I stood. “You don’t need—”

“Mr. Kerrick wants your hair one color so you don’t stand out so much.”

Mr. Kerrick could kiss my ass. I tried to be stubborn, but Mom didn’t bat an eye. She handled me as easily as a pouting two-year-old. Before I could even protest, she had me just where she wanted with my head in the basin.

“Auburn or blond?” she asked me.

“No orders from Mr. Kerrick?”

She ignored my sarcasm. “He said he preferred your natural color, but you could decide.”

Gee, what a swell guy.

“The reddish brown sets off your beautiful sea-green eyes better,” Mom said. “But if you choose blond, I’ll give you the dye so you can do your roots.”

I imagined trying to touch up my hair while camping in the Nine Mountains and almost laughed aloud. “My natural color is fine.”

It was sort of nice to be fussed over. After Mom dyed my hair to match my roots, Melina trimmed the ends with the scissors. My hack job had grown in uneven.

When they were finished, Mom stepped back. “Much, much better, my dear. You look lovely. The boys won’t recognize you.”

Good. Maybe I could escape for real this time.

“I’ll fetch them,” Mom said, dashing any hope. “They’ve been pestering to visit, but I wouldn’t let them until you were decent.”

Her comment reminded me of one of my questions. “Was it you, er…did you…?”

“Not to worry. Me and Melina took off those bloody clothes and did what we could for you. There were a few scary nights where I swore we would lose you, but Mr. Kerrick stayed by your side all night.”

That explained the annoying tug. Kerrick couldn’t even let me rest in peace. But as much as I would like to blame him for keeping me from the afterlife, earth magicians didn’t have any healing magic.

“Thank you, Mom, and thank you, too, Melina.”

Melina blushed prettily. After they left, I shoved my feet into my boots and strode to the window. My cloak and knapsack were still missing, but I could—

The door banged open and Loren, Flea and Quain charged me. I backed away until I realized they wore smiles and appeared to be happy to see me.

“Told you she’d live,” Loren said. “You owe me fifteen silvers.”

“You said ‘in no time.’ I believe it took her five days to recover. That’s not ‘in no time,’” Quain protested.

Flea beamed at me. “Wow, you look like…a girl!”

Belen plowed through them all, knocking them aside. He wrapped me in a tight hug, lifting me off the ground.

“Easy, Belen. My ribs…”

He set me gently down. “Avry, why did you risk your life for me? Kerrick ordered you not to heal me. You suffered for days! You shouldn’t have done it.”

The room grew quiet. I spotted Kerrick near the doorway.

“Belen, I decide who I heal. Me. Not Kerrick. Not you. Not anyone. It’s my decision. The only one I have left.” I put my hand on his cheek. “You deserved to be saved. I had no doubts.”

He covered my hand with his own, pressing it against his face. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.” And I meant it.

Mom entered. “You’ve visited. Now shoo! We don’t want her to have a relapse.”

Everyone filed out except Kerrick. Mom crossed her arms, waiting. Kerrick didn’t move. She sighed with such exasperation, I couldn’t keep from smiling. But after warning Kerrick not to tire me, Mom left, taking my good humor with her. Kerrick closed the door behind her and faced me.

Here we go. Time for the lecture. I braced for his recriminations.

“Did I see you actually smile?” he asked.

Thrown, I stared at him.

“I know you can smile,” he said, as if we were having a pleasant conversation. “You gave that little girl one even after her family turned you in to the town watch. Why?”

I stammered a moment before I collected my wits. “It wasn’t her fault her father turned me in. She’s a delightful child and I was glad to see her well.”

“Even though it almost led to your execution?”

“The two aren’t connected. I decided to heal her. I took the risk of being captured. It was my fault.”

“I see.”

I didn’t. What game was Kerrick playing now?

“We’re leaving Mengels a few hours before dawn.” He gestured to the bed. “I suggest you enjoy the comforts while you can. We won’t be overnighting at an inn again.”

“You’re still planning on taking me to Prince Ryne?”

“Yes.”

“Can you?” I asked.

He bristled. “You haven’t escaped.”

Not yet. “That isn’t what I meant. Mercs and bounty hunters are searching for me. They almost succeeded and Belen almost died. Can you really escort me to your prince without losing more of your men or me? Forty golds is a fortune to these people.”

“Almost succeeded isn’t succeeding. If you remember, we rescued you. Again.”

“And killed all those men. Even the magic sniffer, he’s—”

“Working for the enemy. If I didn’t kill them, they would attack us another time.”

“But there are more to take their place. You haven’t neutralized the source. As long as Tohon of Sogra dangles those forty golds, they’ll just keep chasing us like ufas after fresh meat. Eventually, someone’s going to succeed.”

Kerrick’s gaze turned contemplative. “What are you suggesting?”

I hadn’t realized I was. But as I chased the logic, I knew what should be done. “That we find out why Tohon wants me. Maybe if you turn me in—”

“That’s insane. I don’t need—”

“Not for the money. If you turn me in, then there’s no reason for the mercs or hunters to chase us anymore. We can learn why Tohon wants me alive. Maybe he’s like you, and wishes me to heal a sick friend or loved one. I could heal that person and then we won’t be bothered.”

“And if there’s another reason he wants you alive?”

“Then we escape. You have your earth magic.”

“Won’t work. I’m a forest mage not an earth magician. It’s a common mistake. My magic is a gift from the living essence of the forest. Tohon lives in the Sogra castle. I can’t do a thing surrounded by stone and dirt. Besides, I doubt Tohon cares enough for another to offer forty golds to save his or her life.”

“You know him?” I asked.

“Unfortunately. Why do you think he’s put a bounty on the healers?”

“I figured he lost someone to the plague and held a grudge against us.”

“No. He knows Ryne is sick and only a healer can save him. He wants the prince to die.”

So did I, but I wouldn’t go to such extremes. “Why?”

“Ryne is the only one who can stop Tohon.”

Chapter 7

“Stop Tohon from what?” I asked Kerrick.

“From turning the Fifteen Realms into his own personal kingdom.”

Not what I expected. “First, one man can’t change or stop anything. And second, why would Tohon’s attempt be bad? In case you missed it, our world has fallen apart. Peace throughout the Realms would be a step in the right direction.”

Kerrick shook his head. “You’ve been in hiding so long, you’ve no idea what’s really going on. Tohon is not trying to help the plague survivors. He’s gathering them into an army so he can invade all those towns that have managed to reform. Towns like Jaxton. All so his army can grow. And if his forces encounter anyone who refuses to join, they kill him or her. Tohon is…mentally unstable, and for him to be king of all…would be a living nightmare.”

“Why do you think only Ryne can stop him? Why not raise your own army?” I asked.

“Because Ryne is a brilliant strategist, and has outsmarted Tohon before.”

I huffed in disbelief. “Probably because Ryne and Tohon are both megalomaniacs.” I realized my mistake when Kerrick’s entire body stiffened. Expecting him to lose his temper, I stepped back.

Instead, he said in a flat monotone, “We’re going to cross the Nine Mountains. I suggest you get some rest while you can.”

I tried again. “We’ve been traveling for over twenty-five days and we’ve only reached Mengels. Do you really think we can get to the Nine Mountains?”