Shawna Thomas

by Journey of Dominion

  “Who will?”

  Her equilibrium slipped. “And then the guards...”

  “Are you okay?” His words seemed far away.

  “Yes. Why?”

  Mohan put his arms around her and took the reins. “Because you almost fell off the damn horse.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m just a little dizzy. Bredych can sense Ilydearta. That’s how I found him. He’ll be able to find us, to track us. You have to leave me.”

  “I’m not leaving you anywhere.” His arms around her tightened.

  Ilythra felt the beginnings of panic. “You don’t understand. He’ll be able to track me wherever I go. You’ll be caught. He can’t kill me.”

  “No? Are you sure about that? He can only drug you into a stupor? Forget it, I’m not leaving you. We have to be out of the valley before he has time to mount a search party.”

  Another wave of vertigo hit Ilythra and her stomach heaved. Mohan pulled Melior to a stop.

  Ilythra wiped her mouth. She concentrated on gathering the words she needed to say. “We won’t be able to escape by running. Not with me like this. Erhard knows this forest as well as he knows anything. Bredych will know as soon as we’ve gone any distance. We have to confuse them.” She collapsed against Mohan, exhausted by the effort.

  “How?” Melior started moving again.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Great,” he muttered under his breath. If he’d tried to hide his exasperation, he failed.

  A low horn sounded from the castle.

  “What is that?” he asked.

  “You were right.” Her vision blurred. She could feel his arms but they seemed far away. She was numb.

  “Right about what?” His voice faded in and out.

  “The horn. Pursuit.” Darkness gathered, and there was no more.

  Chapter Forty

  Mohan held Ilythra with one hand while frantically searching for her heartbeat without unseating them both from the horse. The rush of relief when he felt a steady rhythm beneath his hands was physical in its intensity. He balanced her against his chest then glanced around. They couldn’t stay here, and his camp wasn’t any better. She needed shelter, a place to rest, recover. An idea formed as he urged the horse toward the small creek.

  Icy water splashed his borrowed leggings as the horse surged knee-deep into the narrow channel. He’d expected the stallion to balk, if not at cold water, at least at the change of rider, but the stallion didn’t hesitate. Even though her boots were now dark and wet, Ilythra lay motionless against him. She appeared to be sleeping, but Mohan checked periodically to make sure her heart still beat.

  As they neared the village, dogs brayed somewhere near the castle. He stopped the horse as the river twisted and left the shelter of the forest. The water was now just past the horse’s knees. Mohan stared toward the village. It was a gamble, a big one, but he’d seen the way the woman looked at Ilythra. And still, it was an easier decision to make than his next wager. Mohan swallowed. Could he really go through with it?

  He stared at the darkening sky. It was better be done and have it over with; there was no other way. If Ilythra was right, the necklace would lead the pursuit right to them. He reached around her neck with a shaking hand and grasped Ilydearta, breathing a sigh of relief when the stone didn’t react. He didn’t know what he was expecting—a bolt out of the heavens or being struck blind—but the stone remained impassive. He pulled it over her head and placed it in her medicine bag, fighting the urge to examine it, just a little, and then jumped off the horse with Ilythra in his arms. He stepped toward Melior’s head. The horse snorted but didn’t move. Mohan met the horse’s gaze and felt his blood run cold. A Siobani stallion. How?

  “I’ve got to take her to safety,” Mohan said. “You need to take that stone far from here for a while. When she’s better....” What did he think he was doing? Siobani or no, it was only a horse. “When she’s better, I’m taking her out of this valley as fast as I can. They will be after you. Don’t get caught. Take the damn stone to the Siobani if you have to. You know what I’m asking, don’t you?”

  The horse regarded him for one more heartbeat and then ran down the creek.

  Mohan watched Melior for a second, Ilythra heavy in his arms. He struggled through the water toward the village. He hoped the horse eluded capture and he’d find it again because not only did Melior carry Ilydearta, he had Zeynel’s staff. Losing either would devastate the healer. And she’d kill him. If she lived.

  Alert for any sign of life, he approached the small thatched house. No one stirred in the yard or down the street leading to the rest of the village. Even at dusk, there should be some movement. The village seemed deserted. He hoped the dogs didn’t have his scent or the ruse just might not work. Ilythra began to struggle as he stepped out of the river. Even knowing that half the town’s population was up at the castle, probably locked in tight, the quiet was eerie. They must have heard the dogs and decided that anything the king hunted should be avoided.

  Mohan made his way to the small house.

  The woman answered his knock, her eyes widening as she took in Ilythra. “Is she...”

  “No.” Mohan glanced toward the castle. “It’s her he wants.”

  “And you?” Her eyes narrowed.

  “He doesn’t know about me. I’m her friend.”

  She hesitated, glanced left and right then opened the door wider and stepped back. “Hurry.” She led Mohan into a poor, if clean, room. A bed stood against one wall; a baby, wrapped in a blanket, slept in a small cradle. The woman moved the bed, revealing a trapdoor. “For emergencies. It’s not big or well-stocked, but I can get you some water and soup.”

  Mohan stared into a dark rectangle. A miracle. He turned to the woman. “I could kiss you.”

  She blushed.

  “Can you help her stand, and I’ll go down first?”

  The woman nodded and wove her arm under Ilythra’s. “What’s wrong with her?”

  “A kind of poison.” Mohan stepped down the wooden ladder then reached for Ilythra. Together they lowered her into the shelter.

  “There are blankets in a corner.” She lowered a candle to light the small space. Perhaps a wheel wide and two wheels long, the air was still and cool and smelled musty. Against one wall, a few planks rested over two barrels, creating a low table. Roots hung from the ceiling and tickled Mohan’s head as he moved. Rough-hewn rocks glittered under the faint light.

  Mohan laid Ilythra on the blankets then took the candle from the woman. “What’s your name?”

  “Nenya.”

  “I’m Mohan. We won’t stay long. Just until she can travel.”

  “Lady Ilythra has been good to me and my family. I’ll do what I can for her.”

  Far away, the sound of braying dogs grew. They’d found a scent. Ilythra began to mumble.

  “After I clean up the mud and find a way to disguise the trail you probably left from the river, I’ll bring you some food and water.” Nenya closed the trapdoor.

  Mohan waited, his heart loud in his ears. There were scraping sounds and then silence. He checked on Ilythra then returned to stare at ribbons of light from the floor above. After what seemed like a long time, footsteps sounded above, more scraping, then one of the ribbons slowly widened to reveal Nenya’s face. “You didn’t leave much of a trail. The ground is muddy and thick with footprints already.” She handed down a fur. “I just carried some water from the river, being careful to accidentally spill any over any tracks closer to my house.” She shrugged. “Lay the fur over the plank. Get her up off the ground. That’s where the bad spirits live.”

  Mohan did as he was told. He removed her sword, gently lifted Ilythra and laid her down. When he turned, Nenya examined him.

  “I have some soup and water.”

 
He reached for the gourd and bowl from her hands. “Thank you. Do many villagers have such a place?”

  Nenya eyes blazed. “Some. Not all. We need a place to hide our young men and sometimes women now and then.”

  Slaves. Mohan nodded once.

  “Remember, don’t use the candle unless I tell you it’s safe. In an emergency, don’t tap or speak.” She glanced at Ilythra. “Scrape the ceiling once. I’ll come as soon as I can.” She shut the trapdoor.

  Mohan heard the sound of the bed being pushed back into place. He extinguished the candle and plunged into complete darkness.

  Chapter Forty-One

  Bredych paced his study. Something was wrong. Twice now Cassia had reported that she couldn’t exchange the earrings. Though Ilythra still wore them each day, she’d taken to hiding them at night. Did she suspect? But if she did, why wear them? No. He was missing something. He clapped his hands once, and a servant appeared and bowed. “Get my horse ready. I’m going to the castle today.”

  The man bowed and left the room. Bredych moved toward the fire. One thing was certain, he wasn’t going to trust an idiotic housemaid to watch Ilythra if something was wrong.

  Bredych turned to the door and stopped midstep. Something in Teann had changed. He sought Ilydearta’s rhythm. It was still strong, close, but its nuance had changed. Could she have died? The drug? No. He hadn’t miscalculated. He traced the resonance from the stone. Definitely different, but how? It was a question he couldn’t leave unanswered for long.

  * * *

  Slowly Mohan’s eyes adjusted. Tiny slivers of light shone through the floor above, just enough for him to make out Ilythra’s form. He put the gourd of water where he wouldn’t accidentally kick it over and spill the liquid and then kneeled beside the raised bed. She wasn’t sleeping, but not awake either. He tucked the blanket around her body. I wish you were awake so you could tell me what to do. He scoffed at the thought and cradled Ilythra’s head in his hand. She moaned.

  “I’m going to give you something to eat. Okay?”

  Her eyelids fluttered.

  He dripped the soup into her mouth like she was a baby. Memories of Tarak came back with force. Tears trickled down his face and he let them. She ate about half the bowl then fell asleep. Mohan finished it.

  He leaned against the bed, half resting his head on Ilythra’s shoulder, and studied the room. The blackness had faded to shades of gray. Ilythra’s steady breathing was the only sound in the small room. There was nothing left to do but wait. Visions of his brother, bloodied and torn, kept him company in the dark. Mohan put his head in his hands and wept.

  * * *

  Bredych pulled his lathered horse to a standstill in front of the castle entrance, his anger mounting. The courtyard was dark, lit only by the occasional torch. Ilydearta’s presence had definitely changed. Had Cassia taken it? What had happened to the damn stone? He marched up the stairs, barely waiting for the small, sleepy boy to open the large portal before entering the castle, leaving a half dozen Rugians to their own devices.

  Konrad rushed into the hall, his hair messed and clothing rumpled.

  “Where’s Ilythra?” Bredych demanded.

  “I would assume in her room with her lady-in-waiting, milord.”

  Bredych ground his teeth together. “I don’t want assumptions.”

  Konrad followed Bredych up the staircase, stepping in front of Ilythra’s closed door. “It wouldn’t be proper—”

  “Open the door or you’ll learn the scope of what isn’t proper.”

  The steward blanched, opened the door and stepped aside.

  Cassia lay sprawled on the floor in front of the bed. A bruise covered one side of her lax face. So she didn’t take it. He stepped over her body to where Ilythra’s clothes lay crumpled on the ground. He sniffed the air, still thick with dacrite. But not as thick as it should be. The window lay open to the night air. Still, it wouldn’t do to linger here. “Wake the king. Lady Ilythra’s been kidnapped. We must find her at once.” He eyed Konrad as he stepped past the steward into the hall. Bredych stopped when the steward didn’t move. “Are you suddenly hard of hearing?”

  “But milord—Cassia? She’s injured.”

  “What of her? She’ll live or die. Little matter either way. Do as I say, now!”

  Konrad lost what little color he’d regained and rushed down the hallway, his rapid footsteps echoing down the stairwell.

  So, the placid doe had fight in her yet. Bredych closed his eyes and reached with Dominion. Teann swirled around him golden green and pulsing with life. He ignored the life rhythms around him until he found what he was searching for. He breathed in—channeling the melodies through the stone—let the stone become one with him, infused his will and breathed out, altering the rhythm just enough. Power pulsated through his veins. He opened his eyes. Let’s see how far the doe gets. The wolves were on the hunt and they were hungry. And he’d be right on their tail to scoop up the prize.

  * * *

  Mohan’s eyes opened and he blinked in the near darkness, memories coalescing to remind him where he was.

  “No ma’am, we’re searching every house. Stand aside.” The rough voice preceded the sound of someone stumbling and then a baby crying.

  Overhead, the sound of furniture being tossed and crashing to the ground echoed in the little room. Soldiers! If they hurt her... Mohan struggled to his feet. What could he do? Feel guilty for the rest of his short life? Frustration and impotence ground his teeth together. He stiffened when something large enough to be the bed crashed. Dirt and sand rained down on him. He covered Ilythra with his body. He reached for his sword. He’d take out as many as he could. They could only come down the ladder one at a time. The baby continued to cry. Mohan waited, sweat dewing his forehead in spite of the cold damp of the cellar. Was she okay? Should he go up? After what seemed like an eternity, a soft voice began to hum and the baby quieted. The hum turned into a melody so soft Mohan strained his ears to hear.

  “Hush little baby, don’t you cry

  The soldiers are gone but they’re close by.

  Be very still and don’t make a sound.

  Go to sleep, remain unbound.

  In the morning we will see

  If you can remain free.”

  The voice faded to a hum again. Nenya’s message was clear. Somehow, the soldiers had missed the opening in the floor, but they weren’t out of danger yet. Mohan checked on Ilythra. The healer was sound asleep. He sipped some water then leaned against the bed, with his head on Ilythra’s arm and his sword on his lap. The gentle humming above soon lulled him to a deep sleep.

  * * *

  The winter sun’s warmth didn’t reach onto the forest trail, and the horses’ breath was visible in vapor clouds, as though they were part Glyth and working up a good fire. Bredych smiled. He wished he did have a good Glyth. He hadn’t seen one in over a hundred years, and that one had been weak and small. More lizard than monster.

  They’d ridden what remained of the night and most of the day. He reached out for the resonance of Ilydearta. Even with years of practice honing the skill, he could only get a general idea of the stone keeper’s location. Without a keeper, the stones were impossible to track. He’d tried. They were tied to their keeper’s life rhythms and invisible to Teann without one. It was faint, but not with distance.

  The change in rhythm still bothered him. Had she given the stone away? He supposed it was the only possible solution. In her state, she was highly prone to suggestion. In fact, he planned to have Cassia suggest that very thing in the next day or two. That someone beat him to it infuriated him. Had they killed the girl? Who did he track? It was only a matter of time until the situation was set right. He’d placed an image of a human on a horse in the minds of the wolves, along with a one-word command: kill. Anybody riding in this fore
st, with the exception of his party, was already dead. He’d let Erhard command the search of the village and the castle grounds, since it kept the king busy and out of the way. The guards had sworn no one had left through the gate and that no horses were missing. But Bredych knew there were many ways out of the castle, and the king’s stable was not the only place one could find a horse. If she had her wits about her enough to attack Cassia, she wouldn’t have tried to escape on foot.

  What to do about Cassia? She was the perfect candidate to hold the stone for him, or at least she had been. She was completely under his sway but she’d proven untrustworthy, a flaw he could not abide. But who else? The stone needed a keeper. Not for the first time, he cursed the unpalatable fact that no one person could hold two stones. So whom did that leave? Erhard? Bredych laughed aloud. A few of the Rugians glanced his way but remained silent. Why not? Perfect. Before he’d left the castle, he’d heard Cassia was alive and recovering in her rooms. He’d make sure it was a short process.

  He stared into the gloom of the forest. The stone was out there, and he would not rest until he found it.

  * * *

  A crack of light shot through his eyes like an arrow. Mohan tried to stand, only to find his leg was asleep. He stumbled, reaching for his sword as he heard a tinkle of laughter.

  “I brought breakfast.” Nenya was carefully making her way down the ladder.

  Mohan rubbed his leg. “Thanks.”

  She stepped down into the cellar.

  “Are you okay? I heard the guards last night.”

  “Yes. Some of the furniture is broken but nothing that can’t be repaired.” She handed him a bowl of thick porridge. “How is she?”

  “She slept fitfully most of the night. No fever, nothing I can treat.”

  “I was afraid you’d come charging out last night.”

  “I almost did. Would have if I didn’t think it would get us all killed. How did they not find us? They threw the bed, right?” Mohan spooned the porridge into his mouth.