Читать книгу Scent of Magic - Maria Snyder V. - Страница 16

I took the two halves of the metal protector from Ursan and fitted them around my throat. Even at its tightest setting it was a little big, but it covered my neck. “Still don’t believe Tohon has reanimated the dead?” I asked.

“It’s a piece of armor,” Ursan said. “No big deal, we all wear armor in battle.”

“Around your neck?”

“It’s too awkward, but not unheard of.”

“Uh-huh.” I glanced at Major Granvil. Did he understand the danger? Did he understand Tohon could send his well-protected dead soldiers and there’d be nothing we could do to stop them?

“The High Priestess and General Jael have ordered us to stifle all rumors about impossible creatures,” he said. “The creator would never allow such things to exist.”

I looked at Lieutenant Thea. Did she believe this bull? Her expression remained neutral.

Interesting how the army’s belief in the creator was invoked only when convenient. They didn’t act like true advocates. In fact, the soldiers behaved more superstitiously than devout. At least they stayed casual about the religious aspect. I didn’t worry about being turned in for not being spiritual enough. Piety wasn’t a requirement to be a soldier, unlike with the acolytes, whose devotion had to be pure.

“I hope the High Priestess has an explanation prepared.” And a strategy. I pulled the neck protector off and handed it to the major.

He dismissed us. As we walked back to our tents, I considered the situation, trying not to panic. It seemed odd that Estrid hadn’t believed Belen about the dead. From the few times I’d met her, she’d come across as intelligent and practical. Unless she didn’t know. Belen and Jael had been in school together along with Kerrick, Ryne and Tohon. Belen might have told Jael, believing she’d inform the High Priestess.

Why wouldn’t Jael pass along the information? She’d spent six years in boarding school with Tohon, attending magic classes with him and Kerrick. She should know what Tohon was capable of and how his warped mind worked.

Unfortunately, I was also well acquainted with Tohon’s magic. His voice continued to haunt my dreams, his magic tricked my body into desiring his touch. I shuddered. No. I wouldn’t be claimed.

When Ursan rushed off to join his celebrating jacks, Lieutenant Thea turned to me. “Speaking hypothetically, how would you kill a soldier who is already dead?”

“Decapitation.”

“And if they’re wearing a metal collar?”

I searched my memories back to when I’d had the misfortune of encountering them. My skin crawled just thinking about their cold flesh and lifeless gazes. They obeyed simple commands and could be trained, so some intelligence must still exist. “You could try crushing their heads so they can’t follow orders.”

She fingered the handle of her sword. “Hard to do with a metal blade.”

“Mallets and hammers would be better. But would still require some effort and time. You’d have to be pretty strong to break the skull.”

Thea grimaced.

“A crossbow bolt might pierce the bone,” I mused aloud. “But the archer would need excellent aim, and one bolt might not be enough. A knife in the eye might—”

“That’s enough, Sergeant. I get your point.”

“That we’re screwed? Hypothetically, of course.”

“Of course.”

Thea had raised an important question. We needed a counteroffensive to fight the armored dead. Hard to plan when no one believed it would be necessary. Belen needed to know. He could inform Prince Ryne and Kerrick when they arrived.

“Lieutenant, when is Belen’s squad due back?” I asked.

“In a couple days, why?”

“Can you tell him about the neck armor?”

“Why can’t you?”

“Last time I talked to him, he threatened to tear my arms off,” I lied. Belen would never hurt me.

She shook her head. “Did you insult his prince?”

Yes. Many times. “Something like that.”

Thea stared at me so long, I wondered if I was in trouble.

“I hope someday that you’ll tell me who you really are, Sergeant. Ursan doesn’t cover for anyone, so you must be very special.” She strode away.

So much for my disguise. At least she didn’t threaten to expose me. A minor comfort.

The next day was the first day of summer. I resumed the silent training under a bright sun. The leaves rustled in the warm humid breeze. This time, I taught both Sergeant Saul’s squad and the Odd Squad, which was Sergeant Odd’s men … or rather, boys. They had to give everything a nickname. Liv and Wynn’s squads were out on patrol. Ursan and his jacks helped, so the lessons went faster. Around midday a familiar voice stopped my heart.

“Sergeant Ursan, General Jael wishes to see you. Now,” Noelle called into the woods.

As the message was relayed, I crept closer to my sister. She scanned the trees in impatience. Standing in a patch of sunlight, she reminded me of our mother. She had the same long black eyelashes and light blue eyes. Allyn had also favored our mother while my older brother, Criss, and I resembled our father—reddish-brown hair and green eyes.

The skin between Noelle’s eyebrows puckered as she frowned. “General Jael is not a patient woman, Sergeant.”

Was there a hint of fear in her eyes? Instantly concerned, I stepped from my hiding spot.

She rounded on me and I froze. That was stupid.

“Where is Ursan?” she demanded.

“He’s on his way.” I pitched my voice lower than normal.

“Good.”

“Why does the general wish to see him?” I asked.

“That’s none of your business, Sergeant,” she snapped, then ignored me.

I should have been happy she didn’t recognize me. Noelle was supposed to believe I was missing and presumed dead. Yet, I couldn’t stop the disappointment and pain from spreading. My little sister had changed so much over the past three years. At age ten, Noelle had cared for our mother and Allyn while they died from the plague, leaving her all alone for the first time in her life. So I shouldn’t have been surprised by her behavior when I’d tried to rescue her from Estrid’s training camp five months ago.

Ursan arrived and they left. I debated following them. Jael probably wanted more information about his scouting mission. Plus I doubted I could get close enough to the tent to overhear anything important. I returned to my group.

That night around the sergeant’s fire, I tried to act casual as I inquired about the summons. “Did the general congratulate you on your successful mission?” I asked Ursan. He had been unusually quiet, letting Odd do all the talking while Saul listened as usual.

“No.” Ursan cleaned his leather scabbard with saddle soap.

“What did she want?” Odd asked.

Ursan glanced at me for a second before he said, “Intel on the enemy patrols we encountered. Locations, numbers, that sort of thing.”

“Why not get all that from the major?” Odd asked.

Ursan shrugged. “Don’t know.”

“What did she think about that armor you found?”

“How do you know?” Ursan glanced at Odd with a neutral expression, but the muscles in his arms tensed.

I sensed trouble, but kept my mouth shut.

Odd grinned. “The question should be who doesn’t know. Come on, Ursan, you know nothing in this camp stays a secret for long. Plus, it’s no surprise Tohon would want to protect his troops. Just seems strange for him to be manufacturing new equipment when there’s a ton of stuff lying around.”

“Oh, yeah, it’s everywhere. Just the other day I tripped over a shield,” Saul teased.

“I meant each realm had at least one armory.” Odd’s tone bordered on huffy. “Before the plague there were thousands of soldiers in each realm. The dead don’t need armor.”

I choked on my tea. Ursan glared at me, but soon the conversation turned to other safer topics. All along I wondered what the general had really inquired about.

When it grew late, we headed toward our tents. I pulled Ursan aside and asked him.

“I’m not surprised that you’re concerned,” he said.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

He considered. “She’s been hearing good things about our training. You know what that means, don’t you?”

Unfortunately. “She wants to know more about me.”

“Yep.”

“What did you tell her?”

“The truth.”

I suppressed my fear. Jael knew no other healers had survived the panic during the plague. And the last time I’d seen Jael, she had tried to kill me. I’d buried two of my throwing knives into her in self-defense. One into her upper arm and the other in her thigh. She wasn’t the type to forgive and forget. And without Kerrick’s help, a second attempt to kill me would no doubt succeed.

“The whole truth?” I asked.

Ursan studied my expression. “No. I left out the healer part.”

“Thanks.”

“I didn’t do it for you.”

Uh-oh. Blackmail time. I waited.

“I did it for us.” He swept a hand out, indicating the tents, campfires and soldiers. “Right now, we need this training. So I’m being selfish.”

“Will you let me know when you decide to stop being selfish?”

“I can tell you right now when I’ll stop. Do you want to know?”

“Go on.” I braced for his answer.

“When we move from skirmishes to full-out war. Casualties will unfortunately be much higher and more serious than the sprained ankles and cuts suffered out on patrols.”

“Fair enough.” And another reminder that my time was limited. I needed to talk to Noelle and find Melina.

On my next day off, I walked into Zabin to buy a few needed items. It had been fifty long days since Kerrick and I parted. I calculated the time it would take for him to reach Ryne’s castle. Then added the approximate days Ryne would need to assemble his elite troops, plus the fact that a bigger group would move more slowly, especially when crossing the Nine Mountains.

My spirits sank. Kerrick and Ryne probably wouldn’t arrive for another week at the earliest and more realistically, not for another two weeks.

The hustle and bustle of the market helped to take my mind off Kerrick. Dressed in my fatigues, I blended into the crowd, and no one gave me more than a passing glance. Handy.

I browsed the stalls, purchasing new undergarments and leather ties for my hair. During Liv and Wynn’s last patrol, I had reapplied Mom’s lightening cream and dyed my hair again. Mom’s estimates of how long my disguise would last didn’t quite match for me. My healing powers accounted for the faster recovery.

After I finished my shopping, I paused in front of the weapons merchant’s table of goods. I hoped it looked as if I hadn’t been planning to stop there. The owner appeared at my elbow. I recognized him from before, but he didn’t show any signs that he remembered me.

He launched into a sales pitch for each weapon I touched. Under his easy, affable personality, I sensed tension, as if he chose his words with care. It made sense, considering this town was basically occupied territory and his livelihood could be shut down at any time by Estrid or Jael.

I played along, asking questions about one or another sword or knife. When he mentioned liquid metal, my heart squeezed harder.

“What’s so special about liquid metal?” I asked, keeping the same noncommittal tone.

“It’s mined from the bottom of the Nine Mountains and the edge never dulls.”

“Never dulls? That’s hard to believe.”

He demonstrated with two different blades, dragging them along a rough surface. The liquid metal kept its sharp edge. Impressive—reminding me my stiletto was also made from the same metal. I hadn’t had to sharpen it yet, but then again, I hadn’t used it that much either.

“Why doesn’t it dull?” I asked.

He floundered for a second. “Well, it’s unique to all the Fifteen Realms. It’s also very flexible, lightweight and near impossible to break.”

In other words, he didn’t know. “Do you have any armor made with liquid metal?”

“That would be useful, especially in these trying times. However, the supply is limited. The mines have been shut down since the plague. I’ve only a few knives left.”

That last bit sounded like a sales ploy. But in the end, I bought a small dagger with a boot sheath so I could hide the weapon.

On my way back to camp, I spotted Belen leaving Jael’s tent. No mistaking the bear of a man who towered over everyone. The sudden desire to run up and hug him pulsed in my veins. Instead, I changed course so I’d avoid passing him.

Belen’s return created problems for me. After a couple days, the camp gossip must have informed him about the silent training. He showed up during one of our sessions, no doubt curious.

At first, he watched or, rather, listened to the exercise. None of the men learning the technique heard his near soundless entrance into the woods, which, considering his size, always impressed me. I knew right away. After traveling with him for three months, I could detect his subtle movements.

He waited until after we had finished for the day to appear as if by magic from a clump of bushes. Two members of the Odd Squad cried out in surprise. I used the distraction to fade into the forest.

“Not bad, gentlemen,” Belen said in his friendly baritone.

“You need more practice, but not bad at all.”

They stood a little straighter at the compliment.

Belen glanced around. “So where’s this Sergeant Irina that I’ve been hearing about?”

I kept still, hoping no one saw where I’d disappeared. The men exchanged looks as a murmur rippled through the two squads.

Ursan came to my rescue. “She’s out on a special assignment. Can I help you?”

“No need, Sergeant,” Belen said. “Just wanted to compare notes. When she returns, can you tell her I’d like to talk?”

“I’ll let her know. Will you be around for a while or are you heading out soon?” Ursan asked.

Standing next to Belen, Ursan didn’t appear to be as tall or as muscular. Belen had a few inches on Ursan and was thicker. Lines of fatigue creased Belen’s face, and he sported a few cuts and bruises. He rubbed his big hand over the black stubble on his jaw. His hair had also grown. The ends brushed the collar of his shirt.

“I’m staying for a couple more days,” Belen said.

“Another patrol?”

“No. It’s personal, Sergeant. I need to find my friends. They’ve been gone too long.”

Belen hid his emotions, but I knew Poppa Bear must be beside himself with worry over us. He’d protected Kerrick since childhood. It had to be hard not knowing what had happened while we’d been in Sogra, rescuing Ryne from Tohon.

Then it hit me. Belen needed to be told Ryne and the others were safe. Otherwise, he’d search Sogra and Vyg for us. And he’d get caught and killed.

How could I give him this information without revealing myself? I considered my options as Ursan, Belen and the others left the forest, returning to the camp. I could send him an anonymous note, or start a rumor. But would he believe them? It was worth a try. If he decided to leave regardless, I would stop him.

After waiting a few more minutes, I headed back. When I reached my tent, Ursan stepped from the shadows.

“That’s the third time I’ve covered for you,” he said. “You owe me some answers.”

I glanced at his hands, checking for weapons. None. Relaxing slightly, I crossed my arms. “For what questions?”

“Why did you hide from Belen?”

“Didn’t Lieutenant Thea tell you?” I couldn’t keep the surprise from my voice.

“She doesn’t confide everything.”

Interesting. I’d thought he was her go-to guy for advice. Was this a test? “I had a run-in with Belen a few years ago and would like to avoid another encounter.”

“But he knows your name.” Understanding lit his expression. “You used another name then.”

I gave him a tight smile.

“I’m tired of guessing. Tell me who you are. You owe me,” he said.

That was the second time he’d said I owed him, and this time it pissed me off. “Two squads disappeared without a trace in sector five, Sergeant. Yet you and all your jumping jacks returned alive and well from that very sector. I’d say we’re even.”

He opened his mouth, but I said, “Think about it.”

“I have. It was too easy getting there and back. It could have been all a ploy to get us to trust you.”

“And look at how well it worked.” I didn’t bother to suppress my sarcasm. I continued before he could reply. “Are you going to arrest me?”

Ursan frowned but didn’t reply.

I pushed past him and entered my tent. Not much I could do if he decided to expose me. I had bigger worries. Like how I would stop Belen from leaving the camp.

Except a couple days later, my problem had been solved. A messenger on horseback arrived, announcing that Prince Ryne’s troops would be here in about a week. The gossip zipped through the camp, igniting a variety of emotions.

A majority thought we didn’t need Prince Ryne and his elite troops, others welcomed the additional soldiers, while two of us—me and, I was sure, Belen—were ecstatic to hear the news.

Ten days later, Ryne rode into camp. He sat on a huge chestnut-colored horse. Quain and Loren rode just behind him on two piebald mares. They led a small battalion.

I scanned every single one of those faces—approximately four hundred soldiers. My heart thumped up my throat. Just to be certain, I looked a second time, but the results were the same.

Kerrick wasn’t among them.