Chapter 19
Leaving Jama in the secluded clearing with the others was hard. Lucky for him, Thain didn’t pay me or her any attention. Still, it didn’t stop me from glaring at him and silently threatening him that he would be in serious trouble if he so much as harmed a single hair on her pretty little head.
I dwelled on the latest development and couldn’t help but cherish the warmth rising inside my chest when I thought of the friendship Nayana and I had formed before I scolded myself for allowing it to happen.
From the moment I’d seen her, she’d slowly broken down my defenses, and I did something I’d never done before. I surrendered.
“Whenever I see you alone lately, you’re brooding or on the verge of exploding,” Ireas said, and I could feel his eyes on me as he approached.
It wasn’t untrue. Still, when had I become so transparent? “This journey is more challenging than I thought.”
“Or you just take everything too seriously.”
“I disagree. Fact is, Antas’ dreams led us to an Amplifier, something every Wielder would give at least one arm for. That’s serious.”
“Yes, I’ve never anticipated that turn of events. Although, what I don’t get is why we don’t just travel home with her.”
Sometimes, I forgot how young Ireas was. He was far from being stupid, but he thought very black and white at times. “Antas thinks there’s more to it and that we should find this seer he heard rumors about. I know he’s even considering Amalach in hopes of finding answers.”
“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea.”
“It isn’t. But I’ve known my uncle and how his mind works long enough.”
“Well, we’ll see.”
I fell silent, but Ireas spoke on. “You seem close to Nayana.”
“We’re friends,” I said, tasting the word on my tongue. “For now. We’ll have to separate again, eventually.” It was the truth, but my stomach turned unpleasantly as I dwelled on saying goodbye to Nayana. But that was nothing that Ireas had to know.
“How much did you tell her?”
Too much. “The basics. About the existence of Galanta. About the Great War, and about how the Ivreian royals altered history, and how all connecting portals have been closed for good. Seriously, I was surprised she didn’t ask a million additional questions.
I’m not looking forward to the time when she’ll regain her curiosity. ”
“When she does, will you tell her everything?”
“I don’t think so. At least not right away. She’s so na?ve and innocent, and it’s a given that she would be unhappy with quite a few things, to put it mildly. It’s best if I can omit some of the darker parts.”
Ireas snorted. “And if she finds out—and she will for sure—you’re screwed, Dion, and so are we, thanks to you.”
I sighed and refrained from answering because, of course, he was right, even if I wished he wasn’t.
The inhabitants called their village quaint, but I had to disagree. In my opinion, the few houses and shops were hardly worthy of earning the label of a dwelling.
While Ireas went to the tiniest store I’d seen on our entire trip to replenish our supplies, I stayed with the horses and observed our surroundings. The few people walking around pretty much ignored me, so I prowled over to the community board, bringing our mounts with me.
It didn’t come as a surprise that I spotted a poster displaying the rather lousy drawing of Nayana’s face, and I glowered at the offending piece of parchment. The outrageous bounty on her head would guarantee that everyone kept an eye out for her.
But what wrinkled my forehead with a frown was an addendum right below the poster, describing me and the males as Nayana’s company, including my fake identity as Timenth Cantor.
No one watched me, so I ripped the poster and addendum off the board, sneering at the offending parchment, and safely pocketed both.
This Feroy worked extremely fast, and I was convinced he would be a pain in the ass for us in the future. I wouldn’t hesitate to kill him on sight, and the thought of getting my hands on him made me vibrate with agitation.
I turned my attention back to Ireas, who was approaching me. When I observed two men studying him closely, it wasn’t far-fetched to assume that we had been discovered.
Catching Ireas’ gaze, I gently nudged my head toward the road leading out of town, and without hesitation, he strolled back toward me as if he had no care in the world.
“Remember that guard at the Marsian border? The one who stared at us and then disappeared when I went back to search for him? Most likely, he went to Feroy and tattled on us. At least, that’s what I assume, since that merchant has added us to the bounty.
I’m not especially worried about it, but—don’t turn around now—there are two men watching you a bit too closely.
Let’s leave, lure them out, and make sure that they can’t update Feroy.
” I had no doubt the stupid fools would pursue us, maybe even grow their numbers, and I was unwilling to make a public spectacle today.
The authorities of a country always got nervous when the entire population of a village or major city was found slaughtered under mysterious circumstances—as opposed to just a few dead bodies on the side of the road—and I wasn’t willing to risk that level of attention.
That didn’t mean I cared for some unimportant community somewhere where people only went to die, but if the result was that Marsia was crawling with soldiers, I’d better keep a low profile.
Ireas nodded and quickly finished stowing his purchases. Mounting my horse, I monitored our surroundings and smiled to myself. Soon, the medic was on horseback as well, and not so long after that, we were on the path leading out of the village.
“You’re hoping for a confrontation, aren’t you, Dion?”
“No need to hope. Those backwater men don’t know what’s good for them and will follow us.”
“So, we’ll fight them?”
“Of course. Let’s hurry. I want to pick a good place for us to be ambushed.”
“Anything I should know beforehand?”
By now, I’d already come up with a plan that considered all angles, especially the one that Ireas hated violence with a passion.
“No need for you to get involved. As soon as I confront whoever is coming for us, you’ll take the horses and make your way back to camp.
If someone tried to follow you—let’s just say they wouldn’t get far. ”
“Are you sure you want to do this alone, Dion?”
The way Ireas’ eyebrows knitted together in concern made me chuckle. “Neither I nor the villagers will need a healer after this little skirmish, but I would be pissed if one of our horses gets lost or injured.”
“How will you make it back to camp, then?”
“Don’t worry about it. You know how I travel when I’m alone.”
“Hmm.”
“Seriously. Besides, we’re indeed being followed. Guess this place is as good as any.” This remote spot was deserted to the point that it basically reeked of misery, and all that was missing was some dead vegetation tumbling across the sandy path, to be honest.
I dismounted and handed Ireas the reins of my horse. He sent a long, contemplating look my way, ignoring my outreached hand. “You’re going to—”
“Kill them? Of course.”
Ireas sighed, and his eyes darted around.
He couldn’t meet mine, then shook his head a little before finally seizing my reins.
I ignored his obvious disapproval as he accepted my decision without further discussion.
If he didn’t want this life to break him in the long run, he would have to toughen up for sure.
“It’s better that way. Greed is a major motivator for people caught in dead-end places like the one that this village is. If I allow them to walk away, we’ll soon have the whole place pursuing us.”
Our conversation was cut short when the men following us finally caught up.
I gave Ireas a slight nod of encouragement and turned around as the villagers dismounted.
Four men in total had gotten up this morning and had decided, without even knowing it yet, that today would be a good day to die.
Currently, they all passed their reins to the youngest of them. Well, he had to perish too.
“Hey, you’re Timenth Cantor, right?” The man who opened his ugly mouth first was muscular, but definitely not a fighter. His hand wasn’t even on his weapon yet. Neither was mine, but for a totally different reason—it wasn’t necessary.
If the men observed me, all they’d see was some unarmed male sneering at them.
To the casual onlooker, I might have given an impression of being harmless and of being an easy prey, but that was only the picture I wanted to display.
There was no better way to taunt your enemies than to be cocky.
Let them think they’d have an easy encounter.
It would be the last mistake they’d ever make in their lives.
I continued my observations. None of them would even come close to standing a chance against me, not even all of them combined, not even if I blinded myself and tied myself to a tree.
During unconsciousness. I already knew so much as it was easy to conclude that all of them were farmers, used to manual labor, but nothing more.
“In the flesh. Why do you ask?” I canted my head and watched them with the detachment of a nobleman watching peasants—as if they were cattle. And in the end, they were little more than that.
I wanted to toy with them for a while before making them regret coming after us.
My fingers had been itching for a good fight for the last few weeks, and even though these men were no challenge, I was looking forward to teaching them a lesson, however useless it would be for them.
“And more importantly, why should I care?”
“You’re wanted. Or rather, your bitch is, and you by association. So, surrender!” Spittle flew from Farmer One’s mouth while Farmer Two stared greedily at our horses.
I narrowed my eyes, angrily showed him my teeth, and snarled, “Nobody calls my wife a bitch and lives to tell the tale.”