Taste of Darkness

“All right, get your things packed. We might as well travel together.”

When they finished, Kerrick led them toward the cave. He’d just about exhausted all his energy, so he trained his attention only on the immediate area. Big mistake. By the time they reached the cave, it was empty.

CHAPTER 12

The off notes woke me from a light sleep. Quain stood a few feet away. His sword reflected the weak moonlight. More faint rustles sounded. Not Kerrick. Even if he was angry at us, he would be soundless. Unless something was wrong.

“Should I wake the others?” I whispered.

“We’re awake,” Flea said.

“What do you think, Quain, five or six?” Loren asked in a low voice.

“Maybe more. They’re good.”

Fear chased away all sleep fuzziness. I pushed my blankets aside and stood. “Let’s move closer to the Death Lily.”

“And be breakfast? No thanks,” Quain said.

“It won’t eat you if you’re with me.” I palmed two throwing knives.

We backed toward the Death Lily. The intruders would have to pass the Peace Lilys to get to us, but hopefully they’d balk at the sight of the Lilys. We had returned to our original campsite after the fumes from the bat guano had overwhelmed Flea.

“Flea and Quain, you take the left side. Avry and I’ll get the right.” Loren gripped his sword as he stared at the patch of forest where the slight noises emanated.

I considered who’d attack us in the middle of the night. Cellina, Jael, Estrid, Ryne—we certainly didn’t lack for enemies.

The off notes stopped and Kerrick materialized on the far side. I relaxed until he focused on me. Exhaustion and anger creased his face. Was that why he’d sounded like a whole squad of soldiers?

“Why didn’t you stay in the cave?” Kerrick asked in his flat tone.

“The place stank of bat sh—” Quain started.

“Flea fainted,” I interrupted. “It was unhealthy to be in there.”

Kerrick’s shoulders drooped. I hurried over to share my energy. But before I reached him, he turned and called, “All clear.”

A group of people entered the clearing. Surprised, I stopped until I recognized Odd. I glanced at Kerrick. “What’s going on?”

“They came to help you.”

All my fear and uncertainty fled and I rushed over to Odd, hugging him. “Oh, Odd, I’m so sorry.”

His arms paused halfway around me. “Sorry about what?”

“For thinking bad thoughts about you.”

He squeezed me tight. “Ah. Well, I had a hard time deciding between the High Priestess and Prince Ryne. But when I found out what you were up to, it was easy to decide.”

“Thank you.”

He pulled away, smiling at me. “Anytime. So what’s the plan?”

“Um.”

His smile faded. “You do have a plan, right?”

“I’m working on it. First we need to find some horses.”

“What about getting into the monastery?”

“I have an idea, but...” I met Kerrick’s gaze.

A hard expression gripped Kerrick’s face. “I’m not going to like it. But let’s face it, I’m not going to like anything that puts you in danger, but that can’t stop you. We all knew this would be a dangerous mission.”

I stepped over to Kerrick, lacing my fingers in his. “Are we ready for horses now?”

“Yes.”

* * *

“Do I really have to wear this thing?” Quain asked in outrage. He held an acolyte’s robe at arm’s length. “I thought I’d be on the escort team.”

“You don’t have a uniform, and none of ours will fit you,” Odd said with an amazing amount of patience, considering it was the fifth time he’d repeated it.

“That’s what you get for being so fat, Quain,” Loren said. He pulled an identical red robe over his head.

Quain fisted his hand and bulged an impressive bicep. “Oh, yeah, do you want to see what this fat can do?”

“That’s enough, boys,” I said, donning my—what do I call it?—not-a-virgin robe? It matched the monkeys’ except for the color. Mine resembled dark brown mud and I wore it over my black travel clothes. Thick and heavy, it’d be hot as hell in the summer. “Ooh, pockets! Lots of pockets to hide stuff in.”

“As long as they don’t search you,” Odd said, killing the mood.

That was one of our big what-ifs. We had a number of those this-will-work-if parts of our plan. No plan was perfect...right?

We’d gotten horses to travel to within a couple miles of Chinska Mare. It had taken us six days, half the time as if we had walked.

In order to get past the city guards, we needed a cover story. My idea would not only get us into the city, but into the monastery, as well. Quain and Loren would impersonate priests returning from Sectven Realm with an impure, unmarried girl—me as Irina—in tow. They’d deliver me to the monastery and hopefully be allowed to stay and pray.

Odd and his squad would be escorting us since they just had happened to run into us on their way back to Ozero. Claiming they were obeying the High Priestess’s orders to return to relieve a few of the guards on duty at the monastery, Odd and his squad would become part of the security team while Flea and Ives would remain in the city to explore the aqueducts and map an escape route.

As one of the men who had lived and worked in Chinska Mare before the war, Ives was familiar with the day-to-day routines. He’d been the one to steal the robes from one of the creator’s houses of worship. Since we’d been in Ozero, there appeared to be a worship house in every town.