“Garrett?” Bastian called out.
Tansy’s tears ran freely now, and she sank against a tree, relief flooding her bones.
“AHH!” Garrett screamed. Tansy jumped, heart rate spiking again. “Get it off, get it OFF!” A quick scrambling noise ensued. “Fuck! That was the biggest fuckin’ spider I’ve ever seen!”
A sob burst from Tansy’s chest and she debated throwing one of her knives at the terrified rearick. When he finally emerged through the trees, though, she threw herself instead, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Then, she slapped him.
“What the fuck was that fer?” he yelped, pressing his hand to his stinging face.
Sharne and Carey arrived together, both with hands lazily resting on their weapons as they watched the exchange.
“A SPIDER?” Tansy yelled at him. “I thought you’d been attacked by a horde of flipping remnant!”
“Oh! Aye, about the remnant, ye see…” Garrett narrowed his eyes, finally noticing the bruise around her throat. “Oh, shite. Ye either already know, or young Bastian here needs a painful lesson on how to treat a lady.”
“Hey!” Bastian squealed. “How could you even… I would never…”
“Untwist yer knickers, lad. I know ye wouldn’t do that. And if ye, did, ye’ve learned yer lesson.” Garrett sniggered.
Bastian raised a hand to his face where a purple bruise flourished beneath his touch. “You knew there were remnant?” Bastian asked.
Tansy whirled around to glare at Garrett.
“Well… I knew there could have been remnant,” he admitted, backing away. “But we killed all the ones we saw, and then Bette was hurt, so I was—”
“What Garrett means to say,” Sharne interrupted. “Is that he’s very, very sorry for not sharing that vital information sooner, but he was so traumatized by the injury Bette sustained he wasn’t thinking clearly.”
“What? I didn’t mean—” Garrett stopped when Sharne firmly tapped her hand on the back of his head. “Oh, fine. That’s what I meant. Are ye both alright?”
Tansy nodded, her fury at Garrett fading as the reality sank in. “There might be one still alive. He’s… well, he’s stuck up a tree.”
Garrett’s eyes shot open at that, but she didn’t let him speak. “One accosted us at the ruins. He’s dead. Then, two more found us on the trail. I snared one, he was dangling at the top of a sapling, but his screams stopped before we heard you. He’s either fallen, or climbed down.”
“And the other?” Carey asked, voice rich with concern.
“Dead,” Tansy confirmed. “Bastian knocked him on the head.”
“You’re sure it killed him?” Sharne asked gently.
Tansy nodded, then winced as her throat muscles protested. “He looked dead, and he didn’t complain when I cut his throat. So... I’m quite sure.”
“Good, lass!” Garrett gushed. “I can’t believe the two of ye fought three of the bastards off! And wee Bastian here without a lick of talent in ‘im.”
Garrett grinned widely, ignoring Bastian’s offended glance.
“Can we go home now?” Tansy asked in a small voice. Her exhaustion pressed harder than her pride, and her breath still came in rasping gasps past the swelling in her windpipes.
“Aye,” Garrett said. “We brought the horses, so ye don’t have to walk.”
Sharne wrapped an arm around Tansy gently. “You look beat to hell,” the guard admitted as she helped her along.
Tansy mustered up a grin. “You should see the other guy.”
“I have no doubt I will,” Sharne said. “I don’t imagine Garrett will let those bastards run around the forest freely.”
Tansy gasped. “Surely you won’t come back here?” she asked. “It’s not safe!”
“It’s not. But do you think they won’t come for the town eventually?” Sharne shook her head. “We can’t survive without trade, not this winter, and the traders won’t come if they know there are remnant running about.”
Tansy rested against Sharne as they walked. “I know,” she said quietly. “I just… I’ve never seen one before. I didn’t know they could be so vicious. And who is Chet?”
Sharne moved under Tansy’s weight. “Chet?”
“Yeah,” Tansy said, her mind drifting over her aches and pains, wondering how far they would have to walk to find the horses. “They kept talking about him, said he took the land after they were driven out by a monster.”
“We’d best talk to Garrett about that,” Sharne said. Then, looking down at the exhausted girl, suggested, “But maybe we’ll wait until we’re home, hey?”
Chapter Twenty-One
Julianne regarded the three men trussed up on the ground before her.
“Hank,” she said to the fourth trader. He squatted on the ground next to her. “I need you to tell me exactly what she said—or, as close as you can remember.”
Hank’s brow furrowed. “Filthy pigs, trying to turn a profit off those in need. Now, I’m going to profit off you. Kill the bitch. Don’t let her pass. And don’t speak to me again, you boor.”
Julianne sighed. “There’s nothing for it,” she said. “I have to unwork the spell she put on them, there’s no way around it.”
Marcus groaned. “How long is that going to take?” he asked.
“Well, Hank’s already done. Maybe an hour? Unless Artemis deigns to help.” Julianne's eyes lit up as she delved into the mind of the second man, shaking off her irritation at her mystic companion.
Artemis had barely spoken since they had left his friends, apart from the occasional mumble about the unsatisfactory weather, the uncomfortable horse, or the long trip.
Marcus pulled a strand of grass and examined it, then nibbled it between his teeth. Hank sighed. Marcus stretched out. A fly buzzed overhead.
He lasted all of five minutes before he was up pacing again.
“You’re distracting me,” Julianne said pointedly. “I can put you to sleep, if you want.”
With an irritable sigh, Marcus flopped back down on the ground. “I thought she wasn’t as strong as Rogan,” he muttered.
“She wasn’t, not really. But she had the training of a full mystic, and she was powerful. Just… broken.”
The active part of Julianne’s mind drifted to a memory she had from inside Donna’s mind, and she shuddered. Rogan wasn’t just cruel; he was destructive. He had left gaping holes in Donna’s mind.
“Actually, Rogan may have made her stronger,” Julianne mused. “Either through his spellwork or his death.” She paused, teasing out a snarled bit of mind control magic from her patient’s mind.
“You’ll have to explain,” Marcus said. “Because I didn’t think that was possible.”
“The biggest dampener on anyone’s magic is a natural aversion to pushing against our limits,” Julianne said. “We can do it, but it’s uncomfortable—for good reason. Push too hard and you burn yourself out.”
“Like lifting a heavy weight?” Marcus asked. “A normal person can only lift so much, but if a child is crushed under a rock, we can push through that limit.”
“Yes,” Julianne said. “Ezekiel would compare it to a remnant mind. They have no natural limit. They will push harder and harder, past injury and damage, because they lack that aspect of their mind.”
Marcus’s face twisted into a grimace. “So, Donna is like a remnant now?”
Julianne shook her head. “Not really. And I can’t say if this is even true—so far, it’s just a theory. But she shouldn’t have been able to use this level of power, even if she did know the mechanics.”
“So, how do we combat that?” Marcus asked. “Could she be more powerful than you?”
Julianne shrugged. “Maybe. But if I’m right, and if she pushes that hard, she will burn out. That would be one end to the problem.”
“And the other?” Marcus asked.
“I’ll just have to kill her.”
Julianne fell silent and let Marcus to dwell on her words. Of all th
e people Julianne had killed—and he had to admit, it was becoming quite a list—the ones that bothered her most were the mystics.
Those were the deaths that kept her up at night, that gave her nightmares and made her doubt herself. The mere thought of someone who shared the same gift she had, someone who could ignore the pain and suffering they caused and use that gift for evil, went against everything she believed in.
Marcus rolled over onto his side to watch her. Julianne sat quietly, eyes glossed over, hands gently resting on her knees. She couldn’t have just killed the men, he knew. No, not her, he thought. She would do her best to save them, even if it meant letting Donna sneak even farther out of their reach.
“Done,” she finally said.
“That took longer than expected,” Marcus commented.
She arched an eyebrow. “All three of them,” she clarified.
Marcus sat up, frowning. “You said it would take ages.”
“I did.” Julianne grinned. “But once I figured out a shortcut, it was much easier.”
“Mental magic has shortcuts?” he asked.
Julianne chuckled. “Not really, but some spells have a specific neural pathway they follow. That makes them easy to study or replicate. Or, in this case, undo.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Marcus said, untying the three men. He gave the snoozing Artemis a nudge with his toe on the way past.
They set the traders on their way, once Julianne had given them all a brief check over.
“You’re sure they won’t have any nasty side effects?” Marcus asked, thinking back to some of the citizens of Tahn.
She shrugged. “Probably a nasty headache by morning. Maybe some disorientation, confusion. They should be fine in a day or two, and I planted a gentle suggestion in each of them to take it easy for a few days.”
“You really do think of everything,” Marcus grinned.
“It’s my job,” she sighed.
“Damn straight,” Artemis snapped, coming up between them. “And I’m glad it’s all hers and not mine.” He jabbed his horse in the ribs and wandered ahead.
“What’s wrong?” Marcus didn’t have to see in her head to notice that as they drew nearer to the Temple, her mood was dropping.
Julianne mustered up a brave smile. “Nothing.”
Marcus yanked on his reins, bringing his horse to a stop. Warily, Julianne tugged on Cloud’s, too.
“Look,” he said. “I know you’re important. You’re a leader, and you’ll be busy and have secrets, and you won’t always have time for me. But Julianne… I want to make this work. I can’t do that if you’re not honest with me.”
“I can’t promise to tell you everything,” she pleaded.
He shook his head. “I’m not asking for that. I’ve worked around higher-ups long enough to know there are some things that can’t be shared.” He nudged the horse over, so he could look her in the eye. “But don’t say you’re fine when you’re not.”
She dropped her gaze. “I’m sorry. I guess I was trying so hard to ignore it that I didn’t want to admit I was lying to myself, too.” She took a deep breath. “Marcus, I’m going to be so busy when I get back! There will be people around all the time, asking me for things, usually not with their mouths.”
He reached a hand out and touched her knee. “We’ll be ok,” he said. “We can make time. Little snatches, here and there. I won’t make you choose between me and the Temple.”
Giving him a wobbly smile, Julianne put her hand on his. “Thank you. Next time I’m being stupid, don’t wait so long to point it out?”
“Oh, that’s a promise I can keep.” Marcus laughed and set off again. “Let’s see if we can’t hit Craigston by nightfall at least. Race you!”
They rode as fast as their horses could comfortably maintain, quickly catching up to Artemis and not slowing until the road began to creep upwards and the horses started to snort and huff. Drawing in to a walk, they trudged up the mountain.
“We’re not going to beat the sun,” Julianne said, eyeing the long shadows.
Marcus nodded in agreement. “Too dangerous to camp halfway up, though,” he said. “Once the light drops, we’ll walk. We can stop in Craigston for the night and head up to the Temple first thing. That is, if you’re not too tired?”
His tone was loaded with a challenge, and Julianne snorted. “I’m not the one who whined about a blistered foot for three days after a hunting trip back in Tahn,” she reminded him.
“Oh, that smarts.” Marcus said. “You’re never going let me to live that down, are you?”
Julianne shook her head eagerly. “Did you think I would? You had Annie running about after you like you’d lost a damn leg!”
“It hurt!” he protested.
“It was a grass injury,” Julianne said with a laugh.
“If you ever have a clump stuck in your shoe for six hours, let me know how you do,” he grumped back.
“Whatever, tough-guy.” Julianne stuck her tongue out and nudged Cloud a little faster up the mountain.
They made good time, only dismounting a mile short of Craigston—though, that was still too soon for Artemis. The moonlight was bright and clear, lighting their way along the mountain road, so he stayed on his horse and let Julianne lead it along the narrow path.
“Who goes?” a call rang out through the quiet evening.
“Julianne, Temple Master,” she called. “And two others.”
“Ye’ve a hide comin’ back here,” the voice snarled. A short man stomped over to them, hands on hips as he glared up at Julianne.
“Oh, Bitch’s oath,” she muttered under her breath. Then, louder, “I haven’t set foot in Craigston for some months. Are you saying otherwise?”
“Fuckin’ mental dickbags. Between you twats and the bandits, this shit is just gettin’ old.” The rearick turned, then gestured over his shoulder. “I suppose ye’ll just mind-fuck me if I try keep ye out, so I may as well take ye ta Tavich.”
“I think that would be best,” Julianne agreed. Then, her eyes flashed white as she sent to the others. This doesn’t sound good. If Donna has damaged the relationship between Craigston and the Temple, I’ll wring her damn neck. Keep your heads down, and for Bitch’s sake, Artemis, be polite!
I’m always polite, Artemis sent back. Master. The sarcasm dripped from his thoughts, and she debated leaving him to wait outside.
Marcus surrendered his weapon at the rearick’s request. “There are knives in my bags, too,” he offered. “And a magitech rifle, but it has no amphorald.”
The rearick nodded thanks, but waved off Marcus’s offer to hand the extra weapons over. “I’m no’ stupid. That one there could take half this town before anyone blinked, if the rumors about ‘er are true.”
“You’ll find there’s often more smoke than fire when it comes to rumors,” Julianne noted dryly.
“I don’t plan on stickin’ my hand in ta find out, either way.” The rearick led them to a little cottage just down from Ophelia’s. Like the rest of the town, it was dusted with coal and soot from the mines.
Julianne nodded her thanks as the rearick rapped on the door three times, then stood back.
The door flung open to reveal Tavich standing with a scowl on his face, wearing flimsy cotton pajamas. “You!” he growled.
“She says she’s not,” their guide remarked.
Tavich lifted a bushy eyebrow. “Send for the guard.” He stood silently as the other rearick dashed off, then stepped back inside.
“Tavich, I’m sorry to have disturbed you. It seems someone has been through Craigston since my last visit, posing as me.” Julianne sat at the little table, hands folded.
Tavich thumped into a chair next to her, face glowering. There were only two chairs, so Marcus stood awkwardly by the door with Artemis. “And how do we know what’s real?” he asked. “All yer mystics parade through here, usin’ yer magic on us like we’re dogs ta be used fer training. Magic users’ve been through here and have made
a few friends by savin’ a few lives, but they didn’t use that mind shit. I still don’t trust it, but I trust it more than I do you.”
He spat on the floor, and Marcus’s hand went to his side, forgetting for a moment that he wasn’t armed.
“I’m sorry,” Julianne said. “The relationship between the mystics and the rearick has always been friendly—I would hate for that to end now. I have done nothing to cause that to happen.”
“So, me men are alive?” Tavich asked with an accusing tone.
“Bette and Garrett? They’re fine. A rural lord offered them a chance to lead a small army in defense of a growing town, and they took it.” Julianne sighed. “Look, I crossed the Madlands months ago. I haven’t been back this side of them until the last couple of days, and didn’t step foot on the Heights until this afternoon.”
“Even if that were so, do ye have any idea what we’ve been through here? Bandits robbin’ and killin’ my men. Good, honest rearick dyin’ on their way to Arcadia with the amphoralds. We’ve been considerin’ puttin’ a stop ta the trips, but fer now, we need the coin. Now, after that, we have all this with the damn mystics. We’ve found some remnant sniffin’ around the area again, too. It’s been hell since ye’ve been gone. And now ye claim ye ain’t been back ‘til taday, eh?”
Julianne’s eyes widened. She had no idea all that had been happening. Bandits here, too? What did that mean? And they were after the amphorald crystals? Unless they had engineers, those wouldn’t do them a bit of good. She wondered if Amelia was aware of the situation, but then promptly shut that down when she realized she must be. There was no way the shipments were being taken without her knowledge.
Clearing her throat and pushing all her questions aside, she decided to stick with the problem that arose right now. “Yes. That’s right. I’ve met several people on my way back that claimed to have seen me before, which was impossible because I took a different path upon returning than I did when crossing through. I know it’s difficult to believe or hear, but today truly is my first day back on the mountain.”
“Show me yer hire papers,” Tavich barked.
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