Desa Kincaid- Bounty Hunter Page 17

  “As if anyone can hear me,” Adele muttered.

  Tommy grimaced.

  A moment later, Marcus emerged from one of the intersecting streets, reined up and nodded once. “Another group of watchmen two streets over,” he said softly. “We'll have to adjust our route.”

  Desa took the news in stride.

  Tommy, however, slumped forward in the saddle, exhaustion making his head so heavy he thought it might fall off. “How much further,” he asked. “To the edge of town, I mean...”

  How long before I can sleep?

  No one answered him, but Adele swatted him between the shoulder blades hard enough to make him jump. “Keep your wits, boy!” she snapped. “I won't have you riding us into the river.”

  “Be quiet!” Desa snarled. “Both of you!”

  She was not in good spirits.

  Throughout their whole ride south, Desa had displayed an outward calm that had set Tommy's mind at ease. Now, she was frazzled. Perhaps she was disturbed by what she had seen while confronting Bendarian, but Tommy suspected that Adele's presence had a lot to do with it.

  They turned onto a wider street that ran all the way to the southern edge of town. It was empty, so far as Tommy could see. There were a few lamps lit but no sign of anyone nearby. He did hear horses hooves in the distance, which meant the nearest patrol of City Watchmen could probably hear them as well. Hopefully, they would just assume that it was another patrol.

  After the incident at the bank and then the destruction of the warehouse, those men would certainly be looking for a small woman who met Desa's description. They might not recognize her on sight, but they would take in anyone they found out and about at this hour. Just a little longer, Tommy assured himself. We're almost out of this city.

  He pulled his horse up alongside Midnight and leaned sideways to speak to Desa. “About Sebastian,” he whispered. “Did you see how he died?”

  Desa's face hardened.

  “Mrs. Kincaid?”

  “No...I didn't.”

  Tommy swallowed, then shut his eyes and felt a single tear on his cheek. “I guess I'll just have to settle for knowing that you’ll put the man who did it in the ground.” A chill went through him. “Once we find him.”

  “Once we find him,” Desa agreed.

  Tommy could feel Adele pulling away from him. The woman was uneasy; he could not say why. But then it should have been fairly obvious. Anyone would be uneasy riding off into the night and trying to avoid the lawmen. He just hoped that Desa had more of her Infused weapons.

  He kept his mouth shut for the rest of the journey. It was probably only about ten minutes – fifteen at the most – but it felt like an eternity. Tommy kept looking back over his shoulder, expecting to see City Watchmen on their tail. All he got was the odd glare from Adele, which was almost as bad.

  Once they were safely beyond the city limits, he let out a sigh of relief. Of course, Ofalla didn't end in open countryside. There were farms along the roadside, and he could even see the lights of a village in the distance. Which meant they had to keep going. The sun was well above the horizon when they finally stopped to rest in a small glade.

  Tommy wanted nothing more than to curl up with his coat for a pillow and sleep at least a few hours, but he was fairly certain that once they had taken some food, they would be riding until nightfall.

  Chapter 17

  “He's going west,” Adele said while standing on a small rock in the middle of a glade about half a mile south-east of Ofalla. Rays of bright sunlight streaked through the trees, and the wind sighed as it made the leave flutter.

  The mayor's niece was straining and squinting into the distance as if those few extra inches of height would somehow let her glimpse Bendarian, whom she claimed was miles away from here. Perhaps she really could. The woman was in communion with the Ether; Desa could feel it as a kind of resonance. That Adele could even move or speak while in such a state of mind was...remarkable.

  Desa was leaning against the trunk of an elm with her arms folded and the brim of her hat pulled down over her eyes. “So you've said,” she mumbled. “Many times now, in fact. You'll forgive me if I don't take your word for it.”

  Adele broke contact with the Ether.

  She hopped off of her rock, then strode over to Desa with her fists clenched and her arms swinging. “I have been on your side from the beginning,” she said. “I am growing weary of your constant insinuations to the contrary.”

  Tommy was sitting cross-legged with his back to a tree trunk. His eyes were closed, and it was clear that he was trying to meditate. Trying and failing. Desa's heart went out to the boy. Her argument with Adele certainly wasn't helping matters.

  Tommy cracked an eye when he heard the woman's approach, then resumed his focus. It would work for him eventually. Desa could already feel the faintest whispers of the resonance she had felt in Adele.

  In tan pants and a tattered coat, the mayor's niece stood with her fists on her hips, frowning and shaking her head. “I led you directly to Bendarian's townhouse,” she added. “It wasn't a trap.”

  “No, it wasn't,” Desa agreed.

  “Well?”

  Removing her hat, Desa blinked at the other woman. “I'm not sure what you want from me,” she said. “You're here despite my protests. Perhaps it would be best to accept your victories graciously.”

  “Accept my victories-”

  They were cut off by the sound of trees rustling as Marcus stepped into the glade with Miri on his heels. The man drew himself up to full height, scowled and then nodded to Desa. “I made some discreet inquiries,” he said. “Athrin is about two miles south of the city, but so far they haven't been visited by any Watchmen. No one knows anything about what happened last night.”

  “So, it's safe to pass through?”

  “As safe as can be hoped for.”

  Miri removed a large knapsack that she carried on her back, set it down on Adele's rock and then opened it to reveal a loaf of bread and cheese inside, all carefully wrapped up in cotton. “Supplies,” she said. “Enough to last a few days. Though, I suppose whether we'll need more depends a great deal on where we're going.”

  “West!” Adele insisted.

  “There's nothing west of here,” Marcus grumbled. “You can follow the river for about two hundred miles before it bends northward. You'll find Thrasa on its northern bank but not much on this side. And getting across won't be easy. After that, it's open country all the way to Fool's Edge.”

  “Fool's Edge?” Tommy inquired.

  Pressing her back to the tree trunk, Desa slid downward until her bottom hit the ground. Then she drew her legs up and hugged them. “The last outpost along the edge of the Gatharan Desert,” she explained. “Venture out beyond that point, and you can expect a painful journey that ends with you dying of thirst.”

  Marcus showed his teeth in something that was halfway between a smile and a snarl. “There are oases along the way,” he protested. “Traders have made the journey to Relanoth on the other side. Some have even gone all the way to the western shore of this continent and lived to tell about it.”

  “Crossing the desert and then the Molarin Mountains?” Desa said. “Possible but not wise. And why would Bendarian go that way?”

  “I don't know,” Adele insisted. “But he is.”

  Craning her neck to stare at Marcus, Desa felt creases forming in her brow. “You see what I've had to deal with all morning?” she mumbled. “This one has been a fount of supposedly useful information.”

  Marcus slipped his hands into his coat pockets, his face twisting into the kind of grimace that belonged on a man who was ready to empty his stomach. “If we're going to go west, then we exited the city on the wrong side,” he said. “Roads extend from Ofalla like spokes on a wheel. We'll have to hike across country to move between them, and that will take us right through several farms.”

  “What about the outlying villages?” Tommy suggested. “Surely, there are roads connecting
them.”

  “There are,” Marcus replied. “But going that way means chancing an encounter with the City Watch. They will eventually expand their search beyond the city limits, and many will be on the lookout for a small woman who fits Desa's description.”

  “I don't think we have a choice,” Desa said. “Let's move. The sooner we're on our way, the better our chances of passing through a town before the Watch does.”

  The sun was sinking fast, and the sky was a deep blue fading to a band of pink on the horizon. A warm wind blew through a town of wooden buildings and dusty streets, the third they had passed through today.

  At this hour, most people were finishing dinner or having tea, but there were still a few out on the streets, going about their business. One man with a leathery face and white hair gave Desa a nasty glare as she passed.

  She led Midnight by his bridle, keeping her head down so that the brim of her hat could shield her face. “Folks don't like strangers,” she murmured to the horse. “Doesn't matter where you go.”

  Adele was trudging along on Desa's right and fussing with the hat that Miri had lent her. The woman let out a huff. “I don't see why I should have to wear this ridiculous thing,” she said for the fourteenth time.

  “So that no one will recognize you.”

  “I've never even been to Shovan,” Adele said, gesturing to the wooden buildings all around them. She tripped over a rock, stumbled a few steps and then cursed. “How could anyone recognize me?”

  Drawing her pistol, Desa spun it around her index finger, then caught the grip and held the gun up in front of her face, its barrel pointed at the sky. “The first rule you need to learn, girl,” she said. “Someone is always doing what no one should be able to do.”

  On her left, Miri was walking arm and arm with Tommy and filling his ears with constant chatter as he led his father's gelding. The boy looked positively mortified, which made the infectious grin on Miri's face that much more amusing.

  “Now, listen carefully, Lommy,” she said. “There's a few things you need to know about this region. Its two principal exports are cotton and tobacco, though peaches do grow well in this climate, and a farmer can make a tidy profit selling them to traders who ship them downriver. You listening, Lommy?”

  Desa laughed.

  Marcus was in front, leading that massive gray of his and no doubt glaring daggers at everyone who passed. Perhaps that was why the old man had glowered at her. It might have been wiser to let Marcus take up the rear – Desa's senses were as sharp as his after a decade wandering the wilderness; she would spot trouble as easily as he did – but the man did what all men do.

  If there was trouble headed their way, then Marcus wanted to be the first one to meet it. Or some such nonsense. Desa might have protested under other circumstances, but she was tired, and they still had a way to go.

  “Why would Bendarian go west?” Adele muttered.

  “You're the one who insisted that he did.”

  The young woman removed her hat again, much to Desa's annoyance, and the soft breeze made those golden tresses flutter. “Yes, but I can only see where he is,” she said. “I have no idea why he went there. When last I checked, he was about ten miles upriver.”

  Pressing her lips together, Desa squinted into the distance. “I might be able to catch up with him,” she said. “Midnight and I should be able to cover that distance in less than an hour.”

  “Bendarian is not alone,” Adele said. “That Morley character is with him and half a dozen other men I don't know. And correct me if I'm wrong, but you haven't had time to replenish your arsenal of Infused weapons.”

  The girl was right, though Desa hated to admit it. Bendarian was a dangerous enemy before he acquired his new powers. Attacking him while she was exhausted and lacking Infused weapons was a death sentence. So, she did the only thing she could.

  She kept walking.

  Desa floated in the Ether's embrace, barely aware of her own fatigued body. All she saw was a tempest of particles all swirling about. The exhaustion was a faint ache in the back of her mind, easily ignored, and the other pains throughout her body quickly faded away as the injuries she had acquired fighting Bendarian healed themselves. Communing with the Ether accelerated the body's natural healing process.

  She Infused the brass knuckles with a new connection to the Ether, structuring a lattice of energy that would have them release a wave of kinetic force when two physical conditions were met. Her fingers had to be pressed against the inside of all four rings, and the outward face of all four rings would have to come into direct contact with a solid object. Since she had given them a physical mechanism to trigger the release of energy, anyone could use those brass knuckles to full effect.

  She had Infused several bullets, both of her daggers and her belt buckle with fresh connections to the Ether. Her bracelet still contained a Force-Sink that would be able to drain the energy of at least six bullets. That was the best she could manage. There were limits to just how much energy a Field Binder could manipulate, though Desa suspected that Adele could make even more powerful weapons if she set her mind to it.

  Adele...

  The young woman had a natural talent for manipulating the Ether, a talent unlike anything Desa had ever seen before. In fact, Adele was communing with the Ether at this very moment. Desa could feel the woman's scrutiny.

  She let herself drift back into her body.

  She was sitting on a log, her eyes shut as a cool breeze blew strands of hair back from her face. This tiny patch of woodland they had discovered about half a mile southwest of Ofalla was the best campsite they were likely to find. Desa could hear the singing of cicadas all around her.

  She opened her eyes.

  Tommy was curled up in his bedroll with the shadowy figure of Miri sitting just a few feet away. She turned her head as if she could sense a change in Desa, and though it was too dark to see, Desa could swear she felt the other woman's eyes on her.

  Marcus was standing between two trees at the edge of this grove, staring out at the vast open field beyond them. The fool of a man would probably insist on staying awake all bloody night to keep watch despite the fact that he must have been as exhausted as she was. Men!

  That left Adele.

  Foolishness was by no means limited to males. The mayor's niece sat primly on a rock, lost in a trance. The slow rhythm of her breathing was unmistakable to anyone with a keen ear.

  Desa got up and trudged over to her. “Enough,” she said, putting herself right in front of the woman. “Why are you watching me?”

  Marcus spared them a glance but quickly decided that this was none of his concern and returned to his “duty” as a sentry. Well then, at least he wasn't a total idiot.

  Adele rose slowly – she was really quite tall – took a deep breath and then shook her head. “I commune with the Ether every night,” she said. “I was watching Bendarian, but your Field Binding is rather distracting, and I must admit I was curious.”

  “I would prefer it-”

  “I would prefer it,” Miri cut in, “if we could all get some sleep. Perhaps you could save your petty bickering for the long ride westward? I'm sure that it will do wonders to alleviate the boredom.”

  Desa wanted to snap at the woman, but she chose to keep silent. Miri had a point; they did need rest. As she settled into her bedroll, she gave in to the urge to sigh. She was hoping for at least one more night in a real bed. But then, the life of the bounty hunter did not offer much in the way of comfort. She would kill Bendarian soon. She could almost feel it. And then...And then who could say where her life would take her?

  Chapter 18

  Miri took in the sights.

  The dirt road that cut through a field of lush green grass, running parallel to a river of sparkling black waters. The sky overhead was a lovely shade of blue, with fluffy clouds drifting past.

  She sat upon Tommy's old brown horse with the reins in a loose grip. The young man's hands were on her hips, a
nd she had to admit that she didn't mind. Somehow, Adele had managed to trade places with her over Desa Nin Leean's objections. Miri didn't mind that either. Desa had been dreadful company since Ofalla.

  She smiled, then let her eyes drop to the pommel of her saddle. “So, Lommy,” she began. “I notice you're a little less shy...Or at least a little more familiar with me.” Miri wiggled her hips to emphasize the placement of his hands.

  She ventured a peek over her shoulder.

  He was wincing at her comment, his body suddenly as stiff as a board. “Look, um, Miss...Nin...Miri!” Now, there was the uncertain lad that she couldn't resist teasing. “I do not mean to be rude, but-”

  “Relax. I'm only joking.”

  “That's good.”

  It was hard to force these next words out of her mouth – this was a difficult subject that she had been avoiding – but sooner or later, you had to address the painful realities you would rather hide away in the closet. “You must be in a lot of pain,” she said. “After losing Sebastian.”

  “I thought you hated Sebastian.”

  With her lips pressed together, Miri looked up toward the heavens, then shrugged her shoulders. “I didn't hate him,” she explained. “I just saw him for what he was. A sad man and a dangerous fool...But I didn't want him dead.”

  Tommy's grip on her hips tightened, and he leaned forward, shuddering. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck. “I did love him,” he said. “But...I think I always saw him for what he was too.”

  Miri patted his hand.

  A quick glance toward Desa revealed that the woman was riding with her eyes on the distant horizon. It was never smart to conclude that Desa Nin Leean wasn't paying attention, but she seemed to be distracted.

  It might have something to do with Adele, who practically cuddled up with her cheek on Desa's shoulder. The mayor's niece was certainly content to be sharing a mount with the object of her affections. That would not end well, but it wasn't Miri's business. Best to focus on the battles she could win.