The Toll (58 page)

As a dark recess of the cave, a hidden
passage opened up from the wall, a damp draft and the smell of
moist earth wafting in. I felt an immense tension wash over me,
thick and heavy in the air, tightening me up, inside and out, as I
tasted it on my tongue.

“
I don’t know what you want
with us, and I’m in too much pain right now to properly care, but I
warn you, you lay a finger on me or my babe, or the boy,” I warned,
“I’ll cut off your balls and shove them down your blasted throat,
you son of a bitch! Do you hear me?!”

“
Och, sweet,” Ketik purred,
grinning down at me wickedly, hurrying down a long, dark hall
filled with low lit crackling blue and orangish red flames, low
burning but bright, suspended in thin air, hugging along the walls.
“Dinna know ye felt for me so.”

“
Go fuck
yourself!”

“
Who says I dinna?” His
chuckle just grated on my nerves.

“
I know where your breasts
are!” I snapped, and that shut him up.

Quaz let out an amused snort and
chuckled. His deep voice was rumbled off the walls, a thick bass
that rivaled even Troll’s.

“
This be a real male’s
chest, woman. A sturdy one, at that. An’ these be nipples,” Ketik
muttered angrily, flicking his head at the parts in question,
making sure I took note, turning this way and that down a long maze
of dark earth tunnels.

“
When they’re as big as
those puppies,” I muttered, smiling through the worst cramping
contraction yet, “they’re titties, you oversized oaf. Just ask
Troll, the ornery coward has a massive set too.”

“
Ye dinna hear that,” Quaz
choked out to Brevin around a laugh as Ketik, usually snappy with a
comeback, was left sputtering and speechless, “ye ken?”

“
Yes, sir.” A sharp squeak,
much like a mouse’s, emitted from Brevin as the sound of the large
troll jargling him reached my ears.

“
Where are you taking us?”
I demanded, when I managed to peel my eyes open long enough to take
in our surroundings.

Panting heavily, hair
plastered to my face, I felt like someone or something was searing
my insides, tearing me up, literally.
Is
this normal?!
I wanted to shriek. I highly
doubted any of our new companions knew, but I needed to
know.

It felt too soon. “I’m not ready yet,”
I gritted out, muffling a cry as Ketik stopped suddenly, my belly
bumping into his rock hard chest.

Deep inside a dark, red dirt walled
cave, Quaz and Ketik were standing in front of a strangely familiar
doorway. Deja vu washed over me.

Purple eyes flashing black, the large
Ornthren smiled a decidedly mean smile, purring as I shouted out a
long string of expletives as my belly cramped, hands digging into
his arms as I waited it out.

“
Why, milady Peepots, dinna
ye know? We’re takin’ ye home.”

As I screeched out a protest, and then
in pain, then both, Ketik let out a deep, rumbling laugh. As his
laughter quickly died down, still echoing across the walls, it rang
false.

“
Oh, this should be fun,”
he called out cheerfully to Quaz, voice dripping with
sarcasm.

“
I hate you! I hate you
both! I hope you get the pox and your cocks rot off! I hope you
piss rocks! I-
Ah!! Shit!”

“
Right,” Quaz grumbled,
muttering,
“fun.”

Parturition

“
You think we should be
puttin’ her in here?” Quaz muttered, a note of worry in his voice.
He was holding a large wad of cloth, a small basin of steaming
water sitting at his feet as he paced back and forth
nervously.

I was in a large bed, the one from my
dreams—compliments of Niniane—writhing in nothing but a shift, legs
seesawing beneath the thin sheet draped over me, moaning aloud,
though I tried to hold it in. I was scared, beyond frightened for
many reasons, in full blown labor, major pain, and Brevin was
clutching my hand like a life preserve, his own terror at the
situation trumping mine.

He’d already taken off once, the poor
little lad, terrified enough to try and escape the maze of caves.
Quaz had run after him and dutifully towed him back, Brevin’s harsh
squeaks echoing throughout.

“
It’s okay,” I told him,
the smile he gave me calling me a liar.

“
I know,” he fibbed right
back, fingers tightening on mine. I’d slipped the small bracelet
Vidi had made for my babe onto Brevin’s wrist, barely long enough
to fit, hoping whatever bit of protective magic it possessed would
ease him somehow.

I did have to say, after he came back,
he seemed much calmer than before, less stressed and a little more
subdued. It just made me feel worse.

“
What’s that?” Quaz pointed
a fat, grey finger at the little boy’s wrist.

“
Nothin!” Brevin said
quickly, shoving his arms behind his back.

“
A toll? A token?” his deep
voice rumbled curiously. “A gift?”

“
None of your business,” I
panted heatedly, growling through clenched teeth as my belly turned
rock hard under my palms.

“
What’s it smell like ta
ye, brother?” Purple eyes barked, eyes lighting up, nostrils
flaring as he inhaled deeply.

“
A toss.” Quaz sniffed a
few more times before he sneezed and shook his head. “Magic, aye,
but Fae an’ caster, maybe, maybe somethin’ else. Canna quite place
it. Tainted, eh? I say, anyway.”

“
Bit ‘o’ both, me too.”
Both of their gazes swung to me, zeroing in on my arms. As their
eyes collectively traveled down, they both chuffed in
annoyance.

“
Ye want the brat ta wear
it, fine, but not ye.” Storming the bed, Ketik snatched the
bracelet right off my wrist, despite my vehement protests and sad
attempts to stave him off, snapping it in two. Shooting up, it
hovered in the air as it turned silver, then deep purple, breaking
into a million teeny tiny pieces, like shimmering specks of dust,
before drifting towards the floor.

“
Hey! That’s hers! You
can’t do that! She needs it!” Brevin’s little chest puffed up, his
hand gripping mine so hard my knuckles turned white.

“
Needs it for what?” Quaz
was slowly moving closer, making me feel trapped, boxed
in.

“
For protection,” Brevin
breathed, swallowing hard.

Startled, I shook our conjoined hands.
“You can sense it, Brev?”

Taking a long time in answering, the
little boy nodded slowly. “Sensed it when you first came. It’s why
I picked you, missus. Known yous had powers, strong magicks like
Ma. Knew I was safe with you.”

“
What is ye
boy?”

“
Human.” Scrambling back,
careful not to jostle me, Brevin crept as close as
possible.

A long snort escaped the purple-eyed
Ornthren and he huffed. “Piss of a halfling, dinna even know what
he is. Dinna bother, brother, waste ‘o’ time wit’ that one.”
Rubbing his chin in thought, Ketik’s gaze narrowed, eyes darkening
as they swirled, luminescent. “Dinna have the look of a Fae, an’ I
dinna scent it. Caster, I be thinkin’.”

“
Makes most sense.” Quaz
nodded, agreeing.

“
Ma was good,” Brevin cut
in adamantly, “she never done the dark arts. Only good, she was...
she wouldn’t...” His voice faltered, throat catching.

“
Wouldna what? Use ye as a
sacrifice?” The look Quaz levelled on Brev as the boy’s face fell
was answer enough.

“
Oh, Brev!” Wincing, I
untangled our fingers, trying to put my arm around him. Another
rush of wetness, much smaller this time, spread across the bed,
staining the sheets a watery pink. Going a little green around the
gills, Brevin lurched from the bed, stumbling away until his back
hit a wall.

“
I’m trying to be brave,
missus. Really I am, and I want to help with the
babe...”

“
It’s okay,” I promised, a
little glad he wished an escape. I understood, all too well, how it
felt when the need to flee struck.

“
Thank you, missus,” Brevin
crept his way towards the doorway. “Thanks to you.”

“
What? Never seen a babe
come outta a-”

“
Don’t say it!” I shrieked,
motioning for Brevin to flee. He was about to do just that, and I
gave him my blessing.

“
No, he stays.” Ketik’s
voice hardened, and Brev froze.

“
Ketik,” Quaz snarled,
irritated, “dinna be such a hard arse, ye know-”

Motioning with his hand, sparks
shooting up, Ketik flicked his fingers, sending Quaz into a
wall.

Pissing mad, Quaz’s eyes lit, deep
blood red, fanning with inky black, and he hissed.

“
How old is ye, boy?” Ketik
barked, ignoring the other troll, gaze bouncing back and forth
between us.

“
Tw-welve,” Brevin
stammered out uneasily, wary of the massive male. Shrinking down to
his knees, he wrapped his arms around his legs when the scrutiny
grew to be too much.

“
Still in nappies,” Ketik
scoffed, jerking his chin in Quaz’s direction, “couldna ‘ave bedded
the wench, even if he wanted ta, probably dinna even know which
hole ta put it in. Mmm. I say we let
him
out.”

“
Oh!
What does that have to do with- Of all the-
Ugh!
You’re
sick!”

“
Hmm. Oi, what
does
it haveta-
Ohhhh,
ye mean
him,”
Quaz rumbled,
blinking at Ketik as his face screwed up, hairless brow puckering.
“No.” his head shook. “Dinna like it. Best wait ‘til that babe is
out, then go from there.

“
I be thinkin’ yes.”
Ketik’s mind was set.

“
An’ I says no.” Quaz’s
chin jutted out stubbornly.

“
Who’s gonna stop me, eh?
Ye? Hah!” Ketik challenged.

“
Don’t let him out,” Brevin
whispered, eyes so wide I thought they might pop from his
skull.

“
Let who out?!” I shouted
above the din. The strangest sensations were coming over me, from
the moment the bracelet was torn off. Pain, anger, fear,
loneliness, confusion, an emptiness that couldn’t be filled, loss,
but now, more than ever, I felt stark fear. They strengthened as I
cried out, these phantom feelings, fighting the urge to bear
down.

The walls shook again, dust moats
filling the air. They’d been doing that, nonstop since we’d set
foot in here, but I couldn’t figure out the cause.

“
Are we havin’ an earth
shake?” Brevin hunched down farther, huddling in a tight
ball.

“
No, that’s just dumb arse,
thought his heifer over there died. Turned out she just had a bit
‘o’ help, an’ not in the way of a deep, dark pit.” There was an
accusatory note in his voice, gaze souring when it strayed to my
straining belly. “A nice bit ‘o’ help, eh, milady of the Peein’
Pots?”

“
Who... what?” I
sputtered.

“
She was married,” Brevin
mumbled, “but he died. Left missus a widow. All proper and the
like.”

“
It’s not what you think,”
I tried to explain. “Ah, ah! I think it’s time! I
think-”

“
Had a little accident, did
we?” An ugly gleam entered the male’s eyes, and I saw
red.

“
No, I-” I all but shouted,
but he wasn’t fit to hear me.

“
I think ye can manage on
yer own.” Ketik snapped as his eyes flashed black, runes lighting
up, lips curling in disgust.

“
She canna have that babe
on her own, Dub- Ah, uhm, Ketik,” Quaz’s face flushed guiltily
before he cleared his throat roughly. “Fatherin’ be damned. No
matter the sire, it’s still a babe, an’ she’s still a livin’,
breathin’ bein’. Tis madness ta chance it. Bektam
would-”

“
Fuck tha’ fool! He’s as
good as dead now, anyways! Why prolong it?! Let him out ta do as he
will! Ye know the way of it. Bindhe and Clohe went much the same,
what makes ye think their end’ll be any different?”

“
An’ Zeik? What ‘o’ him,
then? Or Bane? Or the others in the ‘combs?”

Leering down at me, Ketik sneered,
“Dinna matter. Canna ye hear the arse? No... Tis different. She’s a
dead woman walkin’.”

Having had enough of him, I
struggled to sit up, glaring at him as my eyes lit bright blue,
runes flaming, crackling like static in the air during a
storm.
“You’re
the dumb arse! I am sick of your dirty looks and your foul
words! I didn’t ask to be taken! You’ve kidnapped us!”

Leaning in, rushing the bed, he
roared, “Ta save me brother!”

“
He. Left. Me. Whatever
he’s done to himself, is of his own doing! You will release us, and
you will leave him be! He doesn’t want me anymore, said so
himself!” The words were bitter on my tongue, but rang
true.

Face flushing so dark, eyes blazing
and pitch black, spittle flew from his mouth as he gripped the edge
of the bed, unearthing a mighty roar. My as of yet born child
stilled, the kicks he was giving my abdomen ceasing immediately.
The room lapsed into dead silence, Ketik’s chest heaving like a
bellows, veins in his neck popping up and pulsing.