Bastial Energy (66 page)

He’d told them to ignore the Slugari nearby, seek out the ones farthest first, and then come back to intercept the rest. Doe put Paramar in charge of all the Slugari on one side of the breach while he took the other side. The five hundred Krepps split, half following Paramar, the other half following Doe.

But Doe didn’t realize how impossible it was for the Krepps to simply pass by thousands of fleeing Slugari. The amount of saliva Zeti’s mouth was producing as she tried to ignore their overwhelming scent was enough for a lifetime. As other Krepps around her began succumbing to their urge, so did she and Paramar. They shot, stabbed, and clawed, killing any way they knew how. The Slugari didn’t even fight back, just squealed in terror.

Before she even was aware what she’d done, her belly was so full of Slugari meat she could barely run. She even vomited but didn’t mind. The Slugari were endless, so she could fill her stomach once again. At least that’s what she’d thought.

But each time they came to a turn in the cavern, there were fewer Slugari than in the last room. The more they killed and ate, the farther the rest of the Slugari were ahead. Catching up soon became impossible.

They killed many more before finally reaching the maze and knew hundreds had to have escaped. They had failed Doe, directly disobeyed his order. Now, Paramar seemed as if he would rather die in a pitch black maze than face Doe, but Zeti wouldn’t let that happen, not if she could help it.

The quiet darkness, the uncertainty of whether she was going deeper into the maze or working her way out, the shame of dying because she was too stubborn to admit she’d made a mistake—she would rather face Doe, albeit only slightly.

Paramar ignored her, though, running his fingertips along the dirt instead. He was searching for a trail that might not even exist.

A sound caught her attention. She listened closer and realized it was footsteps, definitely not a Slugari. They had to be of another Krepp. Without pride stopping her, she shouted, “We’re lost in here! Zeti and Para—”

Paramar slapped a hand over her mouth, and complete silence followed. Whoever the footsteps belonged to moved no farther.

The light from the plant Paramar had picked outside the maze was dying even faster now. It must have been a fourth of what it was when they’d entered. The light it gave off wasn’t enough even to see whether someone was in the same hallway as them.

A voice surprised her. “Zeti?” he asked. “Did you say Zeti?”

A terrorizing chill stopped her from thinking, for she realized to whom the voice belonged. Paramar slowly lifted his hand from her mouth. Quietly, he pulled his sword from the sheath on his belt.

“Zeti, who else is with you? Is it Paramar?”

Zeti was too shocked to speak.

“Yes, I’m here,” Paramar said with angry disbelief. “How did you get by everyone?”

“A few hundred overstuffed, vomiting Krepps. It wasn’t impossible. Quite difficult, yes, but not impossible.”

“What about Doe?” Paramar asked. “Did you see him?”

“No, unfortunately, he wasn’t along the path I took from the other side of the cavern. He and I have a lot to discuss, but that’ll have to be the next time we meet…”

Silence.

Zeti took a step away from the direction of the voice but kept close to Paramar.

“Now, if I cross paths with you and Zeti in this maze, what will happen?” The footsteps picked up again. Neither Zeti nor Paramar gave an answer, just listened in silence.
He’s coming closer to us,
she realized by the sound of his feet.

Suddenly, light flooded into their hall from the left side of a fork ahead. The light brightened as the footsteps grew louder. His clawless, pale hand was the first to follow the light around the turn. It held another light-giving plant, much brighter than Paramar’s.

By the look of it, he couldn’t have been in the maze nearly as long as they had. When he brought the rest of his body into view, she was intrigued to find a smile on his face. She couldn’t remember the last time he’d smiled, if ever.

“So here we are,” Vithos said.

Zeti reached a hand toward her bow, but Paramar grabbed her by the wrist. “That won’t help,” he said. “Psyche would stop you before you drew an arrow.” He slid his sword back into its sheath.

As the three of them stared in silence, Zeti’s wits started returning.
I have questions for him,
she realized,
questions I never thought I’d get to ask.
Her heart beat harder against her chest as a nervous feeling swelled in her stomach. Paramar had let go of her wrist, and she replaced his grasp with her own hand. It brought some comfort to hold herself as she thought of what to say first. The most obvious question came to mind then.

“Where’s Zoke?”

“I don’t know. We had to separate, but he’s alive.”

A hurricane of questions swirled around her mind next, but as she thought of them, she realized they each had an answer she already knew.
Why didn’t he come back? Because he would have been killed as a traitor. How did he know that? He’s smart, must have figured it out. Does he miss me as much as I miss him? Paramar can’t hear me ask that.

“Has he said anything about me?”

“I have a very good memory.” Vithos paused for a slow breath but held his smile. “Not only do I remember the way out of this maze, I remember everything Zoke said about you. I remember everything he felt whenever he spoke of you. He would die before harming you, Zeti.”

Vithos confidently walked toward her as he spoke, reaching out his pale hand. “Come with me, and I’ll tell you everything. Even better, I’ll bring you to him. I may not know where he is at this moment, but I’ll find him again.”

The Elf was so close now that Paramar could’ve touched him with the end of his sword if it had still been drawn.

“He wants to see you, Zeti. I’m sure you want to see him as well. I know the feeling of being separated from your family for reasons outside of your control. I’ve known nothing to be worse, but I’ve also never known anything to make me stronger than the determination to be with them once again.”

Vithos was so steadfast it frightened her just to stand before him. If he needed to get by them he would, and just being in his way could be dangerous.

Her hands dropped to her sides as she began to consider the thought. It was pleasant to think of seeing Zoke again. She could feel hope—the same hope she thought would never return. But then she realized they would only have a few months together before the army of Krepps destroyed the Humans, and she and Zoke along with them.

Vithos turned to Paramar as Zeti pondered. “What about you, old friend? Will you join us?”

Paramar spat. “As much as I miss our jokes, I’m the most important Krepp of this tribe, and no joke can be better than Slugari meat.” He squeezed Zeti’s shoulder. “We’re staying. Tell us the way back. We’ll let you by.”

“
You’ll
let
me
by?” Vithos dramatically raised a thumb to point to his own face. “I thought
I
was letting
you
by.”

“No.” Paramar smiled. “And it’s just this once, friend. When I see you on the battlefield, I won’t be so nice.”

“I understand. We’ve picked our sides, haven’t we?” The Elf’s smile finally faded. “Although there’s something you should know about the Humans on your side, the ones in Tenred. They lied to you. Kyrro never knew where the Slugari are located. Only I knew that. You shouldn’t be so quick to join their side in battle. If they were desperate enough for war to deliver such a risky lie, can you imagine what else they might do? That kind of desperation is dangerous. Trust me on that.”

“How do we know you’re not lying?” Paramar asked.

Vithos held his chin. “I suppose you don’t.” He took a breath as he thought about it further. “Interesting, isn’t it? I can tell when others lie, but I have no way of proving
my
honesty. So the burden of truth falls on you. Trust me or not, I can’t force you into either decision. But it would be unwise to completely disregard what I’ve told you.”

Is it like Vithos to lie?
Zeti wondered.
Paramar would know.
She turned for a glimpse, but his face said nothing of his thoughts. It was still as usual, ready to smile or furrow in anger.

Vithos turned and reached out to her with an open palm. “Zeti? I don’t have any more time for this conversation. I’ll ask just once more. Are you certain you wish to stay with them?”

His eyes were longing, as if channeling Zoke. Vithos did it so well she almost could see her brother’s face within his. She even felt as if she was answering Zoke.

It made it infinitely harder for her to nod her head, but she did. While Zoke might not have had a choice, she did, and she wasn’t a traitor. It wasn’t time for her and Zoke, not yet.
Vithos will keep him safe, just as he did today. He’ll survive this war. Then we’ll be together. I can’t prove Father to be right about both of us. I have to see this through.

She knew then that her hope was there to stay.

Stronger than it all, though, was the thought of the Slugari meat waiting for her back in the cavern and Paramar’s hand squeezing down on her shoulder, holding her in place. Both of these things were more powerful than she was, she realized with bitter frustration.

Her side had been chosen, and she did not have the strength to change it, not then.

Chapter 66: Perception

CLEVE

Jessend Takary had taken Cleve and Rek straight to Gendock, nearly a ten-mile walk from their jail cells in Kyrro City. Cleve’s hands and feet were chained, but at least he had no reason to worry about being uncomfortably gagged like Rek, not that he had anything to say to Jessend or her guards.

He’d already asked her his only question of what the purpose was behind bringing him to Goldram, to which she’d simply replied, “I’ll tell you later” with her accent that made Cleve imagine her nibbling off dainty bites of crackers while holding a table napkin underneath to catch the crumbs. When he began to wonder why that image came to mind, he figured he’d always imagined that’s what queens and princesses did, and her accent made her sound like one.

And that’s precisely what she was—a princess. “Daughter to the King of Goldram,” she’d told him as they traveled.

It was one of many things she said about herself, always pausing to give Cleve a chance to reply, but he never did. Whenever she asked him a question that he didn’t answer, which was every question, she followed up with a playful smile. Sometimes she even guessed how he would answer if he’d spoken, adding at the end, “I’ll have you talking before we get on the boat.”

But they were at the boat now. Captain Mmzaza and the rest of her seamen, servants, and guards were close behind. It was Jessend’s choice to bring Cleve and Rek to the front to walk with her, and Cleve was thankful for the distance from Captain Mmzaza. Spending more than a day in the cell next to him had been enough for a lifetime, and now he was about to be stuck with him on a boat, taking orders.

“Did you know that Gendock was originally called Gen Takary’s Dock, for Gen Takary was the first of my family to come here from Goldram? He helped build this dock that we still use today over one hundred and fifty years later,” Jessend rambled.

Rek was nodding, half like he knew, half like he was about to fall asleep from boredom.

“I’ll answer any of your questions if you answer just one of mine,” Cleve replied.

Her head sank with a dramatic sigh. “Fine, you wore me out with your silence. I’ll tell you why you’re coming, although you should be thankful. If it wasn’t for me, you’d still be in that prison cell. You’re one lucky man, Cleve Polken, for I’ve chosen you to marry me.”

“What?” He gagged for a breath, choking on nothing. She took his hand, and his heart leapt into his strangled throat.

She giggled. “Don’t fret, that’s not the only reason you’re coming.” She used an overly cute tone. “There’s far more in store for you than frolicking about our palace with Takary at the end of your name. We have many uses for a warrior like you.”

“I find it hard to believe there isn’t a man more suited for you in all of Goldram,” Cleve said.

She giggled again. “You’re funny. I like that.”

“No, I’m not,” he grumbled. Never before had anyone called him funny. It only deepened the thought that she must see some side of him that didn’t exist. “You don’t want to marry me. I wouldn’t be a good husband.” Just using the words
“I” and “husband” in the same sentence made him feel like he was speaking for someone else.

“I see no ring. You’re not already married, right?” she asked with some of her glee dropping from her voice.

Not once had he thought of marriage. Not once, not ever. It was too strange to be asked if he was married already. Some part of him wondered if she could be asking Rek, but Cleve knew better. She stood close to him, staring. Nearly a foot shorter, her eyes looked up with steady confidence.

“No,” he finally answered, his thoughts turning to Reela.

“Good. I was almost married, two times in fact.” She started to say another word but let a slow breath of air end her sentence instead. It seemed as if she was hinting at something sinister.