When he approached them, they stared at him for a moment in confusion. His gaze focused on Flea. He’d believed Ryne, but some things you just needed to see for yourself. And this was one of them.
“Kerrick!” They all jumped to their feet.
Their words and questions jumbled together. Kerrick ignored the noise as he grabbed Flea’s shoulders and pulled the boy into a hug, reveling in the fact that he held real solid, living flesh. Flea had grown, and a spark of magic reached Kerrick.
He pulled back. “Are you a healer now?” he asked Flea.
Flea’s smile went from ear to ear. “No. I’m something, but we haven’t figured it out yet.”
“Gee, Loren, I’m beginning to feel we’re being left out.” Quain pouted. “No one cares about us since we’ve done the boring thing and stayed alive all this time. No miraculous return from the grave for us, so we’re not worth hugging.”
“Sorry,” Kerrick said, pulling in each one and thumping them on the back. “And I didn’t die.”
“So there’s another reason you look like a drowned oversized rat?” Quain asked.
“I’m hoping there’s a good reason you managed to get past my men,” a man, wearing Estrid’s uniform, said. “Otherwise, they’re in trouble.”
“You can’t fault them. This is Prince Kerrick, he’s a forest mage,” Loren said.
The man studied him with a keen interest. “Sergeant Oddvar.” He held out his hand.
Kerrick shook it.
“Oddvar?” Quain asked.
“You don’t really think my parents named me Odd, do you?”
“Uh, no. Of course not.”
“Where’s Avry?” Kerrick finally asked as he scanned the room again.
“She’s going to flip when she sees you!” Quain said.
His patience was about to end. “Where—”
“She went out to harvest toxin sacks,” Loren said.
“By herself?” he demanded.
“No. Sergeant Wynn and her squad accompanied her,” Odd said.
“When?”
“A couple hours ago. She’ll be back in another two or three hours,” Odd said.
In order to find her faster, he asked, “Which direction?”
“Southeast.”
“I’m not in the mood to wait. Gentlemen, I’ll see you later.” Kerrick hurried from the cave. Flea called after him, but he wasn’t going to waste another moment.
As soon as he connected with the living green, he sent his magic to the southeast, searching for Avry and her companions. He found a cluster of irritations about eight miles away. Breaking into a jog, he headed in that direction.
Avry was going to be surprised.
CHAPTER 22
Wait. Did Wynn just say she’d invited them? Perhaps the noise of the rain hitting my hat had garbled her words. I kept my gaze on the dead ufas—eight...no, seven now, as one collapsed from the toxin on my blade. They surrounded us, so I turned in a slow circle, wishing I had more weapons. They kept their positions at the edge of the clearing.
“Wynn, did you—”
“Yes. I led you into this trap. Surprised?” she asked.
If her revelation had been before my sister died and the confirmation of Kerrick’s death, I would have been devastated by her betrayal. But at this point, I had nothing left. “You did catch me off guard. I mean, we knew someone had to be spying on Estrid’s army, but you were the last person I’d expect to rat us out to Tohon.”
“Not Tohon. I hate him just as much as you do,” Wynn said.
“Then who— Oh. You’re working for Cellina?” That was more of a shock.
“Yep.”
“Why?”
“She’s my sister.”
Understandable. “And you hate Tohon.”
“Exactly, I knew you were smart, Baby Face.”
“Not smart enough,” I muttered under my breath.
She laughed. She could.
“Where is she?” I asked, certain Cellina would want to gloat.
“How boring,” Cellina said as she stepped from behind a tree. “I’d thought Avry would at least shed a few tears over your treachery, sister dear.”
“I’m tapped out right now, but if you’d like to come back tomorrow, I could probably shed a couple just for you.” I should be scared, but I was actually having fun. Plus, a few off notes sounded to the south, indicating two people were quite close, and a distant rustling might be a squad farther behind them. Perhaps the monkeys had decided to follow me and brought the Odd Squad. I glanced at Wynn. Did she hear them?
“Amusing, but I’m here to—”
I stopped her. “Let me guess. Hmm... Drag me back to Tohon? No. You wouldn’t have bothered with the ruse. You’d have sent the ufas.” I considered. “You want sister dear to keep her cover, but you want me dead, so she lures me out here and I’m attacked, she survives and runs back to the cave to report on my demise.” I turned to Wynn. “What about your unit?”
“I sent them on another mission. They didn’t accompany us.”
“Ah. Nice.”
“Too bad you didn’t figure this out a couple hours ago,” Cellina said. “Do you know why I wish you dead?”
“You’re jealous that Tohon is so smitten with me.” I let that sink in. “I hope you know that getting rid of me is not going to make him love you, Cellina. That man is incapable of loving anyone other than himself.”
“Nice try. He is obsessed with you, and it’s causing him to make poor decisions, and he won’t listen to reason. Once you’re gone, he’ll be easier to manipulate.”
“Interesting word choice, Cellina,” Tohon said. He stepped into the clearing. “However, I already suspected you had your own agenda regarding Avry. In fact, I was just discussing this at length with Sepp as we followed you here. Wasn’t I?”
Cellina’s face paled as Sepp joined Tohon. We were having quite the party.
Sepp’s queasy expression suggested he was uncomfortable being here, and he stared at the ground. “Yes, you were.”
Tohon’s arrival confirmed that I’d no chance for rescue. Unlike Cellina, he might keep me alive for old times’ sake. Tohon strode over to me and took my hand in his. His fiery gaze promised pain. Perhaps not.
“You’d be proud of me, my dear,” Tohon said. “I also deduced Sepp’s involvement with this little plot. Should I kill them both?”
A few slight sour notes sounded to the northwest. “No,” I said, hoping this time it was someone who could help me. Of course, the person needed a couple squads with him or her to be of any use.
“Why not?”
“You can use them.”
“Ohhh, I like. Go on.”
“Well...Wynn’s in tight with Ryne’s army. She runs messages for him and is privy to all his plans. But I’m thinking if you kill her sister, she won’t be as accommodating for you. And Sepp...this one is harder since he’s a whiny, nasty man who betrayed me before.” I paused. “You know...I’ve changed my mind. You can go ahead and kill him. He has no redeeming value.”
Tohon laughed as Sepp whitened. Interesting that the death magician was terrified of Tohon. And for the first time ever, I wasn’t. At this point I had nothing left to lose. Tohon might try to claim me again, but I was quite confident he couldn’t.
“I agree with you about Sepp, but not Cellina and her sister. It is tempting to use them, but I’m too pissed off.”
“Tohon, I—”
“No begging, Cellina, you know how much I hate it.”
“In case you didn’t realize it, your royal asshole,” Wynn said, “you’re surrounded by Cellina’s ufa pack with no allies nearby. Even Baby Face would side with us on this one.”
Tohon gasped in mock horror. “Is that true, my dear?”
“No. I’m good.”
He blinked at me in surprise. “Why?”
“You’ve always been straight with me. Unlike them. Two are traitors, and Cellina killed Kerrick. Ooh... Can I kill her? With Kerrick’s swor
d?”
Tohon didn’t need to know the whole truth about Kerrick. At least, not yet. I gave her a pointed look.
“That would be fun to watch. Cellina, give Avry his sword.”
“You’re insane,” Cellina said, gripping the hilt. She backed away a few steps. “Attack!” She pointed at us.
The ufas surged forward as one. I grabbed Tohon’s arm with my free hand, bracing for the impact.
“Heel,” Tohon said in a loud and commanding voice.
And just like that, they halted their charge and aligned themselves behind Tohon.
“I’m disappointed in you, Cellina. Do you really think I’d train them without a way to stop them from attacking me? And I’d never stray too far away from reinforcements. I’ve a squad stationed nearby.” He glanced at my hand clutching his arm. “I see you didn’t trust me either.”
I let go, but he kept my other hand. Before I could comment, he turned his head to the northwest as if listening to something. A succession of muted forest noises sounded. His cheeks reddened in anger, and his grip tightened painfully. Uh-oh.
Instead of blasting me, he said, “Cellina, you bitch. Just how long have you been lying to me?”
“Uh...” Cellina exchanged a glance with Sepp.
“Although I’m surprised he gave you his precious sword. That was quite the coup.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
“Kerrick, come on out and join the reunion,” Tohon called.
Ah. He thought Kerrick hid in the forest. I said, “Kerrick never returned from the north. He died fighting the tribal warriors.”
“Then you’re in for a shock, my dear.”
Pain burned up my arm and stabbed into my chest. I yelped.
“Kerrick, the longer you wait— Ah, there you are.”
The agony ceased. What game was Tohon playing now? Everyone stared to the northwest. Guess my would-be rescuer just got caught. I followed their gazes and gasped.
The world around me faded. It blurred into blotches of colors—greens, grays, browns. Kerrick stood in the center of the big blur, clear and sharp. His gaze met mine, and the hard shell that had formed around my heart crumbled. Emotions I thought had died sprang to life, flowing through me until I was dizzy and sick.
Unlike Kerrick. His face showed no emotion. He held a strange curved blade in one hand and a sword in his other. The rain had plastered his hair to his head and soaked through his tunic. Dark circles marked his eyes. He’d lost weight.
When he released me from his intense gaze, only Tohon’s tight grip kept me on my feet. I’d accepted my fate, but Kerrick’s impossible arrival had changed the game in one instant.
Tohon’s evil smile meant he’d figured it out, as well. “Such passionate emotions, my dear.”
“She’s not yours,” Kerrick said, striding forward.
“Protect,” Tohon ordered.
The ufas rushed to position themselves between Tohon and Kerrick. He didn’t hesitate. He chopped the closest ufa’s head off with one mighty swing of that curved sword.
Tohon stepped behind me and put his free hand on my neck. “Kerrick, stop or I’ll take her right now.”
“You’re going to do it anyway.” However, he checked his second swing, waiting.
“I’d hoped to play with her first, but you’re right. And now I get the pleasure of watching you while I pull her life force from her body.”
“Don’t, Tohon. What do you want?” Kerrick asked. Fear shone on his face.
“This. I want to take something from you. The man who had it all. Petty, I know, but I don’t care.”
Magic tingled along my throat. I concentrated on blocking it.
“Nice try, my dear, but I’m afraid our courtship is at an end.”
“No!” Kerrick yelled.
A powerful wave of Tohon’s life magic slammed into me. Inside, an ice-cold sensation grew from my core, countering it. Not my healing magic, but something else—different yet familiar. The freezing agony reminded me of the Peace Lily serum and how it had frozen the plague. But this time, it prevented Tohon’s magic from plucking my life from my body.
He threw me to the ground in frustration, then gestured to his ufas. “Attack them.”
Gray brindled fur leapt into action, obscuring my view. Six ufas against four, they might have a chance.
Tohon yanked me to my feet. “Time to go.” He whistled shrilly as he dragged me away from the fray. “You lied to me, too, my dear. A Death Lily didn’t save you from the plague, did it? It was a Peace Lily.”
“Yes.”
“And the serum is preventing me from plucking your life. No matter, a sword through your heart will work just the same.”
If Tohon dragged me back to his squad, whose crashing through the underbrush sounded quite close, I’d never see Kerrick again. Turning around, I caught a glimpse of Kerrick beheading another ufa. I stumbled. Pretending to swoon, I collapsed into Tohon.
He pushed me away. “You’re not the fainting type, Avry.”
When I staggered back, I grabbed his sword’s hilt and drew the weapon, pointing the tip at his chest.
“What do you plan to do with that?” he asked in that smug tone.
“Put it through your black heart.”
He scoffed. “You can’t kill. You’re a healer.”
I paused. He opened his arms wide. “Go ahead.”
Images of the dead soldiers and the children he’d experimented on flashed through my mind. He’d done such terrible, awful things to thousands. I drew my arm back and lunged. He jerked in surprise so the sword’s tip pierced the right side of his chest instead of the middle. It slid through his ribs, and I pushed until the bloody tip poked out from his back.
He stared at me with horrified shock.
“Overconfidence has always been your downfall, Tohon,” I said.
He dropped to his knees with a gurgle. Cellina screamed and rushed over. I stepped away, noting that she was unarmed and splattered with black ichor. She gathered Tohon in her arms.
Then Tohon’s men burst onto the scene.
Cellina didn’t waste time. She gestured to the ufa pack. “Help Sepp, bring him here now!” Cellina pointed at me. “Kill her.”
The sergeant in charge sent his men to fight the ufas while he drew his sword and advanced toward me. Oh, no. Unarmed, I backed away. He kept pace. I stumbled into a bush. The branches scratched my arms, but I didn’t care. Kerrick’s magic zipped along my skin. I glanced down. My body now blended in with the forest.
“What the hell,” the sergeant said.
Taking advantage, I dove to the side and went silent, finding a hiding spot. The sergeant chased after me but soon lost me. He eventually gave up and returned to join his men.
I crept closer to the fighting. Sepp argued with Cellina over Tohon’s body. Dead or alive, I couldn’t tell. When the last ufa was killed, Wynn and the eight armed soldiers turned on Kerrick.
He didn’t hesitate. The colors of the forest snaked up his body, and he disappeared. Seeing my chance, I snuck up on one of the soldiers, touched his neck and zapped him. I hit a second man, adding to the confusion. Then Kerrick attacked.
We had the advantage for a minute, but they rallied. Kerrick grunted as a sword bit into his leg. A soldier caught a handful of the back of my shirt and dragged me closer.
“Don’t be shy, gentlemen,” Kerrick called.
Huh? The man wrapped his arm around my neck. I touched his hand, sending a blast of pain. He yelped and pushed me away.
Suddenly, Loren, Flea and Quain joined the fight. It didn’t take them long to disarm the rest of Tohon’s soldiers. Kerrick dropped the camouflage, revealing us both.
Grins all around until Sepp stepped out from behind a tree. Before we could react, the death magician wrapped his hands around Quain, who was the closest to him.
“Drop your weapons, or I’ll freeze him,” Sepp said.
Kerrick, Loren and Flea obeyed, but Quain yanked his dagge
r out and stabbed Sepp in the leg. Sepp yelled but kept his grip and froze Quain. He toppled to the ground.
“No,” I shouted.
Kerrick rushed Sepp, knocked him over and sat on him, pinning his arms down. He yanked Quain’s knife from Sepp’s leg and pressed it to the mage’s throat.
“You can’t kill me,” Sepp gasped. “You need me to wake your friend.”
Kerrick paused.
Taking advantage of the commotion, Tohon’s men rearmed themselves, and Cellina joined them, now grasping Kerrick’s sword.
“Kerrick, let him go,” Cellina said with an edge of desperation in her voice.
Kerrick glanced at me. “Did you kill Tohon?” he asked.
“I missed his heart, but his injury is fatal,” I said.
He turned to Loren and Flea. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let Sepp wake Tohon.”
Which meant Quain would be frozen forever.
“But they don’t have a healer,” Loren said.
“They know how to create one,” I said, hating the words as I spoke them. “Kerrick’s right.”
“You need me to wake Belen!” Sepp cried.
Kerrick leaned on the knife at Sepp’s throat. “Explain.”
“Tohon lied to Avry about him,” Sepp said. “Belen was captured but not killed. Tohon had me freeze him in a magical stasis until he decided what to do with him. I swear!”
My insides twisted tight. The joy of knowing Belen lived was balanced by the pain of knowing Sepp still had to die.
By the haunted look etched in Kerrick’s face, he felt the same thing. Suddenly a knife struck Kerrick’s shoulder, and in a blink of an eye, Wynn tackled him. She sprang to her feet and stood between him and Sepp with her sword in hand.
Without looking away from Kerrick, she said, “The Odd Squad is coming. We need to retreat.”
Shocked over what had just happened, it took me a moment to understand. But sure enough, the faint sounds of a squad emanated from the northwest. Too focused on Kerrick, I hadn’t heard their approach.
Cellina gripped the sword tighter, then relaxed her arm. “Remember, Kerrick, just because Tohon’s out of commission, doesn’t mean the war is over. I’m just as qualified to run his army. Understand?”