Taste of Darkness Page 9

Flea stood. “I don’t think so. I moved him this afternoon, and then you came.”

  A bit of good news. “Stay here with him tonight. I’ll bring back a dose of fever powder to make him more comfortable before I leave.”

  “Leave? Where are you going?”

  “To find a Peace Lily.”

  * * *

  I debated between speed and safety. The man had a few more days until he experienced stage-three symptoms, and the monkeys would never forgive me if I left without them. Safety won. I fetched the fever powder, soap, and a water bucket for Flea before finding my friends. Despite the late hour, Loren and Quain hadn’t gone to sleep. They waited for me by the hearth.

  “What’s going on?” Quain demanded.

  “Is Flea all right?” Loren asked.

  “He’s fine. There’s a very sick patient that needs care,” I said.

  “So why all the secrecy?” Quain asked.

  I lowered my voice. “He has the plague.”

  “Flea!”

  “Shh, Quain. Not Flea. The patient.”

  Loren wilted and rubbed his face. “Not this again.”

  “Not if I can help it.”

  “The healers couldn’t stop it before,” Loren said. “And you’re not sacrificing your life again.”

  “I’ve an idea.” I explained about the Peace Lily serum.

  Quain jumped to his feet. “Let’s go.”

  “What about Flea? Will he get sick, too?” Loren asked.

  “No.” I smiled as they both accepted my answer without question. “Bring your packs, it might take us a couple days to find a Peace Lily.” The map wasn’t as accurate in this area and the Death Lily had only shown me its flowers.

  “Should we clear it with someone?” Quain asked.

  “I don’t need permission to take care of my patients.”

  “And when Prince Ryne learns you left the infirmary with just us for protection, he’ll have a fit.” Loren rolled up his blanket.

  “I don’t care.”

  “Avry.” Loren gave me his don’t-be-stupid look. He usually aimed it at Quain, so I must be acting unreasonable.

  “All right. I’ll talk to the person in charge of the infirmary’s security. Do you know—”

  “Lieutenant Macon,” Odd said, joining us. He eyed our packs. “And I can guarantee he won’t let you leave with just two protectors.”

  “We managed with just Hogan,” I challenged.

  “And a dozen Lilys.”

  True. And if we ran into an enemy patrol, I didn’t want Quain or Loren to be harmed or captured. Actually, I wanted them and Flea in a safe place like Alga Realm with Kerrick’s brother. But they’d just refuse.

  “Wait here, I’ll talk to him.” Muttering under his breath, Odd strode away.

  “Do we want to dash while Odd is distracting the L.T.?” Quain asked.

  “Tempting, but Cellina is after Avry. And while we can easily handle a dozen...” Loren gave us a wry smile. “If she sent her dead-ufa pack after us, we’d be—”

  “Snack food,” Quain finished.

  Odd returned. “You can go as long as my squad goes with you. Let me guess, you want to leave now.”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll go wake them up. This had better be important.”

  “It is.”

  Odd’s gaze met mine for a long moment. He nodded. “Give us a couple.”

  While Odd roused his men, I consulted the Lily map. East would be the ideal direction to avoid any nasty encounters with the enemy. According to the map, a cluster of Lilys grew a day’s walk roughly northeast.

  It seemed as if hours had passed before Odd and his squad were ready. I led them into the forest surrounding the cave. We all went silent and the odd squad practically melted into the darkness. A half-moon shone enough light so we didn’t stumble.

  Odd stayed by my side. “Are you going to tell me what this is about?”

  “It’s for a patient.”

  “And it couldn’t wait for morning?”

  “Yes, it could, but I like to bother everyone and drag them out of bed.”

  “Okay, dumb question. Give me a break, I’m tired.”

  “Sorry. Thank you for coming along.”

  Odd grunted.

  “I should warn you,” I said.

  “This ought to be good.”

  “You’re not going to get much sleep in the next two days. A man’s life is at stake.”

  “Yeah, I figured. I’m not that tired. Lead on, boss lady.”

  Boss lady? That was new. Was Odd being sarcastic? Or just being...well, Odd? He kept pace with me, moving with easy, graceful strides. No signs of tension. I relaxed.

  No one said much as the sun rose and traveled across the sky. I spent most of the trip to the Peace Lilys mulling over a number of scenarios. If the Lily gave me its serum, should I inject it all? Or a portion? If the serum killed my patient, would my touch bring him back to life? What if the Lily refused? Tohon had harvested the serum using his life magic, stealing it from the Peace Lilys. Those he injected it into had remained dead, but the serum preserved their bodies, preventing them from decaying. One thing I did know, I wouldn’t steal from the Lily.

  We reached the cluster of four Lilys a few hours after sunset. In the cooling air, I smelled the familiar scent of vanilla. None of them moved or hissed as I approached. They were all Peace Lilys.

  This might be harder than I’d thought. The single time I’d communicated with a Peace Lily had been after Noelle died. I’d attacked the plant when it refused to save my sister. Remembering the vision of Tohon placing his hands on the base of the Peace Lily’s flower, I copied him. Smooth and thick, the white petal was cool under my palms.

  Nothing happened.

  I concentrated on why I needed its serum, forming a picture of the dying patient in my mind. Suddenly the petals parted and I lurched forward as my right hand disappeared into the heart of the plant.

  Barbs circled my wrist, jabbing into my skin. Ice flowed into my arm, up my shoulder and stabbed into my head.

  One only. Learn, it said.

  Then it released me, expelling my hand. I fell back. Odd and Loren pulled me to my feet.

  “Well?” Loren asked.

  I relaxed my grip. A single grape-size blue ball rested in the center of my palm. Except for the smaller size and color, it resembled the Death Lily toxin’s sack—squishy and durable.

  “That’s good, right?” Quain asked.

  “I’m not sure.” Remembering the Lily’s words, I examined it. Learn what?

  “When will you know?” Odd asked.

  “When I see the results. Let’s go.”

  “No can do,” Odd said. “My men are exhausted. We need a few hours of sleep or we’ll be stumbling into things and making a racket.”

  I glanced around. His men had built a small campfire. A few huddled around it and a couple already snoozed nearby. Loren and Quain drooped with fatigue, too, but they’d never admit it.

  “All right. Four hours max. You can sleep as long as you like when we return.”

  Odd left to organize a watch schedule. I placed the serum in an outside pocket of my pack. Unable to resist the lure of a warm fire, I joined the others. Wrapping my cloak tighter around me, I settled next to flickering flames, using my pack as a pillow. I’d just rest my eyes for a moment.

  “How’s that for proof, my dear?” Tohon asked as he led me around the dance floor.

  I wore the green silk gown with the plunging neckline and open back. The heat from Tohon’s fingers seared my skin, but I couldn’t break away from him. Music filled the air like a mist, swirling around us.

  “Proof of what?” I asked.

  “That part of me resides
in you. Why else did the Peace Lily open for you?”

  “I needed—”

  “It doesn’t care. You placed your hands in the exact same spot I did and it worked. Proof.”

  “But it gave me its sack, I didn’t steal it.”

  “Trivial details, my dear. And not worth ruining our evening over.” Tohon increased his pace, twirling me in circles.

  The other dancers blurred by. When Tohon finally stopped, we stood in the garden. My head kept spinning. Tohon hooked his arm in mine and walked me along the stone paths. When my vision cleared, I noticed the once-manicured bushes and plants were now overgrown and wild. Weeds grew everywhere.

  Tohon tsked. “Such a shame. Look what happens when the gardener is gone.”

  “Kerrick’s not gone.”

  “Then where is he, my dear?”

  Cold drops struck my face. Water ran along my jaw. The sound of sizzling matched the steady shushing of rain. I groaned and opened my gluey eyes. The others stirred, as well. Darkness remained. Smoke billowed from the wet embers.

  “Ah, the joys of camping,” Quain said. “Waking up in a puddle.”

  “Yeah, sure, it’s a puddle,” Loren teased.

  “Grow up.” Quain pulled his hood over his bald head.

  “I’m not the one with the puddle.”

  “That’s enough, gentlemen,” I said. Every muscle in my body ached. I clambered to my feet. Rain dripped into my eyes. I yanked my hood up. Icy water splashed down my neck. Lovely.

  “Welcome to the rainy season,” Odd said. He swung his cloak around his broad shoulders.

  Quain peered into the dark sky. “I told you the weather last year was unusually dry.”

  “And how does that help us now?” Loren asked.

  I ignored their bickering. My thoughts returned to my nightmare as Odd gathered his squad and prepared to leave. Tohon’s magic couldn’t be inside me. Could it? No. I’d never heard of such a thing. Then again, that shouldn’t be a surprise; my knowledge of the other eleven types of magic was limited. Perhaps it was mentioned in Ryne’s book about the various magical powers. I’d have to ask the next time I saw him.

  The rain continued as we traveled back to the infirmary. The darkness turned into a grayness. The sound of raindrops striking the leaves interfered with our efforts to match the noise of our passage with the forest’s song. We stopped often to listen for intruders or signs of an ambush. At each stop, I touched the greenery without thought, seeking Kerrick’s magic. Nothing.

  While I understood the need to be cautious, my frustration over our slow speed grew as the day progressed.

  It was close to midnight when we arrived. I grabbed a few supplies and headed to Yuri’s cavern, ordering the others to remain behind. Flea slept on his bedroll, blocking the entrance.

  He woke the instant I stepped over him. “Did you find a Peace Lily?”

  “Yes, and it gave me its serum.” I placed everything on the floor so I could take off my dripping cloak and toss it into a corner with a wet plop.

  “Do you think it’ll work?”

  I pulled the blue sack from my pack. Was there even enough inside to save the patient? “I’m not...sure.”

  “Then talk it through. That always helps me.” He flashed me his lopsided grin.

  “Okay. If I inject this serum into Yuri, it’ll do one of two things. It will accelerate the disease and kill him. Then I revive him with a touch. Hopefully.”

  “And the other?”

  “It will cure him.”

  “Why would you think that?”

  I explained the link between the plague and Death Lily toxin.

  “So you think since Death counters Peace, it’ll work in reverse?”

  “Yes.”

  “What happens if Yuri dies and you can’t bring him back to life?”

  “Nothing. He’ll be gone.”

  “Which will eventually happen regardless.” Flea gazed at the sleeping man. “We should ask Yuri first.”

  “Is he lucid?”

  “At times. He knows he has the plague. I thought it only fair to tell him.”

  “You’re right. And we should ask for his permission to try the serum.”

  Flea woke Yuri. The young man’s gaze jumped from Flea to me and back as we explained my theories. It was a lot of information to absorb.

  When we finished, he closed his blue eyes for a moment. Then he looked at me. “Go ahead and do it. It’s my only chance to live.”

  I picked up the syringe, poked the needle into the blue sack, and drew all the clear liquid into the reservoir. Tapping it, I expelled the air bubbles. Yuri’s gaze never left me. He held his right arm out. Flea stood on the other side of the bed, holding Yuri’s hand.

  A drop of serum hung from the end of the needle as I approached. I ran my fingers along the inside of his arm, seeking the best spot.

  Learn. The Lily’s comment came unbidden. I stopped as another scenario popped into my mind. Was the serum for me? Was I supposed to heal Yuri, die from the plague again and be revived by Flea’s touch?

  Of all the options that one made the most sense. Had the best chance of working. Had worked before.

  Why hadn’t I considered it prior to this moment? Was it because it would take me twenty days to die and the pain during those last three would be the worst I’d ever experienced? Oh, yes.

  I met Yuri’s confused gaze. Could I endure the plague again? Should I? Others needed me as well as this young man. And we had to rescue Estrid and her staff in two days.

  “What’s wrong, Avry?” Flea asked.

  “I figured out what I’m supposed to do.”

  “That’s great. Right?” Flea’s brow crinkled.

  Not so great. Now I needed to decide if I should.

  KERRICK

  Kerrick suppressed a sigh and invited Ryne to get comfortable. No matter how much he wanted to catch up to Avry, Ryne needed to know.

  They built a small fire and sat on opposite sides as if negotiating a treaty. The guards fanned out in a wide circle around them. Kerrick explained waking in the forest and his new limitations. “That’s why I couldn’t go inside. I still don’t have enough energy to leave for long.”

  Ryne hadn’t said anything during his story. Now he leaned back against a tree trunk. “That’s...quite a story. Avry was right again. Good thing she’s not the type to gloat.”

  The warmth in Ryne’s voice raised Kerrick’s hackles. “Why did you bring her to HQ when she’s needed at the infirmary?”

  Ryne told him about the Lilys. “She completely disregarded my orders and put my men in danger, but I couldn’t yell at her because she discovered vital information. Do you know how frustrating that is?”

  Oh, yes, Kerrick was well acquainted with Avry’s inability to follow directions. “I’ve found the best way to work with her is to explain the situation. She’ll figure out the best way to approach it and you avoid the whole ‘ordering her around’ thing.”

  “I’ve learned that the hard way.”

  Kerrick laughed at Ryne’s martyred expression. “What was the vital information?”

  “Cellina sent troops to our north. She was doing a classic backdoor sneak, but once word of the...incident with Avry reaches her she might change tactics. Regardless of her plans, I need to protect our flank, which means we had to change the attack on Zabin to a distraction and rescue.” He continued outlining his plans.

  “Wait? You’re sending Flea and Avry to rescue Estrid?”

  “Do you have another idea? I’m open to suggestions,” Ryne snapped.

  Kerrick waited.

  “Sorry. I don’t like it, either, but I’ve no choice.” Ryne lowered his voice. “I need Estrid. My army is small and we’re scrambling to stay in this. Without her force
s, it’s just a matter of time until we’re forced back over the Nine Mountains.”

  Not good. A stray thought struck Kerrick. Would he be able to cross the Nine Mountains? Forests grew between the ridges, but the peaks were bare. He might never see his home again. Refusing to dwell on those thoughts, Kerrick focused on the problem at hand—keeping Avry and Flea safe.

  “What if I send a message to Noak asking for aid?” Kerrick asked.

  “Noak? The leader of the northern tribes?”

  “Well, technically, his sister, Rakel’s, in charge, but he leads their warriors.”

  “Do you think he’ll come?” Ryne asked.

  “I’ve no idea if he will help. It wasn’t too long ago he wished to slaughter our entire population, but Danny did save his people. We won’t know unless we ask.”

  Ryne asked Kerrick to write a message. “I’ll send someone tonight.” Then he sobered. “I can’t count on him, so I’ll need to go forward with the plan to rescue Estrid.”

  “When is the attack?” Kerrick asked.

  “Two days from now.”

  It would take Kerrick four days to walk there. “Do you have any horses?”

  “No. Big noisy creatures aren’t good for guerrilla-warfare tactics.”

  Too bad Kerrick had sent Oya back to the northern tribes. He’d have to find another horse.

  “I know you want to catch up with Avry and Flea. Then what?” Ryne asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “With your forest magic, you’re my best scout. You can get past enemy lines and I really need accurate information on where Cellina’s forces are.”

  “I’d rather stay with Avry.” If she wanted him. Kerrick worried she’d distance herself from him in order to avoid getting hurt again.

  “I’ve two of my best squads guarding the infirmary. Once Estrid’s rescued, Avry won’t be in any more danger.”

  Kerrick just stared at his friend.

  “She shouldn’t be in danger, but... Yeah, we both know it’ll find her.” Ryne rubbed his hand along the stubble on his chin. “It’s up to you. I won’t order you to return. But think about this....” He paused as if debating what to tell Kerrick.

  Kerrick braced for bad news. “Think about what?”