The Dreg Trilogy Omnibus

by Bethany Hoeflich

  “And yet you’re continually surprised?” Ethan choked out. “Might I suggest reevaluating your expectations?”

  Cadmus released him and stepped back, a look of disgust crossing his face as if he smelled something foul. “I should have killed you years ago. You’re as useless as your mother was.”

  “Dwelling on past mistakes will hinder progress,” Ethan quipped with a smirk. “Isn’t that what you always tell us?”

  Mara’s eyes widened. What was he doing?

  “Impertinent child!” Cadmus pulled his hand back and slapped him across the face. “Did you believe I wouldn’t find out?”

  Ethan didn’t even flinch as a red handprint appeared on his cheek. Enunciating the words slowly, he asked, “Find out what, sir?”

  “This!” Cadmus raised the scroll and shook it in Ethan’s face. Judging by the rabid snarl and the madness in his eyes, Mara expected him to hit Ethan again. Spittle flew from his lips as he said, “Clever, I’ll grant you. But you’re a fool to have believed it would work.”

  “Of what am I being accused, sir?”

  “Don’t play innocent with me, boy!” Cadmus crumpled the scroll and threw it over his shoulder. It fluttered to the floor by Mara, just out of reach.

  Tension coiled around the room like a naked flame searching for tinder. One wrong move and it would spark an inferno they had no hopes of controlling. Mara needed to know what was in that scroll. Confident that Cadmus wasn’t paying attention to her, Mara reached out her foot and inched the scroll closer. If they happened to glance over, it would look like she was stretching. She hoped.

  “Everyone knows you have a soft spot for the girl. Did you bribe one of the Avems, perhaps? Maybe a Propiro?”

  Slowly, Mara leaned down to pick it up. Her heart thudded. Any second, Cadmus would realize what she was doing.

  “If I had, why would you believe I’d tell you?”

  “Enough! How did you send the message to Merrowhaven without me knowing?” Cadmus pulled a dagger from his robes and pressed it to Ethan’s neck. “Tell me!”

  Genuine confusion flashed in Ethan’s eyes. It was enough to convince Mara that he was as clueless as she was. Ethan peered back impassively, as if he weren’t bothered by the knife at his throat. “I assure you, I sent no message.”

  Keeping one eye on the volatile pair, Mara unrolled the scroll, scanning the contents quickly.

  Cadmus stared at him a long moment. Then he burst out laughing, the sound more terrifying than anything she’d heard before. Judging by Ethan’s expression, he didn’t know what to make of it either.

  “That Seer . . . she torments me from even beyond the grave.” Cadmus chuckled, tucking the dagger back into his robes.

  Mara gasped and dropped the scroll on the table. Cadmus whirled around at the sound, seeming to forget Ethan.

  “What does this mean?” Mara pointed at the scroll, her hands shaking.

  He stalked over and batted it onto the floor. “It means nothing.”

  Ethan brushed past Cadmus and picked up the scroll, his eyes widening. “It says that Emperor Edgard demands the presence of Mara the Impriga in Merrowhaven immediately. I’d hardly agree that it’s nothing.”

  “It’s irrelevant.” Cadmus waved him off. “I’m more interested in learning how Opal was able to notify the emperor without my knowledge.”

  “Are you certain it was her?” Ethan frowned, tapping a finger on his lips. “No, I think you must be correct. If she sent it before she was apprehended—"

  “When do we leave?” Mara cut him off, unable to hide the excitement in her voice. Could it really be that simple? That scroll offered her freedom. The emperor had the authority to command her as a citizen of Esterwyn, and especially as a powerful Gifted. And there was nothing Cadmus could do about it. She stifled her laughter.

  “You don’t,” Cadmus snarled. “You are a disciple, and the crown cannot interfere with Order business. I’m afraid your excursion to Merrowhaven will be denied.”

  “There’s one problem with that.” She grinned, raising her head slowly to stare Cadmus in the eyes. “I’m not a disciple.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. You agreed to work for me as a disciple; therefore, you are mine to do with as I please. Your life belongs to the Order now.”

  “Does it?” Her smile widened. “If you recall, I never agreed verbally. You assumed that you had purchased my cooperation through threats and force, and it might have worked for anyone else, but it won’t for me. Do you want to know why?” Emboldened by his baffled expression, Mara stepped closer, her lips pulling back from her teeth. “I made no vows to the Order, Cadmus. I’m not bound by its laws.”

  Ethan stared at her with a mixture of pride and horror.

  Cadmus’s face turned red. “You believe you can escape on a technicality?”

  “Yes, I do. My emperor has ordered my presence, so I will go. To refuse the order would be considered treason, after all.”

  Cadmus tilted his head and watched her, eyes narrowing. “It wouldn’t be treason if you’re dead.”

  “That’s true.” She shrugged and raised her palms to concede his point. “Have fun explaining to the emperor why his Impriga was murdered. How do you think he’ll take the news? Somehow I doubt he would believe that I died from excitement.”

  “A tragic accident then. Nothing could be done. Such a pity.”

  “Are you willing to risk losing his support?” It was exceptionally satisfying, she decided, to watch the emotions play across his face when he came to the realization that she was right. He couldn’t kill her without risking retribution, and the emperor’s army numbered in the thousands.

  “Enjoy your victory, however small and short lived it may prove to be.” Cadmus reached over and brushed her hair back. He leaned in, lowering his voice to a whisper. “You will regret this.”

  Mara swallowed, resisting the urge to flinch away from his touch. He would say anything to plant doubt in her mind, and she couldn’t afford to be indecisive, not when her path forward was so clear. She pushed Cadmus away.

  “If you’ll excuse me, I need to go pack.” Mara spun on her heel and headed for the door, motioning for Ethan to follow. Cadmus could bluster and threaten all he wanted, but she was untouchable now.

  13

  The next morning, Mara walked out of the Magi building with a pack slung over her shoulder, and her arm wrapped protectively around Tamil. Much to her relief, his body had adjusted to the poison with no lasting side-effects. When Ethan suggested that Tamil go with her to Merrowhaven, she was more than happy to agree. The farther she could get the boy from the Order, the better. Maybe she could even find a way to reunite him with his father. Until then, she didn’t want to let him out of her sight.

  Mara pulled her fur-lined cloak tight around her body as an icy gust of wind threatened to steal her warmth, but nothing could dampen her excitement. She was finally leaving! Within a week, she’d get to meet the emperor and see Merrowhaven for the first time.

  Still, as glad as she was to finally leave the Order, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Cadmus had agreed to let Tamil go far too quickly. After their confrontation, he’d acted as though the trip was his idea all along and busied himself with readying a group of disciples to escort her to the capital. His sudden personality change raised her suspicions, leaving her feeling unsettled. She made a mental note to petition the emperor to protect Stonehollow the moment they arrived in Merrowhaven.

  She rolled her shoulders back, enjoying the feeling of unblemished skin. After some debate, Cadmus had finally relented and allowed a Healer to fix her back. He would have preferred to leave her in pain, but Ethan had convinced him that it was in the Order’s best interests. Her injuries would have raised questions and having Emperor Edgard wonder why the Order had whipped one of his citizens could only lead to retaliation.

  A group of twelve disciples waited in the courtyard, each with an assortment of weapons and a pack of their own. Th
ey were armed as if they were going on a raid, not a short trip south. Were they expecting a fight? She balked at the sight of Tahlia and another boy she recognized from her training sessions waiting with the disciples. Both had been particularly vicious toward her, and she couldn’t imagine why they would be a part of her escort. Her eyes roved the remaining disciples. Standing in the center of the group, towering a head above the rest, was the young Guardian she had seen during her tour of Order Headquarters. The disciples gave him a wide berth, apparently not wanting to get too close. Fear pulsed through her belly. Why would Cadmus send a Guardian with them?

  The group shifted, and she spotted Ella in the back, much to her relief. At least she had one potential ally.

  Tamil took her pack and sat on the steps outside the Magi building, knees bouncing. He rooted through his own bag of meager belongings as they waited. Mara smiled softly as he pulled out a pair of gold earrings and looped them through his ears. If nothing else, getting Tamil away from the Order was worth it.

  Mara jumped as Ethan stepped up beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you ready?”

  She snorted. Was that even a question? She was ready to leave from the moment she set foot on Order Headquarters, and with any luck, she’d never come here again. “You have no idea.”

  He gave her a knowing smile. “We’ll be leaving within an hour.”

  “We? You’re coming, too?” She tilted her head, noticing for the first time that he was carrying an oversized satchel, packed to the brim with gods only knew what. Like her, he wore a thick hooded cloak. The wind pulled some of his long hairs free, and she got the wild urge to tuck them back in place. What was wrong with her? She cleared her throat and took a step away before she could do something embarrassing. “Is that a good idea?”

  The smile vanished from his face. Ethan straightened, and his jaw clenched as he scanned the courtyard, looking suddenly alert for some reason. In a strained voice he said, “Cadmus insisted.”

  “Is there a reason why you look like he’s sending you to a funeral?” Her face pinched. He didn’t seem as excited about the trip as she was. She followed his gaze to the disciples. Everyone was still milling around, waiting to leave. Was she missing something?

  He winced and fidgeted with the strap on his satchel, refusing to look her in the eyes.

  “Ethan . . .” She walked in front of him, hands on her hips. “What’s wrong?”

  “Leave it alone, Mara,” he said tersely. “It’s nothing you need to worry about.”

  Was he angry that Cadmus was sending him with her? Maybe he didn’t want to go, though she didn’t understand why. They’d grown close over the past few weeks. Too close, really. So why was he shutting her off now? Had she misinterpreted his signals somehow? She thought he liked her, at least as a friend. Clearly, she was wrong. Her eyes burned. “Fine. If my company is so repulsive to you, maybe Cadmus will reconsider and let you stay here.”

  “What?” Ethan asked. The shock that crossed his face was so comical that she would have laughed, had she not been so upset. “What are you talking about?”

  She turned her back to him and wiped away the tears before they could spill. “It’s pretty obvious that you don’t want to be here.”

  Gently, he turned her around. When she wouldn’t look at him, he tapped her under the chin until she lifted her gaze. Confusion melted from his expression, and his face softened. “You think I don’t want to go with you to Merrowhaven? Nothing could be farther from the truth.”

  Her cheeks burned with embarrassment when she realized she misread him. “I don’t understand . . . then why were you so angry?”

  He opened his mouth to reply, then closed it. He looked over his shoulder to where Tamil was sitting, watching their interaction with open interest. “Tamil, why don’t you run to the kitchens and grab an extra bag of food for our trip. Foraging will be scarce, and I’d rather not eat tree bark if I can avoid it.”

  As soon as the boy was out of earshot, Mara asked, “Ethan, what aren’t you telling me?”

  “Let me ask you something. Do you think there’s anything odd about the size of our escort?”

  “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Everything. He’s sending more than double the usual number of disciples.”

  Mara scrunched her nose. “He’s giving us extra protection?”

  “That’s one theory, if you believe that Cadmus is capable of that level of altruism.” He ran a hand through his hair and puffed out his cheeks. “I haven’t gotten a chance to Read for myself, so keep in mind that this is merely speculation.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “Let’s just say that I wouldn’t be surprised if Cadmus gave the disciples explicit instructions to ensure we don’t reach our destination.”

  Mara paled, thinking of Cadmus’s threat. “They plan to kill us?”

  “It’s certainly possible, but there’s no need to panic. As I said, it’s just a suspicion. It’s a one-week journey to Merrowhaven and anything could go wrong. Exposure to the elements, a run-in with bandits, wild animals, just to name a few. Emperor Edgard can’t retaliate against the Head Magi for circumstances outside of his control.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  “We aren’t going to do anything. I am going to Read as many of these disciples as I possibly can and get a feel for their intentions. Hopefully, my intuition is wrong, and this is nothing more than a protection detail to escort us to the capital. Meanwhile, you are going to pretend nothing is wrong and conserve as much energy as possible.” He paused, eyeing her speculatively. “How long has it been since you’ve had the suppressive elixir?”

  “Not since I was first captured. Why?”

  “Hmm . . . It’s easy enough to remove your Deleos,” Ethan mused out loud. “I doubt it was an oversight on his part—that’s not something he would leave to chance. He’s too careful. The scroll might have taken him by surprise, but he won’t let anything else slip by unprepared. To be safe, don’t eat anything a disciple offers you, and have Tamil taste your food before you eat it.”

  “I am not going to use that little boy the same way Cadmus did!” The memory of his tiny body convulsing on the floor flashed in her mind. She would not put him through that again. “Why would you even suggest such a thing?”

  “Under ordinary circumstances, I wouldn’t, but you need to have full access to your Gift in the event of a fight.”

  She recoiled. “I don’t want to fight anyone.”

  “And I sincerely hope that you won’t have to. But if this is a trap, it’s best to be prepared for the possibility that you’ll need to use your Gift. If a disciple slips you an elixir you’ll be vulnerable, and we can’t afford to give them an opening.”

  He made it sound so simple, like taking out the garbage or washing dishes, but what he was suggesting was more than that. Training was one thing, but what would happen if she lost control? Then again, what if someone slipped an elixir into her food and Tamil got hurt because she couldn’t protect him? She twisted the Deleos around her wrists, wishing there was an easy solution.

  Mara shook her head. “Even with full access to my abilities, I can’t take them all down by myself. And you’re not a fighter.” She didn’t mean that as an insult, merely a statement of fact. Ethan might be able to predict the future, but he lacked any sort of fighting ability.

  “Can’t you?” he asked, not appearing offended by her declaration. “I’d be willing to wager that you could, given the opportunity, but you’ve been holding yourself back out of fear.”

  “I . . .”

  “Tell me I’m wrong.”

  She deflated. “I don’t want to hurt anyone again.”

  He caught her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze that sent tingles up her arm. “It’s because you’re afraid that I know you won’t make the same mistake. I won’t lie, watching you literally rip the compound apart was one of the scariest moments of my life. Consider this. Would I encou
rage you if I believed you’d do it again?”

  She shot him a questioning gaze. Why did he have such confidence in her ability to control her Gift? She could only hope that his faith wasn’t misplaced. Nodding slowly, she said, “You know, that actually makes me feel better in a weird way. Do you promise to stop me if I go all glowy-eyed again?”

  Ethan laughed. “Wait here. I’m going to go Read.”

  Mara paced on the stairs as Ethan slipped amongst the disciples. She tried to follow his hands where they brushed against the disciples, but she quickly lost track. He Read with an efficiency that only came with practice, pausing only once to speak to the Guardian. Ethan’s face broke into a wide smile, and he clapped the Guardian on the back. That was interesting. Were they friends? Then he pulled the Guardian in for a hug, and Mara’s jaw hit the ground.

  Her eyes narrowed. From what she could see, Ethan avoided touching the Guardian’s exposed skin. Was that intentional? Having grown up with the horror stories about Guardians, Mara knew that they could remove someone’s Gift, but she didn’t know how it worked. Could they take it by accident from a single touch? And where did the Gift go once it was taken from someone’s body? Did it just disappear?

  Bootsteps, too heavy to be Tamil’s, echoed from the foyer of the Magi building. Mara glanced over her shoulder. Was the Head Magi going to see them off? But it wasn’t Cadmus. Oona approached with a pack clutched in her hands and a scowl on her face. Mara groaned. Why did it have to be Oona? If it weren’t for her, Mara would be miles away by now.

  Mara eyed the pack in horror. “Please tell me you’ve decided to run away, because I don’t think I can handle the news that you’re joining our merry band of misfits right now.”

  “The Head Magi ordered me to go with you,” Oona said, looking just as uncomfortable with the arrangement as Mara felt. “He wanted an Avem in the group to handle communication.”