Black Rose Queen: Black Rose Sorceress, Book 3

by Connie Suttle

  "How did he die? Do you know?" Cole asked.

  "Burned to death," Hunter said. "Narvin's work, no doubt. Alf probably had no idea that he'd become useless, once he got those girls away. His status as a spy was revealed, and Kaakos knew we'd be looking for him."

  "Another body to add to the pile," Caral grumped. She and I were in agreement in this—that Kaakos' demise, if it were possible to achieve that goal, couldn't come soon enough. Neither of us would mourn the passing of someone who'd sold himself to the enemy, but the trouble it caused us made things that much worse.

  "We're here," Misten said as she and Levi walked past Hunter to join the rest of us.

  "I hear the spy's body was found," Levi nodded to us.

  "Yes. We're going to the villagers who found him, to ask questions. Then, we'll have to adjust shields to keep those two miscreants out of the villages. I figure they'll burn whatever they can if they get their power back," I said.

  "I don't understand how that's possible," Misten breathed.

  "Kaakos is more than powerful," Cole told her. "Don't discount any improbability, where he is concerned."

  "How did he become so powerful?" Misten asked. "This just seems strange, that somebody would not only live through his childhood without being caught there, but then develop so much power he takes it over—that just doesn't seem possible."

  "He had help much of that time from Ruarke," Cole pointed out. "A powerful right hand is important, when you have a nation to subject to your murderous whims."

  "I have trouble believing that he's confounded an entire nation into thinking that the power he displays comes to him through their Prophet, and by permission granted by a god nobody ever talks about," Levi observed.

  "We should get going—we have a long day, today," I said. I didn't want to go. I wanted to train Anari and the others. That would have to wait.

  "Let's go down to the garden to step away," Levi gestured toward the door. We followed him out of my study and down the hall toward the stairs.

  "We thought it was lightning last night," the village headman told us. "The flash of light and the boom—it happens now and then. When we saw no evidence of a fire afterward, we left it until this morning, before going to look."

  The man was old, with a wrinkled face and wispy, gray hair floating in the morning breeze outside his village. All of us stared at the charred remains of a man who'd died unsuspecting, I think.

  "There's no telling where Narvin took those girls after this," Levi shook his head. "They could be anywhere. If the enemy has any sense, this is misdirection."

  "I agree," Cole nodded. "They got this far on foot, before Narvin and Willa stepped in to take the girls and kill the witness."

  "Senseless," the headman muttered.

  "I think that's a recurring theme," Levi said.

  "These spies are getting paid?" Misten asked.

  "Yes," I said, lifting my head to look at her.

  "Then why don't we look for people who have more than they should—and recently, maybe."

  "Follow the gold?" The headman blinked at her. "That's something I'd look for, too. I think I'd know if anybody in my village started eating or dressing better."

  "We may be onto something," Levi patted Misten's shoulder. "Good work, Corporal."

  "I just got a promotion," Misten breathed.

  Chapter 11

  Kerok

  "I've got the task force leaders in place, and they now have instructions to investigate anyone who displays wealth above their means," Hunter laid papers on my desk. "The names of each and the villages where they're stationed in all four quadrants," he added.

  It was only mid-morning and Hunter had been running most of that time, ever since Sherra sent mindspeak about, as she put it, following the gold.

  "Good. Did you tell them to be discreet?"

  "I did. These are people we can trust," he tapped the papers with a forefinger. "Barth approved of them, before they were offered the job."

  "All of them former messengers, I see," I shuffled through the sheets looking at names.

  "Yes. And military before that. All more than reliable. They can step here with messages if anything needs our attention right away."

  "I think I'll ask my Queen to see if there's latent mindspeaking talent in any of them," I said, squaring the sheets and handing them back to Hunter. "Good work."

  "Mindspeaking would be helpful."

  "It would."

  "King Thorn," Adahi appeared in my study as Hunter turned to leave.

  "Adahi?"

  "I am currently searching for those two girls, but, like Narvin and Willa, they have disappeared from my sensing skills."

  "Then we know for sure that the enemy wants them for his evil purposes," I sighed.

  "Yes. I'm surprised he chose two females, considering his immense hatred for them. These two must be especially appealing in some way—their power, when he gives it back to them, will no doubt be an asset to him."

  "He could be attempting to confuse us," Hunter suggested.

  "True. He has managed to do that, recently."

  "I never thought I'd say this, but I wish we were back to armies fighting on a battlefront. This espionage and terrorism infuriates me," I said.

  "Better the enemy you can see," Adahi concurred.

  "We hired four task force supervisors to look into unusual behavior, and we just asked them to look for an increase of funds where there shouldn't be," Hunter offered the papers to Adahi.

  Adahi lifted an eyebrow as he accepted the sheets and scanned through them before giving them back.

  "A sound idea," he said. "Something we should have done sooner, perhaps, but I am just as remiss as anyone else in this."

  "We're not used to dealing with this," Hunter said. "It's all new. We're building our responses from the floor up."

  "Whereas Kaakos has had centuries to plot and plan. We have to catch up quickly, if we are to deal with this effectively."

  "I wish I could do more in the field," I said. "It angers me to be sitting behind this desk so much of the time. I'd rather be standing next to my Queen as she asks questions. She could be siphoning my energy to help adjust shields around villages."

  "This has been a conundrum faced by the monarchy for eons," Adahi reminded me. "I think you might get out now and then for a bit of fresh air, though."

  "I can clear your schedule one day a week," Hunter offered.

  "Then do it," I waved a hand. Was I the King, or wasn't I?

  Ny-nes

  North

  "Leave the city," I advised as I worked to heal the burns on the man's leg. Kaakos' raver wasn't particular in who he harmed, if anyone stood in his way. That thing—he was no longer human—wanted information on me, and he'd do anything to get it.

  Even when those he questioned said what they knew, he burned them anyway. The only positive thing to come of this was that citizens were crossing the river in droves at night, while Kaakos' warrior-priest babysitters locked the raver up so they could rest.

  "Is it true—the Supreme Leader lies to us?" The man grunted as I worked on his burns.

  "Yes. He has lied to you from the beginning. Know the truth, now. He has no care for the people the Prophet said to protect, feed and clothe. He only has room in his heart for his own ambitions."

  "I leave tonight," the man said as I took my hands away.

  "Good. Convince as many as you can to go with you. Take his targets away. He, his warrior-priests and his army are not true ambassadors of the Prophet, who would be ashamed that they do these things in his name."

  "Wish I read book," he turned his head away.

  "I know. This is something else he has done—to take the Prophet's words away from you, so he might be the sole interpreter of them. He lies."

  "I see. Now."

  "Good. Escape. Live in peace."

  "Thank." He nodded before rising from the dirt floor of his lean-to. "I get ready, now."

  "I'll go to the others who
need help, then."

  He watched me walk away, wondering, no doubt, how and why I'd come to them now. It was something I didn't wish to explain to anyone; the answer was more complicated than most of them would ever understand.

  "Healer, come," the small girl appeared from between hovels, gripping my hand tightly. I went with her.

  Sherra

  By the time we reached Secondary Camp long after nightfall, I only wanted to lay my head on the dining table and sleep. I'd sent Cole home, after inviting him to stay and eat with us. He'd declined and disappeared quickly.

  Caral's sister and two others had stayed in the dining hall, to serve us a cold meal before we collapsed on our beds. I worried I wouldn't be able to return to the palace after eating.

  Therefore, Kerok had come to join us, bringing two bottles of wine with him. He'd eaten hours earlier, so he had a glass of wine while the rest of us ate cold fowl with vegetables.

  We needed baths, too, but that could wait until after the meal. I only wanted to fall in bed, once I was clean.

  "All done?" Kerok asked, pouring glasses of wine for us.

  "Mmmm," Levi grunted around a mouthful of food.

  Yes, I sent weary mindspeak. I'd had to pull energy from my associates, but it got done in a day. If those two troublemakers attempted to cross my shield barrier, from inside or outside, well, I'd prepared for that possibility—for them and for Willa and Narvin.

  Perhaps soon, I'd see whether my hastily prepared spell would work. Yes, I was calling it a spell for lack of a better term, since I was too tired to name it otherwise.

  I had ideas, too, regarding the spies Kaakos had sent against us, but that would require more thought and a great deal of energy.

  I'd need a few days or weeks to consider it, while my strength returned.

  "Come," Kerok folded one of my hands in his. "I think you're finished with your food."

  I was—I'd been staring at nothing while my thoughts chased one another inside my exhausted mind. The moment Kerok pulled me up from my seat at the table, he stepped us away.

  I woke while Kerok dried my skin with a soft towel. He'd joined me in the shower, carefully washing the day's dirt and sweat off me. I'd fallen asleep during the bathing.

  "Let's get you to bed," Kerok murmured against my ear. As he carried me in that direction, I fell asleep again.

  Ny-nes

  North

  The raver was awake and burning everything around him early that morning. Flames sprouted in his hands, as he flung fireball after fireball in a drunken fashion at shacks, lean-tos and hovels.

  That section of the city had been vacated the night before, and Kaakos had wakened early to that fact. As a result, smoke and cinders from the raver's burning billowed high into the sky, to join the soot-and-sludge-filled atmosphere in Kaakos' city.

  Even the warrior-priests cowered far behind the raver as he set fire to anything that would burn. From a distance, past smoldering piles of ash and debris, I watched the conflagration.

  At least these had heeded my warning to get away under cover of darkness. Kaakos likely believed his citizens harbored me somewhere, and that perhaps I'd gotten away, running with them when they escaped.

  "Stop there." A new voice made me jerk my head in the raver's direction. Who would shout at a raver, thinking he would listen? Someone who didn't care if he died perhaps? It was a male's voice, that was certain. When the smoke cleared enough that I could see, I blinked in disbelief.

  A mountain of a man stood before the raver, untouched, as the raver tossed fireballs at him, one after another.

  He'd shielded himself, this one. How that was possible, I had no idea. I had no doubt that his shield would fall and fall soon, when Kaakos got wind that someone stood in his way.

  "Who are you?" A warrior-priest strode forward, demanding an answer from the one who blocked the raver's efforts.

  "You don't need to know, worm," the man hissed.

  "No!" A woman's voice shouted as a light appeared not far away.

  Too late; the one who'd shielded himself sent a massive fireball at the raver and his attending warrior-priests.

  All but the raver died a fiery death, because the raver could step away and did so, leaving his priests to scream and burn to ash behind him. Another flash of light occurred, then, and the one who'd destroyed the priests also disappeared, leaving me more puzzled than I'd been earlier.

  Until the voice came in my mind.

  Her voice. She'd remained behind, and hidden herself behind a shield, much as I had.

  He'll get himself killed, if he's not careful, she spat. Next time, do me a favor and get him away before this happens again.

  How did you know? I fumbled for a reply.

  Just as I saw your light, you can see mine.

  Who? I thought to ask.

  Arresh, her answer echoed in my head.

  Sherra

  "Are you all right?" Kerok set a cup of tea and the familiar, small folded paper filled with marching draught on my bedside table. I sat up in bed, my head in my hands. My dreamwalker had broken the law, and I hadn't known about it until now.

  "Kerok?" My voice sounded small. Guilty.

  "What is it, my love?" He sat on the side of the bed before handing the tea to me, his fingers gently wrapping mine around the cup. I felt chilled—the warmth of the mug was more than welcome.

  "I ah, well, my ah, dreamwalker broke the law," I mumbled, my admission filled with shame and remorse. I set the tea on the bedside table before covering my eyes with both hands, which now trembled. I was such a fool, and a terrified fool on top of that.

  "Tell me." He pulled my hands away from my face.

  "I—she—sent Garkus to Ny-nes. He fried six warrior-priests early this morning, before I could send him back to his work in the palace. I don't think that's why we sent him there."

  Kerok ducked his head while he rolled his shoulders to keep knots from forming there. "We didn't know how he got there, but we knew he was there," Kerok lifted his head to search my eyes with his. "Adahi heard it from Kyri. For now, only Hunter, Barth, Adahi, Doret, you and I know this. I'd prefer it stay that way."

  "You're not mad?"

  "I am. A little," he dropped his gaze. "I don't know why your dreamwalker wanted it kept a secret, but we'll keep that secret for now. Love, drink your tea. Use the marching draught if it's necessary. We have to catch up on yesterday's duties that went undone."

  "I know." Lifting the cup, I sipped my tea and wondered how in the first escort's name my dreamwalker could keep such secrets from me. A part of me was terrified she'd do it again. Another part worried that she'd kept something from me this time, too. All I recalled was the attempt to stop Garkus, before sending him back to the palace.

  Kerok likely felt the same as I—that my dreamwalker would do this again. I worried I'd lose his trust, and that was the last thing I wanted.

  "I'll take this with me, in case I need it later," I shoved the envelope of marching draught in a pocket after breakfast.

  Kerok nodded; he and I left the suite together, to begin our day.

  Ny-nes

  Kaakos

  Six warrior-priests, including my mindspeaker, dead. This healer was stronger than I imagined. It infuriated me that he'd somehow built shields to hold off my raver's fireblasts. I'd have to give better instructions to the raver next time, before leaving his mind to attend to other things.

  I needed another mindspeaker, and there weren't any.

  There is one in Az-ca, I recalled. Perhaps I should leave things in the hands of Narvin, his escort and the two new ones from now on. Yes, I would give that serious thought while I sent more warrior-priests and my raver into the city again.

  I hadn't killed servants this time; I'd only blasted furniture to cinders. Perhaps I was becoming more patient as my adversary revealed himself. It left my mind clearer, to make plans to destroy him.

  My raver, sitting in a corner of my study, growled as he shifted his position. "Q
uiet," I ordered amiably. "You'll bring justice to me soon enough."

  Kyri

  What the fuck were you thinking? I nearly blasted Garkus' brain cells with mindspeak as we carried out our duties in Kaakos' kitchen. He'd been forced to tell me what he'd done, because he wanted to know who or what had tried to stop him from killing the raver.

  He'd only heard the voice and seen the flash of light nearby, just before he'd leveled a blast against the raver and six warrior-priests. The priests died—the raver escaped by stepping away.

  Garkus thought it could be the healer's voice he'd heard. I had a different idea. The fact that Garkus could have been seen only ramped up my worries. Were you the one who killed Aspe? I demanded as that thought came to me.

  He refused to reply.

  Fucking hell, I shouted at him mentally. You'll kill us and Az-ca too.

  I didn't kill him, he finally mumbled. I wanted to, but even I know not to send a note with the body.

  My shoulders sagged as I considered his words.

  We have one mission here, I hissed at him. We kill Kaakos. Until that opportunity presents itself, we stay away from his notice. And the notice of anyone else, is that clear? If it isn't, I'll send mindspeak to Arresh myself, and ask her to remove you from Ny-nes. I imagine your jail cell is still waiting in the King's City, don't you?

  Fine, he acquiesced. He still sounded belligerent, however.

  Remember, it's follow my rules or go back to the King's judgment, I told him.

  He didn't reply, but I could hear the increased whacks of his cleaver as he tore into a haunch of meat across the kitchen.

  Sherra

  Armon and Misten joined me at Cole's cabin, before training with the young ones began.

  Both were fresh; I was more than weary.

  Doret tells me the young ones have been sneaking into Kyri's library, to find books to read. They're returning them and exchanging what they've read for others, a brief smile touched Cole's mouth while he sent mindspeak.