This made him more than dangerous—to anyone who crossed his path. I'd gotten mindspeak from Doret the night before—an attempt on Thorn's life had been made, and only Sherra's dreamwalker had thwarted the attempt, as it was so unexpected. Garkus' eyes had widened when I told him the news—no doubt, Kaakos was furious about this failure.
Now, something else had drawn Kaakos' attention, and two such blows against him likely meant people would die. Across the kitchen, Garkus rose slightly from his squatting position to watch the unholy parade outside the kitchen door.
Stay down, I hissed mindspeak at him. We can't take Kaakos on like this. It's suicide.
You don't have to tell me twice. He'd hunkered down behind a prep table across the kitchen, and lowered himself again after my warning. He'd either seen or felt the power wrapped about Kaakos for himself, and I was grateful I didn't have to convince him.
Other kitchen workers had knelt behind the nearest cabinet or table, to make smaller targets of themselves. Anyone with the tiniest amount of sense wouldn't approach Kaakos in this mood, unless they wished to die a painful death.
A kitchen worker scurried in, once Kaakos and his guards exited the palace. "Body dumped—back gate," he panted, as if he'd run to get away from Kaakos' wrath. "Aspe, me thinks."
Aspe. The one who'd chained Garkus and me. One of Kaakos' highly-placed warrior-priests.
Damn. Who'd bait Kaakos like that?
"Get down," someone hissed at the new arrival. He joined them behind a sturdy table. We heard the roar of anger outside the palace, and the disturbing sound of blasts being fired. How many had Kaakos killed this time, and why?
Kaakos
The note dangled from my fingers as I stalked toward the palace. Behind me, six guards were dead, their bodies added to that of Aspe, whose face was the only recognizable part of him.
The rest had been burned to a crisp.
As I'd burned the guards surrounding me.
Blowing the back door open with power, I stepped inside, neither glancing left nor right. I had an enemy to kill, and I needed the proper weapon to do it.
Merrin would become that weapon, and he would bear my merciless wrath when he killed.
The note was written in Az-ca's shorthand, developed through decades of scant supplies of paper and writing instruments. The guards couldn't read it, because they'd never been taught to read it.
Therefore, the message had been sent specifically to me, and it meant the sender knew more about me than I wanted them to know.
You failed, it read. I succeeded.
Merrin
He was coming; I heard his footsteps on the flagstones outside my locked room. Little of myself was left to me—gradually, he was taking everything.
I wished I'd allowed Thorn to kill me. Or that I'd stayed in the poisoned lands. Those deaths would have been preferable to this one. I would exist and not exist—as Kaakos' puppet, once he was done with me.
The scrape of a key in the lock froze my thoughts and amplified my fears. Would this be the last time my thoughts were my own? I would not show him tears. I vowed never to do that.
Merrin would fall, and Kaakos' puppet would rise.
What would he ask me to destroy?
Az-ca, my mind whispered as his boots came to rest before my huddled body.
North
"Hide," the woman hissed at me as she ducked inside the hovel where I sat, having a weak cup of tea with her husband, whom I'd just healed of a broken leg. "Aspe dead. Sent to palace gate. Lord Kaakos angry. Warrior-priests come."
"How killed?" I asked, setting down my cup of tea.
"Burned," she said. "Not face—to see who."
"Ah." They'd burned the body, leaving the face intact for Kaakos to recognize. A nasty ploy, but effective. Kaakos would be looking for revenge, now, and he cared not that innocents died with the guilty.
For a moment, I considered sending mindspeak to the one I suspected of accomplishing that feat.
No—better not to let them know of me.
Not yet. I had things to do before that time came—penance to serve and bodies to heal.
Soon, perhaps. I did and didn't look forward to that day.
Armon
I still felt the ill-effects of a lengthy day when Levi and I passed out census papers at breakfast the following morning.
"Fill these out completely and return them to us by tomorrow," Levi instructed. "The towns and villages are also receiving papers, as there hasn't been a census taken in decades. If you have questions, come to Colonel Armon, Captain Caral or me. We'll find an answer for you."
Several warriors and escorts were already scrounging for writing instruments. We'd have some papers filled out before breakfast was over.
I considered sending mindspeak to Thorn, asking after Sherra, but held back. Levi and I—we loved the Sherra we'd first met. Now, there was another to contend with. One whom we didn't know and weren't familiar with.
One who was Sherra—and wasn't, at the same time.
That one seemed harder. Angry, too. I couldn't guess what she might be capable of. Sherra—the one I knew—I could gauge her reactions. The other? I had no idea.
Levi hadn't said it, but that part of Sherra frightened him.
Me, too.
Was Thorn having these feelings as well?
I worried our fears would alienate the Sherra we loved. What would we do if that happened? Were we all destined to be afraid of her?
She will never mistreat you, no matter what, a small voice told me.
I sighed and allowed an invisible burden to slide from my shoulders.
Chapter 9
Ny-nes
Kaakos
"The name Merrin is no longer a part of you," I informed the cloaked and bowed figure before me. "You will be my revenge; therefore, I name you Vengeance."
"Yes, my Lord." His head remained bowed as he spoke.
"My first assignment for you is to go out into the city and find this healer—North—who troubles me. Use whatever force is necessary to locate and destroy him."
"It will be as you say, my Lord."
"Of course it will. Reports will come to me daily of your progress, and ah, the numbers of citizens killed during your search."
"I understand."
"Good. I'm sending six warrior-priests with you. They'll be your guides through the city. Make sure they stay alive, as they are responsible for making the reports to me."
"Yes, my Lord."
"Take him to the back gate; the warrior-priests wait there," I commanded a guard. He bowed to me before leading Vengeance away.
Kyri
Merrin, Garkus' growl filled my head as the cloaked man, led by a guard, strode toward the palace's back door.
Kaakos had taken his mind; that was clear. Whatever Kaakos had commanded he do, that one would do or die in the attempt.
While I had no sympathy for Merrin in his right mind, nobody deserved this. Two guesses who he's sending him after, Garkus added.
Soobi stood beside me, her eyes round in fear. She understood what this meant as well as Garkus did. The healer was in Kaakos' sights, and neither would stop until North was dead.
Had the healer actually killed Aspe? I had my doubts. Only time would tell whether my feelings about the matter would hold, as I'd never met the one Soobi and the others spoke of with such reverence.
"City will burn," Soobi whispered as the back door swung shut with a nerve-wrenching clang.
She was right about that, too.
North
Word spread faster than fire through the narrow streets and alleys. The Supreme Leader had released a raver against me.
Kaakos had expended a great deal of power to make one; I understood that. Aspe's murder had enraged him. It made me wonder what the note delivered with Aspe's body said, but as few could read, that information wouldn't come to me.
He imagined that I'd killed the warrior-priest and then sent the body to him, bearing a note. If I'd int
ended Aspe harm, I'd have killed him to start with.
If Kaakos had used sense, he might consider that nobody native to Ny-nes could read or write anything, without his permission to learn it in the first place.
He also thought I'd be simple enough to find, once he killed a few citizens. I didn't want that to happen, but true peace and freedom always bore a heavy price.
Nevertheless, I had work to do, to warn the population. After that, if they chose to stay in Kaakos' path, their safety—or lack of it—lay in their own hands.
"What think?" the woman whispered as I handed the healed infant back to her.
"I believe it is time to move away," I said. "From now on, nobody is safe, here."
"He Supreme Leader," she sighed and turned her head away.
"He may call himself that," I countered. "He is nothing more than a figurehead who likes to kill his own. You and your neighbors owe him nothing, as he is a false leader, who represents a false prophet. Why do you suppose he prevents you from learning to read the Prophet's book for yourself? The words written there are far different from the words and deeds he allows to reach you."
She had to think about that for a moment, before dipping her head in a slight nod. "Tell your neighbors it is no longer safe to stay in the city. Take what you can and move across the river."
"That far," she began.
"I know, but if people move and scatter, it will be more difficult to hunt them down. Keep your lives if you can. You were never meant to serve a false prophet. The book warns against such."
"He—false prophet? In palace?"
"Yes. That body belonged to someone else when he was alive—an enemy of the Supreme Leader. Kaakos keeps the body there, not only to gloat over his enemy's death, but to taunt the people of Ny-nes with the lie of it."
"I tell husband. Try to move."
"Good. Tell others you trust only—for their own safety. Tell them the healer has spoken."
"Why you come to us?" she whispered as I turned to leave.
"Because the real Prophet predicted it—in the book."
"I want—see that."
"Someday, if all comes right, you can learn to read if you want."
"That—be good day."
"Yes. If you leave the city, do it in hiding—and at night if you can."
Az-ca
Kerok
"I sent Claude to Balsom, so he can relay messages if anything unusual happens there," I said. I sat at my desk the following morning, after leaving Sherra still asleep in our bed.
"That's what I'd do," Hunter agreed. Barth nodded his agreement as he sipped tea. "If Kaakos has his eye on Balsom for any reason, we need to know. Claude can step away, too, if somebody starts killing Balsom's residents with enemy weapons."
"I'll ask him to send mindspeak and step to Secondary Camp if that happens, so Armon can send a squad to stop what they can. I don't want another village slaughtered," I growled.
"I'll prepare the message, and send mindspeak to Armon," Hunter agreed, scribbling notes on a slip of paper.
"Good. I've already asked him to send two warrior-escort pairs, to burn Sa'wann and place a shield around the burning, so the dry countryside won't go up with it. I dislike the idea of predators scavenging bodies."
"I dislike the fact that there will be none to mourn their passing in their own village." Barth's voice held anger. "Kaakos has much to atone for."
"The bastard needs to die," I snapped. "If I had a way to do it, he'd be dead already."
"Doret is here to see you," a guard tapped on the open door of my study.
"Send her in," I said.
Doret walked in; I didn't miss the angry set to her features or the stiff movements of her body. "I see you're as angry as we are," I indicated an empty chair. "Tell me what's wrong."
"I received mindspeak from Kyri earlier," Doret grumbled. "It's not good news, I'm afraid. She confirmed that Merrin is in Ny-nes, and now, Kaakos has turned Merrin into a raver. Once he's done with the troubles plaguing Ny-nes, I have no doubt Merrin will be sent back to Az-ca to cause trouble for all of us."
Silence reigned for several seconds as Barth, Hunter and I absorbed Doret's words. "What, dear lady, is a raver?" Hunter spoke first.
"Something Kaakos has complete control over. Merrin is no longer Merrin, as vile as he was. Now, he is Kaakos' right arm, commanded by Kaakos' evil desires. As much of a killing machine Merrin was before, multiply that by a thousand and you may get close to the mark."
"I assume Merrin's power is now Kaakos' to command?" Barth asked.
"Yes—and it can be enhanced by Kaakos whenever he determines it necessary. There are rumors of a healer running through his city, and recently, one of Kaakos' pet warrior-priests was killed and left at his gate. Kaakos is searching for the healer in their midst, convinced that he was the one to kill Aspe. Kyri doubts the veracity of it, but that leaves all in the city at Kaakos' mercy."
"Do we care what happens to those people?" Barth asked the simple question.
"Most are innocents," Doret snorted. "Just as most are innocents in Az-ca. They don't send the armies against you; Kaakos does that."
"It becomes easy to blame an entire race or country, for what only a few of them do," Adahi arrived to add his opinion.
"You received mindspeak, too?" Doret turned to him.
"Yes. These events in Ny-nes can be seen as convenient—and inconvenient—at the same time."
"Will she keep us updated on Merrin's ah, exploits, so we'll know when he might be sent back to trouble us?" Hunter asked.
"As much as she knows," Adahi shrugged. "What we haven't discussed is the healer. He must have power—Kyri says so. That means he has either fooled those around him for a very long while, or has recently arrived in Ny-nes, getting past Kaakos' barrier in some way. She only knows about him through the rumors she's heard, you understand."
"He won't last long, now that the raver has been sent after him," Doret snorted.
"One or the other will certainly die," Adahi confirmed. "Ravers have a single-mindedness instilled by their creator. They will achieve their goal or perish in the attempt."
"Why haven't we heard of this before?" I demanded.
"Because you can't read the old records," Adahi replied. "Ravers—were created and assigned to kill those with power in Ny-nes, those attracted to their own sex, and those of any color other than the color of the ones in power."
"That means that there has been power all along in Ny-nes," Hunter breathed.
"Now you begin to see," Adahi said. "But power—and wealth—were allowed only to those in charge. Those things were held away from the common people, and, as education was also withheld from them, they had no hope of attaining any of it. The ones in charge wanted it to stay that way, because someone with wealth or power on the outside could lead a revolt."
I understood that quite well. Armies required food, weapons and funding. Those were early lessons in my military training. It brought something else to mind, too. "The spies are paid, aren't they?" I asked.
"Yes." Adahi's answer was short and swift. "Either in gold or favors. Disgruntlement only takes you so far in that particular game."
Armon, I sent. Before the attacker's house is burned in Sa'wann, I want it thoroughly searched for gold or other types of payment.
I'll see it done, Armon replied.
"There's no need to search that house," Adahi said. "Normally, I give what I find to the very poor. This time I kept it, in case you asked." He pulled a small bag into his hand before leaning forward to place it in front of me.
Carefully loosening the tie around it, I found a small, neat pile of gold inside. To a villager, this would be a fortune and could be spent on many things. Drawing a heavy sigh, I retied the bag and handed it to Adahi. "Distribute this as you see fit," I told him. "It is enough to know he was paid."
"I'll add that to the official record," Hunter said, jotting words on his scrap of paper.
"Meeting without me?" Sh
erra, dressed in a working uniform, wandered into the study, a mug of tea in her hand. She'd told me today was a training supervision day with Cole, but I'd forgotten. She was late, too, but I wasn't about to tell her something she already knew.
"We're just discussing the latest in Ny-nes," Doret told her. "Merrin is now a raver, and I'll explain that to you later, if you'll drop by the training camp before dinner."
"I will," she nodded and stifled a yawn.
"Need a marching draught?" Hunter asked.
"No, thank you," she held up a hand. "I've had enough of that for a while."
"We'll talk at dinner tonight," I said. "After you've spoken with Doret."
"Good. Cole is waiting for me, so I'll go, now," she nodded in my direction. "See you at dinner."
Sherra
Caral and Levi met me at Cole's house; they'd been there for half an hour, drinking tea and talking with Cole while they waited for me.
"Sorry I'm late; Kerok didn't wake me," I apologized.
"Don't worry—we've enjoyed the respite," Levi's grin was wide and welcoming.
"I think you'll be pleased with the young ones," Cole said, rising from his seat. "They're so happy to be working together; I think it will be second nature to them when you ask them to combine their blasts and shields."
"I was hoping for that," I said. "They're so comfortable with one another, and they have mindspeak, which will only help, I think."
"Maybe we should look at this when training the younger ones—they'll form friendships. It shouldn't be difficult to form fighting pods with that connection," Caral suggested.
"We can do that with the adults, too, you know," Levi pointed out.
"A workable solution, perhaps?" Cole smiled.
"Let's see how it goes with Anari and the boys, and then how it goes with the four of us," I said.
"A pod with the four of us, plus Armon and Misten? That sounds wonderful," Caral nodded.
Black Rose Queen: Black Rose Sorceress, Book 3 Page 12