The Dreg Trilogy Omnibus

by Bethany Hoeflich

  “The sea will run dry before I ever trust that backstabbing rogue again.”

  23

  At dawn, Mara leapt from her bedding and hurried through the tent, tripping over a sleeping body. She snagged a round bun from a basket on a nearby table and stuffed it in her mouth, not tasting it as she chewed. Opal said they would begin training this morning, and she didn’t want to be late. Two guards stationed at the entrance of the tent jerked in alarm as she barreled past. Mara threw a wave over her shoulder and they relaxed. No doubt someone had informed them of their arrival.

  Morning here seemed cold and distant, as though the world had tacked it on as an afterthought. And the land was bleak and white. Too white. But as the sun crested over the distant mountains, casting the snow-covered landscape in flaming hues of orange and gold, she gasped. It was so stunning that Mara was uncertain if her watering eyes were a result of the view, or the biting wind that slapped her in the face.

  Mara spotted the elderly Seer sitting on a log a few paces away. Someone had cleared the snow and built up an impressive fire, uncovering a wide circle of dead grass, mud and stone. Mara sprinted over, collapsing on the log in an excited heap.

  “Slow down, child, this isn’t a race,” Opal said, chuckling under her breath.

  “Forgive me, Seer. I am eager to learn,” Mara said, breathless. She picked up a thin stick and poked it in the flames, causing sparks to fly into the air.

  “Please, call me Opal.”

  “Yes, Seer,” Mara said. “I mean, Opal.”

  “You must learn patience. An Impriga has one of the most powerful Gifts, but it is also one of the most reckless. You have the ability to manipulate energy in the world around you, but you can also drain the energy, the very life, from your surroundings if you are not careful. When you have used your powers, have you noticed anything out of the ordinary?”

  Mara chewed on her lip, considering the question. It wasn’t like she had much experience, after all. What would qualify as out of the ordinary? “Well, it’s quite useful for throwing disciples into trees,” she said slowly.

  Opal laughed. “That is good to know, however, I specifically want to know about the side effects of using your Gift. Anything unusual?”

  “I feel tired. Drained,” Mara said, but that wasn’t all. She recalled their frantic escape from the hunter in Aravell, and how the land blackened and died when she drew energy from it. “Oh! The land seemed to fade away, as though I was leeching the life from it.”

  Opal nodded, as though she expected to hear that answer. “Good! This means you are strong, but we must be doubly careful. Because we don’t yet know the extent of your abilities, especially while using the Augeo, we will start slow.”

  “Should I take it off?” Mara asked, reaching up to untie the leather cording.

  “No!” Opal shouted. She shook her head and lowered her voice, seeming to compose herself after the outburst. “No, child. Keep it secret, and never take it off. Even I can feel its seductive call to steal it for myself.” Her eyes gleamed, and Mara leaned away, half-expecting the Seer to dart forward and take it anyway. Blinking, Opal shook her head, and held up a tiny pebble between her fingertips. “To begin your training, you must move this, and nothing else.”

  Mara looked at the pebble, incredulous, and opened her mouth to ask a dozen questions. If she could throw grown men through the air, wouldn’t this be a step backwards? How would moving a rock help her to fight? Opal silenced her with a stern look.

  “You will move the pebble. It might take minutes. It might take hours, or even days, but you will not progress until you can move this rock with your Gift.” Opal said in a tone that brokered no argument. She tossed the pebble on the ground in front of Mara and stood up.

  “Wait! I don’t know what I’m doing,” Mara said, panic bleeding into her voice.

  “You’ll figure it out. This is how we train children with your Gift. Are you not powerful, child?”

  “Well, yes, but . . .”

  “No excuses! You will not eat. You will not drink. Until you can move the rock, you will do nothing but sit here in the cold. Understood?”

  “Yes, Seer.”

  Opal patted her on the shoulder, then shuffled towards the tent. Mara sighed, staring at the rock. No matter. She shouldn’t have a problem moving the pebble. It would be easy. She squinted, focusing entirely on the rock. No change. Mara gritted her teeth, and sweat beaded on her forehead, freezing instantly in the arctic air. Why wouldn’t it move?

  This was ridiculous. She huffed and stormed off a few paces, swinging her arms. She could throw grown men and monstrous boars through the air, for gods’ sake. This was a tiny, insignificant rock. It should be easy. Opal had said this was an exercise for children, so what did that say about her? She was a failure. A fraud. Tears pricked her eyes, but she blinked them away before they could freeze on her lashes.

  Hours passed, and the pebble hadn’t so much as trembled. Not for the first time, Mara considered giving up and going inside. Her stomach rumbled, and she rubbed her parched lips together. Some mead and a hot bowl of stew would be just the thing, but she resisted. She would stay outside as long as it took. The crunch of footsteps on snow announced the arrival of her friends. Ansel threw himself onto the log as if he owned it.

  Wynn raised an eyebrow. “Any particular reason why ye’re still outside, girly?”

  “Because I’m not allowed inside until this stupid rock moves,” Mara said, waving at the pebble.

  Ansel extended his boot and kicked the stone over. “Problem solved. Now, come inside.”

  “Opal would know if I cheated,” Mara said. She didn’t know much about the Seer, but she got the impression that very little escaped her notice. Mara rolled her eyes at Steel and Ansel, who wore matching grins, and their breathing sounded labored. “You two have been training?”

  Beaming, Ansel said, “Yes, actually. You know, there are a couple Armises here that would rival those in Merrowhaven.”

  “That’s great, Ansel! I’m so happy for you,” she said, genuinely pleased for her friend. Too many masters had rejected his application for far too long. Now, he could finally learn and develop his Gift. It’s what he’d always wanted.

  “Look, why don’t you show me what you’ve tried. Maybe I can help?” He reached out to take her hand. It felt . . . nice. She glanced down at their intertwined fingers as a familiar warmth spread throughout her body, chasing away the cold.

  Wynn winked at her and Mara snatched her hand away, not wanting to give Ansel the wrong idea. She grimaced and closed her eyes, willing the rock to move. When several minutes passed with no change, Mara exhaled sharply, and her hands balled into fists, itching to hit something.

  “I just don’t understand! What am I doing wrong?”

  Ansel frowned and scratched at his growing beard. “I don’t know, Mara. Your Gift is different than mine, so it might not work the same. For me, it’s like an endless supply that I can tap into whenever I need. Then again, I’ve been training since I was a boy, so my endurance is higher.”

  “I could always attack ya,” Wynn said with a mocking smile, running a finger over the edge of her long daggers.

  “Thanks, but I don’t think that will be necessary,” Mara replied.

  “Perhaps a break then?” Steel suggested.

  Mara shook her head. “I can’t. I have to keep trying, otherwise, I’ll be stuck out here all night.”

  “Ye’re tryin’ too hard.”

  “And what would you know about Gifts?” Ansel challenged. “It’s not like you have any experience.”

  “She’s right, actually,” Halder said, walking up to the fire. “This exercise should take little to no effort at all. Don’t force it, Mara. By the way you’re concentrating, it’s like you’re trying to move a building, not a tiny rock. Just feel the energy flowing through you and think about what you want to do.”

  Ansel frowned and crossed his arms, obviously skeptical of the advice Halder was
giving. “How do you know this?”

  “Because I’m an Impriga, too,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. He glanced at the pebble and it rose up in the air, hovering at shoulder height before he released his hold, letting it drop to the ground. “See? Now, give it another try.”

  Mara clenched her jaw and squared her shoulders. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, feeling the energy flowing through her body like a river. Her eyes popped open, and without giving it a second thought, she jerked her chin sharply to the side. The pebble flew twenty feet through the air, striking a guard in the back of his head. He cried in alarm, swinging his sword around, looking for his attacker. Steel and Wynn doubled over with laughter.

  “Sorry! I didn’t think it would go that far.”

  Halder clapped her on the back. “Well done! Now that you’ve passed the first test, how about we go inside and celebrate? Whatever they’re cooking smells delicious.”

  As if on cue, Mara’s stomach rumbled. Blushing, she nodded and walked to the tent with the others. Halder led them to the center of the room, and sat down at a long, wooden table. The savory smell of fresh baked bread filled the air and her mouth watered. Steel and Wynn left to get food, leaving Halder, Mara and Ansel sitting on the bench together.

  Opal limped over and squeezed Mara’s shoulder. “Well done, child. Tomorrow, you can begin your real training.”

  Mara glowed under the praise. “I couldn’t have done it without Halder. Speaking of which,” she nudged him and asked, “how long did it take you to move the pebble?”

  He ducked his head and coughed something that sounded like ‘two days’, then walked away suddenly.

  “What was that all about?” Wynn asked as she dropped a large iron pot, filled to the brim with stew, on the table in front of them.

  Steel added a basket of bread and butter and five bowls before ladling them full. Mara took hers eagerly, shoveling it down her throat without any regard to manners.

  “Embarrassed, I think,” Ansel replied, slathering a slice of bread with a generous dollop of butter before dipping it in his stew. He took a bite, then frowned, looking at his bread with a confused look on his face. “Uh . . . where do you get the cream for the butter?”

  “We have a second tent nearby that houses our livestock,” Opal replied, eyes twinkling. “Steel and Wynn, how would you like to receive your Gifts tomorrow?”

  Steel beamed. “That would be incredible! Thank you, Seer.”

  “Please, just call me Opal. I will warn you that the process will take several days and there could be some side effects.”

  “What sorta side effects?” Wynn asked, narrowing her eyes.

  “The most common is a fever that lasts a few days. You might also have headaches or nausea. Other than that, the elixir is fairly harmless.”

  “What do you think Wynn? Would having a Gift be worth a few days of misery?”

  “Yeah, I’d say it’s a fair trade,” Wynn replied with a toothy grin.

  “Wonderful. I will meet you tomorrow to administer the elixir. If you’ll excuse me,” she said, nodding her head before hobbling off to the next table.

  Halder sat on the bench next to her, setting a pitcher and cups on the table. He poured what looked like clear liquid into a cup and handed it to her. Expecting water, Mara took a big gulp, which she immediately regretted as it burned the whole way down. Spluttering, she asked, “What is this?”

  “Ice wine. It’s a Tregydar specialty since we can only brew it up north. You know, something to warm us up from the inside out.”

  “That’s ironic,” Mara said. She winced and took another tentative sip. This one wasn’t as bad. In fact, it almost seemed smoother and she drank again.

  Halder laughed, helping himself to a cup. “See, not so bad, is it?”

  “No, this is actually really good! Steel, try some.”

  He took a cup, giving it a subtle sniff before taking a polite sip.

  “So, I know Ansel and Steel have been training, but what have you been doing, Wynn?” Mara asked, taking a long sip from her cup.

  “Oh, Nikki showed me around the kitchen. Even let me make the bread for dinner,” she replied.

  “Really?” Mara tried, and failed, to imagine the scarred woman doing something so domestic.

  “Yeah, Miriam showed me how when I was little. We’d make a loaf together every morning,” Wynn said, growing quiet. “It’s nice to have a place to settle down again. Tova would have loved it, not having to run all the time, ya know?”

  “Yeah, I do,” Mara said, wishing that Tova and Mikkal could have been here, too.

  The room grew fuzzy and the bench seemed to sway beneath her, but Mara felt incredible. She decided that ice wine was the most amazing thing she’d ever tasted. Her face tingled, and she pressed her palms to her cheeks as she glanced around the table at her friends. After everything they’d been through together, she was happy they were here, sharing this adventure with her. She should probably tell them how she felt.

  Mara threw an arm around Wynn and slurred, “I just wanna say that I love you all. You’re the greatest friends I could ask for.”

  “Okay, girly. I think that’s enough for ya,” Wynn said, taking the cup from her hands.

  Mara laughed and reached out to take it back, only to find her wrist in a vice grip. “Hey, lemme go.”

  “Yeah, I think you should stop now.”

  “Relax, Ansel. I’m totally fine.”

  24

  She was absolutely not fine.

  Mara’s eyes burned. She held up a hand to block the offending light and winced. Every sound, every voice, and every scrape were pure, unadulterated agony. The world spun as she sat up too fast, and she nearly fell off the bench. Wait... bench? Mara wiped her drool-soaked cheek with the back of her hand and blinked. Did she fall asleep at the table? What had happened last night?

  Her mouth felt as parched as the deserts of Kearar though, judging by the churning in her stomach, it was about to get wet. She leaned over the bench and retched all over Wynn’s scuffed-up boots.

  “Gross, Mara,” Wynn said, wrinkling her nose at the smell.

  Steel sat next to her and patted her roughly on the back. “Perhaps if we ask nicely, Mara might sing for us again.”

  Her cheeks flamed. Oh, no. She couldn’t remember a single thing that happened. What had she said? What had she done? The possibilities were mortifying. “Please, no. Just leave me alone with my shame.”

  “No can do, kid,” Wynn said, handing her a towel to wipe her mouth. “I’m guessin’ ya will never drink again, so I gotta make the most of this.”

  “Ugh, you’ve got that right at least.” The mere thought of more wine made her want to heave again.

  Halder strolled over with a wide smile. “Well, I for one, thought you were charming.” He made his voice go higher in pitch and he twisted his hair with his fingers. “Oh Halder, you’re so tall and mysterious.”

  Mara groaned and threw her arms over her heated face. “Wynn, if you could go ahead and kill me now, that’d be fantastic.”

  “No can do, girly. This is the most fun I’ve had in years. Ya owe me a new pair of boots though.”

  “What good are you? Constantly threatening to kill me, but the one time I ask you to, you say no.”

  “I ain’t an assassin. Now drink some water and grow up.”

  Halder handed her a cup and she drank deeply, guzzling every last drop of melted snow. Her head pounded, and she groaned. She hadn’t felt this bad since her fever. That reminded her… “Aren’t you guys being Gifted today? Do you want me to stay with you? It’s not the most pleasant experience.”

  “Nah, don’t ya worry. We’ll be fine,” Wynn said, handing her a hard roll. “Eat something. It’ll help ya feel better.”

  Mara gnawed on the bread, wincing as it settled in her stomach like a rock. She frowned, remembering the sheer agony of her experience. Her friends were strong, capable people, but she should stay with them and offer her su
pport. She was about to say as much when Halder cut her off.

  “Aren’t you supposed to meet with Opal for your training?”

  Mara jumped up with a gasp and fled outside. Her abdomen seized up with a cramp and she stumbled the rest of the way, clutching her side.

  Opal scowled up at Mara from her seat on the log. “You’re late.”

  “I’m sorry, Opal. It won’t happen again,” Mara said truthfully. “So, what are we doing today? Combat? Defense?”

  She held up a rock the size of an apple. “Move this.”

  “I thought you said we were doing real training today. I moved a rock yesterday,” Mara groaned. Ansel was busy sword fighting and she was stuck here, moving inanimate objects. What a gross waste of time.

  “You walked two steps and now you want to run a mile? You must learn patience,” Opal scolded.

  Mara couldn’t let it go. She could do so much more if she had the opportunity. “What will this teach me? How to juggle? If you want me to join your group and help destroy the Order, I need to learn more than just moving rocks!”

  “What? You thought you would saunter in and start moving mountains in a day? A mind is a muscle, and yours is full of mush. How do you become a better swordsman, hmm? You practice the movements again and again until you can do them in your sleep. Your Gift is no different. Now, lift this rock, and hold it two feet in the air for an hour without letting it hit the ground.”

  Mara stared at the rock, horrified. It had taken hours to move a pebble. How was she supposed to keep it levitating? She shook her head. “That’s impossible.”

  “I cannot help you if you are unwilling to learn.” Opal dropped the rock on the muddy ground and pushed herself to her feet.

  Her heart sank. Mara stepped in front of the Seer, blocking her path to the tent. “I’m sorry. I promise I’ll try.”

  “Good. Now, I must go see to your friends. If you succeed, Halder will give you your next instructions.”

  “Thank you, Seer. And please, take care of them for me.”