Rise of the Gryphon (44 page)

“Change how you compel me once we get inside Treoir so that I can talk to Tzader and Quinn. We’ll
stage
the takeover of Treoir and Brina’s death so you can call in Flaevynn.”

Where Kizira had looked like a woman facing her death moments ago, she now was energized. “That would work, but it would take everyone’s cooperation.”

“Cathbad would probably follow Flaevynn out of here,” Evalle reminded her.

“After the way he just compelled me, I would not spit on him if he were on fire.”

No family baggage left there. “I want something else. I want to talk to Conlan. He may have information that could help us.”

“How am I supposed to get him out of the dungeon?”

“Tell Flaevynn you suspect he was sent in as a spy for the Beladors and you want to show them they can’t fool her. Tell her we can use him to confuse the Beladors, since he’s your puppet. They’ll take him to Brina since they’re on the island, and when they do he can tell you where she is in the castle.”

Kizira cocked her head in thought. “That might actually appeal to her ego.”

Evalle just hoped she wasn’t setting things in motion that she would regret later, but she trusted Tzader to keep Brina safe. Tzader would not want Conlan left behind in this place. That reminded her of two more people she had to save. The list just kept growing. “Tristan won’t agree to leave his two Rías friends who were captured with him and his sister.”

“You expect me to get
them
out of here, too? Flaevynn won’t go for that. She’ll be suspicious the minute I bring it up.”

“Rías are enough like Alterants that someone would have to be close to them when they shift to see that their eyes aren’t green. Convince Flaevynn that they’ll be a sacrificial diversion.” Evalle snapped her fingers. “No! Have
Tristan
go to her and demand that they stay here. He can tell her the deal wasn’t to use them in this attack and they’ll never survive. If she thinks they’re of any use right now, she’ll have to use them.”

Kizira arched an eyebrow. “I like the way you think, but we’re leaving here with or without them.”

“Understood.” Evalle would save as many as she could.

“I’ll send you to your room with Lanna,” Kizira said. “If I don’t see you again, it means I ended up in the dungeon, too.”

That would screw up the plans. “Tell Tristan and his sister what’s going on, too.”

“Done.” Kizira waved her hand.

Evalle didn’t even stumble this time when she landed in her Medb bedroom. “Lanna?”

The girl appeared next to the bathroom door, then ran to Evalle. “Where have you been?”

Evalle had never been much for touching in the past, but Storm had changed that. She opened her arms to Lanna, hugging the girl and actually enjoying the moment. “I’ve been busy trying to get us out of here.”

Lanna stepped back, eyes brimming with excitement. “We’re leaving?”

“Very soon. You’re going to cloak yourself and ride on my back.”

“I am confused.”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you that—” Evalle paused, not sure if the compulsion spell meant she could or couldn’t tell Lanna. “Look, I’ve been compelled not to share some things, so you’re going to have to trust me and, for once, do exactly what I say.”

“I will not make mistake. I will do everything you say.”

The poor girl was terrified, and with good reason. Evalle tried to help her understand. “You know I can change into other forms, so just be prepared for something that surprises you, okay?”

Lanna nodded.

She was bright and resourceful. Evalle had no doubt the girl would do her part and follow Evalle’s lead. She explained as much as she could without going against her compulsion spell, telling Lanna what she had to do when they landed on the island.

No mentioning Treoir by name, but Lanna was quick. She asked two questions, and after that, she didn’t ask any more when Evalle shook her head.

Energy whistled through the room, then Kizira appeared with a pitiful-looking guy who sagged next to her.

Evalle gently pushed Lanna aside and stepped over to Kizira. “How’d it go?”

“Flaevynn is addressing her witches and warlocks about the attack, so I found Cathbad instead and told him he owed me. I reminded him he should know better than Flaevynn just how capable I am of sidestepping their plans, and that if he wanted to see me on those steps calling them in, he had to do something for me.”

“Nice.”

“I’ve got to get with Tristan next.” Kizira wrinkled her nose at Conlan. “Also, even with Flaevynn busy, it may not be safe to talk here, where she can drop in.”

Lanna spoke up. “I can shield their words, but you must compel Evalle to allow a teenage girl to listen.”

Kizira appeared impressed and gave a shrug. “Fine. Be ready when I come back.” She compelled Evalle, but Evalle held up her hand to stall Kizira’s exit.

Evalle stepped around Conlan, who stood hunched over as if he’d been in that position for a while. He smelled worse than week-old restaurant garbage. Dried
blood covered more of him than not, and his back had been split open over and over—it looked like it had been beaten with a cat-o’-nine-tails. One arm hung at the wrong angle.

Pointing at him, Evalle said, “How about healing his wounds and cleaning him up?”

Sighing as if she’d been asked to do the laundry, Kizira swept a hand past Conlan.

The stink dissipated, replaced by a fresh-scrubbed smell. He wore a clean gray sweatshirt and new jeans. When he finally stood upright and lifted his head, he no longer had a thick beard. He was attractive, and edgy as an animal waiting to see if he had to maul something to get away.

But nothing would remove the haunted look deep in his eyes. His voice was rough and dry. “All this time I thought nothing could sway you from your Belador oath.”

Evalle flinched as if struck, but Conlan didn’t know what was going on, and last she’d heard, he was still considered a traitor.

Kizira said to Evalle, “Get your mini-me to do anything else you need,” and vanished.

Lanna stepped up. “You must stay in one spot. I am not as good as Storm.”

Just hearing his name poked at the ache in Evalle’s chest. She told Conlan, “Even though I was told you’re suspected of being a traitor, I’ve learned more and am willing to hear what you have to say. You should want to hear what I have to say, since I got you out of that dungeon.”

His eyebrows dropped over repentant gray eyes. “Okay.”

“Let’s sit down and make this easy for Lanna. She’s Quinn’s cousin.”

Conlan’s sharp gaze went to Lanna. “Why would he let—”

“Not yet, Conlan,” Evalle said, moving to the sofa.

Once they were seated, Lanna said, “I cannot talk to you while I do this or I may make mistake and cause thunderstorm.”

Guess mini-me had a few bugs to work out in her spell casting.

Evalle waited until Lanna nodded at her, then Evalle turned to Conlan and told him how she—and Lanna—came to be at TÅμr Medb. Then she laid out what she knew about the impending attack on Treoir. “So, right now, I’m the one suspicious of
you,
since you escaped VIPER headquarters and you came to the Medb voluntarily, right?”

“I did.”

When Evalle pulled back, Conlan lifted a hand. “Let me explain. Quinn did see the vision of me offering to join the Medb in the part of my mind that projects the future, but that isn’t always reliable, because the future can be changed.”

“But it
didn’t
change.”

“That was intentional.”

Evalle didn’t want to believe it of Quinn, but someone had freed Conlan from VIPER lockdown, and Quinn had refused to accept that Conlan was a traitor. But Kizira didn’t believe Quinn had committed that crime.

Evalle didn’t either. “Who helped you escape?”

Conlan said nothing for several seconds. He finally drew a long breath and, on the exhale, said, “Guess it won’t matter if we don’t save Treoir. Tzader got me out.”

Tzader? Stunned didn’t quite cover what she was feeling. Try nauseous, disappointed and hurt. But should she believe this about Tzader any more than about Quinn? “Why?”

“He knew I’d never get out until someone delivered the traitor to Macha, but we’d had no breaks on finding the traitor for several years. He told me he’d free me if I was willing to take on a secret duty, because if I didn’t he thought I’d be safer staying in VIPER lockdown. He wanted me to use what we learned from my vision to infiltrate the Medb.”

Why hadn’t Tzader told her? “Did Quinn know?”

“No one knew but the two of us. Tzader wouldn’t put anyone else at risk, especially you or Quinn.”

Poor Tzader had shouldered this on his own with no support from her and Quinn. “Have you found out who the traitor is?”

“No, but I do know he has a scar of two
X
s entwined with a snake. It’s high on his right forearm. I heard Flaevynn marked him so there would be no doubt who her people should trust.” Conlan scratched his short hair. “Speaking of trust, why should I trust you and Kizira?”

“Because we have a plan to save Treoir, and if it doesn’t happen, the Medb will hold the power to turn the world into their playground. Are you in or not?”

N
ot looking forward to what he had to tell Quinn, Tzader waited as Quinn separated from the last division of warriors heading out to fill in spots along the coast of Treoir.

“Any word on Evalle or Lanna?” Quinn’s shoulders dipped with the weight of worry.

“Sort of.” Tzader explained about finding the notes in Storm’s house, then showed Evalle’s to Quinn. “Evalle must have gotten a chance to return to Atlanta for some reason and used that to get a message to us. I have no idea what Storm meant about a witch doctor, but I think Evalle is telling us a bunch of Alterants are coming here, but they’ve changed—or something is different—”

“Like they can’t die,” Quinn finished on a grim note.

“Yep. Sounds like they
did
become immortal as the Medb promised.” Another strike against Evalle. Tzader pushed his emotions aside and focused on defenses. “Macha will turn
all
her power toward maintaining the ten-mile-wide ward around the castle to stop the Alterants, but if enough of them attack it with immortal power, she might not be able to hold them.”

“What’s our plan?”

“Who do you think will be controlling the Alterants?”

Quinn didn’t hesitate. “Kizira.”

“Can you mind lock and interfere with her control?”

Quinn rubbed his forehead. “If all of them are tied to her, it might be like trying to break through one Belador mind when a group is linked. That’s damn hard to interrupt, but I’ll try.”

If anyone could do that, Quinn could. Tzader hadn’t shared his secret weapon yet. The Belador healers wanted twenty more hours without a reported infection before clearing anyone to use telepathy, and Macha had agreed. Tzader could use telepathy with only one person who believed himself immune to the infection. Quinn. “The note indicates this group will have telepathic communication. I’m guessing that’s their Belador blood allowing that, which means
we
should be able to contact the Alterants.”

“You think to intercept their thoughts?”

“No, I plan to cause major interference in their entire internal systems, from thought to navigation to coordination. Are you sure you’re immune to the infection?”

“Ah, I see. Yes, I’m immune. How are we going to infect them?”

This was the part that turned Tzader’s stomach. “We brought a healer and one of our warriors from quarantine who is still infected.”

“Might not work unless he’s a powerful telepath.”

“That’s why we have Trey McCree here. The healers say the stronger the telepath, the faster the infection has traveled. Trey’s willing to be infected, then to reach out . . . to Evalle.”

Quinn’s face sagged with disappointment.

Tzader swallowed past the knot in his throat. “Read the last line she wrote for us. Evalle was telling us not to allow her to reach Brina. But this is my decision. If we can take her alive, that’s my goal. If not, I’ll make that call. I just need you to deal with Kizira.”