‘Thank you,’ she said, sipping her brandy.
There was a knock at the door, and a guard entered.
‘Sir?’ he said, standing to attention.
‘Sergeant,’ Joley nodded, ‘please wake the doctor, and bring her here. No fuss, and no noise.’
‘Yes, sir,’ he replied, and left.
Joley sat back in his chair, studying her.
‘Are you going to tell me why the Rahain authorities wish to question you?’ he said. ‘I have all kinds of theories.’
‘I’m sorry,’ she said, ‘but no. The information would only endanger you, and the embassy.’
A choked, half-laugh came from him. ‘Really? That bad, eh?’
‘It would probably be best if I left the capital.’
‘Perhaps,’ he said. ‘After all, you do seem to be slipping a little. Whatever you did, you must have left some trace behind that has led the authorities to you, and then you allow a couple of assassins to almost turn you into a pincushion. Also, I’m afraid that you wouldn’t be able to stay here in the embassy. We wouldn’t hand you over to the Rahain authorities, but if they were to discover we were sheltering you, it could create difficulties for all of us.’
‘I understand,’ she said. ‘I’ll be on my way as soon as I get my gold.’
‘Of course,’ Joley said, standing. ‘I’ll collect it for you now. Wait here for the doctor, I’ll be back shortly.’
Daphne remained at the embassy for several hours, as her wounds were tended to, and she received her saddlebags of gold. When she was ready to leave, she stopped off in the embassy kitchens for a bowl of soup, and ate alone, her bags packed beside her.
What Joley had told her seemed to confirm her earlier suspicions. It must have been Douanna who had sent the assassins. She would worry what Daphne might say if she was picked up and questioned, and had decided to eliminate the risk. By eliminating Daphne.
The kitchen door opened, and a Holdings man dressed in priestly robes entered the room.
She put down her spoon.
‘Miss Daphne Holdfast,’ the priest said, ‘I’ve been waiting to speak with you. I am Father Ghorley, sent by the church to assist the embassy here in Rahain.’
‘By assist,’ she said, pushing her bowl aside and lighting a cigarette, ‘I assume you mean “tell them what to do”?’
He shrugged. ‘I ensure they keep to the tenets of our faith, and follow the instructions of the church. I arrived just a few days ago. As I said, I have been waiting to speak with you.’
He sat opposite her at the kitchen table, and poured himself a glass of water.
‘Come to remind me that I’m still unwelcome in my homeland?’ she said.
He smiled, nearly laughed, she thought.
‘During my journey here,’ he said, looking her in the eye, ‘I was contacted by the Lord Vicar, and the leadership of the church. They, in turn, had been in communion with the Creator.’
He paused.
She smoked.
‘The Creator himself!’ the priest cried. ‘He has passed on his word to the holy church, and his word, Miss Daphne Holdfast, concerns you.’ He pointed at her.
‘Me?’ she frowned. ‘The Creator spoke of me?’
‘He did,’ Ghorley said, grinning. ‘He has been watching you closely, Miss Daphne. He has observed the way you fight, and approves of the progress you have made with your vision gifts.’
‘Really?’ Daphne snorted.
Ghorley glanced around. ‘He also witnessed you rescue the four Kellach Brigdomin slaves.’
Daphne sat up. ‘I didn’t think the embassy knew about that.’
‘They don’t,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘The church has access to a level of intelligence that goes far beyond what a mere ambassador knows, Miss Daphne. The Creator sees all, and when he passes on his word, we listen.’
‘But why has he been watching me?’
‘He remembers you, Daphne,’ Ghorley said, his smile returning. ‘He recalls talking with you in the Sanang forest, and wishes to remind you that you made a deal with him.’
Damn, she thought, trying to recall what she had promised. She had lived for so long with the belief that she had been hallucinating, that the details of her encounter with the Creator were confused. Could it be true? Had she really talked to a god?
‘The Creator has a task for you, Daphne,’ Ghorley said, his eyes sparkling, ‘one that he has asked us to assist you with. All embassy resources will be placed at your disposal. Furthermore, if you complete this task, then all past misunderstandings will be forgotten, and the church will welcome you back to the Holdings gladly. His Majesty, King Guilliam has also personally interceded, to send you an assurance that your safety would be guaranteed.’
Daphne shrugged. ‘Forgive me if I’m sceptical, but I’ve been made promises by the church before.’
Ghorley sighed. ‘May I speak frankly? The church’s betrayal of you and your company was a grievous mistake, which is deeply regretted. The Creator has shown us our error, but he has also pointed the way to our mutual redemption. Accept this task, Daphne, complete it, and you can return home.’
‘Where you would expect me to work for you?’ she said. ‘Like Rijon?’
‘If you like,’ he shrugged. ‘It’s up to you. The Creator has ordered us to help you, not force you into working for us. Of course, with the powers you possess, we would certainly be keen to recruit you.’
Daphne shook her head. Work for the church to get back home? Did she want to go home? She knew her family would be there, and she longed to see them, but what about Killop? Helping the church went against her every instinct, but did she have a choice?
‘Do you know where the freed Kellach captives are?’ she asked.
‘No,’ he said. ‘The last information I had was that they were seen disappearing into the mountains north of here. If you wish, I can make further enquiries, but it may take some time.’
‘Do that, please.’
He smiled. ‘May I therefore assume that you are willing to perform the task the Creator has asked of you?’
He held out his hand. Daphne hesitated for a moment, then took it, and they shook.
‘Excellent,’ he smiled. ‘Now, if you’ll come with me, I have a safe house nearby where you can stay for a few days, while you prepare.’
She stood.
‘What’s the task?’
‘A mission of mercy, Miss Daphne,’ Father Ghorley said, clasping his fingers together. ‘We need you to go back into the Rakanese camp.’
Chapter 28
Distracted
Mountains north of Rahain Capital, Rahain Republic – 18th Day, Second Third Spring 505
Killop watched her from the shadows of the gaien stables, keeping his distance.
Kallie was at the well, drawing a bucket of water, pulling in the rope. Her long red hair fell down her back, shining in the morning sun. Her skin was pale, having been underground for so long. She bent her back, straining against the weight of the heavy bucket as she hauled it up. Around her in the farm courtyard, spring flowers sprouted between the uneven flagstones, coming up to her knees in a burst of colours, blues, yellows, pinks and green.
For a long time, Killop had believed that his future would be intertwined with Kallie’s. Hearing the prophecy hadn’t changed that, as he had flatly refused to believe that dark-skinned folk existed. Even after seeing Daphne in Laodoc’s academy, he had thought that his love for Kallie would win, and that what he was feeling about Daphne was just an illusion, a temporary infatuation. Kallie was his one, his soul mate, and yet, as he gazed at her from the shadows, he knew his passion for her had gone. As if a switch had been turned off in his mind, he understood that he was no longer in love with her.
He loved Daphne. His desire for her tore at his mind, and a nervous anger rose in his guts at the thought of not seeing her again. Part of him wanted to go straight back to the city for her, but he had to find Keira first, and free her from the Rahain.
Daphne would have to wait.
On the first evening following their escape, while they had huddled under some trees from the cold rain, Killop had told Kallie what had happened between him and Daphne.
Though she had sworn enough at the time, she hadn’t spoken to him since, and acted as if he wasn’t there most of the time, while he had fallen into a well of guilt and awkwardness. He had said and done nothing against the barbs that Lacey threw at him, once Kallie had told the others, and had spent the next few days saying as little as possible, as they had wound their way up the narrow, wooded valleys leading through the mountains.
‘It’s not polite to stare,’ said a voice to his left, ‘especially at the woman you cheated on.’
‘Hi, Bridget,’ he muttered.
They watched as Kallie lifted the full bucket, and poured its contents into a pair of smaller ones taken from the barn, the water droplets sparkling in the sunlight amid the wild flowers.
‘She’s beautiful,’ Bridget said.
‘Aye.’
‘And you fucked it up,’ Bridget said, shaking her head. ‘Silly boy.’
‘You find anything?’ he said, changing the subject.
‘Aye,’ she said. ‘No gaien, though. Same as the last place, all the fields are empty. The beasts must have been rounded up for the Rakanese siege.’
‘Any food?’
‘Aye,’ she said. ‘A few sealed tubs of supplies, cornmeal, some salty old pork. Nothing too exciting, but enough for a few days.’
Killop watched as Kallie picked up the two smaller buckets, and starting walking back towards the cottage.
‘Killop,’ Bridget said, ‘do we have a plan?’
He shrugged.
‘Somehow that fails to instil me with confidence.’
‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘Beyond getting away, I hadn’t thought further than that.’
‘Well you’d better fucking start,’ she hissed. ‘The lizards will be out looking for us, they won’t want to lose their leverage over Keira. If we keep heading in the direction we’re going in, then we’ll run into them sooner or later. This whole region, between the capital and Tahrana City, is just one gaien ranch after another, with pig farms, vineyards and other estates dotted about. We need to go somewhere quieter.’
‘Where?’
‘Didn’t you look at any maps while we were at the mansion?’
‘A couple,’ he said. ‘None of here, though.’
She thought for a moment. ‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘It depends what we want to do. Are we staying in Rahain, or going back to Kellach Brigdomin?’
He looked at her, narrowing his eyes. ‘You’re using their word for us?’
‘It’s just easier to say,’ she shrugged. ‘It’s not important. What we should be doing…’ She tailed off, her attention caught by something.
‘Shit,’ she muttered, staring upwards.
Killop followed her line of sight, pausing when he saw a black dot in the sky.
‘Winged gaien,’ she scowled.
‘Think they’ve seen us?’
‘How the fuck would I know?’
They stayed where they were, crouched in the shadows of the stables, waiting for the flying beast to pass. Once it had disappeared over the horizon to the north-east, they scampered back to the cottage.
Kallie and Lacey were inside. Lacey was scrubbing clothes in a bucket, while Kallie was filling small water canisters. Neither looked up as Bridget and Killop entered.
‘No fires again today,’ Bridget said. ‘Flying lizards are about.’
Kallie nodded.
‘I found us some food,’ Bridget went on.
‘More fucking pig fat?’ Lacey spat.
‘Probably,’ Bridget said. ‘Haven’t opened all the tubs yet. Some definitely stink of it.’
‘We got better food in prison,’ Lacey muttered.
‘You go and fucking find some then,’ Bridget snapped, taking a seat by the cold fireplace, and filling a cup of water from one of Kallie’s buckets.
‘Food is your job,’ Lacey said.
Bridget sighed.
‘I look after our clothes and weapons,’ Lacey went on, though they had been through this before. ‘Kallie gets the water, and you get the food.’
The room sat in expectant silence.
‘Oh,’ Lacey continued, ‘and fuckface gets to be an arsehole, a job he excels at.’
She grinned at him, then went back to washing the clothes.
Killop said nothing.
He glanced around the room. Lacey was scowling as she held a skirt against a washboard, scrubbing it. Kallie was keeping her head low, careful not to catch his eye, as she tightened the stoppers on their water canisters. Bridget looked at him. He knew that she wanted him to lead them, resume his old position as their squad leader, but his tongue seemed stuck inside his mouth.
He shook his head, and Bridget nodded.
‘We need to decide what to do,’ she said to the room. ‘We need to talk about where we should go.’
No one else said anything, but both Lacey and Kallie glanced up at the young Brig woman.
‘Here are our choices,’ she said. ‘We could try to get back to Kell, and Brig and Lach. Link up with the warriors Lacey knows, and join in the fight.’
‘Or just go home,’ Kallie said.
‘Aye, maybe,’ Bridget said. ‘We could decide that once we got there. Or, we stay here, in Rahain, though doing what, I don’t know. The lizards are looking for us, and maybe they’ll be watching the roads to Kellach, thinking that’s where we’re most likely to go, so we could stay here instead, for a while.’
‘Here?’ Lacey said, looking around the room. ‘In this cottage?’
‘No, donkey-brain,’ Bridget said. ‘Much too busy round here. We’d probably be best heading east, if we want to avoid the lizards, hide out in the forests over there.’
‘How do you know that?’ Lacey asked.
‘Fucksake,’ Bridget sighed. ‘Am I the only one that’s looked at a fucking map?’
‘I read the maps,’ Kallie said.
Bridget nodded.
‘What about Rainsby?’ Lacey said.
‘You heard of that place?’ Bridget asked.
‘Met some folk who went there,’ Lacey replied, looking pleased. ‘They didn’t like it, came back. They said that thousands of the clansfolk are living there. Others have moved all the way up to the new city being built north of the inland sea. We could go that way.’
‘Aye,’ Bridget said. ‘We could, though, again, I don’t know what we’d do when we got there.’
‘We could…’ Killop began. As soon as he spoke, Lacey’s bottom lip turned into a sneer, and Kallie looked away. ‘We could look for Keira and Kylon.’
‘First,’ Bridget said, a pained expression on her face, ‘we have no idea where your sister’s being held, although you can guarantee it’ll be the most heavily guarded place in the country. Second, Kylon happens to be stuck in a city that’s being besieged by over a hundred thousand lizard soldiers. I mean, I’d love it if we could just snap our fingers and rescue them both, but we can’t all be like…’
She paused, her face reddening.
Killop’s tongue remained frozen, and he lowered his eyes.
‘You’ve upset him, Bridget,’ Lacey laughed.
‘Shut up, Lacey,’ Bridget said.
Lacey shot her a foul look, and went back to scrubbing.
‘What do you think, Kallie?’ Bridget said.
She looked Bridget in the eyes.
‘I’m going to wait,’ she said, ‘to see where he wants to go first.’
Bridget stayed quiet, looking unsure.
Kallie kept her gaze level. ‘So I can go in the opposite direction.’
Bridget shook her head. ‘No.’
Kallie shrugged, and got back to work.
‘No,’ Bridget repeated. ‘No, Kallie, we’re not splitting up.’
‘It’s too late, Bridget,’ Kallie said.
‘I can’t travel with him any more. I don’t trust him, and can’t stand the sight of him.’
‘Me neither,’ added Lacey. ‘I just want him to fuck off.’
‘Shut up, Lacey!’ Bridget shouted. She turned to Kallie. ‘Please, Kallie, I know how you’re feeling, I know he’s been a complete prick, but we can’t split up. We have to stick together.’
Kallie shook her head.
‘We’re not leaving anyone behind!’ Bridget cried.
‘Then you fucking stay with him!’ Lacey shouted. ‘Me and Kallie will be fine on our own, and you can warm his bed. After all, his wee brown lassie’s not coming for him.’
Bridget jumped up, her right fist clenched.
‘Why are you sticking up for him?’ Kallie said.
‘I’m not!’ Bridget shouted, and fell back into her seat. She started to cry, the first time Killop had ever seen her do so. She held her face in both hands to hide her sobs, while Lacey and Kallie shared a glance.
‘We can stay together for a few more days, Bridget,’ Kallie said.
Bridget raised her head, and then she stretched out her arms and hugged Kallie. As the women embraced, Killop stood. Ignoring Lacey’s stare, he left the cottage and, keeping to the shadows, started to walk.
He felt stupid, and small, and his gaze remained downward, as his feet scuffed the dusty path to the nearby woods. Maybe it would be better if he left the others, for good. He was useless, his mind was so distracted with guilt, and Daphne, and Kallie, then guilt again, that he was making mistakes.
He reached the woods and kept walking, taking a path through the tall, dark pines. A strange bird called out, its cry echoing through the still branches. His boots crunched over the thick bed of dry pine needles, and he tried to think of nothing. It was no good. His mind came back again and again to Daphne, and how he had felt when they had been in his cell. Then his thoughts would race to Kallie, and the moment he had told her, and the look on her face.
And now Kallie wanted to leave. He couldn’t blame her for that, and felt a sense of relief at the thought he wouldn’t have to see her all the time, but then he remembered Bridget saying they should stick together. Was she crying because she knew she would either have to leave Killop on his own, or say goodbye to the others to remain with him? She shouldn’t have to make that decision. He would go back and tell them he was leaving, alone.
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