Scent of Magic

by Maria V. Snyder

  As the groups finished for the night, Ryne approached me. “Sergeant Odd’s team picked up the technique the fastest. Can you ask him if they’ll help demonstrate it tomorrow?”

  “Sure.”

  “And we need to discuss what we’re going to do about the Peace Lilys,” he said.

  “How do you mean?”

  “First, we need to decide if we’re going to give the information to Estrid. Also if war breaks out, we’ll have fatalities. Do we try to feed one to a Peace Lily?”

  He had followed the same logic that Thea had the first night we found Flea. I scanned the area, searching for Flea. He joked with Loren.

  “Thea and Saul know what happened. I was so excited about Flea, I didn’t ask if they planned to report it to Major Granvil.” If they had, it would explain Granvil’s nasty look earlier.

  “Can you find out?” Ryne asked.

  “Yes. And as for the Peace Lily, I think we owe it to the soldiers to try it at least once.”

  “I agree. I’ll see you in the morning.” He touched my shoulder before heading to his tent with the monkeys and Flea in tow.

  I caught Odd and Liv staring at me. Liv’s lips were pursed in thought, and Odd gave me a knowing look. Sighing, I decided it would be a relief when I no longer had to pretend to be Irina. But, for now, I had to talk to Thea. I found her near her tent.

  “Yes, I told the major everything,” Thea said. “It was too big for me to keep secret.”

  “Will he report it to his commanding officer?” I asked.

  “If he wants to cover his ass, then, yes, he will.” She considered. “He was pretty pissed off when I explained, but he was at the training today. That’s a good sign.”

  I guessed I’d have to talk to him. The thought was far from enticing, and I decided to put it off until the morning. Instead, I washed up, filled a tray of food and joined Liv, Odd and Saul around the sergeants’ fire.

  As soon as I sat next to Liv, the discussion switched to Prince Ryne. Liv and Odd asked me a bunch of questions about him.

  “Liv, I was kidding this morning. You know that,” I said.

  “Yeah, but you were so chummy with him today that I thought it might just be possible that he’s the one you’re pining for,” Liv said.

  “He touched your shoulder,” Odd said as if that proved everything.

  “Tell them,” Saul said.

  I hesitated.

  “They’ll understand,” he said. “I did.”

  Still I paused. Telling them would be the start of the end of Sergeant Irina. I liked her. She was safe. And she’d earned her place as a member of Axe Company. But it would be better if they learned who I was from me and not through the rumor mill.

  It didn’t take long. After I finished, the silence stretched to an uncomfortable length.

  Then Odd said, “Ursan’s going to gloat. He’s suspected since you arrived.”

  “He already knows,” I said.

  “Are we the last?” Liv asked.

  “No. Only Lieutenant Thea and probably Major Granvil know.”

  “Not Wynn?” she asked with a gleam in her eyes.

  “Not yet.”

  “Ho boy! Can I tell her?”

  Then I remembered what Thea had said about Liv and Wynn. How they couldn’t resist passing along juicy gossip. I figured by tomorrow night the entire camp would know. At least I’d have one night of peace.

  Except I was wrong. In the middle of the night, I was woken by a hard shove. Noelle stood over me. She held a small lantern in her hand. At least it wasn’t a knife. Progress.

  “General Jael wants to see you,” she said.

  Half-asleep, I was more confused than afraid. Silly me. “Now?”

  “Now.”

  KERRICK

  Noak held Danny in one hand as if the boy weighed nothing. Danny looked like a fragile toy next to the big man. Pulling a knife from his red sash, Noak pressed the tip to Danny’s neck. The ice growing inside Kerrick seized his heart.

  “Cooperate, or he dies,” Noak said.

  Danny’s muffled protests were clear. Brave boy. But Kerrick couldn’t let him die. Could he?

  Breaking his frozen thoughts, he considered his options. If he refused, they’d be killed and the tribes would continue to advance south, except they would move with caution. If he agreed, Danny would live, and the tribes would continue to advance. However, they wouldn’t be as cautious, and the noise of their passage might alert those pockets of people who hadn’t moved to Orel, perhaps saving them.

  Ah, hell. Logic aside, he couldn’t let the boy die.

  Still fighting Winter’s Curse, Kerrick summoned every bit of strength and pushed, sliding his torso up the tree. The skin on his arms scraped along the rough bark as the manacles clanked. Noak watched, impassive, as Kerrick stood.

  “He...goes...free...” Each word burned his throat.

  “No,” Noak said. “He lives as long as you cooperate.”

  “Free...him...I’ll...give...my...word.”

  Noak scoffed. “No. You cooperate. No magic against us. He lives.”

  “Curse?”

  “Lifted. For now. Agreed?”

  Kerrick had no choice. Danny might get an opportunity to escape. “Yes.”

  Handing Danny over to a tribesman, Noak grabbed Kerrick’s throat. The ice inside Kerrick melted, releasing him. He drew in a deep breath, luxuriating in the ability to breathe.

  “No trouble or—”

  “Keep the boy close to me, and there won’t be any,” Kerrick said.

  Noak slammed him against the tree. “You do not give orders, only follow. Understand?”

  “Yes.”

  The tribesman tied Danny to a tree near Kerrick. Satisfied the boy was safe for now, Kerrick sank back to the ground and fell into an exhausted sleep.

  * * *

  An ufa stalked him through the tall grass. The long thin blades rustled slightly and were the only sign of the beast’s movements. Kerrick’s magic couldn’t sense the dead creature, and he had lost his sword. His heart slammed against his chest as he backed away.

  With a roar, the animal broke from the grass and pounced on him, knocking him down. The pure-white ufa opened its huge maw, flashing razor-sharp teeth made of ice before they ripped into his throat. A freezing-cold pain pierced his body.

  Kerrick jerked awake, gasping for breath. He glanced at Danny, checking that he was safe. The boy had curled up against Kerrick’s legs and was sound asleep. After that first night, they hadn’t bound Danny to a tree, and he’d actually listened to Kerrick and kept close.

  He leaned his head back, trying to work the kinks from his shoulders and arms. His ribs protested with painful jabs, and the rest of his body ached. The tree’s rough bark rubbed against a raw spot on his spine. Every night since he’d agreed to help Noak to save Danny’s life, the tribesmen had secured Kerrick to a tree. The irony of his situation was not lost on him. He’d done the same to Avry, so he couldn’t complain. At least Danny was alive and well. For now.

  Damn boy was too much like Avry. He couldn’t follow a simple order. Instead of fleeing with Zila, he’d stayed behind to rescue Kerrick. The fact that he hadn’t a clue how to go about it hadn’t stopped Danny.

  Remembering the deal he’d made with Noak five days ago, Kerrick closed his eyes briefly before he scanned the sleeping northerners. The tribesmen had hunkered down for the night. Their discomfort at being in the forest continued, despite knowing there would be no more attackers. No more human attackers. From the comments made by a few of the warriors, Death Lilys had grabbed a couple of them. And ufa packs had tried to surprise them, but the tribesmen were skilled hunters and had dispatched them as easily as Kerrick’s army.

  Grief consumed him. So many dead. And he’d been forced to tell Noak that his tribes would face no resistance this side of the Nine Mountains. The northern realms would be decimated. Kerrick wondered what would happen if the tribes clashed with Tohon’s dead army. It would be interesting
. Maybe they’d kill each other. A nice thought, but in battle there was always a loser and a winner. Who would Kerrick root for? Or even fight for? Tohon or Noak?

  He hated to admit it, but Tohon would be his choice. Even though he was mentally unbalanced and a megalomaniac, Tohon wasn’t trying to commit mass genocide. In Tohon’s warped mind, he believed his efforts to unite the Fifteen Realms were of the purest intentions.

  Kerrick spent the rest of the night drifting in a half doze. Noak woke him at dawn. He had a couple of his “generals” with him. Danny roused but was smart enough to keep quiet.

  “Tell me of this...sickness that killed your people,” Noak ordered.

  “What do you want to know?”

  “All.”

  “It began five years ago.” Kerrick told him how it had spread and killed two-thirds of their population. Over six million people gone. “The last known case in the Fifteen Realms was three years ago.”

  “Your magic healing not enough?” Noak asked.

  “No. Our healers couldn’t cure it. Not without dying themselves.”

  Noak considered. “Will it sicken my people?”

  “I hope so.”

  The leader kicked Kerrick in the ribs. Intense pain radiated through his chest. He panted with shallow breaths, hoping to ease the daggers of agony. Distantly, he heard Danny yell.

  By the time Kerrick recovered, Noak held Danny in a tight grip. Noak didn’t need to say a word. Just touching the boy was enough of a threat.

  “I don’t know if your people will get the plague,” Kerrick said. “We think it spread from person to person by touch. But some of us, like me and Danny, never sickened. We don’t know why.”

  “How did it kill?” Noak asked.

  An odd question. Kerrick described the symptoms. Memories of Avry suffering through the final stage still haunted him. He’d give Izak his realm if he could just see her one more time.

  Noak exchanged a glance with one of his men. “Did your magic healers die?”

  “Yes.”

  “All?”

  “All.”

  Noak left with his warriors, dragging Danny along. Kerrick shouted, but they ignored him. The leader handed the boy over to another, and Danny disappeared.

  Fury burned deep inside Kerrick. The branches of all the nearby trees shook with his anger. The tribesmen cried out in alarm, ducking and covering their heads with their arms. Except for Noak. He stared at Kerrick as if waiting for him to break his word. Kerrick wouldn’t. The branches stilled as he wilted.

  He’d save his strength for later. If they harmed Danny, he’d bring the trees down on them all.

  CHAPTER 12

  I followed Noelle outside my tent. Four soldiers waited to escort me to Jael. No one said a word as we walked. Instead of going to her tent, they led me to the manor house. Noelle disappeared. Still surrounded by the guards, I sat in one of the parlors, nervously waiting. The minutes turned to hours, and the sun rose. After a while, I dozed in the chair.

  Tohon’s laughter followed me as I ran through the dark corridors of his castle. Sweat poured from my skin as I flew around the corners in a complete panic.

  “I’m coming for you, my dear,” he called.

  The soles of my feet stung, and pain stabbed my side, but I didn’t slow.

  “You can’t escape.”

  I turned left and slammed into a wall of the dead. They grabbed me. The feel of their cold flesh sickened me as I shuddered in horror. Caught in their trap, I couldn’t move. They turned me so I faced Tohon.

  Flushed with anger, Tohon slapped me.

  I woke with a jolt. My right cheek burned with pain. But I didn’t have time to interpret my dream. In the hallway, Jael barked orders and discussed plans, but when she entered the room, she waved everyone out, including my guards. From the fire that burned in her eyes, I guessed she didn’t want anyone to witness my murder. I jumped to my feet.

  She studied me for a moment. “I’m not quite sure what to think about you, Avry. Are you a miracle, a liar, an oath-breaker, a traitor or a spy?” She held up a hand. “Don’t answer. I already decided that you’re all of them in one package. Impressive. Very impressive.”

  “I can explain.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you have plenty of excuses. I have no desire to hear them, but I do need to decide what I’ll do with you. My instincts tell me to kill you now before you become a bigger problem.”

  Fear curled in my stomach. I braced for her attack.

  “However, as Sergeant Irina you have made quite the impact, both good and bad. Your disappearance would cause some ill will, and I’m sure that brat Ryne knows who you really are and would make a stink.” She paused. “Plus, we’ll need your healing magic once Tohon strikes. Did you forget the promise you made to my mother-in-law?”

  “No. I said I’d return to help, and I’ve been training your soldiers since I’ve arrived.”

  She laughed. “Estrid meant your help in the infirmary.”

  “And she will get it as soon as the fighting starts. You can’t deny that I’ve been an asset to your army.”

  “Regardless, you’re working in the infirmary as of now. You’re also under house arrest. I’ll have Noelle fetch your belongings and tell your lieutenant you’ve been reassigned.”

  I was in midprotest when she pulled the air from my lungs in one quick gesture. Fighting to stay conscious, I used my magic to counter hers and was able to take a few breaths. Until she increased her power. My legs gave out, and I flopped back in the chair.

  “You’re not strong enough, and Kerrick isn’t here to help you.” She tapped her fingers on her full lips. “I’m tempted to finish this, just to upset Kerrick, but your death would cause problems for me right now.”

  I grabbed the chair’s arms to keep from sliding to the floor. Black-and-white spots swarmed in my vision.

  Jael leaned close. “Don’t ever relax. There will be a point where it won’t matter if you live or die, so I’d suggest you do everything you can to keep me happy.”

  The desire to wipe that superior smirk off her face swelled. I gathered all my energy and concentrated on breathing, managing to suck in a couple lungfuls of air before she shut me off.

  “This isn’t making me happy,” she said.

  My grip slipped. I slid to the floor. The need to breathe burned in my chest.

  “Jael, stop.” Estrid’s commanding voice filled the room.

  Yes, stop. But the encroaching blackness wouldn’t stop.

  * * *

  A magical touch woke me, sending me a rush of energy. Kerrick! I opened my eyes and met Flea’s concerned gaze. Disappointment pierced my soul, and I squeezed my eyes shut and rode out the wave of heartache.

  “Avry, are you all right?” Flea asked in a high-pitched squeak.

  Once again I looked at him. He cradled my head and shoulders in his lap. His fingers pressed on my neck as if he’d been feeling for a pulse. Voices argued from somewhere behind him.

  “I’m fine. It’s just... Flea!”

  “What?”

  My cry silenced the others. I glanced over his shoulder. Estrid, Jael and Ryne stared at me. Not wanting to share my realization about Flea with Estrid and Jael, I said, “How did you know I was here?”

  He blushed. “I...uh...had a bad dream. You were in trouble and well...I—”

  “He woke me up and insisted we come here,” Ryne said. “And a good thing, too, or she would have killed you.” He glared at Jael.

  “That was not my intention,” she replied.

  “And just what was—”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Jael snapped. “Avry’s mine.” She glanced at Estrid. “She’s ours. She made a promise to return after healing you and work for us in the infirmary. She’s an oath-breaker, and I was exercising my right to punish her.”

  Ryne turned to me. “Is that true?”

  Flea helped me to stand. “I did promise to return.”

  The prince gave me a significant look. One t
hat said he could work something out. I shook my head slightly.

  “Why this elaborate ruse, Avry?” Estrid asked, gesturing to my sergeant’s uniform.

  I explained what I’d been doing and my reasons. Jael tried to interrupt, but Estrid shut her down with a clipped “Let her speak.”

  “And I planned to start working in the infirmary when Tohon attacks,” I finished.

  “It doesn’t matter what you—”

  “Jael, I’ll handle this,” Estrid said. “Attend to the army.”

  Wow. Estrid treated Jael like a troublesome daughter-in-law. Didn’t she fear her power? The air seemed to vibrate with Jael’s fury, but she reined in her emotions, nodded to the High Priestess and strode from the room.

  “She’s dangerous,” Ryne said into the silence.

  Estrid agreed. “We need her.”

  “And she needs you to defeat Tohon. Once he’s no longer a threat, she’ll—”

  “Come after me. I’m well aware of her plans, Ryne. The creator will protect me from harm.”

  “And if the creator doesn’t?”

  “Then it is my time to go.”

  I studied Estrid. Did she really believe that? Was her fervent demeanor and the passionate glint in her eyes all an act or true devotion? I couldn’t say for sure.

  “What about Avry?” Ryne asked.

  “She stays here.”

  I clamped down on my protest when I saw Ryne nodding in agreement.

  He caught my look. “You’ll be safer here.”

  “Safe from Jael?” I asked. That was hard to imagine.

  “Safer,” he corrected. “And safer from Tohon’s soldiers, as well.”

  “I feel so much better.”

  Despite my sarcasm, he smiled. “Good.” He turned to Estrid. “Can I assign a guard to protect her?”

  “She’s secure inside this house. It’s well guarded,” Estrid said.

  “I can defend myself,” I said, annoyed.

  Ryne waited.

  “All right. Avry, you’re welcome to stay in the same guest room as before, or there’s a smaller room next to the infirmary that’s not in use.”

  “I’d rather stay closer to my patients.”