Touch of Power

by Maria V. Snyder

  Next to the hearth was an entrance to a bedroom that shared the hearth. I bent down and spotted Winter building a fire to push back the chill. The huge canopy bed used up most of the floor space. I walked around it, thinking Kerrick and his gang could all fit on it. The room also contained an armoire, bedside table and a lantern. I removed my cloak and tossed it onto the bed.

  Heavy curtains blocked the three windows on the far wall. I pulled them aside and peered out into the semidarkness of twilight. A few torches bobbed below. My rooms looked like they were on the third or fourth floor. I let the fabric drop. The swish-thud matched the leaden feeling inside me.

  My mood lightened a bit when I found the washroom adjoining the bedroom. The marble walls, floor tile and pedestal washing basin were nice, but the tub had captured my full attention.

  Winter appeared in the doorway. She held my knapsack. Blond wisps of hair had sprung from her bun and her blue-eyed gaze held apprehension. She wore a long white apron over a light blue linen shirt and a navy skirt that reached the floor.

  “Shall I put your effects away now, miss?”

  “No, thank you.”

  “But—”

  “You were told to see to my every need?” I asked.

  “Of course, miss.” The girl’s petite nose crinkled in confusion.

  Winter had pretty alabaster skin and appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen years old.

  “Relax, Winter. I’m not going to throw a tantrum or run to Tohon if you don’t see to my every need. I appreciate your help and hope we can work together.”

  Winter stared at me as if I was a hissing Death Lily. Scared and curious at the same time.

  I took my knapsack from her. “I would love a hot bath.”

  “Yes, miss.” She hurried over to the tub. Plugging the drain, she reached for a lever and yanked it. Nothing happened. Then the distinctive rush of water sounded from a round hole in the wall just above the lip of the tub.

  Now it was my turn to be confused.

  Winter noticed. “Water pipes, miss. King Zavier had them installed throughout the castle. They carry hot water from big heated tanks and, when you’re done, just pull the plug. More pipes will allow the water to drain outside the castle. They’re fabulous.”

  And expensive, I’d bet. Sure enough, steaming water gushed from the hole and poured into the tub. When the water level neared the top, Winter pushed the lever back up. “Your bath, miss.”

  “Thank you.”

  She smiled and laid out towels and a robe for me. Then waited.

  “I can handle it from here,” I said, escorting her to the main door of my rooms. “I won’t need you again until the morning.”

  “But your bed—”

  “I can turn down the sheets. I’ll be fine. Good night, Winter.” I closed the door and discovered it had a lock. I drew in a breath. A lock, a hot bath and a soft bed. A few unexpected perks that I planned to take full advantage of. Locking the door, I hurried to the washroom as I pulled off my smelly travel clothes. My necklace remained where it had been since Kerrick hooked it around my neck. The pendant rested at the base of my throat.

  I soaked off about fifty days of road grime. Between the cold weather, the fast pace and being in the company of men, I hadn’t been able to get as clean as I wished. I drained and refilled the tub a second time.

  Finally clean, I dried and wrapped the white cotton robe around me. I couldn’t bear to put on my other equally rank set of clothes or the skirt and shirt Kerrick had bought me—a reminder of…him. Instead, I kept the robe on. Not like I would have to escape or fight in the middle of the night.

  I unpacked my knapsack, piling my meager possessions on the table, which included my weapons, bedroll, blanket, the herb pouch the monkeys had given me, the gloves from Belen, a few papers recovered from the Guild, the two sacks of liquid from the Death Lily and my apprenticeship journal. All that I owned in one pathetic pile. At least they had been easy to carry.

  Picking up the journal, I curled on the couch and read through the pages. I noted a few interesting tidbits, and found an entry about Allie, my roommate at Tara’s. She had talked in her sleep and had frequent nightmares. One night, I had to shake her awake as she screamed for her mother. Allie had been apologetic and told me she had been caught by a Death Lily when she was young. Her mother nursed her through the hard recovery.

  I sat up straight. Except Allie hadn’t been attacked. The Death Lilys sensed potential in people and snatched them. Potential for what, I didn’t know. I scanned my notes, looking for a page that mentioned Tara’s lecture about Death Lily toxin. My notes were incomplete, but I’d marked that when Tara described the symptoms she’d sounded like she knew about them from experience. There was a question mark next to my speculation. I never had the chance to ask her if she had been grabbed.

  “Read anything of interest, my dear?” Tohon asked.

  I jumped to my feet, dropping my journal. Tohon leaned against the bedroom’s threshold.

  “What… How did you get in here?” I asked as my heart thumped back down to its proper place.

  “Secret passage between our rooms.” Tohon’s gaze scanned my robe. “I see you made yourself comfortable.”

  I tightened the sash. “I won’t be ever again if you can pop in here without warning.”

  “I did knock, but no one answered. Not to worry, my dear. I’ll show you the panel and how to secure it on your side. My side locks, as well.” A slow hungry smile matched the desire in his gaze. “However, if you’re ever lonely, please don’t hesitate to visit me at any time.”

  “Don’t wait up. Ever.”

  “Nasty.” He tsked. “You’ve been with Kerrick too long. No matter, you will soon find I’m much better company.” Tohon settled on the couch and patted the cushion next to him.

  I remained on my feet.

  He leaned back. “Tomorrow, Cellina will collect you and show you around the compound. I’d like you to start working in the infirmary. There are a number of cases that need your immediate attention.”

  I gestured to my clothes on the floor. “They’re dirty and I’ll need clothes that can be stained with blood.”

  “Didn’t Winter show you what’s in the armoire?”

  “I’m sure she wanted to, but I desired privacy.”

  He stood, strode to my bedroom and pulled the doors open. Clothes filled the armoire.

  “There are clothes for every occasion in here. And they’re all in your size. Medical tunics, everyday clothes and a few gowns.”

  “How did you know I’d come?”

  He gave me a don’t-be-daft look.

  I pulled out a yellow skirt. “How did you know my size?”

  “From your coffin.”

  Shocked, I gaped at him. “What—?”

  “When my soldiers arrived in Jaxton after you had escaped with Nasty Kerrick, the authorities were not happy. They had built a coffin to your size—they had written your measurements on the boards, but had no body and therefore no bounty. My men paid for the coffin. They also donated quite a bit of gold to the town for all the trouble.”

  “Oh.” I had known they measured me for a coffin, but never really thought that they had actually built one. I returned the skirt.

  “It wasn’t all a waste,” Tohon said. “I learned a lot about you from your neighbors. They told my men you were a nice, quiet young woman. They were just appalled that you had the gall to live and work with them. That they never suspected the truth. I was—still am—impressed you survived so long. After that, I decided to change the bounty. I wanted to meet you.”

  What could I say to that? Other than wow. That single decision, to heal Fawn, had set so much in motion. Instead, I asked, “What did they do with…the coffin?”

>   “It’s here at the castle.”

  Chapter 22

  A coffin built for me was in Tohon’s castle. “Why did—?”

  “Oh, I think you know why, my dear.”

  “But we have a contract.”

  “We do. And I trust your word to the conditions we included.”

  Confused, I tried to reason it out, but failed. “What are you afraid I’d do?”

  “Return to Kerrick. I’d rather see you make use of that coffin than return to his arms.”

  I relaxed. Of the multiple possibilities of how this mission will end, that one didn’t even make the list. However, a far scarier scenario hit me. “Can you promise you would use my coffin, and not turn me into one of your dead soldiers?”

  “And in exchange?”

  “If you bury me in the coffin, then I promise not to return to Kerrick.”

  He laughed. “All right, my dear, you have a deal.” Tohon held out his hand.

  I stepped back.

  “It’s not binding unless we shake.”

  Clasping his hand, I shook it once and let go. He didn’t. Heat raced along my skin as he pulled me close. Before I could protest, his lips were on mine. My magic responded, filling me with a hyperawareness, amplifying my senses. He pushed the robe off my shoulders and pressed his hands on my back. His touch sent burning waves through my muscles. The sensation bordered between pain and pleasure. I gasped and Tohon deepened the kiss.

  A combination of desire and fury flared, yet my fingers laced in his short hair as I pressed my body against his. The room spun and we wound up lying on the bed.

  Tohon broke off the kiss. “Good night, my dear.” He stood and opened a panel near the headboard. Pointing to a small knob, he said, “The latch is here. Although I expect you to answer my knock.”

  “What if I can’t?”

  He waited.

  “If I’m healing, I may be unconscious or having fever delusions.”

  “In that case, make sure Winter stays with you.”

  “I don’t need—”

  “I don’t care. I don’t want you to be alone.” His stern expression softened. “I worked side by side with healers at the Guild for close to a year. When you wake in the middle of the night and need water or a change of clothes, Winter will be there to help you. It’s not a request.”

  He disappeared into the passageway, pulling the panel closed behind him. Once my heart calmed, I realized my robe had slipped down to my elbows. Embarrassed, I yanked it up, secured the sash and then locked the panel.

  I rummaged in the armoire for a set of nightclothes. Tohon’s kiss had thrown me. If Tohon hadn’t stopped… Why did he stop? Probably playing more games.

  And I suspected it was my magic that betrayed me. When we touched, his life force acted like an elixir. It felt almost as if I had drank too much wine. I needed to figure out how to keep the touching to a minimum or I would do something I’d regret.

  A small voice in my head asked, What is there to regret? What is wrong with enjoying yourself with a gorgeous man who treats you like a queen? Do you want to die without experiencing one of life’s pleasures?

  No, I didn’t. But I had imagined it would be with someone I loved. Not a monster who woke the dead. And I needed to keep reminding myself of his misdeeds. Of the abominations he created. Because when he touched me…all logic and fear fled.

  After I dressed for bed, I slid under the covers, luxuriating on the soft mattress. The white bedspread reminded me of Mom’s inn. Waking up surrounded by such comfort, I had thought I’d reached the peaceful afterlife. Except Kerrick had anchored me to this world. He had held on and refused to let go. Memories of him sleeping beside me at the inn filled my mind along with the vision of his bare back when he’d sat up.

  I jerked my thoughts to the present, focusing on how I would find Ryne. That night I didn’t dream of Tohon’s dead soldiers, which was a relief. Instead, dreams of Kerrick swirled.

  Winter brought a breakfast tray in the morning. After I ate, I changed into a black medical tunic and pants. Comfortable and plain, they would be suitable to working with the sick and injured.

  Cellina arrived soon after Winter left. She scanned my clothes and grunted. “At least you’re practical. Well, come on. I don’t have all day.” Turning on her heels, she strode through the doorway, setting a quick pace.

  If she’d hoped she’d lose me, she was in for a surprise. After all those months of walking, she’d have to run full-out to shake me. I stayed a step behind her as we hurried along hallways, down stairs and through various rooms.

  She wore a pale lavender silk tunic and deep purple skirt. Her long blond hair had been twisted into a knot and held in place with a comb that flashed with amethysts. Her regal bearing and fine clothing contrasted with the sword hanging from her waist.

  As we traveled, Cellina would stop on occasion. Each time, she pointed out a door or set of stairs that I was forbidden to enter or use. “See that symbol?” Cellina gestured to a circle with three crossed keys inside it. “That means keep out. No one who lives and works in the castle or the buildings in the compound is allowed in those rooms and areas. Understand?”

  “Even you?”

  “No. As Tohon’s top adviser, I have full access.”

  Top adviser? She appeared to be around twenty-five or -six. Close to Tohon’s age. “Your name is familiar. Are you a friend of his?”

  “No. I’m another of his…collected. I met Tohon in school.”

  “Cellina of Lyady! Kerrick mentioned you had been one of the people trying to be king.”

  Her mouth twisted in disgust. “A foolish kid’s game. At the time, I thought it would be fun to be crowned king. In Lyady we didn’t have a monarchy. The people voted for my father to be the president. That game…was just a whole nasty experience. The others took it far too seriously.”

  Lyady shared a border with Sogra to the east, Alga to the north and the Endless Sea lapped on its western and southern edges. “Tohon invaded Lyady.”

  “Last year. Nothing we could do. The plague had wiped us out.”

  “But you’re helping him?”

  She shrugged. “So are you.”

  Point.

  “And it’s better than being locked in some dank prison, rotting.”

  True. Although I sensed there was more between them besides school friends. Strange that so many of them should survive the plague. I almost tripped as an evil notion occurred to me. What if Tohon was still playing the king game? But then how would he have protected his classmates from the plague? No one could have predicted the outbreak.

  Cellina continued with the tour, showing me the kitchen, dining room and the offices for the advisers. She led me outside. The chilly morning fog lingered in small pockets of white, but the day promised to be warm. The air smelled of spring, reminding me of Kerrick. I cursed under my breath. When I was finally free of him, he still haunted me. This would be a long season.

  Behind the castle, the other buildings spread out in an arc. A stable, a couple of barracks for the soldiers, an armory, a kennel and finally the infirmary. Before we entered, Cellina headed toward the thick wall that surrounded the compound. Except, on this side, it wasn’t black, but more of a green with patches of white. As we drew closer, I realized there were huge plants growing next to the wall. Their topmost stalks reaching the top of the wall.

  Cellina halted twenty feet away. “I wouldn’t try climbing over if you decide to escape. The only way out is through the front gate.”

  “Are they—?”

  “Yep. They cover the interior of the entire wall. Tohon can be brilliant at times. Too bad he also has no conscience. At least he’s consistent.”

  I stared at the row of Death Lilys guarding th
e wall. No one could sneak in or leave. It was genius. A memory tugged of Belen in the Guild’s record room and the desiccated corpse protecting the broken crate of Death Lily seeds. Did Tohon murder that man for the seeds?

  “Are there any more?” I asked.

  “He has a whole garden full of the wicked things back in the northwest corner of the compound.”

  As we returned to the infirmary, I considered the abundance of Death Lilys. Sepp could move through them without worry. And I might be able to keep Ryne safe from them. The seed of an idea started to grow.

  I stopped in the doorway. The smell of excrement and unwashed bodies polluted the air.

  “This is where I leave you. Good luck,” Cellina said, backing away.

  “Wait.” I chased after her. “Are there any of Tohon’s…dead in there?”

  “No, just Tohon’s injured soldiers. He keeps the dead ones in a barrack.”

  Relief flowed through me. I returned to the infirmary. Pausing at the threshold, I scanned the big room. Rows of cots packed tight together were filled with patients, and only a few people walked among them. The workers had covered their noses and mouths with kerchiefs. Closed windows lined two walls. On the opposite side, I spotted an entrance.

  Tohon forced me to be here, but these people needed me. This was my responsibility, regardless of a contract. I drew in a deep breath of clean air before plunging into the mess. Obviously, Tohon didn’t care too much about his injured.

  I strode to the first worker I encountered, and asked, “Who’s in charge here?”

  She pointed to the back room. Trying not to look at the patients just yet, I entered. The space had been divided into two sections. An office and an examination area. The office was the only clean thing in the entire building. Five people lounged on chairs, talking.