by Anna Kashina
The moon was shining in through the tent flaps and seams, throwing silvery patches onto the floor. Kara brought her arm into one of them, staring. It took her a moment to come to terms with what she was seeing, to convince herself it was true.
She had expected a burning wound, gaping in the place where the thorn had been. Instead, a black spot marred her arm, level with the surrounding skin with no signs of a wound of any kind. It resembled a downturned triangle, with the sharp end pointing down at her hand. The Kaddim brand mark.
Her stomach clenched as she stared at it, willing for it to disappear.
We’re waiting, Kara.
The voice reverberated in her ears as clearly as if the speaker was standing right behind her shoulder. She spun around, looking into the empty air. No sign of an intruder, not even a shadow against the bright light outside.
Air wafted over her neck, like a sweep of a hand near her skin, just out of touch.
Get ready, Kara.
She froze, the sound of the strange voice fading away, replaced with the dry rustle of sand outside. Footsteps, approaching. Are they real this time? Or is it all inside my head?
“My Queen?” The voice at the tent entrance seemed much more solid than the ones she heard just now. She thought she recognized it. El Rashid, one of her Golden Lion guards.
She took a breath. “What is it?”
“There are people out here to see you, Your Majesty.”
People. Her heart skipped a beat. It was the middle of the night. Everyone should be fast asleep, except for the guards.
For one illogical moment she wondered if the Kaddim had arrived to collect her, if they had somehow managed to put everyone here under their magic spell so that they could whisk her away. But she knew both Kyth and Mai were immune to the Kaddim mind control, and Kyth also had the ability to sense their magic if it was used nearby. Could the Kaddim have somehow disabled them both?
Her mouth felt dry as she jumped up to her feet, glancing over her outfit to make sure she was decent enough to face anyone outside. She strode to the tend flap and threw it open.
Kyth stood beside the doorway, with Egey Bashi, Mai, and several guards crowding behind. The bright desert moon threw sharp shadows over the Prince’s drawn face.
It was the first time she saw him up close since his return from Ayalla’s, and she could see how he had grown, both in power and in stature, as if his experience in the forest had completed his age-coming and turned him into a man. He frowned as he peered at her, his concerned look sending her heart racing again. She wondered at the way his closeness made her feel unsettled, as if the changes going on inside her turned her into an adversary. The Kaddim magic. Is he sensing it on me?
She couldn’t think of anything to say as she stood there, feeling like a thief caught in the act.
Mai reached past the Prince and grasped her arm, pulling up her sleeve as he turned it toward the light. She heard a sharp intake of breath as they all stared at the black triangle branded into her skin.
“When did this happen?” Mai asked.
She swallowed. “Just now. The pain woke me up.”
“Where’s the thorn?”
She glanced over to the edge of the tent. One of the Emeralds rushed in and picked it up, showing it to Kyth and Mai.
“I sense no magic on it,” Kyth said. “It must have lost its power.”
Mai’s look turned glassy as he nodded, his brief glance at Kara freezing her to the spot. He’s suspecting something. I mustn’t let him see what’s happening to me.
“Did you feel anything else?” Egey Bashi asked.
Kara hesitated. “A voice. I heard someone whispering over my shoulder.”
“An intruder?”
She shook her head. “No. Just the voice.”
“What did it say?”
Get ready, Kara. “I… I didn’t hear it clearly enough to distinguish the words.” She was surprised at the ease with which the lie came out of her mouth. Looking at their concerned faces, she also wondered at the sense of detachment she felt. Dear Shal Addim, am I becoming a Kaddim? She focused on Mai, trying to ground herself in the warmth she always felt in his presence, in the fact that she was seeing him again, so close, after such a long time. The concern in his gaze made her shiver, yet, even looking into his eyes she still felt detached – as if she wasn’t fully here anymore. Mai. Have they found a way to come between us?
Do I even know who I am anymore?
“Are you sure you didn’t make out any words at all?” Kyth’s narrowed eyes told her he was suspecting more than any of the others, but she knew she could fool him too, with the way he always cared for her, all but blind to her numerous faults.
She briefly glanced down and batted her eyes at him, knowing that the gesture made her look vulnerable and alluring, rewarded to see his gaze soften in response. “I… I tried. At some point it seemed that they said something about being close, I think. But I really couldn’t understand anything else.”
This lie seemed safe. They all knew they were getting very close to the Kaddim fortress. According to the Cha’idi, their current campsite stood right at the boundary none of their people dared to cross. As far as she heard, their scouts yesterday had spotted a stone wall up ahead, just before the high winds had forced them to abandon the search. Get ready, Kara. She was ready. Before long, she was going to reunite with her brothers.
“I… I don’t feel so well,” she said. “I need to sleep.”
Kyth and Mai exchanged a quick glance.
“Triple the guards,” Mai said to the men watching from the doorway. “I want them stationed all around the tent. If anything in here bloody moves, report to me immediately.”
Kara bowed her head in acknowledgement. She avoided looking at Kyth at all as she stepped back into the tent and closed the flap behind her.
“This is the place,” Mai said.
Kyth narrowed his eyes, looking at the desert ahead. In the stillness that came in the wake of last night’s wind, the sands lay flat like water, the jagged peaks of rocks like reefs rising in between. They grew taller as they ran into the distance, blending with the horizon.
“Where exactly?” he asked.
“Behind those rocks over there. They’ve made good use of the landscape to make sure the stronghold is all but invisible, even from this close.”
“Right.” Kyth glanced at the rest of his party, the Diamonds crowded around Mai like a human shield, the equally huddled group of the Cha’idi beside them, with Ulhari in their midst.
“Did you find out how many there are?” he asked.
Mai’s gaze wavered. “This is a strange thing, actually. All of our information says there’s no steady source of water nearby, only a small spring within the fortress walls that can service no more than a hundred. Yet, my scouts report seeing many more, close to a thousand.”
Kyth’s eyes widened. “How is that possible?”
Mai locked eyes with Egey Bashi standing on Kyth’s other side.
“I offered an explanation Aghat Mai is finding implausible,” the Keeper said.
“What explanation, Magister?”
“If these warriors inside the fortress are undead, they wouldn’t need any water – or food for that matter. In fact, they would make perfect defenders for a desert fortress.”
“Undead?”
“You do know, Prince Kythar, that the Kaddim are capable of resurrection.”
“Yes.”
“Their resurrection, done properly, would create a man indistinguishable from the original. However, a quick version would create only an animated corpse, held together by the Destroyer’s magic. This magic could be channeled through the Kaddim Reincarnate nearly effortlessly, creating a fearless and obedient army that costs almost nothing to keep.”
Kyth slowly let out a sigh. An undead army. Just what we bloody need.
“Can the Majat deal with them?” he asked.
Mai looked at him levelly. “The Magister assured
us these undead warriors would still be vulnerable to our weapons. We just need to make sure we finish the job this time.”
Kyth lowered his head. For once, he felt glad that his part in the battle wouldn’t take him anywhere near those undead, even if the thing he had to do was probably even worse.
“What about Kara?” he asked.
Mai glanced back toward their camp, the small tent in its midst surrounded by so many guards that even a wisp of sand trying to finding its way in would probably be stopped and inspected.
“Is there anything else we can do for her?” Kyth asked.
Mai shrugged. He still didn’t say anything at all.
“At some point,” Egey Bashi said, “this kind of guarding will drain your resources, Aghat Mai.”
“Is there another option, Magister?”
“Drug her, like I suggested before. I have a substance that could send her to sleep, and another one that would revive her with no harmful consequences when the time comes.”
Mai hesitated. “I’d rather ask her first, if we’re to consider something like that.”
“You know she may not be acting like herself anymore, Aghat. Whatever she says, we can’t possibly trust it.”
“Are you suggesting we force her, Magister?”
Kyth shivered as he saw Mai’s determined face. He had made a mistake last night, rushing to Mai when he sensed the Kaddim magic without bringing Ellah along. Had Ellah been there when they confronted Kara in her tent, they would have known for sure if she was hiding something.
He never thought he would see the day he wished that Mai was allowed to share Kara’s tent and her bedroll, an intimate closeness that might have slowed her transformation and kept her loyalties closer to the Majat. He even had a conversation about this with Raishan, the only Diamond he fully trusted, but none of them could see any way to pursue this possibility. And now, without Mai by her side, Kara had no support at all. More, none of them had any way of knowing what was going on with her.
“Let’s go talk to her,” he said.
Mai paused. Kyth was sure he understood the reason for the reluctance in the Diamond’s gaze. If Kara’s Kaddim magic had become too strong, it might be necessary to subdue her with force. Kyth knew Mai wouldn’t hesitate to do it, but he was sure none of them cherished the idea.
“All right,” Mai said.
I can’t wait to see you, Nimos whispered into her ear. Can’t wait for you to take Brother Xados’s place in our midst.
“Me too.” Kara sat up straight, staring unseeingly at the tent wall. It was amazing how, this close to the Kaddim fortress, she was finding a way to be in two places at once. In a short while she would be able to escape the guards Mai had placed around her tent and cover the remaining distance to her waiting brothers. Her skill could make the Kaddim invincible, win the war for them. She couldn’t wait to fully extend her link, to experience the unity with eleven others, sharing their thoughts and skills.
She forced her face into a calm expression as she heard a commotion outside. Probably Kyth and Mai, who just couldn’t find it in themselves to leave her alone. She turned, waiting for them to come in.
Mai crossed the small space of the tent and stopped beside her. “Are you all right?”
“Yes.” Looking into his face stirred an emotion, a longing of a different kind. She dismissed it. This was her lust speaking, the fact that they used to share a bed. Her body still wanted him, but the Kaddim had no use for bodily needs, or giving in to simple animal pleasures.
Mai leaned closer, peering into her face. He looked concerned. And, he still wanted her, plain and clear. Too bad for him.
“We, um, we thought now that we’re so close to the Kaddim fortress and Ayalla’s spell is no longer effective, we should consider other options to make sure you’re safe until the time comes.”
“Other options?” She feigned interest, glancing around the group. Safe. Mai had no idea what he was talking about. She was about to become one of the twelve Kaddim leaders. There was no way Mai and his allies could prevent the inevitable – unless they actually decided to target her with a spider right now. She put on her vulnerable look as she kept Mai’s gaze, to make sure he didn’t entertain the possibility.
“Magister Egey Bashi has a potion that could put you to sleep,” Mai said. “We can use another one to revive you when it’s time.”
A potion. She hesitated. What would the Kara he loved say? “Yes, of course.” Right? She noticed his frown, wondering if she had done it wrong.
You must kill him. He stands in our way. As the voice echoed in her ear, she saw Kyth glance at her sharply, even though she was reasonably sure he couldn’t possibly have heard it. She focused her eyes on Mai.
Ask him to hold you. Use your dagger. If you do it right, he wouldn’t even feel a thing.
“No.” She started as she realized she had said it out loud. The dual conversation was driving her mad. Nimos was asking her to kill Mai. It made sense. So many troubles would be spared if Mai was dead. The Majat army would lose its edge without him as a leader. Yet, as Mai leaned even closer toward her, the animal part of her stirred to life. She longed to feel his arms around her again, to revel in his love. She couldn’t possibly kill him.
He holds his men far above you. If he was in your place, if he had to kill you to win this war, he wouldn’t hesitate.
Kara swallowed, looking into Mai’s concerned face. He was speaking to her. Behind him, Kyth and Magister Egey Bashi raised their voices too, but she just couldn’t focus on the words.
Do it. Act vulnerable. Get him to hold you.
She drew a sharp breath, her lips quivering as she held Mai’s gaze. She didn’t have to pretend much. She did long for him, after all this time of not being allowed near him at all. And she felt so vulnerable right now, her sanity hanging by a very thin thread.
“Mai,” she said quietly. “Can you sit with me? Just for a moment, please.”
He obeyed without hesitation, kneeling on the floor by her side. She leaned toward him, relaxing into his arms, inhaling his natural scent that always made her head spin. Fresh water and pine. Alien smells her body once enjoyed. She shifted, molding into his embrace, the hardness of his sculpted muscles fitting the curves of her body so well. They were meant for each other. In another life, they could have been so close.
Good work. Now, draw your dagger.
She did, taking care not to disturb her position so that he wouldn’t guess the movement at all. She sensed no tension from Mai, no awareness of what she was about to do. This trust in itself was so enormous for an assassin of his training.
Do it, now.
She clenched her dagger.
I said, now.
Her hand twitched, as if about to move on its own accord. She willed it into stillness.
What are you doing, Kara?
I… She paused. She wanted so much to please Nimos, to prove herself to the Kaddim, but the thought of sliding a dagger between Mai’s ribs, feeling his body go limp in her arms, seemed unbearable. She just couldn’t do it.
“Mai!” Kyth screamed, rushing forward to break them up. “Get away from her!”
Her head felt as if pierced by a thousand needles, the pain sending her crouching to the floor. Mai and Kyth were arguing above her, their voices hollow and indistinct, as if they weren’t standing right next to her. Then the Majat closed in around Mai, drawing him away. She rolled into a ball against the disabling pain, but someone pulled her shoulder to flip her over. Strong hands pried her arm away from her chest, so that everyone could now see the dagger she was clenching.
The tent broke into chaos, but all she could see was Mai’s face, staring at her in disbelief, as if she had actually stabbed him.
She rose to her knees, shaking off the grasping hands.
“Get the hell out of here,” she snarled. “All of you. Now!”
38
Breakout
In the end, they had to force the potion into her mouth, tw
o Diamonds holding her down, others decisively planted between her and Mai. Kyth stared down at her, dumbfounded. He couldn’t believe what had just happened, even though he witnessed it with his own eyes. Kara, turning on Mai, trying to stab him with a concealed dagger. The truth of it simply didn’t fit into his head.
When Kara’s eyes finally closed and her limbs relaxed, Mai ordered her release, but all the Diamonds in his force stood around her for a while, tense as if bracing for a new attack. When she didn’t show any signs of life, besides the shallow breathing that Egey Bashi assured them was normal, they eventually started filing out of the tent one by one. Mai remained, standing still like a statue.
“Mai,” Kyth said quietly. “We must go. I don’t think there’s anything else we can do for her right now.”
“She will be asleep for at least four hours,” Egey Bashi added. “This leaves us enough time to plan the attack. We’ll give her a new dose before she fully awakens, so that we can avoid another ordeal.”
Mai glanced around dazedly, as if he had just woken up.
“You are right,” he said. “There is nothing we can do, except get the bloody bastard who did this to her.”
Kyth sighed. He thought Mai had passed the swearing stage a while ago, when Kara’s Golden Lion guards started calling for help. The fact that he was swearing again hopefully meant Mai was coming back to his usual self, even if Kyth couldn’t escape the feeling that it would take time to see the return of the efficient and brilliant commander they needed for the next stage of the march. To win the upcoming battle, Mai had to be at his best, and being nearly stabbed by the woman he loved and then having to oversee her ordeal certainly didn’t help.
“She will be all right.” He wished he could believe it. Ayalla had mentioned the possibility that if Kara was too far gone by the time they destroyed the Kaddim – given that they managed to do that at all – the spiders were going to kill her too, a scenario he was never going to bring up to anyone else. They were going to be on time, he told himself firmly. After Mai recovered from the shock, he was going to lead a campaign just as successfully as he always did, obliterating the Kaddim’s cult once and for all.