On the Meldon Plain (The Fourline Trilogy Book 2) (22 page)

“That’s the only one, at least the only one in the immediate vicinity.” Annin closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Yes, that was the only one of her kind.” She opened her eyes. “You were lucky. That’s a tunnel eater. Not much even a Healing House Sister could do if one of those bit you, other than amputate a limb. They invade rodent and rabbit tunnels and wait for the animals to come in or go out. The animals never make it past a tunnel eater.”

Annin walked around Nat, who stared at the crevice and shuddered. She ducked, keeping a wide space between her head and the broken beam. She skipped nervously over a clod of dirt that looked like a spider and followed quickly after Annin.

“How did you do that?” she asked, breathing quickly from nerves.

“Huh?” Annin darted around a corner and ran up a set of worn stone steps. “You mean the spider?”

“Yes, the spider. What did you do?” She stayed in the center of the stairs, as far from the bumpy dirt walls as she could get.

“I told it to go away.” A faint light shone above them. “Haven’t you seen Soris do that? He’s pretty good for a new duozi. It took me a few years before I mastered the talent of controlling predators. But he’s got more Nala in him than I do,” she said as if explaining a basic ability.

Nat thought of the spider on Soris’ tunic.
He had the same power?
She took the stairs two at a time to catch up. “You can control spiders?” The exit to the passage opened a few steps above them. Moonlight spilled over the cracked support beams and onto the pale stone steps.

“Not just spiders.” A light wind coming from the tunnel exit lifted Annin’s dark locks off her shoulders. “I can sense and control most predators, at least the ones weaker than the Nala.” Nat wondered what predator could threaten a Nala. “I think it’s like a silent lion roar letting any competition know to back off. I told you there were benefits to being a duozi.” Annin paused and scratched her nose. “It’s how we sense the Nala even without the remnant.”

“So that spider thought I was your victim?”

“Kind of. It was more miffed at all the movement in the tunnel.”

“The spider was miffed.” Lines of disbelief wrinkled across Nat’s brow.

“Yes, that and it sensed the blood from your wound.” She grabbed Nat’s hand and pulled her up the stairs. They emerged onto the overgrown grounds of the ruins. Wind cut over a jagged stone wall shielding the passage entrance from the remains of the Emissary House.

“I’m waiting here for him.” Annin crossed her arms. The watchtower loomed in front of them. Andris’ tiny figure waved from the balcony ringing the pointed top of the tower. “It’s your fault we’re late, let him bark at you first.” She defiantly leaned against a wooden post. The wind sent her curly hair lashing against a frieze of birds carved into the crookedly framed tunnel entrance.

“Do me a favor, Annin.” Nat adjusted her cloak. “After my watch, fill me in on any other benefits of being a duozi.”

“It’s more fun to spring them on you.” Annin ducked her head and disappeared into the passage to wait for Andris.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Nat shivered. Chilly wind whirled around the balcony of the watchtower. She stopped pacing in front of the ledge and secured the inner ties of her cloak to keep the wind from twisting the garment to the side. Her bright orb hovered by her head and curved through the air when she leaned over to check the dark grounds below.

She scanned the ruins of the Emissary House in the light of the half-moon. Two fluted columns made a monstrous skeletal shape directly in front of her. She imagined the vaulted ceiling or dome the columns once supported and felt a sense of loss for Sisters she’d never known. A thought tickled her mind, and she wondered about the discrepancy between the secluded meetinghouses near the stables and the wide public spaces of the House.
Why would Sisters keep private negotiations separate from the House?
she wondered. The building for the Nala made sense, if negotiating with them made any sense at all. But why so many other separate meeting places? Were there really that many secret negotiations? Was there that much need to be sequestered away from the main House? Even the passageway had nooks where someone could hide or watch unobserved as people passed.

She shivered again, thinking of what lurked in those dark places now. If the tunnel eater was any indication, she’d just as soon walk the long way around the hill than pass through the passage again, even with Annin as a guide.

A trembling in the leafy canopy caught Nat’s attention. The movement of the vegetation unnerved her, and she found herself constantly glancing at the shaky limbs.
It’s just the wind,
she thought. A strong gust ripped her hood off. Her cut throbbed. She pressed her hands against her skull, pushing loose strands of hair out of her eyes and away from the bandaged cut.

The doorway to the watchtower stairs offered a little protection from the wind. She retreated a few steps down the spiral staircase and pulled her hair tightly back at the nape of her neck. She glanced down the dark stairwell. It would be at least another hour before Soris would come through the passage cut in the hill and up the winding stairs to relieve her. She sighed and stepped back onto the windy balcony, knowing it provided the best view to spot anyone or anything approaching.

She glanced in the direction of the rundown barn and stables. From her perch, the boulders crowning the hill above the old well were visible. Andris and Soris were hidden somewhere among the rocks, but Nat couldn’t tell where. A smile flickered over her face when she thought of Soris, then faded away. She’d felt at home in his arms, but she couldn’t shake the thought that he was resigned to living as an outcast. Could the Healing Sisters do something more for him? If they could slow or stop the progression of venom, or whatever caused a person to change into a duozi, there must be a way to reverse the effect. She nibbled on her fingernail. She hadn’t seen the laboratories in the Healing House, but wondered if they had the means of finding a cure or if they were even trying.

She heard a faint scratching over the rustling wind. She brushed her fingers against her orb and sent it around the curve of the balcony in search of the noise. The ball swayed in the air, buffeted by the wind, then disappeared from sight. She took a step closer to the ledge and peered over the crumbling bricks. Her boots ground against the bits of mortar scattered over the floor.
It must be the wind,
she thought again, trying to quell her nerves. Her orb rounded the other side of the balcony and hovered near the cut in her scalp, radiating warmth. She took a deep breath and relaxed, but her muscles tightened when she heard another sound, like a stick scraping against stone.

A pale figure scampered over the top of the pointed tower. Nat sucked in a breath as it launched itself off the roof, scattering corroded copper shingles that clattered onto the balcony. The wind caught the underside of the Nala. It sailed through the air and landed inches from her boots.

The Nala flung its daggerlike hand into the sky. Its skin was a sickly white and hung from its frame. Nat’s eyes were drawn to the bulging ring protruding from its heaving chest. Her hands trembled as she tightened her grip on her sword and watched the strange-looking Nala. Its curved back undulated as it took a creeping step toward her. She inched back and caught a reflection in its eyes. Swinging her sword wide, she spun. Her blade cut into the legs of another Nala behind her. It flopped onto her back, screeching with pain. She grasped its slick arm and ripped it off her before it could sink its needlelike teeth into her skin.

The creature slammed headfirst into the other Nala, and the two rolled over each other. Nat’s orb sped toward the creatures and cracked against their skulls, knocking them senseless. She ran to the creatures and plunged her sword into their pale flesh. The wind wailed around her as the writhing creatures slumped against the balcony floor. She jerked her sword free and kicked the bodies apart before slicing off their bulb-shaped heads.

“Soris.” Her eyes widened, and she ran away from the bodies, realizing there could be more Nala. She flew down the crumbling tower steps. Her orb careened past her, zooming toward the passage and the stables to warn the others. A hissing sound raised the hair on the back of her neck. Another pale Nala landed in front of her. Nat stopped and teetered on the step before kicking the creature straight in the abdomen. It tumbled down the stairs and landed with a thud on the cold stone landing. She jumped the last few steps and quickly beheaded the Nala before taking off for the passage entrance. Her heart pounded as she ran across the ruins.

A Nala sprang over a crumbling wall in front of her. It landed with a crunch, scattering a loose pile of rubble. The creature knocked the broken bricks out of the way as it scurried toward her on all four limbs. It bowed its pale back, then shot into the air. Nat skipped to the side and jabbed at it with her sword, but missed her mark. The Nala wasted no time before it pounced again. She lashed out, keeping the creature away, but it jumped onto the edge of the wall and scrambled up the uneven stone.

The moonlight cast the Nala’s long shadow over Nat. Her body shook and her hands trembled as she kept her sword ready, unsure what the creature planned next. She waited for it to spring, hoping she could move quickly enough to end it before it reached her. A deathly screech filled the air, and the Nala flung its head to the side and tumbled off the wall. Blood oozed from the arrow sticking from its back.

Soris stood between the wall and the tower with his crossbow stock tight against his face. He lowered his weapon and ran to Nat.

“Did it bite you?” He shoved her sleeves above her elbows and inspected her arms.

“No bites, they didn’t bite me,” she said, to calm them both. His tapered fingers pressed against her cheek. Nat heard more voices and looked up. Annin and Andris stood over the dead Nala.

“Check for more,” Andris ordered.

Annin closed her eyes. The back of her robe clung to her body as the wind slammed her from behind. “Nothing!” she cried over the wind. “Soris?”

“No, I don’t sense any more.” Deep lines formed at the corners of his mouth.

“Pull it into the tower.” Andris grasped the limp arm of the Nala. Its pointy feet flopped over the ground strewn with stones. Annin lifted the creature’s head and frowned.

“In the tower!” Soris yelled over the wind. Nat followed him out of the wind into the macabre calm of the tower landing heaped with Nala bodies. She leaned forward to get a better look at the creatures and wiped sweat from her forehead, brushing the cut on her temple.

“You said you weren’t hurt.” Soris jumped over the pile of Nala and gently held her head between his hands.

“Don’t get so excited.” Annin knelt by one of the corpses. “She banged her head on a beam in the passage, it’s nothing.”

Nat gave him a tight smile and joined Annin. “What is that?” Her fingers traced the bulge embedded in the chest of each Nala. “The other Nala that attacked me by the river had the same ring in its chest.” The tip of Andris’ sword sliced through the skin. A pale tubelike circle burst, sending a fibrous liquid spilling down the open wound.

Annin looked up from the corpse and stared at Nat. “I think it’s remnant,” she said.

CHAPTER THIRTY

The pyre smoked before a blast of wind sent sparks scattering over the dry barn wood. Flames licked the broken boards and curled higher until they reached the pale bodies of the Nala. Nat stood close to the well, far away from the flames. Soris wrapped his arm around her waist. He pulled her close to his side, and they watched as the dawn light broke through the smoke rising in the sky. She leaned into him, trying to push away her sense of foreboding.

Annin strode from the pyre toward them, her hand clasped around the base of a stubby torch. Nat coughed as the wind shifted and sent the smell of the burning bodies in their direction. Her eyes watered.

“Mervin wants us,” Soris said as Mervin waved, gesturing for them to join Benedict and Andris by the wagon. Benedict grasped the side of the wagon and pulled himself into the bed. His small figure disappeared under the tarp. The corner of the heavy cloth flapped in the wind. Andris tossed a bag of the rudit in the bed.

“I suppose he’s in a hurry before that pyre attracts visitors.” Annin’s gaze lingered on the fire.

“Any ideas why the Nala had rings of remnant in their chests?” Nat asked as they made their way down the hill. The wind bent the blades of grass, slapping them against the hillside. She pulled her cloak around her and shoved her hands into the inner pockets.

“No,” Annin replied. “We need Sister Ethes. She’s done the most research into remnant. But none of it makes sense. The remnant in the Nala was not its own, it was from another Nala.”

“Why would it have another Nala’s remnant inside it?” Nat asked as she dug her fingers into her pockets, searching for her orb.

“I have no idea, but the Nala that attacked you last night weren’t normal. They were like the one on the riverbank, withered and pale,” Annin said. “What’s wrong?”

“My orb.” Nat stopped walking and flung her cloak open, searching her pockets. “Where’s my orb?”

“It didn’t come back to you? We saw it in the tunnel. It was waiting for us last night before we got to you.” Annin glanced back toward the entrance cut into the hill.

“I sent it to warn you about the Nala.” She ran her hands up and down the fabric of the robe. “I’ve got to go find it.” She sprinted to the gaping mouth of the passage.

Quiet descended on Nat when she stepped through the opening. The dirt walls dampened the howl of the wind. She squinted in the dim light, hoping her eyes would quickly adjust. Soris ducked under the entrance and stepped by her side.

“You might want this.” Annin appeared behind Soris and thrust the torch into Nat’s hands.

They walked through the dark tunnel leading to the tower. Smoke from the pyre curled down the passage, sending everyone into fits of coughing.

“Somewhere up ahead, I think.” Annin cleared her throat and moved quickly past Nat. “I remember seeing your orb right after we turned here.” She pointed to the top of the concave wall. “There it is.”

The orb hung motionless next to a split beam. Nat stretched her hand toward the floating sphere. It held fast. “Something’s wrong.” She approached the orb cautiously and curled her fingers around it. Intense blinding light shot out from the spaces between her fingers and filled a wide fissure beneath the beam. Nat gently pulled the orb to her chest. “Come look at this,” she said in a hushed tone.

Soris and Annin moved closer into the cramped space next to Nat. She released the orb, and its light poured into the crevice. Darkened orbs were packed into the deep fissure. Annin reached in and pulled out a dead sphere. Dozens came toppling out of the crack and spilled onto the floor.

“All of you, out now!” Andris’ voice boomed. His order echoed through the passage.

Soris grasped her hand. “We’ve got to go, Natalie. We don’t have time . . .” He pulled her toward the entrance. Her eyes lingered on the crevice and the scattered orbs. Their darkened surfaces looked like giant black pearls.

Andris met them at the turn in the passage. “What are you doing? We’ll be lucky to get through the forest now without running into any of Mudug’s guards.”

“We found something.” Soris glanced over his shoulder at Nat, making sure she was still there.

“I don’t care what you found, we are out of here
now
.” Andris took two steps, then dropped to a crouch. The sound of shouting filtered into the passage. He crawled behind one of the loose beams and peered out the opening. He turned his head and mouthed the word “soldiers.” The others joined him and watched the scene near the stable.

Their draft horses pawed the ground and twisted their heads. Mervin’s long arm thrashed about, trying to control the animals. Three soldiers halted their horses in front of Mervin’s wagon. The wind roared past the passage entrance, carrying snippets of angry voices. Mervin pointed to the pyre on the hill. Two of the soldiers twisted in their saddles.

“Where’s Benedict?” Soris leaned next to Andris, keeping his body low to the ground.

“He’s under the tarp,” Nat whispered.

“Along with all our bags and my weapon,” Andris added, shaking his head. He turned to Annin. “Do you have your crossbow?”

“No, it’s strapped to my satchel,” she said glumly.

“Sister, Soris?”

“I have my sword, that’s it. Everything else is in the wagon,” Nat said. Mervin shouted at the soldiers, gesturing again to the pyre.

Soris pulled a sharp knife from his boot and handed it to Andris. “I have another, but that’s it.” He unsheathed a second knife from his belt.

“They’ll have us in seconds if we try an assault.” Andris peered out again. “Annin, one of the tunnels leads to the private meetinghouses, correct?” Annin nodded and gestured to a dark split in the passage behind Nat. “Take Soris, get as close to their horses as you can under the cover of the grass. Try to spook them. That may give us the distraction we need. Go.”

“Be careful,” Soris whispered to Nat and then disappeared into the inky darkness after Annin.

“What’s the plan?” Nat asked as she pressed low to the ground and watched the soldiers question Mervin.

“They’ll see us if we try to sneak out. But if any of them make a move for the tarp, follow my lead.”

One of the soldiers turned his great black gelding and rode toward the pyre. Its mane flipped about in the wind. The animal jerked to the side as the smoke from the pyre and the smell of burning Nala drifted toward him. The soldier dug in his heels, but the horse reared and bolted from the fire back down the hill past the stable. The soldiers called out as he disappeared around a bend in the road on his crazed horse.

The other horses stomped their hooves and twisted their heads in nervous agitation. Mervin frantically pointed to the boulders above the pyre as if he’d just spotted something. He snapped his reins. The draft horses lunged forward, followed in quick succession by the other soldiers’ horses. The wagon bounced over the road. Rounds of rudit spilled from one of the bags and flopped on top of the loose tarp.

“Let’s go,” Andris ordered. He and Nat ran hunched over to the well and watched Mervin’s wagon and the soldiers disappear into the forest. Annin and Soris pushed the overgrown grass aside from their hiding spots near the stable. Andris beckoned them forward with one quick wave.

“Nicely done,” Andris said, but his eyes were on the empty stretch of road flanked by the forest.

“Those horses would have bolted without us once they smelled the burning bodies,” Annin replied. “Now what? If they search the wagon, they’ll find Benedict and all our bags and know Mervin and Benedict aren’t alone.”

“We’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.” Andris sprinted toward the stable. “Into the forest. I want one of you on either side of the road. Stay far enough in the tree line so they can’t see you.” Annin and Soris split apart and flanked the road. “Sister, stay with me,” Andris ordered. Nat nodded and followed him as he ran into the woods.

Thick pine boughs choked the forest, veiling Nat and Andris in a dense blanket of green. Wind twisted the treetops. Creaks and groans shuddered down the long trunks as they wove through narrow openings between the pines. The sand-colored road flashed through the trees. Andris and Nat increased their pace. She knew the horses would be impossible to catch if they continued to flee unchecked by their riders and Mervin. Their only hope was Mervin would try to calm his horses, slowing the procession of the riders.

The forest sloped downhill. Andris’ foot caught on a root, sending him sprawling to the ground. Nat retraced her steps.

“Go,” he whispered to her when she yanked him to his feet. She hesitated, then sprinted away. When she glanced back, he was running with a lopsided gait. She knew if she slowed, there would be no chance of catching Mervin. Glancing back one more time, she pointed ahead. Andris nodded vigorously, his face contorted in pain. She took off.

Gusts of wind, twisting into the woods from the road, hit her in the face and dried the beads of sweat trickling down her cheek. An ache formed in the back of her throat. She pressed on through the forest, slowing only when she heard a chorus of angry voices. She ducked behind a tree.

“My wagon will fall apart if we keep at that pace.” Mervin stood next to one of the wagon wheels. “The rim is already coming off.”

“Leave it on the side of the road, you fool.” A soldier with a thick black beard brought his horse closer to the wagon. The other two soldiers glanced nervously into the woods.

“I will not abandon my wagon,” Mervin said in a low voice.

“You’ll do as I say, merchant. I don’t know how you got this close to Rustbrook without an escort, but I will find out. Either keep up or leave your wagon behind.”

Mervin crossed his arms.

“Rever”—he pointed at one soldier—“bind this man, and Willem, cut one of his horses free. We’ll use the other to carry him to the city. The Nala can chase after his other horse. You’ll answer our questions on the way to Rustbrook or—”

Mervin sprinted away into the woods as Willem and Rever dismounted.

“Stop!” the lead soldier yelled.

Mervin turned to face his pursuers and cracked his whip in the air. The beaded tip snapped inches from Willem’s face. The soldier backed away, and Mervin unleashed the whip on Rever.

Nat jumped from behind a tree and kicked Willem in the back. The soldier fell face-first into the dry pine needles. She kicked his side, flipping him over onto his back before he could spring up. His poufy blue hat flew about in the wind.

“Behind you!” Mervin yelled.

The lead soldier hurtled toward her, knocking her to the ground. His hands encircled her throat in a chokehold. Sweat fell from his face onto hers, and the light in the forest grew dim in front of her eyes. She fumbled to clasp her hands together, then jerked her forearms down onto his before she blacked out. His face hit the ground next to her and he lost his grip. Nat gasped for breath and twisted her body. He suddenly arched his back and his face contorted. Andris’ head appeared over his shoulder. His dagger was deep in the soldier’s back.

“Andris!” Nat screamed as Willem, holding a sword, stepped behind him.

Soris flew across the road, scattering the soldiers’ horses in all directions. He bowled into Willem. They rolled over one another and crashed into the base of a tree. Andris leapt over Nat and the dead soldier and slashed his dagger across Willem’s arm. Willem cried out and clutched the slice in his uniform.

“Duozi, you’re harboring duozi! You’ll die for killing a soldier and hiding that scum,” Rever said, pointing a shaky finger at Soris and Annin, who now stood next to Mervin. Mervin’s whip snaked around Rever’s arm. With one quick jerk, Mervin sent him into the trunk of a tree. His head thudded against the bark. Blood spurted from the gash in his temple, and he fell to the ground.

“Rope!” Andris cried. Soris twisted the soldier’s arms behind him.

Annin sprinted for the wagon. The draft horses whinnied, but the wagon brake kept them in place. She jumped into the bed, looking for the rope. Her voice carried over the wind. “Get out of there, you coward,” she said.

“Benedict,” Nat mouthed to Andris. The soldiers had seen the five of them, but they hadn’t seen Benedict. “Just grab the rope!” Nat called out.

“But—” Annin said over the tarp.

“Just grab the rope!” Nat called again, her voice tense. “Bring your bag, too,” she added.

The wagon creaked. Annin carried the rope looped around her hand. She glared at Nat and dropped the rope at Andris’ feet. The bag landed with a thud by Willem’s legs.

Nat searched through Annin’s bag and retrieved a cream-colored bandage. She started wrapping it around Willem’s eyes when he suddenly dodged to the side and slipped out of Soris’ grasp. He lunged for Andris, but Annin’s arrow sliced into him before he even closed half the distance. He fell to his knees and landed face-first.

Soris and Andris dragged Willem’s body and let him drop next to the other dead soldier. Nat felt sick as she watched the body flop lifelessly to the ground. She knew they were both dead because they’d tried to kill her and Andris, but her stomach roiled at the thought that they’d been alive just moments before. She ran behind the wagon and heaved.

“Is it safe?” The Hermit crawled from the back of the wagon bed.
Safe? Are you kidding me?
Nat thought as she watched him peer around nervously. He craned his neck to get a look into the forest. “Hmm, they’re dead. Good.” He limped toward the front of the wagon and clambered down the step.

Nat wiped her face with her soiled cloak. Benedict adjusted his tunic and took a breath of fresh air, as if dead bodies were the norm. The wind whistled around her. Soris and Andris joined her by the wagon.

“What do we do with Rever and the bodies?” Soris asked.

Andris leaned down and rubbed his knee. “Those are Mudug’s personal guards. It wouldn’t surprise me if they were searching for the guard we picked up at the abandoned farm.” He pulled at his beard. A streak of blood covered his cheek.

Soris leaned back so he could see Mervin and Annin through the trees. “Then we should move quickly. Who knows when another guard will come down this road.”

“The duozi can disrupt the memory of the one that’s still alive, make him think they were ambushed by an angry convoy or bandits. Might be less risky than leaving the bodies to be found by Mudug’s other guards. They’d be on the hunt for us for sure if we did that. Have her alter his memory,” Benedict suggested.