Desa Kincaid Collection

Chapter 9

The forest gave way to fields of tall grass growing strong under the clear blue sky. Warm sunlight made Desa smile as Midnight continued along the meandering dirt road. Aside from a few trees that dotted the landscape here and there, there was nothing to see all the way to the southern horizon.

They rode until the sun began to dip. Sensing Midnight"s fatigue, Desa decided that this was as good a place as any to settle in for the night. Tallgrass would make it hard to move without making noise – which meant catching another rabbit would be difficult – but it also limited the potential for enemies to sneak up on her.

A tall oak by the roadside grew with its limbs spreading wide and its green leaves catching the light of the setting sun. As soon as he got out of the saddle, Tommy seated himself with his back against the massive trunk and stared wistfully into the distance.

Desa stood just a few feet away, scratching her forehead with the knuckle of one fist. “You should meditate,” she told him. “If you want to learn Field Binding, you must practice as much as possible.”

He nodded numbly.

Letting her arms drop, Desa turned to face him and removed her hat. A fierce wind teased her short brown hair. “I know that you wanted to go back for him,” she said. “But Sebastian is probably still in Glad Meadows.”

“Or dead...” Tommy mumbled.

Desa squatted in front of him with her hands on her knees, holding the young man"s gaze. “Possibly,” she admitted. “Tommy, I wish I could have-”

“You made your position clear, Mrs. Kincaid.” Tommy spoke with a firmness that she had never heard from him before. It frightened her. “Going back for Sebastian would have cost us our own lives.”

“That"s true,” she said. “But I want you to understand-”

“I understand perfectly well.”

Accepting discretion as the better part of valour, Desa chose to end the discussion there. What more could she say? Tommy probably thought there was some vindictiveness in her decision to leave Sebastian behind – and she had to admit that she was glad to be free of that young man"s endless scorn – but she would not leave anyone to the whims of a mob. Not even a loathsome creature like Sebastian.

But it seemed her decision had soured Tommy"s good opinion of her. Perhaps he too would abandon Desa at his next opportunity. It irked her to realize she was actually a little sad about that.

Desa had no interest in men as lovers – her marriage to Martin Kincaid had been a matter of simple necessity – but she had grown to enjoy Tommy"s company. Most places she went, people greeted her with fear and suspicion. But not Tommy. His curiosity about her abilities was refreshing.

An hour of quiet solitude passed while Desa searched for a suitable dinner. By the eyes of Vengeance, she was beginning to wonder if she had been cursed. Years of passing through town after town without incident, and suddenly trouble was lurking around every corner.

The sun was a red disk on the western horizon, the sky a deep twilight blue when she heard the steady clip-clop of hooves on dirt. Desa looked around to find the silhouette of a horse coming up the road. A horse with two riders.

clip-clopDesa reached for her g*n but thought better of it when she recognized one of them. A good thing too. After all the trouble she had encountered lately, she was down to eight bullets. She did not want to have to use ammunition unless it was absolutely necessary.

The woman in front was obviously Miri; even in the dark, Desa would recognize that woman"s silhouette. But the other rider...It was hard to tell since he sat behind Miri, but Desa was fairly certain she knew the man"s identity. Her suspicions were confirmed when he spoke.

that“Tommy?” Sebastian called out.

At the sound of his lover"s voice, Tommy leaped to his feet. He peered around the trunk of the tree, clearly unwilling to believe his ears. “Sebastian?” he mumbled. “Is...Is it really you?”

Sebastian hopped out of the saddle and ran to seize his love in a tight embrace. “Oh, thank the Almighty!” he shouted. “I didn"t think I"d see you again.”

“I didn"t think I"d see you again.”

youClosing her eyes, Desa breathed slowly through her nose. Let those two boys have their reunion. She had other concerns to deal with. In three quick strides, she put herself in front of Miri. This close, she could tell that the horse was indeed Tommy"s dark brown gelding. “Why are you following us?” she demanded.

“My word,” Miri said, swinging one leg over the horse"s flanks. She dropped to the ground with the scuff of boots on dust, then rounded on Desa. “I have never been treated so rudely in my life.”

“Drop the act.”

Thrusting her fist out, Desa summoned light from her ring and took satisfaction in Miri"s surprised blink. The other woman backed away with her hands raised defensively. “I ain"t lookin" to get into a fight,” she said. “Or to anger a witch.”

“I"m not a witch.”

Licking her lips, Miri let her head drop. “Like I told you,” she began. “I wanted to get out of that town after the commotion you caused. Sebastian had a horse; I knew a bit about the land. So, we helped each other. I reckoned you"d be happy to have your friend back. Suppose I was wrong about that.”

reckoned“We appreciate you returning Sebastian to us, however-”

“I brought food!” Miri broke in. “Snagged a couple rabbits at the edge of the forest. Sebastian wanted to stop and cook "em, but I said we had to keep riding if we were gonna find you. At least let a girl stay and eat the food she caught. Even a witch oughtta have enough manners for that.”

With a thought, Desa killed the light from her ring.

Heaving out a sigh, she trudged through the grass to a spot where the silhouettes of Tommy and Sebastian stood holding hands and gazing into each other"s eyes. “Boys,” she said. “It seems Miri brought us some food. Help her prepare it.”

They ate in the wan light of Desa"s ring, all sitting in a circle under the branches of the oak tree. It had taken every last drop of heat from her three coins to cook both rabbits; Desa would have to Infuse them with fresh connections to the Ether. Tomorrow. She was too tired to bother with it now.

Miri dabbed her mouth with a handkerchief, then looked up to direct a warm smile toward Sebastian. “Told ya it would be worth the wait,” she said. “Promised ya we"d find your friends, and here we are.”

He sat cross-legged across from her, smiling as he popped the last bit of meat into his mouth. “You were right,” he said. “I shouldn"t have doubted you.”

Amazing how readily he listens to her when he resisted me at every turn. Desa bit back a curse. Was she really feeling jealous because Sebastian respected Miri more than he did her?

Amazing how readily he listens to her when he resisted me at every turn. Tommy was next to his love and holding Sebastian"s hand. The huge grin that split his face made it all but impossible to believe he had been so forlorn just a short time ago. “I"m glad you came back,” he murmured.

“I couldn"t leave you,” Sebastian replied.

With her arms crossed, Desa leaned back against the trunk of the tree. She looked up toward the heavens, lost in thought. What was she to do with this troop of fools she had gathered? Somehow, she suspected that Miri would be traveling with them no matter what she did to prevent it.

Her mouth opened in a yawn that she covered with one hand. “We need to sleep,” she muttered. “We"ll need to have an early start tomorrow if we hope to gain any ground on Morley.”

“You"re still set on chasin" down that devil,” Miri grumbled.

Desa turned her head to study the woman through narrowed eyes. “Indeed I am,” she said. “If that troubles you, you"re more than welcome to part company with us at any time. I have no intention of dragging you into danger.”

The dim light cast shadows over Miri"s face, but it was clear that the woman was scowling. “It ain"t me I"m worried about, darlin",” she said. “Any woman fool enough to tangle with him is askin" for trouble.”

“I think you"ve seen that I can handle myself.”

“This ain"t no ordinary man.”

Sebastian offered a limp shrug of his shoulders. The young man"s face was white. “Can"t we just...let him go?” he inquired. “Let him be someone else"s problem?”

“You"re also welcome to part ways with us, Sebastian,” Desa said. “I will not keep you against your will.”

“I think I"ll stay.”

Of course he would. Well, at least the young man seemed more agreeable than he had before Glad Meadows. Perhaps fearing for his life had taught him some manners. At least she wouldn"t have to deal with his sneers. For a little while.

Sleep came fitfully that night; Desa did not feel comfortable drifting off with Miri just a few feet away. Every noise woke her, and each time, she expected to find Miri with a knife to her throat. What was that woman up to?

wasThere were many possibilities, of course, but the one Desa feared most involved Miri working for Bendarian. That bastard had sent assassins after her before. None had tried to ingratiate themselves with her, but there was a first time for everything.

The next day brought very little change in scenery. Just open road and grassy fields with the odd tree here and there. Desa had tried to persuade Miri that it would be best for her to move on and find opportunities elsewhere, but the woman was determined to stay with them a while longer.

They began their ride with Desa and Tommy on Midnight while Sebastian and Miri took Tommy"s old brown gelding. But that poor beast lacked Midnight"s strength, and he required frequent stops. More than once, they had to dismount and walk for an hour to let the poor creature recover.

Eventually, Miri suggested that Tommy"s horse would have an easier time carrying the women, as they were both smaller and lighter. Desa didn"t like that one bit – Midnight was her steed – but she could hardly argue the point when she had been the one to insist that speed was of the essence. So, she rode the gelding while Midnight gave her sidelong glances and snorted at the strangers on his back.

herOn any other day, having a lovely woman"s arms wrapped around her would leave Desa feeling content, but she did not trust Miri. Every time the woman squirmed behind her, Desa flinched at the fear that she might find a knife in her back.

“So,” Miri asked, tightening her grip on Desa"s belly. “Why is it you"re so keen to find this Morley?”

Sitting in the saddle with the reins in hand, Desa shut her eyes and tried to remain calm. “He"s a murderer,” she answered. “And a servant of a much more dangerous man. It is that man I hunt.”

“Who might that man be?”

Desa chose not to answer – the less Miri knew about her business, the better – but Sebastian took the opportunity to fill the silence in the most unhelpful way possible. Why oh why did she tell these boys her secret? “His name is Radharal Bendarian,” Sebastian said. “He"s a Field Binder of Aladar.”

“Like you,” Miri said.

Desa blew air through puckered lips. Her patience was growing thinner and thinner by the second. “Yes, like me,” she answered. “That"s why I"m the one who must stop him. I"m the only one who can.”

“So, witches take responsibility for other witches? Huh?” Miri poked Desa between the shoulder blades. “Well, now, bless my soul! What exactly do you call a man witch? A warlock?”

Sebastian laughed with just a bit too much enthusiasm. He leaned in close, brought his lips to Tommy"s ear and murmured, “Would you like to be a warlock, my love?” That was followed by a fit of giggles.

Desa felt heat in her face and sweat on her brow. Hard as it was, she forced herself to remain quiet. She was beginning to suspect that Sebastian might have told Miri a great deal about her in their time together. Perhaps this was an attempt to provoke her.

“Well?” Sebastian prodded after a moment. “You didn"t answer, my love.”

Tommy growled and shook his head, which produced another outburst of laughter from Sebastian. Desa sighed. It was going to be a long journey, that was for sure.

Tommy knew they were close to Ofalla when he spotted the first farmhouse. It was nothing special – just a small house of gray stone with a gabled roof – but the sight of it soothed his troubled mind. It had been four days since their flight from Glad Meadows, and in all that time, he had not seen another human soul outside of their small party. He was beginning to worry that they had reached the edge of the world.

Two tall apple trees grew in front of the farmhouse, and he could hear the mooing of cows who grazed in the field. A shaggy mare stood just outside a barn of whitewashed wood, munching on some grass.

Shading his eyes with one hand, Tommy squinted as he stared down the road. “We must be getting close now,” he said. “I hope we get there by nightfall; I could use some rest in a decent bed.”

Next to him, Desa sat her horse with the reins in hand, smiling fondly as she shook her head. “You won"t be sleeping in a bed tonight,” she informed him. “Or tomorrow, for that matter. We still have a long way to go.”

Tommy felt his mouth drop open, then lowered his eyes and grumbled to himself. “But the farm!” he insisted when he worked up the nerve to speak. “How can there be...I mean who lives this far away from the city?”

Miri was behind Desa with her arms around the other woman"s waist, and she gave him a look that called him an i***t. “Ain"t you never been more than two steps outside of your little town, Lommy?”

“It"s Tommy.”

He knew for a fact that Miri heard him, but she ignored his protests as she always did. “Well, Lommy,” she went on. “Big cities like Ofalla have villages surrounding them on all sides. We"ll pass through a few of those.”

“Maybe we could find an inn?” Sebastian suggested.

Desa wrinkled her nose at that, but she kept her gaze focused straight ahead as if she expected to find trouble behind the next hill. “We don"t have enough money for that,” she said. “If we find an inn, we"ll stop for a hot meal, but we"re sleeping rough tonight.”

Tommy felt it when Sebastian shifted in Midnight"s saddle, and the stallion snorted in protest. He didn"t seem to like it when one of his riders squirmed. Or maybe it was just this particular rider that he didn"t like. Midnight was as friendly as an excited puppy when Lommy approached him, but he glared daggers at Sebastian.

Tommy felt a spike of alarm.

Did...Did he just think of himself as Lommy? May the Almighty have mercy on his soul, that damnable woman was actually training him to answer to that ridiculous name! He liked Miri just fine – most of the time, anyway – but he was beginning to understand why Desa found her so vexing.

Sebastian leaned toward Desa, and Tommy cringed at the thought of what he might say. “What do you mean "we don"t have enough money?"” Sebastian began. “You seemed to have plenty in Sorla.”

She gave him a cool stare beneath the brim of her hat. “I spent years traveling alone and living off the money I made hunting fugitives,” she said. “Which was always enough to get me to the next town. Now, there are four of us.”

Sebastian muttered but he made no further protest.

Tommy was glad for that small mercy. When his love had returned to him, all he could think about was how happy he was. Happy and relieved. But now Sebastian had resumed his habit of challenging Desa at every opportunity. Now, Tommy could remember why he had been willing to watch the man he loved walk out of his life. A year ago, he would have never imagined that Sebastian could be capable of such ignorant hatred. In fact, he almost wished that Sebastian had stayed behind in Glad Meadows. It was so confusing. Why couldn"t his fool brain just make up its mind?

hadThe afternoon grew warm as they continued their southward journey, passing one farmhouse after another. Every now and then, they saw a man tending to his cows or a woman hanging laundry on a line. No one paid them any mind. Perhaps these people had grown used to the sight of travelers.

Tommy kept his mind busy by enjoying the scenery: the lush green grass, the clear blue sky full of puffy clouds, the occasional field of wildflowers. Only, it seemed to him, after a while, that the scenery was losing some of its luster. As the day wore on, the grass seemed less green. Maybe it was just his imagination.

The others were talking, but he paid them no mind. His thoughts were focused on sorting out his feelings for Sebastian, and the harder he tried to avoid that task, the more urgent it became. Perhaps he should try to meditate

One, two, three, four, five.

One, two, three, four, five.

It wasn"t working.

Tommy held the reins in a tight grip, anxiety clawing at him as he frowned down at the pommel of his saddle. “You said there would be towns,” he muttered. “I thought we"d have seen one by now.”

When he shot a glance in her direction, Desa offered a reassuring smile. “We will,” she promised him. “We"re still a good ways out. Towns tend to spring up around cities. Less so in the countryside.”

He nodded.

When his mind refused to quiet down, he went back to looking at the scenery, but that did nothing to soothe him. The grass had changed, and now he knew it wasn"t just his imagination. Something had taken the colour from every blade. Not all of it, but enough for him to notice. It wasn"t just that the grass was turning brown the way it sometimes did in a prolonged drought. No, it was more of a gray. There was still a hint of green, but not much. More like a memory of green.

hadCome to think of it, the dirt beneath Midnight"s hooves wasn"t quite so brown. The sky was still a vibrant blue – so, they had that – but something was wrong here. When he looked at the trees, he didn"t see green leaves but gray ones that hung limp from each and every branch.

Tommy lifted his hands up and flexed his fingers. His skin still retained its pinkish hue, and his clothes were also unaffected. Trousers as brown as the day his mother made them and scuffed booths with black visible beneath: he looked perfectly normal. As did all of his companions. The horses were fine too.

heBut the land...

The land was fading.

He looked toward Desa for some indication that this was all perfectly normal and found her riding with a hand pressed to her stomach. She was grimacing, and she looked about ready to empty her belly.

Tommy felt his lip quiver, then steeled himself and sucked in a breath of air. That too felt wrong, somehow. It was almost imperceptible, but the day"s heat seemed to have faded. It wasn"t cold; it was just...nothing. The air felt stale and motionless. There was no breeze. “What"s going on?” Tommy mumbled.

cold;“Something is very wrong,” Desa said. “We need to stop.”