Pulse: Book One of the Zoya Chronicles

by Kate Sander

  He trudged back through the market and over the bridge lowered to cross the moat. He needed to control the Queen, that was key to everything. A wonderful idea formed in the corners of his mind. At first he couldn’t believe that he was thinking it, and glanced around nervously. If someone could read his mind he would be hung tomorrow. He would need to use all of his considerable talent of lying, but he felt like he could make this work. He wouldn’t even be able to tell Intelligence or Justice.

  He allowed himself a small smile as he climbed the stairs and headed to the council. Sebastian slipped into stride beside him.

  “Anything?” he asked.

  “The Queen was away from her chambers from around seven last night and did not return until almost three this morning. She returned considerably dirtier than when she left. The King was drunk all night and didn’t notice her absence,” Sebastian replied in a low voice.

  “Well, well, well. I do believe the informant Intelligence provided us was mistaken about some of the information he believed was true. Sebastian, I bet you 30 Kritz that the King is genuinely surprised this morning at the news of a prison break.”

  Sebastian smiled and offered him his hand, “Deal.”

  They shook and entered the council chambers. Sebastian disappeared into a corner and Armend took his chair. He was the first one here. Treasury, Goods, and Housing showed up, blissfully unaware of the shit-show that was about to occur. Justice showed up next, and sent a wink Armend’s direction. Armend smiled internally when Intelligence wasn’t with him. Oh yes, Armend thought, we are in for a show.

  Alchemist Omega and the King entered next. The Queen followed, looking as sharp eyed and beautiful as ever. Armend loved a worthy challenge, and it seemed that bitch was going to his. In no way would anyone expect that she had been in the dungeons not five hours beforehand. She looked as well rested as ever.

  They prepared for the meeting when the Queen said suddenly, “Where is Intelligence?”

  When no one responded, she steadied her gaze and looked at each one in the eye. No one could hold that cold blue stare for long. “I said,” she said, barely above a whisper. Her eyes locked on Justice’s face, “Where is Intelligence?”

  Armend gave credit to Justice, a lesser man would have shrivelled in his chair. He looked down, avoiding the question, but was spared from answering when Intelligence burst through the door and rushed to the table.

  “What is the meaning of this?” the Queen demanded, the usual disgust in her voice that was there when speaking to Intelligence.

  “Jail break,” Intelligence wheezed.

  Armend had to give the Queen credit, she was an amazing actor. She gasped along with the rest of them, a look of horror on her face. But she had hesitated a fraction of a second and had allowed the King to react first. Armend was quite sure he was the only one at the table who noticed. Oh, she’s good, he thought as Intelligence collapsed in a chair, she’s very good.

  Intelligence caught Armend’s eye and gave a quick wink. She’s good too.. Intelligence looked harried and tired, like she had been up all night. Her eyes bugged like she was stressed. No one but Armend and Justice would know that the jail break had been anticipated and allowed.

  Everyone was talking and yelling. Finally the King slammed his huge fist onto the table making the glasses of water rattle, “Silence!” he yelled. No one spoke. Treasury was standing. He had been yelling something at Goods, who had been sitting dumbstruck. Housing had been talking to Justice. Intelligence had the sense to look ashamed as the Queen yelled at her. Alchemist Omega was fast asleep in his chair.

  “Intelligence, please stand and give us all the information you have. Explain yourself,” the King huffed out.

  Treasury sat slowly, embarrassed. Armend appreciated his reaction as he would be able to twist it when later talking to the King.

  Intelligence stood, “My Lord.” She rubbed her hands through her hair. “I was woken at around 2:00 this morning by a panicked guard. He said that “she” was out and killing everyone, then he ran away. I quickly dressed and followed. I came across the first of my men,” she gulped and wiped a tear from her eye.

  Oh she is very good. She should have been a thespian, Armend thought to himself as he watched the show.

  “He was dead. Shot in the back while running away. It appeared someone had also cut his throat. There were two more guards dead. Stabbed. One had his throat ripped out. They were good people.” She gulped again and buried her head in her hands.

  The King’s voice softened, “It’s alright, Intelligence. Take your time.”

  Armend watched the Queen. She looked at Intelligence with cold hard eyes. The realization hit that the Queen may know that the traitor knew of her involvement. That she knew the escape was too easy.

  The chess match had begun.

  Armend would stay in the background, allowing Intelligence and the Queen to battle.

  “I’m sorry,” Intelligence continued, sniffling and wiping her eyes, “I’m sorry. I will try to compose myself. We continued down the path the escapee took and found three more men dead. I dare not bring myself to describe what had happened to them. I followed the carnage left and found that the prisoner had taken refuge in the bunker at the bottom most level of the dungeons.”

  Intelligence had everyone on the edge of their seats. “We had the door surrounded. The men were just breaking through the door when I arrived. There was no one inside.”

  Everyone gasped.

  “Where did she go?” Treasury asked.

  “My guards said they saw more than one person enter the bunker, but they couldn’t be sure of the number.” Intelligence replied.

  “She… She had help?” Goods asked.

  “Of course she had help,” Intelligence snapped, “Even though that Melanthios prisoner was an amazing fighter, she has been in prison for two years and we have never been close to her escaping.”

  “Wait,” said the King, “You’re telling me the prisoner who escaped is the same one who had the information about the Melanthios camp?”

  “Yes Sir,” Intelligence said quietly. Let him come to the conclusion. The Queen offered him no help and glared at Intelligence, red-faced.

  “So why her?” the King asked.

  “We’re not sure. But Sire, I believe you are asking the wrong questions,” Intelligence replied, leading him on.

  “Which ones should I be asking?”

  “Namely, how did the prisoner and the helpers know where the bunker was in the first place?” Intelligence paused for effect, “And where did they go?”

  “Well the only people who have knowledge of that bunker,” said the King, thinking hard, “Is the council itself?”

  Uproar! Everyone was shouting for their own innocence, including Armend. Only the Queen sat still.

  The King slammed his hand on the table again. The room fell silent. “Intelligence, I am giving you free reign. You must find out where this prisoner went, why this one was chosen and who helped them.” He stared from face to face. “If I find out that someone in this council has betrayed me, I will tie the noose myself.”

  Everyone except the Queen paled. She wasn’t and believed her involvement would never be discovered. Armend also found a new respect for her. She would, in cold blood, let another person of the council be hung for her crimes.

  “Peace,” the King continued, “Give Intelligence the men she needs.”

  Armend and Intelligence nodded. The King rose, shortly followed by the Queen. “I will tie the noose myself,” he repeated and strode away. The Queen turned to follow. Everyone held their breath until they left.

  Alchemist Omega woke from his nap, leaned over and asked Housing, “Did I miss something important?” Housing shook her head in disgust, rose and followed the King and Queen.

  Alchemist Omega shrugged and struggled to his feet, leaving the room with Goods. The room was silent. Only Treasury, Intelligence, Justice and Armend remained seated.

  “I know you guy
s have something to do with this,” Treasury said in a low voice.

  “Be careful sir,” Justice said in his thick accent, “You go around saying things like that, you and your family are bound to disappear.”

  “You have two kids, don’t you?” Intelligence said as she examined her finger nails. She kicked her feet up on to the table. Treasury paled. “Both under ten. Be a shame to have us pick which one joins the trials.”

  The threat was very much understood. Treasury muttered something incoherent and quickly left the room. Sebastian slunk out the shadows and handed Armend 30 Kritz. Armend beamed.

  “What’s that for?” Justice asked.

  Armend shook his head and mouthed “not here,” then he said out loud, “Oh, Sebastian just owed me some money.”

  Justice and Intelligence nodded. “Well,” Intelligence said, “Want to go for a pint in the market? I’m feeling parched.”

  Understanding the connotation, the three rose and left the room. Sebastian followed. The group headed silently through the castle, through the giant wall and over the moat, and into the market. They didn’t speak again until they were settled in the corner booth of a bar, drinks in front of them. Sebastian was outside keeping watch.

  Armend took a big quaff of his beer then said, “The King doesn’t know anything about it. He’s not smart enough to act that well. Speaking of acting well,” he looked at Intelligence. She smiled and bowed. Justice and Armend roared.

  “I especially loved it when you wiped the tear from your eye when describing your dead guards,” Justice said, then took her hand and kissed it. Intelligence blushed.

  “You know,” she said, drinking her beer, “I thought it might have been too much, but once I said it, it was just right.”

  “The Queen wasn’t convinced,” Armend said.

  “Good. I would have been disappointed if that bitch was convinced. She knows we let her go. Although I’m still not sure how they got out of that bunker. My men are going through it again with a fine toothed comb. They’ll find something,” she drank again.

  “Well, hopefully our informant is still with them and will send a raven soon. I will send a troop of thirty Exalted after them when we know where they went,” Armend said.

  “We need to get rid of Treasury,” Justice said. He preferred a wine from his home country over the ale from Langundo.

  Armend nodded, “Yes, we do. Now we decide if we simply want him framed, or gone.”

  “I think gone,” Justice said, and Intelligence nodded in agreement.

  “I’ll get Sebastian on it,” Armend said. They toasted and drank. Sebastian came into the booth. “Speak of the devil,” Armend said.

  Sebastian handed him a sealed letter, “Raven just arrived. Smart bugger found you here.”

  Armend opened it and read, then passed it to Justice and Intelligence to read. Inside, the untidy scrawl read:

  We are going North East towards the forest. There was a tunnel under a bed in the bunker that put us in trees East of the city. Myself, the Queen and another broke her out. The Queen left us there. We will be at the forest within the week.

  “Well, that certainly is helpful,” Armend said when they had all read the letter. He burnt it over the candle on the table until it was ash.

  “Sebastian, get word to the Exalted. I want one troop, dressed lightly, to find their tracks and follow them. Tell them to kill them all.”

  Intelligence looked at him quizzically, then laughed, “You cheap bastard. I knew you’d never pay him.”

  12

  Senka

  It had been five days since the escape from the prison. Sticking to the plan, they travelled by night and slept during the day. Senka would have made it to the forest if she had been travelling alone, but Vigo and Jules were heavy and slow on their feet. Senka stayed with them for about half the day, then busied herself going back and keeping watch for pursuit or running ahead to plan their next rest point and finding food.

  When she was with Jules and Vigo, she and Jules worked on their communication. It was going well, and was at the point where they could both sign and understand most of what the other was talking about. Vigo didn’t care and pushed ahead silently with a permanent frown.

  “Anything?” Jules signed to her when she came over a hill on the plains. Senka had been out trying to see if they could make the forest by daybreak.

  “About a mile and a half,” she signed back. The moon was bright overhead. Jules and Vigo crested the hill and saw the dark forest. “We’ll have to stay up all day. We need to find shelter in the forest for night.”

  Jules sighed and Vigo noticed. “What did she say?” Vigo asked in his soprano.

  “That we have to travel all day now. We’ll make the forest at sunrise and she said we need to find shelter for the night in the forest.”

  “Well that’s bullshit,” Vigo said, spitting on the ground.

  Senka glared at them, “Trust me,” she signed to Jules, “We don’t want to be travelling in the forest at night.”

  “You sound scared,” Jules signed back, half joking.

  She stared at him for a long time, finally, “You would be too if you knew what kind of monsters were in there.” With that cryptic note, she jogged behind them.

  “Where are you going?” Jules yelled, getting her to turn her back and face him.

  “Going to see if anyone is following us. Make for the trees, I’ll find you.” She turned and jogged towards a hill for a better vantage point.

  Senka made sure that the guys were heading in the right direction, then sprinted up the hill. Something unusual had caught her eye on the way back from the forest. Light started to shine over the trees. Day was coming. They needed to find coverage, and fast.

  Lying on her stomach, she scanned the plains. As the sun shone over the plain and she saw it. There was a line of men following their footsteps. They looked to be a half mile away and moving fast. Running single file to hide their numbers, they wore dark clothing to camouflage themselves in the dark. Senka crawled back down the hill unseen, then stood up and sprinted for Jules and Vigo.

  She caught up with them around five minutes later, they were still trudging and had only gone a half mile from where she left them.

  “Run,” she signed quickly to Jules, “We are being followed by a lot of well-trained men. Our only hope is to make the trees before they catch up with us. Run for your lives.” She sprinted away, leaving the men behind her.

  “Run!” Jules yelled to Vigo, and they scurried after her. She was so fast that she quickly outpaced them.

  “She’s just leaving us here to die,” Vigo gasped as he ran. Senka would be making the trees soon. They were still a good mile away. The plains rose gently upwards to meet the trees. It would be a hard sprint to the end.

  Jules was too busy gasping to answer. His lungs were burning. Behind them, he heard a yell. They were spotted. They tried to increase their pace, but were running as hard as they could. Senka had made the trees. With a sinking heart, Jules was sure that it would be the last they saw of her.

  Senka reached the trees and looked back. The guys were too slow, they wouldn’t make it. The troop of men crested the hill behind them. Looking around frantically, she found a tree to her liking. It had a large trunk with branches high up where she could perch and get a good view of the slaughter.

  She was going to enjoy this.

  Jules ran hard, trying to drag the slower Vigo. He wouldn’t leave him to die alone. Call him a lot of names, but coward wasn’t one of them. Jules didn’t want to look behind. His entire focus was on the tree line. At least there they could find a place to hunker down and fight. In the open plains they were as good as dead. An arrow landed in front of him. The men pursuing were close enough to shoot. He looked at the trees and thought he saw a figure sitting in a tall tree watching them. He realized quickly that Senka was going to watch them die.

  Senka sat in her perch and counted the men pursuing Vigo and Jules. Thirty. Five had stopp
ed to shoot arrows, but they had terrible aim and had yet to come close to hitting the guy. Taking her own bow off her shoulder, she picked out an arrow, feeling its weight. Twenty arrows in the quiver, she needed to make them count. She drew back, aimed, breathed, and let loose.

  Jules was starting to tire. They still had a hundred feet to the trees. Vigo was a few feet behind him and losing ground. He could hear their chasers on either side. A woman, dressed in all black, was catching up to him. From the corner of his eye, he saw her draw her daggers. In only a few steps, she’d be on him. And he’d be done for.

  He didn’t know whether to turn and fight or keep running. She leapt and he turned, trying to get his sword up in time to block.

  With a gurgle, the woman dropped like a stone, an arrow sticking out of her neck. Looking around wildly, he saw Senka in her tree, bow drawn.

  Senka watched the woman drop with a smug smile. She drew another arrow and picked off a man closing in on Vigo. It was so close to Vigo’s ear he would have heard the whistle. She got into a rhythm: draw, exhale, release, draw. And she didn’t miss. By the time she ran out of arrows, twenty of the troops lay dead. She had opened up some space for Vigo and Jules to be able to make the trees.

  “Draw them in. Find a place to defend,” she signed to Jules when he was close enough to see her. A quick nod was his answer and he pulled Vigo so they ran into the woods directly under her tree. She had a minute before the five others got to the trees. The five who had stopped to shoot were around three minutes behind them. She would have to work fast.

  The men stopped before the treeline and waited for the archers. Damn, Senka thought. She had been hoping to drop behind them when they ran blindly into the trees and take them out, one by one. These men were too well trained to fall for that. They knew someone was in the trees. She was going to have to do this the hard way.

  She crouched on the massive limb and listened.