by Lyn Lowe
He lost track of how many times fists and boots connected with his body. It hurt, and that was all the attention he could afford to give it. This wasn’t sparring with Gregor. These men intended to hurt someone, and they seemed perfectly content to make it him. Distraction was just as great an enemy as any of the five men working so hard to break him.
At some point he stopped thinking about the punches that were connecting with the men around him, or even the ones landing on him. He stopped thinking through the moves he was making, and what Gregor taught him. He just let the flow of the fight take over his body. It was perfect. One movement poured into the next, and each breath was another turn. It was intense and exhilarating.
And then it was done. Air pouring in and out of his lungs in brutal gasps, Kaie blinked the haze away from his eyes. All his opponents were on the ground. The boy was awake and staring up at him with open amazement. All around them, a crowd was gathering and muttering as they put on wildly different expressions.
Kaie was sure the Hudukul didn’t like the Urazian soldiers. The new ones would be even less popular than Gregor’s forces. But everyone in the plaza knew what came next just as well as he did. There was a reason all the cots in the hospital were empty. The five Urazin soldiers on the ground weren’t the only ones in the square. Two handfuls were starting to push their way toward him.
There wasn’t any time to think things through. No time to plan an escape. Kaie grabbed the boy’s arm and dragged him back into an alley. For a while he just ran. The boy wasn’t as fast as him, but kept up well enough. He didn’t know where he was going, and didn’t bother trying to figure it out. It was time to flee. Sorting out where to could wait.
“Excuse me!”
Kaie blinked and slowed, wondering how many times the boy tried to get his attention. “What do you want?”
The boy looked at him with gray eyes far too big for his face. It was disconcerting. The kid was obviously younger than him, but not by as much as Kaie thought initially. The boy was obviously well into his teens and almost as muscular as Gregor. Such eyes didn’t belong with a body built like that.
“I need to get back to my grandfather.”
Kaie felt his face tighten in a frown and his temper fray. Something about the kid tugged at his memory. “You might have missed it, in all the cowering and mewling you were doing back there, but now is not a good time to be wandering around the city looking for some old man.”
The boy’s chest puffed out a bit, and his face twisted into a scowl. “He’ll keep us safe.”
“Well that’s fantastic! Why didn’t you say so?” Kaie scoffed. “So he’s going to be able to fend off all the Urazian soldiers who’ll be out hunting the both of us single-handedly then?”
“If he has to,” the boy insisted. He pointed. “My grandfather said he’d meet me that way.”
Kaie rolled his eyes. “So you’re the grandson of the greatest warrior in the world? Tell me another one, kid. Come on. We can’t be too far from the Rit’s manse. You can hide out there for the night, if you have to. I’m not letting my plan go to shit just because you’re too stupid to stay out of trouble.”
The boy jerked his arm out of Kaie’s grip. “I’m not going. I told you, I need to find my grandfather. And I’m not stupid, either.”
“You haven’t done anything to convince me different yet.” Kaie snarled. “Next time someone saves your ass from shit you got yourself into, you might want to try a bit of gratitude.”
The boy crossed his arms over his chest. “I didn’t get myself into anything. They saw my hair and decided I was some escaped slave they’re looking for. One who belongs to the Ninth Rit.” His eyes tilted up to Kaie’s own hair and narrowed.
“And you decided to piss them off instead of explaining you’re just some stupid kid who doesn’t even know to cover his head?” This was bad. He knew there would be a reaction to his disappearance, but he didn’t expect Gregor to set the new soldiers out to find him.
“Oh, I tried explaining plenty. But Urazian trash never listens.”
Kaie scowled at the boy. “Look, I’ve done all the risking my life on your behalf I’m willing to do today. If you want to go find your amazing warrior grandfather, have at it. But I’m going to the manse.”
The boy stared at him for a while. Kaie couldn’t decide what the kid thought their locked gazes would accomplish, but it was unsettling. His patience for their little contest of wills expired, he turned away and headed out of the alley, determined to put this whole encounter out of his mind and get back to his plan before the soldiers caught up with him and everything was ruined.
He didn’t get far before a hand dropped on his shoulder. He spun around, startled at how eager he was to pound his bruised fist into the boy’s face.
The kid smiled, his big eyes intense and all but glowing. Something cold and sharp slithered its way through Kaie’s mind. He stumbled backward instinctually, throwing up all manner of mental walls and clinging to a single thought.
I am Kaie!
The boy blinked and withdrew his hand. Kaie didn’t imagine the irritation he saw.
“You’re not leaving me here,” the kid said darkly. “You’re going to help me find him, or I’ll go find myself another soldier and tell them I’ve found the Ninth Rit’s escaped slave.”
Kaie shook his head, trying to clear it of whatever had just happened to him. “You little bastard,” he muttered, wondering if he was going crazy.
The boy nodded. “If I have to be. It’s the best for everyone if you cooperate. My grandfather won’t be far, and he knows this city better than anyone. Once we find him, we’ll take you back where you belong.” Kaie found he no longer felt up to arguing with the boy. The direction the kid was insisting on didn’t seem to lead back where they’d come. So it was as good as any other.
“Alright. We’ll find your grandfather.”
The kid turned out to be surprisingly adept at navigating the city streets. He was clearly not a native Huduku, but it was only his hair that gave him away. Even his skin was tan enough that no one would know the difference. He seemed to have a knack for weaving in and out of the crowds that Kaie lacked.
The building looked no different than any of the others, but it did stand out. From inside leaked smells that made Kaie’s mouth water and reminded his stomach just how long ago he’d eaten. A bakery.
“Your grandfather’s in there?” Kaie tried to keep the trepidation out of his voice as the sound of angry shouts drifted from behind them. The boy nodded enthusiastically.
“He’ll keep us safe,” the kid insisted again.
Before another argument could slip past his parted lips, the door to the bakery opened and the old man in question stepped out into the cluttered street.
Kaie’s vague hope that the boy was right crumbled instantly. The man was stooped with age, his silver hair floating around him in long waves that were dangerously close to brushing the ground. His wrinkled face was kind, and his eyes were sharp and filled with amusement, but there was nothing in his spindly figure that inspired a sense of safety.
“Well then, my boy, what have you brought me here?”
The kid smiled warmly and patted the old man’s shoulder with affection. “Thank the gods you’re alright. The soldiers are out of control, just like you expected.”
Kaie bit back an observation that, if the man was supposed to be keeping them safe, it shouldn’t be surprising to find him unharmed. Something about the old man made him cautious. It was similar to what he felt about the boy, the same tugging on something half-remembered, but without any of the anger the kid inspired.
“Oh dear,” the old man muttered. A shadow passed over his face as he lifted his eyes to meet Kaie’s. “Caused trouble, did he?”
“He says it’s not his fault,” Kaie responded, feeling an odd compulsion to tell the old man everything.
The old man shot his grandson an appraising look. “I hope you thanked this young man.” He stood as upr
ight as his crooked spine would allow and turned to Kaie. “How many were there, son?”
“Five.”
The laughter returned to the old man’s bright green eyes. It danced, taunting Kaie with a joke he was left out of. “Of course. Well, it seems my grandson and I are in your debt. Five times, as it were.”
Kaie brushed it off with a flip of his hand. “Just get me to the Ninth Rit’s manse and I’ll consider it even.” He glanced back the way they’d come, trying to decide if the sounds were drawing closer or if it was just his imagination.
The old man shook his head. “Nonsense. A debt of this kind must be repaid properly.”
Suddenly, Kaie was dropping to his knees. His eyes widened as his shins hit the cobblestone, fear coursing through him in waves. The old man didn’t seem to have moved at all, but there was no doubt that it was his will that pushed Kaie to kneel. He tried to shout, but found that his voice was gone.
The old man placed a withered hand against Kaie’s forehead. When it touched his skin, it didn’t feel like flesh at all. There was no give, no softness. Not even the roughness of a laborer’s hands. There was just a chill that seeped out of the old man and snaked through Kaie until he was shivering beneath the other man’s touch.
“Five times, you saved my grandson, son of Fate. Five times, I owe you..”
Something happened. Or nothing happened. But there was a change. Some shift in the order of the universe, all centered around this one old man and where he was touching Kaie’s head. He shook and shivered and wanted to scurry away and hide until the whole thing went away. It was magic, whatever this man was doing. It was terrifying.
Then the old man took his hand away, and Kaie could breathe again. He could almost convince himself that none of it actually happened. “Er, thanks. Look, this has been great, but I really need to get moving. He said you’d point me to the Ninth Rit. I’m going to hide out there until dark. The kid should probably sight for a while too.”
He almost suggested the two hide with him, but bit back the words at the last second. He wanted to be done with them both as quickly as possible, five times owed or not.
The old man smiled kindly, and it hit him. The dream, the one that never quite faded. That was why the old man looks so familiar. The boy too. It was impossible. But there was no mistaking either one of them.
“The fifth always pays for all?” He murmured, hardly aware of doing so.
The old man patted his shoulder with affection and then helped Kaie back to his feet. “You always were one of my favorites,” he answered lowly. Then, louder, “I’m not one to argue, son, but I don’t think that’s really how you want to do this.”
“What do you mean?”
The old man shrugged. “Well, you could do as you plan, of course, but it’s Tialmo Lro’t. The Night of Lights. It only comes once every five years. Even with all this soldier trouble, the people of the city are sure to be bustling about until dawn. The Ninth Rit will be expected to open his home to everyone. It will bring a lot more traffic than most people would want when they’re trying to hide. Might I make a suggestion?”
Kaie frowned, his mind scrambling for an alternative. “If you make it helpful.”
“Why, I’m always helpful,” the old man winked. “You should make your way to the river before nightfall. If you can find yourself a storehouse that hasn’t been claimed by the Urazians, you might just go unnoticed until things calm down a bit.”
He pursed his lips. “Not the worst idea,” he admitted reluctantly. “But my business with the Rit is pressing. I’ll have to take care of that first.”
“Well then, I suppose you’ll want to know the way.” The old man gestured to a small side-street. “It’ll take you straight there. Drop you off at one of the doors, if I recall. Just make sure you stay out of the market for as long as you possibly can. You understand? Not unless you have no other options.” Then he laughed, once again enjoying a joke that Kaie was not privy to. “Consider this one free.”
“Uh, thanks.”
“I’m Maal,” the old man supplied. “And my grandson Anton. Make sure you remember, will you?”
Kaie nodded, though he hadn’t asked for the names. Didn’t want them. Before he could get anything else he didn’t ask for he darted off down the street.
It was several minutes before he realized that he’d never told Maal who he was.
Twenty-Four
The old man made it sound like the manor was close, but the trek felt like forever. Part of that was in his mind. Another part was because every time he heard a shout or clank of metal he darted for what little cover he could find. That happened with greater frequency as he went along. By the time he finally made it within sight of home, he was out of breath and wound up so tightly he half hoped to bump into some soldiers, just to get some relief.
He nearly leapt out of his skin when he jerked open the heavy wooden door to the servant’s entrance. Peren was on the other side, her hand posed to push it open. Her dark blue eyes widened and for a second she lit with joy. She threw her arms around him, and Kaie managed not to flinch as she buried her face in his shoulder.
She was perfect. Exactly how he remembered her, only better. Her angles were softer than the last time he saw her, filling her out in ways that made her stunning. The setting sun caught her white-blonde hair and set it on fire. She even smelled better.
It was wrong. She wasn’t supposed to be here. Not in this place. Never in this place. She might see the garden. Or see him look at the garden. Then she would know. And then her eyes would fill with pity. He didn’t feel safe with her in his arms. He felt exposed.
“You’re really here!”
He gently pushed her away as he closed the door behind himself. “Vaughan wasn’t supposed to tell you,” he muttered.
She snorted. “That’s stupid. Of course he told me. Where have you been?”
“Taking in the sights.” He answered quickly, turning away so that she couldn’t catch his eyes. “Why are you here?”
“To see you, of course. Are you okay?”
“Well enough,” Kaie answered. “Why?”
“Why?” She sounded surprised. “Do you have any idea what’s going on out there?”
A laugh burst out of him in a bark. “I have a pretty good grasp on it, I think,” he replied. The manse was quiet, except for them. He wished someone would burst in and put an end to their time alone. He wanted this over so badly it ached. “Is the Rit here?”
She shook her head, tucking her hair back behind her ear. He was waiting for the worry lines to fade from her face, but they showed no sign of easing. That was his fault. He couldn’t fix them.
“Good. You need to go back to Vaughan now. I’ll come for you soon. I promise.” He brushed his lips against the top of her head. He hated that he was comforting her the same way he did a dead girl. He released her and headed to the rooms in the back.
“Kaie!” He stopped and glanced back, battling against the strong need to rush away. “You need to do something about your hair before you go outside again. The soldiers…”
He flashed a smile and nodded. “Right. Thanks for the warning.” Then he paused, a question he didn’t want to ask settling around his shoulders. “They’re all looking for me, then?”
She shook her head again, and the worry lines only seemed to deepen. “One of the soldiers mentioned red hair. The rest… Oh, Kaie, I wanted to stop her!”
“What? Stop who?”
“Mistress Autumnsong!” The word tore loose from Peren’s throat with a pain that could not be mistaken. Kaie’s stomach twisted as he realized he had no idea what she was talking about.
“What’s going on?”
“You said you knew!” She hiccupped, tears spilling down her cheeks. “She ordered them killed, Kaie! The Huduku! Some soldiers said they were attacked by a mob of Huduku people, and she ordered the soldiers to bring her the heads of no less than one hundred men! I couldn’t stop her! Normally she listens to me,
but this time…”
Understanding ripped through him. The slaughter of more than a hundred innocent people was about to be on his shoulders. Then, because there was nothing else to do, he pulled her into his arms and let her sob against his shoulder. For uncountable moments, they just stood like that. Kaie was aware of her, of time, in only the vaguest of senses. He was preoccupied with sorting out what repercussions he should expect for himself and Peren.
They were Urazian. It wouldn’t matter if they ever learned the role he played in the mass murder of their people. If there was not open rebellion yet, there would be soon. Gregor never stationed guards. There wasn’t likely to be a better time to go after the Urazian leadership, and he and Peren were standing in the heart of the beast, unprotected. They weren’t going to forgive the Rit for the coming bloodshed just because he wasn’t the one who issued the order. The only chance left to any of them was to launch Gregor’s revolt now, when the uprising against the Urazian forces was still new and battle lines were being drawn.
The only chance for survival was to stick to the plan. But it did change things for Peren and her brother. Gregor’s success would hinge on removing the Lady Autumnsong from Hudukul as quickly as possible. That would include her slaves and staff. If they were allowed to live, it would be as prisoners. Kaie knew well what Gregor did with prisoners.
No matter how he worked at the problem, tugging one thread or knotting another, there was only one solution he could find that carried any chance of surviving. It didn’t alter the plan much, but the difference was extreme. It looked like he was going to be taking an active role.
He stepped just far enough away that he could look into her eyes. As always, he was struck by the knowledge he saw lurking in them. But she didn’t flinch away from him. He could detect no sign she saw the changes in him. Not yet. He wondered if she would ever forgive him, once she did. Once she realized he used her feelings to trick her.