Taste of Darkness

by Maria V. Snyder

  “Belen. No one has heard anything or seen him. But no one can get close enough to the enemy.”

  Ryne didn’t disappoint. His words sucker punched Kerrick right in the gut, implying only Kerrick could discover where his best friend had been.

  “Low blow, Ryne.”

  “I’m despicable, I know. And you shouldn’t be surprised.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Will you think about it?”

  “Yes. But Avry first.”

  “Of course.”

  “Anything else I need to know about?” Kerrick asked.

  “I’ve heard rumors about a Skeleton King down in Ryazan Realm. He’s gathered an army and is marching north.”

  “Bad news. We encountered him once when searching for Avry, and barely made it out alive.”

  “I sent a scout.”

  From Ryne’s dour expression, Kerrick braced for more bad news. “And?”

  “The scout returned with a package for me. The Skeleton King sent me a crown made from human bones and a note.” He sighed. “He warned me that he was coming and he planned to conquer—his word, not mine—both Cellina’s and my forces. And that when he is victorious over us all, I will crown him with this special crown.”

  “How much of a threat is he?”

  “Pretty big for us. For Cellina, not so much. She has over two thousand living troops and close to a thousand dead ones. Plus a dead-ufa pack or three.”

  “Could that be another reason she’s pulling out of Zabin? Clearing the way for the Skeleton King to come after us? Then with the sneak attack from the north, you’ll be caught between them.”

  Ryne cursed. “Another reason why I need you, Kerrick. To find out how many troops the Skeleton King has. My scout learned nothing of value.”

  “I said I’d think about it.”

  Kerrick wrote a message to Noak and left soon after, heading south to Zabin. Traveling through the night, he avoided the various patrols, but he kept track of animals in the forest, seeking a loose horse. In the morning, Kerrick skirted small towns and farms, hoping to find someone willing to sell or rent him a mount.

  By midafternoon he finally spotted two horses grazing in a large pasture near the woods. Summoning all his magical strength, Kerrick turned his skin and clothes to normal before leaving the forest. Each step forward required a concentrated effort. By pure determination, he reached the farmhouse.

  He found the horses’ owner and, if the man thought Kerrick’s strained demeanor odd, he didn’t seem to care once the two gold coins hit his palm.

  “No saddle,” Kerrick whispered to the farmer. “Just a bridle. Please bring him to the forest. I’ll be waiting there.”

  Kerrick’s legs shook as he hurried to return to the living green. As soon as he entered its domain, he collapsed.

  Two seconds later, or so it felt, the man arrived with the horse in tow. “Hello?” he called, almost stepping on Kerrick. “Harper’s all ready.” He walked farther in.

  Drawing on his final reserve of energy, Kerrick stood, changed to normal and caught up to the man, who jumped about a foot when Kerrick approached from behind.

  “Thank you,” Kerrick said, taking the reins.

  The man nodded and then bolted back to his farm.

  He’ll have an interesting story to tell his family. When the man disappeared from sight, Kerrick mounted Harper. The dark brown horse instantly turned green, brown, orange, red, and yellow, exactly matching Kerrick and the rest of the forest. Handy.

  Kerrick had a day and a half to reach the rendezvous spot. He spurred Harper into a gallop.

  CHAPTER 8

  “You can’t,” Flea said after I explained what I needed to do to save Yuri’s life.

  I placed the syringe carefully on my pack to free my hands. “It makes the most sense.”

  “What if the serum doesn’t work?” Flea dropped Yuri’s hand and moved around to my side of the cot. “You can’t die. We need you.”

  “We can travel to the Peace Lily before the third stage so you won’t have to inject the serum in me.”

  “That is if the Peace Lily takes you. A big if.” He crossed his arms. “No.”

  His posture was so like Kerrick’s, I stifled a smile. “Flea, you of all people should know that I decide who I heal and who I won’t.”

  “Yeah, well... You’ll have to get through me first.” He stepped between me and Yuri, who stared at us both as if we had lost our minds.

  I waggled my fingers at him. “One touch, Flea, and you’ll be down.”

  He waved his in the air, as well. “Me, too.”

  “Really? Did you learn something new when I was gone?”

  “No, but I’m sure if I’m mad enough...” He dropped his hands in defeat. His heart wasn’t on board with the threat.

  But his boast gave me an idea. “You can touch me and see if the plague kills me for good or if I survive again. Then—”

  “No. I’m not seeing when you’re going to die, Avry. I can’t.” Flea hunched his shoulders as if I’d force him.

  “That’s okay. It wouldn’t have changed my mind anyway. I’m going to heal him.” I pushed Flea to the side and grabbed Yuri’s arm.

  My magic grew, pushing from my core and flowing toward Yuri where it died as if hitting a wall. I tried again and nothing happened. My healing magic refused to inundate Yuri’s body and bring the sickness back into me.

  “Did you cure him?” Flea asked, sounding peevish.

  “No.” I explained about the wall.

  Flea glanced at Yuri. The young patient squeezed his eyes shut. Tears leaked from the corners and ran down his temples.

  “The Peace Lily serum must still be in your blood, too,” Flea said.

  “Must be. Although I didn’t think it would affect my healing abilities.” So what had the Peace Lily wished for me to learn?

  “Now what?” Flea asked.

  “We’ll try my original plan. If that’s okay with you, Yuri?”

  Without saying a word or even opening his eyes, he held out his arm. Flea returned to the other side of the cot and once again took Yuri’s left hand in his. I picked up the syringe, found a vein and injected the serum into him.

  “So cold, it burns,” Yuri said.

  Flea moved to get a blanket, but Yuri wouldn’t let go.

  I grasped Yuri’s right hand. “It’s going to hurt like nothing you’ve ever felt before. But don’t despair, it will end.”

  Yuri peeked at me. “Now you tell me.”

  “Would it have changed your mind?” I asked.

  “No.”

  Yuri’s grip tightened and every muscle in his body tensed as the serum traveled throughout his body. It didn’t take long for him to start screaming. He let go of our hands and curled into a tight ball, rocking and yelling.

  I kept my fingers on his arm. My magic sensed the oily blackness of the plague fighting the cold whiteness of the serum.

  Loren and Quain skidded into the doorway. They had their swords in hand. Odd wasn’t far behind. They shouted questions at us.

  “Go explain it to them,” I said to Flea. “Wash your hands first.”

  “Will he be okay?” Flea asked.

  “I’ve no idea. Come back when he’s quiet.”

  “Okay.” Flea shooed the monkeys and Odd into the hallway, then dunked his hands into the water bucket before scrubbing his skin.

  “Up to the elbows,” I instructed before returning my attention to Yuri.

  His cries remained loud and strong. Having been in his position, I empathized with him. I’d never forget the raw agony. It had felt like acid dissolving my insides. The only thing I didn’t know was how long it would take.

  Each of his screams lasted for hours, or so it see
med. Helpless, I placed my hand on his shoulder to let him know I was there. Now I understood why Kerrick had attacked the Peace Lily when I’d been inside yelling myself hoarse. Right now I’d do anything to help alleviate Yuri’s pain.

  The volume and duration of his shrieks eventually dwindled. Then, in the space of a heartbeat, he died.

  I gasped, frozen for a moment. Drawing in a deep breath, I touched his forehead. No spark of magic. Nothing at all. I closed his eyes as the ever-present grief inside my heart expanded, washing over me.

  It hadn’t worked. Was that what the Peace Lily meant? Should I give up trying to use the Lily to save people? Were Flea and I the only possible survivors?

  Yuri’s eyes opened. Probably a reflex. But then he turned his head and his gaze met mine.

  I stepped back. No life shone in his blue eyes. Pure terror gripped me. I’d created one of Tohon’s dead.

  Tohon’s voice sounded in my mind. Not one of mine, my dear. Yours. He’s the first of Avry’s dead.

  * * *

  “Avry, stop yelling.” Odd shook my shoulders.

  I focused on him. His face was inches from mine. He seemed concerned. Did I have another nightmare? Yes, I remembered Tohon’s sleek voice.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked me.

  “I...”

  “Oh, no,” Flea said with his voice full of horror.

  Odd turned. Flea stood next to Yuri, who had his dead gaze trained on me.

  “Did she heal him?” Quain asked. He stood in the doorway with Loren.

  “She...” Flea looked at me.

  Oh, no was right. Not a nightmare, but I wished it was.

  “Is he...?” I couldn’t finish the question.

  Flea’s fingers curled into fists for a moment, then he steeled himself before touching Yuri’s skin. He snatched his hand away as Yuri turned his head to look at Flea. “Yes.”

  I wilted, sagging against Odd. He grabbed me before I toppled.

  “Will someone tell us what’s going on?” Quain demanded.

  Flea backed up. “He’s dead. Like Tohon’s dead soldiers.”

  Everyone stared at me with a variety of emotions. Horror dominated. Odd kept a firm grip on me. Otherwise I would have sunk to the ground. Yuri remained on his cot, staring at Flea.

  “What do we do with him?” Quain asked. “Can we train him?”

  “No,” I said. “He shouldn’t be. I’d never expected... My fault...”

  Loren pulled his short dagger from his belt. “It’s treated with Death Lily toxin. Should I?” he asked me.

  “Yes. Please.”

  “Sorry, buddy,” Loren said as he pricked Yuri’s arm.

  Yuri didn’t flinch or react in anyway. We waited. There was always a slight delay before the toxin worked.

  We kept waiting. Nothing happened. Yuri sat there not breathing, not speaking, not being, just there.

  “Uh, now what?” Quain asked.

  I had no idea. Why didn’t the toxin work? Was it because Yuri had the plague, which was linked to Death Lily toxin?

  “Decapitation,” Loren said. “That’s the only other thing that works.”

  “Maybe we should take him outside first,” Quain said.

  “No. I don’t want anyone else to know about him.” I shivered.

  “We could do it after dark when everyone is asleep. Otherwise, you’ll have a mess to clean up and explain.” Loren wiped Yuri’s blood off his blade.

  “Can he walk?” Quain asked Flea.

  “Why are you asking me?”

  “He moved when you touched him. Don’t you have an affinity with the dead?”

  “No. I don’t. Avry, did he die from the serum?”

  I nodded.

  “Avry’s touch revived him. I’d think he’d follow her.”

  My touch. I remembered when I’d witnessed Tohon waking his dead. Although his had been dead before he’d injected the serum, he’d pressed his hand to their foreheads, and then, when they’d moved, he guided them by touch. After that, I didn’t know how he’d trained them.

  “We shouldn’t kill him...er, again,” Odd said.

  “Why?” I pulled away from him, standing on my own wobbly legs.

  “It’s a chance to learn more about them.”

  “We know how to stop them. That’s all we need to know,” I said.

  “Then why didn’t the Death Lily toxin work?” Odd asked.

  “I think it’s because he had the plague.”

  “Think or know? Big difference.”

  “What are you suggesting?” Loren asked Odd.

  Oh, no, not him, too. He used that same questioning technique Kerrick and Ryne’d been taught at boarding school.

  “I’m suggesting we send a message to Prince Ryne and let him decide what to do.”

  Feeling stronger, I stepped toward Yuri. “No. His condition is my responsibility. I decide.”

  Odd grabbed my arm, turning me to face him. “I understand that. Do what you feel is right. But consider this. You created him. A healer. We always assumed Tohon used his life magic to revive the dead. What if it wasn’t his life magic, but just magic in general? What if Sepp could add to the army of dead? Or one of Tohon’s other magicians?”

  A terrifying thought. I glanced at Yuri. A body empty of life. “You have a point. But how can we test your theory? I’m not going to kill—”

  “Avry, we’re at war. Fatalities are a regrettable aspect of it.”

  “Oh.”

  “No,” Flea said. “I’m not doing it.”

  “Doing what?” Quain asked.

  “Odd wants to test if I can revive the dead.”

  “You don’t have to,” I said.

  Odd let go of my arm. “There’s no one else.”

  “No way.” Flea hugged his chest. “You can’t force me.”

  I glared at Odd. “No one is going to force you, Flea. Besides, I don’t have any more serum and the Peace Lily told me I’d only get one sack.” And the lesson had been learned. Stop trying to use the Lily to revive the dead or it might just work.

  “At least wait until you talk to Prince Ryne before you decide about Yuri. There’s no need to rush. He can’t do anything. He’s not in any pain.”

  Odd made sense, but guilt and fear pushed me to fix my awful mistake right away. An illogical part of my mind thought if he had a proper burial, my guilt over killing him and turning him into an abomination would disappear. The logical part already acknowledged that I’d carry that guilt for the rest of my life. And then there was the fear. Had Tohon branded me like he’d claimed?

  Unable to make a decision, I appealed to my guys. “What do you think?”

  “Take him outside and finish this now,” Flea said without hesitation.

  “I’m inclined to agree with Odd on this,” Loren said. “We should consult with Prince Ryne. He might have a different perspective. But, Avry.” Loren met my gaze. “I’ll support your decision either way.”

  Quain rubbed a hand over his head as if smoothing down imaginary hair. “Flea told us you couldn’t heal Yuri even though you tried. I think we shouldn’t tell Prince Ryne about the attempt or he’d be upset.”

  “Upset is putting it mildly,” Loren muttered.

  Quain ignored him. “Yuri was going to die regardless—”

  “But I had no right—”

  “Hush, I’m still talking. I think if it was me, and you turned me into the not dead, or whatever you call them, I’d want you to learn as much as you could from me in order to help our army.”

  “A rather long-winded way to say he agrees with Odd,” Loren said.

  I glanced at Flea. “Quain just had to talk it through.” And he made another good point. While my heart agreed
with Flea, the logical choice would be to wait. “Let’s hear what Ryne has to say first.”

  Flea’s face paled. I turned to him. “Remember, it’s your magic. You decide if and when you’ll use it. Not Ryne. Not me. Not anyone.”

  “Yeah, but Prince Ryne will talk circles around me, confusing me, and the next I’d know I’d be doing what he wants.”

  “Just follow your instincts.” I reached out to touch his shoulder.

  He jumped back in alarm. Stung, I stood with my hand hovering over empty space. I’d thought I had achieved the maximum amount of guilt a person could ever feel, but I was wrong.

  * * *

  We had a single day before we needed to leave to rendezvous with Captain Drisana. I informed Lieutenant Macon of the situation with Yuri, since those of us who knew were included in the rescue mission.

  “He needs no care. He won’t move. Just make sure no one enters this cavern.”

  Macon eyed Yuri with a queasy expression. Yuri remained on the cot.

  The lieutenant gestured to Yuri. “You sure he won’t move.”

  “Yes. I’ve sent a message to Prince Ryne. Once I hear from him, I’ll decide what to do with Yuri.”

  “What if you don’t return from the mission?”

  Good question. “Then follow Prince Ryne’s advice.”

  “And if he causes problems before then?”

  “He shouldn’t. But in that case, you can decapitate him.”

  Not happy about the situation, Macon grumbled, but agreed to assign a guard at the cavern’s entrance.

  I spent the rest of the day checking on my patients with Ginger. Flea avoided me, dashing away any time I even stepped in his direction. I would have laughed if it didn’t hurt so much. The monkeys and Odd packed equipment and sharpened their swords, preparing for the mission. Gathering extra medical supplies, I put together an aid kit in case we had injuries.

  We planned to leave an hour before dawn. Most of the team settled down next to the fire right after supper. Flea planted himself between Quain and Loren. They’d only had about four hours of sleep two nights ago. Me, too. But the thought of Tohon’s sleek voice invading my dreams prevented me from lying down. He would gloat with glee, claiming Yuri was more proof that I carried his magic. Bad enough my own fears whispered that very same thing.