"I told you not to return to the deep mindreading," Naatos said, his tone sterner than before.
"Yeah, well, we've established I don't listen." Amelia smiled ruefully. "But did you hear me? They're going to drown you three in mortar while you're unconscious. It's a big pit, and they'll be pouring multiple wagonfuls of mortar in at once. I know the Machat might try to do something, but from what Vorec said, they might not be able to get there in time. And they're not just putting you down there. They are going to tie you down, and they may even be using chains."
Naatos smirked. "I didn't think they had it in them."
"It would be nice if you stopped antagonizing people into horrific violence," Amelia snapped. "This situation is bad enough as it is. Now please, don't make me regret helping you."
Naatos shook his head. His eyelids sagged. "I will warn them." He gestured roughly to his face, his hand settling on his nose and mouth. "We have…biological mechanisms."
"And the huanna won't keep those from working?"
"They're not based on healing or shifting. We require so much air that we can quadruple our contained stores, and we can seal off our airways." Naatos studied his hand. "In four hours, I will have developed an immunity. WroOth too, most likely. My healing will return to its normal rate, and I'll be able to shift again, at least so long as my strength holds out."
"They're going to be putting you down there in three hours unless there's a delay." Amelia shifted her weight back, a little uncomfortable as she realized just how close she was to him. They sat opposite one another, so close that she was practically against him.
Naatos swore, then sighed. "Of course it's three hours."
"I can try to use the deep mindreading to reach AaQar and WroOth."
Naatos shook his head, his expression hardening. "You shouldn't even be here, Amelia. It's dangerous. Not only are you weakened, but the Libyshans could do terrible things to your body."
"Well currently my body is in a cage on its way to the border for exile. I just passed the outer court." Amelia shrugged, trying to sound as if it mattered far less than it did and hoping that the guards weren't the sort who would want to finish up their tasks early.
"So they exiled you." Naatos did not sound at all surprised.
Amelia avoided looking at him, knowing her eyes would betray her. "It was politically necessary." She cringed inwardly then, realizing the icy and bitter undertones gave her away almost as much.
"No matter how angry I get with you, I will never exile you." Naatos brushed his thumb against her cheek.
"No." Amelia laughed, but tears stung her eyes. "I think the bigger concern is that you'd lock me in a dungeon or some place and keep me very close. Exile doesn't really seem like a Vawtrian thing anyway." She sniffed and forced a smile. The connection needed to be ended, but she didn't want to go.
"Leaders sometimes banish members if necessary, but the banished are always given a task which they can complete to rejoin the cadre. Something that allows them to prove their worth and their contrition. Otherwise we just kill them."
"Yeah, well, here, if you get exiled, you're gone forever. At least if you don't want to die. Supposedly." Amelia swallowed the knot that had formed in her throat.
"The elder commander is likely to have you killed, even if the king has sworn that it will not be so," Naatos said.
"Oh, he has. They can't kill me while I'm on Libyshan soil and in transit, so I've got some time. I'm working on a plan though."
"And yet you're here."
"There's a lot to juggle." Amelia glanced up at him, more aware of him than she wished. Her skin prickled at his nearness, and the aching of her elmis reasserted themselves. "I couldn't exactly leave you to figure out that you were being drowned in mortar. Seems like about the point you realized it, it would be too late."
"Perhaps." Naatos cupped his hand along her cheek. The dried blood flaked away. "When you're free, you should go to the Tue-Rah. Since they were planning to send you through, they may have already returned the crystals."
"They did," Amelia said. "Vorec was trying to have everything in place so that he could just put us through. They already threw the Para bands in though."
"If that is the case, then you should leave. Go to Ecekom. In particular, go to a city called Darmoste."
"I don't know—"
"Using the Tue-Rah is very simple. At least at a basic level. You place your hands on the pedestal or near the crystals and vocalize the location and then see it in your mind. The more specific you can be the better. See in your mind a safe location. An open clearing or courtyard or park and remember Darmoste, Tenal, Ecekom. When you go through the Tue-Rah, put this mark on the pedestal or one of the central pillars as large as you can." Naatos drew what looked at first like an M with a small line between the third and fourth stems.
Smiling, Amelia realized it was an N whose second vertical stem was shared with an A.
Naatos continued. "Darmoste is home to many different races. Look for way houses that have a three-pronged sigil. It means they provide extra resources for travelers and those without home. They're also generally safer. Tell them you are my wife and from the Shrieking Chimera Cadre. They will either take you to our fellow cadre members or provide for you and place it on our account. If it is true that they have damaged time's passage, then envisioning Darmoste as a safe place will take you to a safe location instead of the wilderness. You will remember all this?"
Amelia nodded. "If I go through, will you and AaQar and WroOth come as well?" She gripped his hand before she realized what she was doing. Warmth spread through her, colliding with the host of other emotions.
"We will be there as soon as we can. Depending on what these Awdawms have done, we may be a few weeks away even if we leave shortly after. Or we may be a few weeks before. It's hard to say. But we'll find you."
"And you'll come right after me. You aren't going to wreak vengeance on Libysha. Please." Amelia tightened her grip on his hand.
Naatos's gaze softened. "Especially after everything that has happened, I don't think what happens to Libysha is something you should concern yourself with."
"There are a lot of people out there who didn't have anything to do with what happened. And I don't feel especially warm toward Libysha myself, but please…there have been enough terrible things. Don't add to them."
Naatos drew her close. She buried her face in his shoulder as he stroked her hair. "I hear you, and I understand. If you can't get through the Tue-Rah, you can hide in the temple. The family chambers are likely the safest. If you leave no mark, we will search there first. Then we will search Libysha for you, and we will find you if you are here. You will need to find a physician to treat the wounds, though if you are delayed, you must not trust anyone here."
"I have some medicine already. Theol at least gave me that. I barely even feel my wounds."
"There'll be a cost to that later," Naatos said.
"Probably." Amelia closed her eyes. This was taking too long. She needed to go, but the desire was not present.
"Whatever you do, don't go into the wilderness in Ecekom. There are suphrite lakes and healing sands, but don't let anyone convince you to go out there alone. I'll heal you the rest of the way if I can, but the likelihood of infection is concerning. Scarring may be inevitable at this point."
Amelia laughed softly. "Scarring is literally the last of my worries right now."
Naatos chuckled as well, then stopped. "Where's your necklace?" He lifted her hair as if he had somehow missed it.
"Vorec took it." Amelia rubbed her neck. The memory angered her at once, but she preferred to hide that feeling. "It seems I don't need it as much as I thought. You having yours probably helps a little."
"Mostly for when I need to reach you." Naatos kissed her temple, his arms settling lightly around her shoulders and back. His muscles had become tense.
As the silence grew between them, Amelia understood what her finding him without the necklace actually
signified. Their connection had grown significantly. But it was time for her to leave. "I have to go now."
"Viskaro." Naatos kissed her forehead again.
Urgency reverberated through Amelia's mind. It was time. She may have taken too long already. Closing her eyes, she drew in a full breath and ended the connection.
31
Connection
Breaking free of the deep mindreading, Amelia found herself slumped on the straw-strewn floor. Her heart beat wildly, and her head throbbed.
The Libyshan countryside rattled along outside the cage, the guards' attention directed ahead. They had only covered a few miles.
Closing her eyes, Amelia breathed with relief, then grimaced as the pain intensified. The weakness of her body was worse than she expected, but that would pass soon enough. And from their current location, it appeared as if she had a couple hours before she'd have to make her escape. Thank Elonumato for that.
* * *
Naatos struggled to open his eyes. Hiding his emotions from Amelia had been easier than anticipated, but then again she had also been distracted with grief and turmoil. Things were much worse than he let her believe. Get up, he thought. Get up! Get up.
His frustration intensified as the command rang through his body like gongs and cymbals. Yet still he struggled to avoid slipping back into the drugged stupor of sleep. Amelia's arrival had shocked him enough to increase his coherency, but it was limited to his mind. His body seemed to believe he was weighted and bound. Cursed drug.
His eyes opened briefly. He had to get up. Had to.
He would survive this, that he knew. His immunity had nearly developed. The muscles along his airways and his oxygen capacity were exceptionally strong. But WroOth had weakened himself while venting his rage and AaQar…
The cold dread that spread through Naatos was enough to get his eyes open and keep them open. The edges of his vision swam. If AaQar knew what was coming, he had a chance. As a Melspa Vawtrian, his capacity for maintaining sufficient oxygenation in hostile environments as well as strength within the internal muscles was naturally enhanced. But after years of tormenting and strategically weakening himself, that was unlikely to be the case now. Especially when he had scarcely woken since their imprisonment. AaQar had to be warned. Otherwise the best his healing abilities would do was prolong the agony of his death.
And there was no guarantee that all three of them would escape this. Naatos knew he would. His own ability to drag himself from the throat of death assured that, and he had no prickings of fear or concern regarding his own mortality. The salt mud pits of Selatuwin had been far worse. His brothers did not have to survive for the Tue-Rah to be restored. Only one of them had to make it to the third and final central Tue-Rah. But what victory was it if his brothers died? No more could be lost.
No more!
He forced his eyes open again, blinked, and directed his will and his healing at an even faster rate. The huanna raged through his body still, but the massive influx of the drug would speed the adaptation and immunity. Would it conclude in time? So much of it had changed. They had already adapted beyond the rather euphoric effects of the drug, and now it was essentially a powerful sedative.
The cell stabilized. Naatos was somewhat relieved to discover that he was not bound. That was at least one added obstacle he did not have to concern himself with. The broken staff lay beside him, apparently unnoticed by the guards. Sitting up, he seized it and took in the situation. Daylight flooded the cells. WroOth was a few feet on the other side of the bars separating them, just out of arm's reach but within the staff's. His chin rested against his chest, his back against the wall.
Naatos braced himself. "WroOth."
He moved as close as he could, the cell bars pressed against his chest and face. Then, with more care than usual, he slid his arm and the staff between the bars. "WroOth, you have to wake up." He thrust the jagged end of the staff into WroOth's side. WroOth gave no response, his body scarcely moving. He struck him harder. This time the sharp edges cut. Naatos jabbed him again. "WroOth!"
WroOth winced, rubbing his bloodied side. "There is no music. Go away."
"No." Naatos shoved him again. The bloodied staff missed and its end struck the stone floor, but he regained his grip before the rest fell. "Wake up and put this knowledge in your mind."
WroOth shook his head, putting his hands to his head. "Stop."
"They plan to drown us in mortar. So remember. Intensify your healing. Increase the oxygen. Seal your airways and lungs." Naatos's head slipped against the bars. "I'll get you out. Just—"
"Drown us in mortar?" WroOth scoffed. He smiled, his eyes still shut. "None of them are smart enough to come up with an idea like that. It might actually work."
"WroOth, confound you. Listen."
WroOth waved him away weakly. "We'll play later." He folded his arms over his chest.
"WroOth!" Naatos jabbed him even harder.
WroOth's mouth fell open, his face crinkling with pain. He looked at Naatos with annoyance, but his voice was clearer. "No kuvaste."
"WroOth, you have to listen to me. Otherwise you will die."
WroOth's head wobbled, but he nodded, fixing his gaze on Naatos blearily. "I'm listening."
"Focus on healing and filling your lungs and blood with as much oxygen as you can. Then seal off your airways so that the mortar does not enter you."
"Fence lizard." WroOth smiled a little, though the worry creases in his brow remained. He stirred, blinking faster. "I can't—can't stay awake, brother."
Naatos motioned weakly, feeling the pull of exhaustion himself. "It's all right. If you start the process, your instincts will carry you the rest of the way. Just prepare for drowning. I'll get you out."
"Where's Amelia?" WroOth lifted his head, then shook it abruptly. He held up his arms and looked from side to side as if he'd misplaced her. "She was here. Amelia!"
"They took her. She's—I'll explain later." Naatos rested his head against the bars. The cold wakened him slightly. "Just do what I say. Then go back to resting. It gets worse if you fight it, and in sleep you can heal faster."
"Strength. Heal. Seal. Trust." WroOth nodded, his eyes sliding shut, then flying open, white-rimmed. "AaQar!"
"I'm getting him." Naatos pulled the staff in and drew himself up. "AaQar." He swayed on his feet, then halted, leaning against the wall for support. "AaQar!" His shout broke, ragged and raw.
AaQar remained motionless, his hands folded over his chest as if he had already passed on and his alabaster likeness placed on the top of a stone coffin. "AaQar, you wretched lestob. Don't be a sikalt. Wake up!" He jabbed at AaQar with the broken staff, but he struck only air. AaQar was at least ten feet away, separated by another set of bars.
WroOth struggled to his feet but collapsed within moments.
"WroOth, rest." Naatos panted for breath, the dizziness increasing. "I can—"
WroOth waved him off again, then pushed himself up. His head hanging down and unable to stand the rest of the way, he called out, "AaQar, wake up. I'll set you on fire before they can drown you. I will." He fumbled for his half of the broken staff and moved to a kneeling position. "Stop sleeping!" He flung the staff at AaQar.
The staff sliced through the air, cutting between the bars. It then struck the wall and fell on AaQar's chest. AaQar did not even flinch.
WroOth hung his head. "Aa—" He slumped forward before his arms and legs gave out.
Naatos adjusted his grip on the staff. He spoke slower this time, pushing his energy into strengthening his voice and steadying his grip. "Wake up, AaQar." Still, AaQar did not move. "AaQar." His voice broke.
The exhaustion flared once more. His own senses and instincts warned him he too had minutes, maybe seconds. He lifted the staff and hurled it at AaQar. It struck his brother in the arm, but AaQar remained still, even as a red splotch formed through the robe.
His knees buckled. Naatos slid to the ground. Though he forced his eyes open again, the spinni
ng had returned. His stomach twisted. There was no indication AaQar had heard him.
AaQar was going to die.
Naatos's eyes slid shut, and the empty darkness swallowed him. Panic flared within him as he realized there was no way to tell if his brother had heard him. His last conscious act was to seize the necklace and send Amelia a final message. "Tell AaQar."
* * *
Amelia had continued to count her breaths, focusing on restoring her energy. The slow countdown of breathing helped most of all. The rock and tilt of the cart made things more awkward. More than once she slid farther to the floor of the cage. Her knees weren't strong enough to support her yet. But soon.
There were other things to occupy her time, such as turning her thick hairpins into modified lockpicks and working on unfastening her leg shackles. Her grip was clumsy, the tools improperly shaped, but she had almost freed herself from the shackles several times already. If she could just get the lever to—
It clacked.
Relieved, Amelia loosened the bindings from her legs, then draped them over her ankles to make it look as if she remained bound. Now for the ones around her hands.
"Tell AaQar."
Amelia stiffened. That thought wasn't her own, but she recognized Naatos's voice at once. It was as if he spoke straight into her mind, his voice breaking at the end, restrained and yet shaded with…fear. The hair pins slipped from her fingers as she reached up instinctively for the Neyeb betrothal necklace. The sensation from Naatos's message spread over her, chilling her as it reverberated through her memory. "Tell AaQar."
Amelia glanced around. The two guards continued to keep their attention focused on the path ahead, their conversation low. The foothills were much closer now. It had been perhaps the better part of an hour and she was only regaining her strength now. Returning to the deep mindreading so soon would tax her even more. Why hadn't Naatos let her enter AaQar's mind through the deep mindreading while she was already in the deep mindreading state? Amelia paused, then rolled her eyes at herself. Why hadn't she done it anyway? It wasn't as if she ordinarily waited for his agreement. Or anyone's.
Princess Reviled Page 30
