Bastial Frenzy (The Rhythm of Rivalry: Book 4) (42 page)

“We couldn’t see with the trees blocking our view,” one shouted. “What happened?”

The thought of screaming it sent him to his knees. He grabbed onto the soil for balance.

“Are you hurt?” they shouted.

“Do you need help?”

He shook his head, though he knew they couldn’t see it from their distance. “No,” he whispered, getting back to his feet.

After a deep breath, he tried to utter the words. But nothing came out.

“What happened?” he was asked more insistently.

Steffen fought back more nausea and took a gulping breath. Then he leaned back and screamed, “The King is dead!”

Chapter 29:

ZETI

Zeti saw Keenu as a different Krepp during their walk back from Tenred. A lot had changed from the time they’d left. Their Human allies had proven themselves to be weak, as Keenu and Zeti had both predicted. They’d fled up into the Tenred castle, and all the Krepps that had come with Zeti and Keenu had been killed.

Zeti knew she and Keenu would’ve died with them if it weren’t for Zoke, but she couldn’t find any gratitude toward her brother, not when he continued to fight with the Humans who inevitably would be crushed. She was too angry with him.

Keenu never brought it up, but Zeti knew her brother had mentioned the prospect of Keenu being her
seshar
. It was the way he looked at her after the battle, as if they already were family. It made her feel weak and vulnerable. She wanted no one else to worry about besides Zoke, especially after what had happened to Grayol. His death still caused her great misery. She didn’t know if she was ready to lose another Krepp like him or her brother.

She knew Keenu wouldn’t speak about being her
seshar
. It was the female’s duty to ask a male to be her mate after he’d demonstrated his interest, usually through gifts.

When they arrived back at their encampment, worrying about whether Keenu might give her a gift was one of many things on her mind. She would be leaving her home only one more time—to march with the rest of the Krepps to Kyrro, where she would face her brother in battle once more. Only this time, he would be on the losing side.

Zoke was going to die. She’d come to terms with it by now. She wouldn’t be the one to kill him, nor did she wish to see him suffer, but she’d done everything she could. There was nothing left in her power that could save him.

She didn’t forget what he’d told her at Tenred, though. Heaviest on her mind was finding out what really happened when she was a baby. Did her mother truly enter the eppil garden to get herself killed? Zoke made it seem like there was more to it, and knowing Doe, that was certainly a possibility.

After jumping over the wall, she and Keenu went straight to see Doe. She wondered what she could say to bring up her mother.

The enormous Slugari was speaking with another Krepp, though Doe let Zeti and Keenu enter to listen. They were discussing the progress of the weapons for the Dajriks, something Zeti had been responsible for before leaving.

“Their swords and shields are nearly done,” the Krepp said. “Do you wish to dress them in armor like the Humans have suggested?”

“How long would it take?” Doe asked.

“Thirty days, maybe forty.”

“No,” Doe answered immediately. “But when you’re done with the Dajriks, work with Zeti to make sure every Krepp that can fight has a suitable weapon.” Doe pointed at Keenu with his black gnarled claw, his bulbous tail wiggling to propel him. “I already know Tenred was attacked and lost,” Doe said with surprisingly little anger. “How many Krepps did you bring back?”

The other Krepp left quietly, knowing Doe was finished with him.

“Only Zeti and I survived.”

“How’s that possible?”

Shame gripped Zeti. She couldn’t look at Doe as she waited for Keenu to answer.

“Many of our Human allies fled while Zeti and I were busy elsewhere. We stayed somewhere safe when it was clear that the battle was lost and the other Krepps were already dead.”

“So you hid?”

Keenu puffed out his chest. “We fought and killed many. Zeti and I aren’t cowards. But we didn’t wish to throw our lives away when there’s much more fighting to do.”

Doe grumbled as he stared at Keenu. When his beady black eyes shifted to Zeti, her guilt almost made her blurt out the truth about Zoke forcing her to drink a sleeping potion and Keenu staying at her side until she woke.

“Did you see brother to you?” Doe asked.

“No. He might’ve died for all I know.” Suddenly the fear was gone. She relished in her ability to lie, knowing there was no psychic.

Doe broke his gaze with her, satisfied. “Haemon has been killed.”

“He…what?” Did she hear that right?

Keenu said nothing, his face frozen with an indifferent expression.

“Vithos and some Human shot him with a poisoned arrow before he and the others made it back to the encampment.”

“I…” Zeti didn’t understand, but she refrained from speaking, knowing it wasn’t her place.

“May I ask questions?” Keenu said.

“You may.”

“How many were with Vithos and the Human?”

“Those with Haemon reported seeing only two of them.”

“So they at least killed Vithos and this Human,” Keenu said.

“No. They shot Vithos, but he was still alive when he escaped.”

“How?” Zeti blurted before she could stop herself.

Doe showed her a scowl. “They each were riding beasts with four legs that were too fast for the Krepps to stop. They buried Haemon where he died, and they brought back the corpse of one of the beasts they killed for me to look at. I don’t know what it was. I don’t know where the Humans found two of them. Perhaps they’ve discovered a way into Sumar to the south and they came from there.”

“Will these beasts help our enemies fight?” Keenu asked.

“Yes, but we believe there were only two of the beasts—now one. The Krepps with Haemon had already attacked two of the Humans’ cities, their capital and what they call the Academy.” Doe stopped himself, his scowl worsening. He seemed to be speaking to himself when he continued. “But some Krepps reported seeing Vithos in the capital with a beast, while others said he was in the Academy without one. So obviously there’s a mistake. No one can be in two places at once...” Doe squeezed his claws and looked to the dirt, seemingly struck by a thought. “I’d forgotten there were two of them!” He shook his head, his fat jiggling. He looked back at Keenu. “It won’t be long before we’re ready to attack.”

“What of Tenred?” Keenu asked. “It seems they’re ready to give up.”

“Not according to their king. Although they retreated, they still wish to fight with us. In Tegry’s letter, he mentioned a plan to kill Welson before we strike again. He gave me no details, only that another pigeon will inform me when it has happened, which should be in the next few days. I’ll send someone for you both when it does. In the meantime, get back to your tasks.”

Zeti was too distracted figuring out how she would ask about her mother to focus on anything Doe said.

When Keenu turned to leave, she knew this was her only chance. “I would be grateful if I could discuss something briefly with you,” Zeti told Doe.

“Fine, make it quick.”

Keenu stopped with a look at Zeti over his shoulder, his eyes asking if he should stay.

“Go on,” she told him.

He nodded and left.

Zeti struggled to find the right words. Doe began to grumble as he waited.

“Mother to me died when I was very young. She…went into the eppil garden, so you were forced to kill her. I would like to know if there was anything she said about why she did it. I don’t understand why she would.”

“No, that didn’t happen.”

“She didn’t say anything?”

“No!” Doe became annoyed. “Mother to you never came into the eppil garden. Only four Krepps have ever done that, each of them male. Is that all?”

No, of course that wasn’t all. That was just the start of it. But she was too unprepared for this answer. What did it mean?

“Father to me told me she did,” she said mostly to herself.

Doe’s claws squeezed together and he began to wheeze. “Are you calling me a liar?”

Zeti spoke frantically as she backed away. “No, I didn’t mean that. Father to me obviously is the one lying.”

“I’ll give you permission to speak with the death keeper. Just make sure you get your tasks done. There are many weapons to be made so we’re ready to fight.”

Zeti risked asking, “What’s a death keeper?”

“It’s the Krepp who keeps records of all those killed. He helps us keep track of our numbers, differentiating the traitors who’ve fled from those who’ve died honorably. If mother to you died, then there’ll be a record of it. This is something only officers have access to. We don’t want Krepps distracted with the past…I don’t want that.” He muttered something in Slugaren. All Zeti could understand was Haemon’s name. “Is that all?” Now he was irritated again.

“Where is the death keeper’s hut?” she asked meekly.

“Close to the eastern wall, toward its center. The Krepp’s name is Bipp. If you must ask other Krepps for help finding his hut, don’t mention Bipp’s task.” He turned away from her to show he was done.

She left and broke into a run toward the eastern wall. But someone shouted her name. “Zeti!”

She stopped only when she saw it was Keenu. He was concerned. “Why are you running?”

“I need to find out what happened to mother to me.” Unwilling to waste any more time, she ran. She’d already told Keenu about her despicable father and how her mother was killed when she was young. She figured he’d understand.

Near the eastern wall, she began to ask Krepps for the location of Bipp’s hut. Many had never heard of the Krepp, making her believe she was in the wrong area. She continued to ask others as she came closer to the wall.

Eventually she came to a Krepp that guided her the rest of the way. But to her disappointment, she was led to one of the pig farms.

“Are you sure Bipp is here?” Zeti asked.

“That’s him.” The Krepp pointed toward a tall yet lean male Krepp. He was pouring a bucket of slop into a trough. He barely made it out of the way before being trampled by the swarm of swine.

Zeti approached. “Are you Bipp?”

“Yes,” he answered, too busy refilling the bucket to look behind him. “Who asks?”

“Zeti. I would like to speak to you.” The closest Krepp seemed to be too far away to overhear them, but she kept her voice low just in case. “In private. I have permission from Doe.”

From the glance he showed her as he brought the bucket back to the trough, it was clear he understood what she meant.

“Follow me.” Bipp licked the residue off his fingers.

He led Zeti to his hut. Behind his bed was a locked chest of sturdy wood. He removed a key from his pocket and took out the largest book Zeti had ever seen. Its pages were made of thick paper, both tall and wide.

All of the books she knew of were small enough to carry easily with one hand. They’d been in Zoke’s possession, most of them, while she’d seen some for sale at the market. Unlike her brother, she had no interest in reading. He’d tried to teach her how when she was younger, but it was too frustrating for her.

“How long ago did he or she die?” Bipp asked.

“Ten years ago,” Zeti answered. She was just two—
pra durren
at the time, barely able to speak. Zoke was six—
pra durren
. “Her name was Junni.”

Bipp moved his claws back and forth as he appeared to search. He stopped and said, “Here. She was killed by her
seshar
, Ruskir.”

Zeti felt difficulty breathing. She dug her claws into her palm.

“This upsets you,” Bipp said softly.

“What else does it say?”

“It says Ruskir was attacked by her. He was defending himself when he killed her.”

Lies.
“Is that it?”

“There was one witness to confirm, Dentar.”

Of course.

“No punishment was given to Ruskir. That’s all it says.”

Zeti decided then that she would kill Ruskir. She should’ve done it years ago. Already out of Bipp’s hut, she was squeezing her dagger so tightly her arm shook.

She didn’t know where Ruskir was, but she knew how to find him. She went to the market to ask around as to where the best games for gamblers were that day.

Zeti had eaten nothing since returning to the encampment. But she was fueled by her determination and anger. Ruskir wasn’t at the first table of card-playing Krepps she found. He wasn’t at the second either, nor the third.

“Do you know Ruskir?” she asked the group of them.

One scratched the air in front of her without looking up from his cards. “He’s at his task with the chickens.”

Zeti left, still unwilling to sheathe her blade.

When she arrived, Zeti was surprised to find Dentar there as well, sitting on a log and sharpening a blade as Ruskir decapitated chickens and ripped the feathers from their carcasses.