Touch of Power

by Maria V. Snyder

  “I’ll wear my skirt and tunic, but I’ll wear the robe like a cloak.”

  Inari considered.

  “And I’ll let you do my hair.”

  The clincher. She brightened. “That would be acceptable, uh, yes, miss.” Setting my pack down, she grabbed a towel and held it out for me.

  I stepped from the tub, turning so she could wrap it around my shoulders.

  Inari gasped. “Your back…”

  Probably looked horrid. “Doesn’t hurt.” Curious, I asked, “What color are the marks?”

  “A deep red, almost purple.”

  Farther along than they should be. At least, that’s what I thought, having no real experience with such deep lacerations. I examined the scars on my stomach. It had been about forty days since I healed Belen. Visible but not red, the puckered skin shone a bit lighter than my beige skin.

  Inari drew the towel around me. “Who would do such a thing to you?”

  “I did it to myself.”

  The girl covered her mouth with both hands. I suppressed a grin. She was too young to remember when healers had been respected. When all the big cities had at least one healer who lived and worked there.

  “I healed a…” What to call Kerrick? Not a friend. “Someone who had been whipped.” By the High Priestess’s soldiers, but I didn’t want to increase Inari’s apprehension. Instead, I explained how my magic worked as I dried and dressed in my green skirt and yellow tunic.

  Inari swept up my hair into an elegant knot. She pulled a few tendrils down and curled them with a hot iron rod. Then she fetched a robe and soft leather shoes. I eyed the shoe heel. Not too bad, but I wouldn’t be able to run far with those things on.

  Finally ready, I followed Inari to the High Priestess’s receiving room. Two oversize soldiers guarded the ornate double door. Inari tapped on the wood. The doors swung inward. Inari knelt and bent forward so her forehead pressed on the floor.

  I couldn’t see too far inside, but Inari waited until a voice gave her permission to speak. My opinion of the High Priestess slipped several notches.

  Inari introduced me, and if the Blessed One thought I’d kneel for her, she was in for a surprise. I entered and Inari left, closing the doors behind her. Estrid sat on a divan, reading a story to her granddaughter. Nestled in her lap, Nyrie stared at the pictures in the book. Estrid’s powerful gaze, though, was focused on me.

  Should I curtsy? Or bow? I decided to remain standing. The High Priestess gestured to the nanny who had been sitting in an armchair by the window to take Nyrie for her afternoon nap. The woman rushed to obey.

  When we were alone, I braced for… I didn’t know, but predicted it wouldn’t be pleasant. Except I was wrong.

  Estrid smiled. “Please sit, Avry.” She gestured to a seat near her.

  The room matched the others I’d seen. Dark furniture, gold trimmings, lush carpets and bookcases lined the walls. I perched on the edge of the cushion.

  “Thank you for healing my granddaughter,” Estrid said.

  “You’re welcome.”

  “If I had lost her, too…” She glanced away as grief creased her face. After a moment she continued. “Have you considered our offer?”

  “I have.”

  “And?”

  “I’m sorry, but I cannot accept at this time.” I waited for the threats.

  Instead, she asked, “Why not?”

  “I gave my word to Kerrick to travel with him until we reach his sick…friend.”

  “I’m well aware of Prince Ryne’s condition. Will you be able to heal him?”

  “I can heal him, but I haven’t decided if I will.”

  She laughed. “His reputation is worse than mine.” She tapped long elegant fingers on her lips. “Are you aware Tohon of Sogra is after you?”

  “Yes.”

  “He’s trouble. And I don’t think my army will be able to hold him back once he decides to move into Pomyt.”

  Not about to get into a discussion of the trouble she had caused, I kept quiet.

  “If Tohon succeeds in gaining all the Realms south of the Nine Mountains, then my rules to keep a pure heart in the name of the creator will seem a mere nuisance to the populace in comparison.” Again her gaze grew distant. “Do you think Kerrick is capable of getting you to Ryne?”

  “Yes.”

  “What would you do if I threatened your sister’s life if you didn’t stay here and heal my warriors?”

  And just when I thought she wouldn’t resort to threats… Grief filled my heart. I had caused Noelle so much pain already. “I would stay.” Until I figured out a way to escape with Noelle and Kerrick.

  A side door opened and Jael strode into the room. She wore a uniform and a sword. “We just caught Belen and three others trying to rescue Kerrick from the jail,” she said to Estrid. “Perhaps one of them will—” She noticed me.

  At her announcement, I slumped against the back of the chair.

  “We have all your companions now. And your sister is on her way here so we can keep a close eye on her,” Jael said.

  “Jael, that’s enough.” Estrid seemed to mull over the news. “Was Belen that commoner they allowed in school with you and Stanslov?”

  “Yes. He was supposed to be Kerrick’s bodyguard, but Kerrick treated him like an equal. Kerrick spent more time protecting Belen than the other way around.”

  “Is that how you met Kerrick?” I asked Jael.

  “Yes. And how I met Stanslov. We were in boarding school together. All the children born to the leaders of each Realm attended. As future leaders, it was supposed to teach us tolerance and cooperation of the other Realms. But all we did was make alliances and fight.”

  “Which was a more accurate representation of how the Fifteen Realms interacted,” Estrid said. “Now, all bets are off.”

  Silence descended as we mourned the past. Jael’s comment about the students being future leaders sunk in. Kerrick, a prince? Hard to believe, but Noelle had called him by that name. It didn’t matter. It wouldn’t change how I felt about him. And just how did I feel about him?

  Jael said, “If you’re finished with Avry, I’ll take her down to the infirmary.”

  “Not yet. Leave us,” the High Priestess ordered her daughter-in-law.

  Jael gave her a curt bow and left by the same door she had entered. From the fire in her eyes, I knew she was angry. I wondered why she obeyed Estrid’s orders. She commanded the very air, while her mother-in-law had no magic. But then I realized that power came in many different forms, and Estrid commanded the army.

  As if she could read my thoughts, Estrid said, “Avry, how about a compromise?”

  Estrid used the same word I had with Inari, which made me wonder if she had sent an acolyte to spy on us. Wary, I asked for details. She explained her terms. I agreed. We shook hands. When I left, Inari appeared beside me.

  “Can you direct me to the infirmary?” I asked her.

  “Yes, miss. Do you wish to go now?”

  “I need to change first.”

  Inari looked strickened. “I…took your clothes to be washed. They—”

  “Stank?”

  “Oh, no.”

  “We’re going to be together for a while. I’m not like the High Priestess and Jael. I want you to be honest and to call me Avry,” I said.

  “They reeked and were stiff with dried blood, Avry,” she said as if reporting battle statistics.

  “That’s a start. Where can I find some clothes that I can get dirty? I’m sure it’s a major sin to get blood on the robes.”

  Inari led me to a laundry. They had a few extra sets of plain tunics and pants that the infirmary workers wore.

  I worked in the infirmary
for two weeks, teaching the caregivers how to bandage wounds, clean cuts, set bones and how to recognize and use medicinal plants. I healed those who wouldn’t survive without my magic. And even though I returned to my room exhausted and sick every night, I felt happy that I was able to help others without the fear of being executed. If I wasn’t in a bad situation, I would be quite content to stay here. This was my future before the plague ruined it, healing people. Too bad I would never have an apprentice to show my scars to with pride.

  Also during that time, I half expected Kerrick to escape, arrive in my room and drag me away, claiming we wasted more precious time. While I didn’t care if we’d reach Ryne or not, my desire to leave increased each day.

  Not because of the effort to heal her people, but because I learned Estrid’s strict rules for a pure heart, which included no music, dancing or any form of entertainment. No lying, swearing or violence against fellow acolytes. Laughing was bad. Also, all unmarried women must be virgins or they were sent to the monastery in Chinska Mare to spend the rest of their lives praying for forgiveness. If it hadn’t been for the timely arrival of Inari, providing a distraction, Estrid’s Purity Priestess and her four goons would have had spread my legs and inspected me. Although I would have passed, I still shudder at how close I’d come to being examined.

  Noelle arrived in town at the end of the first week, but she refused to see me. Instead, she was assigned as Jael’s page. The magician delighted in taking Noelle under her wing. And Noelle went to great lengths to avoid me.

  When Estrid was satisfied that I was true to my word, she had two of her personal guard escort me to the jail early the next morning.

  Kerrick and his men each had their own cell. When I entered the block with my two guards, various expressions rippled through the guys. Loren and Quain didn’t bother to get up from their beds. An air of hopelessness surrounded them. Belen’s worried frown deepened. Flea jumped to his feet and hung on to the bars, grimacing. Kerrick’s gaze stayed wary.

  “About time you joined the party,” Quain said.

  “I see you’ve been lazing around here doing nothing for the past two weeks,” I said. “Unless there’s a tunnel you’ve dug hidden somewhere?”

  “I wish,” Flea said. “I’m so bored, hard physical labor sounds like fun.”

  “Well, then, gentlemen. Are you ready to go?” I asked.

  Their reaction was worth the collection of extra scars I’d earned in Estrid’s infirmary. The monkeys leaped from their beds. Flea whooped. Belen transformed back into happy Poppa Bear. However, Kerrick remained the same.

  My escorts unlocked the cells, returned all our possessions and led us outside. The guys reveled in the fresh air and sunshine.

  “We can stay in town until the passes melt,” I said to them. “We’ll be safe behind Estrid’s front line.”

  When we were a few blocks from the jail, Kerrick rounded on me. “This—” he gestured at the surroundings “—doesn’t come without a price. What did you promise Estrid?”

  He still didn’t trust me. I decided to let him sweat for a bit. “Let’s see. I promised her that Loren and Quain will babysit her granddaughter anytime. That Flea would give her soldiers lessons on how to pick pockets and that Jael can use you for target practice. I offered to keep Jael company for that one.”

  The others suppressed their grins, but Kerrick failed to find it amusing. “Avry,” he growled.

  “Lighten up, Kerrick,” I said. “I just spent two weeks teaching her medical staff how to care for their injured and in exchange she let us go. Actually, you benefit the most from all this.”

  “I find that hard to believe.”

  Anger boiled. “You shouldn’t. I swore an oath, and I’ve stuck to it all this time. But you’re right. There is a catch. If I heal Ryne, I’m to tell him Estrid wants to join forces with him to fight Tohon. Does that sound bad to you?” I didn’t wait for an answer. “No, it doesn’t. It sounds like an ideal situation. Happy, happy for everyone.”

  “Even you, Avry?” Belen asked.

  His concern doused my fury. “No. Not me.” I walked away, heading in no particular direction. Estrid was scared of Tohon. Kerrick, too. If Estrid, who enjoyed being in charge, was willing to make an alliance with Ryne, that weighed heavier in Ryne’s favor than all of Belen’s school stories.

  “Where are you going?” Kerrick asked.

  I stopped. The guys had followed me. “To find a tavern. I need a drink.”

  “Estrid has banned alcohol. She calls it the devil’s drink,” Loren said.

  Quain gasped. “We can’t stay here! The next thing you know, we’ll be wearing those red skirts and promising our souls to the creator.”

  “You’d look good in red, Quain. And you can show off those shapely legs,” Loren teased.

  “Estrid provided us with fresh provisions,” Kerrick said. “There’s plenty of daylight left. We’ll head north toward the Nine Mountains as planned.”

  The others looked at me, which didn’t make Kerrick happy. Although, as far as I knew, nothing made him happy. Having no interest in leading, I said to Kerrick, “Lead on.”

  We walked through the streets of Zabin. I noticed how the citizens who didn’t wear the robes kept their gazes on the ground. They hurried along as if afraid someone would stop them.

  Exiting the city, we followed the border road so named because it paralleled the border between Vyg and Pomyt. Without having to worry about Estrid’s soldiers, we could use the road and camp on the Pomyt side. Most of Vyg was still disputed territory.

  An hour outside Zabin, we encountered trouble. Kerrick cursed and pulled his sword, warning us before six horses broke from the forest. I yanked one of my throwing knives as everyone grabbed their weapons, but it didn’t matter. Jael led the ambush. No weapon could match her magic.

  Armed soldiers rode on the other five horses. And, as an added bonus, Noelle shared Jael’s mount. Sitting behind Jael, my sister wouldn’t meet my gaze, but she stared with a cold disgust at my companions.

  “Estrid was a fool to let you go,” Jael said. “Our army is more than capable of handling Tohon’s.”

  “Did you come all this way just to say goodbye?” Kerrick asked.

  “Oh, yes. This is goodbye,” Jael said. “Unlike Estrid, I’m not a fool. You’re too dangerous to leave alive.”

  “Estrid won’t be happy,” Kerrick said.

  “That’s why I’m not dragging the healer back with me. She’ll just squeal to the High Priestess, and I don’t want to tip my hand just yet.”

  “But you trust Avry’s sister?”

  “My little protégée has been surprisingly helpful. She’s also proving to be quite valuable and loyal. We agree on so many things.”

  Not good. Noelle finally met my gaze and I was the one to glance away. Pure joy over my imminent demise shone from her face. Not only had she changed, but she’d found another person to shadow.

  “You don’t need to kill my men,” Kerrick said.

  “And leave them to avenge your deaths? Didn’t you hear me when I said I wasn’t a fool? Goodbye, Kerrick, I’m afraid there’s no chance of us ever getting back together.”

  In desperation, I threw my knife at her, aiming for her neck. But the air thickened, stopping the weapon in midair. It dropped to the ground.

  Jael tsked, shaking her head at my lame attempt before a wall of air slammed into us, knocking us to the ground. When the wall retreated, it sucked all the breath from our lungs. This time Jael wasn’t playing around.

  Chapter 15

  Lying on the ground, I strained to draw a breath. Familiarity with this particular situation didn’t prevent my panic from rising, but knowing Belen and the others also suffered kept my fear from dominating.

  My healing magic
surged and fought to keep air in my lungs. Jael’s power pressed harder, but another magic tingled along the back of my hand. I looked to my left. Kerrick lay next to me with his arm outstretched. Jael either didn’t know about his forest magic or didn’t believe it would make a difference. On its own, it probably wouldn’t, but combined with mine…

  I grasped his hand and it felt as if I had just been struck by lightning. Instead of sharing my energy with him, he sent his to me. And, damn, the man was strong. The forest’s vast energy waited for me to tap into it. Air flowed back into my lungs as the healing power won the battle. I “healed” Kerrick and reversed the flow of energy, letting Kerrick tap into mine.

  Not quite understanding what had happened, Jael frowned at us. Suffocating six people required all of her strength, but now she only had four. And if we didn’t stop her soon, she would kill them.

  Keeping a grip on Kerrick’s hand, I grabbed one of my knives and flung it at her. It struck her upper arm. She yelped and I sent another into her thigh. The horse reared at the scent of blood. Noelle clutched Jael’s waist, but they remained in the saddle. My attack did break her concentration. Noisy gasps erupted behind me.

  Her soldiers drew their weapons. Kerrick dropped my hand in order to engage the soldiers while the others recovered. Heavy branches dropped from the trees above us, scaring the horses. Against five on horseback, Kerrick was holding his own. It was impressive, but I knew with the energy he spent he wouldn’t last. I wounded two of the soldiers. By then Belen, Loren and Quain joined in the battle.

  Although boastful, Jael’s claim of not being a fool proved accurate. She called for a retreat and the six horses galloped away.

  We cheered and congratulated ourselves until we realized Flea remained prone on the ground. He stared at the sky, but he wasn’t moving. I raced over to him. Blue lips, eyes vacant and the pasty pallor of the dead greeted me.

  I touched Flea’s slack face. No magic swelled from my core. “Kerrick,” I yelled.

  He knelt next to me and covered my hands with his. Magic flowed into me, but I couldn’t funnel it into Flea. I tried until exhausted. And I would have kept going, but Kerrick pulled me away. Healers couldn’t bring the dead back to life, but I had hoped just this once I could.