The mountain peak was barren and windswept, much like Jael felt inside. She hadn’t forgotten the darkness she carried inside, but so many years had passed that she’d been surprised when it surfaced. She’d welcomed it, sought it even, in past lives when she’d waded into battlefields wielding sword and knife, when she and her dragon horse had incinerated entire regiments of enemy soldiers into a pile of ash, and in times past when, like tonight, The Collective called on her to be judge and executioner. She’d never regretted the darkness. The greatest weapon in her arsenal, her dark side didn’t hesitate and felt no guilt. Until today. When her eyes met Alyssa’s and her dark challenged Alyssa’s light. She could do nothing but flee, lest she taint the only pure soul she’d ever met, ever…loved? She slumped against the boulder at her back and closed her eyes. Yes. She loved Alyssa. But the fear on Alyssa’s face—fear of her—burned deeper than the flame that had executed the traitor.
Her path had always been clear. The mantle of warrior had always rested comfortably on her shoulders, no matter the hardship or pain. Now, she hadn’t even reached the battlefield and she’d already lost her taste for it. She wanted her high meadow of wildflowers. She wanted to wake up each morning to the affection in Alyssa’s eyes, not the swords that hung on every wall. She was so tired. And she was so frustrated. She jerked to her feet and screamed at the stars.
“Have I not served you without question? Have I not given you my loyalty, my earthly life over and over again? How many times must I win peace for you? When will it be my turn for peace?”
Your reward is not ours to grant. It is yours to find.
*
“Miss?”
Alyssa jerked awake at the hand on her shoulder and immediately regretted it when her stiff neck and back clenched in a painful spasm. She’d walked for hours in the dark until she could go no farther, then finally collapsed against the trunk of a banana tree. At some point, she must have fallen asleep because it was daylight now. A rock or a root was digging into her back, and she was staring up at the face of a young boy.
“Do you have anything to eat, miss?”
She started to tell him she wasn’t hungry but realized he was asking for himself. She hadn’t thought to bring anything when she stumbled into the woods. She closed her eyes, battling back memories of the man’s scream and Jael’s fury.
“Miss? Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. Just a little stiff from sleeping on the ground.” She struggled to her feet and brushed the dirt from her clothes. Her hand ran over a lump, and she retrieved a rather smashed pro-chow bar from her pocket. The boy stared at it and swallowed. She held it out. “Here. It’s not much, but that’s all I brought with me.”
He shifted his feet in an eager dance. “Are you sure?” His eyes never left the food.
“Positive. I’m not hungry. You eat it.”
He stuffed it in his pocket and looked up at her. Short red hair and green eyes weren’t the norm in this quadrant, so she’d grown used to the locals staring when they saw her. “I seem to be a little lost.” She cleared her throat. “And a lot thirsty. Are we near your village?”
“No, miss. The village is a half hour that way.” He pointed down the trail. “This is my uncle’s coffee ranch. Only my family lives here. Come, I’ll show you. We have water for you to drink.”
They’d hiked for about ten minutes when the forest opened into a muddy clearing with a modest house surrounded by several outbuildings. A withered old woman sat on a low stool and tended a small fire in front of one shed while two gaunt oxen grazed in a shallow ditch, tethered only by thin ropes wrapped round their horns and knotted at the other end around large rocks. The boy led her to the adobe-sided house, and Alyssa was surprised to find the inside was clean and modern. She left her muddy shoes with the pile of other shoes outside the door and padded barefoot onto the cool, beautifully tiled floor.
“Mami! I found a lady.”
“Ari! What have I told you?”
“Sorry, Mami.” He rushed back outside to swish his mud-caked feet in a pan of cloudy water, then dried them on a rag next to it.
Alyssa extended her hand. “I’m Alyssa. I’m afraid I got lost walking around at night and your boy found me.”
“I’m Serena.” Her hand was callused, like Jael’s but different—probably from farm work rather than handling flame.
Ari rushed back into the room. “She gave me food!” He held up the pro-chow bar. “But she’s thirsty.”
“It’s not much,” Alyssa said.
“Thank you.” Serena cut her off with a wave of her hand. “The children have had nothing for two days. We’ve stripped the trees of their fruit so we could eat. We’ve got nothing for market now except the coffee beans.” The woman took the bar from her son.
“Last week, we ate a snake my uncle caught,” Ari said.
Serena gave him a sharp look. “Go get the other children.” She laid the food bar on the table and disappeared into the kitchen. When she returned, she carried a knife and handed Alyssa a tall glass of water.
“Thank you.” Her throat was raw, probably from crying, and the water was cool.
Ari reappeared with four girls of varying ages, and they watched as Serena carefully cut the bar into six even pieces. “Eat it slowly and chew it as long as you can,” she said. She gave one piece to each child, then held up the last to the tallest girl. Alyssa estimated her to be twelve or thirteen years old.
“This is for grandmother,” Serena said. The girl nodded and took it, darting out the door in the direction of the old woman Alyssa had seen outside.
Their precious food in hand, the children scattered in different directions.
Serena regarded her. “You’re an Advocate.”
Alyssa nodded. She mostly forgot about the tattoo curling up her neck and along her temple that identified her as belonging to the temple. “I was at an encampment high up on the mountain and lost my way in the forest at night.”
Serena shook her head. “The mountain isn’t safe at night. Giant flying things that breathe fire after the sun goes down are there. The sky was alight with their flames last night.”
Alyssa’s throat tightened at the thought of the pyres. “Yes. I know.”
Serena stared at her for a long minute. “You came from there?”
“Yes. But the flames are nothing to fear. The Collective is gathering an army in the mountains to stop the badly born who have taken control of the supply shipments.”
“This army, the mountain beasts belong to them?”
“Yes. No. I mean, they’re wild horses by day, but they grow wings at night. They call them dragon horses. The army raided the herd last night to tame some so they can go after the badly born.”
Serena looked doubtful. “Flying horses?”
Alyssa shook her head. “Hard to believe, isn’t it? I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t seen them myself.”
“Why would they need these flying horses? Surely they have transports to chase these people.”
“The warriors and the dragon horses are gifted—they’re pyros.” She stared down at her hands. “They believe the fire they wield is necessary to purify the badly born so they can be reborn on the right path, recover their right place among The Collective.”
Serena tilted her head and looked thoughtful. “You don’t believe this?”
“They will incinerate live people.” She shuddered. “I’ve seen it. It’s horrible. There must be some other way to restore The Collective.”
Serena’s expression hardened. “My sister’s son fell ill with a simple childhood ailment, but there was no medicine and he died last week. My sister cries all night and stares at the wall all day.”
Ari slumped in the doorway, frowning at his feet. He came to Serena when she motioned to him. She pulled up his loose T-shirt to reveal gaunt ribs and abdomen bloated with malnutrition. “These people are hoarding food that belongs in the bellies of my children. Their deaths are surely more merciful than a slow death from sickness o
r starvation.”
Alyssa glanced out the window at two oxen that had worked their way out of the ditch and were eating the weeds in the sparse lawn.
Serena shook her head. “We cannot. Slaughtering our oxen would be the same as a fisherman burning his boat to stay warm. The coffee beans are all we have left now that the grove is stripped of fruit. The mountain is often too muddy and steep for the transports. Oxen are still needed to carry the heavy sacks down the slopes.”
There had to be a better way. “You could pretend to join them just long enough to get the food and medicine you need. There are more of us than there are of them. We could infiltrate and convince their followers to return to The Collective.”
Serena jerked her hand in a slashing movement, her eyes angry. “You cannot reason with madmen. They might have stolen our food, but we will not give up our dignity, too. They value men over women. Men with light skin like their leader. Their women are little more than servants and the dark-skinned men their oxen.” Ari grabbed his mother’s hand and held it in his in an attempt to calm her.
Like Jael, this woman seemed to have an answer to discount each of Alyssa’s suggestions. “May I have a pen and paper?”
“I’ll get it,” Ari said, and ran out of the room.
Serena stared at the window, jaw clenching and lips drawn into a tight line.
“I’m sorry,” Alyssa said gently. “I’m sure you’ve done all you can.” Ari returned and she scribbled a quick note with the materials he provided. She held it out to Serena. “Take this note and go immediately up the mountain to the high plateau. They’re probably moving out of the temporary camp today, but the warriors won’t leave until after dusk. Even if the support troops are gone, the warriors will have pro-chow in their personal packs. Give this note to one of The Guard. They’ll give you what food they have, as much as you can carry.”
“You will not return to them?”
“No. I need to find the nearest temple and consult with the leadership there. There has to be a better way, and I intend to find it.”
“Ari will take you there.”
“But Mami, I want to see the flying horses.”
Serena gave him a hard look. “Your sister will go with me to the camp. The Collective has given us a great opportunity to help this Advocate in her mission. It is a warrior’s honor to be her escort.”
Ari straightened and his small chest swelled. “Yes, Mami.” He nodded to Alyssa. “It will be my honor, Advocate.”
*
Jael stumbled into the tent. She needed months to adequately train the newly bonded warriors and their dragon horses, but The Natural Order was only about fifty klicks south at this very moment. The timing was unfortunate, but the opportunity to cut the head from the serpent and end this insurgency quickly was too coincidental to pass up.
It was barely past dawn but the tent was empty. Had Alyssa even slept? The covers of their pallet were neatly tucked as though no one had made use of it, and she cringed at the memory of Alyssa’s shocked expression when she’d seen Jael’s fury. Maybe she’d gone to Nicole’s tent because she didn’t want to sleep next to an executioner. Jael’s bleary mind tried to process that bitter thought. She hadn’t slept in two days. Or was it three?
Jael shed her boots and clothes in a pile next to the bed. She was more than mentally and physically exhausted. She was emotionally drained. Sleep. She needed sleep. She pulled the blanket up to her shoulders and relaxed, burrowing her head into the pillow. She missed the gentle weight of Alyssa curled against her side, but at least the pillow still carried her comforting scent. Tonight, she’d lead her untrained army of recruits on their first, and hopefully only, raid. Then she’d worry about tomorrow.
Chapter Twenty-four
The solar scooter she and Ari rode to the village was a sharp contrast to the oxen grazing along the badly pitted road, and Alyssa marveled that such rugged, undeveloped areas still existed amidst modern technology.
The village was more of a town than Alyssa anticipated. Ari’s slim shoulders weren’t much of a handhold as he expertly wove in and out of traffic, so her thighs ached from gripping the seat by the time they pulled to a stop in the market square. People were rushing about, urgently sending messages on their ICs, and a man nearly knocked Alyssa down as she climbed off the scooter and straightened her stiff body.
“Sorry, sorry,” the man said before hurrying on.
“Something’s happening,” Ari said. “There are never this many people in the square—especially since the vendors have had little to sell lately.”
“Let’s go inside. Someone in the temple will know,” Alyssa said, pulling Ari out of the path of another speeding scooter.
The temple, however, was nearly as chaotic as the market square. Alyssa grabbed a woman’s arm as she dodged to pass them.
“Can you tell me where to find the Chief Advocate?”
The woman barely spared her a glance, but pointed and then hurried on. Alyssa took Ari’s hand and tugged him toward the indicated doorway, which she suspected led to the rooms reserved for administrative office space and counseling appointments. She exhaled a breath of relief when Ari shut the door behind them. She was still weak from little rest and no food in the past twenty-four hours, and the high excitement of the throngs gathering in the market had felt like a battering ram slamming against her emotional shields. The open doors down the hall revealed no one, but Alyssa could hear arguing from a room at the end of the corridor.
“Maybe we should hear what they have to say,” a male voice said.
“You’ve read the news accounts. These people are heretics and anarchists,” a woman said. Her voice sounded young but bitter. “Even worse, they’re callous thieves. They’re trying to trade food and supplies for our souls.”
“Yes, and plenty of people out there are hungry enough and sick enough to do just that. The young souls, especially, who have no memory of past lives will be swayed to their side,” the man said.
A loud snort preceded the woman’s reply. “The men, maybe. The women won’t be so anxious to sell themselves into the domestic slavery these people espouse.”
“The ones with hungry children will be vulnerable, even though they know it’s wrong.” The weariness in this third voice tore at Alyssa, and when she stepped into the doorway, she quickly identified the source as an older woman with the purple sash of the Chief Advocate draped over her shoulders.
“Perhaps I can help if someone will tell me what’s going on outside.” The three Advocates stared, and she turned her head slightly to be sure they could see her tattoo. “I’m Alyssa, Advocate, Region Four, Third Continent, and this is my young friend, Ari.” She still wasn’t comfortable introducing herself as First Advocate, even though The Collective Council had decreed it.
The older woman stood and extended her hand. “I’m Camila. You’re a long way from home.”
“I’m part of a, um, delegation called together to deal with this crisis.”
The male advocate sat back in his chair. “Good. Then it’s out of our hands.”
“I’m Deputy Advocate Emilia.” The woman extended her hand in greeting and the man frowned at her use of her title to point out her seniority over him. Emilia gestured toward the man. “And the rude one is Victor.” Emilia’s greeting projected a slightly amorous interest, and Alyssa projected a more sisterly emotion back at her. Emilia frowned, her expression puzzled.
“Have you made contact with any representatives of The Natural Order?” Alyssa asked.
“Their train pulled into town a few hours ago,” Victor said. “Several of their believers have been tacking up notices around town, summoning everyone to the market square tonight. The word has spread that the train is loaded with supplies.”
“A few people tried to see inside one of the train cars, but they’re guarding them,” Emilia said.
“I could get in. Mami says I’m very fast and clever.”
Emilia gave the boy an indulgent smile. “I’m
sure you are, but if there are supplies in there, we’ll need many people to unload them.” She turned back to the adults. “And if they won’t share them when that hungry crowd gathers tonight, I hate to think what will happen.”
Camila looked to Alyssa. “What does your delegation plan to do?”
“It’s very hard to explain.” Alyssa didn’t want to talk about the dragon-horse army and their objective to incinerate every last badly born. “I’m hoping to negotiate some sort of truce before the delegation has to act.”
“How can we help?” Camila asked.
*
Jael was in motion before her eyes opened and her sleeping brain registered the reflex.
“Stop. It’s just me.”
The strangled words took a few seconds to register, and then she loosened her arm around Second’s neck. “I thought you were in here reviewing maps and strategy. We only have about four hours until dark.”
She’d slept the day away. Dung. She was getting too old for this. She felt uncharacteristically off-kilter. She needed to ground herself. She needed to see Alyssa. Clothes. She needed to dress. She ran her tongue over her gritty teeth. She needed to clean up.
Second’s hand closed around Jael’s arm, her expression understanding. And why wouldn’t Second understand? They were clones and, like twins, shared more similarities than differences. “Skip the sonic shower. I found a waterfall about a klick away. Come on. I’ll show you. A real bath will clear your head.” She wrinkled her nose. “And, if it doesn’t, you’ll at least smell better. Then you can find Alyssa and apologize.”
Jael frowned. “Apologize for what?”
“It doesn’t matter. She obviously didn’t sleep here with you, so you must have done something to piss her off. Shower, find her, and apologize. Your mind won’t be clear and fully on tonight’s raid until you do.” Second’s smile was sad. “Trust me, I know from experience. You don’t have time to argue. Just do it.”
Less than an hour later, her hair was still damp from her bath, but she was clear-headed, refreshed, and on her way to find Alyssa. She slowed as she approached the clinic—or rather where the clinic had been. A man and a woman were loading the last of the temporary building’s panels onto a trailer while Tan talked with two medics next to the open door of a medical transport that held two of the more seriously wounded. Tan lifted her hand to signal Jael, then concluded her conversation with the medics and strode over. “I know your brain has been controlled by your ovaries lately, but I needed Alyssa at the clinic today, not warming your bed.”
Dragon Horse War Page 24