The Healing Wars: Book III: Darkfall (23 page)

He stood in the crowd, Onderaan and Ellis on either side of him. I spotted a few more familiar faces around him, members of Jeatar’s guard. What was he doing here? What were
they
doing here? It wasn’t sunset yet, and this wasn’t Analov Park.

“Who’s Jeatar?”

“Is he taking over for Ipstan?”

The crowd kept talking, kept speculating. I kept staring.

Kione nudged me. “Say something.”

“We need a leader, or our city will fall.” I spoke to Jeatar. To the one person I knew could help me fix the mess I’d made. Who could show me how to defend Geveg and everyone in it. “We need someone who knows the Duke’s tactics, knows how he thinks and fights, knows what he’s capable of and can prepare for his tricks.”

A few people cheered, then looked embarrassed when no one else did.

“We need your help,” I said, putting all my hope, my faith, my steel, into it, “because I can’t do this on my own.”

Everyone was looking now, whispering and wondering who this person was I had singled out. Jeatar looked at me, unreadable as ever.

Then he smiled, and the band crushing my chest slipped.

“What’s going on?” Kione whispered.

“I’ve found us a new leader.”

“Him? I don’t even know him.”

“I do.”

Jeatar moved through the crowd and up to the fountain. “You’ve been busy,” he said, climbing up next to me.

“How did you know where I was?”

“Nya, everyone’s talking about you. Soon as we got to Geveg, we knew where you were.” He glanced around, a small frown on his face. “Did you have to draw so much attention?”

“It was an accident.”

He chuckled. “With you, it always is.”

I ignored that and turned to the crowd. “This is Jeatar, and he’s going to tell you what we need to do next.”

He raised an eyebrow at me. Sure, it wasn’t much of an introduction, but we didn’t have a lot of time.

“Who here has military command experience?” he called out.

No hands went up.

“Who has captained a crew of ten or more?”

A few hands rose.

“How many worked as foreman of any trade or industry?”

A lot more hands.

“If you raised your hand, line up over there.” He pointed left. “You’re my squad leaders. The rest of you—we’ll find out what your skills are, what you can do to help, and put you where you’ll be the most effective.”

“What if we don’t want to fight?”

“Then leave right now. Because Nya is right. The only way we can win is if we all work together.”

“What about the Baseeri?”

“Yeah, or them looters?”

Jeatar turned to me, questioning.

“Looters control the middle isles. Baseeri have the Aristocrats’ Isles. The Duke’s men have the League and Upper and Lower Grand Isles.”

He turned back to the crowd. “By the time we attack, we’ll have their support. Commander Ellis and the sergeants will meet with you shortly. I’ll have squad assignments by sunup.”

Jeatar looked at me, then glanced at Kione and the others. “You four have command experience?”

Kione hesitated and the others seemed uncertain. “We were officers’ aides. Sir.”

“Not anymore. Talk to every person in the plaza and build me an army.”

Kione blinked. “Sir?”

“Put together squads with like skill sets. Swordsmen, fishermen, rope makers, whatever they can do and do well. And separate those ready to pick up a weapon. They’ll start training in the morning.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Where’s my command post?”

“Uh, I’ll show you, sir.”

Jeatar waved a hand. “Just tell me—Nya can take me there. I need you to get out and interview everyone.”

“Above the blacksmith’s.”

“Thank you.” He jumped off the fountain and headed for the blacksmith’s. I shot a
follow me
look at Danello and Aylin and hurried after him.

“So,” he began when we were out of earshot of the others, “tell me everything so we can plan our defense.”

The resistance had a real leader now. Maybe we also had a real chance.

W
hy, if it isn’t the girl everyone is talking about,” Optel said, leaning against the side of the bridge that connected the warehouse district with North Isle. The sun was barely up and I was surprised Optel was even awake to meet us. But with so little time before the Duke arrived, Jeatar thought it best if we contacted the looters and the Baseeri as soon as possible. If they weren’t going to help us, we needed to know right away. “Rumor has it you brought someone back from the dead.”

“The rumors are wrong.”

“Oh, I’d say inaccurate. You must have done
something
to get tongues waggling.” He waved a hand at Danello, Jeatar, and three of the farmhouse guards standing behind me and looking pretty darn intimidating. “And you’ve brought friends.”

“Not in the mood for a kidnapping today.”

He chuckled. “What can I do for you then, Nya of the Great Flash?”

I twitched, trying hard to hide my surprise. Even the
looters
knew about that? “Where did you hear that?”

“The blue-boys of course. We maintain an alehouse they frequent.” He grinned, just as irritating as he was the last time we’d met. “No one else is offering any recreation, and I’ve found myself with a surplus supply of ale and other things. I’ll sell to anyone—for a premium.”

Traitor. Bad enough he stole from Gevegians, kidnapped them for profit, but to do business with the very soldiers attacking us? He was worse than I’d thought.

Jeatar came forward, nudging me a step back. “You’re in contact with the garrison holding the League?”

“We do business from time to time.”

“I’d be very interested in hearing about that—for a premium, of course.”

Optel’s greedy eyes sparkled and he glanced around. “I’m sure we can work something out. Join me inside?”

“Certainly.”

I didn’t much like the idea of going anywhere with Optel, but Jeatar had told us to expect this. No self-respecting thug would do business out in the open. It might work in our favor, but I still didn’t like it.

Danello stuck close to me, his hand near his rapier. I could feel the glyphed pynvium strip tucked away in my pocket just in case Jeatar’s plan didn’t go quite
as
planned.

The barricades were still at the base of the bridge, palm fronds stuck into the top as if to make them look more like trees. They weren’t fooling anybody. Optel’s guards watched us warily. Had any of them been on duty the night Quenji died? Maybe the big one there with the scar had been the one to grab my arms. Did they even know it had been us that night?

Of course they had. I’d shifted into at least one of them. They weren’t here, though. No one looked like he was carrying shifted pain. Maybe he was dead by now.

Good.

I took a deep breath. We needed these people, horrible as they were. And if they had information about the League, we needed them even more.

So what if working with them even a little made my skin creep.

Optel led us to a town house well shaded by grapefruit trees. A few yellow fruits tugged down branches at the tops of the trees, but the rest of the branches were bare.

“Welcome.” Optel opened his arms and gestured inside. “Make yourselves comfortable, though your friends will have to wait outside.”

Jeatar gestured at the guards and they took position along the front walk. “After you,” he said.

They might have looted other homes, but this town house hadn’t been touched. Thick carpets covered the floors, artwork graced the walls, and someone had even polished the carved furniture to a glossy shine. It wasn’t his, but at least he took care of it.

“Now then,” began Optel, sitting on the softest-looking chair in the room, “I believe you were interested in guests at my alehouse?”

“Why are you helping them?” I said. “They’re the enemy!”

“She gets right to the point, doesn’t she?” Optel said to Jeatar.

“She does.” He shot me a look. “It’s not time for that, though.”

I shoved my hands into my pockets and flopped back into the chair.

“What
are
the soldiers saying about her?” Jeatar asked.

“That she’s a weapon even deadlier than the Undying. They’re scared to bits of her, or were until that mess yesterday. Ipstan made a huge blunder there, didn’t he?”

I put my hands in my lap and gripped the pynvium strip tight.
Just stay quiet and let him talk.

Jeatar shrugged. “I wasn’t around for that.”

“The blue-boys have been celebrating all day. They fooled the Shifter—aren’t they clever? Been good for business, so anytime you want to lose a battle, I’m behind you.”

“So much better than joining us,” I said.

“Why join the losing side?”

“What if it wasn’t?” Jeatar asked, still calm as morning water.

“You’re the new Ipstan?”

“I’ve stepped in to help.”

Optel leaned back, thinking. Or pretended to think. I liked him less and less. “I’m not sure you have the numbers or the training to beat them.”

Jeatar straightened the cuffs of his shirt. He wore silk again, green like the first day I’d seen him. “I didn’t come alone. I have good people with even better training. And I’m willing to share if you’ll join us.”

“I don’t know. There’s eight or nine hundred blue-boys around the League. I don’t remember seeing any ships dock in the last few days that were big enough to bring in an army.”

“I can be stealthy.”

Optel laughed. “I like you. You should join
me
. We could do lots of business together.”

Jeatar pulled out one of the gems we’d found and held it up to the light. The emerald twinkled. “Start by telling me what else you know about those blue-boys. We’ll see what happens after that.”

Optel licked his lips. I couldn’t see him passing up a chance to make money
and
show off how much he knew that we didn’t. He seemed to enjoy hearing himself talk.

“Solvaat’s in charge now, but the men don’t like him. The women like him even less. Something about his breath. He has the bridges well guarded, with duty houses close by for quick reinforcements should they be required. You won’t be able to get past them, not even with the lovely Nya’s special talents.”

Jeatar grinned. “I’m pretty good at getting around guard posts.”

“No doubt, but those guards can call for a hundred more with a single toot of the horn.” He looked at me. “She can attest to that.”

“You do realize the Duke is on his way here, don’t you?” I said. “He’s not going to care who you sold drinks to. He’s just going to try to kill you, same as he will us.”

“No, he won’t.” Optel sighed happily. “Because we’ll be leaving with the garrison.”

I gaped. “You’d side with the Duke?”

“Oh please, staying here is suicide, but the resistance and those ’Crats have all the boats. What else could we do?”

“Did you ever try
not
betraying your fellow Gevegians?” Danello asked.

“Not really, no.”

“What makes you think the Duke will honor his side of the bargain?” I said. “He could leave you here. He probably will.”

Optel grinned again. “Not if I have you to offer in trade for passage.” He rapped on the wall behind him, and six men with swords came through the door.

I looked at Jeatar. “Told you.”

“You were right.” Jeatar pulled a coin out of his pocket and tossed it to me. “He is greedy enough to be that stupid.”

Optel’s grin vanished. “You were dumb enough to bring the Shifter right to me. Do you have any idea how much Solvaat will pay for her?”

“Not nearly as much as she’s worth,” Danello said. My cheeks warmed just a little.

“Kill them all.”

“Not so fast.” I held up the pynvium strip. The guards froze. “You know what I can do with this.”

“Flash it if you’d like,” Optel said, but he clearly hoped I wouldn’t, “but you’re not walking out of here.”

Jeatar rose, easy as if he were getting up for a drink. “By now my people have this town house surrounded, the bridges secured, and are rounding up
your
people.”

“You’re bluffing,” said Optel, but he didn’t seem sure of that.

“We came in last night. Right past your guard posts.” Jeatar smiled at me. “Nya can also attest to how little you watch the canals.”

I’d love to have seen Kione leading the squads through the canals, or Ellis bringing in more squads along the lakeside coast. Crossing the thin boarding ramps she’d devised to get folks from the boats to the shore where there were no docks wouldn’t have been any fun in the dark, but fishermen were pretty surefooted on the water.

Optel jumped to his feet and gestured at one of his men. “You, check outside.”

The thug nodded and hurried to the door. He ran back almost immediately. “They got troops out there!”

Optel paled and ran a hand over his mouth. “Listen, we can work something out.”

“I tried that. Now we do it my way.” Jeatar looked at Danello, who nodded and left.

“Unwise.” Optel’s gaze darted about the room. “You were outnumbered before, but you’re down to two against seven.”

Jeatar chuckled. It even gave
me
shiverfeet. “It’s Nya against you. She wins.”

Optel’s men dropped their swords.

“Jeatar, you were right about those overwhelming numbers,” Kione said. “The bridge guards didn’t put up much of a fight, and some didn’t put up any.”

“Thugs survive on intimidation.” Jeatar paused while another set of looters was hauled past. Ellis was rounding them up and loading them onto a ferry. Jeatar still hadn’t decided whether he wanted to dump them in Dorsta Prison or just dump them on the mainland shore. I was leaning toward dump them in the lake. “They prefer the advantage and run when they don’t have it.”

“What about Optel?” Danello asked.

“I’m going to hold on to him. He might be useful later.”

Kione nodded. “You impressed folks with this, General Jeatar.”

“I’m no general. And this?” He waved a hand around at the hundred or so looters we’d captured. “This is nothing. This was opportunistic men taking advantage of an abandoned neighborhood. Had the Baseeri and their guards still been here, they never would have gotten a foothold, much less control. It won’t be this easy when we go after the League.”