Bastial Frenzy (The Rhythm of Rivalry: Book 4) (49 page)

“I understand.”

As Terren left Zoke with his thoughts, he wondered what Zeti would say to him when she had her strength back. Did she really want to stay in the Academy? Perhaps she only came to warn him that the Krepps were coming, which he already knew. She might’ve intended to leave after delivering this news.

All these questions made him realize he hardly knew Zeti anymore. She looked like a stranger, lying there unconscious. Her old shirt looked small on her now. It was ripped and stained.

In the hours that followed, the chemists tried waking Zeti several times. When they were successful, they gave her some juice and bread. Her skin already was looking better, less cracked and dry.

Zoke was falling asleep when Zeti finally sat up and spoke. “Brother.”

He jumped from his seat. “How are you?”

“Better.” The word seemed strained, though.

“What brought you here?”

“Doe’s actions have become dishonorable. I can’t fight for him, and I can’t fight with an army that lets Tegry Hiller’s actions go unpunished. Do you know what he did to your king?”

“My king?” Before Zoke could hear more about what Doe did, he needed to make something clear. “Welson Kimard was not my king. I have no king. Yes I know what Tegry did to Welson. But what happened with Doe?”

“Nebre wrote to him explaining the truth, but Doe didn’t care that he was allied with a dishonorable king. He’s keeping the truth from the other Krepps so they don’t revolt. Keenu and I tried to expose this truth.” Zeti looked down at her lap. “Doe killed Keenu, and I ran before he could kill me. I didn’t have any food or water, nor did I have any bags or even a pouch to carry water in. I drank from the rivers, and I hunted, but I couldn’t make it all the way here. I remembered seeing a lake in the distance when I finally collapsed. I still don’t know if it was real. What happened?”

“Humans watching from the walls saw you. They have devices that allow them to see far, some sort of special glass. I don’t understand it.”

“And you made them get me?” Zeti asked.

“No, they brought you back to the Academy on their own and began to treat you before they even knew who you were.”

Zeti was confused. “Don’t they know Krepps are their enemies?”

“Of course.”

“Then why would they help me?”

“I don’t know. That’s just how they are.”

“Stupid.”

Zoke lightly smacked her forehead with the back of his hand. “They saved your life, didn’t they?”

“At least they were smart enough to restrain me, I see.” She tested the chains around her wrists and ankles.

“Does this mean you no longer think of me as a traitor?” Zoke asked.

“I could never think of you as a traitor.”

Zoke felt a mixture of joy and despair from her statement. “But I am a traitor. We both are now.”

“Don’t say that. It makes my stomach sick.”

“We are.” Zoke found himself thinking back to his conversation with Cleve about honor. “But that doesn’t mean we’re wrong.”

“Yes it does. Traitors are wrong. I know you know this. Every Krepp knows this. It’s not something you can forget, even living with Humans.”

“It’s not that I forgot. There’s more to it than that. Don’t you feel it would’ve been wrong to stay and fight with Doe and Tegry?”

“Yes. But I was dishonorable to leave the Krepps. So I can’t say I’ve done the right thing.”

“You have. You’ve done the right thing for us, and that’s all that matters.”

By the twist of her mouth, he could tell she didn’t feel the same way.

“Pretend Krepps didn’t care what you did,” he said. “What’s the honorable thing to do for your own sake?”

“Kill Doe and Tegry.”

Zoke liked her answer, though there was something that still worried him. “What about the Slugari?”

Zeti let out a breath that revealed her exhaustion. “I can’t help wanting to eat them, even if they go against Doe and Tegry.” She leaned toward her claws to scratch her face, but she couldn’t reach. “Will you ask them to unlock the chains? Now that they know I’m sister to you, I don’t understand the point.”

“It’s because there are Slugari here, Zeti. They’re helping the Humans fight. In fact, they’ve threatened to leave if you aren’t gone by tomorrow.” Zoke could hear Zeti sucking in drool as he continued. “They’re scared you’re going to eat them.”

“I would, brother. Even honor is not stronger than my appetite for Slugari meat. I can’t stop myself.”

Zoke had a feeling this would be the case. “Then let’s leave tonight. We’ll go south to avoid the Krepps coming from the east and Tegry’s army from the north. We can go around the battle, eventually turning north to meet with Suba and the others in Merejic, like you told me about.”

“If you want to do that, why didn’t you go earlier when I told you to? Why stay with the Humans this long?”

“I don’t want to do that. I want to stay and fight. But leaving is the only option I can think of to make sure you’re safe.”

“I’m a woman now, Zoke. How would you feel if I wanted to fight but I ran to keep you safe?”

“That doesn’t matter. I’m older brother to you. You would never need to do something like that.”

“And you don’t either!” Zeti yelled.

A chemist was coming over with a plate of food, but she stopped when Zeti began to shout.

“It’s alright,” Zoke told her in common tongue, waving her closer.

“Will you feed her?” the chemist asked, nervously giving him the plate.

“Yes.”

Zoke held the bread to Zeti’s mouth. She ignored it, looking intently at him instead. “I don’t want to run,” she said. “You asked me what would be the honorable thing to do if the opinions of others didn’t matter. It would be to tell the Krepps what Doe did. It would be to lead the Krepps against Doe and Tegry. Then, with a new leader…” She fell silent as she looked around the vast, nearly empty room. “We attack Kyrro.”

Zoke was struck by shock. She took the bread from his hand with her teeth.

“You still wish to attack these Humans?” He was in disbelief. “Why?”

She swallowed and spoke with conviction, crumbs of bread spewing from her mouth. “Have you forgotten they killed Grayol?”

“They didn’t mean to take his life,” Zoke argued. “It’s right for you to be angry but not for you to want to kill them as revenge. Wishing for
vantikar
on these Humans is wrong. There has been too much
vantikar
. This whole war is because of revenge. It’s happening over and over. The honorable thing to do is to be strong and only punish those deserving.”

But he saw stubbornness in Zeti’s angry eyes. She wasn’t heeding his words. So he pointed at the chemist watching them.

“She saved your life. You want her to die for what happened to Grayol?”

“Not her, no.”

“What about the Humans that care about me—and even care about you because you’re sister to me? You want them to die?”

“I—”

“What about Vithos, who saved you, Keenu, and Grayol? You want him to die?”

“No…” Her voice trailed off.

“Then who deserves to die? Who will you kill that will make you honorable?”

“The ones who killed Grayol!” There was a thrash of her chains as she twisted.

“You won’t find one man whose death will be
vantikar
for that. If it weren’t for Tegry going to war against Kyrro, there would’ve been no need for the explosion. It was a decision made out of opportunity to help save lives by killing their enemies.”

“Are you saying it was right, that it was honorable?” Zeti spat over the opposite side of the bed.

“No. I’m saying there’s no right and wrong anymore.” He took a breath to calm himself, only noticing then how strongly he was grabbing the bars of her bed. “This has gone too far for us to still be discussing honor. There’ve been too many despicable acts. Spies, traitors, torturous mixtures, and lies…so many lies.” He spat. “I’m sick of worrying about what’s honorable anymore. What I want is for you to be safe, and I want these Humans to win. I know my reasons are just, and if I’m marked as a traitor or dishonorable for them, then so be it. To me,
that
is honor.” He slammed his clenched fist against his chest. “To do what you believe is right no matter what anyone else thinks. That is honor.”

Zeti was silent, no longer enraged. She turned and showed him sad eyes. “But that means leaving with me before battle would be dishonorable to you.”

“It would, but honor is not as important to me as keeping you safe.”

“I wish to be honorable also, but it’s not as easy for me as it is for you. I wasn’t forced out of the army. I ran on my own. Fighting against the Krepps brings me some honor—knowing I’m going against Doe and Tegry, who need to be punished—but it also brings me dishonor for being a traitor.” She let down her head. “Anything I do would bring me dishonor…if I fight with you, if I fight with the Krepps, or if I run and fight with no one.”

“So forget honor. Do what you want to do.”

“I want to kill Doe…and eat Slugari.” Zeti let out an exasperated breath. “But I feel now that my urge to eat them is shameful. I want to stay and fight with you, brother. I’ve always wanted to fight with you since this war began, but I couldn’t join your side, and I knew you couldn’t join mine. At least we’re finally together.” Half her long mouth curled into a smile.

Zoke leaned over and kissed Zeti’s head. “We’re family once again,” he said. “Even if we must leave dishonorably together.”

She frowned. “But I don’t want us to leave. Is there some other way?”

“Yes, if you pass a test that proves you can resist the urge to eat Slugari.”

“I don’t think I can do that.”

“It’s the only way we can fight.”

“Still…” She went silent.

“You must.” He showed her a look of fortitude. “I know you can do it. You’re strong.”

She fell into thought, staring at her lap.

“I’ll try.”

He stood and left to retrieve Terren and Khy.

Chapter 34:

ZOKE

The moment Zoke came back with Khy and Terren, he heard his sister sucking in drool. “It smells so good,” Zeti said, panicked.

Khy stopped. She asked Terren, “You’re certain the chains are strong enough to hold her?”

Terren came to Zeti’s bed and tested each one. “She can’t do more than sit up,” he reassured her. Khy wiggled forward slowly.

“I can’t do this,” Zeti whispered, sucking violently so that no drool escaped her mouth.

Zoke didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t cover his sister’s nose nor wipe the saliva he found escaping the corners of her mouth without interfering with the test.

The little Slugari kept her small eyes on Zeti as she came closer. “It sounds like she’s trying not to drool.”

Zoke whispered to Zeti, “You must stop salivating.”

Zeti couldn’t even speak, her mouth was so moist. Then the drool started to escape. Quickly it ran down her chin, wetting her shirt, arms, even the bed.

Zeti knew she’d failed. Zoke could see it on her face. His sister even began to cry.

Khy said nothing. She simply turned and headed for the door.

“Wait,” Zoke called to her.

“I’m sorry,” Khy said, “but that’s it.”

“Just give her one more chance.” Zoke quickly caught up to Khy, but she kept waddling. He didn’t wish to step in front of her or grab her tail, though both ideas were tempting.

“There’s no point,” Khy said. “Clearly, she can’t help herself.”

“She can.”
She must.

“What could possibly change for her to suddenly stop wanting to eat us? It’s over.”

Zoke felt nauseous for what he was about to do. He stepped in front of the Slugari and got down on his knees, hoping his sister or Terren weren’t watching, though he knew they both must be.

“Please,” he begged. “I have an idea. Will you give her a chance?”

“I thought Krepps never groveled.”

“It’s that important to me.”

Khy let out a breath of what Zoke knew to be remorse. He could see the pain on her face. His begging was working. “What’s this idea of yours?”

“Talk with Zeti, sister to me.”

“That’ll do nothing.”

“It will. While Krepps are different from Slugari and Humans, we still feel guilt, shame, pity. Once Zeti sees Slugari as the intelligent creatures you are, she’ll stop thinking about you as food.”

Terren had come over to listen. His head tilted as he waited for Khy to answer.

“I’ll give your sister one chance to speak with me.” She held up one small claw. “I’ll try to ignore my pride as I watch her salivate. You must understand how infuriating it is?”

Zoke hadn’t even thought of it from Khy’s perspective. He tried to imagine what it would be like if every time he was near Humans they started to drool uncontrollably because they wanted to devour him. Khy was right. He would claw them across the face. “I understand.”