Taste of Darkness (An Avry of Kazan Novel - Book 3) (8 page)

CHAPTER 7

My heart skipped a few dozen beats. Did Flea just... “The plague? Are you sure?”

“At first, I thought he had an upset stomach. He couldn’t keep anything down, but now he has flu-like symptoms—aches, pains, fever, and that unmistakable oily sweat with the sugary rotten smell.” Flea’s nose crinkled.

Classic stage-two symptoms. Oh, no. “Is anyone else showing signs of the plague?”

“No, but I moved him so he doesn’t get anyone else sick.”

A good idea. “Where is he?”

“In the back, I’ll show you.” Flea grabbed a lantern and led me deeper into the cave system. “I thought everyone who survived was immune to the plague.”

“They are, but not every single person in the Fifteen Realms has been exposed to the disease. Ryne managed to go a number of years before getting sick.” When Tohon had sent an assassin to infect him. Except Ryne’s sister had been among the first wave of people to die from the plague. They’d been in Pomyt on a diplomatic mission. Why would he survive only to sicken later? And why hadn’t I thought of this before?

“In here.” Flea held up the light.

The soft yellow glow illuminated a tiny cavern. Lying on a cot in the center, a young man tossed and turned. He had kicked his blankets off. A sheen of sweat coated his face. As I approached him, my magic stirred from deep inside, signaling a familiar warning. I didn’t even need to examine him. He had the plague.

Fear pulsed as I remembered what I’d read about the spread of the plague. Not airborne. “Flea, did you touch him?”

“Of course. I helped him in here.” He peered at me in confusion.

“Did you have skin contact? Did some of his oily sweat rub off on your skin?”

“Yeah, I did my death touch on him because he wasn’t getting any better.” He paled. “Am I going to get the plague, too?”

“How do you feel?”

“Queasy.” He sank to the ground.

Which could just be the power of suggestion. I crouched next to him and pressed my fingers to the back of his hand. A recognizable vanilla-scented coolness pumped through him.

“Am I going to die?” His voice squeaked.

“No.”

He sagged against the cave’s wall. “Thank the creator!”

“You’ve been hanging out with Estrid’s soldiers too long.”

“Who should I thank, then?”

“The Peace Lilys. Their serum flows in your blood, protecting you.”

“Wow. That’s some powerful stuff.”

I agreed. It had saved mine and Flea’s life. Tohon used the serum to animate the dead. The serum and his life magic—I still hadn’t figured how the combination worked. As soon as I’d learned Death Lily toxin would eliminate his dead soldiers, I’d stopped thinking about it. Too much else going on.

“Did the patient encounter the enemy before he sickened?” I asked Flea.

“Yes. Private Yuri said his squad was ambushed. He was knocked out and when he woke he was alone. He had a cut on his neck, but was otherwise unharmed.”

Interesting. “Has the rest of his squad reported in?”

“No. They’re considered missing in action.”

Not good. As I stared at the sick patient, my thoughts returned to the puzzle of the Lilys. If this man died, his body would probably be rejected by the Peace Lilys because he had no magic. The Lilys only saved those with magic or the potential to wield it. There was a slim chance the patient had potential. If we brought his body to the Lily fast enough, it might work. But why wait until he died? We could transport him now. Except only Flea and I could be near him. I wouldn’t risk anyone else.

What if I brought the Peace Lily serum to him? It might accelerate his death like it had with me. He was going to die regardless. But it might work. It was worth a try.

Excited, I straightened. “No one else cares for this patient or even comes near him. Just us. Understand?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. You need to scrub your hands with soap and water before you leave this cavern every single time. Have you touched anyone else since checking him?”

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.