Fire Study (14 page)

branches tied together. Esau hadn’t waited. The Zaltana guard stationed there

informed me my father would meet me in my parents’ living quarters.

Walking toward their apartment, I marveled at the ingenuity and craftsmanship of

the vast complex of living areas built above the jungle floor. The Zaltanas were

resourceful and determined and stubborn. All traits I had been accused of

possessing.

I wondered if those qualities would be enough to counter the Fire Warper. Did I

have the experience or magical knowledge to find Moon Man, recapture Ferde and

stop the Vermin from killing more people?

The daunting and overwhelming to-do list would not deter me from making the

attempt or die trying. But how many would be hurt or killed in the process because

of me?

I NEVER REACHED my parents’ suite. My cousin Nutty intercepted me en

route, relaying a message to go to the common room. She scrunched up her face

and tsked over my ripped and stained clothes.

“I have a change in my pack,” I told her.

“Let’s see then.” She held out her long thin arms, waiting.

Knowing it was useless to argue with her, I opened my bag and showed her the

other set of skirt/pants and cotton top she had sewn for me. I thought a lifetime’s

worth of events had happened since then, but in reality it had only been two seasons.

Nutty examined the clothes with a dismayed purse to her full lips. “You’ll need

some new ones. I’ll make them for you.” With a slight nod of farewell, she hopped

up into the tree branches with the grace and speed of a valmur, disdaining the

practical rope bridge.

“Oh, snake spit,” she called from above. “I’m supposed to fetch Uncle Esau and

Aunt Perl.” She changed directions and disappeared through the trees.

I reached the common room. Oran, Violet, Chestnut and the two scouts stood

together. My strong relief over the absence of a fire in the central pit alarmed me. If I

was afraid of a simple hearth fire, what would I do when faced with the Fire Warper

again? I avoided thinking about that scenario and focused my attention on the matter

at hand.

When he saw me, Stono sat down. His face drained of color, and I worried he

would faint. He muttered a thank-you to the floor, evading my gaze. Oran and Violet

continued to question Chestnut on the necklace snakes.

Chestnut stammered and fidgeted. “I wanted to help.”

“You didn’t have our permission,” Oran said. “And now how many are dead?”

“Six,” Chestnut said in a quiet voice.

“Good for you, Chessie,” Stono said. “I wish you had killed them all. Pulled out

their guts and strangled them with it!” Stono’s eyes lit with murderous intensity.

The elders rounded on Stono. Shock mirrored on their faces.

Violet recovered first. “Stono, you’ve had a difficult time. Why don’t you go and

get some rest,” she ordered.

He stood on trembling legs and shuffled a few steps, but paused next to me.

“I’ll kill the snake that tried to eat you if you want,” he whispered in my ear. “Let

me know what I can kill for you.”

I turned to protest, but he moved away.

“What did he say?” Oran asked.

What, indeed? An offer of revenge on a snake or something more disturbing. “He

said he would like to help me.”

“Not without our permission.” Oran puffed up his chest with importance.

“You can’t just use our clan members as your personal army. Taking Chestnut

into an unknown, dangerous situation that could have killed him was wrong.”

I had had enough of Oran Cinchona Zaltana. Stepping close to him, I said,

“Could have, but didn’t. If we had waited for your permission, you would have lost

three clan members. And I wouldn’t debate too long on how you’re going to search

for a possible nest of Vermin living in your jungle. If you wait too long, they’re liable

to multiply.”

“What are you talking about?” Violet asked.

It was then that Esau and Perl joined us. Having heard my warning, Mother

touched her throat, and my father’s grim expression deepened.

“Father, could you inform the elders about the potential threat? I have other

business to attend to,” I said.

“Where are you going?” Perl asked.

“To find my friends.”

I found Leif in our parents’ quarters. He was sound asleep on the couch and it

occurred to me that I didn’t know if he had his own rooms within the Zaltana

homestead. Esau had knocked down the wall to Leif’s room to expand his work

area. Unwilling to bother my brother, I tiptoed past him and went up to my room.

Soon the sun would set and I wanted to fly with the bats.

Lying down on my narrow bed, I felt sleep pull at me. I resisted, thinking of

Moon Man. He had helped me and Leif in healing Stono. Perhaps the effort had

exhausted him and rendered him unable to respond to my search.

As the light dimmed, I drew magic from the power source and projected my

mind into the jungle. Finding the collective consciousness of the bats, I joined in

their nightly hunt for food.

I floated from one bat to another, sensing the space below and around. On the

lookout for any fires or signs of people, I coasted through the air, feeling the sun

leave the sky. I wondered how the bats could know the size and shapes of their

surroundings without seeing them. Was it a skill I could learn? My magic let me feel

living beings, but I couldn’t sense anything from the lifeless objects in my path.

The bats invaded every section of the Illiais Jungle. Nestled below the Daviian

Plateau, the jungle wasn’t large. Two days of hard walking would see a person from

one end to the other. The Illiais Market marked the western border of the jungle. A

few bats swooped close to the market campfires, but they avoided the gritty air and

noisy crowds of people.

I pulled my awareness back. Having found no physical signs of Moon Man or the

others in the jungle, I decided Leif and I would travel to the market tomorrow. The

market was the rendezvous location we had set back on the plateau. If Moon Man

followed the Vermin from the jungle, he would eventually look for us there. I hoped.

When I awoke the next morning, a group of people were in my parents’ living

area, all engaged in animated conversation.

“It’s your turn. I delivered a wagonload of pummelo fruit last time,” Nutty said to

Chestnut. “See?” She held up her right hand. “I still have the blisters.”

“I’m not stupid. They’re from staying up all night finishing the clothes you owe

Fern,” Chestnut retorted. “It’s your turn to go to the market.”

“You can’t go collecting every single Curare vine, Esau. It will take you

seasons,” Perl said. “And what about the Vermin? If they caught you again—”

Perl’s hand flew to her throat as if she tried to block the emotion welling from her

heart.

“I’m not worried about that,” Esau said. “I’m worried about what they can do

with the Curare!”

“Curare can be countered with Theobroma,” Leif said to Esau. “We just need to

make sure everyone has enough with them.”

“Is not my turn,” Nutty said.

“Is too,” Chestnut countered.

“Yelena!” Nutty cried, spotting me. “I’ve made another pair of skirt/pants for

you.” She held a light blue-and-yellow print.

“Thanks,” I said. “You don’t have to go to the market, Nutty. I’ll deliver the

clothes for you. And Leif, Theobroma is good at regaining movement, but it leaves

you helpless against a magical attack. Father, can you find a way to get the

Theobroma to work against Curare without the side effects? That would be more

helpful than tearing down every vine. Besides, I couldn’t find any signs the Vermin

are collecting vines right now, but I think sending out well-armed scouts to search

the jungle from time to time would be a good idea.”

“Yelena’s here,” Leif said. “Problems solved,” he teased.

“I’ll have an easier time with the Theobroma than convincing Oran and Violet to

send out reconnaissance teams,” Esau said. “They want to huddle in our homestead

and hide!”

“I’ll handle Oran and Violet,” Perl said.

Her face had set in a determined frown, which she then turned on me. “You’re

leaving us already?”

“We need to rendezvous with our horses and our other team members,” I said.

“Are they at the market?” Leif asked with a hopeful note in his voice.

“Too many people for me to determine. In any case we need to look for signs of

Ferde and Cahil.” They could be anywhere by now and doing unspeakable things. I

shuddered as the image of Stono’s ruined stomach rose in my mind.

“Not without breakfast.” Perl hurried toward the kitchen.

“I’ll go get the dresses.” Nutty bounded away.

“I’d better get my pack ready.” Leif smiled. “Never a dull day with you, little

sister.”

“What do you need?” Esau asked me.

“I’m running out of Theobroma and Curare.”

He went into the lift to ascend to the second floor. Chestnut looked around at the

suddenly quiet room. He fidgeted, avoiding my gaze and I realized he wanted to talk

about something other than whose turn it was to go to the market.

“Now’s the time,” I said. “Once everyone comes back…”

“I can’t…” He moved his hands as if he wanted to pull his thoughts from the air.

“I’m having trouble getting past…” Wrapping his arms around his body, Chestnut

rocked with frustration. “How can you be so calm? Standing there, making plans,

barking out orders. Six people have died. Stono came back from the dead and now

he’s different—”

“Different? How?”

“It’s probably nothing. He’s had a shock, but he’s harsher somehow.” Chestnut

shook his head. “That’s not the point. Six people killed by necklace snakes. That’s

the point.”

I understood his problem. “You’ve never lost anyone to a snake before?”

“No one. I know it’s not a terrible death. At least they’re dead before they get

swallowed. I’ve always been kind of curious…” He cringed with guilt.

“Curious to see a snake devour its prey and you feel responsible for not stopping

the snakes?”

“Yes.” The word hissed out.

“Think of what would have happened if the snakes had released the Vermin.”

“You and Stono would have died.”

“I’m not happy about the death of six people either, but, considering the

alternative, I can rationalize it in my mind.” A shiver raced over my skin. As long as I

didn’t think about it too much. “You asked how I can be so calm. I don’t have time

not to be. I would like to grieve and worry and carry on, but that doesn’t get

results.”

“And results are important. Right, Yelena?” Leif asked as he entered the room.

“One of the foremost things the First Magician taught me when I arrived at the Keep

was to leave all sentimentality behind. Roze believes she was given the gift of magic

to use for a purpose and she can’t let guilt and remorse keep her from achieving that

purpose.” Leif rubbed his chin as his face settled into a thoughtful expression.

“You’re a lot like her.”

“I am not,” I said.

“It was a compliment. You’re both intelligent. You’re doers. Natural leaders.”

I disagreed. I didn’t conduct myself like Roze. She was a tyrant who thought she

knew everything and didn’t stop to consider other options or other people’s views. I

wasn’t like that. Was I?

“Although she has a bad temper,” Leif said. “She was wrong about Ferde and

Cahil’s direction. She’s not going to be happy about it.”

“That I would agree with,” I said.

“Agree with what?” Esau asked. His arms brimmed with containers.

Nutty arrived with her stack of clothes, then Perl returned with a tray full of fruit

and tea. By the time we ate, the morning hours were gone.

“We better go. It’ll be a hard push to get to the market before dark,” Leif said.

“Yelena, you have to come back and have a proper visit,” my mother instructed.

“Perhaps when your life settles down.” She thought for a moment, and added,

“Perhaps you can make some time to visit. I don’t see things settling down for you

for a long while.”

“Do you know this from your magic?” I asked.

“No, dear. From your history.” A smile quirked her lips before Perl’s stern

mother expression returned long enough for her to lecture me on being careful.

With our backpacks loaded, Leif and I climbed down the ladder to the jungle

floor. He set a quick pace and I hurried after him. When we stopped for a short rest,

I tossed my heavy pack down and rubbed my sore back. Now I could sympathize