by Anna Kashina
He waited out the pause as Mai stood looking at Kara, then exchanged a quick glance with Egey Bashi and left the tent.
Kara waited for her tormentors’ footsteps to die down in the sand outside, then rolled her head to the side in a natural gesture designed to trick anyone who could be watching her right now into thinking she was still unconscious. She opened her mouth to let the sticky liquid she held inside trickle down to the ground. It left an unpleasant taste behind, and a light drowsiness she was sure would soon pass. She couldn’t afford to waste any time feeling drowsy. She had four hours to act, if Egey Bashi was right – not nearly enough to do everything she wanted, but perhaps enough to accomplish one important thing.
What should I do? she asked Nimos in her mind.
The response came with a delay, echoing voices telling her he was consulting with someone. Too late to try to kill him now.
I can do some other damage here, she offered.
More echoing voices, speaking the language that was becoming familiar to her, if not quite enough to understand it when spoken rapidly in hushed tones. No. We need you. Kill whoever stands in your way and get here as fast as you can.
Kill whoever stands in your way. She could certainly do that, but if her charge also included escaping the camp and getting to the Kaddim stronghold as soon as she could, it needed to be planned more carefully. She was certain the guards outside her tent would likely be in her way, but was killing them a good idea?
She strained her ears, listening. The Majat could stand very still, but their bodies tended to break the flow of wind and sand, creating quiet spots against the walls of the tent. She could sense none of them. By the feel of it, her only guards right now were the two Golden Lions normally stationed at the entrance to her tent at all times as the Queen’s honorary guard. She had no doubt she could slit their throats quietly enough not to draw attention, but she couldn’t know who else may be watching from a distance. In a busy camp like theirs, two corpses sagging by a tent entrance would surely draw attention.
She felt around for her weapons, cursing silently when she found none. Of course they would have taken her weapons. She was a danger, wasn’t she? Lucky that both Mai and Kyth trusted Egey Bashi’s remedies so much, assuming that forcing a potion into her mouth would send her into a four-hour sleep.
She searched around for anything to be used as a weapon and found nothing of help. She cursed again. The Majat could be so damned efficient when they wanted to. All she needed right now was a blade that could help her rip open the back of the tent and slip out.
She slid toward the opening, finding a gap at the side of the tent flap below the knee level, where she knew they would unlikely to notice anyone watching even if they stared directly at the tent right now. The two guards stationed there looked unfamiliar, probably the relief ones that took the place of her regular guards, now that she was believed to be peacefully sleeping inside.
She looked at the direction of the Majat command tent, partially hidden behind the others. Two Emeralds stood at the door, but as far as she could tell they weren’t even looking her way.
How far is it to the stronghold? she asked Nimos.
About an hour on foot. Once you are out, I’ll send riders to get you.
All right.
Try not to alert them to your escape.
Got it. Stealthily, she rose behind the tent flap, extending a hand through the opening to grasp the guard’s dagger and pull it out of its sheath. It slid out without resistance. She clenched it tightly, snapping her hand away into the safety of the tent. Her heart raced as she remembered the other time she had been clenching a dagger just like this. She had come so close to killing Mai. A distant, dormant part of her shivered with dread at the mere thought of this possibility. For a moment she stood still, wondering what the hell she was doing right now. Then the whispering in her head became louder, overwhelming the rest.
She wrapped herself in a sand-colored cloak and slit the back of the tent, moving quietly like a shadow as she slipped out into the desert.
The Golden Lion guard cowered under Mai’s gaze, looking small and weak despite his huge size. For a very brief moment Kyth feared that Mai was actually going to harm the man.
For once, Kyth could relate well to this kind of anger. How hard could it have been for the Golden Lion battalion, presumably the best of the best among Shayil Yara’s elite troops, to prevent a deeply drugged person from escaping a closely guarded tent? He knew it was useless to ask. He glanced at the man’s empty scabbard hanging on his belt. Kara’s stealth had to be amazing if she was able to snatch the dagger off his belt without alerting him at all – not that Kyth ever had any doubt about her skill.
A Majat warrior rushed into the tent and stopped a few paces inside, instantly tamed by the look on Mai’s face.
“Report,” Mai barked.
The man stiffened with effort. “We found traces of the potion soaked into the floor rug, Aghat Mai. She must have spit it out after we left.”
“Impossible.” Mai turned to Egey Bashi standing nearby. “I thought you said your potion bloody works, Magister.”
The Keeper shrugged. “She may have only pretended to take it. If she managed to keep it in her mouth without swallowing…”
“With Raishan and Lance holding her down? I don’t think so.”
“She shares their training, Aghat Mai. And she is not herself right now.”
Kyth saw a brief shadow of pain run over Mai’s face. The Diamond turned away, firing off rapid hand signs. The tent erupted in activity.
“Aghat Seldon!” Mai stood taller as he watched the older Diamond step in front of him. “I’m placing you in charge of the attack.”
“Me?” Seldon’s face shifted through the whole spectrum of surprise and disbelief in one split instant.
“You will lead our forces to storm their walls. Bring everyone.”
“But…”
“I assume you have the command experience to do it, Aghat. Do you?”
Seldon hesitated for an instant, then briefly bowed his head, pressing his fist to his chest in a Majat salute.
“Good.” Mai turned to Kyth. “You’re with me.”
A chill ran down Kyth’s spine. He recognized Mai’s detached look, a hint of fatal determination behind his usual brisk efficiency. This was it, the mission they had all been preparing for. Except that now, because of Kara’s escape, they had to do it on the enemy’s terms.
“What’s your plan?” he asked.
Mai looked at him calmly. “My scouts found a weak spot at the back of their fortress, one we could penetrate using a small force of top Gems. Seldon will lead our army to distract them at the front while we take out their leaders and stop the war. Simple.”
“Right.” Kyth turned away, for fear Mai would catch his expression. This was a suicide mission, which depended solely on Kyth’s ability to destroy the source of the Kaddim’s magic. He hoped all his training with Ayalla was enough. It had to be, or everyone he cared for would die.
“Good plan, Aghat Mai,” Egey Bashi said. “Except that you don’t have enough top Gems to take out their leaders. Not now that they have Kara on their side.”
“Do you have any other suggestion, Magister?”
The Keeper eyed him in silence.
“I thought not.” Mai turned to Seldon. “Engage them, Aghat, but do your best not to lay down too many lives. Your only job is to divert their full attention to the fortress’s defenses.”
“Yes, Aghat Mai.” Seldon briefly bowed his head, but Kyth saw the wonder in the older man’s eyes, an expression that also reflected in Egey Bashi’s face. This was Mai’s special strength, to remain calm and efficient even under enormous pressure, to care about lives and keep up the morale where another commander might have thrown his troops to slaughter. As the Diamond swept through the room giving orders Kyth saw faces light up at the sight of him, men pulling up to attention, beaming with energy and fervor.
“Listen, e
veryone.” Mai’s voice echoed clearly through every corner of the large space. “Aghat Seldon will lead you into battle. Do us all proud.” He signaled to Kyth and slid out of the tent, forcing the Prince into a run to keep up.
The next hour was a blur. As he was fitting up his gear, Kyth tried to recall every detail of what Ayalla had taught him back in the forest. He thought he had been confident about his magic ability, but now it was about to be put to the test against an ultimate enemy, a magic power that was opposite to his in every way. Was he truly up to it? He did his best to force away doubt, to keep calm and detached as he watched the Majat checking and securing their numerous weapons, Alder rushing around to place spiders onto the shoulder of each man from their elite attack force. Kyth received his share, feeling them tickle under his shirt as they settled near the collar to remain out of sight while having easy access to the outside. He calmed his senses, distancing himself from the dread these creatures caused in him, establishing a link with them like Ayalla taught him to. His magic flowed out to contact every other spider in range, so that he could release them all on command or hold them back if needed.
Mai was taking six Diamonds, six Rubies, six Emeralds, and eight Jades – a small group that included all the top warriors on their force and covered a range of skills, including bows and crossbows, the specialty of the Jades, and synchronous fighting the Emeralds were so good at. Together with Kyth and Mai, their numbers added to twenty-eight, a mobile but capable force, the best they could put forward for the task. Still, given their knowledge that in addition to the regular warriors they would be facing twelve Kaddim Brothers that included Kara, all sharing her Diamond skill and acting in perfect unison, this didn’t seem reassuring.
Looking at their force, setting out to fight such an unequal battle, Kyth realized sharply that many of them would likely be killed in the attack, and there was nothing he could possibly do about it. He was aware that they knew it too, and were still joining the mission without any hesitation. His job was not to let them all die in vain. The responsibility felt too enormous to dwell on.
Mai handed out sand-colored cloaks that covered their black outfits, blending them with the desert landscape. He also gave each of them a black mask that covered their faces and necks, leaving open only the slits for the eyes. As they all dressed up, Kyth realized that these outfits gave them at least a marginal element of surprise, the identical-looking top Gems fighting in near-unison making it more difficult for the enemy to figure out which ones of them to target first. Of course, fighting against Kara, who knew everyone so well, would eventually negate this advantage but at least at the start it would make their force look stronger than it actually was.
There was no time for goodbyes. Kyth briefly squeezed Egey Bashi’s hand, then waved to Celana and Ellah standing on the crest of a sand dune a short distance away. The Majat were already in the saddles and he hurried to mount his lizardbeast and ride off.
“Remember,” Mai said to Kyth, pulling up his lizardbeast to ride astride. “It’s all about you this time. All of us will be fighting to protect you, so that you can get to their Reincarnate. You must focus only on this goal. Don’t even look at what we’re doing.”
Kyth understood the part Mai wasn’t saying. All the Majat were going to throw down their lives for the sole purpose of getting him across the room through the enemy line. If he let this sway him, he was going to fail too, and the war would be lost. He couldn’t afford that.
Yet, could he keep focused while watching all these men dying to protect him?
“The Kaddim will probably do their best to target you first,” he said.
Mai didn’t respond at once, his narrowed eyes through the slits of the mask studying the path between the boulders ahead.
“I’m not important,” he said. “You’re the only one who matters, Kyth. You alone will win or lose this war.”
Kyth glanced at Mai’s calm profile, his relaxed posture in the saddle as he swayed with his lizardbeast’s rhythmic stride. The thought of Mai dying in this battle simply didn’t fit into his mind. For as long as Kyth had known Mai, despite the resentment he felt as a rival, he was always looking up to this man, so glamorous, a brilliant commander, perfect at everything he did. He didn’t think he could possibly live with the knowledge that Mai had been killed protecting him.
“I won’t let them kill you,” he said. “Not if I can do anything about it.”
Mai glanced at him sharply. “That kind of thinking could easily ruin all our plans. If you as much as flinch when you see any of us dying around you, you won’t stand a chance. You must pretend that we are not there at all. Focus on what’s important.”
Kyth swallowed. “I understand.”
Mai hesitated. “If you do get a chance to save one person, save Kara. When Nimos dies, she must be touching him to become free of the link, no matter if she wants to or not. Promise me you will make it happen, if you possibly can.”
“I promise.” Kyth felt glad for the mask that hid the tears standing in his eyes.
“One more thing,” Mai said. “I don’t know if you still love her, but if you do, and if you choose to pursue this feeling after I’m dead, you have my blessing.”
Kyth stared, then hastily looked away to prevent any possibility of Mai catching his expression. He did still love Kara. His love for her would never go away. Moreover, he couldn’t help realizing that being the Queen of Shayil Yara made her a highly desirable bride for him, eliminating the political barrier that stood between them before. Yet, Kyth also had feelings for Celana now, an innocent, intelligent girl who had given herself to him so bravely and unconditionally. While this dilemma definitely needed to wait until after the battle, what Mai had just said to him made his breath catch in his throat.
“You are not going to die,” he said. “None of us are. We are going to bloody win, and whatever your Guild says about it, you and Kara will find a way to be together.”
Mai didn’t say anything as he turned his face to the road ahead.
39
The Cursed Dozen
The Reincarnate’s eyes glowed like two red-hot coals on his pale face. Kara knew his touch was going to hurt her, but she didn’t stop or even slow her approach. Her pain was not important compared to the eternity that awaited her in the cradle of her Brotherhood.
She shivered as Nimos’s hand fell on her shoulder from behind, urging her on.
“Don’t fear him,” he whispered into her ear. “It will only hurt briefly. And then, you will be truly one of us.”
One of us. A part of her mind told her that this was a bad thing, that she must resist it with all she had. But this faint thought didn’t seem nearly as convincing as the reality, her new brothers surrounding her in a ring, waiting to become one with her. She took one last step and raised her face to welcome the Reincarnate’s touch.
A bony hand cupped her chin, turning her face up, and she resisted the urge to flinch, the pain at the border of bearable. His caress felt like flame licking her skin, leaving burning traces behind. She was certain she would be scorched and crippled.
His face approached, his kiss like a sharp blade plunged between her eyebrows, piercing her head with a pain she never felt before. A scream froze on her lips as the burning-hot fingers held them shut, the Reincarnate’s other hand caressing her with the tenderness of a lover, his touch shooting through her every nerve.
Voices flooded into her head, whispering, arguing and screaming all at once. She stumbled away and covered her ears, but that only made it worse. It was then that she realized the voices were coming from within.
“There,” Nimos said. “We are all one mind now. We can share thoughts and actions. We can all share your gift. Try.”
She concentrated. It felt as if her body had suddenly multiplied, her mind expanding to enfold the entire room. She sent a movement to its outer part and saw a man over there raise his hand so fast that it blurred. She sent him a command and he drew his sword, cutting the air
until his blade became invisible from the speed of the movement.
She smiled. After such a long time of not being able to use her skill, this felt liberating, her power multiplied and shared by eleven different men. She tried to move them all and they did, in synchrony that made the Majat synchronous training seem like a joke.
“Who is in control?” she asked, no longer sure if she had pronounced the words out loud. It didn’t seem to matter at all.
“We all are,” Nimos said. “This is what true unity feels like.”
She understood now. The feeling was so enjoyable she never wanted to let go. Her pain receded, no more than a memory as she spun across the room, reveling in her new freedom. In this state, everything was allowed. She could do anything at all.
“The Cursed Dozen is back together,” Nimos said. “And we are ready to face our enemy.”
Kara wanted to ask the question, but with their unity of minds it didn’t seem necessary. She knew which enemy they meant. The Majat army, coming to obliterate them. Mai.
The thought brought a strange tingling sensation. She wasn’t sure she wanted to kill Mai, but she knew that to win this war for the Kaddim she had to. One life dear to her was a small sacrifice to make for the greater good.
She knew for certain that had Mai been in her place, he would have done the same.
The roar of the starting battle rose over the sands. Here at the back of the stronghold it seemed like a distant echo, but Kyth knew out there the armies were clashing weapons, killing and dying. Without the Diamonds, the tip of their force, the Majat were not nearly as powerful, even with the superior weapons sent from Bengaw, even with all the Shayil Yaran reinforcements they were able to collect. He could only hope that Seldon was capable enough a commander to at least provide the diversion they needed.
