Sorceress (Book 2) (10 page)

Still, she wished the two would relax. It was like trying to paint next to a blacksmith working metal on his anvil. Sighing, she tried not to let their problems become her problems.

“Kayleigh,” Laurel asked, with a hint of confusion in her voice. “Are you doing something?”

“What?”

“It’s just I could swear I felt your presence on my bond with Chindi, trying to calm us down.”

“Oh,” Kayleigh responded and immediately withdrew her hands. At least, she finally knew the name of Laurel’s unicorn. “It wasn’t intentional. By the Goddess, I swear it wasn’t!”

“It’s okay,” Laurel said. “I guess it worked. Just felt odd. I’ll finish up.”

Before she could say another word, Kayleigh spotted Orsa’s angry face. A few months ago, that glare would make her wish she was on the other side of the walls, but she swore she would never be that girl again and matched his anger with defiance.

Kayleigh told Rheysurrah to go get some water and walked up the steps, passing Captain Orsa. He put his hand on her shoulder, stopping her, and said, “You disobeyed me, but you fought well. I am glad you were able to save your friend.”

Giving him a surprised look, she replied, “Thank you...I guess. We’re surrounded now. If I go out those gates again, it’s because we won or we lost.”

From the walls, a man called to the captain and said, “The unicorn rider is still out there!”

Orsa made a distasteful face and bade her to follow. Back on the walls, she saw that Lancer Garrett lingered just out of bow range. The air maiden reached into her saddlebags and unfurled a messenger flag. She waved it and waited. It was a request to approach under a truce.

In the distance, behind the lone rider, the nomad cavalry had finished forming a long line, letting everyone know that escape by land was impossible.

“Give her the red flag. I have no interest in hearing what she has to say,” Orsa said, instructing one of his men.

Garrett approached anyway, under the visible protection of a conjured air shield. She closed to a hundred feet as Orsa signaled to a short, balding man with a crossbow.

The man fired a bolt that slammed off her air dome.

Garrett shook her head in disgust and shouted over the jeers of the men and opened a scroll. “The Sultan of Jaruciax has abdicated in favor of his eldest living child! If you do not open your gates by tomorrow morning, you will be declared rebels and subject to summary execution. The new Sultan has the backing of the High-King!”

“Don’t believe her!” Kayleigh said. “Her eyes are blackened, just like your saboteurs.”

To Kayleigh Orsa said, “I am no fool. Never have I heard of you Battle Maidens attempting to kill each other. This sorcery is most foul and I would bet every last coin in the town our new Sultan has the same bewitched eyes as your rider.”

Stepping near the side of the wall, he called out his reply. “Then let the new Sultan come, bearing the royal scepter so that we can welcome him to our city. Until then, these gates will remain closed.”

The air maiden shrugged and calmly rolled the scroll, placing it back in the container before saying, “You have until morning to reconsider. The fates of many rest with your choice.”

Garrett withdrew and left silence in her wake. Orsa’s shoulders sagged almost imperceptibly. It only lasted a second before the man began barking orders as if nothing were wrong.

Kayleigh didn’t feel much like sleeping that night. She tried anyway. Smythe’s estate had comfortable beds that were much better than anything she’d ever imagined. Her simple bedding in Helden and even what she had at The Academy were meager in comparison. For the last two nights it had been more than enough. Tonight, with enemy horsemen outside the gates of a town she was not allowed to leave, she tossed and turned.

At the evening meal, the others had hung on Laurel’s recounting of the encounter with Lancer Garrett. By Kayleigh’s estimation, her friend gave Kayleigh too much credit. Their looks reminded her of how the first years had watched her when Kayleigh had killed those Yar. They toasted her and it only made her feel worse.

Knowing that sleep would not be coming anytime soon, she sat up, dressed, and crept down the hallway, trying to make as little noise as possible. Descending the stairs, she sat on a bench by the doorway and started putting her boots on.

A voice surprised her, saying, “You should be upstairs, young warrior.” Looking into a darkened room, she could only see a tiny light. It was embers from a pipe and the fragrant aroma of the burning plants reached her nose.

Focusing and adjusting to the low light, she recognized Smythe. “I figured I’d be useful and wash my unicorn. You can’t sleep either?”

“As I said before, I am the city and the city is threatened.” His words contained a simple, undeniable truth.

“The city has been around for longer than you have been alive,” Kayleigh said. “You don’t have to be this city.”

He puffed a series of smoke circles and replied, “I have reached a point in my life where I do not know how to be anything else. You are young and there are still many paths open to you.”

You’d be surprised
. Instead, she tugged on her boots and nodded at the man. “Which army do you think gets here first?” Kayleigh asked.

“We’re counting on help from cities who are busy fortifying their own towns and praying for their own survival, or the grace of nearby kings. We can only hope that one of them decides there is enough strategic value in our city for them to decide to conquer us before this Master and his army arrives. Our dear captain has an army of beggars on the walls. Our defenses will not turn aside a determined effort, but I do not wish to depress you. Your friends whisper about you when they think no one is listening. They believe you are special.”

“I’m just a Battle Maiden,” she answered, starting to feel nervous.

“And I am just a humble merchant,” he replied. “Other than getting you out of my city, is there something I can do for you?”

Kayleigh frowned, trying to think of something she could use. “I guess I could use a sheath for this knife and a decent shield.”

“I will have them for you shortly. Go. Your unicorn waits.”

She flashed him a smile and he nodded. As she stood and placed her hand on the door to the courtyard, he spoke once more. “When the city does fall and you are forced to fend for yourself, it may be wise for you and the others to try and make it back here.”

“Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind,” Kayleigh said and went out into the night. She considered the man’s offer. He might have a way out, but there was a nagging feeling that he could also be looking for a way to preserve his own hide and having a group of Battle Maidens to barter with would improve his chances when the city was captured.

Out in the night air, Kayleigh tried to clear her head. There were so few people in her life she could trust. The nearest were sleeping upstairs. Glancing at the stables, she wasn’t even certain she could count on her unicorn at the moment, much less a hardened criminal. Giving Rheysurrah a washing and a thorough brushing would hopefully be a step in the right direction. She’d also ask him his opinion. Soon they would have to make a choice and, despite their current problems, they were a team.

“Where is everyone headed?” Kayleigh asked Laurel as they rode out of Smythe’s compound. She’d managed to get a small amount of sleep after spending some time with Rheysurrah, but still felt exhausted both mentally and physically. As promised, there was a fine leather sheath, studded with tiny gems, waiting for her along with a durable shield. Smythe must have a considerable amount of pull to produce such things on so short of notice.

“Amanda is going to the docks to help with crowd control,” Laurel answered. “I’m over at the west gate. Tamera is joining you up at the city’s main gate.”

“Did you get a chance to tell the others about what our host said?”

The air maiden nodded and replied, “I told them at breakfast. I’m not sure what to think either, but as things stand I have the longest route through the city to get back here and my unicorn’s speed won’t be much help in these narrow streets. Our two earth sisters know to open a hole in the wall when it appears that the city is going to fall. There’s a village three days due south and slightly west of the river. If we get separated, I’ve told everyone to ride as fast as they can and meet there. Have you got everything you need in your saddlebags?”

It was Kayleigh’s turn to nod. “Not really much left. So much for all that over packing I did.”

It bothered her that she still hadn’t told Laurel about the original plan she and Majherri had made, but there was little sense in dredging up her previous mistakes, especially when it could only make matters worse. There was also her own pride that prevented Kayleigh from admitting how weak and lost she had felt before this trip. Now the young sorceress was more angry and scared, deciding to continue to protect that secret for as long as possible.

Rheysurrah sensed Kayleigh’s sudden reluctance and snorted his disapproval. She couldn’t be certain how much the unicorn had gleaned from the bond they shared, however Kayleigh suspected that Rhey now knew far more than she was comfortable with and wondered how much he had shared with the other unicorns. Waving goodbye to Amanda and Laurel, she fell in next to Tamera.

The earth maiden smiled and said, “Morning, Kayleigh. Rough night? My unicorn told me you were out in the stables for most of it.”

She nodded while saying, “Too nervous, I guess.”

“Me too,” Tamera said. “I miss when the worst thing I had to worry about was getting extra duty for having piled up demerits. At least it looks like we’ve got a clear sky today.”

To be perfectly honest, no one had expected the attack to occur the day after the nomad cavalry arrived. Infantry would be days behind, and without the sheer numbers, any assault on the walls would be a waste of lives.

That’s what everyone manning the front gate...including Kayleigh...believed would happen. Her faith in that wisdom lasted until a lookout spotted something in the sky. It was initially believed to be just a large bird joining the ever-present swarm of bewitched birds circling above.

Without the ability to send the messengers birds out, Orsa had tried slaughtering pigs to lure the carrion feeders out of the sky, so their numbers could be thinned on the ground. His plan was sound, but it failed in the face of the powerful enchantments on the birds flying above the buildings.

The object in the distance continued to approach and become larger, causing Kayleigh’s feeling of dread to grow.

That’s no bird!
It landed behind the enemy lines and it was as if a rock had been thrown into a nest of wasps. The riders scrambled to mounts with a sense of urgency and there was movement everywhere.

One of the bowmen next to her asked, “Is it attacking them?”

Orsa lowered his spyglass. His face was ashen and Kayleigh saw the look in his eye.

“A manticore,” he said. The words just tumbled out of his mouth. “They have a manticore.”

I wish I knew what one was. Maybe I’m better off not knowing.

She only had a moment to process this before she saw the flash of metal. One of the beggars lunged with his spear and stabbed the captain in the back. Orsa’s eyes bulged as he stumbled forward.

It was only then that Kayleigh realized another man had a sword and was lunging at her. Without thought, a burst of flame from her hand met her attacker head on. The failed assassin screamed and fell backward to the ground below.

The men Smythe warned us about!
Her thoughts resounded in her mind like Helden’s old warning bell.

She rounded on Orsa’s attacker, but found others had stripped him of his weapon.

The grizzled crossbowman, who had shot at Garrett, moved to Orsa’s side. Kayleigh knelt next to them.

“It’s bad,” the man said. “He will bleed out unless you use your flame.”

Grimacing, Kayleigh paused. Cauterizing wounds was taught in the fourth and fifth years. Pigs were brought to The Academy and wounded so the fire maidens could practice when it wasn’t a life or death situation - like now. She cursed not having her vial of healing tears anymore. Danella had taken it and probably used it to heal the wound Kayleigh had given her. Tamera was nearby, but Kayleigh was unsure if the earth maiden still had her vial of tears.

“I’ve never...”

“Do it, girl!” Orsa sputtered and spat onto the stonework.

Not knowing what she was doing, she stared at the piercing wound and wrapped fire around her first two fingers and squeamishly inserted them into the wound.

Orsa screamed and flailed violently despite the man holding him. Jerking her fingers out of the laceration in his back, Kayleigh stared at what she’d done and felt a wincing pain in her shoulder.

“Is he?”

“He’s still breathing, if that’s what you’re wantin’ to know,” the man answered. “Won’t be worth a spit if they’re going to attack though.”

He looked past her and said, “You three, carry him to his office, send for a healer to see if they can do more for him, and guard the door. No one but members of the city guard are allowed to enter!”

The men took Orsa from him and the veteran turned to the prisoner. “Are they going to attack?”