Cursed Bones

chapter 25



Isabel nodded to Hector to take the lead and they moved into the jungle. It was slow-going through the dense brush. While the air was cool and damp, Isabel found herself sweating before long.

They tried to leave as little sign of their passage as possible but it was a difficult, if not impossible, task. Often, they had to double back to circumvent some obstacle or other.

First it was a patch of quagmire sands. Hector stopped short as his leading foot started to sink into the innocent-looking jungle floor. He’d lived on the Isle of Karth for long enough that he was aware of the danger and easily backed out before it was too late.

“I wonder how far this goes?” he asked.

“That’s hard to say,” Ayela said. “Quagmire sands can stretch for miles or just cover a small patch of ground.”

Isabel tipped her head back and linked with Slyder who was perched in a tree above. “It looks like there are a fair number of clear patches of dirt around here,” she said.

“To be safe, we should stick to areas covered in vegetation,” Ayela said. “Plants almost never grow in sands.”

Hector plotted a new path through the jungle, avoiding open ground, which slowed their progress even further. Isabel only hoped that the soldiers following them might lose some of their number to the perils of the jungle.

She sent Slyder back to scout the enemy’s location and found them almost a league behind but tracking steadily. It seemed that the denseness of the brush was both making it easier for Phane’s forces to follow their trail and causing them to follow more slowly because they followed every dead-end path that Isabel and her friends had taken and been forced to backtrack out of.

Late in the day they heard the bark of a wild dog, then a yelp as it died. Isabel linked with Slyder and found Shadowfang, surrounded by six more dogs, standing over his kill. He didn’t look too worried about the opponents he faced as he snarled at them.

Seeing the dogs gave Isabel an idea. She forced her mind into the psyches of all six and imposed her will on them. It was more difficult controlling several animals than just one but well within her capability, for a short time anyway. After she reined in Shadowfang, she sent the dogs to hunt the Regency soldiers. Isabel felt a little guilty using the animals in such a way, knowing that some would probably die as a result, but she consoled herself with the knowledge that they would have attacked her party instead, had she not intervened.

As darkness fell, the jungle became far too treacherous for them to press on. Isabel felt anxious about calling a halt, knowing that the enemy might decide to make up time by moving through the darkness, but she knew better than to risk running into some unseen danger in the night, especially given how hostile the jungle had proven to be.

They found a small clearing in a depression surrounded by heavy foliage and carefully tested the ground for firmness before stopping for the night.

In the last of the day’s light, Isabel found Phane’s forces through Slyder’s eyes and was relieved to see that they had stopped as well.

No one slept well that night. The noises of the jungle created an eerie song that was far too often punctuated by the death cry of some hapless animal as it gave its life to provide a predator with a meal. Isabel found herself lying awake waiting for the dawn as the dark of night began to ebb. She was grateful to be on the move again, eating a cold breakfast while she walked.

Alexander appeared next to her, smiling at her when she jumped slightly.

“You need to warn me before you do that,” she said without breaking stride.

He walked by her side, passing through the foliage. “You’ve picked up another hunting party,” he said. “Looks like two of the witches and about thirty soldiers of Karth.”

“How far back?” Isabel asked.

“A day,” Alexander said, “but they seem to know their way around the jungle better than Phane’s people.”

“They do,” Ayela said. “Our soldiers have been using our superior knowledge of the jungle to exact vengeance against the Regency since Phane sent the demons against us. Rather than fight a battle we knew we couldn’t win, we’ve chosen to fight only when we have the advantage.”

“A wise strategy,” Alexander said. “Unfortunately, it means that this new hunting party is probably going to gain on you pretty steadily.”

“We could play them off against Phane’s people,” Hector suggested.

“Please don’t,” Ayela said. “These are my people, my brother is probably leading them. Were it not for the influence of the Sin’Rath, they would be pursuing Phane’s soldiers rather than us.”

“Maybe I can lead them away,” Alexander said. “I’ve been working on other illusions, and I can project a pretty good image of you, Isabel.”

“If they fall for it, it might buy us some time,” she said. “At this point I’ll take what I can get. This jungle is thick and I think it wants to kill us; I can only imagine how hospitable the gloaming swamp is going to be.”

“You don’t have to do this alone, Isabel,” Alexander said. “You could always find a place to hide until I can come help you.”

“Nice try, but we’re not stopping. With your help we should be able to avoid some of the more dangerous parts of the swamp and make our way to Siavrax’s laboratory well before any of our pursuers get close. And who knows, maybe the swamp will make them change their mind, or at least thin them out.”

“You really think they want to go back to Phane empty-handed?” Alexander asked.

“I guess there’s that,” Isabel said.

“The edge of the swamp is still a few days away,” Alexander said. “Once you get there you’ll need to make a raft. The swamp looks pretty deep in places and there’s no telling what’s beneath the surface.”

“I was trying not to think about that,” Isabel said. “Are you sure there isn’t another way?”

“Not unless you can fly,” Alexander said. “Siavrax’s hidden laboratory is built inside the top of a stone mountain that rises from the middle of the swamp. I’m pretty sure he picked the location for just that reason.”

“I wonder if Asteroth can hear me from here,” Isabel said.

“Even if he could and even if he could get past Andalia, where would he land?” Alexander asked, motioning to the jungle around them.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Isabel said. “The swamp it is.”

“Try to get there as soon as possible,” Alexander said. “You’ll need time to make a raft, and it doesn’t really matter if you leave a trail because you’ll be able to lose them easily enough once you’re on the water.”

Isabel nodded and looked over at his projection, smiling sadly. “I wish you were here,” she said.

“Me too,” he said, fading out of sight.

They pushed through the day, moving as quickly as possible through the dense brush. Isabel periodically checked on the progress of the Regency soldiers through Slyder’s eyes and was relieved to see that they were falling farther behind.

Midway through the afternoon she heard an odd chittering coming from above. When she looked up into the thick canopy she thought she saw movement. Stopping to look more closely, she was sure of it.

“Tree rats,” Ayela said. “We must keep moving.”

“Tree rats?” Isabel said.

“Large rodents, maybe twenty pounds, with very sharp teeth and claws,” Ayela said. “They hunt in packs and have been known to take down creatures much larger than themselves.”

“Hector, Horace, keep your eyes open,” Isabel said.

As they continued through the jungle, the tree rats followed in the canopy above. Isabel thought there must be about twenty. A few times she got a good enough look at one to know that she didn’t want to see them any closer.

She tried to link her mind with them but failed, a fact that made her even more nervous. These little beasts weren’t natural creatures. She presumed that they were yet another of Siavrax Karth’s creations. What purpose he’d intended them for was beyond speculation.

When they reached a clearing, Isabel stopped, smiling at the patch of odd flowers near one side of the open space—deathwalker root. “We’ll stop here for a few minutes,” she said, as she started pulling flowers from the ground, one by one.

“Be careful,” Ayela said. “The powder in those flowers will make you sleepy.”

Isabel smiled up at her. “You know about the deathwalker root?”

Ayela nodded. “Healers often use the roots to make a poultice, and the powder in the flower sacs is a potent sleeping agent that can be prepared in a variety of ways. Some tribes use it to create a poison for their darts, others use it to help sick people rest through the night.”

“We’re going to use it to make a healing salve,” Isabel said. “Your brother took my potions, so this might come in handy.”

“We still have one healing potion each and a jar of Master Alabrand’s salve between us,” Horace said.

“Good,” Isabel said, continuing to work. “I fear we’re going to need everything we can get before this is over.”

Ayela knelt down to help Isabel. She seemed familiar with the process, pulling the root out of the ground and carefully breaking it from the stem.

The noise of the tree rats started to grow as more arrived.

“Any chance we can lure those little monsters down here?” Hector asked. “I’m tired of constantly looking over my shoulder.”

“Doubtful,” Ayela said. “They’re skittish, preferring to attack only by surprise and in large numbers.”

“Looks like they have the numbers,” Isabel said, surveying the trees surrounding the clearing.

There were well over twenty now, all looking down at them through their beady little eyes and chittering angrily, as if scolding Isabel and her friends for trespassing.

Shadowfang strolled into the clearing and rubbed up against Isabel’s leg. The tree rats grew more animated at his sudden appearance. Isabel was debating whether she should try to scare them off with a light-lance when she felt a sudden stabbing pain on the back of her neck. It was so sharp and unexpected that she yelped, slapping at the source.

She killed a bug that looked almost like a horsefly, only twice as big or more.

Ayela looked closely at it and worry creased her brow. “This could be very bad,” she said.

“What is it?” Horace asked.

“A lightning fly,” Ayela said. “They create the shocking power of lightning itself and use it to overpower their prey. Usually, they only attack small animals and birds, but a swarm of lightning flies has been known to overpower a horse.”

“Then what?” Hector said. “A horse is more than a meal for a swarm of bugs.”

“They’re parasites,” Ayela said. “They lay their eggs inside their victims, usually in early winter. Come spring, the eggs hatch and the larvae eat their way out of the body, then feed until they’re ready to cocoon for several weeks and emerge in their adult form.”

Isabel looked around at the tree rats. “Maybe these bugs will go after them instead of us,” she said.

“Perhaps, but the tree rats will return to their nests at night,” Ayela said, “which is when the lightning flies come out to hunt.”

“So how do we defend against them?” Hector asked.

“Either find some form of shelter or build a fire,” Ayela said.

“All right, let’s keep moving,” Isabel said. “Everyone keep an eye out for a cave to hide in for the night.”

When they started moving, the tree rats started following again, always staying well above them and out of reach but making an unsettling racket with their incessant chittering.

A dark mood started to come over Isabel. The threat of the little rodents coupled with all of the other threats surrounding her in this unfamiliar place started to wear on her nerves. Before she knew what she was doing, she unleashed a light-lance at the nearest tree rat, burning a hole through the predatory rodent and sending its companions scattering into the jungle.

She stopped and looked at her hand in near surprise. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure what came over me,” she said.

But she knew. Azugorath was pushing her to act against her will again. It seemed that the Wraith Queen worked on her sporadically, pushing with great effort to gain a foothold within her psyche and then leaving her alone for long periods of time. She didn’t understand why, but she did know that she couldn’t afford to let her gain control. She resolved to redouble her vigilance within her own mind.

At nightfall, she took one last look at the Regency soldiers following in the distance. They were half a day behind and they’d come upon the tree rats. It seemed that the little rodents were just as unsettling to them as they were to Isabel. She smiled, calling Slyder back to her.

“There,” Ayela said, pointing into the growing darkness.

Isabel thought she saw a flickering, electric-blue spark in the distance.

“We need a fire,” Ayela said. “Where there’s one, there are more.”

“A fire will give away our position,” Hector said.

“Yes, but without fire we won’t survive the night,” Ayela said.

He and Horace looked to Isabel. She nodded reluctantly and the two men went to work rounding up wood while Ayela and Isabel prepared a fire pit and collected kindling.

“We’ll need a supply of firewood sufficient to last the night,” Ayela said.

Hector muttered something under his breath on his way back into the jungle, looking for more wood. By dark, they had a roaring fire burning hot and bright.

Shadowfang was reluctant to venture into the light of the flames, but the increasing number of crackling blue-white sparks Isabel saw in the darkness prompted her to impose her will on her pet and soothe his anxiety at being near the flame, lest he be killed by the lightning flies in the night.

The darkness surrounding them was alight with the terrifying little insects—there must have been hundreds, lightning arcing between their wings as they buzzed around their would-be prey.

“Will they follow us tomorrow?” Isabel asked.

“Doubtful,” Ayela said. “They’re somewhat territorial, rarely venturing too far from the area where they were born.”

After the first hot meal in days, Isabel went to work cooking the deathwalker root down into a rudimentary healing salve. Ayela watched with interest while she carefully cut each flower sac and emptied the contents into a small jar she’d produced from the bag she carried over her shoulder.

“I have a friend you’d like,” Isabel said. “He’s very knowledgeable about the uses of plants. He taught me how to do this.”

“Knowledge of the jungle is valuable to my people,” Ayela said. “It’s a source of many poisons but also many medicines. The most respected person in any tribe is almost always the person with the greatest knowledge of the jungle, even more than the warriors.”

“Lucky would love to see this place. He’d have a thousand questions for you. In fact, I suspect the only way you’d get him to stop asking you questions would be to hand him something to eat.”

“You must miss your friends and your family,” Ayela said.

“I do,” Isabel said, “very much.”

“Then why come here, so far away from them, and all alone?” Ayela asked.

“It’s complicated,” Isabel said, shaking her head.

“Perhaps, when you trust me more, you will tell me the truth of your situation,” Ayela said.

“I do trust you, Ayela,” Isabel said. “I wouldn’t be out here with you if I didn’t.”

“Then tell me your reasons for coming to my country when reason itself argues against you being here,” Ayela said.

Hector and Horace remained silent but shared a look.

Isabel sighed. “I guess you have a right to know. Phane summoned a very powerful demon named Azugorath. She’s touched me and is trying to subvert my free will, trying to turn me away from the light and to the darkness so that I will serve Phane. Because of this demon’s influence, I nearly killed my husband. I left him that very night because that was the only way I knew to protect him.”

“Should I fear you?” Ayela asked, a slight tremor running through her voice.

“I don’t know,” Isabel whispered. “So far I’ve been able to control what Azugorath is doing to me, but she keeps pushing against my will, trying to find a way in. I fear that one day, I won’t be able to stop her.”

Ayela stared into the fire for several minutes without saying a word.

“That must be a horrible burden to bear,” she said, finally.

Isabel nodded.

“It seems we have something in common,” Ayela said. “Our loved ones are being held hostage by evil and the only way to get them back is to destroy the evil.”

“Exactly,” Isabel said.