Cursed: Traitor's Trail

Chapter 17 part 2

The voices faded and blinding pain raced through Aya's body. It seemed as though the trunk her mind joined with had caught fire and she was experiencing its anguish. But no, the stump had still been standing in the glade when she and Kierra had entered.

Kierra. The healer must be pulling on her, separating her from the trunk where her power had taken hold. Everywhere, strands of her talent snapped, whipping back painfully. Through the agony Aya fought to regain consciousness. At last, her mind returned to itself, at the same time she realized she could not hold her own weight. Surprisingly strong arms guided her to the ground and she lay very still while the world around her settled.

"Are you alright?" Kierra hesitated. "I waited as long as I dared before pulling you back, maybe I waited too long."

"No...er...yes." Aya croaked. "I am alright, I think." The ground slowly stopped spinning, and she encouraged her limbs into a sitting position, pulling her aching head into her hands and holding it. The bright sunlight burned beams straight into her skull, when did daylight turn against her?

"Did it work? Do you know the traitor?"

"Yes, and you're not going to like it. It's Brissa."

"Brissa? She can hardly function, how could she possibly do all of this?"

"It sounds like she's had help. And I think it is on its way."

Kierra shook her head. "I don't—"

A shout from the village interrupted her protest, her head whipped southward and her body tensed.

What was it? Aya found the strength to stand and looked southward too, but the grasses were too tall to see the cause for alarm.

Without a word, Kierra ran into the wastes, back toward New Hope.

Aya hesitated and then followed, a little more cautiously. Visions filled her mind, of men in dark chitin armor, slaughtering the Magi as they attempted to flee. She shoved the image away. It can't be, not yet. She refused to consider everything might end like that.

Things were not as she expected when she at last pulled the blades aside and stepped back into New Hope. No king's men raced around bent on slaughter. But what she saw was no less concerning.

To the east of the village, beyond the stump, the dark form of a scorpion pressed into New Hope. Hamor, an older youth and three of the women who had taken blade lessons with her circled it, swords drawn. The creature held its stinging tail high above its back and lashed wildly at any who came within reach. It skirted them, trying to get past and into the village beyond.

Aya studied the creature, this was Brissa's doing, she was certain of it. The memory of the man's words, of his instructions to keep the women and young in the village, flowed through her mind. This was just the right kind of distraction to delay the evacuation.

"Go!" she yelled, racing to the new line of mounts being prepared. "You have to go now! The king's men are on their way, they will be in the village."

The Magi turned to her, fear written across their faces. They shifted uneasily, but made no move to heed her warning. What did she have to do to save these people?

"Aya!" Nauni called from nearby, running toward her. Her features white with fear.

"Nauni, thank the great God. You have to tell them to ride out, the scorpion is a trap. Brissa sent it; she is trying to keep the Magi here to be slaughtered by the king's warriors. I don't know how long we have until they arrive."

"Aya, it's Melak!" Nauni cried, she had heard nothing of Aya's warning.

Aya's breath escaped, for a moment she forgot about the urgency of leaving the village. Concern for the sweet boy who had smiled and welcomed her so readily replaced everything in her mind.