One Battle Lord’s Fate (19 page)

“What about her?” The little man pointed at Atty.

“Put a guard on her. Otherwise, it’s only a matter of time before the elements finish her off. I’m taking bets on how long she can hold out.” He motioned again for the other Battle Lords to follow him, and headed for the main lodge.

The soldiers quickly cleared the courtyard. One man, whom she recognized, spat in her direction. Otherwise, everyone turned their backs and slowly went back to their lives.

Atty knew that many people who lived in the compound didn’t care who was in charge, as long as things were run pretty fairly, and they were protected from marauders. As long as their daily lives weren’t too severely disrupted, their allegiance could easily be bought.

She also knew Yulen had his detractors. Most of the people who continued to hate Mutah had left Alta Novis long ago, settling in Foster City or beyond. But there were a few who remained, and who remained vocal.

What she couldn’t understand was, where were their supporters? The choice the other Battle Lords made not to challenge Rafe was understandable. Although, if they had combined their forces, they could take down D’Jacques and his minions with little trouble. But, to do so would shatter the delicate balance of power between the Battle Lords.

With hardly an exception, every Battle Lord was equal in status and power. Every ruler was content to have his own compound to command. To challenge another would waste lives, resources, and supplies. Then, the Battle Lord would have to worry about running two compounds, when one was already more than enough to handle. And that wasn’t mentioning possibly facing other Battle Lords, who might ascend on him to reclaim the compound for their ally.

Rafe D’Jacques had used his invitation as a way to get past Yulen’s defenses. Once inside the compound, he had gathered those of like minds, then attacked from within. Once Rafe declared himself leader, Yulen’s soldiers had no choice but to obey their new Battle Lord’s commands.

She briefly wondered why she hadn’t seen Mastin.
They’re probably prisoners. Locked away so they can’t incite Yulen’s soldiers to counter-attack.
She prayed that was where Yulen’s most trusted soldiers were located, and not killed.

A north wind blew through the trees. A bank of dark gray clouds were gathering in the distance. She could smell snow in the air. The pain in her shoulders had gone from piercing to a dull throb. The cold penetrated all the way to her core.

Yulen was fighting an unknown enemy to the south. Zane, and the small squad of Yulen’s men, including her own Second, were to the north. Her son, as well as Liam and Madigan, had disappeared. She was tied to a post, and already she could tell the cold was affecting her arms and legs. She tried to flex her toes and fingers, with little luck.

Feast or famine.
Feast or famine. When would circumstances shift, and things would start looking brighter? Or was there more bad to come?

“Yulen.” She barely mouthed the words. Her throat was constricted. Her head thundered in pain. Rafe wondered how long she could last against the elements. He had completely forgotten about dehydration.

“Yulen. My love.” Her words were barely audible. She had never seen a Mutah, or anyone, tortured in this manner. It reminded her of how the Bloods had tortured Yulen, before she managed to save her husband. Similar, but different.

I will always love you.

The courtyard was unusually quiet for early morning. Shopkeepers should be bustling about, selling their wares or swapping gossip among the community.

As the cold wind grew more forceful, Atty slowly slipped into unconsciousness, completely unaware of the number of eyes watching her.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Allies

Fortune remained by the window, staring out from behind the curtain at the new guards trading watches on the parapet above the compound’s walls. It was dark, and all the residents had been ordered indoors or else face permanent expulsion.

“Fortune, get away from there before someone spots you!” Tory hissed from the kitchen.

“What are they going to do? Arrest me for spying?” he retorted, but dropped the curtain back in place anyway and took a seat next to the fire. He tried to get comfortable, but failed. Giving a little growl, he reached down inside his pants and untied the short length of rope keeping his tail wrapped around his waist. With the appendage freed, he gave a sigh of relief.

“How much longer do you think we can stay here?” Tory walked over to check their meager stew cooking on the hearth. “Sooner or later, someone’s bound to turn us over to that maniac. Why are we even taking the risk? We should have left when D’Jacques first ordered all Mutah to leave.”

He looked up at her with mournful eyes. “You know the answer to that as much as I do. Atty and Yulen need us. They need allies. And right now, Atty needs to know there are people willing to risk their own lives to help.” He wiped his nose on his sleeve. Tory saw the action, but declined for once to scold him for it.

“We have to save her, Fortune. Have you thought of something yet? Dearest heavens, she’s dying out there! She’s already been out there all day. How much more can she take? She can’t survive the night, can she?”

“I don’t know, Tory. I’m working on a plan, but you know as well as I do that D’Jacques won’t let anyone within ten feet of her.” He threw another piece of wood from the bucket next to him into the fire.

“I can’t believe that man just waltz in, waited for Yulen to leave, then took over. I can’t believe Atty is tied up over in the courtyard, stark naked, freezing to death.” She stirred the stew to give herself something to do. “How long do you think it’ll take Yulen to return?”

“Mastin told me New Bearinger was under attack by Normals. That’s the only reason why Yulen felt he had to go.” Fortune pulled his knife from its sheath and started to clean it, although the weapon already gleamed. “A Battle Lord’s army attacking another Battle Lord’s compound. It just doesn’t happen anymore. At least, not since Yulen brought down that Battle Lord who’d kidnapped Atty a year ago.”

“I’d be willing to bet Rafe D’Jacques is behind the attack on the compound.”

“You and me both.” He sighed and slipped the knife back into its home. “But you agree with me, don’t you, Tory? You know why we have to stay. At least, I do. You can leave.”

She gave him a stern look. “Leave? Without you? Bite your tongue, Fortune Kalich.” She started to say more when a timid knock came at the door. Fortune held a finger to his lips for silence, then went over to peer through the window to see who had braved coming to their home after dark, and in spite of the new Battle Lord’s decree. Hastily, he opened the door, and a woman with a basket slipped inside. He quickly closed the door behind her.

For a moment, the woman remained standing there. She was breathing heavily. A light dusting of snowflakes on the shawl wrapped around her head revealed it was starting to snow outside. Setting down the basket, the woman pulled the covering away from her face.

Tory gasped. “Madigan!”

“May I sit down?”

“Yes! Yes! Here.” Tory helped her over to the short stool by the fire. The older woman nearly collapsed.

Fortune came over and sat back down on the other side of the fire. “Dr. MaGrath, is he...”

Madigan nodded. “He’s well. We’ve taken refuge with some others who have generously offered to help. But I need your help.”

“Anything. Just name it,” Tory said, sitting on the floor at her feet.

Madigan looked at the couple. “I know you look upon Atty as your own daughter. I know my son thinks of you as family. That’s why I need to ask this of you. When I saw you in the crowd, I watched you come back here instead of leave, and that’s when I knew I had to come. But if you decline, I’ll understand. After all, just remaining here is putting your lives in danger.”

Tory patted her arm. “We couldn’t leave. Especially not after the way D’Jacques has Atty tied up in the courtyard, on display for all to see.”

“The man is taking bets on how long she’ll be able to remain alive out there in the elements, without food or water. We’re t
rying to think of a way to get her freed, but so far we’ve come up blank,” Fortune said bitterly. “Yulen needs allies on the inside, here in the compound, to keep an eye on what’s happening. So in case he returns¯”

“
When
he returns,” Tory hastily amended.

Fortune nodded. “When he returns, he’ll need to know what he’s facing. He’ll need to know how many men are involved. What their routines are. Where his own men are being held.”

Madigan’s eyes widened. “D’Jacques has some of Yulen’s men in prison?”

“Mostly his officers. The others are under strict orders to follow all of D’Jacques’ commands. To hesitate or refuse means instant death.”

The Mutah hunter was interrupted when a movement came from the basket Madigan had left on the floor by the door. Curious, Tory got up and went over to lift the lid. She cried out softly in surprise to see the contents. Reaching inside, she picked up the sleeping baby boy and snuggled him under her chin.

“You brought Mattox?” Fortune asked, shocked.

“I had to. Liam and I are unable to care for him. The people who are housing us know D’Jacques has a bounty on our heads, but he plans to kill Mattox the second he discovers the baby’s whereabouts. Having him with us, with his eyes...” Madigan’s voice trailed off as she tried to find the words to explain.

Tory hushed her. “We understand. And, yes, we’ll take him. If a guard happened upon you, all it would take is one look, and they would know immediately who Mattox was.”

“I know you’re risking your own lives to remain here. But if you should decide to leave Alta Novis, you could take him with you. No one would be the wiser.”

“There are people here who would turn us in for being Mutah,” Fortune reminded the woman. “We run a huge risk just by staying here.”

“But having a baby wouldn’t put us at a greater risk,” Tory argued. “D’Jacques’ men don’t know the baby isn’t ours. As long as we keep Mattox’s eyes shielded, he’ll be safe.”

Madigan grasped Tory’s shoulder and squeezed it. “Thank you. Thank you for doing this for us. There’s some milk packets and a few diapers in the basket. It was all I had left at the clinic that I could pack before Liam and I fled.”

“Are you all right? I mean, are you staying some place that’s safe?” Fortune asked.

Madigan gave a quick nod. “Relatively safe, until D’Jacques decides to do a door-to-door search.”

Tory looked to her husband. “Would he do that?”

“He might,” Fortune admitted. “If he’s smart, he will. If...
when
Yulen returns, he’ll need ammunition to flaunt in Yulen’s face. Proof positive that he has control over something Yulen will want back.” The hunter tapped Madigan on the knee. “D’Jacques will use you and Liam as bait.”

“What about Atty and the baby?” Madigan asked in a terrified whisper.

A dark sadness came over Fortune’s face. “Rafe D’Jacques cares nothing for Mutah. He will kill Atty and Mattox without blinking an eye. He already has Atty. He believes it’s just a matter of time before he uncovers the babe. No, because you and Liam are Normal, he’ll spare you just so he can keep Yulen on a leash. You’ll be his insurance.”

Madigan sniffed and wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. “I saw Atty on the way over here. Oh, sweetest heavens. She was shaking so hard from the cold. She was unconscious, but I could see her skin was already starting to turn blue. It has to be below freezing right now.”

“Is there a guard on her?” Fortune asked.

“Yes. I don’t know how often they change, but I’m assuming there’s a man assigned to her around the clock. Speaking of, I need to go. The longer I stay here, the greater I run the risk of us all being discovered.” She got to her feet. Tory rose, and the two women hugged. Madigan tenderly kissed her grandson on the crown. “Please take care of him.”

“We’ll treat him as if he was our own,” Tory promised.

“Will you need help getting back?” Fortune inquired.

“No, no. I’ll be fine. I may be up in years, but I still know every nook and cranny of this compound. At least,
this
courtyard area.” Madigan gave the couple a warm smile. “Thank you again. I pray Yulen will return soon, and this whole horrible incident can be put behind us.”

“So do we,” Tory replied.

Drawing the shawl back over her head, Madigan waited by the door as Fortune blocked the light from the fireplace long enough for her to slip outside. Tory remained by the fire, the baby cradled against her shoulder.

Fortune brought the basket closer and peered inside. “Three nappies. Those won’t last long.”

“I’ll just tear up one of your old hunting shirts. They’re soft enough not to chafe.”

“What about milk?” He held up three packets. “How long will these tide him over?”

“Hopefully, he’ll remain asleep through the night. We can get more milk in the morning.” She remained standing and rocked from side to side, the baby tucked under her chin, his little tummy to her chest so Mattox could feel her heartbeat. It was a scene Fortune had seen her perform countless times when their own son had been an infant.

“We need another ally,” Tory commented, breaking into his thoughts. “We need someone who won’t arouse suspicion. Someone who is willing to help us get Atty away from D’Jacques.”

“I’m open to any and all suggestions, but at this moment, I have no idea who we can and cannot trust.” He stared at the infant sleeping in his wife’s arms. “Tory, do you really believe we’ll get out of this mess? That Yulen will return, and that half-brother of his will be punished?”

“We have no choice
but
to believe it. Otherwise, the alternative is too horrible to think about.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Return

“It looks like the weather might turn uglier,” Roth Gaines muttered. He was acting Second during their flight to New Bearinger. Yulen watched as the man lifted the corner of the blanket he’d wrapped around himself and drew it over the top of his head as the snow began to fall with more intensity. It would be another three days before they reached the compound. Actually, Yulen suspected they could make in two and a half, if they kept up the pace they’d been taking since leaving Alta Novis.