"I should never have placed the shield around Sherra's room."
He'd just spoken aloud what I'd castigated myself for the past few hours. Had I allowed Sherra's dreamwalker to roam, Merrin may have been contained, or a warning given of the threat Ruarke presented.
I hesitated over Thorn's Book, and what damage it could cause in Ruarke's hands. So far, questions hadn't been asked about those two together.
Important questions.
Questions neither I, Adahi nor Doret wanted to answer.
"You want to tell her, don't you? That she's a dreamwalker." I pulled two cups from the cupboard and set them on the counter.
"She needs to know, Kyri. A dreamwalker can find themselves in danger, if proper warning isn't given."
"Too many things to worry about, and all too close together," I said. "We'll tell her tomorrow. Want tea?"
"Please."
* * *
King's Palace
Sherra
I was still angry with Kerok. He was still angry with me. I suppose it was a fair and even distribution of anger between us. We also had five needless deaths to consider, plus a wounded man in the training camp infirmary.
Kerok found me pacing inside Pottles' suite after the meeting.
"Sherra, please come with me to the infirmary," his voice was even and held no anger. My head jerked up and my eyes met his across the room.
He's actually behaving like an adult, Pottles sent mindspeak.
Then I have to be an adult, too, I replied.
"Is the scout conscious?" I asked Kerok.
"Hunter says yes. Let's ask questions." He held out a hand.
Unsure whether I wanted his touch, I hesitated before placing my hand in his when I reached the doorway where he stood. Without a pause, he raised my hand to his lips and kissed the black rose tattoo.
Choosing not to speak, he walked me along the hallway, my hand still in his as he sought the stairs to take us to the ground floor of the palace. Once outside in the courtyard, I imagined he'd step us to the infirmary.
Halfway down the first flight of steps, Kerok stopped and turned to me.
"My rose, I love you too much to argue-especially tonight. Consider that I am only a man, no matter what title others give me. As a man, I will make mistakes. I beg you to overlook as many as you can, and accept my apologies for those you cannot."
In the dim light illuminating the steps, I reached out with my free hand to touch the scar on his face. "I'm sorry, too," I said. "It's just-other things are so important right now."
"I know, and I'll try to do better next time."
"Kerok?"
"What, my love?"
"This." I stood on tiptoes to kiss him.
* * *
Kerok
"I knew him-the one who tried to kill me," Harel, the surviving scout, confessed. He was sitting up in bed, his arms and torso wrapped in bandages from the burns he'd received. "I think he almost pulled the blast back because of that, so I only got burned instead of killed."
"I take it you stepped away quickly before he could change his mind?" I asked.
"Yes, my Prince. My arms, chest and the front of my legs are burned. The physician says he is hopeful for a recovery, although there will be scars."
"Can you give me the name of the one who harmed you? For the record?"
"Yes. Narvin is his name. I assume his escort is there with him."
"Her name?" Sherra asked.
"Willa."
"Did you see any of the others?" I asked.
"No. The landings are too far apart, as you know. I only saw two other fireblasts before I was attacked and stepped away."
"You did well," I nodded. "Thank you for answering questions. Is there anything we can do for you?"
"Hope for a swift healing," Harel sighed. "Burns can be tricky things. As a former warrior, I know this as well as anyone."
What is he saying? Sherra silently asked.
He probably won't live through the night; the burns are likely too deep. For now, he's in shock. His body won't be able to handle the damage, my rose.
She stood there, straight and tall, gazing at Harel. "May the winds bless you," she said. "May the sun watch over you. May the earth carry you, now and always."
It was an old blessing-for births, deaths and other occasions. Like Sherra, I felt it was warranted. Harel closed his eyes and nodded his gratitude.
* * *
Sherra
"I think he knew-even when he said that the physicians hoped he'd recover," I breathed when we left the infirmary behind. We found ourselves walking for a distance instead of stepping back to the palace courtyard.
My left hand was enveloped by Kerok's again as we walked, although he remained silent. He nodded to acknowledge my words, but appeared lost in thought.
He'd likely seen so many deaths through the years, and not just those of black rose escorts. As for Merrin, I could only imagine what Kerok thought of his treasonous acts. It made me think of the old riddle that Pottles told me-the one about evil murderers and whether you'd be willing to kill someone like that early in their life, when you knew they'd commit heinous acts in the future.
"I wish we could storm Northeast Outpost and just-you know," I waved my free hand in a helpless gesture.
"Shhh," Kerok pulled me closer and stepped us to the courtyard. At least he waited until we were up the stairs and the door of his suite was shut to pull my clothing away and kiss whatever he uncovered.
* * *
Northeast Outpost
Merrin
"Did you get the book back?" Plicton set his mug of beer down on the mess hall table where I sat, my feet propped on the table's surface.
"No. But I didn't ask for it, yet."
"That belongs to the royal house of Az-ca, you know."
"What do you suggest I do about it?"
"Ask for it. Why does Ruarke need it, anyway? It isn't as if he can do what you can do with the instructions in it."
"My thoughts exactly," I lifted my own mug and saluted him with it before drinking. "Do you think there are any girls or women among the villagers we could have fun with tonight?"
"There are a few I've had my eye on," Plicton agreed. "I'm not sure about getting them into our quarters, though-those damn clerics are everywhere."
"I can blast them if they try to stop us."
"I'm not sure that's a good idea-to anger our allies so soon."
"When do you think Ruarke's army will get here?" I asked. "I really want to see the look on Thorn's face when that happens."
"I hope Thorn's dead by that time," Plicton huffed and drank more beer. "That means you'll already have the King's City. We don't care what happens to the peasants, now do we?"
"Not even a little," I laughed. That's when a cold wind swept through the mess hall, making me shiver.
"What the hell was that?" Plicton scooted his chair back. It was summer in Az-ca, and as hot as it usually was this time of year. A cold wind wasn't possible. This had felt-frigid.
On a table farther away, a napkin left behind lifted for a moment as the wind passed it, too.
"What the hell?" Plicton growled before striding in the wind's direction.
Rising from my chair, I cautiously followed Plicton. Perhaps he wasn't concerned by something so unusual but I, even half-drunk, was alarmed. If this were something formed by an enemy from the outside, it should have triggered my perimeter divination.
No alarms had sounded in my mind.
A memory rose unbidden, then.
The phantom. I hadn't bothered to hide myself lately, depending solely on the perimeter divination to protect me well enough.
"Plicton," I shouted after him, but he was already on his way into the kitchen. That's when I ran after him, forming a fireball in my hands as I went.
* * *
King's Palace
Kerok
Sherra leaned back in my arms with a satisfied sigh. I'd sent mindspeak to Hunter, asking him to h
ave wine delivered and left outside my door. I'd just gone to retrieve it and the glasses, before pouring wine for both of us and settling on the bed again.
"It's the connecting," I brushed Sherra's cheek with my lips. "That's why it's so," I hesitated, looking for the proper word.
"Consuming?" Sherra leaned back and smiled at me.
"That's sufficient," I agreed. "It doesn't happen for everyone-just those who were meant to be, I think."
"Do I have to keep cutting my hair?" she asked as I lifted a strand of dark curls over her ear.
"No." I pulled her against me again. "Sometimes, being with me has its advantages." I didn't tell her that Grae had asked for-and received-the same benefit. That was so long ago, and too many things had happened since then.
"Drink your wine, love, then we need sleep," I yawned. "We've stayed up far too late as it is."
"Whose fault is that?" I didn't fail to hear the humor in her words.
"I take full responsibility, and it was worth every second of lost sleep. Why do you ask?" I teased her gently.
"I just wanted to hear you say it," she said.
* * *
Northeast Outpost
Merrin
The kitchen was filled with a freezing, opaque mist, and I hesitated at the doorway. So far, it was contained within the kitchen, and I wasn't willing to enter.
Plicton was nowhere to be seen, and there was no noise from his moving about. "Plicton?" I called his name aloud. There was no answer.
What should I do? I still held the small fireball in my hands, and could make it larger whenever I wished.
Fire destroys frost, my addled brain informed me. Without another thought, I built my fireball until it was more than large enough to destroy what lay before me.
I let it loose with a shout for my enemy, the phantom, to die in my fire.
Thorn always said, never employ power when you're drunk. For once, I should have listened to him.
Chapter 12
King's Palace
Kerok
Sherra and I leapt off the bed from a dead sleep when someone pounded on my outer door.
Pulling a robe from a nearby chair, I ran for the door while Sherra searched for clothing behind me.
Hunter, looking disheveled, stood outside. "Northeast Outpost is on fire," he said.
It couldn't be Garkus this time; he'd been relieved of his power and was still in the lockup.
"What the bloody hell happened?" I turned to search for clothing, only to find that Sherra had gathered pants, shirt and boots for me and held them out. How she'd dressed so quickly I couldn't guess, but she had.
"One of the warriors we posted came to report it," Hunter said, following me while I dressed in haste. "He and his escort are downstairs, in case you want to speak with them."
"I want to go to Northeast Outpost," I growled.
"I'll shield us," Sherra said.
"My rose?"
"I can hide us, Kerok. It'll be easy. We should probably tell the others there to pull back, just in case."
"I'll send mindspeak on your command," Hunter offered.
"Then it's given," I said. "Send for Armon and Weren. What's the word on the hostages?"
"None were seen escaping," Hunter grimaced.
"First warrior knows what's happening to them," I hissed. "Sherra, are you ready?"
"Yes."
"Let's go, then." I stepped us away.
* * *
Sherra
We landed on a high outcropping, far away from the burning outpost. My shield protected us well enough from the uneven surface-I'd shaped the outer bubble shield to conform with the surface, while holding Kerok and myself inside a safer, inner shield. Both shields were mirrored, in case someone was near enough to see.
By this time, the entire outpost was ablaze; it didn't take much to burn dry wood in the summer-the evidence lay on the valley floor below us, with flames shooting high into the sky.
"What the fuck happened?" Kerok growled. He was furious at this turn of events.
"I don't think somebody decided to do as Garkus did, this time," I told him.
"Why? How do you know?" he demanded.
"Because the walls are only half burned all around, while the inner buildings are nearly gone," I pointed out. "I'd say the fire started near the center. Garkus blasted the walls first, remember?"
"True," Kerok considered my words. "Do you think there are survivors?"
"I don't know if the villagers escaped, if that's what you're asking," I said. "As for Merrin and Ruarke, those two can get away easily."
"And where they'll end up is anybody's guess."
"Yes." My shoulders sagged at the truth of his statement. At least we'd known where they were-until now.
"I don't think there's anything left to save," he said. "I'll keep the warrior and escort spies here until daylight, and we'll search the remains of the outpost for bodies. At this point, I think that's all we can accomplish."
"I think I can place a shield over it, and cut off the air feeding the fire," I suggested.
Kerok turned toward me; I could only see the outline of his face in the light of a half-moon overhead and the blazing fire in the distance.
"Do it," he said.
He watched as I sent power toward the outpost, covering the entire compound in a domed shield and then reducing it quickly.
We observed as the fire dissipated and died in a matter of minutes.
* * *
Ruarke
"It was time to move anyway," I waved away Merrin's concern over his fireblasts setting the outpost ablaze. I didn't express condolences for his accidental blasting of Plicton-the man was beginning to annoy me anyway.
My freezing mist spell had performed perfectly, too-Merrin, in his drugged stated, believed it to be the work of some vigilante called the phantom, and I allowed him his fantasies.
Besides, camping on the other side of the border would ensure that Ny-nes' army could find us easily when they arrived. A raid on the nearest supply outpost would also ensure that we had enough food to last until the army joined us.
As for the villagers, I sent half of them to Kaakos for public executions. The other half remained with us, in case we needed to send messages to the King's City.
I only kept two young ones; the warrior boys. The rest of the children went to Kaakos. He'd be more than willing to do what needed to be done with that lot.
"We can find another outpost-I know where they all are," Merrin suggested.
"No, we stay here, remember?" Perhaps I should reduce the amount of the drug he was getting-it addled his brain too easily. The other warriors and former Council members willingly followed his lead, and the escorts were too frightened to do anything other than to serve the men.
All of which worked perfectly for me. For now, I left the warriors' power intact-in case I wanted to use it in some way. They were under the drug's influence and were easily manipulated.
Things were going quite well, actually, and Kaakos, in mindspeak, had expressed his appreciation for my efforts.
As for Thorn's Book-I couldn't wait to explore more of the talents and spells I'd found inside it. The freezing mist was a work of genius, after all, and it had been carefully explained in the book.
Merrin had no idea what treasure had fallen into his hands-the perimeter divination had been the simplest of its secrets to create.
* * *
King's City
Kerok
"The only body we found was Gram Plicton's," Barth slid onto a chair in my study with a weary sigh. He'd had to touch the crusted ash of it-I knew without asking-just to determine who it was.
"So. They're elsewhere, now, and nobody has an idea where that could be."
"I got nothing from Gram's body, other than Merrin fireblasted him to death. I did get confusing divination from a few metal objects in the kitchen around the body, however."
"What's that?"
"A feeling of intense cold-before Merrin
fired his foolish blasts. I also got something else from Plicton-a confusion, as if he'd been drunk when he died."
"Perhaps he and Merrin had a disagreement about their new overlord," I snorted.
"No idea-I only found confusion in Plicton's reading."
"He must have been very drunk, then, for you not to see past it."
"Just what I was thinking."
"Did you find anything belonging to the enemy to divine-that we might use against him?"
"Nothing yet, although we still have troops sifting through the ashes."
"Do you think this was planned in any way?"
"I didn't get that feel from anything I touched," Barth shrugged. "Everything so far points to it being a drunken brawl that went wrong."
"I always told Merrin not to employ power after drinking."
"When did Merrin ever heed good advice?"
"True enough. At least Plicton is no longer a worry."
"True enough."
* * *
Secondary Camp
Sherra
Training was the last thing on my mind when I arrived at Secondary Camp for breakfast. Neither Kerok nor I had slept again after watching the fire die at Northeast Outpost.
The latest word from Barth was that Merrin had foolishly blasted Plicton and set the entire post ablaze. Kerok sent mindspeak shortly before I left, while I was dressing and he was meeting with Barth, Hunter and Kage over breakfast. He had also planned a visit with his father afterward.
I wondered what they'd discuss instead of current events.
"You're miles away this morning," Armon said, pushing my tea mug closer to my elbow. "Drink that. It'll help after a long night spent awake."
"Your eggs are getting cold," Levi added. Caral, sitting next to Armon at the table, nodded her agreement.
"I know. At least no villagers died in the fire last night. I can't help but feel-strange about the whole thing anyway."
"Strange how?" Misten asked. She lifted her roll and set it on Levi's plate-she'd never been as fond of bread as he was.
"I feel a remnant, I suppose, of the hatred I felt when the enemy army was here before they were destroyed," I said. "I can't really explain it better than that, and I didn't get that feel yesterday. I suppose it could be because I'm tired and my shield may be weaker."
Rose and Thorn: Black Rose Sorceress, Book 2 Page 15