Chapter Eighteen Odessa
Eighteen
Odessa
The village beyond the cave ginger bogs didn’t have an official name or permanent spot on a map. But according to Sryker, some called it Middle, since it was almost exactly in the center of Ozarth.
The people who lived here were mostly farmers who went into the bogs to harvest the berries from their plots. Most would leave Middle once the growing season was over, returning to their hometowns and their families. And when the next season began, the village’s location would likely have moved.
Huts and tents were scattered across the grassy plain. The structures were flimsy and small. Temporary. Nothing that would survive the migration.
There were no developed roads, just paths of dirt that grew wider depending on the popularity of the place to which they led.
The path in front of the mercantile was as wide as the shanty itself.
So was the path to the shed that served as a tavern.
But most trails were only wide enough for a single rider.
The boom of male laughter carried from somewhere in the village, probably the tavern.
Just like the camps on the Harrow River, there was no urgency or panic about the coming migration. Why wasn’t word of the scout spreading faster?
We’d arrived at the village just before dark, and there’d been enough time before the sun went down to pick a campsite, secure the horses, and build a fire.
After a quick meal, Evie had rested her head on my lap and fallen fast asleep. Faze was tucked tightly under her arm.
My stomach was so knotted from today’s journey, I still hadn’t eaten anything.
“Is it always like that? Traveling through the bogs?” I asked Sryker.
“Today was…unusual.” He sat beside me, the scars on his face illuminated by the campfire’s flames as he poked and prodded at the coals with a stick. “I’ve never seen that many alligasks try to break through the fences.”
Nine monsters had tried to break through the bars on today’s ride. Thankfully, only the one had made it through. Still, it had been a harrowing day.
If the attacks on the fence were unusual, then it had to be my fault. In Ellder, it had just been a theory that monsters were drawn to me. But I couldn’t keep ignoring the signs.
There was something about me that attracted these creatures.
Ransom had refused to let me test our theory. Well, this journey was test enough.
How many people would die simply because they were unlucky enough to be in my company? The list of names in my mind, the people who’d been killed by monsters, was growing.
Sariah, the woman from a tavern in Ashmore.
Witt, a boy from Ellder.
Luella. Zavier. Jocelyn. Brielle. All killed the night of the crux. Was I the reason the scout had attacked the fortress?
The pressure that had been building in my chest all day made it nearly impossible to breathe.
I couldn’t take Evie to Quentis alone. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if her name was on my list.
“Oda blessed us by having the Mavins nearby,” Sryker said, glancing toward the band of warriors at the campsite beside ours.
There were eleven men and one woman—Thora—in this crew of Mavins.
According to the rumors Sryker had heard, there were hundreds of Mavins in Calandra, though no one knew exactly how many. They were loyal to no king or kingdom but had pledged their allegiance to gold.
I hoped they didn’t expect to get paid for their services today.
The Mavins had ridden with us through the bogs, swinging blades and axes at the alligasks that had battered against the fences.
“You should find out where they’re going,” Sryker said, setting down his stick and pushing to his feet. “See if you can ride with them. Stay safe, Odessa. May Ama and Oda protect you on your journey.”
“Wait.” I shifted, carefully moving out from beneath Evie. “Are you leaving? In the dark?”
“It won’t be the first time I’ve ridden through the bogs at night. Though I do think it will be the last. But if I leave now, I’ll make it home for Edda’s breakfast.”
“What about the monsters?”
“They’ll leave me alone.” He flipped up the hood of his alligask coat.
“Sryker.” I moved closer. “You should leave the riverside. Take shelter soon for the migration.”
“But it’s not time. It’s not supposed to come until spring.”
“There was a scout seen in Turah.”
His forehead furrowed. “I’ve heard no warning.”
No one seemed to have heard a warning. Why? King Ramsey should have sent his pony riders or soldiers with missives to every king on the continent.
“Please, just trust me.”
He studied me, then nodded. “All right. Goodbye, Odessa.”
“Goodbye, Sryker. Thank you. For everything.” I watched as he walked away until I could no longer see the lime green of his clothes.
I bent and pulled the blanket higher over Evie’s shoulders, then squared my own and walked to the Mavins’ camp.
If Sryker was right about the Mavins, maybe they could deliver Evie and me safely to Quentis.
The warriors lounged around the fire in a circle made from their saddles.
Two of the Mavins were playing dice. One was reading a tattered book.
The others seemed content to sit on their bedrolls and stare at the flames in silence.
Thora sat with her legs crossed on a blanket and sharpened her ax on a stone.
They looked as comfortable here, beneath a roof of stars, as they would have in a cozy sitting room with a warm hearth.
Each of them had lines across their nose, either one or two. Jodhi was the only man with three. And Thora was the only one with five plus the dots on her forehead and line down her chin.
Did the lines indicate their rank with the Mavins?
Jodhi lounged against his saddle, his hands clasped behind his head, his legs stretched long with ankles crossed. Unlike his companions, he wasn’t looking at the fire.
He stared at me, wearing an arrogant smirk.
It reminded me so much of Ransom my heart ached, and I traced the scar on my palm.
In another life, I might have found Jodhi attractive, but there was only one man who made my pulse flutter.
“Look lively, boys,” Jodhi said. “We’ve got a visitor.”
The men spared me chaste glances, then went back to whatever it was they were doing.
Thora glanced up, sneered, and continued sharpening her blade.
She seemed like the person I’d have to ask for help, and the first person to tell me no.
“What can we do for you, doll?” Jodhi asked.
I forced a smile, ignoring the endearment, and stopped at the edge of their circle. “I was wondering where you’re traveling.”
A few shared looks between themselves, letting out quiet laughs.
Jodhi jackknifed to a seat, his grin spreading. “We travel wherever the coin leads.”
Exactly the answer I expected. “We need to get to Quentis. I will pay you to take us.”
“How much?”
“Name your price.”
That drew the attention of a few others. The men playing dice set their game aside.
Jodhi looked me up and down, skepticism filling his dark-brown eyes. “Sorry, doll. I don’t think you can afford us.”
“One thousand zillahs. Each.”
They’d each need a chest to carry that much coin. A zillah was ten times the value of a darric, and that much gold would make them all wealthy.
The offer should have been enough for me to be taken seriously, but all eleven men burst out laughing.
“You’ve got twelve thousand zillahs in those saddlebags?” Jodhi asked.
“Well, no. I’ll have to pay you once we arrive in Roslo.”
“We get paid up front. No exceptions,” he said.
“I-I don’t have anything.”
“You’ve got a rather fancy sword.”
“Yes, I do. And I’ll be keeping that fancy sword for myself.”
Jodhi steepled his fingers beneath his chin. “How about that pet?”
Faze? My nostrils flared. “Absolutely not.”
“Then we can’t help you, doll.”
“Odessa,” I corrected, hands fisting. “My name is Odessa.”
“Your name could be Queen Kasan, and it wouldn’t matter. We don’t do anything for free. And we don’t do anything unless we get paid first.”
The man with auburn hair, Mathias, chuckled. “We’ve got pockets to fill before the migration.”
Well, you won’t have to wait long. I turned to retreat to my own fire.
“Stop.” Thora’s voice cut through the silence. “What did you say?”
Damn. I’d said that out loud, hadn’t I? I cringed before spinning to face the Mavins, and this time, I had their undivided attention.
Jodhi patted the ground beside him. “Have a seat, doll.”
It wasn’t a suggestion.
A hush settled over the group.
It hadn’t taken me long to tell them about the crux scout that had attacked Ellder. There wasn’t much to say.
It came. It killed. I left.
“How long ago was this?” Jodhi’s teasing tone and arrogant smirk had vanished the moment I took a seat at his side.
“Twenty days, I think? Give or take a few.” The days had blurred together since we left Ellder.
“Fuck.” A bulky man with Genesis starbursts and spiked blond hair leaped to his feet and began packing up his things.
“Mose. Don’t.” One of the men playing dice stood and went to stand in front of Mose as he picked up his saddle. “If he finds out…”
Who was he? And what was he finding out?
“I don’t care,” Mose snapped. “Get out of my way.”
The other man didn’t move.
“At least wait until dawn, Mose,” Jodhi told him. “You’ll travel faster in the day.”
“My family needs to be warned. To hell with the rules. I need to get them to shelter. I’ll be lucky to get there in time as it is.”
“Let him leave,” Thora ordered, and the other man moved. “Good hunting, Mose. To bloody blades.”
Mose gave Thora a nod, then stalked off into the night to fetch his horse.
“Is it dead?” a man with smooth brown skin asked. “Did the Guardian kill the scout?”
“I don’t know,” I whispered.
All I could see was the crux flying into the night with Ransom in her talons.
“Why haven’t we heard anything about this?” Jodhi’s jaw clenched. “People need to be warned. Fucking Turans and their fucking secrets.”
I shot him a glare. Maybe Jodhi was right about the Turans and their secrets. But in this, I couldn’t believe King Ramsey wouldn’t send word to the other kingdoms. I didn’t particularly like Ransom’s father, but at the very least, he’d prepare his own people for the migration.
And if the Turans were preparing, others would take notice.
“The Turans aren’t purposefully keeping the scout a secret. This happened in a very secluded part of the kingdom. And that monster killed more than survived. Spreading news doesn’t happen overnight.”
“Well, thank the Goddess Daria we were lucky enough to save your ass today,” Jodhi deadpanned.
I really didn’t like this man.
Yes, the Turans kept a lot of secrets. Yes, it was infuriating. Jodhi wasn’t wrong. Not that I’d ever admit it. And maybe Ramsey hadn’t acted as quickly as another king in his position would have, but I refused to believe Ransom was keeping the scout a secret.
The only reason he wouldn’t have sent word was a reason I wouldn’t consider—that he wasn’t alive to deliver the message.
He’s alive.
“You’re sure it was just the one scout?” Jodhi asked.
“Yes, I’m sure.” As long as I lived, I’d never forget the monster’s piercing scream.
“There should be others,” he said, speaking to the Mavins. “There’s always more than one scout. The Turans might stay quiet, but other kingdoms won’t.”
“Agreed,” another man said. “And Salem would have sent word. Besides, the migration isn’t supposed to happen until next spring.”
I didn’t know the name Salem, but I did recognize the disbelief on the Mavins’ faces. My heart dropped. “You don’t believe me.”
Jodhi shrugged. “Not really.”
Asshole.
I huffed and shoved to my feet. “Why would I lie about this?”
“To try to guilt us into escorting a woman and child to Quentis, since they can’t pay.”
I opened my mouth. Closed it. Wow. “You think I’m manipulating you?”
“Don’t take it personally,” he said. “I learned a long, long time ago not to trust a beautiful woman who bats her eyelashes and begs for help.”
I did not bat my eyelashes.
Without a word, I stalked away from the fire, more than ready to return to Evie and Faze. I could see her from where I’d been sitting, but I still didn’t like leaving her alone.
“Stop.” Thora’s order thwarted my plan.
I crossed my arms over my chest and turned, giving her my best glare.
She arched an eyebrow.
This couldn’t be the warrior Brother Skore had meant for me to find. Not this woman. There had to be someone else. Someone who would help me keep Evie safe.
We were running out of time. They could all pretend like the migration wasn’t happening, but I knew the truth.
Thora set her knife and sharpening stone aside, then stood, rounding the fire and stepping outside the ring. She walked to me and stopped an arm’s length away. “Who are you?”
A Quentin princess.
The Gold King’s daughter.
The Sparrow.
None of those seemed like the right answer.
I was Ransom’s queen.
“Odessa Wolfe.”
She stared at me, studying my eyes. “All right, Odessa Wolfe. We’ll take you to Quentis.”
The air rushed from my lungs. “Thank you.”
“Thank me with a thousand zillahs.” She looked over her shoulder to the men. “We leave at dawn.”
And just like that, I was traveling with the Mavins.