On the Meldon Plain (The Fourline Trilogy Book 2) (24 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

“I’ve been a light bearer for three years,” Matilda explained and set the pole in the corner of a long shed behind the bookshop. Wooden crates obscured one wall, creating a tight space for the three women. Nat sniffed and smelled the familiar unpleasant odor of rudit. She examined the crates, wondering if Matilda and Mervin used them to store food.

“I thought all the light bearers were Mudug’s snitches,” Annin said. She tugged the guard’s tunic over her head.

“Which is precisely why I took the position.” She gave Annin a wise look. “After people accused of aiding the rebels started disappearing, becoming a light bearer was the safest way for me to move around the city unnoticed. It provides Gennes’ messengers an easier way to contact us, and I feed the castle guards a bit of information every now and then to avoid suspicion.”

Nat lifted the guard’s cap off her head, freeing her tightly bound hair.
She shook her head in disgust.

“Why don’t the people stand up to Mudug?” Nat asked.

“Fear and lies, Sister. Mudug’s mastery of spreading both has bent most of the population to his will.” Matilda folded her long black cloak over her arm. Her straight chin-length hair swung to the side. “I suspect your and Andris’ appearance in Rustbrook is meant to straighten them out.” Her lips curved into a smile.

“Andris is here?” Nat asked, feeling both relieved and agitated.

“Yes, they arrived late this afternoon. They’re in the basement. I believe everyone will be surprised to see you. Except Mervin,” she added.

Nat and Annin quickly removed their guard uniforms and followed Matilda through the yard choked with trees, past a small garden, and through a wide door in the back of the shop. Nat stumbled over a stack of boxes near the back entrance.

“Careful, Sister,” Matilda scolded as she swiftly shut the door behind her.

Nat mumbled an apology and cautiously shuffled around in the dark away from the door. Her nerves were already on edge at the thought of confronting Andris and seeing Soris. She glanced at the beams of moonlight passing through a set of uncovered windows facing Wesdrono Street. The light cut through the half-empty bookshelves. Matilda’s bookstore inventory hadn’t improved since Nat had walked through their front door months before with Soris leaning against her shoulder. Annin tugged at her sleeve, pulling her away from her memories. She followed her down the circular stairs to the basement.

“Any news, Matilda?” Andris’ voice floated up the stairs. Nat’s foot lingered above the next step.

“No news, but I did find something.” Matilda strode into the office with Annin trailing behind her.

“Annin? I thought you’d—” Soris’ voice was followed by a crashing sound. “Where’s Natalie?”

“I’m right here.” Her boots clunked against the final few wooden steps. Nat ducked her head and when she looked up, Soris was in front of her. He had a puzzled look on his face. Nat accepted his extended hand and leaned close to his ear before alighting from the last step. “I didn’t like Andris’ plan,” she whispered to him.

“Neither did I,” he replied with a little smile that disappeared as he helped her off the last step and ushered her into the room.

The room was crowded with stacks of books and papers, a few worn chairs, a wide bench, and an overturned table Andris was setting upright.

“We had to get a little creative to make it here since your wagon was gone,” Nat said, her voice strong despite her frayed nerves. She glanced at Mervin. He gave her a quick wink.

“You’re just in time.” Mervin stood, making room for Nat and Annin on the bench. Soris sat next to her before Mervin had a chance to reclaim his place.

Three triangle-shaped lights hung from the ceiling across from the bench. The green-colored panes cast a sickly hue on Andris and Benedict, who sat on narrow upholstered chairs.

“We were pondering how to get into the castle.” Mervin poured a cup of tea. His large hands enveloped the delicate cup as he handed it to Nat.

She took a sip and glared at Andris over the rim. “Annin led us through the Sisters’ tunnels in the castle to get here. I’m surprised you had any question about how we’d get in?” Her voice was calm, but she felt like flinging the tea at Andris’ face. Andris leaned forward in his chair. His left eyelid twitched.

“And I have this now.” Annin extracted the iron key from a deep pocket in the soldier’s vest. “Makes getting in much easier.” She tossed the key in the air, and Andris reached out to snatch it. He gave Annin a murderous look. “You have no idea where that key goes, so give it back,” Annin said. She set her cup on the floor and uncurled her fingers in front of him.

Nat could tell she was enjoying poking at Andris and delighted in the scowl on his face. He rolled the key around in his hand, then slapped it into Annin’s palm. His scowl faded and he nodded as if accepting the inevitability of their presence.

“Fine, Annin and Soris will rendezvous with Benedict, the Sister, and me at the Rewall. We’ll use the tunnels once we get to the castle. Soris, explain the details of the plan to Annin and the Sister.” He stood and banged into one of the lights. His hand shot out to steady the lamp.

“What is the Rewall?” Nat asked, not caring if she sounded ignorant.

“It’s a slum west of the castle, Sister,” Matilda answered.

Andris pulled at his beard, then looked at Mervin. “Mervin, can you arrange a boat big enough to take six people downriver? We’d want to depart from the west dock to avoid attention.” He paced the tiny room.

“For six people?” Mervin asked. “I can do my best. You’ll want it tomorrow, I’m guessing?”

Andris nodded. “Something that can get us as far from the city by midmorning. If a boat is impossible, horses would work.”

“Horses might be easier. There’s a stable west of the city I use when I need a good team for the mountain roads. The owner owes me a favor or two.” Mervin set his own cup on the table. “I’ll see to it. It will give me a chance to dispose of those bags of rudit I shoved into the crates in the storage shed. No use trying to hide something when the whole neighborhood can smell it, eh?” He turned toward the stairs.

“Mervin, before you go, finish telling me what you heard about Mudug’s mines near the Keyen Mountains.” Soris leaned forward and pressed his clenched fist to his chin. Nat glanced at the uncomfortable expressions on Andris’ and Benedict’s faces and wondered what conversation she and Annin had missed.

“You’re asking about the duozi, I assume?” Matilda answered and cocked her head to the side. Andris cleared his throat and shifted from one foot to the other. Benedict hunched back when he heard the word “duozi.”

“What have you heard?” Soris’ voice bordered on demanding.

“We’ll have plenty of time to talk about the mines after we accomplish what we set out to do.” Andris moved next to Mervin. “Horses will work, Mervin. Let me help you with those rudit bags. Matilda, any chance you can scrounge up some food for the good Sister and Annin? I’m sure they’re starving.” He placed a hand on Matilda’s back and ushered her up the stairs. “Mervin, after you,” he said, nearly pushing him.

Mervin arched his brow and regarded him. “In a moment, Andris.” He turned to Soris. “I sent word to Gennes of what we’ve heard about the mines, but it can’t hurt to tell you, too. My information is that Mudug is sending people from the Rewall to work as slaves in his mines. I can’t confirm any rumors that duozi are there as well.” He glanced at Andris’ hand still clasped on his arm. Andris let go. The towering man turned to Annin. “I don’t know when I’ll see you again, Annin, but the sight of you has been a blessing,” he said in a perceptibly gentle voice. He leaned down and embraced her, then climbed the circular stairs. Andris clipped up the stairs after him. His face was the shade of a beet.

“I’ll be right back.” Nat shot toward the stairs, knowing this might be her only chance to confront Andris alone.

“You’re not leaving me alone with them?” Benedict pointed to Annin and Soris.

“Would you shut up?” Annin growled.

At the top of the stairs, Nat grabbed Andris’ arm just as Mervin’s tall frame disappeared out the back entrance. “You had no right deciding to leave us,” she said.

“This is my mission. I’ll do what I think’s best.” He leaned forward and poked his finger at her chest. The store was too dark to make out his expression, but the tone of his voice told Nat plenty.

“What’s best?” She slapped his hand away. “How were you going to get into the castle without Annin? What were you going to do? Barge in through the front gates?”

“I’m not going to risk messing up this mission. Keep your focus off Soris, Sister, or I will find a way to leave you behind.”

“So abandoning us was about Soris.” She leaned forward, feeling anger coil inside her. “You accuse me of losing focus because of my emotions? What about you? You left behind the one person who can safely get you into the castle just to get rid of me! Where was your focus? Where was your emotional check when you made that decision? I have proven to you that I can take care of myself over and over again. My focus was fine last night when I took down those Nala. My focus was fine when I helped capture Mudug’s guard.” She spat out the words. “Why can’t you acknowledge that? Is it because I’m not from Fourline?” Andris shot her a dangerous look, but Nat didn’t care. “Or is it because you don’t think I’m good enough for your brother?”

“You have no future together. You will just hurt him more than you already have.” Andris stepped so close his hot breath hit her face. Nat glanced at the floor, not wanting him to see the pained expression on her face. “When this is over, he won’t be treated as a hero, he’ll be treated as an outcast. He knows the reality of his future. Don’t lead him down a path of thinking he has an alternative.”

“Soris can step over to my world and live with Barba and Cairn. Have a life like Annin did. I’ll work with Ethet and figure out some way to reverse the effects of his Nala bite so he can pass through the membrane. Maybe we can even find a cure for the duozi,” she argued, voicing a hope she’d silently been fostering.

“If generations of Healing Sisters couldn’t find a cure for the duozi, Sister, what makes you think you can?” He looked down his nose at her. “If you care for him, the best you can do is leave him to find his own way. Don’t give him hope where there is none.”

“There’s always hope, Andris, always a chance of finding a cure. I’m not leaving him to live a life on the run,” she said. Her jaw ached from clenching her teeth together.

“And that’s why I left you in the forest. You can’t think rationally when it comes to him. And I’m starting to think he may have the same problem with you.” He looked through the empty shelves toward the grimy front window. “If we make it through the next few days, understand this, Natalie: you and my brother will never see each other again.” He brushed past her and disappeared out the door.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Nat uncurled her body from the tight confines of the wooden crate in Matilda’s storage shed. Her orb rolled on the floor and spun before rising shakily into the air.
It looks like I feel,
Nat thought as she stretched her arms above her head. Her head ached and her eyes felt swollen.

The unpleasant smell of rudit wafted into her nose as she shook out her tunic and slipped it over her head. Why was she the lucky one who had to sleep in the same place Mervin had stored the bags of cheese? He’d removed them before she’d locked herself inside the crate with a hidden compartment, but the smell lingered. Now her hair and clothes reeked again.

The door to the storage shed creaked open. Nat reached for her dagger and her orb pulsated above her head, poised to strike.

“Put that down.” Annin gestured toward the dagger in Nat’s hand. She held a small tray. The smell of cinnamon filled the air. “Now would not be a good time to stab me. I’m being nice for once.” She slid the tray on top of the crate. Nat’s orb floated above the roll and mug.

“Is that what I think it is?” The aroma of coffee lingered with the cinnamon. She reached for the roll and grabbed the mug.

“Yes. You look like a bastle slept on your face,” Annin observed.

“The nice just went out the window,” Nat said with a full mouth. The coffee scalded her tongue, but she didn’t care. She took another sip and pulled on her boots. “Where’d you sleep?” Even in the dim light of the orb, Nat could see a sheepish look on Annin’s face. Nat buckled her belt and took another sip of the coffee.

“Upstairs, in my old room.” Annin knelt and pulled Nat’s bedding from the crate. Her nose twitched. “It smells like something died in here.” Her face contorted as she balled up the bedding. She sniffed in Nat’s direction. “Maybe it’s you.”

“Thanks, and I was just going to ask you if you wanted a bite.” Nat shoved the remainder of the roll into her mouth.

“Hurry up. Soris and I are leaving with Mervin in a few minutes. Andris wants you in the shop. Washroom is behind the shed. Be quiet when you use it since Mervin and Matilda are risking their lives by having us here.” She whisked the mug out of Nat’s hand and disappeared out the door with it and the bedding.

Nat reduced her orb to a dim glow. It spun around the room while she pulled her hair back with sticky fingers. Other than the lingering smell of rudit, coffee, and roll, the shed looked untouched. She pocketed the orb and moved as quietly as she could through the dark yard to the washroom.

The wooden door creaked. She inched it closed and shuffled across the floor. Three galvanized tubs ranging in size occupied the top of a raised platform. She turned on the tap above the small tub and scrubbed the sticky residue from her hands. The cold water numbed her fingers. She cupped her hands under the stream, splashed her face, and looked at her dim reflection in the mirror hanging above the tub. A cold, blurry image stared back at her.

“Natalie?” Nat heard the door open and jumped at the sound of Soris’ voice. He touched her arm reassuringly.

“What are you doing here?” Nat whispered. “Aren’t you and Annin supposed to leave before we do?”

“Yes, so I’ll make this quick. Don’t be mad at Andris for what he did yesterday. It didn’t take me long to figure out his motivation for not waiting for you and Annin. He swore to Estos that he’d make sure no harm came to you; he was just trying to protect you.”

Nat kept quiet. She watched his shadowy reflection in the mirror, wondering what lies Andris had fed Soris to get him to believe he cared a shred about her safety.

“But he made a mistake and underestimated how important you are to seeing this mission through,” he added quickly. “I may have my own reasons for wishing you weren’t here, but none of them have anything to do with your abilities as a Sister.”

She turned around, and he brought his hand to her cheek. His touch sent a wave of warmth through her.

“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid today,” he said as his gaze lingered on her face.

“As long as you don’t, I won’t.” She looked him straight in the eye.

He laughed quietly, then dropped his chin. His expression grew serious as he brought his other hand up, cradling her face. She felt her heart quicken its pace. “One more thing, Natalie.”

“What’s that?” Her voice trembled as he leaned closer. Her words were lost as he pressed his lips to hers, kissing her gently at first, then pulling her tightly toward him as she curled her fingers through his hair. Her orb flared with light above them.

“I guess my orb knows I’m happy,” she said when their lips parted. The orb dimmed, but she could see the smile stretch across Soris’ face.

“See you at the Rewall, Sister.” He brushed his hand over her hair. Still smiling, he slipped out the door.

“See you at the Rewall,” she whispered, feeling a little weak in the knees. Her orb spun close to her heart, and she held it in her hands
.
I will find a cure, Soris. After this mission is over I’ll go back to the Healing House, talk to Ethet and Ethes, work through their treatments, find something . . .

A sharp rapping sounded on the door. “Sister,” Andris’ said in a harsh whisper. Nat quickly splashed another handful of water on her face and bolted to the yard. “Nice of you to show up on time,” he remarked when she appeared.

“You smell like rudit.” Benedict’s nasal voice rose behind her. He shuffled to her side. A long green robe trailed behind him. Nat squinted and noticed a brown wig covering his head. “Fringe Sisters. If I never meet another one, it will be too soon,” he complained. She ignored the comment and inspected his costume. In the dark, he looked just like the Chemist.

“Are Annin and Soris gone?” She kept her eyes on the ground, knowing Andris would be able to read her emotions if she looked at him.

“Yes, and I’ll thank you if we miss meeting up with them. Matilda is waiting.” He thrust a heavy black cloak into her hands. The three of them moved silently down a stone path to a tall gate flanked by conifers. Andris pushed open the gate and peered into the dark alley. He motioned for Nat and Benedict to follow, then sprinted into the darkness.

They crossed a cobblestone intersection. Nat and Andris ran into the next lane with Benedict trailing behind them. Hearing the sound of running water, Nat glanced through the broken slats of a wooden fence while they waited for him. Water burbled out of a little fountain in the middle of a well-kept yard. The water flowed over the image of a sun. Nat smiled at the hidden symbol of the Healing House in the middle of Rustbrook.

Benedict caught up, and the trio walked hurriedly down a lane to a deserted market. A rickety buggy stood in front of a boarded-up stall. Matilda, dressed in a shoddy cloak, sat atop the two-wheeled cart. A brown donkey, hitched to the wagon, turned its enormous ears as they approached. Andris and Benedict climbed onto the back of the wagon and tucked their knees tight to their chests. Matilda arranged containers of garbage around them, obscuring them from view. Nat climbed onto the narrow bench after Matilda was done arranging the smelly baskets and burlap bags.

“Pull that hood farther around your face,” Matilda advised as she snapped the reins. The donkey took a reluctant step forward. The cart didn’t move. Matilda snapped the reins again and the donkey lurched forward, jerking the cart into motion.

The cart rolled along the bumpy cobblestones. Dim lights shone through a few windows as they rode through alleys. Matilda stopped to pick up a container of garbage even though the cart bed overflowed with refuse. A splash of water hit the donkey in the nose.

“Watch it!” Matilda cursed at a shopkeeper emptying a pail of sludgy-looking water into the alley. He scratched the dirty apron covering his massive belly, waved dismissively, and returned to the back entrance of his shop.

Little clusters of houses replaced the shops as they traveled on. The rhythmic clop of the donkey’s hooves and the sound of the wheels hitting the cobblestones lulled Nat to sleep. She jerked her head up and blinked. The castle, under the light of the setting moon, appeared on the hill behind them. The cart passed underneath a high red-stone gate. Nat pulled her hood even lower when she noticed a slumbering guard on a chair next to the gate.

Despite being higher on the hill, the houses and shops they passed looked dilapidated. A dog bolted in front of the cart, chasing a creature with a long tail. Nat’s skin crawled when she saw the rat clamber onto a rickety porch and scamper across the thin metal roof of a house. Potholes filled the street and the cart bounced dangerously.

“Where are we?” whispered Nat.

“It’s the Rewall, the oldest part of the city, dear.” Matilda’s sharp nose stuck out from her hood. “Where the indentured ones live,” she added.

“You mean slaves?”

“Yes.” She nodded gravely. “Some are free to come and go and run their own businesses and lives if it serves Mudug’s purposes, but they owe him debts and he takes his payment in many forms. So does the Chemist.” She frowned and returned her stony stare to the road. “You’ll find it easier to pass through the gates to the castle from here. I learned a few days ago that the Chemist has Mudug’s guards bringing Rewall residents through a nearby entrance to his quarters in increasing numbers.”

They turned onto a side lane. A square surrounded by crumbling open arches spread out in front of them. An earthy, putrid smell rose from the square.

“What for?” Nat scrunched her nose.

“Experimenting with riven.” Matilda pulled the reins, and the donkey came to an abrupt stop. She hopped off the cart and lifted a burlap bag filled with rotten food and placed it in a trough that ran along one side of the square. “Get another bag,” she urged Nat under her breath. “They’ll topple the garbage if they try to climb out with that stack above them.”

Nat obediently grabbed the uppermost basket and dumped the contents into the trough, wondering all the while about what Matilda had said. The garbage ran down a slide into a pit. A figure moved in the darkness below, mixing the garbage into a clump of brown dirt before carting it off. Matilda heaved another bag into the trough and dropped it loudly just as Nat heard a thud on the packed dirt behind her.

Benedict crouched next to the wagon. Andris, draped in a black cloak, ran across the square toward one of the columns supporting the curved beams. Benedict limped quickly after him. He grasped his long cloak, keeping the robe tight around him. Matilda gestured for Nat to follow them.

“Thank you,” Nat whispered.

Matilda nodded once. “Take care, Sister.” She climbed onto the cart.

Nat grabbed one more bag and spread its contents out along the trough, hiding Benedict’s labored movements from the figures working in the pit. She let go of the burlap bag and it drifted down, landing on a clump of soil. Matilda’s cart bounced over rubble strewn around the square and disappeared into the darkness.

The light of dawn colored the flags flying above the castle, but night still clung to the Rewall. Andris, Nat, and Benedict darted from the shadowy columns to the base of a watchtower. The curved cap crowning the tower stood empty. Andris reached into his pocket and produced a fake beard and mustache. He dropped them into her hands and disappeared around the base of the tower to find Annin and Soris.

Nat smoothed the fake beard over her chin, hoping Mervin had delivered Annin and Soris to their drop-off spot in the Rewall as easily as Matilda had the three of them. After her fight with Andris the night before, Annin had explained the danger in all five of them traveling together through the city. The plan made sense, but Nat’s nerves were now on edge as she and Benedict hung back in the shadows waiting for Andris to return. She glanced at the old man as he fidgeted with the edge of his robe, thinking he looked as nervous as she felt.

Andris reappeared with them, and Nat let out a breath of relief. Annin and Soris pulled black cloth sacks over their heads, and Andris loosely bound their hands behind their backs. When he was done, he locked eyes with Nat and made a knocking motion with his hand.

Nat unsheathed her dagger and knocked on the narrow wooden door set into the old watchtower. The sound echoed in the quiet of the early morning. She waited, listening, but heard nothing. Andris made another knocking motion, his eyes wide with impatience. She rapped on the door again and heard a clanging come down the tower stairs. Andris pulled a loose black mask over his face. The door opened, and a bleary-eyed guard leaned against the frame. The smell of alcohol rolled off him. He swayed toward Nat.

“You smell like rudit,” the soldier slurred and wiped his nose with his hand.

Nat sprang forward and held the dagger under his throat. “And you smell like death,” she said in a low voice, pushing him back into the guard tower. He tripped over a stool and landed with a thud on his back. He scrambled up, balled his hands into fists, and was just about to spring on Nat when he froze.

Benedict coughed, lowered his hood, and raised his head. Andris, his face hidden by the mask, stepped behind him. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” the Hermit drawled. “Finding decent guards is almost impossible, and it would put me out if mine were injured. I don’t like being put out,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Your Chemistness?” The guard squinted in the dim light.

“Who do I look like, the city toymaker?” Benedict stepped forward and slapped the guard across the face.

“No, no, sir.” The guard straightened. “I wasn’t advised you’d be coming through the gate.” Benedict glared at the guard. “Not that your activities are any of my business, sir.”

Benedict nodded in approval. “No, they are not,” he said sharply. He turned to Andris. “Bring them in,” he ordered in an aloof voice.

Andris retreated through the door and pushed Annin and Soris, their heads and duozi features covered by the sacks, through the opening.

“Now, if any whining family comes looking for missing loved ones, you saw nothing.” Benedict’s voice held a steely edge. The guard looked at the hooded figures and nodded. “I’m glad we have an understanding. Now get back into that tower before I turn you in for being drunk on duty.”