Chapter 6 Zohav
ZOHAV
Beet stayed next to her the entire time Zethan and Heli were gone. No doubt to exact revenge if the captain failed to return. It was easy to guess why the man’s nickname was Beet. His bright red hair sat atop his pale beet-shaped face which had small eyes and a hooked nose.
She’d kept quiet and acted scared, appearing non-threatening.
Listening to the soldiers, she’d picked up a few of their names, but they limited their conversation to mundane topics.
Smart. If she, Heli, and Zee escaped, they wouldn’t be able to tell the authorities what the gang of thugs was planning or who they were.
Relief surged in her heart when Heli and Zee returned to the camp.
Zethan looked a little shaky and she wondered if Lorton had hit him again.
Zohav considered that another mistake in a series of them that the captain had made.
The first, killing her friends, the second, hitting her brother, the third, assuming Zohav wasn’t a threat, and now another assault.
Lorton would pay dearly for each one. Zohav would guarantee it.
Captain Lorton gathered his people and the prisoners to discuss strategy.
“There’s a travel shelter between those two villages in the valley that’s just right below the penitentiary,” Lorton said. “Once we set up, Boyo will bring the rain, his sister will keep us dry, and Storm Girl makes the fog. When’s the best time for that?” he asked Heli.
“When the temperatures drop to their lowest point.”
He stared at her.
“A few hours before dawn, but it will take some time for it to reach the prison.”
“Perfect. We’ll climb the ridge at dawn, our orb teams will set up, Storm Girl clears the fog and… Pow!” He punched his fist. “Hit the walls, hit the east side of the gray box, free our people.”
A prison break? This was all about freeing more thugs. She remembered when Valek and Yelena had used the orbs to break into the Sitian garrisons. It had been pure chaos. Lorton’s plan was bound to fail, unless—
“Something to say, Boyo?”
“Your people inside already know you’re coming.” Zethan’s thoughts had mirrored her own.
“Of course they do. My friends have spent the last couple of months recruiting supporters.”
“But not everyone.”
“’Course not. Only the nasty ones. No murderers because of the Commander’s COB executes them all, but my pal Harv knows exactly when to stop so his victim doesn’t die on him.” Lorton whistled in appreciation over Harv’s skill.
Zethan and Heli exchanged a horrified glance.
“Too bad you’re not corruptible, Boyo. I could use a guy with your intelligence.”
Now Zee looked at Zohav. Lorton had it right, her brother wasn’t corruptible nor was he ruthless. It was a good thing she was both.
It took them two days to reach the travel shelter below the prison.
The trio were well fed during the trip, and Zohav wondered if Heli or Zee told Lorton about needing strength to use magic.
They limited their communication to glances.
At night, they were cuffed and kept separate.
Dark smudges lined Zethan’s eyes. The strain of calling the storm was draining his energy.
“Ah, look at that,” Lorton said after they set up camp. He gestured to the line of dark clouds heading their way. “Cue the storm.”
Curtains of gray fell from the clouds, dumping rain onto the hills around them.
“You gonna keep us dry, Little Sister?” Lorton asked her.
“She doesn’t have to,” Heli said.
“Why not?”
“All that water will flow downhill and join the river. There will be plenty of moisture for your fog.”
Zohav wasn’t an expert on storms, but this rainstorm appeared meatier than normal. Was Heli giving it a bit more power? Then it clicked why Zee had used up so much energy. She met her brother’s gaze, and he gave her a questioning look.
Ensuring no one was watching her, Zohav signaled, let it rip, brother mine.
He motioned, dawn?
She nodded. Get to the wagon. Tell Heli.
Zohav didn’t sleep at all that night. She kept her senses locked on the rain and water.
At dawn, fog surrounded their camp, and the river level had risen. The river rushing over the rocks produced a loud shushing buzz.
“Ah this is glorious,” Lorton said. “There’s enough to hide us, but we can still see. Well done, Storm Girl.”
Heli gave him a mocking bow. Nice. No one noticed the trio edging toward the wagon. Zohav relaxed her grip on the barrier she had created. The river’s growl increased in volume as it jumped its banks.
The storm, which had stayed to the west, suddenly swooped into the valley with all its ferocious glory. An unmistakable roar sounded upstream.
By this time, the trio were up on the wagon. “Oh, no,” Heli said in a flat unconcerned tone. “It’s a flash flood.”
Lorton cried out a warning as the monster wave crashed through the campsite. Zohav watched the soldiers being swept downstream in the torrent as she strained to keep the water away from the wagon and horses. After holding the flood back all night, her energy was draining at an alarming rate.
“I hope they can swim,” Zethan said.
Zohav knew it would be a miracle if they survived. Especially when she ensured the thugs would be trapped underwater a good long time.
When the water receded, she sagged back on the bench. The storm still raged above.
“Uh, Heli, think you can turn off the waterworks?” she asked.
“Sure thing.”
Zethan climbed down from the wagon and peered east. “What about the villages downstream?” Zee asked her. “Will the flood destroy their homes?”
“No. The river is wider and deeper there. The water might jump the banks, but it wouldn’t be more than a couple inches.”
Kitty suddenly snorted and pawed the ground. Odd. There was a blur of moment to her right. Zohav turned in time to see Lorton press his knife to Zethan’s throat.
“Don’t move, or I’ll slit his throat,” Lorton growled.
Zohav huffed in annoyance. The captain must have hidden under the wagon.
Heli laughed. “Do you want to tell him, Zo or should I?”
“Tell me what?”
“You picked the wrong person as your hostage,” Zo said.
Her anger gave her a second wind. “You see, my brother is very protective of me. So, if you’d picked me, you would have gotten your desired cooperation.
Let’s call that your first transgression.
Your second one was to not consider me a threat.
I’m the biggest threat to you right now.
The third…Do you know your body is mostly comprised of water?
I know, it’s hard to believe.” She concentrated.
Could she manipulate the water in a person’s body?
Sweat poured from Lorton’s skin.
Yes, she could. Too bad she hadn’t known she was capable of this trick when Jibben had captured them. She wondered what else she could do.
“No one survives the third transgression,” she said.
“What the—”
Zee moved and unarmed Lorton in seconds. The other reason he had picked the wrong person. Zethan loved knife fighting. The captain backed away as more sweat drenched his clothes.
“You killed our friends. You attacked my brother. You hurt Heli.” Zohav increased her efforts.
Lorton sank to the ground.
“Zo, stop,” Zethan said. He sounded horrified.
“Why?”
“The authorities will need to know what he planned to do after the prison break. They’ll want to know who else was working with him.”
“And he killed Annika and Endre. He’ll eventually be executed,” Heli added.
Valek would approve if she drained Lorton dry, but killing the captain would upset Zethan and Heli. She stopped, letting Lorton live. For now. If the Commander didn’t send him to the gallows, she’d hunt him down and finish the job.
When Lorton recovered, they cuffed him to the wagon.
“You knew I could take him, Zo. Why did you—I don’t even know what to call it.” Zethan ran a hand through his hair—a clear sign he was upset.
“He hurt you. He deserved to be drained.”
“How did you even know you could do that?”
“I didn’t.” She glared at Lorton. “He hurt you and Heli. You’re not the only one who is protective. It’s a family trait.”
Once Zethan calmed down, the three of them discussed what to do with the captain. Zethan suggested they drop him off in the next town they encounter.
“No,” Zo said. “He has connections in this area. We need to take him to the Commander.”
Lorton, who had been quiet, gasped and protested. They ignored him.
“I agree,” Heli said. “It’s not that far out of our way and we can go past the place where…” Tears filled her eyes. “They might…still be there. Or…” She sniffed.
Or someone found Annika and Endre’s bodies but probably wouldn’t be able to identify them.
Zee squeezed Heli’s shoulder. “That’s a good idea. We should leave in the morning. I’m beat.”
That night, they took turns guarding their prisoner. The temperature in the valley dropped significantly and she was frozen through by the end of her shift. Zethan took over and she returned to the narrow bed in the shelter.
Unable to warm up, she shivered. Then a weight settled on her mattress. Heli slid under the blanket, joining Zohav. Warmth enveloped her.
“Your teeth were chattering,” Heli said.
“Sorry I woke you.”
“Don’t be. We haven’t had a moment alone since…”
“Never?”
Heli laughed. “Yeah, your family doesn’t believe in privacy.”
“We weren’t really that far into our…relationship.”
Suddenly serious, Heli asked, “Is that what we have?”
“I was hoping we’d eventually get there. I thought I’d showed you—”
“You did. You can’t flirt to save your life, but it was awkwardly adorable, and I got the gist.” She pushed up on her elbow to meet Zohav’s gaze. “But was it real? You had, well, we both had a scare. And then this cluster fuck with Lorton. You might change your mind when you’re safe at home.”
“That scare taught me that I can’t protect my heart.
And I don’t have to. It’s pretty resilient.
Not that I won’t grieve or be sad or depressed.
I’ve a reputation to live up to.” Zohav tried joking, but Heli remained quiet for a long time.
Did Heli no longer feel the same way? Perhaps Zohav should add humiliation and embarrassment to her list of heart aches.
“Would you have killed Lorton if we didn’t say anything?” Heli asked.
“Yes.” Zohav wasn’t going to lie to her.
“And the soldiers swept downstream?”
“Drowned.” Zohav held her breath. Had her answers scared Heli off?
Heli smiled. “That’s so bad ass.”
They headed southeast in the morning, toward the place where their friends had died. When they arrived four days later, the site was empty. Blood stained dirt, glass shards, and the crater the orb had created were the only evidence of what had happened.
Zethan pointed to the east. “I think there’s a town down this road. Lorton, what’s the name of the next town?”
The captain ignored him. He’d been sullen and uncooperative since they planned to bring him to the Commander.
They followed the road, but didn’t encounter a town, or village, or anyone. So far, they hadn’t seen another soul.
“Let’s just stick to the plan and go southeast,” Zethan said.
Two more days in, they neared MD-6’s border with MD-7. Zohav was riding Kitty and acting as scout. They’d learned their lesson and wouldn’t be surprised again. This time, Zohav spotted a patrol.
Unfortunately, they spotted her as well. It was hard to be sneaky with a giant black horse. She slowed Kitty as she debated. Kitty could outrun their horses if they weren’t legit. Wait. Ixian patrols only rode horses if there was someone important with them. An advisor or officer or—
“Zohav!”
She peered at the two riders heading her way. Joy exploded in her chest like one of Heli’s orbs. “Annika! Endre! You’re alive!”
The couple pulled up alongside her. Scabbed over cuts and fading bruises marked their faces. One gash on Endre’s temple still had stitches keeping his skin together.
Zohav marveled. “How?”
“Your scream saved us,” Annika said. “Instinctively, we bailed. The horses took the brunt of the explosion, and both died. We still got hit, but Butterscotch and Gin saved our lives.”
“I can’t take all the credit,” Zohav said. “Heli blew the orb off course until they knocked her out.” Anger still simmered. Maybe she would forget to give Lorton dinner tonight.
Annika looked around. “Where’s Zee and Heli? Are they alright?”
“They’re with the wagon. We were heading to—”
The rest of the patrol had caught up. These soldiers were on foot and wore the Commander’s colors. Zohav stiffened, ready to spur Kitty into a gallop.
“Relax, they’re legit,” Endre said. “We recruited them to help us rescue you guys.” He smiled. “I guess I won’t be bragging to anyone in the tavern about our heroic deed.”
“The day’s still young,” Annika said.
They followed Zohav back to the wagon and happy tears were shed. Annika and Endre took custody of Lorton and promised to deliver the man to the Commander.
“Are you sure you don’t want the patrol to accompany you?” Endre asked.
“We’re sure,” Zethan said. “We don’t want anyone else to get hurt because of us.”
“Besides, we can take care of ourselves,” Heli said. “We make a pretty powerful team.”
“An understatement,” Endre muttered.
They asked the agents to send a message to Sitia, explaining the delay.
“Everyone’s going to worry anyway,” Zee said. “This way, they’ll know we’re on the way home.”
Home. The word rattled around her chest before it settled in her heart. Yes. They were going home.
“I bet Valek will meet us in Robin’s Nest regardless,” Zethan said.
No one took him up on his bet. And sure enough, their overprotective brother was at the Sitian border, waiting for them. Brother, another word to clatter and bounce in her chest.
Valek followed them to the Speckled Egg Inn. That evening, they exchanged stories and news over dinner. Valek told them that Kade and Helen had a baby girl named Isabelle. Mother and child were doing fine.
Zethan and Heli took turns gleefully reporting their adventures in Ixia. Zohav met Valek’s concerned gaze as they told him about her ability to drain and potentially kill a person.
A sudden understanding of her brother’s life choices filled her. Valek had killed to protect the people he loved. Zohav had almost done the same thing. No doubt, she wouldn’t hesitate to kill to protect her family.
Brother. The word settled in her soul. Zohav smiled at him.