Chapter 19

19

Nothing is so distasteful as giving a briefing to a superior after a failed mission.

~ Lord General Menok

Morning found Kaylina sitting at a table in the kitchen, her head hanging over a steaming cup of coffee, the vapors wreathing her face. She inhaled deeply, willing the liquid to give her energy. Oh, how she wished she were sharing a cup with Vlerion, smiling and joking as they enjoyed each other’s company in the aftermath of their lovemaking.

But it hadn’t quite been lovemaking. Oh, it had been amazing for her… up until the moment when the beast erupted. And it had turned into a disaster.

“Murder,” she whispered, shivering.

She’d arrived at ranger headquarters before dawn and reported to a corporal on duty at the gate, asking him to let Targon know about the bodies when the captain woke up. Alarmed by the news, the corporal had gone straight to knock on the door. Kaylina had fled before the captain could come down to question her. It had been cowardly, and she knew it, but she hadn’t wanted to endure Targon’s snark. She had no doubt it would find her eventually, but, with luck, Vlerion would be at her side by then. He could share the enduring with her.

“Not the kind of sharing I’d hoped we would do after a night of intimacy,” she murmured, then yawned.

Daylight had come, and gray clouds produced a soft drizzle outside. She’d tried to go to bed for a couple of hours after returning, but she’d been too wound up and had finally given up and made coffee. Frayvar, who’d apparently heard a few sounds during the night—he’d blushed and looked away after admitting that—had chalked it all up to sex.

He’d left early to grocery shop for the night’s menu. With trepidation, she’d asked him to bring back a newspaper.

On the one hand, Kaylina didn’t want to know if that story had printed. On the other hand, she had to know.

It worried her that Vlerion hadn’t returned to Stillguard Castle. Even though he sometimes lost consciousness for an hour or two, especially after long and demanding battles as the beast, he should have woken up as himself by now. Unless… he hadn’t been as successful at destroying the uniformed men in the catacombs as she’d believed. What if some of them had gotten the best of him? Or what if he’d come out of the catacombs and run into guards, and they’d taken him out?

Glum thoughts. Kaylina was relieved when the whuffs of numerous taybarri arriving reached her ears. But she doubted Vlerion was with them. Crenoch remained outside.

The ranger captain comes, Levitke spoke into her mind, something she was starting to be able to do whether Kaylina used her power or not. Either they were growing more in tune with each other, or the taybarri was maturing.

Is his expression calm or consternated?

Maybe constipated was the word Kaylina should have used, but she hadn’t observed that the taybarri had the problems that humans sometimes had in that area. Probably thanks to all the grass and leaves they ate between meals of protein.

Levitke shared an image of Targon and two younger rangers riding along the river trail toward Stillguard Castle. Constipated probably was the right word for that expression.

You’re getting more talented at communicating, Kaylina observed, wishing she could have a conversation with the taybarri instead of Targon. Will you turn silver and become a mature elder soon?

Amused whuffs sounded in her mind. The next image was of Crenoch rolling on his back with all four paws in the air, scratching an itch as he flapped his tail over the bank into the river.

I know he’s not maturing. I meant you.

We are age the same.

Well, thank you for the warning about incoming… consternation. You’re an excellent friend.

Yes. An image of honey drops accompanied the word.

I’ll make some more as soon as I have a chance. Blackberries are coming into season. Maybe I can try them in the recipe.

From the kitchen, Kaylina couldn’t see the tail swishing, but she believed it was occurring.

Better than pellets.

Oh, I know. Kaylina had never tried the protein pellets the rangers fed the taybarri, but, if she recalled correctly, they were made out of desiccated organ meat and who knew what else. Nothing appetizing.

Later, we ride into battle? The question didn’t come with another image, but Levitke managed to convey boredom.

Kaylina had no desire to do that, but she said, I have a feeling we will.

Unfortunately.

More whuffs sounded beyond the gate, the new taybarri greeting Levitke and Crenoch.

Kaylina took a long bracing swig of coffee before standing up.

“Get out here, Korbian,” came Targon’s grumpy call.

With her sword belted on, Kaylina straightened her back and strode into the courtyard.

“Where’s Vlerion?” Targon hadn’t opened the gate, and he eyed the castle instead of her as she approached.

“I had assumed— hoped —he returned to headquarters after…” Kaylina glanced at the other rangers, a sergeant and a corporal mounted on their taybarri. “After.”

“He did not. I assumed he came back here. Like a dog to its vomit.”

“I can see you’re going to be polite and genteel company today, my lord.”

He gave her a scathing look and pointed inside. “If I walk in there, are vines going to jump on me?”

“Only if you threaten me.” Or so she believed. She hadn’t attempted to make a deal with the sentinel on Targon’s behalf. She didn’t care if he was able to visit her establishment or not.

“You’d better come out here then.” Targon pointed at the river trail. “I’m in a threatening mood.”

Kaylina wasn’t entirely positive that was sarcasm rather than a more serious threat, but she wanted to know if he’d checked out the camp in the catacombs and knew who the uniformed men were. Who they had been.

“Yes, Levitke informed me of that.”

Targon squinted at her.

Kaylina took a deep breath, opened the gate, and joined him outside.

“Wait here,” Targon told his men and pointed for her to walk down the trail with him.

Ducks paddled in the river, not deterred by the rain. At the moment, it was little more than a mist that dampened Kaylina’s cheeks. She might have considered the morning pleasant if the company had been better—if the night had turned out differently.

“What happened?” Targon stopped when they were out of earshot and leaned against a mature willow dangling branches over the river. “No, I know what happened. And since I’ve seen the lusty way you two ogle each other, I can guess why it happened, but what was the order of events that led Vlerion to that camp, and did he mean to attack those men, or were they in the wrong place at the wrong time?” Judging by Targon’s grimace—that was almost a wince—those hadn’t been criminals.

Kaylina wiped damp palms on her trousers. She’d been afraid of that.

“And by the way,” Targon continued before she’d decided how to start her explanation, “next time you find something that significant in the middle of the night, tell me directly. Don’t pass notes through my entire chain of command.” He gave her an exasperated look. “As you, eavesdropper extraordinaire, should know, we have spies among the ranks. I know who some of them are but, I’m positive, not all. This story is going to spread like a venereal disease on a mixed-gender navy ship.”

“I… I’m sorry.” Kaylina hadn’t thought of that, only that she hadn’t wanted to deal with the captain’s vitriol. She closed her eyes. Another mistake. “I apologize, my lord,” she said sincerely.

For everything, she wanted to add. The lack of sleep and the stress of the last few hours—the last few days —caught up with her, and tears crept into her eyes. She scowled at the ground and blinked rapidly, not wanting Targon to see. He was the last man she wanted to cry in front of. Where was Vlerion? Again, she wished he were here for this.

“Just tell me what happened,” Targon said. His tone wasn’t gentle, but he’d softened it.

“Vlerion and I thought we had… a way to keep the beast from appearing if we… were together.” Her cheeks flushed. She always hated discussing with Targon anything involving sex.

“And it didn’t work,” he stated.

“At first, it seemed to, but he got too, uhm.” Still looking at the ground instead of Targon, Kaylina couldn’t bring herself to say that her writhing nudity had apparently been so arousing that it had overridden the libido-dampening effects of the potion. It might have been true, but it would make her sound pompous and full of herself. She also didn’t want Targon imagining her writhing nudity.

“Worked up. Then what? He mated with you and left, still as the beast?” Targon sounded confused.

“He didn’t mate with me.” Kaylina’s cheeks heated even further. Her whole face was hot. “I mean, he wanted to, but I wouldn’t let him. I was afraid that it wouldn’t— Well, his mother warned me. And I don’t want a beast lover anyway. I…” Dear craters of the moon, why was she going this far in depth with him?

“Yeah, I’ve seen Isla’s scars. All of them.”

All of them? Did that imply he’d seen her naked? Kaylina had a hard time imagining Isla wanting to be with Targon—and vice versa—but shook the thought away. It wasn’t important.

“I wouldn’t sleep with the beast either,” Targon added. “Fortunately, he’s never shown an interest in me in either incarnation.”

“Lucky you,” Kaylina muttered.

“I thought you , as someone who courts danger like a bee buzzing into every flower on the bush, might be intrigued and dumb enough to want him that way.”

“No.” She glanced up but only long enough to scowl at him. “Anyway, I summoned the plant to help me. I wanted it to hold him until he turned back into himself. But he was strong enough to break the vines, and he ran away. I was afraid he would hurt people and went after him. I don’t know why he went into the catacombs, but I heard screams. By the time I got to that lake, those men were all dead. I didn’t touch anything or explore farther down the river.”

“ We did.” Targon waved to himself and his men, though they’d stayed behind and were watching as Crenoch and two other taybarri played in the river. “There were bodies all the way down that underground channel, and at least two washed up in the harbor. Claws and fangs killed everyone I looked at.” Targon, who never seemed afraid of anything, shuddered. “He truly is a monster when he’s in that form. I understand why Sabor was seduced by the idea of breeding beasts…” He paused to eye her, and Kaylina wished she hadn’t shared that information when she and Vlerion had reported to him. “But he was a fool to believe he could tame that kind of power. I’m surprised you can.”

“I had the sentinel’s help.”

“Nothing like plant tendrils getting involved in your sex life.”

“It was nothing like that .”

Targon waved away the comment. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. But that was a dumb move. For both of you. You know the consequences, what can happen when he changes. By now, you must .”

“I do. I should have thrown the vial, but… I couldn’t.”

“What vial?”

Kaylina recalled that she hadn’t mentioned Sabor’s chemical attacks when she’d reported to Targon. She’d wanted to research them herself, at least the one that had forced Vlerion to change back. But maybe that had been a mistake. Maybe all the rangers who might encounter the beast should have the concoction.

No, not with the possible side effects Zhani had mentioned.

Targon cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows.

Kaylina was reluctant to explain, afraid he would demand some of the vials for himself, but since she’d accidentally mentioned it, she felt compelled and did so.

“Yes, Sabor was known to have an alchemist in his pocket.” Targon scratched his jaw. “Maybe he wasn’t as foolish as I thought. If he believed he could handle the beast…”

“No, he was foolish.”

Kaylina refused to feel bad for speaking disrespectfully about the dead. Sabor hadn’t respected her when he’d lived.

“ He didn’t hesitate to throw the vial,” Targon said. “I assume.”

Kaylina glared up into his face, her earlier mortification forgotten. He was implying she was the foolish one.

“Sergeant Zhani said there could be side effects. That it might stop his heart.”

“If it didn’t before, it probably wouldn’t have a second time.”

Kaylina wanted to retort that he couldn’t be sure, but… she hadn’t considered that. It was probably true. Damn it, if she’d thrown it, that entire camp of men might not be dead.

Targon sighed and pushed away from the tree. “All right, don’t tear up on me, Korbian. I get that you didn’t want to hurt him. Better to be safe than sorry. Usually. But those men…” Targon pushed a hand through his graying hair, a haunted look in his eyes.

“Who were they? I didn’t know.”

“A mercenary company that usually works for the aristocrats in the Damark Province. Since it borders the mountains, and the nomadic desert tribes like to plague that pass, they employ mercenaries as well as rangers and the Kingdom Guard.”

“I’ve… heard of Damark.” Not a lot. Kaylina knew only that it was closer to her southern province than the capital. Her brother would know more.

“They grow a lot of spices down there, and the province is notorious for a chain of islands along the coast where gamblers can bet on whatever depravity they wish. It’s a favorite destination of Prince Enrikon.”

It took a moment for Kaylina to realize what Targon was implying, that there was a link. “Were they the prince’s mercenaries?”

“We don’t know yet, but it’s possible the kid isn’t as dumb as we’ve been assuming. He may have hired forces under the assumption that he would need them, that his mommy and her co-conspirators wouldn’t give up the power they’ve enjoyed these past years.”

Meaning, Vlerion—the beast—might have killed men working for the prince, for the man who would, unless something drastic happened, become the next king of Zaldor.

Kaylina bent forward and gripped her knees, fresh fear for Vlerion clutching her heart.

“I have a meeting with Milnor later this morning where I hope to find out more,” Targon said. “I wanted to get as much as I could from you so I wouldn’t go in there blind. But it sounds like you don’t know much either.” At least he didn’t say as usual .

“No. I… think it was chance that the beast ran into them. He was probably trying not to run into anyone while he was in that state.”

“The state of being a horribly sexually frustrated beast looking for an outlet for release?”

That was probably correct, but Kaylina bristled at the implication that if she’d let the beast take her… No, all she would have had to do was use the vial.

“The beast is always dangerous,” she said, “whether he’s frustrated or not. It’s the curse.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be finding a way to lift that curse?”

“ Yes .” Kaylina couldn’t keep the anguish from her voice.

Targon sighed, appearing frustrated himself. “You’d better stay here today. I don’t know what’s going to come of all this, but I’ll send people out to look for?—”

“My lord?” one of the rangers called and pointed up the river trail.

Vlerion was striding toward them, his face grim and a newspaper in his hand.