Orsa bristled with anger and pointed an accusatory finger at Kayleigh. “You put more stock in what this deserter says! He should be bound like the woman.”
“Rahzir has given us no reason to doubt him. You, on the other hand, made us prisoners in your town,” Tamera interjected, clearly angry.
Kayleigh nodded her thanks to her friend and noted how quickly Tamera came to Rahzir’s defense.
“Can we please go a few hours without a squabble? Tamera, you and Rahzir take care of the horses, get something to eat, and get some sleep. I’ll take first watch and Captain Orsa can keep an eye on the prisoner.”
“I wouldn’t use the well,” Orsa advised. “It may have been poisoned.”
“Fair enough,” Kayleigh said. “We’ve got enough to last us to Salif, but I’ll ride around before the sun sets and see if I can find more.”
In truth, Kayleigh had been summoning water. Tamera knew she could, but there was no reason for the others to know.
Tamera’s still a mess from losing her unicorn. Orsa is injured. Garrett’s insane. Rheysurrah loathes me and Cyemma is clinging to me to prevent Garrett from controlling her. The only one I seem to be able to rely on is Rahzir. Thank the Goddess and her daughters that he doesn’t hold a grudge over the death of his cousin!
“May I have a moment?” Kayleigh asked of Rahzir when they stopped for the first time to allow the horses and the unicorns a brief rest. She was uncomfortable broaching the subject, but felt it necessary.
“What can I do for you?” he answered in a casual manner.
“When I went back to Shiftla, I had to fight through some warriors who were blocking the gate. Their leader was named Thresh. Was he a relative?”
“A cousin. Did you kill him?”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “He was the one who hit me with the arrow.”
Other than her mother, Kayleigh had no family and couldn’t identify with how he might be feeling.
“We were not very close. He was headstrong and believed himself invulnerable. Obviously, he was not as skilled with the bow and arrow as his boasts claimed. I will mourn his loss, but dying in battle against a worthy foe bodes well for his next life.”
“I thought you’d be mad at me,” she said.
“Life in my land is harsh. Death can come at any moment. Each setting sun is to be cherished, because it means that you have survived another day. But I must ask, why did you tell me this? You could as easily have never mentioned this to me and I would be none the wiser. It does not give you any advantage and you risked angering me.”
“You’re risking everything by coming with us. I want to be able to trust you and I want you to be able to trust me.”
Rahzir paused, digesting what she said. She saw honest surprise on his face before he said, “Again, I underestimate you. One of the things my people always say about those from the east is how they speak lies, saying one thing and doing the opposite. Your actions are honorable and rise above the beliefs of my people.”
“Thank you,” Kayleigh said, blushing furiously. “I can’t promise that everyone is like me.”
“No,” he said and let out a hollow laugh. “The other girl, Tamera, accuses me of being a spy.”
“I don’t think we’re important enough to merit a spy. Tamera is still hurting from losing her unicorn. Be patient with her.” She thought of mentioning how quickly her friend came to his defense, but decided against it.
“I will,” he said with a nod.
Securing the female unicorn to a hitching post by one of the empty houses, Kayleigh checked the inside before walking back to find Rheysurrah. Her leg was still tender from the arrow wound and walking for more than fifty feet bothered her.
Her unicorn grazed near the wagon in what used to be someone’s vegetable garden. He’d ignored her since she was forced to ride Cyemma, preferring to stay with the others while Kayleigh scouted ahead.
To say things were bad between the two of them was like saying this invasion was just an interruption of peoples’ lives. His refusal to go back into Shiftla was just another sign that their partnership was an utter failure.
Most of Kayleigh’s life had revolved around avoiding confrontations. There was always the fear of upsetting her mother, her clients, or someone important or influential. Thrust into the role of Lead Rider, she still didn’t develop much as a leader. Kayleigh got by only because she performed at a high level and the other girls in first year saw how Captain Lynch treated her.
She didn’t know how to make peace with Rheysurrah, but figured she needed to do something.
“Hey, Rhey, do you want to go for a quick ride?”
Rheysurrah backed away from her, snorting, and shaking his head from side to side.
“Is this about me riding Cyemma? You know I have to do it until her rider comes out of that awful spell she’s under.”
He snorted again and she knew it was deeper than that.
“I get it, Rhey,” she said to him, feeling the tightness in her chest clamp around her heart at his rejection. “You don’t want me as your rider anymore. I know it’s not working out between us. I’m doing the best that I can and you’re not making it any easier!”
The unicorn deliberately turned away from her and lowered his head back to the ground to graze some more.
“All right,” she said, crushed by his indifference. “If that’s what you really want, when we get to Salif, I’ll try to undo the bond between us.”
“Kayleigh? Are you okay? I can take the first watch if you want.” Tamera asked, stopping Kayleigh as she fled from Rheysurrah’s rejection.
“Not really,” she answered. “But I’ll get by. I’m too angry to go to sleep anytime soon, but thank you for your offer.”
“I’m sorry for overhearing that. Things aren’t getting any better between you two, are they?”
They continued walking as Kayleigh admitted, “No, they aren’t. When Danella broke my bond with Majherri, it hurt, a lot. I don’t want to do that again until we’re somewhere safe. Rheysurrah might start wasting all over again.”
“Still, it got me wondering,” Tamera started nervously, wringing her hands together. “Do you think you might be able to help me bond with another unicorn?”
“Uh, I really don’t know how all this works,” she replied.
Tamera placed her hands on Kayleigh’s shoulders and said, “Please! Without a unicorn, I’m just a girl headed back to her parents and their farm. I don’t want that life again. You made a bond with Rheysurrah to keep him from dying. Maybe, I could take over your bond with him?”
The girl’s desperate plea reached Kayleigh. “I … I don’t even know if I can, Tamera. It might not even be possible. We might be stuck with each other.”
“But it might work,” Tamera said, clinging to a hope.
“It might,” Kayleigh said. “Let me see your hands for a moment.”
Taking the girl’s hands, she closed her eye and searched for the remnants of the other girl’s bond. Concentrating, she followed her instincts and located the frayed cord floating in the center of Tamera Akers. The ends were limp and appeared burnt. Kayleigh wasn’t sure what, if anything, she could do with it.
Letting go, she sighed and looked into the expectant eyes of her friend before saying, “I can still see your side of the bond. I won’t make any promises and you’d still have to convince Rheysurrah to let you try, but he might change his mind and want to stay with me.”
“Thank you, Kayleigh. You don’t know how much this means to me,” Tamera said and embraced her, before running back to the wagon.
Kayleigh remembered the pain she felt when Majherri was lost to her. It wasn’t quite the same as what Tamera was experiencing, but it was close enough. She missed her connection with him. They fought and often became frustrated at one another, but there was always the sense that both of them acknowledged that they were a team. Rheysurrah didn’t give her that same feeling. She felt trapped, frustrated, and wished that Laurel or
someone else was here to make the decisions. The weight of the world seemed to be grinding her into the ground, pulling her in a dozen different directions at the same time. She kept walking as the enormity of everything she’d experienced began to catch up to her and Kayleigh’s legs felt like they had turned to lead. Barely managing to get around the side of one of the vacant hovels, she sat down with her back against the earthen wall and allowed the tears to finally overwhelm her.
She woke later in the darkness to a hand shaking her. Her neck felt awful from falling asleep in such an awkward position.
“What?” she asked, trying to wipe the sleep out of her puffy eyes.
“I took your watch,” Rahzir said. “You were in no condition. I would have let you sleep longer, but I need some rest before the sun rises.”
“Oh, okay,” Kayleigh said and stood on unsteady legs, quickly learning that it wasn’t just her neck that was sore. She felt worse than three trips through the obstacle course back at The Academy. “Thank you for doing that.”
“You needed the rest,” he said and Kayleigh felt her cheeks flush. Everyone probably heard me crying my eyes out!
She tried to think of something clever to say that would make her less embarrassed, but nothing came to mind. With no other option, Kayleigh decided to pretend it didn’t happen.
Some leader I’m turning out to be, she thought, following him to the wagon. She took a drink of water from her canteen and unwrapped a bundle of dried meat to ease her hunger. Grabbing a pair of apples, she went first to Rheysurrah and gave one to him. He accepted it and she guessed his sensitive hearing had no trouble hearing her breakdown. Using a brief moment of heatsight, she made certain that Cyemma was still at the tree and made her way to where the female unicorn was tied up.
“I brought you an apple,” she said, noting that Cyemma looked as bad as she felt. Touching her side, she saw more evidence of the corruption from the unicorn’s bond with Penelope Garrett. Expending some effort, she broke the threads of darkness away.
“Hang in there,” she offered. “The spell your rider is under can’t last forever. That thing you showed me in your vision, the one that helps this sorcerer control her, she won’t be able to go back to it. I know it is hard being separated from her. Just keep your spirits up. Besides, you’ve got someone else to live for now.”
Cyemma nodded her head and chomped on the apple while Kayleigh pulled a thick brush from the saddlebag. The unicorn still seemed uncertain of the fact that she was with child. Kayleigh knew almost nothing about the birth cycle of unicorns. The fourth and fifth year students are the ones who help the female unicorns deliver. Their mounts are closer to the age where they can mate.
Knowing Cyemma was probably concerned about the possible effects on her developing colt or filly, Kayleigh held up the brush and said, “Your rider can’t brush you right now but if you let me, I will.”
The unicorn responded with a hazy image of riders brushing their unicorns and Kayleigh took that as permission.
“I wish I could have finished off that manticore. That man deserves it for what’s been done to Majherri.”
The image shifted to a dark haired woman riding on Majherri. Kayleigh was still trying to get used to the dark coat Majherri now had, but now she concentrated on the woman. Her skin lacked color and she looked more dead than alive.
“Is that Danella Lynch?” The changes in the woman were dramatic. She couldn’t even imagine the amount of corruption that had caused the transformation in the two of them. “She looks ghastly!”
Cyemma nodded and Kayleigh strained to pick up the words from the distorted memory. Something the young woman thought she heard gave her great pause.
Did Lynch just say Count Darius?
Fighting the knot of fear growing in the pit of her stomach, she asked, “Cyemma, were Penelope and Danella calling the leader Count Darius? He was the one riding the manticore wasn’t he? Are you certain?”
Another nod from Cyemma confirmed her new worst nightmare.
“He’s supposed to be dead,” she sputtered.
The unicorn shook her head to indicate that this was wrong and showed her the grainy memory of Penelope pledging her service to the man.
“I’ll be right back,” Kayleigh said and jogged to the wagon.
Both Orsa and Rahzir were still awake and looked at her with questioning eyes. Tamera was on the ground sleeping on a blanket. Kayleigh went into the wagon to find the prisoner. Penelope typically yelled and screamed when she wasn’t gagged. On the first day, she’d spit any water back at the person holding the canteen and refused to eat. By the second day, she’d stopped and accepted food and nourishment. Kayleigh reasoned that it was to keep her strength up for an escape attempt.
Making a small fire in the palm of her hand, she looked into Rider Garrett’s eyes. They were still completely dark. The woman smelled awful and Kayleigh felt a pang of sympathy.
“I’m sorry you’re being kept in such a state, we’ll try and get you cleaned up when we can.”
Using the hand that wasn’t producing the light, she reached over and pulled the gag from Penelope Garrett’s mouth. “Do you need any water?”
Garrett spit in her face and said, “You get poor marks for how you treat your prisoners, little girl.”
“If you weren’t so dangerous, we wouldn’t have to do this. We’re trying to help you return to the person you once were.”
“I am the person I want to be! Spare me your caring, you insignificant, little bitch! Just tell me what you want?” Garrett demanded.
Put off slightly by Penelope’s insults, Kayleigh faltered as she asked, “I just want to know one thing…the man leading this…the one you call your master…what is his name?”
“The master’s name is not to be spoken to those who do not believe,” Garrett answered Kayleigh.
Pausing, Kayleigh made certain she could see Penelope’s face. Kayleigh’s mother used to tell her to watch people’s expressions when doing business. Brenda Reese had an almost uncanny ability to read other people’s faces when negotiating a price or tell when her daughter wasn’t being completely truthful.
Of course this is a little more dangerous than selling artwork, Kayleigh thought before continuing aloud, “Cyemma just showed me a memory that it’s really Count Darius.”
“You can’t see images from my unicorn!” the prisoner protested, but the shocked look on her face confirmed what the unicorn had shown her. “You’re lying. That’s impossible!”
“Just like I couldn’t be Majherri’s rider when Danella was still alive, or bond with another unicorn? So it really is him,” Kayleigh said dismissively.
“It’s not, stupid girl!”
“So, Lynch hasn’t done something to Majherri that turned his coat black?”
More surprise, followed by another denial. “She’s lying to you…I’m still controlling her! I just want you to think that so you’re scared.”
“No,” Kayleigh said. “I stopped being scared. Now, I’m just angry. Thanks to you, I finally know who I’m angry at. As soon as we get to Salif, I’m going to make sure everyone knows who is behind this.”
Forcing the gag back down on Penelope’s mouth as the woman began spewing threats and obscenities, Kayleigh leapt out of the wagon and turned to Orsa and Rahzir.
“Wake Tamera. We have to push on to Salif. Rahzir, you’ll have to try and sleep in the wagon.”
“What of your friends?” Orsa asked.
“I’ll leave them a message. You heard our prisoner. The leader of this army is Count Darius. That information is too important and we have to get it to General Hawthorne.”
Rahzir didn’t know who Count Darius was, but Orsa did.
Kayleigh used her scimitar to pry a flat piece of wood loose from one of the homes while the others followed her directions. Using her flames, she heated the tip of her bone knife and carved a brief message to anyone who might come. When finished, she took a spear from the wagon and drove the tip int
o the ground on the path leading into the empty village and propped the crude sign against it.
Looking down at it, she silently prayed for her classmates before going to get Cyemma.
Count Darius had almost conquered the entire world and they believed him dead, banished to the pages of history, and invoked as a monster to scare small children. There was a memory from when she was young and couldn’t even remember what town they were living in at the time, but Kayleigh had gone to her mother, complaining that a boy teased her and saying that Count Darius was going to get her.
The day Kayleigh had renounced her mother and claimed her independence was the angriest Brenda Reese had ever gotten, but that other time, so long ago was a very close second. They left that town a week later.
Maybe the man is just pretending to be Darius, but if he truly is the world is in more trouble than anyone can imagine!
Chapter 13- Madness Beckons
The ferry carried them to the eastern banks of the Clef River. Instead of going to the numerous docks and piers available, they arrived at what was commonly called a “smuggler’s point.” It was a small spit of land, little more than a sand bar where criminals did business under the cover of darkness.
Majherri didn’t like the idea of being smuggled any more than wearing the set of reins which gave him the appearance of a common horse. Some of those seeking refuge on this side of the river used anything they thought might float to try and get them across. Doors, logs, and even a crude boat made of a wooden tub drifted by along with several bodies, those who had risked everything in a bid for freedom and lost.
The unicorn watched the approaching shore and still tried to comprehend how Kayleigh may very well be the daughter of Count Darius. The man seemed certain enough of it and had claimed that his magic had failed to harm her. As fate would have it, Reese was not even Kayleigh’s last name.
Her mother had only mentioned that the last war had cost Kayleigh her father. Now, one of the tasks assigned to Danella was to locate and capture the woman who goes by the name of Brenda Reese and return her to Count Darius, who would use her to bring Kayleigh to him.
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