by T. A. White
"This place gives me the creeps," someone was saying. "How much longer do we have to stay here?"
"Until we get what we came for," Vincent snapped. "Quit bellyaching."
"Why haven't we killed him yet?" another of the throwaways asked.
A pain-filled groan sent Eva's heart leaping. She was glad she couldn't move when she caught sight of Caden sagging in two of the men's hold. Otherwise, she might have raced to his side and damn the consequences.
"They want him alive. He's close to the Warlord and will have intel we can use," Vincent said.
"I have a score to settle with him,” the first man argued.
Vincent waved his hand. "Make it quick."
The man’s smile was nasty as he faced Caden. He punched Caden in the face before grabbing his shirt and jerking him up. "Wake up, trash. You don't get to sleep through this."
Caden lifted his head, a slight smirk on his lips. "What makes you think I'll even feel your pitiful punches?"
The man snapped. He hammered blow after blow onto Caden before kicking him in the stomach. Caden didn't make a sound, letting him do what he would without moving, his face an expressionless mask.
"That's enough, Kelly," Vincent said finally, dragging him back. "I said you can't kill him."
Blood ran down Caden's face as his lips curled in a nasty smile. He spit a glob of blood on the ground. "Like I said, barely felt it. There's a reason you Lowlanders fill the bottom of our ranks. You're weak."
"I'll show you weak," Kelly snarled. He jerked away from the people holding him.
This time, Caden was ready, rising to meet the attack head on. The man's momentum carried them into the dirt and they rolled, fists flying. They tumbled over each other, first the throwaway on top and then Caden, then the throwaway again. When they finally came to a stop, Caden had gained the dominant position and buried his fist into Kelly’s face with a vicious, single-minded intensity.
Vincent appeared over him, blade in hand as he touched it against Caden's throat. "That'll be quite enough of that."
Caden went still. "Death holds no fear for me."
"Maybe not for you, but what about the woman you're sweet on," Vincent said, nodding his head at Eva.
She couldn't even pretend to be unconscious as she watched, terrified she was going to see Caden killed in front of her.
"Get up, nice and slow or you'll get to watch her die," Vincent said.
Eva shook her head, mute. She didn't want him to surrender because of her.
Caden’ lips tightened, his muscles bunching.
"Do it," Vincent said.
The vines around Eva’s neck tightened, cutting off her air supply. She couldn't help the small sound of pain that escaped as they wound tighter and tighter, squeezing the life out of her.
Caden relaxed, the tension sliding out of him as he held his hands away from his sides.
Vincent's smile was nasty. "I knew you'd see reason. Not such an uneducated barbarian after all."
Caden didn't respond, his gaze locked on Eva.
Vincent watched him for a moment, drawing out Eva's agony, before he finally flicked his fingers at someone hiding in the trees. "That's enough."
Eva gasped, sucking in a deep breath as the vines abruptly loosened. She held very still, despite the instinct pressing her to struggle.
She tried to control her rapid breathing as the men forced Caden toward the vines.
"We'll leave you two lovers to get reacquainted," Vincent said.
A vine wrapped around Caden's leg and pulled him deeper. Jason whimpered as the vines holding them rustled as others snaked across the ground to wrap tightly around Caden.
"Don't bother struggling. The more you do, the more they tighten." Vincent pointed at one of the lumps. "Struggle enough and they'll pulverize you. You don't want to end up like one of us common folk do you?"
There was a scream of challenge, followed by the sound of breaking branches as Sebastian landed hard only feet away.
"We were wondering where you'd got to." Vincent glared at the Kyren. "You were supposed to bring them days ago. He's going to be displeased."
Sebastian pawed the ground, half-rearing as he let out another scream.
"What's he doing?" one of the men asked.
Vincent's sigh was annoyed. "Who knows?"
"Probably wants his little harem back," Kelly said snidely. "Well, too bad. You broke the agreement."
Sebastian let out another scream, leveling his horns at the men.
Vincent raised an eyebrow. "None of that now, or she'll end your bastards’ before they even take their first breath." His smile turned nasty. "Pierce said we'll get our first pick of the new foals once they're born."
Sebastian's nostrils flared.
"That's right, there's nothing you can do, if you want them to live," Vincent said, moving off. "And don't you forget it."
He and the others moved into the trees, leaving Sebastian, Eva and the rest behind.
"It was all a trick?" Eva's voice sounded lost and alone.
Sebastian shifted so he wasn't looking at them.
"You might as well own what you did," Eva said, allowing none of the betrayal licking her insides to show. "After all the times I listened to you and Ajari call humans deceptive, when it was really you who was the betrayer in the end."
She'd liked the Kyren. Put her neck out for him.
"I never should have saved you." Eva settled back into her vines, angry recriminations stinging her insides.
Sebastian bowed his head, sorrow and shame in every line of his body.
His tail flicked with agitation even as he faced away from them.
"Does anyone have a plan for how to get out of here?" Jason asked hopefully.
"Working on it." Caden shifted and Eva caught a glimpse of metal.
"You staged that fight to get a weapon," she said in realization.
He flashed her a grin. "You didn't think I'd surrender if I didn't have a way out of this."
She kind of thought he had.
"The rest of our weapons are on the short man with the scar under his jaw," Jason said helpfully. "They thought I was asleep, but I saw them take mine and Eva's dagger."
"Good to know," Caden said.
"Do you know where we are?" Eva asked.
"Some type of massive cavern. The ceiling caved in and lets enough light in to grow this," Caden said, looking around at the tall trees around them.
"It's a cenote," a voice said from the trees.
They all froze as Kent stepped into view.
Caden's lip curled. His movements were furtive as he slid the knife he'd stolen out of sight.
"Not you too," Eva said. She'd liked Kent. He'd been smart and she thought if he got his head out of his ass and separated himself from the troublemakers he could eventually make a place for himself among the Trateri. It seemed she'd been wrong about him, just like she'd been wrong about Sebastian.
Kent’s gaze locked on Eva. "I'm sorry for this. They don't trust me. I didn't know what was going to happen until we were engulfed in the mist and then it was follow or die."
"You could still turn back," Eva said.
He shook his head. "It's too late for that. The Trateri would kill me if I tried to return."
"We'll kill you even if you don't," Caden said.
Eva shot him a disbelieving look. He wasn't helping. At all.
Caden rolled his eyes but settled down.
"Is this the future you want?" Eva asked. "War. Because you know that's what it will be. The Trateri will hunt down all those you've allied with and exterminate them."
Fallon couldn't afford to have throwaways thinking they could betray the Trateri and get away with it. His reckoning would be brutal and bloody.
He sighed. "There are things going on you don't understand. This is bigger than a few throwaways unhappy with their lot. War is coming regardless. The people backing Vincent have allied with monsters worse than your Kyren and Tenrin."
"Who?" Caden asked, his gaze intent. "Who is their leader?"
Eva was quiet as she studied Caden. He'd been entirely too interested and not a bit surprised at Kent's revelation. He knew—or at least suspected.
Kent shrugged. "I don't know, but Vincent does. He boasted about it. Said he inserted himself into the throwaways on purpose to gather intelligence on the Trateri for this person."
Caden's lip curled in satisfaction. "We don't reveal our secrets to outsiders."
"You'd be surprised what you can glean when people underestimate you," Kent said in a mild voice.
In this Eva had to agree. The Trateri were closed-mouth, but when you watched people for long enough, you began to pick up on certain things. Even the smallest of details could become important later. Like say, knowing how important the Trateri considered their horses or knowing how they'd react to the possibility of a fake alliance with the Kyren.
"Like for instance, you're considered clanless. Some might question your loyalty, yet you're the shield of the most powerful man in the Trateri ranks," Kent said. "Vincent thinks you'll flip given enough incentive, but I figure you'll find a way to die because you'd never break the trust of your warlord."
Caden studied Kent.
Eva didn't have to ask to know Kent had guessed right. Whatever happened, Caden wasn't going to give up Trateri secrets.
Kent stood from where he'd crouched. "You see, there's not much I can do. Even if I tried, it'd likely end in failure."
"That's not a reason to sit back and let things happen," Eva snapped. "You might try and succeed too."
A wry smile crossed his face. "I suppose you have a point in that."
"You're wasting your breath, Eva. He's not one of your lostlings," Caden said. "He's not going to put his life in danger to help us."
Kent didn't bother denying it as he arched one eyebrow. "Why should I? To go back to being a second-class citizen? I'm grateful to you, herd mistress, but not enough to die for you."
He started to walk away and Eva sensed their chances slipping away. "Wait. There is something you can do, and it doesn't require you to risk your life."
Kent stopped. "Somehow I doubt that."
"I have some of the poultice in my pockets. Give it to Laurell," Eva pleaded. She didn't care what it took. She couldn't stand to see Laurell's vacant gaze as the infection ate away a little more of her humanity second by second.
Kent shook his head. "It won't matter. She's gone. Her body might still be walking around, but her mind has ended. She's now a puppet to the one who did this. One of the monsters I talked about."
"What is it?" Eva asked.
He lifted a shoulder. "I imagine you'd know more about that than me, since you have a pathfinder in your ranks and all that."
"You don't have to save her, you only have to try," Eva argued.
He opened his mouth but shut it at the sound of footsteps moving through the brush.
The man who’d beaten Caden before stepped through, stopping at the sight of Kent.
"What are you doing here?" Kelly asked.
Kent waved a hand. "Checking on the prisoners. Nothing nefarious."
"Why? The woodling’s vines will hold them."
Kent arched an eyebrow. "And you trust a mythological? Come on, she's a monster."
"Fair enough."
"What're you doing here, Kelly?" Kent asked.
Kelly tilted his chin at Eva. "Vincent thinks she can be of use."
Kent whistled. "And he sent you to get her? What did you do to make him angry? You know the vines are as likely to grab us. There will be no saving you, then."
Kelly bared his teeth. "I didn't come alone."
Outwardly Kent’s expression remained calm even as he stiffened.
There was the rustle of leaves as thin branches knocked against each other. A woman moved on bare feet into the clearing. At first Eva thought the woman had flowers woven into her hair before she realized the flowers were her hair, their green stems and small leaves shivering in a slight breeze.
Her skin was a chalky white with the faintest tinge of green, her lips nearly the same shade. She wore no clothes beyond what the greenery and plants adorning her skin provided.
A half-circle decorated her forehead, above eyes that had no pupil, and instead were a solid gray.
Both men went still as she padded toward them, her gaze vacant as if she wasn't quite seeing them.
The woman's eyes fell on Laurell and her entire face lit up. She crossed the clearing at a run. The vines waved in her wake, brushing against her feet and legs in a silent greeting.
"Look at my pretty." The woman placed her hand's on Laurell's face as she cooed in admiration. "You are so beautiful. We're going to have so much fun. Just wait and see."
Both men watched the woman's gushing with expressions of mild repulsion.
Eva held very still, unable to escape the sense of wrongness emanating from the woman. It wasn't just her behavior, though that would have been clue enough. It was the smell of her, like a sickly-sweet fruit left too long in the sun. Worse, was the buzzing beneath Eva's skin, like a thousand bees trying to get out.
She didn't know what this woman was, but it wasn't good, and it wasn't human.
"Your leaves are going to be the most beautiful yet," the woman was saying. She threaded her arm through Laurell's and leaned her head against the warrior's shoulder.
Metal clacked against wood and the woman bent down. "Metal. I haven't had many full metal seedlings yet, only partial meldings. I can't wait to see how yours sprout."
"Meredith, let's focus, shall we?" Kelly cleared his throat and aimed a tremulous smile at the woman that didn't quite hide his unease.
Meredith frowned, but her expression still seemed vaguely amiss. It took Eva seconds to understand why. The skin on her face didn’t move like a human’s, instead it was set and frozen, like wood.
"I don't want to," Meredith said flatly.
Kelly’s eyes narrowed and he looked like he’d bitten into something sour as he tried to resist the urge to glare. "We need her. Vincent promised to let you turn one of the others to add to your collection if you're good."
Meredith blew a raspberry even as she waved her hand. The vines and branches withdrew, freeing Eva.
"Let's go," Kelly ordered.
Eva didn't move, her limbs frozen in place. That woman terrified her.
Kelly sent her a look. "Unless you want to be the one she uses those things on?"
She followed his eyes to where the bugs scuttled under and over the branches, moving back and forth on a mission only they understood.
"What about the other two?" she asked.
He tilted his head and shrugged. "Who knows? Either way, you won't want to join them. I've seen what she does with her creations when she gets frustrated. It's not pleasant."
Laurell made a strangled sound, reminding Eva that Caden and Jason weren't her only concerns.
"Shh, pet. It's alright. Your vocal cords are changing. Human words will soon be out of your reach," Meredith crooned, running both hands down Laurell's throat.
Eva stood, her focus on Laurell. "I'll go with you."
Kelly rolled his eyes. "As if there was ever any doubt you'd do otherwise."
Sebastian started to follow.
"Ah, ah. Not you, Kyren. Vincent doesn't want you near them," the man taunted.
Sebastian whickered a protest. That wasn't the deal.
Eva didn’t relay his words. He'd lost the right to have her speak for him when he betrayed them.
"You should let him see them," Kent said, hands in his pocket. "It might keep him docile."
Kelly scoffed. "They're all fools if they think a couple of pregnant mares are going to keep him on their side. They should kill him and be done with it."
Someone should really warn them Sebastian understood every word out of their mouth. Too bad they were the enemy.
"Let's go," Kelly ordered, melting into the woods.
"Bossy,
bossy," Meredith muttered, her hands trailing down Laurell's arm as she started to follow. "Come, pet."
Wood creaked and branches rustled, as Laurell lurched in Meredith's wake. Laurell’s hand reached out and grabbed Eva's arm, dragging her along with them.
Eva didn't resist, a hand slipping into her pocket as she fingered the poultice. She fiddled with the package, trying not to be obvious as she teased it open and smeared some of the gunk on her fingers for if an opportunity presented.
Before they stepped out of view of the others, she glanced over her shoulder. Caden’s face was stony while Jason stared back at her in desperations. "Don't die."
At that, Caden's mouth tilted up in an expression that wouldn't be considered a smile on anyone else. For him, it was practically an exclamation.
"Same goes for you," Caden said.
The trees hid the two from view and Eva faced forward again, wondering what new terrors were still to come.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Kent trailed a few feet behind them as they moved through the impossible forest.
"Why are you with them?" Eva asked Meredith. "They only mean you harm."
"You mean like you do?" Meredith asked, cocking her head.
Eva studied her. "I don't want to hurt you."
"Hmm." Meredith seemed less than convinced. "Then why do you keep killing all of my babies."
Eva's frowned, not understanding.
Meredith cupped her hand, picking up a bug, smaller than the rest, its carapace the color of red apples and in the form of a leaf from a red bud tree. On the forest floor, it would have been nearly impossible to spot given how much it resembled that particular type of leaf, broad and vaguely heart shaped. Meredith set it on her shoulder where it nestled into her hair.
Understanding dawned.
"They would have hurt us. We were only defending ourselves," Eva argued.
"Humans are deceitful, awful creatures. Better you all become my creations," Meredith said.
Meredith kissed the bug’s head and offered it one of her fingers. The gesture was loving. What the bug did was not. It struck, savaging Meredith's finger. The other woman's expression remained adoring, as blood the color of spring growth welled and dripped. It fell on the forest floor, rolling into emerald balls that shivered before sprouting legs and scuttling away.