We walked through the streets of Zabin. I noticed how the citizens who didn’t wear the robes kept their gazes on the ground. They hurried along as if afraid someone would stop them.

Exiting the city, we followed the border road so named because it paralleled the border between Vyg and Pomyt. Without having to worry about Estrid’s soldiers, we could use the road and camp on the Pomyt side. Most of Vyg was still disputed territory.

An hour outside Zabin, we encountered trouble. Kerrick cursed and pulled his sword, warning us before six horses broke from the forest. I yanked one of my throwing knives as everyone grabbed their weapons, but it didn’t matter. Jael led the ambush. No weapon could match her magic.

Armed soldiers rode on the other five horses. And, as an added bonus, Noelle shared Jael’s mount. Sitting behind Jael, my sister wouldn’t meet my gaze, but she stared with a cold disgust at my companions.

“Estrid was a fool to let you go,” Jael said. “Our army is more than capable of handling Tohon’s.”

“Did you come all this way just to say goodbye?” Kerrick asked.

“Oh, yes. This is goodbye,” Jael said. “Unlike Estrid, I’m not a fool. You’re too dangerous to leave alive.”

“Estrid won’t be happy,” Kerrick said.

“That’s why I’m not dragging the healer back with me. She’ll just squeal to the High Priestess, and I don’t want to tip my hand just yet.”

“But you trust Avry’s sister?”

“My little protégée has been surprisingly helpful. She’s also proving to be quite valuable and loyal. We agree on so many things.”

Not good. Noelle finally met my gaze and I was the one to glance away. Pure joy over my imminent demise shone from her face. Not only had she changed, but she’d found another person to shadow.

“You don’t need to kill my men,” Kerrick said.

“And leave them to avenge your deaths? Didn’t you hear me when I said I wasn’t a fool? Goodbye, Kerrick, I’m afraid there’s no chance of us ever getting back together.”

In desperation, I threw my knife at her, aiming for her neck. But the air thickened, stopping the weapon in midair. It dropped to the ground.

Jael tsked, shaking her head at my lame attempt before a wall of air slammed into us, knocking us to the ground. When the wall retreated, it sucked all the breath from our lungs. This time Jael wasn’t playing around.

Chapter 15

Lying on the ground, I strained to draw a breath. Familiarity with this particular situation didn’t prevent my panic from rising, but knowing Belen and the others also suffered kept my fear from dominating.

My healing magic surged and fought to keep air in my lungs. Jael’s power pressed harder, but another magic tingled along the back of my hand. I looked to my left. Kerrick lay next to me with his arm outstretched. Jael either didn’t know about his forest magic or didn’t believe it would make a difference. On its own, it probably wouldn’t, but combined with mine…

I grasped his hand and it felt as if I had just been struck by lightning. Instead of sharing my energy with him, he sent his to me. And, damn, the man was strong. The forest’s vast energy waited for me to tap into it. Air flowed back into my lungs as the healing power won the battle. I “healed” Kerrick and reversed the flow of energy, letting Kerrick tap into mine.

Not quite understanding what had happened, Jael frowned at us. Suffocating six people required all of her strength, but now she only had four. And if we didn’t stop her soon, she would kill them.

Keeping a grip on Kerrick’s hand, I grabbed one of my knives and flung it at her. It struck her upper arm. She yelped and I sent another into her thigh. The horse reared at the scent of blood. Noelle clutched Jael’s waist, but they remained in the saddle. My attack did break her concentration. Noisy gasps erupted behind me.

Her soldiers drew their weapons. Kerrick dropped my hand in order to engage the soldiers while the others recovered. Heavy branches dropped from the trees above us, scaring the horses. Against five on horseback, Kerrick was holding his own. It was impressive, but I knew with the energy he spent he wouldn’t last. I wounded two of the soldiers. By then Belen, Loren and Quain joined in the battle.

Although boastful, Jael’s claim of not being a fool proved accurate. She called for a retreat and the six horses galloped away.

We cheered and congratulated ourselves until we realized Flea remained prone on the ground. He stared at the sky, but he wasn’t moving. I raced over to him. Blue lips, eyes vacant and the pasty pallor of the dead greeted me.

I touched Flea’s slack face. No magic swelled from my core. “Kerrick,” I yelled.

He knelt next to me and covered my hands with his. Magic flowed into me, but I couldn’t funnel it into Flea. I tried until exhausted. And I would have kept going, but Kerrick pulled me away. Healers couldn’t bring the dead back to life, but I had hoped just this once I could.

Numb with grief, I sat next to Flea as Kerrick and Belen discussed the macabre yet necessary task of burying him. Loren and Quain stood nearby, looking miserable.

“…ground’s too hard, scavengers will dig him up,” Belen said.

“…a pyre will alert every merc in Vyg of our whereabouts,” Kerrick said.

“…cave…seal off the entrance?”

I tuned them out as I remembered Flea’s energy and enthusiasm. His lopsided grin, puppy-dog pouts and utter joy as he mastered juggling three rocks. He had such potential… The word caused a flood of memories, but not of Flea. The Death Lily had wanted him. It said he had potential.

Scrambling to my feet, I interrupted Belen and Kerrick. “Offer Flea to a Death Lily.”

Their reactions matched. Shocked, repulsed, upset and angry. I explained as much as I could without sounding like a lunatic. They argued. Not surprising, it went against logic and compassion and plain old moral decency. But, damn it, I knew it was the right thing to do.

“Avry, you’re grieving and not thinking clearly,” Belen said.

“Belen, I spent hours inside a Lily. This is what we need to do for Flea.”

Belen, Loren and Quain shook their heads sadly. They thought I had lost my mind. And maybe I had.

“How can you not trust me?” I asked, attempting one last time. “Did you even see my sister’s joy at the prospect of my death? I could have stayed with Estrid and tried to repair the damage between us. But no, I…” My throat closed as tears threatened. “Forget it.” I turned my back to them so they wouldn’t see me cry.

“There’s a cluster of Lilys about two miles west of here,” Kerrick said.

I wiped my face and glanced back. Kerrick pressed his hand to the ground. “It’s in Vyg, but there’s no one else around.”

“Are you nuts?” Quain asked. “You’re not going to—”

“We are. Belen, get Flea’s blanket.”

Belen wrapped Flea in the blanket and carried him over his shoulder. No one said a word. By the time we reached a grove, darkness had descended.

Gently laying him down, Belen told a story of how he had taught Flea the facts of life and how the boy thought it was disgusting, but a few months later, he had changed his mind and asked for more details. Loren and Quain took a turn relating how they taught him to fight.

“My son in all ways but one,” Kerrick said.

The others agreed.

I couldn’t speak.

Kerrick removed the blanket and carried Flea over to a pair of trees. I went with him just in case the Lily attacked. The base of the tree trunks almost touched, but the upper trunks bowed away, making the trees look like a giant V. The Lily grew right behind them. Death or Peace? We’d find out soon enough.

It didn’t hiss or move fast, but the petals parted, dipping toward Flea. The tips of the petals bent under his body. The Death Lily gathered Flea as if it were his mother. Then Flea was gone.