The Poison Within

by Rachel Marie Pearcy

  “You’re sure Gavin’s in the Cape?” Thane asked, stroking the small fire. “I don’t want to get up there and find out he’s hiding down in Asta.”

  “As sure as I can be,” Rya answered. “The last rumors I heard were that he works a fishing vessel.”

  “If he’s been alive this whole time,” Norell added, “why wouldn’t he just come back to the Isles? Why would he stay hidden?”

  “If you’d met Gerrod you’d want to stay away too. I’m assuming when he was taken, Kasen fed him some story that’s kept him from returning. Gavin was only fifteen when he disappeared, and he was a sweet boy. Everything about him contradicted who his father had become. He was gentle and caring, but he was also naïve, the type that would believe almost anything you told him. It’s why Kasen wanted him, he was an easy target to manipulate.

  “That’s good,” Thane nodded. “If what you’re saying is true, we shouldn’t have a hard time convincing him to come with us.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure,” Rya replied. “I can tell you from experience that a few years can do a lot to alter a person. We have no idea what kind of man he’s become.”

  “Alright,” Cam nodded. “All we have to do is travel to the Cape, find the lost prince, talk him into trusting us, return to the forest, stop a war, and take back your crown. Anything else?”

  “Nope,” Rya answered. “I think that’s all of it.”

  Cam smiled at her, the same sweet gentle smile she always had reserved for Rya. “Sounds easy enough to me.”

  Twenty-One

  Limbs overlapped and twisted around each other as the bodies sprawled out across the bare cabin floor. Full bellies mixed with the warm glow of the fire had lulled them all into a deep sleep, making them unaware of the danger lurking just outside. They failed to wake for the footsteps in the brush, or the whinny of the horses that were tied up nearby. It wasn’t until the door’s noisy hinges cried out that anyone moved at all.

  Cam was the first to rise, bolting upright as the door smacked into her ankle. She blinked twice, unable to register the face staring down at her. As her mind caught up with her eyes she gasped.

  “What are you doing here?” She cried out.

  Her shout woke Thane, and his hand was on the hilt of his sword before his lids had opened. He pulled the blade free, but Rya had been quicker. Her hand shot out in front of her and a blazing ball of orange light flew at the man’s chest, knocking him onto his back. He landed with a thud, rolling side to side, gasping for air while the magic dissipated over him.

  Cam was on her feet now, weapons in hand. Her attention shifted to the glimpse of movement in the bushes outside, and a familiar voice screamed at the accomplice.

  “You idiot,” Nix yelled from somewhere among the trees. “I told you to wait for my signal.”

  She was out the door in a flash, with Rya on her heels. The girls stood back to back in the clearing in front of the cabin, searching the surrounding area, only to find it empty. Leaves rustled from the branches above, and Cam released an arrow towards the sound. Then another shuffle from a nearby tree, followed by another arrow. Both failed to hit their mark, and they were left with only silence. Once again, the assassin slipped from their grasp and disappeared into the forest without a trail.

  The anger burned in Cam’s cheeks, and she huffed short quick breathes as she stormed back inside. Thane had the man pressed against the wall next to the door, his blade resting against the traitor’s fat neck.

  “Ruben,” Cam growled. She squatted down in front of him, her eyes burning into his. “What are you doing here? And what are you doing with that assassin?”

  He remained silent.

  “Explain yourself at once,” she shouted.

  Thane’s sword hovered above the man’s flesh, brushing his stubble with each breath Ruben took. Despite the weapon kissing his neck, he didn’t seem bothered by the situation, or the dangerous way they were staring at him. It was only when Rya returned to the cabin that he showed any fear, and his eyes grew wide at the sight of her.

  “I knew she would hurt us with her magic,” he stammered, pointing a pudgy finger in Rya’s direction. “She’s tried to kill me, you all saw it. She’s dangerous and out of control.”

  “You were teaming up with a Kael assassin,” Cam barked back. She couldn’t control the rage in her voice, nor did she want to. “You led him right to us. You’ve been working with him the whole time, haven’t you?”

  “I was doing what was right for the Ashen people. I was protecting my kingdom as I swore to do when I took the armor.”

  “No,” Cam shouted. “You swore to follow your king, and you betrayed him. You betrayed us all. A real man of my father’s army would follow his king’s decision. He would obey the orders of his princess. You only did what you wanted. You stopped being one of the Ashen when you sided with Nix.”

  “That’s not true,” he argued. “I’m loyal to King Mikkel and all the Ashen people. You’ve just been blinded by her magic. You’ve been made to think she’s worth saving. We can still make this right. We can take her to Nix, or Father Kasen. They’ll be happy to take her, and they’ll leave the Ashen alone.”

  “How much did they offer you?” Rya asked, stepping forward. The man’s lip quivered as he tried to think of an answer. “That’s why you’re really here, isn’t it? If it was about doing the right thing, you would have simply given our location to Nix and washed your hands of it. If you’re out here actively hunting us down with one of the Kael, you’ve been promised a portion of the prize. Tell me, how much is your betrayal worth in gold?”

  Ruben stammered through some sounds, unable to form real words. Thane pressed the cold tip of his blade to his skin, and a small dot of red formed on the surface.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Cam said, shaking her head. She stood up, turning away from the man she once trusted, speaking only to the others now. “He’ll never get whatever they promised him, and he’ll never return to the castle.”

  “You can’t—" he screamed. He jumped upwards, grabbing for the princess as she turned to face him once more. He’d forgotten Thane’s sword was still pressed against his flesh until it was too late. He’d barely reached his feet when his hands clapped against his throat, covering the stream of blood that ran down the front of him.

  Thane took a step back, looking to Cam with sorrowful eyes, but she was unwavering in her anger. Ruben gargled incoherent sounds with his hands desperately clasped around his neck before falling back to the floor, this time face down and unmoving. The red liquid spread, outlining the motionless form that rested at their feet.

  “I didn’t—” Thane stuttered. “I was just—”

  “I know,” Cam replied. She stared down at the man, remembering the dozens of hunts they’d been on together. Looking at his limp body she could only think of how she pitied the animals’ lives they’d taken more than she did his. “He killed himself, one way or another. Once my father found out he was working with the Kael, he would have been marked for death. If anything, he got off lucky; this way he didn’t suffer long.”

  No one said a word. They all stood looking down at the crimson puddle.

  “We need to get moving,” Cam said, breaking the silence. “Nix knows we’re here. We can’t stay any longer.”

  Snapped from the stillness of Ruben’s death, Rya grabbed Sora by the arm, dragging him around the blood and out the door to ready the horses. Thane walked over to the torn-up bedding and wiped the red off his sword before returning it to his sheath. Norell was still frozen, her wide eyes transfixed on the body.

  “Come on,” Thane whispered, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “It’s time to go.”

  Left alone, Cam knelt next to the body, and with a grunt she rolled Ruben over onto his back. She studied the creases of his face before glaring at his cold dead eyes. She’d known him all her life. He’d eaten at their table. He’d sent his daughter for schooling with Norell. He had been a regular soldier in the army unt
il he was promoted to the royal guard, making him one of the men trusted to protect her. Now, he was dead.

  “Rya’s fate wasn’t your choice,” she sighed, knowing his ears would never hear her. “I made that decision when I brought her to the castle, and no one is changing my mind.”

  Miles passed without a word spoken between the group. Each of them silent as they got lost in their own thoughts, each processing what had happened in their own way.

  Rya felt Sora’s arms around her waist, tighter than they’d been before. He was no stranger to witnessing death, and she knew it wasn’t the body they’d left behind that caused him worry. It was the thought of letting her go again. His embrace was a silent promise that he’d always be by her side. Part of her wanted him to hold on forever, but another piece of her heart wanted to send him away. She needed to protect him like she couldn’t before and sending him back to Mikkel would keep him safe, but she knew it would never happen. He’d follow her to the ends of Kelda now that he’d found her, and she couldn’t deny him the one thing he so desperately wanted.

  The sun disappeared into the western sea, and night was falling on top of them. Camp would not be in the safety of a cabin, but under the open sky and nestled between the crowded trees. The blankets were huddled around a small fire Thane had started, each begging for the bit of warmth the logs put out. Dinner had been a few scraps of leftover meat and a roll toasted over the flames; it was just enough to keep them full until morning.

  “I think we need to sleep in shifts,” Cam suggested. “I don’t want to give Nix another chance to surprise us like earlier.”

  “Do you think he’ll be back so soon?” Sora asked.

  “I think if he has a chance to get to Rya, he’ll take it. The only upside is he knows he’s heavily outnumbered and has lost the only ally he had. Even a Kael assassin has his limits.”

  “They’ve always scared me,” the boy admitted. “I grew up hearing stories about how horrible they are, and Lady Wilma would threaten to sell us to the Kael when we were misbehaving. I had never seen one though, until that one showed up in the Isles dressed in all black from head to toe. The only thing I could see was his cold eyes piercing into me. It was frightening.”

  “I didn’t realize he was following you from the beginning,” Cam said, looking at Rya. “I thought Kasen hired him after you fled as a way to track you down.”

  “Kasen knew he could never attack me on my own ground, even with some of soldiers backing him. He set up a ruse, having me summoned to the guard house to break up some fake dispute. Nix was lying in wait on the roof and, as I approached the building, he dropped down on top of me. His dagger had been knocked from his grip, so I reached out to fire some magic at him, but he was ready for it. He grabbed a nearby log and swung hard at my arm, shattering my wrist. After that, I was defenseless. I was only able to escape because half the army was unaware of the treason and, in the confusion of who was fighting who, I slipped away. Nix wasn’t far behind and tracked me all the way to the Ashen Forest. You know the rest.”

  Rya hung her head. She was tired, but it wasn’t physical. Her head and her heart were in a constant battle, and the internal war was wearing her down. If it was this hard for her, she couldn’t imagine the conflict brewing inside Cam.

  “I’ll take the first shift,” Cam offered.

  “I’ll sit with you,” Rya added. She rolled her eyes at the other’s surprised faces. “It’ll be easier for us to stay awake if we’re in pairs. Sora still needs to heal, so I think he should be allowed to sleep the whole night. Thane and Norell can take the second shift.”

  “Alright,” Thane nodded. Try as he might, he couldn’t hide the sly smile from Rya. “You two wake me and Norell when the moon reaches overhead. Sora, I want you to sleep as much as you can.” The boy opened his mouth but Thane was quick to add, “and no arguing. Just rest.”

  The girls positioned themselves against the trunk of a nearby tree, ready for a long night. They were beyond the reach of the fire’s light, but Rya could see the glow reflecting in Cam’s eyes, and the familiar flutter she tried to suppress rose up again.

  “Thank you,” Cam whispered, not wanting to disturb the others. She laid her head against the bark, her hands resting on her bow and arrow.

  “For what?” Rya replied. Her weapons were hidden, waiting under the surface of her skin until they were needed.

  “Sitting with me. You didn’t have to do that.”

  “It’s my fault you’re out here. It would make me pretty evil if I had you sit up all night alone?”

  “You’re not evil.” Her voice had switched to the smooth tone she got when she was going to say something serious, and Rya braced herself. “I know you want people to think you are. You want them to believe you’re tough and powerful, which is true, but there’s more to you than that. I’ve seen the parts you keep hidden, the ones you’re so scared of. I’ve seen that soft caring center you guard behind your hard edges. I could never consider you evil.”

  Rya dropped her gaze, staring at her hands folded neatly in her lap. It was the way she’d been taught as a child, the way pretty girls sat and obeyed. “There’s a lot you don’t know.” She sighed. “If you heard it all, you wouldn’t feel the same way about me as you do now.”

  “Would you feel different about me?” Cam asked. “If I told you that I wasn’t sad to see Ruben dead on the ground, would you think differently of me? If you knew that I’d never considered taking a man’s life before that moment, would it change the way you feel?”

  “No, never,” Rya answered without missing a beat. “But you wanting the man who betrayed your family and your kingdom to die isn’t the same as what lies in my past. Not all my actions were honorable, and what’s worse is that I don’t regret the last few years. If I could take it all back, or change all the choices I made, I wouldn’t. It might make me a monster, but I believe the people I hurt got exactly what they deserved.”

  “Then we aren’t that different after all,” Cam shrugged. “Because I believe that’s exactly what happened to Ruben.”

  Twenty-Two

  With each day that passed, the wind grew colder. The leaves overhead barely clung to the naked branches of the trees. Winter grabbed hold of the north much earlier than the rest of Kelda and lasted well past its welcome. Just as Rya expected, the group had left with only the clothes on their back and none were prepared for the dropping temperatures. The thin coats they’d expected to make for better travel did little to shield them from the icy currents that made their home around the mountain range.

  Food was growing light, and the wildlife had retreated underground, or slept burrowed in the tree trunks as they prepared for the long snow. The group still had some dried meat strips, but the bread was gone and the fruit they’d managed to gather was running low. Thane and Cam had taken off into the thinning woods to try and find an animal to hunt, leaving the other three alone at the camp.

  “You’re nearly healed,” Norell smiled, inspecting Sora’s feet. “The herbs did better than I thought they would. I’d say you’ll do just fine with a single bandage now, just to keep your boots from irritating the fresh skin.”

  “Thank you,” Sora smiled.

  “Where did you learn to do all that?” Rya asked, watching as Norell finished wrapping his foot. “If you’re the king’s niece, why would you train to be a mender? You shouldn’t have to work at all with your status.”

  “Not everyone wants to sit around doing nothing,” Norell answered. Rya rolled her eyes at the girl’s response, and Norell sighed. “After my parent wrote to say they were sick, I spent a lot of time with the castle’s mender. I thought if I could learn what he did, maybe I could go save them. It was a stupid thought of a child of course, and by the time the letter reached us they had already passed. That didn’t stop me, and the more time I spent with him, the more I learned. I swore I would be useful, that I would have the skills to help the ones I loved, and that I would never lose anyone again. Of cour
se, when Eirik was born, I discovered there would always be some sickness I can’t cure. Death takes us all in the end, whether we want it to or not.”

  “You might not be able to save everyone,” Rya replied, “but you saved us.”

  Sora smiled and nodded, but Norell kept her eyes on his wrapping, avoiding both his and Rya’s gaze. The queen grew flush, feeling too exposed to them both, and cleared her throat.

  “I mean,” she stammered, “not that it matters to you, since we hate each other.”

  “Right—” Norell smirked. “—since we hate each other.”

  The days continued to blow by, and the group’s spirits were getting lower. Nix was still hiding in the shadows, and the idea of him was enough to keep them tense. They’d been vigilant since their day at the cabin, raising weapons for each snap of a twig or shuffle of leaves, but thankfully they were all false alarms. Rest was becoming as scarce as food and warmth. Each of them was exhausted and struggled to keep their eyes open during their watch, and when time for bed finally came, the ground was as cold as ice and made sleeping through the night difficult.

  Rya had all but given up hope, watching their fallen faces as they rode along, when the light shifted and the trees opened up ahead of her. A blinding white glowed behind the trunks, calling to them.