Forgotten Soldiers (28 page)

I jumped down and touched her forehead. It felt like fire, but then began to cool as I came in contact with her skin. I left my hand there and the shaking subsided slightly. Her eyes flicked open.

I checked on the townsfolk. They were all in bad shape, which from my point of view was a good thing. I didn’t need them trying to attack us now.

The faintest whisper came from below. I looked down and shushed Ava as she struggled to speak. “Just rest. We’re safe for now. Whatever you want to tell me can wait.”

She shook her head and swallowed. “I was trying to warn you about this,” she said in a low voice. “This is why I wanted you to leave.”

I frowned. “You mean you know what that was?”

She gave a faint nod. “The end of the world.”

CHAPTER 17

I always assumed that if the world ended, it would be immediate and filled with crazy visuals. Most people would be tortured and burned while a select few were whisked away to whatever afterlife ended up being the true one amongst the hundreds of religions in the world. All life would end in a matter of moments and those unlucky enough to see it happen would be kicking themselves for choosing the wrong god or gods to have paid homage to during their meaningless lives.

I wasn’t even close.

For a few short moments after Ava told me the distant eruption had been the end of the world, I thought I had been right. People writhed and moaned in pain. The hellish vision of dark clouds in the distance and the evening sky changing to hues rarely seen in the hour before a sunset seemed to only validate Ava’s proclamation.

No one around me was lifted up to some majestic afterlife, but that could be easily explained. Maybe no one around here had the correct god or faith.

I dismissed my natural inclinations, realizing quickly that as bad as things appeared in that moment, the progression of this possible disaster would probably take longer to develop than I expected it might. I reassessed what was going on with a clearer mind. The darkest clouds seemed to stay in place over the site of the explosion. I couldn’t be certain from this far away, but they didn’t appear to be spreading. At least not yet.

I swore.

The explosion had occurred in the direction of Hol. I remembered the conversation I had with Balak about the Geneshan artifact, and I suspected the Council of High Mages did exactly what they said they wouldn’t do and used it.

One more reason not to like them.

Ava had passed out. Though the shakes had lessened, her breathing remained erratic and her skin felt warmer than it should have. I kept a hand on her temple as I glanced over my shoulder to Myra and Zadok who tended to Ira and Dekar. My two friends had mostly come out of their stupor. I couldn’t say the same for the townspeople. We were certainly safe from an attack at the moment.

I raised my voice above their moans. “Dekar. Ira. Talk to me.”

“We’re doing better,” said Dekar.

Ira leaned over and retched near the front wagon wheel. “I’m all right now, Ty.”

“Do either of you have enough strength to get us out of here?”

“I can manage,” said Dekar.

“Me too,” said Ira.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen, Pa,” Zadok said.

I turned my gaze to him. “Why not?”

Myra gestured to the horses. “That’s why.”

As if on cue, one of the mounts unsteady on her feet, slammed into the other. Both careened to the ground, snapping one of the harnesses and rocking the wagon in the process. We wouldn’t be using them or probably any other animals anytime soon.

“Can everyone walk?” I asked.

Everyone but Ava nodded.

“Good. We gotta get Ava somewhere to recuperate. You two could also use the rest,” I said, nodding to Ira and Dekar as they swayed on their feet.

“What about going back to our camp in the forest?” asked Zadok.

“That’s a couple miles away, son. Without the wagon, only me, you, and your sister have the strength right now to do that kind of walking. And that’s with me carrying your Aunt the whole way. I don’t even know if it’s safe to move her that much.” I glanced back at the sky where the eruption originated. Clouds swirled and lightning pulsed. It wasn’t getting any better. “Besides, no telling if that’s done. Getting indoors is probably the best move to make right now.”

“And if there’s trouble again?” asked Ira. He pointed toward the townspeople. Some tried to right themselves, but most didn’t have the energy to bother and lay helplessly on the ground.

“I’ll figure something out. Based on the way everyone’s acting, we got some time before that’s a problem.” A man cried out. “I doubt they got much fight left in them right now anyway. Grab what food and supplies you can manage. Meet me at the Hemlock Inn. It’s across the street from the theater. The kids know where to find it.”

I bent down and slid an arm under Ava’s shoulders, the other under her legs. With a grunt, I scooped her up, trying not to jostle her more than necessary.

Zadok helped Ira out the wagon, allowing the soldier to use his shoulder to steady himself.

Though I tried not to think about it, seeing my sister in her current state, long limbs swaying without resistance, scared me more than her prophetic statement about the world’s impending destruction.

I started walking toward the afflicted townspeople. The moans of pain had died down to dull groans. Two people managed to sit up. One had the strength to lift his head and meet my stare. I doubt he knew who he was looking at as his eyes rolled around in his head. He blinked rapidly trying to focus.

I maneuvered my way back onto Main Street. More people lay on the ground, dazed and hurting. I ignored them and made my way toward the inn.

About a hundred feet from the inn’s door, I shifted Ava in my arms. Her swinging limbs grew more cumbersome with each step. Thankfully, she had always been on the lean side. Her head rolled around a bit as I hoisted her higher, exchanging the strain in my back for burning in my arms.

Stepping off the dirt street and onto the wooden sidewalk, my boots resonated over the whimpers of a middle-aged man from across the street slumped against the wall to the theater. Vomit covered his shirt. A puddle between his legs leaked between the sidewalk’s boards. He strained to extend an arm toward me. I ignored him.

Molak cut me a break for once. The door to the inn was slightly ajar. I swung it open with the toe of my boot.

Inside, a fire crackling brightly in a large hearth against the back wall cut the cold from the autumn breeze outside. However, after the exertion of carrying Ava I quickly grew uncomfortable.

Maroon-colored, plush chairs surrounded three round tables in the center of the space with matching curtains over the window. Oil lamps hung over three paintings on the walls.

I didn’t see any patrons or employees. The silence in the space felt unnatural. A faint whine came from the left. With Ava still in my arms, I avoided a large oaken chest and stepped behind the counter.

Slumped on the floor with his back against a wall, sat a thin, light-haired man, face absent of even the slightest of stubble. He wore clothes more refined than what was common. Based on dress and location, I took him for the inn’s manager.

“Hey, I need a room.”

His head flopped to the side and his eyes rolled up. His lips moved, but nothing came out.

I swore.

I had no clue what rooms were available. I guess I could have just walked upstairs and busted into the first room I came across, kicking any current occupant out. However, I figured why borrow more trouble.

Squatting down, I eased Ava to the floor. I relished the sudden relief to my arms, shoulders, and back.

“Hey, can you talk at all? I need a room,” I repeated while reaching out a hand.

The man’s unfocused gaze continued to slide around the room until I touched his arm. He gasped for air and blinked rapidly. I pulled my hand away in surprise at such a fast response. He started to tumble over in a groan. I grabbed his arm to catch him, feeling a shirt damp with sweat. His eyes widened and his breathing picked up. I helped him sit straighter and within moments, his condition seemed drastically improved.

“What . . . happened?” he asked.

Trying to explain my hunch about the Geneshan artifact would be lost on the man. “Something big. Most in town are as bad as you.”

He looked me over, brow furrowed. “But not you?”

I shrugged. “Lucky, I guess. Look, I need a room. Do you have one available?”

He blinked hard, still trying to clear the cobwebs. “Just the suite. Top floor.” A deep breath. “Two bedrooms and a sitting area.”

“I’ll take it,” I said thinking the room’s size would be ideal when the others caught up. “Where’s the key?”

“I’ll get it,” he said, starting to rise.

I let him go, and he immediately dropped to one knee. My other hand reflexively left Ava as both darted out to steady the innkeeper. “You all right?”

“Yeah, sorry. I’m better now. It’s weird but when you let me go, I felt sick again. Not as bad as before, but enough to make me dizzy.”

“Just tell me where the key is and I’ll get it.”

“Top drawer of that cabinet,” he said, pointing. “It’ll be marked.”

I started to rise when a commotion on the floor started behind me. Turning, I saw that Ava had begun to shake again, her boots clicking on the wooden boards. I rushed back to her. The moment I touched her, the trembling ceased.

“Is . . . she all right?” the innkeeper asked.

“I’m not sure.” I frowned, having noticed the quivering in his voice. He had slumped against the wall again.

“Are you feeling bad again?”

He nodded. “Some.”

“Reach over and touch me.”

“Huh?”

“Just do it.”

The innkeeper scooted over gingerly and extended an arm. My eyes never left his face as I felt him wrap his fingers around my wrist. His face gradually gained more color.

“That’s strange. I’m feeling better again.” His eyes widened. “Are you a priest? A healer? What gods do you serve?”

I snorted. “I don’t serve any gods. And I’m not a healer.”

“But how—”

The door to the inn opened, cutting off the question.

“Where in the name of Xank did he go?” I heard Ira mutter.

“Behind the counter,” I called out.

They came around the side carrying far more from the wagon than I thought they’d be able to manage. Myra and Zadok still had a hand on Ira and Dekar. Both looked better.

“What are you doing back there, Pa?” asked Zadok.

I quickly explained the last couple minutes. Then I decided to test how well everyone was recovering. I had Myra let go of Dekar to fetch the key to the suite for me. I had a suspicion that my kids’ resistance wasn’t as strong as mine based on their comment about headaches. Still, I expected Dekar to be further along than before.

“How do you feel?” I asked Dekar.

“Not as bad as earlier. Groggy though. Like I just woke up.”

I nodded. “The symptoms lessen the longer you’re in contact with someone who has a resistance. They’ll probably go away all together before long.”

Dekar looked at Ava and frowned. “So, because of your sister’s connection to sorcery, it’s harder on her.”

“Possibly. It’s as good a guess as anything.”

It meant I wasn’t leaving her side.

Myra found the key and led the way upstairs. I picked Ava up and we followed. The extra time the innkeeper had in contact with me seemed to do him wonders. He managed to keep his feet under him without assistance before we left. With a clearer mind, he became panicky as he thought of his family. He disappeared through a swinging door in search of them.

The suite ended up bigger than I had expected. We entered through a sitting room that separated two bedrooms. It held a wood burning stove, a small table, and enough chairs for four people. The floor space provided enough room for rolls to be laid out for those not sleeping in beds.

I didn’t linger and headed for the bedroom on the right with Ava.

A four-poster bed with white sheets sat against one wall—nightstand and a sitting chair flanking it. A window looked out from the wall across from the bed. Under normal circumstances, I imagined sunlight streaming into the space. The only thing visible now was a murky gray interrupted by the faint, orange, red, and purple sitting over the land in the distance. A dresser stood to the right of the window. A chamber pot on the left.

I was reminded that the room was twice as large as my old bedroom on the farm. I had always promised Lasha I would get a place like this for a night or two when we had the money and the time.

Another promise I’d never fulfill.

Myra followed me into the bedroom. She pulled the sheets back as I lay Ava down on the bed. Keeping one hand on her shoulder, I started pulling the sheets up.

“Wait.” Myra closed the door.

“What’s wrong?”

“Shouldn’t we undress her? No telling how long she’ll be out and we don’t want her soiling her clothes.”