Taste Of Darkness

“I couldn’t let them take you,” I said. “They were going to feed you to the ufas. Talk about cruel.”

“Yeah, that would have been horrifying.”

“I agree. Those poor ufas.”

“Hey.” Odd bumped me with his shoulder.

I shoved him back. He pushed again.

Hogan cleared his throat and gazed at us. We stopped as if scolded.

After a few minutes of silence, Hogan asked, “Who’s Sergeant Irina?”

Odd’s laughter echoed off the hard stone walls. “Oh, man, it’ll take too long to explain. Trust me.”

* * *

“Clever. She’s being smart. Damn it,” Ryne said, throwing his stylus down.

Odd, Hogan, and I stood on the opposite side of the conference table in the factory. We had reported in and now faced a very angry prince.

“Did you check all the exits?” Ryne asked.

“No,” Hogan said. “There is still one left.”

We’d headed straight back after the encounter with Cellina’s squad. It had taken us a full day.

“All right. Get out of here and wait for your orders. I need to think,” Ryne said.

I turned.

“Not you, Avry. Stay.”

Odd shot me a smirk before he hurried away. I smoothed my expression and returned to the table. Ryne studied me as if he debated between strangling me or stabbing me. I braced for his reprimand.

He shook his head. “I don’t... I can’t... Here.” He handed me a piece of charcoal. “There’s a map of Pomyt Realm over on that desk.” He gestured to the left. “Mark where you saw the Death Lilys and Cellina’s troops on it.”

“I’m not sure if I can remember them all,” I said.

“Just mark what you can.” His lips moved, but his teeth remained firmly clamped.

“Okay.” Even though a question about his plans for the attack on Zabin pushed up my throat, I retreated.

I spent the night drawing squiggles for Lilys and Xs for the squads. When the sunlight shone from under the metal doors, I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. My head pounded with fatigue and I rested it on my arms for just a moment. At least, that was the plan.

Standing in the middle of King Zavier’s throne room, I turned in a slow circle, marveling at all his expensive treasures. Tohon lounged on his father’s jewel-encrusted throne, watching me with a predatory glint.

“So nice to see you aggravating Ryne, my dear,” Tohon said with a soft chuckle. “The poor guy doesn’t quite know what to do with you. You have rendered all his diplomatic training useless. You’re unexpected and don’t follow Ryne’s notion of logic at all.” He tsked. “Not that I have any good advice for him. I completely underestimated you. A mistake I won’t make again.”

“Because you can’t. You’re out of commission, Tohon,” I said.

“Are you sure? I am having this lovely conversation with you, my dear.”

“You’re a result of my worries and nothing more than a nightmare.”

“And again I ask, are you certain? Did you not consider the possibility that one of the children I experimented on has developed healing powers?”

“They’re too young.”

“The ones you saw are. But I’ve been working with Death Lily toxin for a number of years. There could be other older survivors that you aren’t even aware of.”

Alarmed, I stepped closer to the dais. “Are there?”

He shrugged. “How should I know? I’m a nightmare born from your fears and desires.” Tohon leered and stood. His royal robes disappeared and all he wore were his black silk pajama pants. The hip-hugging material accented his flat muscular stomach and chest. “Still like what you see, my dear?”

“Go away. You shouldn’t be able to invade my dreams. And if you do have a healer, it’s too soon for you to reach your castle. So you’re still frozen.” I concentrated on banishing him.

He laughed. “Yet I remain. Perhaps there is another reason?”

“You didn’t claim me, Tohon. I fought you and won.”

“True. I couldn’t possess you. But I am a part of you, my dear. I’ve...branded you with my magic, and as long as you live, I do, too.”

“Ridiculous.”

“Is it? Remember the first time we met? When my dead retrieved you? I kissed your hand and since then we’ve been linked.”

I denied it. No way. If I was linked with anyone, it would be Kerrick.

“Yet Kerrick’s not here. I am.”

A hand gently shook my shoulder. “Avry, wake up.” Ryne knelt next to me, peering at my face in concern. “Bad dream?”

Straightening, I knocked the charcoal to the floor. I’d fallen asleep on the map I’d marked with the Lily and troop locations.

“Is there any other kind of dream?” I asked.

“Not for me.”

Then we shared something in common. “Does Tohon haunt your dreams, as well?”

“No. My father does.”

Surprised, I glanced at him. “But King Micah’s—”

“Dead. But that doesn’t seem to stop him from telling me what I’ve done wrong every night. He delights in pointing out my mistakes and telling me I’m incompetent.”

“Sorry to hear that.”