Taste of Darkness (An Avry of Kazan Novel - Book 3) (26 page)

CHAPTER 16

I stared at Noak, trying to gather my wits. He’d just informed me that I was bonded to Tohon and in order to break the bond, Tohon must die. I’d love to oblige him, but Tohon was safely behind enemy lines.

“What will happen if he doesn’t die?” I asked.

“Without Magic Man here, the other’s bond grows stronger. He will destroy your link with Magic Man.”

Not good. Terrifying actually. But it would explain why I didn’t have the Tohon nightmares when I was with Kerrick.

“He must die before link with Magic Man gone,” Noak said.

“Even if I knew where he was—”

“You know.” Noak tapped me on the chest. “Answer is here.”

Lovely. “But I can’t reach him. He’s well protected.”

“Then you are lost.” Noak released my hand.

“What does that mean?”

“Once a bond is forged, it is unbreakable.”

Yikes. “What does this bond do?”

“You linked by magic. You can use his power and he can use yours if you equal. Unequal, the stronger one will take the weaker’s magic and use it all for himself.”

Noak studied my expression. “Yes. That one is stronger than you and Magic Man.” He nodded and walked away.

I expected to warm up once the tribesman left, but this time the cold persisted, soaking deep into my bones. Even knowing I’d get no sleep tonight, I lay down on my bedroll. I pulled the blanket up to my chin. Shivers raced along my skin as I imagined Tohon’s smug smile.

After tossing and turning for what seemed like hours, I jerked the blanket off and checked on my patients. Only one required another dose of pain medicine. The rest slept. I organized supplies, rolled bandages, and kept busy until dawn.

Christina took one look at me and ordered me to bed.

“But I’m—” I tried.

“Exhausted and will be of no use to anybody until you get some sleep.” She crossed her arms. “Do I need to ask Sergeant Odd to escort you to your bedroll?”

About to give in, I paused. “Why Odd and not Loren or Quain?”

“You listen to him. Unlike the monkeys. Now go.” She pointed.

All out of arguments, I shuffled to my bedroll. Before going to sleep, I checked on the plague patients. A convulsion shook Private Jannes. He had reached stage three and only had two more days left to live. Two of the most hellish days in his life. I’d experienced what he now faced and knew dying would be a relief. I mixed a draught of pain and sleep powders for him, hoping to ease his final hours.

After Jannes gulped the medicine down, I eyed the sleep powder. If I drank a weak dose, would it keep Tohon away? Or would it prevent me from waking up and escaping Tohon?

And then an idea popped into my head. Noak had said I knew where to find Tohon in my heart. What if that worked for other information? Would Tohon know what Cellina’s been up to? Would he tell me? Only one way to find out. Ugh.

Unhappy with the prospect of encouraging
 
Tohon in my dreams but unable to pass up the opportunity to learn more, I slid under my blanket. After that, I don’t remember even resting my head on the pillow.

“So now you believe me, my dear.” Tohon poured a cup of tea and handed it to me. “
I’ve
been telling you for months. But it appears the ice giant from the wildlands has more credibility than me.” He huffed as if affronted then settled across the table. Tohon peered at me over the rim of his steaming cup. His deep blue eyes held a predatory glint.

Glad for the table between us, I sipped my tea. The sunlight reflected off the squares of colored glass embedded in the table’s clear glass top. We sat in Tohon’s forever garden. Constructed on the roof of his castle in Sogra Realm, the rectangular glass room contained a variety of leafy trees, lush bushes, hanging vines, and even pools of water. The humid air held the thick scent of living green mixed with the sweet aroma of flowers. Minus Tohon, it was a perfect place.

I glanced at the beauty surrounding us. “Will all this die when it turns cold?” The first day of winter was four days away.

He raised an eyebrow. “Why would you think that?”

“Because you’re...”

“Trapped in a stasis?”

“Yes.”

“It’s different for me. I’m a life magician, so while my body is frozen, my mind and my magic remain active. Otherwise we wouldn’t be talking.” He gestured with his free hand. “These trees will continue to thrive as long as I live.”

I considered. “But don’t you need to be nearby?”

He smiled his killer smile, flashing white teeth. “I am, my dear. This is where Cellina has dumped me. I’m not complaining. It is my favorite spot.”

Yet he used the word
dumped.
Interesting. However, he gave me an excellent opening. “Do you talk to Cellina in her dreams, as well?”

“No. She lacks magical power, so I cannot connect to her.”

Ah. “How about Sepp? Do you communicate with him?”

Tohon drank his tea, but he kept his gaze on me. His brow furrowed as if the beverage was too bitter. “No.”

“Why—”

“Aren’t you full of questions tonight. Next you’ll be asking me about Cellina’s attack plans.”

“Since you mentioned it...”

He set the teacup down. It clanged on the saucer. “All I know about her plans, I’ve learned from you. And I’m guessing from your half-empty infirmary that she hasn’t engaged Ryne’s pathetic army in quite some time.”

“We think she’s setting a trap like you did with the dead soldiers.” I shuddered at the memory of the ring of buried soldiers that had surrounded Estrid’s army.

“Not without Ulany.”

Ah, yes, Ryne had killed her.

Tohon’s anger pulsed. “He shot her with a dart filled with the Death Lily toxin
you
sent him.”

Oh.

“At least she died right away and didn’t linger in agony like some do.”

“You mean like my sister.” My turn to snap.

“I didn’t want to hurt her, but
you
made me so mad that day.”

“So it’s my fault she died?”

He gazed at me with a quizzical squint. “Of course.”

While I agreed that I held some of the blame and felt guilty about her death, the fact that Tohon failed to see that his actions also played a part in her death just proved, once again, that he lacked basic human compassion and a conscience.

“I don’t regret my actions. Your dead soldiers had to be stopped,” I said. “What I do regret is missing your heart with my sword.”

“
My
sword. You used
my
sword.” Tohon growled.

I laughed. “Ouch.”

Tohon stood. I clutched my chair arms. He couldn’t hurt me in my own dream. Could he?

“If I were you,” Tohon said, “I’d be worried about what Cellina’s up to. We stayed up many late nights discussing strategy. She’s smart and devious. Who do you think came up with the idea to bury my dead soldiers?” Tohon smirked. “It’s not so funny now. Is it?”

I jerked awake. Disoriented, I stared at the ceiling. Torchlight flickered on stone. Had I slept all day? Hard to tell inside a cave. Private Jannes groaned in pain. Clambering to my feet, I checked on him. White blisters marked his skin and a few bled where he’d scratched at them. I dug into my pack and retrieved the gloves Belen had given me. Sadness gripped my heart for a moment, but another cry from Jannes spurred me into action. I slipped the gloves onto the private’s hands, then cleaned and coated the blisters with a salve.

When I finished, I glanced up and met Sergeant Phelix’s gaze. He had pushed up on his right elbow. Sweat stained his nightshirt.

“That’ll be me soon. Won’t it?” he asked.

I wanted to lie to him. “Yes.”

“Ah, hell.” He sank back down and hooked his arm over his eyes.

I stood there unable to speak. There were no words of comfort to offer. My healing powers were useless. Nothing would stop the inevitable. Instead, I held Phelix’s hand until he fell asleep.

After I cared for the others, I searched for Ryne. It appeared as if he hadn’t moved from the corner. Noak sat with him and I hesitated, unwilling to interrupt them. Scared of the ice giant? Who, me?

Ryne noticed me and gestured for me to join them.

“What’s up?” he asked.

I glanced at Noak. No icy chill raced over my skin. A first. Was it a good sign or bad? Ryne misinterpreted my silence and asked Noak to give us a few minutes.

Noak nodded and headed toward the main fire. Danny sat with the monkeys and a number of other soldiers. They held bowls of stew, and Quain demonstrated an attack move with his spoon. Laughter echoed until Noak arrived. Then quiet descended in a heartbeat.

“No one is quite sure what to make of him,” Ryne said.

“The logical part of our minds knows he’s here to help us, but, let’s face it, he’s the monster under the bed.”

Ryne laughed. “That he is!”

I stared at Noak’s broad back. If he was the monster under the bed, who was Cellina? The ghoul in the closet? The jack-in-the-box?

“What’s wrong?” Ryne asked.

“Do you know what Cellina’s planning?”

“No.”

“How about theories? Is there something you’re not telling me?”

Ryne tapped his finger on the table. “What brought this up? Another dream?”

It irked me that he’d guessed right. “That and experience, Ryne. You’ve a tendency to keep information from me and disappear. I’d just like a little warning this time.”

“I’ve a
theory
about Cellina’s plan and I think she’s sending her troops farther north to loop in behind us. I’m going to send half my troops to intercept her. You should be safe here.”

“Should?”

“We’re at war. My theories are just that—theories. I can only control the actions of my army.”

“She’s not going to catch you by surprise?”

“I hope not. That’s why you saved me. Right?” He grinned.

“So you could save us.”

“That’s the plan.”

“And you’re not going to use me as bait?”

“Avry, I won’t knowingly use you as bait. I promise.”

“Knowingly?”

“We’re at war. Things change in a heartbeat.” He glanced over to the fire. “I’m leaving for HQ tomorrow, taking Noak and the lady warriors with me. They’ll be part of that northern force. Lieutenant Macon and his men plus the odd squad, Loren, and Quain will stay with you, guarding the infirmary. I suspect Danny will want to remain, as well. And...” He peered at me as if trying to read my mood. “When Kerrick and Flea return, I’d like them both to join me at HQ. Their help is vital.”

I clamped down on my instinctive reply of no way. Instead, I said, “Flea has refused to use his power.”

“I know. But he’s had enough time to adjust. He can’t keep avoiding it. His powers can make a difference in the outcome of this fight.”

“I’ll relay your message.” And let them decide.

“Thank you.”

I nodded and then joined the others at the fire. My stomach growled as soon as I smelled the stew. Ladling a bowlful, I listened as Quain asked Noak questions about the wildlands. Danny answered a couple. He talked with confidence about the tribespeople as if he’d been born one of them. I hid a smile. The boy had been in a horrible situation and he’d managed to turn it around, creating allies from enemies. Perhaps Flea would also come to terms with his unique situation. One could hope.

* * *

After Ryne and the others left, we settled into a routine. Quain groused about babysitting duty, but the others seemed happy with the arrangement. And Odd planned to take his squad out on patrols, sweeping the surrounding area in wider and wider loops in case the enemy attempted to sneak up on us.

As we neared the first day of winter, my worry increased. First, Kerrick and Flea hadn’t returned as expected. Granted they were only two days late, but my imagination kicked in and created terrible reasons for the delay. Second, more victims of the plague arrived at the infirmary. And not just a handful, but a steady stream of sick patients.

The small cavern I’d been using to keep them quarantined overflowed. I commandeered two more caverns. By the first morning of winter, I counted a total of twenty-four. Jannes had died.

By the end of the day, I had thirty. Danny helped me. We grouped them by their stages. Those experiencing stage one stayed together while those in the throes of stage two filled another. Stage three remained in their original location; moving them would cause them too much pain.

After helping to carry a woman into the stage-two area, Danny paused and looked at me with a slightly horrified grimace. “King Tohon did the same thing with the kids he injected the toxin into.” He gestured. “Divided us by how sick we were.”

“It makes sense for the caregivers and I think it’s a kindness,” I said.

“Yeah. They’re scared enough. Seeing your friends die and knowing that’s your fate...” He shuddered. “It would be cruel. At least when they reach that stage, they’re too sick to be aware of their surroundings.”

The voice of experience. Tohon had taken Danny’s childhood, and I wished I could send Danny to Alga Realm where he’d be safe and wouldn’t have to deal with the horrors of war. Where he could be a kid. And while I was wishing, I’d send Flea along, too.

A soldier sat up suddenly and flung his blanket to the ground. He yanked his sweat-stained shirt off and fanned his face. I poured him a glass of cool water and added a pinch of fever powder before hurrying over to him.

Catching sight of his back, I stopped. A black mark stained his skin. Dirt? I moved closer. When I reached his bedside, the mark was horrifyingly clear—a two-inch-long tattoo of a skeleton wearing a crown of bones.

Clamping down on my growing panic, I kept my voice even as I asked, “Danny, can you fetch Odd?”

“Sure.” Danny rushed away.

“Wash your hands first,” I yelled after him.