Necromancer Falling: Book Two of The Mukhtaar Chronicles (33 page)

Fear for their souls.

But why would Nicolas ask him to keep his identity secret? Why would he want to give up that weapon of fear?

No. Aelron wouldn’t kill him just yet. There were too many questions that needed answers.

A blinding lightning strike silhouetted a ruined building up ahead, and the loudest thunderclap yet shook the wagon. A growl from inside the carriage told Aelron the dog wasn’t happy.

Aelron wiped the stinging rain out of his eyes. At this rate, they’d have to swim to Caspardis. He guided the adda off to the side of the road, drew the reins in, then wrapped his knuckles on the hatch behind him. It slid open.

“This is no good!” Aelron said. “We keep moving and we’ll sink! I’m coming inside for a minute.”

The wagon lurched to a halt, and Aelron climbed down from the driver’s seat and entered the carriage. He settled in next to Kaitlyn, who with a single glance made it clear how she felt about the seating arrangement.

Aelron didn’t know if she was bad at concealing her dislike for him, or if she just didn’t care.

“It’s really pissing it down out there,” Aelron said. “Every yard I drive, the wagon slows even more. Better just stop until the worst of it passes. I pulled onto harder ground for now.”

“How long do these things usually last?” Nicolas asked.

“Won’t be much longer. But the rain isn’t the problem. It’s the mud that’s going to stop us. I don’t think we’ll be making it to Caspardis.”

“Tonight,” Kaitlyn said.

“What?” Aelron asked.

“We won’t be making it to Caspardis
tonight
,” Kaitlyn said. “You made it sound like we won’t be making it there at all.”

“Sorry,” Aelron said. “I took it as implied. Before long this wagon will be up to the doors in mud.”

“Tight quarters, but we’ll make it work,” Nicolas said.

“There are ruins not far ahead,” Aelron said. “Maybe half a league. When it calms a bit, I think we can make it at least that far. Might have to drive
next
to the road, though.”

“Maybe dead Kagan can drive,” Toridyn said.

Aelron’s pulse raced. Had he heard the cichlos correctly? Was
this
his father? Certainly not.

But Aelron hadn’t seen Kagan since he was five years old. Could it be?

“This…” Aelron couldn’t seem to start a sentence, much less finish one.

“Yeah,” Nicolas said. “
That
Kagan.”

A torrent of emotion pulled Aelron along by his heart. He ground his teeth as an uncomfortable heat spread under his skin.

“I’m sure the whole world has questions,” Nicolas said. “But—”

“He’s dead?” Aelron asked.

“As a doornail.”

Forty years of wondering if he’d ever see his family again, and
this
was the reunion? He couldn’t say he
loved
Kagan. He never really knew him. But he’d always hoped they could forge some kind of relationship.

And here he was. Dead. With his murderer sitting right beside him.

He wanted to lash out. A quick slice of his dagger, and Nicolas would be just as dead. The big cichlos would get involved. Might even kill him. His own dead father would kill him to protect the very man that murdered him. But Aelron didn’t care. Someone had to pay for this tragedy of a family history.

Mother, dead. Father, dead. The only one who might remain was his baby brother…the newborn he never got a chance to know. But how would he ever find him?

“You killed him?” Aelron asked.

“No,” Nicolas said. “But it wasn’t for lack of trying.”

“Then who?”

“When the barrier came down, the gods came back. Arin killed him right in front of me. Toridyn was there too. Then, Arin raised him back up and gave him to me as a penitent.”

“I—” Aelron took a deep breath and exhaled. He wasn’t thinking straight. If he put off his vengeance a little longer, perhaps he could find a way to communicate with his father.

“I guess what they say about only an Ardirian being archmage is a load of shite, then,” Aelron said.

Nicolas leaned forward in his seat and folded his hands in front of him.

“Who are you?” Nicolas asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Who are you?”

Festering hells! I’m better than this!

Aelron leaned back. His moment of emotion may have been enough to give up the lie. He had to diffuse the situation.

“I didn’t mean to pry, Archmage,” Aelron said. “I can’t pretend to understand the world of politics, its arbitrary protocols and niceties of court. But what are the odds, right? I mean…
Kagan Ardirian
sitting right here in front of me. Dead, of all things.”

Nicolas leaned back. He seemed less tense. Maybe he bought it.

“As odd as it is for you, imagine how it is for me,” Nicolas said. “He’s my birth father.”

Aelron’s chest tightened as his mind raced. Nicolas was his brother? Nicolas was the newborn?

But the coin wanted him dead! Why?

“You said your name was
Murray
?” Aelron asked.

Nicolas nodded. “It is…and it’s a long story. But don’t let the name fool you. Unfortunately, I’m an Ardirian by blood. Like I said…he’s my birth father.”

A bright flash of lightning lit the carriage interior, followed by a series of thunderclaps so loud, it was as if Arin and Zubuxo had become bowling partners.

“Why
unfortunately
?” Aelron asked.

“Sorry?” Nicolas asked.

“I’m just curious,” Aelron said. “You implied being an Ardirian wasn’t a good thing.”

“You been living under a rock?”

“My life of late has been somewhat…
ascetic
.”

“What do you see when you look at this guy?” Nicolas pointed a thumb at Kagan.

“Like I said, I wasn’t trying to pry.”

“Now
I’m
curious. Tell me what you see.”

Aelron looked down for a moment, then turned his gaze toward Kagan.

“I see an old man living out a rather ignominious existence,” Aelron said. “Why in the Hells would his own god kill him?”

“He lied to the world for decades, not giving a damn what or who he destroyed.” Nicolas faced Kagan. “Tell him what you did, you smug bastard.”

And Kagan told his story, from the murder of Yotto in an effort to protect his power, to the construction of the Great Barrier and all the evils it caused.

“You left out the part where you tried to murder your own son,” Nicolas said. He faced Aelron. “Within ten minutes of meeting him, he tried to kill me.”

“
Meeting
him?” Aelron said. “I don’t understand.”

“Like I said, it’s a long story.”

Had Aelron gotten it all wrong? Nicolas wasn’t a usurper at all.

It grew quieter outside as the rain died down.

“Looks like it’s slowed enough,” Aelron said. “I’ll take us to those ruins. Maybe we can find a dry spot where I can whip something up with those provisions.”

“You cook?” Nicolas asked.

“I recently discovered I have some skill with a ladle and stew pot.”

Nicolas nodded as Aelron opened the carriage door and climbed out.

Aelron had gotten his answers.

But the number of
questions
had grown larger.

When the carriage door closed behind Aelron, Kaitlyn scooted a few inches away from Toridyn.

“Was it my deodorant?” Toridyn asked.

Kaitlyn gave Toridyn an incredulous stare, and Nicolas chuckled.

“Something Nicolas used to say,” Toridyn said. He faced Nicolas. “You ever going to tell me what deodorant is?”

“You put it under your arms, you oaf,” Nicolas said. “To stop the smell.”

“Why would it smell under my arms? That’s not where the smell comes from.”

“We don’t need the details,” Nicolas said.

“I don’t trust him,” Kaitlyn said.

“He might not have smelly pits like we do, but—”

“Not
him
,” Kaitlyn said. “
Him.
” She pointed through the carriage wall toward the driver seat as the carriage lurched forward on the muddy road. “And what’s with the OCD behavior with that coin of his?”

“I never said I
trusted
him.”

“You just told him
everything
. How do you know what he’s going to do with that information?”

“There’s just something…” Nicolas stopped.

“What?” Kaitlyn asked.

“I don’t know. I can’t explain it. There’s something about this guy that seems….I’ve known evil people, Kait. He’s many things, I’m sure. But evil ain’t one of them.”

“Being murdered on a dark, muddy road leaves you just as dead no matter
how
nice your killer is,” Kaitlyn said.

“I know necromancy is new to you, but I’m not foolin’ around when I say Tor and I can take this guy easily. I mean, if it comes to that.”

Toridyn made a sound that indicated he wasn’t so sure.

“Siek Lamil would say
the day you underestimate your opponent is the day he defeats you
,” Toridyn said, imitating the siek’s deep voice.

“There’s another Cichlos saying I love,” Nicolas said.

“Oh yeah?” Toridyn asked. “Which one?”

“
Zip it
.”

Toridyn faced Kaitlyn. “That’s not actually a thing.”

The carriage stopped next to the walls of a ruined two-story building about a hundred yards off the northern side of the road. Mostly dilapidated, all that remained of the second floor was a semicircle of brick, creating an overhang. The ground was wet, but the rain had stopped.

“This should work,” Aelron said from the driver’s seat, just forward of the trapdoor in the roof. “One of the rooms has all four walls intact. Should be dry enough inside to get a fire started.”

“You think the ceiling will stay up?” Kaitlyn asked.

Aelron nodded. “See those bright specks on the rock? Religarian granite. Nothing short of a quake will tear those walls down.”

“All the same, I think I’ll stay out here,” Kaitlyn said.

“Don’t recommend it,” Aelron said. “Firebugs will eat you alive. That’s if passing marauders don’t spot you first.”

Kaitlyn mouthed the word
firebugs
to Nicolas, who responded with a shrug.

“Tor,” Nicolas said. “When I looked under the tarp earlier there was some bedding. Grab it and let’s get set up.”

Kaitlyn leaned close to Nicolas. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was until you asked Aelron if he could cook.”

Nicolas put his arm around her and led her into the ruins.

Two hours later, Nicolas began to question Aelron’s cooking skills. The meal was edible, if a person didn’t mind pulling hair and the occasional stone out of their bowl.

When they’d finished eating, Toridyn smothered the fire with mud and Nicolas went off behind the walls of the ruins to clean the pots and pans.

As he scrubbed his bowl with water from his drinking skin, he fumbled the bowl. When he reached for it, he dropped the water skin, spilling its contents on the ground. He stared at the water as the last of it trickled out of the skin. And though three people, two penitents, and a beagle were less than twenty feet away, he was utterly alone.

A despair he hadn’t felt since he was chained to the posts in Caspardis overcame him, and he stumbled back until his hand found the cold stone wall.

Everyone was expecting him to have the answers, to find some way of defeating these Barathosians.

And he couldn’t even manage to wash a bowl without spilling all of his water.

I can’t do this. I’m not a general. Hell, I wasn’t even a boy scout.

He rubbed his forehead.

No. Stop this!
I survived being beaten, scourged, and drowned. I’ve traveled to the Plane of Death. I toppled a despotic ruler and saved a continent. I
will
find a way to stop them. I will!

He grabbed the water skin, straightened himself up, and walked back into the ruins. Maybe a couple of hours of sleep would do him some good.

Nicolas stared through the carriage window at the night sky of Erindor with Kaitlyn leaning against his shoulder. She adjusted her position, and he closed his eye, soaking in as much of her presence as he could. He put his arms around her and squeezed, and she kissed him on the neck.