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  I yanked Belen’s shirt up. His stomach resembled a ball after a dog chewed on it. It was amazing Belen had lasted this long. The rank odor of blood, stomach acid and feces wafted off of him. Kerrick stifled a cough.

  Lightly rubbing my hand over the wounds, I let my power seek how deep his injuries were. Deep. His intestines had been damaged, his stomach torn. If I healed him, there was more than a good chance I wouldn’t live through it.

  I settled back on my heels, considering.

  “Well?” Kerrick asked.

  I turned and looked at him. He might argue and disagree with Belen, but I knew Kerrick cared for his friend.

  “Whose life is more important? Belen’s or Prince Ryne’s?”

  His expression hardened. “Why are you asking?”

  “Because if I heal Belen I may not survive and you’ll have to find another healer for Prince Ryne.”

  Understanding brought pain. I stared at Kerrick, knowing I was being cruel to ask him to choose between them, but not caring.

  “You might not survive? What are the odds?” he asked.

  “I’d give myself a fifty percent chance of living.” More like ten percent, but I wanted Kerrick to choose.

  I waited as a range of emotions flashed. He had such good control, no wonder he exploded when he lost his temper. While he weighed the risks, I sent my magic into Belen’s wounds, flooding them. Yet I kept my gaze on Kerrick.

  His decision hurt him deeply. “Don’t heal Belen,” he said in a low voice. “It’s too risky.”

  Wow. I hadn’t expected that. I thought for sure he’d choose Belen over Ryne. I drew my magic back inside me.

  “Go,” Kerrick ordered. “I’ll stay with him until…” His voice broke.

  I left quickly. Pain stabbed deep into my stomach, blood ran down, soaking my waistband. I made it to the small fire before I collapsed. My muscles felt as if they’d been shredded and I couldn’t breathe. Now I know why Tara never talked about the Realm wars, and when she healed the warriors near the border. It was an experience like no other.

  The pain increased as acid leaked from my pierced stomach and burned my flesh. My magic fought to heal the damage, but it wasn’t fast enough. There would be no recovery from this one. I had no regrets. Belen deserved to live.

  Shouts. Curses. A buzz of noise. Flea beside me. His mouth moved, but I couldn’t hear a word he said. The edges of my vision blurred. Black and white spots swirled, turning the world into a chaotic snowstorm. I reached out blindly, clasped a warm hand, faded from life and into peace.

  Well, that was what was supposed to happen. Waking in the blissful afterlife, joining all my loved ones who had died before me. Except an annoying, distracting tug kept pulling and yanking. Pain lingered in that direction. Hurt and anger and harsh words waited on that side. I resisted, but damn it all to hell, I wasn’t strong enough.

  When I woke, I thought I had overcome the pull and stayed in the afterlife. Whiteness billowed over me in soft waves. My body was cushioned and cocooned in warmth. I stretched my legs and then tried to raise my arms, but my left arm wouldn’t budge. Rolling over, I encountered a number of very unpleasant realities.

  I was alive. I was in a room. I was naked except for a bloodstained bandage wrapped tight around my stomach. Kerrick lay beside me. And his hand trapped mine.

  Kill. Me. Now.

  The only saving grace—he was asleep. I glanced around, searching for my clothes. No luck. Figures. Hiding them was an excellent way to prevent me from running away.

  I studied him, wondering if I would wake him if I tried to free my hand. Asleep, he looked four or five years younger—around twenty-five or twenty-six. The harsh lines were gone. His nose was a little too hawklike for my taste, but it worked well with his sharp chin. His eyebrows were on the thicker side, but at least they were smooth and not creased together, which they did every time he looked at me. Plus they matched his long eyelashes.

  I remembered my little brother, Allyn, had appeared so innocent and angelic when he slept—similar to Kerrick. It must be a survival tactic. If Allyn hadn’t looked so sweet, we would have killed him while he slept. He had been pure evil when he was awake—similar to Kerrick.

  Not pure evil, but close. At least as far as my brother was concerned. Kerrick, on the other hand—pure evil.

  Thinking of my brother, I smiled. Allyn had a rare gift of talking his way out of trouble. I dearly hoped he had survived the plague along with Noelle and my mother. I wish I knew where they were. A wave of loneliness rolled through me. As I told Belen, I knew right where my older brother, Criss, and Father were—buried under a million pounds of rock. At least they died quick. Unlike the plague victims. Some of them took two weeks to succumb. Fourteen days of pain and the knowledge that their life would end.

  Jerking my thoughts back to my present problems, I decided to extract my hand from Kerrick’s. He woke the instant I moved my fingers.

  I froze, waiting for his anger. I had disobeyed his order. I almost died healing Belen.

  He studied me and I wanted to pull the covers over my head. After all, someone had to remove my clothing. When he moved, I flinched, causing him to pause for a moment.

  Why wasn’t he yelling at me? The anticipation was worse than his fury.

  But he sat on the edge of the bed with his back to me. He didn’t have a shirt on or an ounce of fat—just lean, hard muscles. At least he wore pants.

  Without saying a word, he left my room. I stared at the closed door in shock. I expected a lecture. I expected punishment for my actions.

  Not one to let an opportunity pass me by, I slid out of bed and searched for my clothes or any piece of clothing. At this point I’d wear whatever I could find. Nothing. I wrapped the sheet around me and tested the window. The shutters had been latched, but they opened without trouble. My room was on the second floor, facing a forest. Perfect, I could climb down the drainpipe. In a sheet? I laughed. It could be worse.

  Someone knocked on my door. I closed the shutters and dove into bed just as a woman with pure white hair bustled into my room.

  “Glory be. Mr. Kerrick was right. So happy to see you awake. Oh, you had us all so worried, you did.” She carried a bundle in her arms. Dropping it on the bed she hustled over to the windows and flung open the shutters. “Get dressed and I’ll fetch you some vittles. You must be starved. A skinny little thing like you, going days without food.” She tsked, heading for the door.

  “Days?” I squeaked. “How many?”

  “Four or five. The boys brought you in.”

  “Where am I?”

  “In Mengels, dearie.” With a wave she disappeared as fast as she had arrived.

  From the amount of time we’d spent traveling, I’d thought we’d gone farther than Mengels. Oh, well. Not my problem. I fingered the clothing the woman had left. A long dark green skirt with a thin pattern of tiny light yellow flowers, growing as if on a vine. A light yellow tunic, some undergarments and black wool leggings. With no other options, I dressed, hoping my own clothes would show up soon.

  Catching my reflection in the mirror, I stared at the strange woman on the other side of the glass. My hair had grown to my shoulders. The dark auburn roots a stark comparison to my dyed-blond strands. It stuck up on one side and was matted flat on the other. I combed my fingers through and realized my hair was clean. Who had washed it?

  Curious, I lifted my tunic and pulled the bandage down, inspecting my stomach. Ugly reddish-purple circular scars peppered the skin along with burn marks from the acid. I remembered when Tara had shown me her scars, noting each one was a source of pride and not censure. Since I had been an apprentice, I only had one scar from when I healed Noelle. Now, I had the ones from Belen.

  The woman returned with a tray. I hurried to cover myself
. She exclaimed over my clothes. “Yours were ruined. That nasty boar tore it to shreds. The boys did a nice job picking out the right size for you. Your boots are below.” She set the tray down and pulled a chair over. “I’ll bring them up, but a nice girl like you should wear something more…feminine. I can send Melina out?”

  “No. Thank you, Ms....”

  “Call me Mom. Everyone does. When you stay at the Lamp Post Inn, I take care of you, just like your own mother.”

  “Thank you, Mom.”

  “You’re very welcome. I’m so glad you lived. Frankly, when Mr. Kerrick brought you in, I was about to call the undertaker. It’s a miracle you survived.” Mom shooed me into the chair.

  At least she didn’t suspect I was a healer. My stomach grumbled as I smelled the food. The tray held a bowl of steaming soup and a hunk of bread and cheese.

  “Don’t wolf it down or it’ll come up just as quick.” Mom hovered until I started eating. “I’ll be back in a bit. We’ll do something about your hair.”

  I tucked a lock behind my ear. “What’s wrong…?” But she had left. Other questions came to mind, but I enjoyed the meal and the solitude. I’d been on my own for three years, and grown used to quiet. Now I’d been with Kerrick’s men for the past twenty-five days at least. Probably more.

  Mom returned with my boots, two bottles, towels, scissors and a helper carrying a washbasin and large pitcher. Mom called the young girl Melina and she looked to be around Flea’s age. She filled the basin with water, and waited for orders.

  I stood. “You don’t need—”

  “Mr. Kerrick wants your hair one color so you don’t stand out so much.”

  Mr. Kerrick could kiss my ass. I tried to be stubborn, but Mom didn’t bat an eye. She handled me as easily as a pouting two-year-old. Before I could even protest, she had me just where she wanted with my head in the basin.

  “Auburn or blond?” she asked me.

  “No orders from Mr. Kerrick?”

  She ignored my sarcasm. “He said he preferred your natural color, but you could decide.”

  Gee, what a swell guy.

  “The reddish brown sets off your beautiful sea-green eyes better,” Mom said. “But if you choose blond, I’ll give you the dye so you can do your roots.”

  I imagined trying to touch up my hair while camping in the Nine Mountains and almost laughed aloud. “My natural color is fine.”

  It was sort of nice to be fussed over. After Mom dyed my hair to match my roots, Melina trimmed the ends with the scissors. My hack job had grown in uneven.

  When they were finished, Mom stepped back. “Much, much better, my dear. You look lovely. The boys won’t recognize you.”

  Good. Maybe I could escape for real this time.

  “I’ll fetch them,” Mom said, dashing any hope. “They’ve been pestering to visit, but I wouldn’t let them until you were decent.”

  Her comment reminded me of one of my questions. “Was it you, er…did you…?”

  “Not to worry. Me and Melina took off those bloody clothes and did what we could for you. There were a few scary nights where I swore we would lose you, but Mr. Kerrick stayed by your side all night.”

  That explained the annoying tug. Kerrick couldn’t even let me rest in peace. But as much as I would like to blame him for keeping me from the afterlife, earth magicians didn’t have any healing magic.

  “Thank you, Mom, and thank you, too, Melina.”

  Melina blushed prettily. After they left, I shoved my feet into my boots and strode to the window. My cloak and knapsack were still missing, but I could—

  The door banged open and Loren, Flea and Quain charged me. I backed away until I realized they wore smiles and appeared to be happy to see me.

  “Told you she’d live,” Loren said. “You owe me fifteen silvers.”

  “You said ‘in no time.’ I believe it took her five days to recover. That’s not ‘in no time,’” Quain protested.

  Flea beamed at me. “Wow, you look like…a girl!”

  Belen plowed through them all, knocking them aside. He wrapped me in a tight hug, lifting me off the ground.

  “Easy, Belen. My ribs…”

  He set me gently down. “Avry, why did you risk your life for me? Kerrick ordered you not to heal me. You suffered for days! You shouldn’t have done it.”

  The room grew quiet. I spotted Kerrick near the doorway.

  “Belen, I decide who I heal. Me. Not Kerrick. Not you. Not anyone. It’s my decision. The only one I have left.” I put my hand on his cheek. “You deserved to be saved. I had no doubts.”

  He covered my hand with his own, pressing it against his face. “Thank you.”

  “Anytime.” And I meant it.

  Mom entered. “You’ve visited. Now shoo! We don’t want her to have a relapse.”

  Everyone filed out except Kerrick. Mom crossed her arms, waiting. Kerrick didn’t move. She sighed with such exasperation, I couldn’t keep from smiling. But after warning Kerrick not to tire me, Mom left, taking my good humor with her. Kerrick closed the door behind her and faced me.

  Here we go. Time for the lecture. I braced for his recriminations.

  “Did I see you actually smile?” he asked.

  Thrown, I stared at him.

  “I know you can smile,” he said, as if we were having a pleasant conversation. “You gave that little girl one even after her family turned you in to the town watch. Why?”

  I stammered a moment before I collected my wits. “It wasn’t her fault her father turned me in. She’s a delightful child and I was glad to see her well.”

  “Even though it almost led to your execution?”

  “The two aren’t connected. I decided to heal her. I took the risk of being captured. It was my fault.”

  “I see.”

  I didn’t. What game was Kerrick playing now?

  “We’re leaving Mengels a few hours before dawn.” He gestured to the bed. “I suggest you enjoy the comforts while you can. We won’t be overnighting at an inn again.”

  “You’re still planning on taking me to Prince Ryne?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can you?” I asked.

  He bristled. “You haven’t escaped.”

  Not yet. “That isn’t what I meant. Mercs and bounty hunters are searching for me. They almost succeeded and Belen almost died. Can you really escort me to your prince without losing more of your men or me? Forty golds is a fortune to these people.”

  “Almost succeeded isn’t succeeding. If you remember, we rescued you. Again.”

  “And killed all those men. Even the magic sniffer, he’s—”

  “Working for the enemy. If I didn’t kill them, they would attack us another time.”

  “But there are more to take their place. You haven’t neutralized the source. As long as Tohon of Sogra dangles those forty golds, they’ll just keep chasing us like ufas after fresh meat. Eventually, someone’s going to succeed.”

  Kerrick’s gaze turned contemplative. “What are you suggesting?”

  I hadn’t realized I was. But as I chased the logic, I knew what should be done. “That we find out why Tohon wants me. Maybe if you turn me in—”

  “That’s insane. I don’t need—”

  “Not for the money. If you turn me in, then there’s no reason for the mercs or hunters to chase us anymore. We can learn why Tohon wants me alive. Maybe he’s like you, and wishes me to heal a sick friend or loved one. I could heal that person and then we won’t be bothered.”

  “And if there’s another reason he wants you alive?”

  “Then we escape. You have your earth magic.”

  “Won’t work. I’m a forest mage not an earth magician
. It’s a common mistake. My magic is a gift from the living essence of the forest. Tohon lives in the Sogra castle. I can’t do a thing surrounded by stone and dirt. Besides, I doubt Tohon cares enough for another to offer forty golds to save his or her life.”

  “You know him?” I asked.

  “Unfortunately. Why do you think he’s put a bounty on the healers?”

  “I figured he lost someone to the plague and held a grudge against us.”

  “No. He knows Ryne is sick and only a healer can save him. He wants the prince to die.”

  So did I, but I wouldn’t go to such extremes. “Why?”

  “Ryne is the only one who can stop Tohon.”

  Chapter 7

  “Stop Tohon from what?” I asked Kerrick.

  “From turning the Fifteen Realms into his own personal kingdom.”

  Not what I expected. “First, one man can’t change or stop anything. And second, why would Tohon’s attempt be bad? In case you missed it, our world has fallen apart. Peace throughout the Realms would be a step in the right direction.”

  Kerrick shook his head. “You’ve been in hiding so long, you’ve no idea what’s really going on. Tohon is not trying to help the plague survivors. He’s gathering them into an army so he can invade all those towns that have managed to reform. Towns like Jaxton. All so his army can grow. And if his forces encounter anyone who refuses to join, they kill him or her. Tohon is…mentally unstable, and for him to be king of all…would be a living nightmare.”

  “Why do you think only Ryne can stop him? Why not raise your own army?” I asked.

  “Because Ryne is a brilliant strategist, and has outsmarted Tohon before.”

  I huffed in disbelief. “Probably because Ryne and Tohon are both megalomaniacs.” I realized my mistake when Kerrick’s entire body stiffened. Expecting him to lose his temper, I stepped back.

  Instead, he said in a flat monotone, “We’re going to cross the Nine Mountains. I suggest you get some rest while you can.”

  I tried again. “We’ve been traveling for over twenty-five days and we’ve only reached Mengels. Do you really think we can get to the Nine Mountains?”