be completely repressed and the perpetrators sent to the farms or elsewhere, to perform menial tasks."
"Why not the kitchens?" Caral asked right away.
"That was my reaction, too, but if the infraction is serious enough, we don't want them to have contact with their former classmates while they're being punished, because they can still cause mischief if they're in charge of their food or cleaning their barracks."
"True," Cole nodded his agreement. "I'll begin writing that now."
"We need to work on eliminating another law while we're at it," I said.
"Which one?" Caral was curious.
"The one that hands a death sentence to any escort who has sex before she goes through the choosing. Eventually, I also want to eliminate the choosing and merely train troops to do a job. Pairings can come later; you and I know that we can shield anyone; it doesn't have to be the one you're paired with."
"That will allow teams to shield, while teams fire blasts," Cole looked up from his copy of the proposed law.
"That's just what I was thinking," I said.
"Do you think we might train the army on this—before the law takes effect?" Caral wanted to do this because she saw the possibilities, just as Cole and I did. I had no idea whether Kerok would ever consent to it, but the idea was too good not to give it a try.
"I think I'd like to take that training a step further," I said. "If we can get the teams trained successfully."
"How?" Cole was very interested.
"I'd like to see if we can combine the shields—and the fireblasts."
Cole went still, while a light appeared in his eyes. I knew then he was thinking the same as I—that we could use that method to attack Ny-nes.
"By the first warrior," Caral breathed. "Sherra, we need this. We need this now." She tapped a finger on my desk to emphasize her words.
"For now, I have to ask you to keep this secret," I said. "I don't want Kaakos' spies to hear the slightest whisper of it."
"I see the sense of it," Cole said. "We'll keep this to ourselves until we have the King's permission to attempt the training."
"I'm not sure all the troops may be suitable. If we try this, we'll select the ones who'd work best with one another," Caral said.
"Some will balk, and those are the ones we don't need," I concurred. "The unwilling ones can get the others killed if they're not careful."
"Armon and I can put a preliminary list together," Caral said. "I hope the King will let us try."
"Good. Tell Levi, Armon and Misten, then, and inform them that the Queen commands secrecy."
"I'll see to it," Caral vowed.
"Now," I said, "Where were we on the updates?"
Anari
Ani? Laren's mindspeak reached me during midday meal.
Laren? I replied while keeping my head down and moving vegetables on my plate. I didn't want the instructors guessing I was using mindspeak to talk with a male. They didn't want contact between the two while in training.
I just wanted to say we miss you—Kyal and I. I wish we could train together again.
I know, but we must follow the King's rules.
Do you think we'll get to see one another sometime?
My shoulders drooped and an involuntary sigh escaped my lips. I don't know. I'd ask Doret, but I'm afraid what the answer may be.
Same here.
At least we can talk to each other this way. If we couldn't, it would be so much worse. Laren, the instructors are watching. I'll talk to you later—at bedtime.
All right.
I pushed peas onto my fork and stuffed them in my mouth as the instructor walked past. She didn't have mindspeak. So many of them didn't. I doubted any of them wanted communication from their students that way, even if they did have the ability.
I missed Laren and Kyal so much. We'd become very close after escaping Merrin's clutches, and it was hard on us not to see each other and share lessons. Maybe if I sent mindspeak to Sherra, she'd let us see one another now and then.
Secondary Camp
Armon
Caral arrived from the palace in time for the evening meal. Taking her seat next to Misten and across from Levi and me, she smiled widely to let us know there was news.
Something good, I'd imagine, from the light in her eyes. "What is it?" I asked.
"I can't tell you here. We're sworn to secrecy by the Queen." She almost giggled when she said the word Queen.
Sherra never pushed her weight around by using her title. Her dreamwalker, on the other hand, had browbeaten a few Council members recently, but it hadn't been anything that didn't need to be said.
"Then we'll have a glass of wine in our cabin after dinner, and you can tell us," Levi grinned back at Caral.
"Is it exciting?" Misten asked, bumping shoulders with Caral.
"I think it is."
"Good. I can't wait to hear it."
Dinner was pot roast in gravy, something we all loved, with potatoes and carrots. We dug in and talked of other things while we ate.
"You know we're working on updating some of the laws," Caral began after Levi handed her a glass of wine. She and Misten sat together on the sofa, while Levi and I took the chairs on the opposite side of our small living area.
"How's that going?" I asked.
"We've had some good ideas—on the types of punishment to levy if the students break certain rules, or are repeat offenders. That's not the news I have."
"Well, let's hear it, then," Levi said before sipping his wine.
"Today, Cole, Sherra and I were talking about training, obviously, and she said that she'd really like to make it so the choosing was a thing of the past, and that people could be trained to do their jobs singularly or together, without a forced relationship tied to it. That's not the most exciting thing, though."
"Come on, you're keeping us waiting," Misten teased.
"Well, she said that she wanted to try combining shields, and combining blasts—at the same time. Do you know what we could accomplish if we could do that?" The light grew brighter in her eyes—she was enthralled with the prospect and the feasibility of it.
I set my wineglass down carefully on the small table between Levi's and my chair. Levi's eyes met mine as I did so.
"We could attack Ny-nes," we both whispered at the same moment.
"Sherra says she doesn't know how the King will react, so we have to keep this secret until she can present it to him at the proper time," Caral went on. "You know the Crown has always been against us going to Ny-nes, but it was because we didn't know anything about their leader's city, or how many bombs or war machines they have. Kyri is there now, and with information from her," Caral's words were so rushed she'd gone breathless.
"I wish this were reality. I'd be ready to go tomorrow," Levi breathed. "It's time we taught them not to come anywhere near Az-ca."
"This means a lot of training," I warned, holding up a hand. "Even if we have permission from Thorn, we'll have to train—possibly for weeks or months—to get this right. We also need Sherra's help, because all the escorts will have to be coordinated with all the warriors' power, so we won't be fried when we send out a combined blast."
"We'll need Sherra's help to understand how to combine blasts," Levi pointed out.
"True
. I'd like to experiment with this—if she's willing," I told Caral. "Ask if the five of us can meet in a remote location to practice."
"I'll ask tomorrow—Cole is busy writing up changes, and adding another law as a suggestion. Maybe he could bring a few of his people that he trusts, and we could really work on this, just to make sure it's possible."
"I'd go for that. Ask Sherra first," I cautioned. "I realize Cole already knows, but she didn't give him permission to share it with his troops."
"I can't wait to try this," Misten bounced beside Caral. Caral laughed at her partner's excitement.
Perhaps we should petition the Crown for a law permitting the bonding ceremony between women, I sent to Caral.
Her face became serious as she blinked at me.
I would very much appreciate your speaking on our behalf, she replied. I still remember Levi talking to our training class, when he said that a bonding between women wasn't allowed, according to law.
Things have changed, I grinned at her. I'm grateful for it—it's good to see you happy.
Instead of dead, you mean? She lifted an eyebrow.
"Enough mindspeak," Misten scolded us. "You're leaving Levi and me out of it."
"True," I chuckled and went back to my wine.
Sherra
I was surprised to receive mindspeak from Armon as I sat down for dinner with Kerok. Tonight, it was just the two of us—at his request. He and I felt as if our duties were pulling us apart, so he'd asked for a private meal.
Caral and Misten would like a bonding ceremony, Armon informed me. But at the moment, that's not allowed—by law.
You're right. I'll work on that tomorrow, I replied.
Thank you. I intend to tell Thorn myself, but I feel it would be better if you approached him about it first.
I'll do that. I should have figured this out myself, but too many other things are getting my attention, nowadays.
Understood. Thank you, my Queen.
Armon, don't start that nonsense with me. You know better.
I do, he sent a mental laugh. I'll see you soon.
Black Rose Queen: Black Rose Sorceress, Book 3 Page 8