Kerok pulled me into a tighter embrace. "I am terrified for any warrior or escort who can mindspeak," he mumbled against my hair. "They could all become targets for Kaakos."
"I know, and there are three names that I am very concerned about," I said.
"We will keep a close watch on those young ones. I'm hoping they are outside Kaakos' reach where they are."
"As do I."
"I'm very concerned about the mindspeakers that Narvin and Willa knew about."
I drew my head away from his shoulder to blink at him. "Armon," Kerok and I said together.
"It isn't just Armon," Hunter observed at breakfast the following morning. "They knew about three others, too, I think."
"Two of those died in the last battle," Kerok said before sipping his tea.
"I'll look into it." Hunter pulled a folded scrap of paper from his pocket to scribble notes. "I'm making a note to ask Barth to do a second divination on the remaining mindspeakers' census papers."
"Good idea," Kerok agreed. "Ask him to add that question to anyone's census papers—perhaps we've missed someone with latent talent. Sherra found several when she went looking for them before. That's why Caral and a few others can mindspeak now."
"True." Hunter added to his notes.
"I think we should send someone to Gaull, to ask questions about Jubal," I said. "What his capabilities are—what exactly he might do for the enemy in Ny-nes—that sort of thing."
"He's blind in one eye and walks with a limp; we got that from Willa last night," Hunter said. "She hated him, because he hated women in general. Said she ended up doing all his cooking and housework, because that was her place, in his opinion."
"Have Barth do a divination on the leather pouch," Kerok said.
"What leather pouch?" Hunter lifted his eyes from the notes he scribbled to ask.
"The one my dreamwalker found last night," I admitted. "If she discovered anything about it, she didn't let me know."
"Where is it now?" Hunter asked.
"Here," Kerok held out a hand and seconds later, the leather pouched slapped against his palm before dropping onto the table with a loud chink.
"I'm still working out the bugs, as Adahi calls them," he said, lifting the pouch and handing it to Hunter. "This is the gold found beneath Jubal's floorboards—paid by the enemy, I'm sure, for gathering information and harboring fugitives."
"How did you do that?" I asked, staring at the bag as wild speculation saturated my mind.
"It's like stepping something—either to you or away from you," Kerok said. "Adahi seems to think I can move trucks eventually, but I'm a long way from that, I believe."
"Stepping something. That's—I want to try it, too."
"Feel free when you're working with the others," Kerok grinned. "Maybe they'll try it with you."
"I will," I said, yawning.
"You both look like you need a marching draught," Hunter said.
"No!" My response was immediate.
"Aren't you joining us for training today?" Pottles frowned at me when I told her I was heading to Secondary Camp instead. "Caral and Misten are here," she continued, as if I didn't already see them on the training ground, working with trainees.
"I want to work with Armon and Levi today," I said. "You don't need me—Caral and Misten know what to do."
"Hmmph." Pottles didn't like my attempt at an explanation.
"Look, I want to try something new," I whispered next to her ear. "At least let me try it, to get it out of my system."
"Fine. If you're successful, I expect a report."
"Hmmph. What if it's secret?"
"Hmmph."
"I love you, too," I hugged her and stepped away.
"I watched him do it," I told Armon. "Now, I want to try it with you and Levi first, then move on to Caral and Misten if we're successful."
"Just stepping something from me to somewhere else?" Levi shook his head at me. "It just doesn't sound possible."
"You go first," Armon jerked his head at me. "When you do it, then you touch us and show us how."
"No pressure," I shook my head.
"No pressure," Armon's smile was wry.
"Fine. What should I try to move? It needs to be something that I know exactly where it is, I think."
"How about the papers on your desk? Caral says you're working on updating other laws."
"Those would be light enough," I said. "Hold on, let me visualize them," I closed my eyes, hoping to recreate the image of my desk in my mind.
"Step," Armon whispered.
I shrieked when the papers hit my outstretched hand so hard, some of them ripped. My eyes popped open fast enough to see bits of paper floating to the ground around me.
"Fucking hells," Levi said, wonder in his voice. "Fucking, bloody hells."
"Show us," Armon demanded, taking the paper fragments from my hands.
"Can we try this together? Like combining shields?" Levi asked.
"Wait, what?" I turned to Levi.
"It was only a thought," he shrugged.
"No, hold onto that," I held up a hand. "Armon, do you know where a truck is?"
"Yes, but why?"
"Because we're going to try and move it," I said.
"I don't know," Armon sounded reluctant.
"Come on. If you don't want to try it here, then let's step elsewhere to try it."
"Fine. We need privacy," he pointed out.
"How about North Camp—or what's left of it?" Levi suggested.
"Let's go—we can't be gone long," Armon growled.
Kerok
What do you mean, I need to be near the truck at the training camp storage building? Its solar collector is fried, I told Armon.
Sherra has this insane notion that she, Levi and I can move it. I need a witness. This is your fault, you know, for putting that crazy idea in her head to begin with.
When I bent over with laughter in my study, Hunter, who sat across from me, asked what the problem was.
"Come on, Hunt," I said, rising from my chair. "Let's take a break."
"Where are we going?" he stood, too.
"To the storage shed at the training camp. There's an old truck there that we need to see."
"That thing? It doesn't work," Hunter grumbled.
"I know that. It's not the reason we need to see it."
"All right." He turned toward the door.
"Nah," I said. "Let's step from here."
Moments later, we stood perhaps ten feet away from the old vehicle, which hadn't been moved in years. Many times, it had been scavenged for parts, which meant doors, the hood, tires and a myriad of other things were missing.
"They're going to try to move it?" Hunter's arms were crossed over his chest, while an expression of pure skepticism enveloped his features.
"Together. I don't know why I didn't consider it before," I grinned.
"What if they fail?"
"We keep trying," I shrugged. "You have to admit it's a good idea."
"Plenty of good ideas never work."
We're ready on this end, I sent to Armon.
Good. We're connected, he replied. Give us a moment.
Take as much time, I began when the truck shook for a moment before disappearing in front of us.
Hunter was in shock, I believe, when I grabbed his arm and stepped to the burned ruin of North Camp.
Sherra
Armon was swinging Levi around like a rag doll, while both laughed. When Kerok arrived with Hunter, he whooped and ran toward me. I jumped into his arms and wrapped my legs around his waist, before kissing him, over and over.
"We're really going to attack Ny-nes," Hunter breathed.
"You bet your ass we are," Armon let Levi go and went to clasp hands with Hunter.
"I want to send it back, now—with you," Kerok said when I stopped kissing him after a while.
"Yes. I want to work with you on this," I breathed, overjoyed at the light in his dark eyes.
"Then le
t's do it," he grinned and set me on my feet.
"I'll keep my eyes open this time," I said, bumping his shoulder with mine before clasping his hand and reaching for his power, to combine with mine.
"Is that all?" He turned to blink at me before the truck disappeared, going right back where it came from only minutes earlier.
Kerok
Not only did I move the truck on my own inside the shed, but convinced Hunter to try it, too. He moved it with me, grinning like a fool the entire time. Adahi appeared while we were playing with our new-found power.
"Fascinating," he said, leaning against a tower of crates to watch. "I suppose you connected with Sherra the first time?"
"Yes," I grunted, moving the truck again without Hunter's help.
"The next step is moving it to Ny-nes," Adahi said.
"It doesn't work—it's a rust bucket," I countered.
"All the more reason to drop it on Kaakos' palace—from very high above it. That may do the most damage, don't you think?"
"Maybe we ought to send boulders, instead," Hunter joined the conversation. "We have plenty of those."
"I'd prefer to send lightning," I moved the truck back to its original place with a sigh.
"Sounds good to me," Adahi replied. "I suggest you work on that, next."
Ny-nes
Kaakos
How the hell was I to know he couldn't walk more than a few yards? Glaring at Jubal did no good; he couldn't drag his useless leg much farther than that. I considered blasting him to get him out of my sight, but reflected on the energy expended to get him here and reconsidered.
I had plenty of warrior-priests, and only one half-blind, crippled mindspeaker. It occurred to me that he could be carried, pushed or rolled along in a conveyance.
Liam, my chief of technical sciences, hadn't brought me up to date recently on his progress; perhaps it was time to call him in to address this situation, too.
"Sit down before I blast you," I snapped at Jubal. He hid his anger and watched me carefully as I strode toward the door to summon a messenger.
Jubal
All. Her. Fault.
Kyri
What the bloody hell? Garkus' mindspeak made me lift my head from staring at the dishes in the sink where I worked.
Turning, I watched as a technician walked past the kitchen door, followed by several workers carrying ledgers, and two at the end, pushing a wheeled conveyance. What do you suppose that's for? Garkus went on.
No idea, I said, turning back to my work.
I don't like this, he informed me.
Do you think I'm having the best of times? I retorted. Keep working. We'll find out what it is eventually.
We didn't have to wait long, as it turned out. An hour later, the conveyance was back, only this time it bore a man, pushed by warrior-priests.
Fuck, Garkus said. I was about to tell him to mind his business, when his next words chilled me. That's Jubal, Garkus said. Wounded in his first battle when his escort died. He's a mindspeaker.
Why does Kaakos need a crippled mindspeaker?
You tell me.
How the hell did he get here?
How did Merrin get here?
Point taken. Adahi, Doret, I sent mindspeak. We have a new development.
We discovered Jubal was a spy, albeit too late, Adahi replied after I gave my information. We are now attempting to determine why he was required by the enemy.
My guess is Kaakos wants a mindspeaker. Maybe that's what he was useful for in Az-ca—sending and receiving messages, Doret weighed in. Why else would he bring in a cripple? Kaakos hates that.
I know, I told her. I imagine he couldn't wait to remove Jubal from his sight. Two warrior-priests pushed him out the back door.
Ah, Adahi said. Kaakos wants regular reports on the raver's doings, no doubt.
That's the best explanation, I agreed. What does the King say? Or Sherra?
They're working diligently on plans to thwart Kaakos, I believe, Adahi replied. I understood his reluctance to tell me what they were doing; if Kaakos discovered me, I'd have no knowledge to be tortured away.
Will they be able to help Kyri? Doret asked.
For now, I cannot guarantee anything. I can only say I hold hope, Adahi answered.
I'll settle for hope, then. Will you let me know if things—begin?
Of course. I urge you to wait until Sherra arrives, however.
Will she come, or will it be her dreamwalker?
I cannot say—in my visions, they are difficult to differentiate.
Then I'll hope, I said. And hope that it won't be a hopeless hope.
North
The raver waited beneath a leaking tin roof in an alley, while a heavy rain drummed around him and his crew. His eyes were completely mad, his movements jerky and impatient. Kaakos had halted him and the others for some unknown reason.
Hidden from their sight, I watched and waited with them.
Shock can best describe my reaction when I discovered what they waited for—or in this case, whom.
Kaakos had little patience for anyone less than perfect. This one would be far less than perfect to Kaakos, yet he'd commanded him to join the raver, while two warrior-priests pushed the open, high-wheeled cart he rode upon.
Who are you? I sent to this poor, soaked soul, not expecting any sort of reply.
Jubal, he responded promptly, his eyes filling with terror as his head turned this way and that, searching for another mindspeaker. Please help me, he begged.
Kerok
"Kyri told me she saw Jubal. Her opinion is that he's being used to keep Kaakos advised of the raver's movements and actions, so Kaakos can turn his mind to other things. We suspected he wanted him as a mindspeaker, but had no idea why."
Doret and Adahi had both come to see Sherra and me, once they'd received messages from Kyri in Ny-nes. Hunter, as usual, scribbled notes as he listened to our conversation, while Barth attended the conversation closely from a chair nearby.
We'd chosen the garden table as our meeting place this time, once I received mindspeak from Doret. Adahi had arrived shortly after she did, a grim look on his face. This turn of events had surprised and angered him, although he didn't say it.
"What is the raver after?" Sherra asked.
"Kyri says he's hunting the healer who arrived in Kaakos' city. Kaakos doesn't want another power wielder, unless the power wielder is under his thumb and serves his purposes," Adahi said. "Anyone who might lead the people to rebel against him dies quickly, as you may have guessed."
"Except this one appears to still be alive," Doret sniffed. "Kyri says rumors come to the palace servants, that many are moving across the river and away from Kaakos and the raver's reach. From that point, the population can scatter in many directions, and it would be next to impossible to find the healer in such a massive relocation. I'm sure Kaakos has considered all this; he wants a mindspeaker to stay in contact, as the raver and his warrior-priests question those who remain in the city. If the healer has crossed the river, Kaakos will consider sending his minions there, too."
"What will it mean if all the people desert the city? Other than it being empty?" I said.
"Kaakos will lose his ready supply of soldiers, servants and victims. It's much harder to track those born with power, if they're scattering everywhere," Adahi pointed out.
"I think the healer has the right idea, then, if he's encouraging the people to leave," Sherra observed. "They may not fully understand his purposes, but it's still a good thing to get children out of that bastard's reach."
"Amen to that," Doret said.
"Adahi?" I turned to him, then.
"King Thorn?" An eyebrow lifted as I addressed him.
"Is there a way to get in contact with the healer? That you know of?"
"That could be dangerous," Adahi said after considering my question. "We do not know whether he holds us as much in contempt as he does Kaakos. This is a delicate situation; you must understand that."
"His name?" Sherra asked. "Does anyone know?"
"He calls himself North," Doret said. "Kyri says several palace servants have been healed by him, and they swear by his ability."
"An unusual name," Sherra said, a frown tugging at a corner of her mouth. "Do you think he named himself that?"
"No idea. Kyri hasn't seen him. She only hears the tales."
"Has she spoken to anyone who's had direct contact with him? The healer?" I asked.
"She says that a kitchen worker was healed by him, before she was commanded to come to the palace to work. The story is that the healing made the conscription possible, but she holds no grudge for that part of it," Doret replied.
"Kyri finds this one believable?"
"Yes. I asked her about that, too. The woman is quite reliable."
"I never thought to hear that about anyone in Ny-nes," Barth observed.
"Generally, they're not evil," Adahi said. "Their leader lies to them daily and they follow his lead blindly—until this healer came along. I'm glad he's convincing them to vacate the city. The raver is helping in their decisions, no doubt, but it's a good thing. The air across the river is better for them anyway. All the manufacturing plants are in the city, under Kaakos' thumb. That means the soot, ash and anything else they expel is covering the city in filth and filling children's lungs."
"Does that reduce the life expectancy?" I asked.
"Greatly. To find an inhabitant of the city more than fifty years of age is remarkable."
"This almost makes me rethink attacking Ny-nes," I grumbled.
"Lungs can clear after only a brief exposure," Adahi quelled my fears. "It's living in that filth every day of your life that will kill you."
"There's only so much a body can take of poisoned air and unclean water," Doret agreed with Adahi's assessment. "Here, at least we don't pump that filth into the air, further contaminating what we have. The bombs and waste that created the poisoned lands will take forever to leave that ground."
Black Rose Queen: Black Rose Sorceress, Book 3 Page 17
