Black Rose Queen: Black Rose Sorceress, Book 3

by Connie Suttle

  I would have died with it, if his plans hadn't been thwarted.

  What I failed to grasp was Sherra's continued existence—I'd seen her again, just before Kaakos pulled me out of my cell and forced me to step to his palace in Ny-nes. I had my power back, but he'd placed a lock on its use, somehow. I'd never known that was possible, until it had been done to me.

  For now, I was a prisoner in his gilded cage, until he decided to do something with me. I worried about what that could be.

  Secondary Camp

  Armon

  "Do you still have family?" I asked Levi. "Living?" He and I were getting ready for bed; I'd just stepped out of the shower and was toweling off while Levi shaved. He'd never had a beard problem as I did, and shaving the night before always got him through the following day.

  I, on the other hand, shaved every morning, and had a shadow by the time dinner was served.

  "I do—my parents are old but still alive, and I have a sister. She always wanted to go with me when I went for training."

  "No power?" I asked, settling my arms around Levi's shoulders. I kissed his neck and smiled at his reflection in the mirror.

  "No. Dad always told her she was lucky not to have it. At the time, he was right. If she'd had power, I'd want her trained by Sherra. I figure she's married now, with kids."

  "My family is gone, except for a much younger brother, who was small when I left for training," I said, pulling away from Levi. "We don't know one another, but I ask about him now and then, when news comes from the villages."

  "War keeps people apart," Levi leaned toward the mirror check his face before rinsing off soap. "It's an unwritten law that you won't contact your family, once the army takes you."

  "Power keeps people apart, too," I pointed out. "We're different from the moment we learn to form fire."

  "Face it—we scare them," Levi said. "They think we'll fry them if we get mad. People like Merrin only reinforce that belief. When we went to see that child's mother, she wouldn't come near us until the money bag appeared. If Caral hadn't been with me, her sister may have been reluctant to approach, too."

  "Darissa's one of our biggest supporters, now," I grinned at Levi.

  "Don't you know it," he agreed. "Come on, I'm exhausted, but I still want your arms around me so I can sleep."

  "You can have that anytime," I said. "You don't even have to ask."

  Ny-nes

  Kyri

  Because if you have gold on you, it's a death sentence, I told Garkus, as I handed over base-metal money chips to pay for a few vegetables. Food was extremely scarce, and meat even scarcer within the general population.

  Filth was everywhere, too, and to someone as fastidious as Garkus, it revolted him that black grime covered nearly everything, including most people.

  The only thing worse than the grime covering the city, was the same grime when it rained. During those times, falling raindrops washed ash and soot from the air, which became a black sludge that would take repeated washings to remove.

  This makes no sense, Garkus responded as we walked away from the rickety vegetable stand. I knew he wished to be anywhere but here, but there was no help for it. Arresh had sent him here; I hoped there was a true purpose in that act.

  We believe Merrin was pulled away from Az-ca by Kaakos, Adahi's mindspeak came as Garkus and I made our way through narrow, junk-cluttered alleys toward our lean-to.

  We think the same, I said. What do you think Kaakos intends to do with that traitor?

  I think Kaakos saw Arresh through Merrin's eyes and knew his plot to kill the King was uncovered. Kaakos likely restored Merrin's power and forced him to step to Ny-nes, or helped by pulling him away. He'll use Merrin as a replacement for Ruarke, now, unless I'm mistaken.

  I think that's possible, too.

  How is your plan going?

  I still can't divine past the second wall, I said. He has a shield up that I can't get past.

  Not good, but not unexpected, either. What is your next move?

  I hear that several times each year, the palace requisitions replacement servants—drudges, cooks and such. Garkus and I may have to wait a few weeks until they search for recruits to serve. They're looking for able bodies, and we fit that description more than most around us.

  Proceed carefully, Kyri. Come to his attention too soon and he'll kill you—and Garkus with you.

  I know.

  Adahi cut off his mindspeak then; Garkus and I reached the lean-to shortly after. Lying against the base of the lean-to was a bundle wrapped in rags—which hadn't been there before we left.

  "I'll check it; stand back," Garkus put out an arm to keep me from stepping closer.

  Cautiously, he touched the bundle with one hand. Nothing happened. Lifting an edge of the roughly-woven rag, he released the scent of honey cakes.

  Arresh had sent us a gift of food.

  King's Palace

  Kerok

  "How long will it take to print the census forms?" I asked Hunter.

  "We can start with the number needed for Secondary Camp, then distribute to the outlying villages as the forms are delivered from the presses," Hunter replied. "This way, we won't overburden the diviners as the papers come back."

  "Once we get Secondary Camp done, I want reliable troops to accompany the messengers when they deliver to the villages," I said. "To ensure that every adult completes a form."

  "Good idea. We should give them full information on the complete purpose behind the census, before we send them," Hunter advised.

  "Then we'll only send those above reproach," I agreed. "Those we can trust with sensitive information."

  "Those who won't take it wrong that they were divined without their knowledge," Hunter sniffed.

  "There's that," I agreed.

  Thorn, you need to come, Armon's mindspeak reached me. Two drudges were killed early this morning.

  Chapter 4

  Secondary Camp

  Kerok

  Sherra and Barth came with me. Armon, Levi, Marc and their escorts waited for us in the physician's cabin. The physician had done a preliminary examination; both women died of stab wounds.

  Logically, that would point to another drudge. With the current climate, logic went out the window. This could be a ploy to throw us off the scent of a perpetrator with power.

  As for the stab wounds—Adahi would never employ that method, so it wasn't the Phantom, either.

  "Found outside their cabin," Armon said. "Both dressed for work in the kitchen, so it was this morning, early."

  Caral stood behind Armon, a grim expression on her face. She and her sister knew both victims. I made a mental note to speak with Caral's sister. If there were any disagreements or grudges going on, she'd know about it.

  Barth and Sherra waited to examine the victims' belongings—Armon would take us to their cabin shortly.

  Is it safe to divine the dead? Sherra asked Barth and me.

  I cannot say, as I don't know Kaakos' power, Barth answered. If this were done by anyone from Az-ca, I'd say yes. I don't trust anything that could be tainted by Kaakos.

  Don't try it, I warned both. That's your King's command.

  Sherra's mouth tightened—I could see she wanted to get to the bottom of this gruesome crime and find the one—or ones—responsible.

  "Will you remove some of the clothing—around a wound from each victim?" Sherra asked the physician.

  He frowned, but when I jerked my head in a nod, he retrieved a pair of scissors to carefully cut bloodied cloth away from each uniform.

  What about the blood? I shot at Barth as Sherra reached out for the scraps.

  I can't imagine something so small could be invaded by a rogue entity, Barth said. Although I obviously don't know everything.

  "Go ahead," I growled as Sherra hesitated and turned in my direction.

  Releasing a sigh, she took the bloody scraps from the physician, and crumpled a piece of cloth in each hand.

  Sherra


  My indrawn breath frightened Kerok—his hands were on me immediately, with Barth's following close behind.

  They saw what I did.

  The drudges had found someone waiting for them outside their cabin. Two, actually. We'd thought them dead, and Merrin never said otherwise.

  Willa and Narvin had somehow escaped death and were now murdering innocents.

  "They wanted food and a shower," I opened my eyes and pulled away from Barth and Kerok. "I don't think they've been snared by Kaakos, yet, but that could be a matter of time."

  "Let's go to the cabin," Kerok growled. "How did they get past the shields around the camp?"

  "We've found that a tunnel works," Caral sounded ashamed.

  "Bloody, fucking hell," Kerok cursed. "We'll step there."

  Kerok

  It was as Sherra said—they hadn't ransacked the cabin, but they'd taken showers and stolen food and a few other things. We followed tracks after that, finding their tunnel beneath the western edge of the wall.

  "I'll drive the shields farther into the ground," Sherra muttered, her body stiff with anger as we surveyed the sloppy tunnel. Narvin and Willa had burrowed deep, creating a hole large enough to crawl through beneath the existing shield. Scattered around the edge of the hole were a few stolen objects they'd left behind—larger items that wouldn't fit on the return trip.

  "I sent mindspeak to Hunter, to notify the villages," I said. "Offering a reward, of course."

  "Which will, in turn, let every spy under Kaakos' thumb know who to look for," Barth grumbled.

  "Better that we know who we're looking for," I grimly observed. "Just put out the word that they're wanted for murder, all right? The rest of our suspicions must remain among those here, as your King decrees."

  I'd used my position twice in less than half an hour, and it angered me to do so. What Willa and Narvin had done angered me more.

  They were ripe targets for Kaakos, and I'm sure he'd recognize that the moment he received word. If he had Merrin as we suspected, he'd question him without mercy soon enough.

  Merrin, you fucked up your life yourself, I sent to empty air.

  Ny-nes

  Kaakos

  As I was connected with Merrin at the time, through a spell I'd developed, I heard the message sent when the dolt couldn't do it for himself. Merrin didn't have the talent for mindspeak.

  I would pay a great deal to know who'd sent the message, but to engage the sender would tell him I wasn't Merrin, since Merrin didn't have the natural ability to hear or reply.

  "Fuck," I growled softly. Merrin's eyes blinked—I'd lost control of him momentarily, because of the interrupting mindspeak. Exerting power, I drew him under my control again, to further search his memory.

  Jubal Raime

  "I hear the military isn't what it once was," my neighbor, Stave, turned his head and spat on the dry ground just off my porch.

  "Hmmph," I snorted my opinion of Az-ca's current military. "Give those roses too much rope and they'll hang the whole damn lot."

  My time in the army had ended more than seventy years ago, because my first—and last—escort's shield broke during our first battle. It killed her and left me crippled and blind in one eye. It was all her fault. I'd been valuable to the army until then. After I lost my left eye and that side of my body was partially paralyzed, my aim was off when I fired blasts and they were too weak to reach the enemy.

  I'd been forcibly retired and sent back to my home village, although I was one of the army's few mindspeakers.

  It was her fault that I was stuck in the farthest northeast corner of Az-ca, where nobody officially came—unless a messenger showed up in the nearby village of Gaull with a few words from our new King. Faugh. No better than the old King, and probably worse, because he was in charge of the army.

  I shifted my next-to-useless left leg into a more comfortable position, making the ancient wooden chair I occupied creak with its age. I should still be on the battlefield, working among those I'd trained with.

  All. Her. Fault.

  Jubal? His voice came while Stave was going on about something that didn't make a damn bit of difference to anybody. Stave was just talking to fill empty space.

  What can I do for you? I asked, pretending amiability.

  I need more spies, although I'd prefer that they be able-bodied and have full power.

  I'll send out messages and keep my eyes open, I replied. I suppose the voice had gotten tired of the time it took for the network of spies in Az-ca to travel on foot between villages, until word finally reached me at the ass-end of the country. I'd send the information on, but it was often days or weeks old by the time I received it.

  "I heard half the army died in the last battle," Stave continued. With a sigh, I turned back to the mostly one-sided conversation with him.

  Sherra

  It took Armon, Levi, Kerok and several others to help me drive the shield around Secondary Camp farther into the ground, but we got it done before we left. A bolt of lightning would have been convenient, but there'd been no rain for days, and certainly no thunderstorms.

  "The messengers were sent to the villages, and the Council has been informed," Hunter told us when Kerok and I returned to the palace. "Murder charges only, of course."

  "Good. Let's hope we find them before the enemy does."

  "We've ah, had some concern for the villages voiced by a few of the new Council members," Hunter said.

  "That they'll be murdered, too?" Kerok's expression turned grim.

  "Yes. Not in so many words, but yes."

  "Schedule a Council meeting, then, and we'll decide what to do about that."

  "Tomorrow morning?"

  "Yes. Early."

  "I'll send the notices." Hunter turned swiftly and strode out of Kerok's study. Kerok's eyes met mine briefly; I understood that meeting with Council members was the last thing he wanted to do.

  "Why don't you let Hunter handle most of it?" I suggested.

  "Are you saying Hunter may be more tactful in this situation?"

  "Maybe."

  "Point taken. What do you think should happen?"

  "We need at least one warrior-escort pair in as many villages as we can place them. Larger villages, two pairs. I'm hoping that they'll realize their roles are as guards and ambassadors for the army, and act accordingly."

  "I think we should arrange to have the messengers sent out regularly, to gather reports," Kerok said. "That the pairs will obviously write," he added.

  "You can put them in charge of the census in their assigned village," I said. "Let them serve double duty. I wish we had more mindspeakers than we do—in case they find Narvin and Willa. Who knows if they'll be able to fight off that desperate pair."

  "I was hoping for capture or a kill, but you're right—those two will be desperate. Not just for food and water, but for anything else they don't have."

  "What about retired mindspeakers?" I asked. "Do we have records? Can we pull some of those into service?"

  "Most of those are still serving in some capacity—the able-bodied ones work for the Crown because it means better pay. Only those who are far too old, or disabled in some way, are fully retired."

  "It was a thought," I sighed.

  "And a good one, just not practical," he said. "I'd like you to be with Hunter and me at the Council meeting."

  "Perhaps you should bring Armon, too, so he can address issues brought up regarding housing and supplies for the troops in the villages."

  "True. I hadn't thought about that."

  "Would you like a table set for you in here, my King?" A servant walked through the door left open by Hunter.

  "I'm hungry," Kerok turned to me.

  "I'd love to have lunch—I don't care where it is," I agreed. Breakfast was long ago, and we'd expended power to deepen the shield at Secondary Camp.

  "Bring it in here," Kerok told the man, who bowed and left quickly to alert the kitchen.

  Briar and two others appeared not
long after, one pushing a small, wheeled table, the other prepared to lay linens, plates and cups, while Briar carried a tray of food.

  Briar's eyes were downcast.

  Briar, I sent mindspeak. You did nothing wrong. That is from your Queen—and your King.

  Her head jerked up when she heard my mental words, blinking in astonishment for several moments.

  "Here, set that heavy tray on the desk." I smiled at her, now that I had her attention. She did as I asked, waiting until the table was set and the other two stepped back.

  Filled plates were set out and their covers lifted away. The scent of roasted chicken reached my nose.

  "That smells heavenly," I breathed.

  "Is there anything else?" Briar still sounded timid.

  "No. Thank you Briar," Kerok smiled at her.

  You'd think the sun had risen for the first time in days, as the light appeared in Briar's eyes. She was astounded that the King knew her name—I could see that plainly. She and the others bowed and left us alone in Kerok's study.

  Northeast of the Village of Gaull

  Jubal

  I've grown accustomed to hiding my emotions over the years. When Stave arrived to tell me the latest news delivered by a messenger, he looked fearful.

  "What is it this time?" My voice was gruff as usual.

  "A rogue warrior and his escort committed murder at Secondary Camp," Stave said, shaking his head as if that would do any good. "Messenger said they were part of that murderer Merrin's bunch. Thought they were dead in the last big battle, until they showed up to steal food and kill drudges."

  "Well, now," I said, taking my time to form a response. My mind was turning in circles, however.

  These were the spies, perhaps, that were requested by him.

  He'd never named himself, and lately, it sounded as if his mental voice had changed, but he still wanted the same things, so I responded to him.

  In exchange, I received bits of gold, some of which I spent on better food, clothes and for paying someone to fix my porch and my roof, since I couldn't do those things for myself. The pittance paid by the army wouldn't cover everything—not to my satisfaction, anyway.