ARC: Assassin Queen (37 page)

Alder pointed to a large sack he had been carrying over his shoulder.

“
They
’
re dormant,”
he said.
“
Sleeping, until they sense the action. Ayalla suggested every top Majat warrior should carry some on their clothes, so that they can get as close to the enemy as possible. She said, once there, they
’
ll know what to do.
”

“Show me,” Mai said.

Alder reached over and carefully lifted the flap of the sack.

Curled up, with legs folded underneath their bellies, the spiders looked like small furry balls, innocent and cute if one didn
’
t look too closely. Mai stiffened visibly as he peered into their dark mass, as if expecting to see something else deeper inside.

“
Well then,
”
Mai said after a pause.
“
We have our plans laid out for us. All we need to do is get close to their damned fortress.
”

37

Temptation

Kara woke up with a strange echo in her head. The wind howling outside lashed out at the tent
’
s cover, streams of flying sand hitting it and trickling down the walls like tiny running feet.
Spiders?
She sat up and took a deep breath, settling into reality.

Her small, solitary tent looked just as empty as it did when she went to sleep, not a creature moving among the ornate rugs and pillows that seemed so excessive for an army on the march. She could see shadows moving outside the door, where her guards were stationed day and night
–
for protection, as well as to report on any unusual activity within. She heaved another deep breath, trying to quiet her racing heart.
Dear Shal Addim, it must be after midnight.
Mai had ordered an early start, which meant she
’
d do her best to catch more sleep.

She stiffened when the sand patting against the tent wall outside changed tone. The new sound resembled the echo of heavy footsteps, pounding through a deep stone hall. After a while she also started hearing voices, slowly becoming clearer and more recognizable.

She is here, Reincarnate.

Are you certain she’s ready, Kaddim Nimos?

A sharp pain in her arm caused her to gasp. She reached over and pulled her golden bracelets of station off her forearm. Her eyes widened.

The thorn Ayalla had plunged into her arm was glowing red-hot, the pain radiating from it so sharp that she reacted before she could think, clawing at it until she was able to pull it out and throw it away. Its glow faded as it rolled to a standstill at the edge of the tent. Kara forced down her shiver as she continued to stare. Then, she brought her arm to her eyes.

The moon was shining in through the tent flaps and seams, throwing silvery patches onto the floor. Kara brought her arm into one of them, staring. It took her a moment to come to terms with what she was seeing, to convince herself it was true.

She had expected a burning wound, gaping in the place where the thorn had been. Instead, a black spot marred her arm, level with the surrounding skin with no signs of a wound of any kind. It resembled a downturned triangle, with the sharp end pointing down at her hand.
The Kaddim brand mark.

Her stomach clenched as she stared at it, willing for it to disappear.

We’re waiting, Kara.

The voice reverberated in her ears as clearly as if the speaker was standing right behind her shoulder. She spun around, looking into the empty air. No sign of an intruder, not even a shadow against the bright light outside.

Air wafted over her neck, like a sweep of a hand near her skin, just out of touch.

Get ready, Kara.

She froze, the sound of the strange voice fading away, replaced with the dry rustle of sand outside. Footsteps, approaching.
Are they real this time? Or is it all inside my head?

“My Queen?”
The voice at the tent entrance seemed much more solid than the ones she heard just now. She thought she recognized it. El Rashid, one of her Golden Lion guards.

She took a breath.
“
What is it?
”

“
There are people out here to see you, Your Majesty.
”

People.
Her heart skipped a beat. It was the middle of the night. Everyone should be fast asleep, except for the guards.

For one illogical moment she wondered if the Kaddim had arrived to collect her, if they had somehow managed to put everyone here under their magic spell so that they could whisk her away. But she knew both Kyth and Mai were immune to the Kaddim mind control, and Kyth also had the ability to sense their magic if it was used nearby. Could the Kaddim have somehow disabled them both?

Her mouth felt dry as she jumped up to her feet, glancing over her outfit to make sure she was decent enough to face anyone outside. She strode to the tend flap and threw it open.

Kyth stood beside the doorway, with Egey Bashi, Mai, and several guards crowding behind. The bright desert moon threw sharp shadows over the Prince
’
s drawn face.

It was the first time she saw him up close since his return from Ayalla
’
s, and she could see how he had grown, both in power and in stature, as if his experience in the forest had completed his age-coming and turned him into a man. He frowned as he peered at her, his concerned look sending her heart racing again. She wondered at the way his closeness made her feel unsettled, as if the changes going on inside her turned her into an adversary.
The
Kaddim magic. Is he sensing it on me?

She couldn
’
t think of anything to say as she stood there, feeling like a thief caught in the act.

Mai reached past the Prince and grasped her arm, pulling up her sleeve as he turned it toward the light. She heard a sharp intake of breath as they all stared at the black triangle branded into her skin.

“
When did this happen?
” Mai asked.

She swallowed.
“
Just now. The pain woke me up.
”

“
Where
’
s the thorn?
”

She glanced over to the edge of the tent. One of the Emeralds rushed in and picked it up, showing it to Kyth and Mai.

“
I sense no magic on it,
”
Kyth said.
“
It must have lost its power.
”

Mai
’
s look turned glassy as he nodded, his brief glance at Kara freezing her to the spot.
He’s suspecting something.
I mustn’t let him see what’s happening to me.

“
Did you feel anything else?
”
Egey Bashi asked.

Kara hesitated. “
A voice. I heard someone whispering over my shoulder.
”

“An intruder?”

She shook her head.
“
No. Just the voice.
”

“
What did it say?
”

Get ready, Kara.
“I…
I didn
’
t hear it clearly enough to distinguish the words.
”
She was surprised at the ease with which the lie came out of her mouth. Looking at their concerned faces, she also wondered at the sense of detachment she felt.
Dear Shal Addim, am I becoming a Kaddim?
She focused on Mai, trying to ground herself in the warmth she always felt in his presence, in the fact that she was seeing him again, so close, after such a long time. The concern in his gaze made her shiver, yet, even looking into his eyes she still felt detached
–
as if she wasn
’
t fully here anymore.
Mai. Have they found a way to come between us?

Do I even know who I am anymore?

“
Are you sure you didn
’
t make out any words at all?
”
Kyth
’
s narrowed eyes told her he was suspecting more than any of the others, but she knew she could fool him too, with the way he always cared for her, all but blind to her numerous faults.

She briefly glanced down and batted her eyes at him, knowing that the gesture made her look vulnerable and alluring, rewarded to see his gaze soften in response.
“I…
I tried. At some point it seemed that they said something about being close, I think. But I really couldn
’
t understand anything else.
”

This lie seemed safe. They all knew they were getting very close to the Kaddim fortress. According to the Cha
’
idi, their current campsite stood right at the boundary none of their people dared to cross. As far as she heard, their scouts yesterday had spotted a stone wall up ahead, just before the high winds had forced them to abandon the search.
Get ready, Kara.
She was ready. Before long, she was going to reunite with her brothers.

“I…
I don’
t feel so well,
”
she said.
“
I need to sleep.
”

Kyth and Mai exchanged a quick glance.

“
Triple the guards,
”
Mai said to the men watching from the doorway.
“
I want them stationed all around the tent. If anything in here bloody moves, report to me immediately.
”

Kara bowed her head in acknowledgement. She avoided looking at Kyth at all as she stepped back into the tent and closed the flap behind her.

“
This is the place,
” Mai said.

Kyth narrowed his eyes, looking at the desert ahead. In the stillness that came in the wake of last night
’
s wind, the sands lay flat like water, the jagged peaks of rocks like reefs rising in between. They grew taller as they ran into the distance, blending with the horizon.

“
Where exactly?
”
he asked.

“
Behind those rocks over there. They
’
ve made good use of the landscape to make sure the stronghold is all but invisible, even from this close.
”

“
Right.
”
Kyth glanced at the rest of his party, the Diamonds crowded around Mai like a human shield, the equally huddled group of the Cha
’
idi beside them, with Ulhari in their midst.

“
Did you find out how many there are?
”
he asked.

Mai
’
s gaze wavered.
“
This is a strange thing, actually. All of our information says there
’
s no steady source of water nearby, only a small spring within the fortress walls that can service no more than a hundred. Yet, my scouts report seeing many more, close to a thousand.
”

Kyth
’
s eyes widened.
“
How is that possible?
”

Mai locked eyes with Egey Bashi standing on Kyth
’
s other side.

“
I offered an explanation Aghat Mai is finding implausible,
”
the Keeper said.

“
What explanation, Magister?
”

“
If these warriors inside the fortress are undead, they wouldn
’
t need any water
–
or food for that matter. In fact, they would make perfect defenders for a desert fortress.
”

“
Undead?
”

“
You do know, Prince Kythar, that the Kaddim are capable of resurrection.
”

“Yes.”

“
Their resurrection, done properly, would create a man indistinguishable from the original. However, a quick version would create only an animated corpse, held together by the Destroyer
’
s magic. This magic could be channeled through the Kaddim Reincarnate nearly effortlessly, creating a fearless and obedient army that costs almost nothing to keep.
”

Kyth slowly let out a sigh.
An undead army. Just what we bloody need.

“
Can the Majat deal with them?
”
he asked.

Mai looked at him levelly.
“
The Magister assured us these undead warriors would still be vulnerable to our weapons. We just need to make sure we finish the job this time.
”

Kyth lowered his head. For once, he felt glad that his part in the battle wouldn
’
t take him anywhere near those undead, even if the thing he had to do was probably even worse.

“
What about Kara?
”
he asked.

Mai glanced back toward their camp, the small tent in its midst surrounded by so many guards that even a wisp of sand trying to finding its way in would probably be stopped and inspected.

“
Is there anything else we can do for her?
”
Kyth asked.

Mai shrugged. He still didn
’
t say anything at all.

“
At some point,
” Egey Bashi said, “
this kind of guarding will drain your resources, Aghat Mai.
”

“
Is there another option, Magister?
”

“
Drug her, like I suggested before. I have a substance that could send her to sleep, and another one that would revive her with no harmful consequences when the time comes.
”

Mai hesitated. “I
’
d rather ask her first, if we
’
re to consider something like that.
”

“
You know she may not be acting like herself anymore, Aghat. Whatever she says, we can
’
t possibly trust it.
”

“
Are you suggesting we force her, Magister?
”

Kyth shivered as he saw Mai
’
s determined face. He had made a mistake last night, rushing to Mai when he sensed the Kaddim magic without bringing Ellah along. Had Ellah been there when they confronted Kara in her tent, they would have known for sure if she was hiding something.

He never thought he would see the day he wished that Mai was allowed to share Kara
’
s tent and her bedroll, an intimate closeness that might have slowed her transformation and kept her loyalties closer to the Majat. He even had a conversation about this with Raishan, the only Diamond he fully trusted, but none of them could see any way to pursue this possibility. And now, without Mai by her side, Kara had no support at all. More, none of them had any way of knowing what was going on with her.

“Let
’
s go talk to her,
”
he said.

Mai paused. Kyth was sure he understood the reason for the reluctance in the Diamond
’
s gaze. If Kara
’
s Kaddim magic had become too strong, it might be necessary to subdue her with force. Kyth knew Mai wouldn
’
t hesitate to do it, but he was sure none of them cherished the idea.

“
All right,
” Mai said.