Taste of Darkness

by Maria V. Snyder

  “And what about you?” I asked.

  “I’m going to get closer to the groups and try to learn their intentions.”

  My unhappy heart wished to protest. Wished to tag along. But my practical side knew I’d be a hindrance.

  Quain and Loren swept the vines aside. A damp puff of rotten leaves and bat guano wafted out. Wonderful.

  “Stay here until I return,” Kerrick said.

  “Uh, no offense, but what do we do if you don’t?” Quain asked.

  “If I’m not back by morning, go on without me. Ozero is a straight shot east.”

  Loren shook his head. “You know we won’t. Just tell us which direction the squads are and save us all some time.”

  I nodded in encouragement.

  “Fine. One’s almost straight west, the other is southwest about two miles south of the first, but I don’t expect trouble.”

  “Yet that’s the problem with trouble,” I said. “It has no manners at all and arrives unexpected most of the time.”

  KERRICK

  He waited as Avry and the others entered the cave. She lingered behind. Before ducking inside, she turned and met his gaze. Kerrick had kept his normal appearance, expecting this. Every time they parted, he understood her need to reassure herself that he’d return.

  Even after she disappeared into the darkness and beyond the reach of his magic, Kerrick remained in place for a few more moments just in case she peeked out. Satisfied that all was well for now, Kerrick headed west, dropping his visage. Turning normal no longer drained him as much. He suspected he’d either regained some of his strength or pulling the power had turned into a reflex.

  Interesting how they’d fallen back on old habits. And keeping Avry and his gentlemen safe in the forest remained his job. He dreaded the time when he’d have to stay behind while they continued into Chinska Mare.

  Kerrick picked up his pace, hoping to catch the squads settling down for the evening. That was when they’d be the most chatty.

  Voices drifted through the trees as he neared the west group. The forest had already counted eleven irritants. Eleven living things that didn’t belong in its borders. Kerrick used his magic to determine the intruders were a mix of men and women soldiers. Getting close was ridiculously easy for him. They’d posted a couple guards, but he was just about invisible. Still, there was no need to be in the center of activity. Kerrick leaned against a nearby tree and listened to the various conversations.

  “Did you see Ron’s gash? Nasty with green oozing out.”

  “Quit your jawing and fetch me more firewood.”

  “You two have the third watch. Don’t fall asleep again or I’ll wake you with the pointy end of my sword.”

  “If it doesn’t rain, we’ll be home in eighteen days. I haven’t been home in two years. I hope my girl hasn’t found someone else.”

  Kerrick focused on the men talking about home.

  “Two years? She’s probably married with a babe or two by now. I made sure and married my Sarah before leaving.”

  “I didn’t think it would take this long or I would have,” the first man said.

  “It sounds like we’ll be home for good. No more of this sneaking through the woods, poking at the enemy. It’ll be nice and simple just protecting our borders.”

  Kerrick watched as the squad set up their camp with practiced ease, joking with each other as they completed their tasks. Kerrick had heard and seen enough. This squad wasn’t a threat.

  He headed south toward the second group. Smaller, with seven male intruders, the squad hiked through the woods at a cautious pace. Quiet, too. Kerrick wondered if Avry had trained these men.

  Memories of teaching her how to move with the sounds of the forest came unbidden. He’d enjoyed those lessons. Probably more than her, as she’d hated him then. And then the game of hide-and-seek... Kerrick grinned at how she had sniffed him out. Avry might have learned a lifesaving skill, but he’d learned again not to underestimate her. She was one smart cookie.

  Kerrick followed the squad until they stopped for the night. Using his magic, he concentrated on the men and cursed under his breath. He recognized one of them. Kerrick eased closer. They kept their conversation to a minimum, lit a small fire, and posted more guards than the other.

  The weak firelight reflected off their strained faces and they froze at any animal rustle or natural forest noise. Kerrick put the few clues together. They weren’t supposed to be here, and he suspected the leader had given his men a choice and four members had decided to remain behind. Kerrick stretched his senses along the roots of the forest, seeking another squad that might have been sent after them. Nothing.

  He could stand here and guess all night, or he could ask. Pulling power, Kerrick uncamouflaged. Testing their abilities, he scuffed the dirt as he walked and rattled a few leaves.

  Four of the seven men had their swords out and faced in the right direction, including Sergeant Odd. Impressive.

  The sergeant relaxed when he recognized Kerrick. “At ease.”

  His men sheathed their weapons, but stayed alert.

  “Running home to hide under your High Priestess’s robes?” Kerrick asked, baiting him.

  “My home is in a small town near Koo in Ryazan Realm,” Odd said.

  “Well, then, you’ll want to make a right at the next tree and head straight south.”

  “Cute, but I’m not planning on going home until I see this through.”

  Kerrick waited.

  “I’m not going to explain myself to you. What do you want?”

  “Confirmation.”

  “Of what?”

  “That you’re not a threat.”

  Odd grinned, but there was nothing humorous about it. “To who? Because the answer changes depending on the person.”

  Nice. “To Avry.”

  “Do you mean the woman you left in the middle of the night without so much as a word? The woman you tortured by disappearing for over a month?”

  Kerrick refused to be provoked. He had started this, and Odd’s comments revealed quite a bit. Keeping what Avry called his flat stare in place, Kerrick said nothing.

  “If you’re referring to her, she has nothing to fear from us.”

  “And her companions?”

  “We’ve no problems with the monkeys or Flea.”

  “Good. And since you’re no threat to me, I’ll be—”

  “So the mighty Prince Kerrick can fight off seven men now? Did you disappear to a secret training camp?”

  “Avry understands what happened and that’s all I care about. I do like the secret-training idea, but you can go ahead and assume whatever you wish. However, there’s one thing that’s indisputable.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “You can’t fight with a tree in your lap, or vines wrapped around your legs.” He nodded to Odd. “Until the next time.” Then he dropped the normal camo just in case they doubted his abilities.

  No reaction from Odd, but a couple of his men started. Kerrick backed away, thinking if he hurried, he could return in time to get a few hours of sleep before dawn. With Avry wrapped in his arms and tucked in close, sleeping had been his favorite part of the day.

  “Kerrick, wait,” Odd called.

  He paused.

  “We came to help Avry on her mission.”

  Kerrick rematerialized. “Help how?”

  “Some of my guys grew up in Chinska Mare. Plus as soldiers in the High Priestess’s army, we blend in better.”

  “Until the High Priestess learns of your treason.”

  “Which is why I hope the plan has us well away before that unfortunate time.”

  There was no sense letting Odd know they hadn’t discussed strategy yet, so Kerrick mulled over Odd’s offer. Could
they trust him? What if Odd was working undercover for Estrid and planned to sabotage their mission? Odd’s comments about Avry clearly indicated where Odd’s loyalties belonged...with Avry. Better than with Estrid.

  “All right, get your things packed. We might as well travel together.”

  When they finished, Kerrick led them toward the cave. He’d just about exhausted all his energy, so he trained his attention only on the immediate area. Big mistake. By the time they reached the cave, it was empty.

  CHAPTER 12

  The off notes woke me from a light sleep. Quain stood a few feet away. His sword reflected the weak moonlight. More faint rustles sounded. Not Kerrick. Even if he was angry at us, he would be soundless. Unless something was wrong.

  “Should I wake the others?” I whispered.

  “We’re awake,” Flea said.

  “What do you think, Quain, five or six?” Loren asked in a low voice.

  “Maybe more. They’re good.”

  Fear chased away all sleep fuzziness. I pushed my blankets aside and stood. “Let’s move closer to the Death Lily.”

  “And be breakfast? No thanks,” Quain said.

  “It won’t eat you if you’re with me.” I palmed two throwing knives.

  We backed toward the Death Lily. The intruders would have to pass the Peace Lilys to get to us, but hopefully they’d balk at the sight of the Lilys. We had returned to our original campsite after the fumes from the bat guano had overwhelmed Flea.

  “Flea and Quain, you take the left side. Avry and I’ll get the right.” Loren gripped his sword as he stared at the patch of forest where the slight noises emanated.

  I considered who’d attack us in the middle of the night. Cellina, Jael, Estrid, Ryne—we certainly didn’t lack for enemies.

  The off notes stopped and Kerrick materialized on the far side. I relaxed until he focused on me. Exhaustion and anger creased his face. Was that why he’d sounded like a whole squad of soldiers?

  “Why didn’t you stay in the cave?” Kerrick asked in his flat tone.

  “The place stank of bat sh—” Quain started.

  “Flea fainted,” I interrupted. “It was unhealthy to be in there.”

  Kerrick’s shoulders drooped. I hurried over to share my energy. But before I reached him, he turned and called, “All clear.”

  A group of people entered the clearing. Surprised, I stopped until I recognized Odd. I glanced at Kerrick. “What’s going on?”

  “They came to help you.”

  All my fear and uncertainty fled and I rushed over to Odd, hugging him. “Oh, Odd, I’m so sorry.”

  His arms paused halfway around me. “Sorry about what?”

  “For thinking bad thoughts about you.”

  He squeezed me tight. “Ah. Well, I had a hard time deciding between the High Priestess and Prince Ryne. But when I found out what you were up to, it was easy to decide.”

  “Thank you.”

  He pulled away, smiling at me. “Anytime. So what’s the plan?”

  “Um.”

  His smile faded. “You do have a plan, right?”

  “I’m working on it. First we need to find some horses.”

  “What about getting into the monastery?”

  “I have an idea, but...” I met Kerrick’s gaze.

  A hard expression gripped Kerrick’s face. “I’m not going to like it. But let’s face it, I’m not going to like anything that puts you in danger, but that can’t stop you. We all knew this would be a dangerous mission.”

  I stepped over to Kerrick, lacing my fingers in his. “Are we ready for horses now?”

  “Yes.”

  * * *

  “Do I really have to wear this thing?” Quain asked in outrage. He held an acolyte’s robe at arm’s length. “I thought I’d be on the escort team.”

  “You don’t have a uniform, and none of ours will fit you,” Odd said with an amazing amount of patience, considering it was the fifth time he’d repeated it.

  “That’s what you get for being so fat, Quain,” Loren said. He pulled an identical red robe over his head.

  Quain fisted his hand and bulged an impressive bicep. “Oh, yeah, do you want to see what this fat can do?”

  “That’s enough, boys,” I said, donning my—what do I call it?—not-a-virgin robe? It matched the monkeys’ except for the color. Mine resembled dark brown mud and I wore it over my black travel clothes. Thick and heavy, it’d be hot as hell in the summer. “Ooh, pockets! Lots of pockets to hide stuff in.”

  “As long as they don’t search you,” Odd said, killing the mood.

  That was one of our big what-ifs. We had a number of those this-will-work-if parts of our plan. No plan was perfect...right?

  We’d gotten horses to travel to within a couple miles of Chinska Mare. It had taken us six days, half the time as if we had walked.

  In order to get past the city guards, we needed a cover story. My idea would not only get us into the city, but into the monastery, as well. Quain and Loren would impersonate priests returning from Sectven Realm with an impure, unmarried girl—me as Irina—in tow. They’d deliver me to the monastery and hopefully be allowed to stay and pray.

  Odd and his squad would be escorting us since they just had happened to run into us on their way back to Ozero. Claiming they were obeying the High Priestess’s orders to return to relieve a few of the guards on duty at the monastery, Odd and his squad would become part of the security team while Flea and Ives would remain in the city to explore the aqueducts and map an escape route.

  As one of the men who had lived and worked in Chinska Mare before the war, Ives was familiar with the day-to-day routines. He’d been the one to steal the robes from one of the creator’s houses of worship. Since we’d been in Ozero, there appeared to be a worship house in every town.

  My job would be to find Melina as quickly as possible while the others figured a way out of the monastery. It sounded simple...right?

  As we changed and practiced our stories, Kerrick fed and watered the horses. He’d find a stable for them once we left. He’d been unusually quiet ever since Odd and his men had joined us. While we were gone, he’d planned to find that southern aqueduct exit and meet us there. Once we reached that point, he’d be in charge of getting us out of Ozero without encountering any trouble. And he’d help us lose any pursuers.

  We had all the angles covered...right?

  “We’ll leave two hours before the shift change,” Ives said. “That will get us there right at the end of the day shift. At that time, those guys won’t care who they let in. They’ll be more interested in when their replacements arrive than anything else.”

  We finished going over the plan. I handed Odd the container I’d swiped from the infirmary and explained how it worked. With about an hour left before we needed to leave, I packed my bag and then headed toward the horses. Kerrick had found six hardy Tobory horses so we could double up. Yet only five stood.... Oh. It popped into sight along with Kerrick. He cleared a stone from the horse’s hoof.

  I smiled. “For someone who doesn’t like horses, you sure know a lot about them.”

  “It’s not a matter of like or dislike,” Kerrick said. “They’re useful at times and must be cared for. And since I’ve nothing else to do...” He checked the horse’s other hooves before moving to the next one—the large chestnut-colored stallion shifted his weight obligingly.

  Ah. The reason for his...moping? I’d been so busy planning Melina’s rescue, I hadn’t had much time to spend with him. We shared a mount and a bedroll, but hadn’t had any privacy.

  When he finished with the stallion, I blocked him from checking another. I wrapped my arms around his neck. His magic buzzed along my skin. “That can wait. I’ve something else for you to do.”

  He met
my gaze as he pulled me closer. The tingling sensation intensified, going deeper.

  “I understand that staying behind is hard,” I said. “I’ve been on the waiting and wondering side of things too many times to count. All I can do is promise to be as careful as possible. Knowing you’re here is plenty of incentive for me to hurry back.”

  “If you don’t, I’ll come get you.” A stubborn resolve flashed in his eyes. “I might be trapped in the forest, but I’m not without other resources.”

  “I believe you. After all, you’re skilled at a variety of activities.” I raked my fingers through his hair. It had grown just past his shoulders—the longest I’d seen it.

  “A few,” he admitted in a husky voice.

  The heat from his body reached me through two layers of clothes. Or was that from my own internal fire? “Don’t be so modest. I’d bet you could find us a nice secluded little—”

  Kerrick picked me up. His magic disappeared, but my body still hummed as we turned the colors of the forest. I hooked my legs around his waist. He kissed me as he carried me to...I’d no idea. All without missing a step.

  When he laid me down, we broke apart for a moment. “Impressive.” I panted even though I hadn’t done any of the work.

  “I’m just getting started. Next step, getting rid of all these annoying layers.” Impatient, he tugged on the brown robe.

  “Yours, too,” I said, pulling on his short cape.

  Soon we had a pile of clothing next to us. I shivered in the cool air. But I wasn’t cold for long. Kerrick warmed me up until a bonfire raced through my body.

  * * *

  A few heartbeats later...or so it seemed, time ran out. With great reluctance, Kerrick and I untangled and dressed.

  Before we headed back to the others, he drew me close. “Do I need to lecture you?”

  “No, I already promised to be careful.”

  “Get in and get out. Don’t dally.”