SpellBreaker: First Ordinance, Book 4 (23 page)

Kooper, Rigo, Kell, Winkler, Gavin, Drake and Drew had come to this emergency meeting, to discuss the possibilities of sending shapeshifters onto the Goor-Phini plantation.

"Sorry we're late," Merrill arrived with Kiarra and Adam.

"We're discussing sending shapeshifters to the plantation on Goor-Phin," I gestured toward extra seats in my library.

"That's a really good idea," Kiarra nodded as she took a seat between Adam and Merrill.

Merrill winked at me as he took his seat. More than anything, I wanted to take a few days off to spend with him at NorthStar, but I dared not. Too many things needed my attention, and thousands of N'il Mo'erti, coupled with Quin's kidnapping by the Orb topped that list.

When did drakus seed and poisoned planets take a backseat to something even worse?
I sent to Merrill.

My love, don't fret
, he returned.
We'll sort this out
.

Baby, stop worrying
, Winkler broke in on the conversation.
I just found out wolves are native to Goor-Phin
.

In the jungles? Honey, no
, I responded.
Wolves are much farther north. It's mostly snakes and jungle cats in that area of the planet.

Then you'll let Caylon Black go and force me to stay home?

I'll let you coordinate from the capital city. How's that? Rush and Rachel have volunteered to go
, I added.
A lot of the animals in the area are black.

Even the lions?

Yeah—they have black lions there. That's why those two are going.

But what about black dogs?

Honey, if you can look like a black dog, then blessings upon you
, I said.
Just keep the line of communication open, in case I need to come in as mist with Rigo and Kell.

Did you know Kell can fight with blades? I watched him spar with Dragon this morning. Dragon nodded his approval halfway in
.

Honey, everybody is staring at us, because they know we're having a private conversation
, I said.

"Sorry," Winkler held up a hand and grinned. "Just pleading my case to go with the others."

"You come?" Farzi asked. He'd welcome Winkler's presence, I could tell.

"Yeah," Winkler barked a laugh.

"When we go?" Nenzi asked. "Yanzi look for Quin."

"We know when drakus seed ready," Farzi added. "Scout first, then make plan."

"Two days and we go on a scouting mission," Kooper said. "That will give us enough time to coordinate everything and place a team in Brepha. Perhaps we will locate Deris during that time, enabling us to make a move on the Jordeh Plantation without fear of reprisal."

"I wish we had Zaria here," I whispered. Kell and all my mates who were present dipped their heads in agreement.

* * *

Goor-Phin

Quin

Daris was irritated about something. Her braided hair coiled tightly atop her head, as if it were a snake preparing to strike. Two servants had been assaulted for not getting out of her way fast enough.

Like her grandmother
, her angry visage informed me. That displeased her, because she'd known that her grandmother wasn't completely sane.

She didn't know how her grandmother died, either, so I couldn't see that in her—only that Helsa died under unusual and terrible circumstances, according to records and tales.

Her great-grandfather—she had no records or tales that spoke of his death. Those things angered her—that they were dead and she could be turning into what they were—mad fools.

She'd been in her late teens when they died, and her only experience was one of being rushed away by her father while her mother stayed behind at the family home to fight off those determined to kill them.

That, in turn, had resulted in her mother's death.

Less than six moon-turns later, their father was also dead; killed in a dispute at a bar, where he'd gone to drink.

The twins had been on their own since they were eighteen.

There was more, but it disgusted me. How they'd survived by hiring themselves out to the worst criminals, their only thought the money at the end so they could build an army to take what they considered theirs—Karathia.

My small plans to throw the plantation into chaos were taking shape, but so many things could go wrong. Instead of rescuing innocent lives, I could end up killing them with poor strategy. Janis, Alys and the others could die as a result.

Caylon and many others would know what to do—they were masters at strategy. I wished for their talents as I considered my plan and what, exactly, could go wrong once it was employed.

"I'd better find that comp-vid," Daris shouted. By this time, the entire plantation could hear her. "I'll kill you all if I don't."

Oh, no
.

Had one of the servants taken one?

"Here, Lady," a servant rushed in with the comp-vid. "It fell behind your night table. It is not lost, as you see."

With trembling fingers, the poor soul held the comp-vid out to Daris.

I stared, unmoving, as several thoughts flitted across Daris' features. Mistrust. Anger. Doubt.

The last one was accompanied by the thought that she was becoming her grandmother at an ever-increasing rate. She should have known to have someone check behind the night table already.

What if they stole it and are claiming it fell there, to test me?

I heard her thoughts clearly, as if she'd spoken them aloud.

Daris had mindspeech—it made sense that she would.

Turning toward the servant, her face twisted in rage, Daris launched the spell before anyone could even whimper in horror.

The servant died, burned to death in seconds by the spelled fire she'd created.

Tears blurred my vision as I ran from the room.

* * *

My eyes accused Dorgus and Vardil as I delivered their evening meals; Daris had shut herself inside her suite and had dinner brought to her.

I was grateful I wasn't the one charged with that particular task.

Dorgus ignored me as he made Vardil comfortable before helping him eat his meal first. Perhaps that's when the idea sprouted in my mind and took root—I wasn't in a charitable mood and more than tired of watching innocents die on the whims of a witch slowly going mad.

The more I considered the idea, the better it sounded to me.

Yes.

I would heal Vardil Cayetes, then watch Dorgus, Vardil and their employees fight with Daris while I called in all the snakes and attempted to get the servants out of the house.

The only thing I didn't have planned was getting the Sirenali out of their chains so they could run away with the others.

Without the Sirenali, Vardil and Daris would be visible to those with
Looking
skills. I hoped those who'd escaped would be rescued, then. I understood that the ASD could be watching, but with the illusion shields Deris and Daris had erected, they probably couldn't look past the nannas they saw on their mundane devices.

Yes, I would heal Vardil Cayetes.

When I found a way to release the Sirenali.

* * *

Karathia—Past

Zaria

I saw and heard what Gerrett saw and heard. Deris held back whenever his grandfather wasn't looking. Whenever Hegatt took his eyes away from his grandson, Deris set the tablecloth on fire, then doused the flames with power whenever Hegatt sniffed, searching for the source of burning cloth.

Deris ducked his head and snickered whenever Hegatt frowned at his inability to locate the smell or the fire.

Suddenly, Deris went stiff, his head lifted and his eyes widened.

Hegatt had finally figured it out and sent scathing mindspeech to his misbehaving grandson.

Wellend, sitting at the other end of the table, bit back words and kept eating.

Wallend, who'd been having conversation with his wife and Helsa, ignored the entire incident.

Daris, on the other hand, watched Deris the whole time with hero-worship in her eyes.

Birds of a feather—isn't that what they say?
Gerrett sent to me while pouring more wine for Helsa.

I can't say that dinner with the Blackmantle-Ardens is ever a pleasant experience
, I replied. I couldn't really say which was worse—watching Helsa have a fit or seeing Deris destroy a hand-woven tablecloth trimmed in lace made by the finest lace makers Helsa could find.

He psychopath
, Bekzi broke in. I'd allowed him to see what I was seeing through Gerrett.

Honey, I think he's more of a sociopath
, I mentally sighed.
Either way, it's not good for the rest of us
.

We clean up after anyway
, Bekzi lifted my hand and kissed it.

He and I were in the kitchen; poor Gerrett witnessed everything firsthand while filling empty wine cups in the dining hall.

I honestly hoped things would be different when Warlend arrived; I didn't want to watch Deris burn Helsa's palace to the ground, merely because he held the ability without the restraint of an inconvenient conscience.

* * *

Wylend, Warlend and Wellend's two wives arrived together the following morning. Helsa and Hegatt pretend-bowed to Warlend; Palia and Titia pretend-kissed Helsa and Hegatt. Wylend stood by, his eyes hooded so Hegatt and Helsa couldn't see the contempt he held for both.

Warlend didn't pretend-kiss anybody, including his wife.

"We have tea and cakes in the library," Wallend announced. He'd arrived late with Valia and the twins in tow. He didn't pretend to acknowledge anyone else—only his father.

Bekzi and I, taking up as little space as possible at the back of the hall, nodded to Gerrett and three other servants to run upstairs and serve the family and guests once the King arrived in the library.

What you see in Warlend?
Bekzi asked as we made an extra pot of tea in case it was called for. Three had been sent to the library already, with a warming spell placed on each silver pot so it would be the proper temperature when served.

He has an announcement to make, and I doubt it will be to the liking of Hegatt, Helsa or Deris
, I responded.

Bekzi blinked at me for a moment.
We not know this yet?

You don't
, I heaved a mental sigh.
Things are about to get weird.

What's going on?
Ilya sent.

Honey, the fur may fly before the day's out
, I said.

* * *

BlackWing VII

Terrett

Yanzi asked me to come to Goor-Phin with him, to search for Quin. I'd agreed before he finished the question.

I would go anywhere and do anything if it meant we might find her; a preliminary scouting party hadn't seen her, but by their own admission, they hadn't searched the entire plantation.

Yanzi and I intended to do just that. He would go onto the plantation as a lion snake; I would provide the shield to protect others from the scrying of homicidal Karathians.

They wore a tracking device so the ASD could find them—that's all they needed. Morrett was still aboard BlackWing VII to conceal the ship from prying evil. Already my brother was endearing himself to me. I hoped he, Gerrett and I could have a private meal soon and talk about our pasts—all were different and yet alike in certain ways.

I had family, something I could never claim before.

If we could only find Quin, my life would be complete.

"You take," Yanzi walked into our shared suite at the safe house and handed a pistol to me. I blinked—it was a ranos pistol, provided by the ASD.

"You know how use?" Yanzi asked.

Enough to protect myself
, I said.

"Good. Protect. You. Quin. Anybody else who need."

I have three brothers
, I clapped Yanzi on the back with my free hand.
Brother, are you interested in a drink?

"I interested," Yanzi grinned. "Beer?"

Whatever you want, I'll buy
, I agreed.

"Did somebody say beer?" Winkler stood in our doorway.

"We say beer," Yanzi laughed. "You come. We sick wolf on bothering drunks."

Winkler threw back his head and laughed.

* * *

Karathia—Present

Morid

I'd been forgotten by all except Norn and Gale. Somehow, they'd found a hidden door in the corner of a storeroom where my cage had been left. With crates, boxes, old furniture and rolled up rugs all around me, I figured I'd been left there to rot with the rest of it.

Gale and Norn found me quickly, much to my surprise. The girl who'd helped them smuggle food and clothing to me on Hraede was gone; she'd been sent with Daris to an undisclosed location.

I imagined it was to serve Daris' underlings while she saw to another important facet of their operation.

Gale told me I was on Karathia, which troubled me greatly. A coup was in the works, yet I was helpless to warn anyone.

"Food package," Norn quietly passed the container through the bars of my cage. "Toiletries," he pushed the larger package Gale had carried through the same narrow opening. "You have a change of underclothes and wipes in there; we'll bring a full set of clean items tomorrow," he promised.

"Thank you. I can't say how much I appreciate this," I mumbled, opening the container of food.

"We understand," Gale said. "We're hoping for a way out of this soon. Until then, we'll do what we can for you."

I nodded; the scent of the food almost drove me wild with hunger. They could only feed me once a day without someone getting suspicious, and it never occurred at the same time of day.

Wise of them, but their strategy left me with a growling stomach most of the time. No, I wasn't complaining—I would have been grateful to have crumbs. Instead, I received a generous meal on most days and blessed them for getting that much to me. As yet, I had no idea how they managed, but my stomach and I thanked them every day.