Soldiers burst into the tent, eight or ten. They moved with a single purpose, overturning tables and chairs as they rushed to surround their prize. Then, weapons drawn, they looked at him and Aniska, surprised and confused. Zaraki realized they did not expect to find anyone upright except Lukas and Lorant. Something had gone wrong with their plan.
That hesitation saved their lives.
***
“Zaraki! Move!” Aniska was shouting at him, but he barely heard as he tried to work out how to get through the line of professional soldiers and save Leisha. How many could he kill? Or could he take Lukas hostage?
“Kill them both,” Lorant snapped. The spell broke and the soldiers began advancing.
He tried to throw off the hand on his arm, tried to make time stand still for just one fucking minute so he could think. Someone dragged him backwards, out of the tent, away from her. Her eyes were still open, even as she lay on the ground, and he was leaving her.
“Zaraki! Get on the horse!” Aniska screamed as she grabbed the reins of two animals standing tied nearby. She saw him hesitate, the war between his head and his heart plain on his face. “We’ll be slaughtered, and we can’t save her if we’re dead.”
He reached for the reins, but she saw him looking around frantically. “They moved ours! We’ll save Capar, too. But we have to go now.”
Finally, something snapped into place, some instinct to live to fight another day, and he climbed in the saddle of the stolen horse. They kicked their mounts and bolted through the camp, Zaraki leaving the two things he loved most behind.
***
Eamon saw Aniska and Zaraki burst from the tent just after the soldiers entered. Relieved, he wondered how they survived what should have been a slaughter. He saw no sign of Leisha, so she remained inside with the Embriel prince.
Shielding his eyes against the sun, he watched the spies seize the reins of two horses and race from the camp. If they made it out, they would head straight back to Cheylm. His job then was to observe what he could of the camp and what the prince decided to do now that he had snatched their queen.
It did not take long. Lukas emerged from the tent with her limp form in his arms. He spoke at length to several soldiers, laughed and passed Leisha to one of them. Eamon ground his teeth together watching Lukas circle Capar. Even from this distance, he could see the prince’s delight as he ran his hand over the horse possessively. Climbing into the saddle, he beckoned the soldier holding the queen over and took her back. Soon, Lorant mounted, and a large escort formed around them. Heading out of camp, they road east over a well-maintained road.
Eamon crawled back from the edge of the wood, full of fury and outrage at Lukas. He started running as soon as it was safe to do so, already reciting his memories of the events so he would not lose any of the details.
Bursting into a clearing, he came face to face with an Embriel soldier. Instinct and training took hold of him before he even realized what he meant to do. The man died without drawing a weapon as Eamon pounced, stabbing up under his chin.
Furious and nearly out of breath, he found his horse still tied to a tree. He would ride parallel to the road, keeping vigil.
***
As Aniska and Zaraki raced their mounts through the encampment, they passed through a slaughter. Their men lay dead or dying, overwhelmed by greater numbers. Or drugged, Ani thought, remembering the flower in her cup. Horses bearing Leisha’s colors moved amongst the dead, fearful and panicked as Lukas’s soldiers attempted to gather their reins.
Soldiers saw them coming and tried to spook their mounts. Aniska huddled over her horse’s neck as he chose the path forward, flicking him with the end of his reins and squeezing him as hard as she could. Just stay on, she told herself. A look over her shoulder showed Zaraki doing the same as her, holding on and encouraging his horse to run. The frightened animals wove erratically through the chaos, wanting to find safety.
Once they cleared the outskirts of the camp, Ani checked behind them and saw a few riders attempting to follow. They were too exposed on the road, and she turned the horses on to an animal trail, crashing through the forest and underbrush. Heading in this direction, they would hit the Vinca upriver from the main crossing.
The wide river appeared, growing larger as they rode their horses hard. Ferries regularly took travelers across all up and down this stretch of riverbank, but they could not backtrack to find one. The horses would swim. As they approached the Vinca, Ani looked over her mount, keeping the reins slack so he could raise his head out of the water. At the same time, she made sure she had the ends so they would not tangle in his legs. As children, they practiced escaping almost as much as they did fighting.
They plunged into the river, the water still icy cold as it descended from the mountains. It snatched her breath, but as hot and lathered as the horses were, Aniska knew the animals would not balk at swimming. Her mount pulled them both across the Vinca with powerful strokes of his long legs.
On the left bank of the river, they hauled out and mounted again. Ani checked over her shoulder for their pursuers and saw none. Even so, she urged her horse on and took them inland for another quarter hour.
Once she felt sure no one had followed them into Tahaerin lands, Aniska reined her horse up. His sides heaved, gulping great lungfuls of air. They had to rest.
She thought Zaraki was in shock as she watched him slide out of the saddle. He put his back against a tree, staring in horror back the way they had come. After a few minutes standing there, he collapsed into a crouch, his head in one hand.
For nearly half an hour, she left him that way while she checked on the horses and went over her memories of what had happened. Using tricks she learned in Ostrava, she ordered and cataloged everything she could remember. Right now, she could not know what was important or not, so it was crucial that she try and recall everything, every detail. Zaraki should have been doing the same thing. They trained for this—for years they trained for this sort of situation.
Once the horses recovered and her adrenaline started to wear off, Aniska knew they had to move. “Come on,” she said. “The horses are ready. We can make it back to the men. Eamon is still out there, he’ll see what’s happened and follow. We’ll know where they’ve taken her. We have to let everyone know what’s happened.”
Zaraki could not hear her. “I did nothing. Just like before. I did nothing. I left her there,” he choked out. In his mind he saw the slavers creeping through camp, heard the screams as his family died, and remembered huddling in the wagon, too afraid to move or make a sound. He had always sworn he would never hesitate again if anything threatened someone he loved.
Aniska stalked over to where he crouched and slapped him. It surprised her a little. She had never struck anyone that way before, much less him. Bending over, she shouted in his face, her voice hard. “Listen to me. Listen to me! Until this is over, this is the last thing I’m going to say to you as your friend. I’m sorry for the things I’m going to say and do, things that are going to hurt you. But from now on, I’m her spymaster, only.
“Now, get up and get on your horse,” she commanded as she stood. “The only thing that matters is getting her back alive. We don’t have time for you to wallow in your self-pity and self-recriminations. Do you understand me? I have a job to do and I will leave you here if you don’t do as I say.”
That, at least, got him moving again.
An hour later, they found the remains of their escort and told them what happened. The ten men, all members of the Queen’s Horse, wanted vengeance. Vengeance for their fallen brothers and vengeance for their stolen queen.
Aniska wanted to slap them all—more men and their wounded pride. She had been responsible for Leisha’s safety and now she had to face up to her failures. Worse, she had to face Andelko and Symon and tell them what she had allowed to happen. Not now, Ani warned herself. Later she could fall to pieces, but not now.
She commandeered two new horses. “Two or three of yo
u, space yourselves out along the road to Prem. My agent, Eamon, is still out there. He’ll be coming and will need fresh horses. I need him back at Cheylm as quickly as possible, understand?”
“Of course, Spymaster,” the lieutenant assured her.
“The rest of you, watch the crossing and make sure they don’t try to escape this way.” Now she turned. “On the horse, Zaraki. We’re riding on now.”
If any of the men noticed how she addressed their king, they did not say anything.
Drowning
“Fuck. Why didn’t it affect those other two?” Lorant asked after the fighting stopped. He peeked out the flap on the tent but saw no signs of Zaraki or the red-haired woman.
Picking up their abandoned cups, Lukas saw they still looked full. “They didn’t drink much.” He made a face, disappointed. “Damn. I really wanted to kill them both.”
A soldier appeared in the doorway. “It’s all clear, Your Highness. Her men are all dead.”
Lorant gave a triumphant smile. “We did it, Lukas. Now let’s hope they honor their promise without the Lord Constable.”
“Indeed. Time to move, then.” Lukas bent over Leisha’s small form. Sprawled on his rug, her breath came in shallow gasps, reminding him off a fish left on shore, eyes open, staring wide at him. Tears ran across her lashes. When he made to wipe them away, she whimpered and tried to move her head.
“Shit!” Lorant swore behind him, scrambling backwards and nearly falling over an upturned chair. “She’s still awake. Shit.”
“Settle down,” Lukas said, trying to calm his friend. “Von told us the wine wasn’t the best way. She probably didn’t get enough. Where are the flowers? Let’s give her one the way he told us.”
Lorant retrieved a small pouch from the desk, but then stood rooted like a tree, unwilling to come closer.
Looking annoyed, Lukas stood up and walked the few steps to the desk. He snatched the leather pouch from his friend’s limp fingers and marched back to stand over his prize. “If she were going to kill us, she’d have done it by now. Honestly, Lorant. You talked me into this. Now give them here and come hold her down.”
Opening the pouch, Lukas fished around and drew out a single yellow flower, no larger than his fingertip. He crushed it gently. Then using his other hand, he grabbed Leisha’s chin. Her head thrashed back and forth, slow and sluggish. Lorant stood as far away as possible before reaching out to grab her shoulders, pressing down to keep her still.
Lukas dug into the hinges of her jaw with one thumb until finally she relented. When his fingers were in her mouth, Leisha tried to bite him. “Sorry, dear. You’re too slow for that. Under the tongue and soon you won’t remember anything.” He stroked dark hair back from her face, regretting the necessity of all this. She looked too beautiful to be a sacrificial lamb, but some good would come of it once Lorant got his lands back and once Tahaerin got its new king.
Tears streamed down her face as Lukas lifted her and carried her out of the tent.
***
Riding hard through the afternoon, Ani pushed the horses to exhaustion before finding another patrol south of Prem. She commandeered two fresh horses, relieved they would not have to drive their mounts on any further. With a new pair, she and Zaraki reached the castle just after dark and together, they thundered into the courtyard. Aniska began calling for Symon before her horse came to a stop. Jumping from the saddle, she raced into the castle and met Andelko first.
Seeing only Ani, his heart sank. No one expected them back until tomorrow night at the earliest. “What happened?” he demanded. “Where is everyone?”
Exhausted, she ran hands through her filthy hair. She saw Symon rushing down the stairs at the back of the hall and waited so she did not have to repeat this nightmare more than once. “It was a trap all along,” she said finally. “They attacked the men and drugged Leisha. Lukas has her.” It hurt her so much to admit to such a stunning failure. Years and years of training, nearly half a year training in poisons of all things, all of the trust placed on her and this was the outcome. But, as she said earlier, no time for recriminations. Those would come later.
Andelko stared at her in disbelief before calmly stating, “I’ll kill him.” For a moment, she thought he might actually take matters into his own hands. He started towards the front doors but drew up short as Zaraki appeared through the wicket gate, still in shock, diverting everyone’s attention.
“And this,” Aniska said, jerking her chin towards her friend, near brother, and king. She could not face him now, could not look him in the eyes and admit to what she had done. “This, I don’t have time for. Symon, please go take care of him. I need him thinking rationally, I need his help. Andelko and I’ll be in the library once he’s coherent.”
***
Symon rushed across the hall, grateful for something to do. In a few hours, the news would settle in and he would fall apart, but first, he needed to take care of Zaraki. He loved the boy like a son and wanted to reach out to him. Symon saw pain and horror written across his face and etched in the lines of his body.
“Come. Come with me,” he said, pulling the younger man towards a small side chamber. This had to be dealt with immediately; people could not see this. Snagging a passing servant, Symon ordered him to bring a blanket and wine, lots of wine.
Zaraki allowed himself to be steered into the little room because nothing mattered. Nothing mattered. All the adrenaline from their wild ride had long since burned away, leaving him exhausted and his thinking disordered. He could barely breathe. Blue silk danced in front if his eyes when he closed them. Symon pushed him into a chair and pressed a cup into his hand. “Drink it all, now.”
Downing the wine because he was ordered to, Zaraki found it full again. He did not even feel the cold until Symon draped the blanket around his shoulders.
“Drink that, but more slowly.” Symon pulled another chair up so they sat inches apart. He leaned over to look the younger man in the eyes. “Now, to business. Are you injured? No? All right, I have a job for you, my dear boy.”
His odd words pierced the shock and fog. A job? It made no sense. Zaraki looked up frowning, his attention focused.
Symon nodded. “Good, you’re still in there. Listen to me. You’ve always worn your feelings for her emblazoned across your chest, even when you thought you were keeping them a secret. For now, you have to figure out how to hide them and you have to be strong.”
He stopped to tap the cup of wine. Dutifully, Zaraki tipped it back, draining half.
“At night, in your rooms, you can fall apart. During the day, you have to be composed and you have to be king. You have to rule in her stead. If all this collapses in her absence, we’ll never see her again. We can’t have the men lose heart. They’ll be the ones sleeping on the ground, exhausting themselves day after day, risking their lives to look for her. We need them to believe we’ll get her back. Do you understand?”
Zaraki took a long minute to respond, but finally he nodded. “Do you believe it, Symon? Do you believe I’ll see her again?”
Choosing his words carefully, Symon said, “She’s priceless to them. Think of what you’ll trade to get her back. Lukas knows that.” But silently, he thought, I have to believe. Because I won’t survive losing you both.
“Are you ready? Aniska needs us.”
The wine dulled the knife-edge of Zaraki’s memories. He did not forget, but he could think again. “Yes, let’s go.”
As they walked across the hall to the library, he tried to compose himself. He knew Symon was right. If he could just stop remembering the look on her face as he fled, stop remembering his family, dying that night, cut down, slaughtered while he hid himself away. And if he could stop feeling like he betrayed them all.
When they found seats around the table, Aniska recounted everything she remembered. From the moment they entered the pavilion to their crossing the Vinca. She spoke in clipped phrases, pouring her memory out like water and hoping someone would catch somethi
ng useful.
“And that’s all I remember. It was a good plan. Zaraki and I should both be dead now because I’m sure it was their intent. Each of us unconscious or incapacitated. Kill us, take her. Neat and tidy, except neither of us drink. So whatever they put in the wine didn’t affect us. The slaughter outside the camp was incredibly well organized. Did I miss anything?”
“Yes.” For a brief moment, Zaraki felt his thoughts order themselves and push the appalling events of the day aside. “Most of the soldiers wore Lukas’s crest. I suppose it’s possible Andrzej knows nothing about this. If he sanctioned this, it means one thing. If he didn’t, it means something else entirely.”
“I’ll draft letters to Andrzej and have riders out at dawn,” Symon said, taking notes.
“One other thing,” Zaraki said, trying to tease the memory out of the rest of the horror. “I’m not sure why, but Lukas asked why you weren’t there, Andelko. They both seemed disappointed.”
Ani nodded. “That’s right, he did. Lorant, too.”
“I’m sure it would be quite the coup to take her and kill me,” Andelko said, but Aniska saw an odd expression cross over his face. Annoyance and concern mixed in equal parts.
“Either way,” Symon sighed, “we need ideas about how we’re going to deal with this. How are we going to get her back? How are we going to keep things running here? Zaraki, you and I can handle the administration. You know how she would answer most inquiries and requests. The most immediately issue to address is how this information is shared with the army.”
Thankful for something to do, Andelko spoke up. “I’ll speak with the marshals as soon as we’re done here. We’ll fan the outrage over Lukas and the dead Horsemen. But, as far as rescuing her, I’ll state the obvious. We can’t take troops across the river.”
As Dragons from Sleep (The Tahaerin Chronicles Book 2) Page 19
