Desa Kincaid- Bounty Hunter Read online

  The southern riverbank was much as she remembered it: green grass, the odd tree and a road that ran parallel to the Vinrella. There wasn't much to see, but Captain Rufus Sharp came up to stand beside her anyway.

  His mouth was a thin line as he gazed out on the vast expanse of open country. “I'll reckon that you'll be having a hard time of it now,” he said. “If your man really has gone west, well...”

  “I know,” was all Desa could say.

  Hooking his thumbs around his belt, the man puffed up his chest and then blew air through puckered lips. “I'd be wanting to leave you with some extra supplies,” he said. “It is the least I can offer after what you did yesterday.”

  Midnight snorted his agreement, then gently nuzzled Desa's shoulder. “All we did was defend ourselves,” she said. “And the damage to your town is not insubstantial. You owe us nothing, Captain.”

  “Blast it, woman, are you really so daft?” She gave him a sidelong glance and saw that the man had favoured her with the same exasperated scowl she had seen on many of her teachers all those years ago. “The man was a demon, and you fought him off, and I'm of no mind to think on what kind of devilry gave life to those gray creatures. If you're off to end this Bendarian, then I can't imagine there's a single man in Thrasa who won't lend you his support. But it was more than that. The boys are abuzz with praise for those light-coins you gave me.”

  Despite herself, Desa smiled. “I'm pleased to hear that.” It was a rare pleasure to find an Eradian who could appreciate the marvel of Field Binding. “Your friendship is much appreciated, Captain. Rest assured that I will visit again if I ever come back this way.”

  He nodded.

  Ten minutes later, the ferry was sailing back across the Vinrella, and they were on their way, headed up the road. Desa could feel her knife in the distance. They had a good thirty miles to cross before they caught up with Bendarian. The man must have performed one of his jumps while she slept. Desa had a hard time believing that even he would be able to press on without rest or food.

  She rode with Adele behind her, and the other woman took every opportunity to snuggle up with her cheek on Desa's shoulder. Miri and Tommy shared a dun filly that the people of Thrasa had offered as a gift. She was a young horse with strong legs. Desa was quite certain that she could keep pace with Midnight if push came to shove.

  Tommy's gelding was now a pack-horse who carried the considerable supplies they had accepted from the townsfolk. At the very least, they would have enough food to reach Fool's Edge, but what they would after crossing into the desert was anybody's guess.

  Marcus, of course, did what he always did, rushing off into the distance and then hurrying back to report that the road was clear. Adele tried, on numerous occasions, to spare him the effort by using her talents as a Sensitive, but Marcus was determined to do the scouting himself, and Desa was content to let him.

  It was an uneventful ride until, at some point in the mid-afternoon, a light drizzle began to fall on them. At first, it was a welcome reprieve from the mugginess of a late spring day, but the drizzle soon became a deluge and they were forced to ride on for over an hour before taking refuge in a copse of trees.

  There was just enough room to set up the tent Miri had purchased yesterday. No small expense, that, but Desa suspected the shopkeeper had been willing to offer Miri a discount after stories of her exploits had spread.

  Desa and Marcus used coins Infused with Heat-Sources to stave off the chill and dry everyone's clothing. With any luck, the storm would pass quickly and they would be able to resume their journey.

  By the time the rain stopped, the deep blue of twilight had settled over the land, and the dampness brought with it a chill that would make traveling very unpleasant. They could go no further tonight.

  Desa emerged from the tent to find Adele standing with her back turned between elm trees, gazing out upon the rushing waters of the Vinrella. Her long blonde hair was still damp from the recent downpour. “You seem troubled,” Desa said.

  Adele hunched up her shoulders, but she did not turn. “We're losing ground,” she replied. “You and I both know that we must destroy Bendarian before he looses that force of darkness on this world.”

  “Have you used your abilities to track him?”

  “Not since we stopped for lunch.”

  Moving cautiously, Desa stepped up beside her and braced one hand against the trunk of a tree. “Perhaps you should do so,” she said. “It would behoove us to know it if Bendarian has decided to turn back and finish us off.”

  Adele's face was barely visible in the dim light, but Desa could see that the woman had closed her eyes. She seemed to be trying to calm her excitement. “So, does that mean you trust me?”

  Desa strode forward with a heavy sigh, the grass squishing beneath her feet with every step. “I don't know.” It was nothing but the simple truth, but Adele would not like the bitterness in her tone. “But for better or worse, you have made yourself a part of this group; so, I think you should try.”

  When she turned around, Adele was standing there with a look of concentration on her face. There was a brief pause before Desa felt the resonance that told her someone else was in communion with the Ether. A very brief pause. Even with her many years of training, it took several minutes at least for Desa to reach a state of mind that would allow her to manipulate the Ether. That Adele could do it in a matter of seconds... A moment later, the resonance faded away.

  “I found him,” Adele said. “West of here and a little to the south.”

  “How far?”

  “About forty miles.”

  Pacing toward the other woman with her arms crossed, Desa stopped in front of her and grunted. “Can you be more specific?” she asked. “I want to know his exact position.”

  “What does it matter?”

  “Humor me.”

  The other woman collapsed against a tree trunk, groaning as she battled her own fatigue. In seconds, she was touching the Ether once again. “Thirty-nine miles,” she said, “two hundred thirteen yards and nine inches.”

  Her finger seemed to fly out almost of its own volition, pointing westward and ever so slightly to the south. “That way!”

  That was all Desa needed to hear. Adele had just stated the precise location of her dagger, which meant that Bendarian was still carrying it on his person. Perhaps he wanted it as a memento of their last encounter. Or perhaps he thought that slaying Desa with her own weapon would be a sick kind of poetic justice.

  She turned on her heel and stalked off into the night.

  “Where are you going?” Adele called after her.

  She didn't respond.

  The thwap, thwap of rain on the tent's roof kept Desa awake long into the night. In the pitch darkness, she was lying flat on her back and staring upward, lost in thought and barely aware of Adele's arm wrapped around her. The other woman slept with her head on Desa's chest, and she sighed contentedly every now and then.

  Marcus was next to her, snoring softly, and on the other side of him, Tommy was cuddled up with Miri. That left Desa alone to ponder the questions tumbling through her mind.

  An hour after their first attempt, Desa had asked Adele to locate Bendarian, and once again, Adele had reported the precise location of Desa's dagger. That could not be a coincidence.

  There was no way that Adele could know about the dagger. Desa had told no one, which could only mean one thing: Adele was genuine. She really was trying to help them find Bendarian.

  That made Desa smile. As painful as it was to admit, she really was starting to care for the young woman. Adele seemed to notice her movements because she rose up with waves of hair falling over her face and sighed. “You're still awake,” she whispered.

  Shutting her eyes, Desa let her head sink deeper into the folded coat and shirt that she used as a pillow. “Just thinking,” she replied. “Go back to sleep before you wake up everyone else.”

  Adele's soft hand caressed her cheek. “What are yo
u thinking about?”

  “Nothing of consequence.”

  “Tell me.”

  Desa sat up slowly, then scrubbed her hands over her face and ran fingers through her hair. “I'm thinking that I might just be willing to trust you.” Getting those words out was not easy. “A little.”

  Adele slipped her arms around Desa's neck, leaned in close and kissed Desa's lips. It was a soft kiss, but Desa felt her body responding just the same. Every instinct made her want to melt in this woman's arms.

  “I will ride with Desa Nin Leean this afternoon,” Miri said.

  “Excuse me?” Adele protested.

  Desa was down on one knee under the branches of an apple tree, lacing up one of her boots. That caught her attention. The group had just stopped for lunch, and now they were ready to be on their way.

  Wincing at the thought of whatever those two were up to, Desa shook her head. “It never ends,” she muttered, getting to her feet. No one else seemed to be paying any mind to the conflict that was about to start.

  Adele stood with fists on her hips about two feet in front of Miri, and her cheeks were flushed pink. “I thought you fancied the boy,” she said. “If you're thinking to come between me and the woman I love-”

  Miri was as calm as you please with her hands clasped in front of herself, her head bowed almost demurely. Her sly smile made it clear that she was not the least bit worried about Adele's threats. “I merely wish to speak with Desa.”

  “About what?”

  “Plans for our journey.”

  Desa strode toward them at a brisk pace. There were days when she was painfully aware of why she preferred to travel alone. “Children,” she said in mocking tones. “Must I separate the two of you?”

  Two heads turned, and two sets of eyes fell upon her, both smoldering, though Miri seemed to take control of her anger in a heartbeat. Her glare was replaced with another knowing smile. “I only wish to talk to you.”

  “And so I have to ride with the boy?” Adele spluttered.

  Tommy would not like hearing that, and Desa could not say that she liked hearing it either. Oh yes, there were days when she would rather travel alone, but she would suffer no insult to her companions. “If you are so opposed to traveling with 'the boy,'” she said, “then perhaps you should not have joined our party.”

  Adele went bone white, stumbling backward as if she had been slapped, and she blinked in confusion. “I meant no offense...” The quiver in her voice almost made Desa regret her words. “I don't like riding with young men. I've yet to meet even one who did not take every opportunity to paw at a woman.”

  “This one won't,” Miri said quickly.

  It wasn't long before Desa was riding along with the reins in hand and waiting for the inevitable conflict that would flare up any moment now. Miri had won the argument – due in no small part to Desa's unwillingness to suffer Adele's insolence – and now she rode Midnight as well. “I have to ask,” she whispered in Desa's ear. “Are you going to tell him?”

  “Tell who what?”

  “Are you going to tell Tommy about Sebastian?”

  Shutting her eyes tight, Desa trembled as she drew in a breath. “You know.” It was not even a question at this point. “How do you know?”

  “It doesn't matter how I know,” Miri insisted. “What matters is that if I could figure it out, so can he. He's much smarter than you give him credit for.”

  A little ways up the road, Tommy was riding with Adele clinging to him, and it was clear by his posture that he wasn't any happier about the situation than she was. In fact, he looked like Desa's old cat Mittens whenever Desa's mother chased him with a broom.

  The clouds had finally parted, leaving nothing but blue sky and warm sunlight that dried damp grass. The river's babbling was exceedingly loud after all that rainfall, which made Desa just a little uneasy. It would be harder to hear approaching horses that way. Well for them that Marcus insisted on performing his scouting duties with the utmost diligence. “He doesn't need to know,” Desa said at last. “It would break his spirit.”

  “That's cowardice, and you know it.”

  “What I know is that we have enough problems without adding turmoil within the group,” she said. “Perhaps I can tell him after we've dealt with Bendarian, but for now, it's best that I keep silent.”

  “That's not good enough,” Miri replied in a low, dangerous voice. “I will make this simple for you, Desa; either you tell him, or I will.”

  A knife of fear went through Desa's chest.

  This could not end well.

  A few hours later, they parted ways with the Vinrella as the river turned northward and their path continued due west through open grasslands with only a few trees dotting the landscape here and there. The horses would have plenty to graze on – for now, at least – and they still had supplies, but it still made Desa a little apprehensive.

  The river had been a constant companion since they left Ofalla ten days ago, and its departure meant that they were inching ever closer to the Gatharan Desert. Few people braved that empty expanse to reach the fertile lands on the other side, especially since the final leg of the journey would mean crossing the Molarin Mountains. Most people who reached Eradia's western shore did so by ship.

  Adele was with Desa again, hugging her close, nuzzling her shoulder. “What did Miri want to talk about?” she inquired in a sweet voice that hinted it was nothing more than an idle curiosity to her.

  Pinching the brim of her hat with thumb and forefinger, Desa tugged it down over her eyes to block the glare of sunlight. “It was nothing serious,” she replied. “She only wanted to discuss our route.”

  “She couldn't have done that while we were eating lunch?”

  A grin spread on Desa's face, and she shook her head slowly. “Jealous, Adele?” she inquired. “You needn't be. Miri only fancies men.”

  “That doesn't mean you don't fancy her.”

  “My, you are jealous.”

  That earned Desa a slap on the back and a sniff of derision. “Trifling with a young woman's affections is exactly the sort of thing a man would do.” It was said with a hint of a levity, but Desa could sense a little desperation as well.

  Marcus spared her from having to think up something to soothe Adele's worries by riding up on his gray and grimacing as he took in the sight of them. No doubt he thought they were all lollygagging while he tried to press on in haste. “There are a few farms up ahead,” he said. “Might be an opportunity to purchase some more vegetables.”

  “Can we spare the money?”

  “I have a bit left yet,” he answered. “The Synod gave me a substantial allowance. They were quite eager to have you back. And I have earned a bit of money here and there since leaving Aladar.”

  Desa felt her eyebrows rise. She would be very interested to hear exactly what he had done to earn that money, but she said nothing. Marcus could keep his secrets. It had only taken a few weeks for Desa to learn that Aladri dogmas didn't always work outside of Aladar's borders. She had never imagined that she would trade Field Binding for food, but she had done so with surprisingly little reluctance in those first few months on her own. Whatever Marcus had done, she was in no position to judge.

  “Let's go then,” she said. “We're wasting daylight.”

  The days wore on with little to see except grass and trees and the occasional farm. There was little to do except ride and talk, and by their third morning in the saddle, Desa felt as though they had run out of things to say. Adele took every opportunity to cuddle, which was actually becoming something of a nuisance.

  Marcus scouted ahead and came back to report nothing in their path. Sometimes, they stopped to rest the horses, which gave Desa many opportunities to commune with the Ether. She took solace in that. If nothing else, it soothed the pain of long hours in the saddle. Sometimes they walked and spread the pack-horse's burdens out among the other animals.

  Every day was very much like the one that had come before it
: they started with a hearty breakfast and then rode – or walked – until well past midday. When hunger finally got the best of them, they paused for a quick lunch and then pressed on until diminishing sunlight made it impossible to go any further. Sometimes it rained, but otherwise the weather remained pleasant. At first, Miri insisted on setting up the tent every night, but she gave that up when fatigue and clear skies made the call of her bedroll too tempting to resist.

  On their fourth day out from Thrasa, the road just stopped. Green fields of rolling hills stretched on toward the distant horizon, but the road had decided that it would go no further. From that point onward, they had to march across an open countryside.

  There were no more farms and no indications of civilization. Trees became so rare that catching sight of one was almost cause for celebration. Almost. Their supplies were dwindling, and without a road to guide them, it was all too possible that they might miss Fool's Edge by a dozen miles or more and find themselves lost in the desert.

  Fortunately, they had Bendarian to set their path. Adele was able to keep an eye on him through the use of her talents, and though she told no one about it, Desa could sense his movements as well. Whether or not that would do any good was anyone's guess. For all she knew, Bendarian no longer required food or water, which meant that there was no guarantee they would find supplies by following his path.

  Bit by bit, the grass changed from green to yellow, and by the sixth day, it was crunching under the horses' hooves. By the eighth day, there was no grass except for the odd patch that sprouted here and there from an endless expanse of reddish soil that scuffed like sand beneath their boots. They were in a vast scrubland of thin plants with small leaves, bushes and even the odd cactus here and there. For a while, Desa worried that they would bypass Fool's Edge entirely and wander aimlessly through the desert.