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  Aiden and Niv ran to her, but she shooed them away. “Go!”

  “Not a chance,” Niv said. “Where did they hit you?”

  “My right leg,” she replied.

  Aiden sent a round toward the soldiers. “Give us some cover!”

  Frasie fired two more arrows, forcing the enemy to halt their advance.

  Niv lifted her skirt. “Sorry.”

  She started shaking with pain. “I… I don’t mind.”

  “Oh no,” Niv said.

  “What’s oh no?”

  “They hit an artery,” Niv replied. “I need to get the bullet out and…”

  They fell to the ground to dodge more incoming fire.

  “There’s no time,” she said. “Go!”

  “I’m out,” Shareis announced.

  “Me too,” Frasie added.

  She pulled Niv closer and gritted her teeth. “You are more important than me. Go, now!”

  The distinctive metallic song of a Proctor’s dagger sliced through the air. As the soldiers drew near, everyone fell behind her except Niv.

  “It’s the High Priestess! Capture her alive!”

  A horrendous fight ensued. She couldn’t see any of it as she was face-down on the mossy forest floor, but the horrible sounds broke through her agonizing pain. The Proctors’ blades wreaked havoc on the soldiers, but she knew Frasie, Aiden, and Niv were not experts at hand-to-hand combat. She wished she could use her magic to aid them.

  Someone grabbed hold of her legs and pulled her along the ground. She cried out in pain as her injured thigh muscle strained against the brute’s careless hold. Her face dragged through a trail of blood, leaving the stench in her nose. Soon she could see the fight, and although Shareis and Lilly held their own, Frasie, Niv, and Aiden were in trouble. Niv and Aiden noticed her abduction but couldn’t help her. It was all they could do to stay alive.

  Blood continued to pour from her leg, and her vision started to fade. It was all she could do to stay conscious. Only distant sounds of her friends’ valiant struggle passed through the closing curtains of darkness.

  Chapter 26

  Aiden gazed from the back of the wagon as they rode toward Ashmar.

  “Are you feeling better?” Frasie asked.

  “I’m sore. But I will mend.”

  “Nivvy can heal you when we get to Ashmar,” Frasie said.

  He adjusted his position against the uncomfortable sideboard. The wood dug into his muscles right where one of the soldiers hit him with the butt of his rifle. “I’ll be fine.” He looked to Niv in the front of the wagon, barely able to hold her head up from exhaustion. “Her healing talents are needed elsewhere.”

  Frasie edged closer to him. “Don’t be a stubborn mule.”

  He chuckled at the irony of her request.

  “What?”

  He shook his head. “Nothing.”

  “If you have something to say, just say it,” she commanded.

  The others in the wagon looked at her, then turned away.

  “Later,” he snapped.

  She moved next to him and lowered her voice. “There is no later, Aiden. Haven’t you noticed? People are dying.”

  “I’m aware. We’ll live until we make camp for the evening.”

  Frasie grumbled but dropped the subject.

  He was tired but couldn’t sleep. Their wagon continued down the muddy road, sometimes through pouring rain, until they reached the rest of the convoy. The sun had set long ago, and the horses were exhausted.

  The wagons circled in a defensive formation on the side of the road, nestling a roaring campfire that he and Ren started with a few remnants of dry wood. The wounded were situated near the fire, while those who were able contributed toward the evening meal. Rations were sparse, but they had enough to ensure everyone had at least something to eat.

  He approached Niv. “How are we going to rescue Olivia?”

  Niv held her bruised knee. “I honestly don’t know.”

  He knelt beside her and Shareis. “She saved my life.”

  “This may sound callous, but I don’t think we’re in the position to rescue anyone right now.” Niv looked at a sulking Frasie. “Someone always wants me to save someone.” Niv took a deep breath. “I’m not even sure we can save ourselves.”

  He put his hand on her shoulder. “I understand.”

  “We’ll be in a better tactical situation once we reach Ashmar,” Shareis said. “Once the civilians are safe, we can begin offensive operations.”

  He nodded. “I know it’s the best we can do.”

  Frasie pulled him aside. “I need to talk to you.”

  “About?”

  She folded her arms. “Us. If us is still a thing.”

  He started to walk away from camp. She followed.

  “I’ve had a lot of time to think about it,” he said. “And you were right about one thing—I am still mad about Kytis.”

  “I explained that to you. He violated me by making me pose nude for that painting.”

  He pointed to her. “Ah, see… That’s the thing. He didn’t make you pose nude.”

  “I’m not so sure about that, Aiden. There are certain things about that day I do not remember.” She paced as she recalled the moment. “I remember him telling me about the magic in the painting, and that he could use some of my sensuality to restore hers. I… I told him you would object.”

  Her assertive stance melted into a meek demeanor. She bit her lower lip and her eyes lowered as she spoke.

  “I remember thinking… Olivia is worth it.” She scoffed. “Little did I know then what she had done and how not worth it she was.” She covered herself with her hands. “Even though I posed, I tried to hide myself. I am so ashamed of my figure, but he gave me confidence. Even still, I was nervous.”

  “He told you precisely what you wanted to hear,” he said.

  “It was more than that. He showed me the woman inside me. I don’t feel like a woman. I don’t even know what that is. I hunt, I fish. I’m awkward in dresses and have the unruliest hair. The thought of you seeing my scrawny shape frightens me.”

  “You have no reason to be scared.”

  “He painted me, and I felt beautiful.”

  “You are beautiful,” he said. “Kytis was a master manipulator. I saw through his disgusting charms right away, but he wasn’t targeting me with his skills.”

  “Maybe,” she said. “But it wasn’t just Kytis. Olivia charmed me with the very same magic. Like I told you, I’m gullible. People use me, and it ends up hurting you. I don’t trust myself, Aiden.”

  He put his hand on her shoulder. “I trust you.”

  She smiled. “It helps me to know that.”

  “Kytis was awful, but… Olivia…”

  She extended her hand between them. “Don’t start with her.”

  “No, listen. She saved my life. I was near death, and she healed me. She risked her life to come save me. I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you if it wasn’t for her.”

  “But she was my friend.”

  “She’s still your friend, Frasie. And friends aren’t perfect. Neither are boyfriends.”

  She sighed. “Or girlfriends. I shouldn’t have turned down your proposal. I wish I could take that back.”

  “Does that mean you’ve changed your mind?”

  She paused. “No… In all honesty, Aiden, I’m not ready.”

  He turned away from her.

  “But I will be. I need your patience.”

  “How long?” he asked, trying to preserve an even tone.

  “I don’t know… I…”

  He faced her with a scowl, his voice filled with frustration. “You told me today that there is no later. People are dying. What if I lose you?”

  “I can’t promise you anything,” she replied. “When I tell you I’m not ready, I mean it. I’m just a dumb, country girl who falls for every trick in the book.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “It is, and you kn
ow it. I don’t make you better, Aiden. I don’t deserve a smart man like you.”

  As he reached to embrace her, a tremendous volley of shots rang out from the surrounding forest. Frasie’s eyes widened, and a strange noise emanated from her throat. Warmth flowed in his hand, and she fell against him as blood poured from her neck.

  Chapter 27

  Olivia awoke to the sight of several people surrounding her while holding various instruments. She noticed one woman with a long, thin metal stick at the end of a cylinder. A glowing green substance shone through the glass walls of the container. Through blurred vision she noticed small bubbles slowly moving in the viscous liquid.

  The lady approached her side and applied a cooling chemical to her forearm. It smelled like alcohol, but with a sharper bite. Only then she noticed no fabric covered her shoulders. She shivered from cold.

  “She’s freezing. We should cover her.”

  A man shook his head. “She’ll be glad she’s in her undergarments when the verdic acid hits her.”

  “Are we ready?”

  He pointed to her feet. “Check her straps.”

  “They’re secure.”

  She couldn’t move. She was bound to the table.

  “This is going to hurt. You’ll feel as though you are on fire. But it doesn’t last long.”

  Her lips caked together from dryness. She pried them open only to manage, “No.”

  The tube went into her forearm, and fire poured from the cylinder into her blood. She tried to scream, but her parched throat could only manage a strange, high-pitched whimper.

  “It’s time for lunch,” the man said. He turned to her, though she could barely pay attention for her distress. “We’ll be back to assess the progress of your treatment.”

  She wasn’t sure how long they were gone. Her increasing delirium, no doubt from the injection, caused time to fragment and distort. Thoughts overlapped, sensations duplicated, and her perceptions were wholly unreliable. Eventually, she lost consciousness.

  She regained her senses with a slap to her face. Sweat dripped from her skin, and she ached all over.

  “Are you awake?”

  She could reply only with a blink.

  The woman took a dropper and gave her some water. It was only a few drops, but those were the best few drops of water she’d ever tasted.

  “That had to have been rough.”

  She groaned.

  “My name is Sarah. I’m the ship’s doctor.” Sarah checked the wound on her thigh. “Your stitches are holding together nicely. I never brag about our field medics, but you lucked up getting yourself shot near one that actually knew what they were doing. You lost a lot of blood, and you’ll be weak.” Sarah untied her straps. “I don’t think you’re a threat to us any longer.”

  She leaned upright and drank water from a pitcher Sarah held for her.

  “You were thirsty.”

  “How long?”

  “Oh, an hour at most.”

  “No. Since I…”

  Sarah brushed back a thin, dangling lock of her brown hair that had escaped her bun. “Oh, you mean since your little accident. That was earlier today.”

  She grabbed her arm. “What did you put in me?”

  “Verdic acid. It’s a compound produced from verdantite; a common ore found on Asaria. For some unknown reason, Selandis lacks this mineral. We suspect the lack of it in your blood makes you prone to superstitions and paranoia.”

  “I… I feel different.”

  Sarah’s heels clicked on the wood decking as she moved from various workbenches in the room. “The side effects from the treatment will wear off in a day or so. And, you’ll need to continue receiving injections for the rest of your life. It only lasts two days.”

  “I’ve had enough, thank you.”

  “Oh, don’t worry, the subsequent injections won’t cause such a painful reaction. In fact, after a month, subjects don’t even know they’ve had it.”

  She slowly regained her bearings and looked around the room for ways to escape. Various tables and benches cluttered the room, and another gurney beside her remained empty. The windows offered only faint moonlight, a pale comparison to the lamps on the wall and ceiling. As far as she could tell, the room had one door.

  Sarah approached. “Your dress was in shreds. I’ll have to find something to fit you. Won’t be easy.”

  She grabbed Sarah by the collar and stared into her eyes. She tried to conjure her magic, but nothing happened.

  Sarah took her hand and eased it from her blouse. “I was told your race fancied themselves master manipulators. I assure you, Olivia, I have no interest in women.” Sarah picked up a glass vial of verdic acid and held it between them. “You see, the brain requires this substance. Without it, one is filled with all sorts of delusions—including the ridiculous idea that you can rule someone simply by staring into their eyes. Fortunately, this substance is naturally in our blood. But those on your continent are deficient.”

  She considered knocking Sarah out and restraining her, but in her weakened state she wasn’t sure she could put up an adequate fight.

  “I know this is a big adjustment, but you’ll thank me for it. Think of it. Rather than spending your life chasing men and manipulating them to get what you want, wouldn’t you rather put that mind to good use? You could become a chemist, a doctor… Well, anything you want.”

  She decided to placate her captors until she regained her strength. “We’ll see.”

  “I’ll try to find something that will fit you.” Sarah caught herself. “Oh, don’t take that the wrong way. You have a quite attractive figure. But the few women serving aboard this ship aren’t as…well…”

  Sarah gave a slight snarl when she looked at her chest, and her disapproving tone was no mistake.

  “You’ll have to find a woman aboard who actually has breasts, right?”

  Her directness clearly caught Sarah off-guard. “Well… yes.”

  “I have no modesty,” she said. “So, what I have on is fine.”

  Sarah took a deep breath. “Well, the captain demands modest dress from the women aboard his ship. Don’t fret, I will find something for you.”

  She feigned a smile.

  Sarah eased her back on the table and reattached her restraints. She wanted to resist, but knew she was currently no match for Sarah.

  “Nothing personal. I’ll be back soon.”

  Sarah left, and since she couldn’t free herself, she took the time to survey the room in detail, noting anything that could help her. The disorientation that had plagued her since the injection had faded, but her joints still ached, and her wound tested her sanity with an unrelenting ache. She searched herself for any sign of magical power but could conjure not even the slightest flicker.

  Magic had been a constant companion in her life, so its absence disturbed her. The feeling was not unlike when she was ill from Kytis’s manipulation and her repression of guilt for Narelle’s death, but the effect was entirely physical. She had her faculties, her will, and her usual wit and charm, but none of the spark that she considered part of her very soul.

  Footsteps approached, so she closed her eyes. When the door opened, she feigned sleep, hoping to overhear something that might provide an advantage.

  “You’ll be delighted to know I’ve found something for you to wear,” Sarah announced.

  She groaned. “What?”

  “Oh, sorry. I didn’t know you were asleep.” Sarah released her and prompted her to sit. “This is our dress uniform. I hope it fits.”

  She saw advantage in wearing their colors, so she stood and put on the clothes. The fit was acceptable, and the red and black tunic and skirt pleased her, despite its militaristic styling.

  Sarah clapped her hands. “Good! You look fantastic. Now, Olivia, I know you prefer your superstitions and archaic ways, but I promise you’re going to love life in the modern era.”

  “I was in the modern era.”

  The door opened, and
Cadrin, escorted by an aide, entered the room.

  “This is not the High Priestess!”

  His assistant’s mouth hung open. “I was told…”

  “You were told wrong! What incompetence.” Cadrin paused, then chuckled. “It seems we are destined to run into one another time and time again. It’s good to see you up and about, Olivia.” He raised an eyebrow to Sarah. “An officer’s dress uniform?”

  “It’s all we could find, sir.”

  Cadrin approached. His breath smelled of whisky. “Fair enough. The entertainment corps are officers—if only just barely.”

  “Entertainment?” she asked.

  “Can you sing and dance?”

  “Both, actually.”

  “Fantastic! I knew you’d be good for something else besides keeping our command staff’s beds’ warm.” He waved his hand to Sarah and his aide. “Leave us.”

  They both did as ordered.

  “Finally, we can speak alone, Olivia. We have some important matters to discuss.”

  “I remember a time when we were friends,” Olivia said.

  She observed Cadrin’s response in phenomenal detail. At first, a hint of familiarity flickered in his deep brown eyes. A brief, handsome smile was immediately replaced with an angry scowl.

  “I tolerated you,” Cadrin said.

  “That’s not what I recall,” she countered. “You flirted with me every chance you got.”

  He sneered. “You think highly of yourself, don’t you?”

  “I try,” she replied. “You should, too. Would suit you better than this self-loathing, vengeful charade you’re playing.”

  He immediately stiffened and pointed his finger in her face. “I have my limits. You would be wise to watch your tone.”

  She tapped her fingers on the gurney behind her. “You need or want me for something. I don’t know what. And when you’re done with me, I expect to die.”

  “You’re a smart woman. And, if you mouth off to me again, your prophecy will come true even faster.”

  “Maybe,” she said. “But I won’t die by your hand.”

  “Enough of this. Tell me, Olivia… Where is Narelle?”

  She was shocked Cadrin hadn’t learned of Narelle’s death. She briefly pondered lying to him but went with her instinct.