Part 12 (2/2)

”I am aware of what he has told you. I have been watching him since he left the cave. He is lying to you, no doubt in attempts to rid himself of you,” she said.

Myranda looked desperately about. This could not be happening. These were the warriors that were intended to save this world. Now one refused to believe his place, and the other refused to help him.

”However . . . ” came the voice from the fire. ”The mere fact that he has been willing to suffer your presence for so long, let alone his consideration and even protection of you, betrays a fundamental . . . alteration of his character that will need to be reversed if he is to rise adequately to his true purpose.”

Slowly she removed herself from the fire and s.h.i.+fted back to the human form. As she did, the last lingering flames were drawn into her, leaving the fire fully extinguished. The woman walked with purpose in the direction of the others. Myranda remained behind long enough to disguise where the fire had been. Myn trotted quickly back to aid her and urge her along.

”Myn. This is going to be more difficult than I'd imagined,” she said as she turned to follow.

When she reached the others, Desmeres was walking a few steps behind. The woman was beside Lain. All were silent. When he noticed Myranda, Desmeres took a few steps further back to join her.

”Well. Quite a pair, aren't they?” he said quietly. ”So far all she has done is order me to take a more fitting position. I appreciate people who make an accurate first impression quickly. It saves time.”

”Where are we going?” Myranda asked.

”There is another safe house. Still a fair distance away. Of course, this one is much smaller. Barely built to house Lain and I. With you, the dragon, and our new ray of suns.h.i.+ne, things are going to be cozy,” he remarked.

”What do we do next?” she asked.

”First we find the safe house. Once inside we can start making plans,” he said. ”To that end, I've a few issues that you may be able to help me with.”

”I imagined you might,” she replied.

”You mentioned that Epidime used a halberd like the one the woman had. That was Arden who used the Halberd, not Epidime,” Desmeres observed.

”Arden is Epidime,” Myranda said.

”No . . . How could Arden be Epidime? Do you know this for certain?” Desmeres asked doubtfully.

”If that brute who tried to kill me at the mines was Arden then I am convinced he is Epidime. I spent the last two weeks struggling to keep him out of my mind,” she said.

”Keep him out of your mind . . . so he was attempting to read your mind?” Desmeres said, suddenly a good deal more interested.

”Read is too gentle a word. He was forcing his way in. He was trying to take it for his own,” she s.h.i.+vered.

”Are you sure Arden was the one doing it? Is it possible that he was just an enforcer and the attempts were coming from elsewhere?” Desmeres asked.

”The attempts were doubly intense when he made contact. It was him,” she said.

”Mind reading. It must have been Epidime. Arden is Epidime. He had us fooled. He had everyone fooled,” Desmeres said quietly to himself. ”I am not accustomed to being caught off guard with information such as this. Information is the biggest part of my role in the partners.h.i.+p. This changes things.”

”How so?” she asked.

”Well for one, the contact I have in Arden's organization has just become infinitely more valuable. And . . . other things,” he said.

”What?” she asked.

”Nothing that might interest you,” he said.

”Why don't you want to tell me?” she asked, having heard too many such responses to take them at face value.

”Not to offend you, Myranda, but it seems fairly clear to me that we are not likely to receive the rest of the price on your head. Any attempts to secure it from this point forward would be folly. Not that I am disappointed. The half that they have given us more than triples the amount we've earned on our three best years combined. However, since you aren't terribly likely to join our cause, it does mean our bizarre little partners.h.i.+p is nearing its end. Soon we will part ways. With that in mind, you already know more about us than anyone alive today. If we tell you much more, you may as well go into business for yourself,” he explained.

”I don't understand. When you were planning to hand me over, alive, to the very same people trying to hunt you down, you were willing to answer any question I had. Now that you have given up on turning me over, you begin keeping secrets?” she said. ”Why? What was different then?”

”You don't want to know,” he said, the earnestness in his voice a warning.

”You know me better than that. Tell me,” she said.

Desmeres heaved a heavy sigh.

”It will strain our relations.h.i.+p. I would be lying if I said that I hadn't become fond of you in the time we've been working together. I would much prefer to leave on pleasant terms,” he said.

”Desmeres, you and Lain have been trying to claim a ransom on my head for the better part of a year, and despite that fact, you remain my two closest allies in all of this,” Myranda pointed out.

”Yes, twists of fate and quirks of incident have certainly cast us in the role of protectors more frequently than captors,” he agreed.

”If I could come to trust you despite the fact that I know you had only the worst intentions in mind, what could you possibly say to 'strain our relations.h.i.+p'?” she asked.

”You would be surprised,” he said.

”Only if you tell me,” she said, growing impatient.

”Lain?” he said, raising his voice slightly.

”Tell her,” came his response.

Desmeres sighed again.

”The plan was to accept full payment and exchange yourself and the sword at once. Lain would then follow the courier to where you were taken and poison you,” he explained. His tone was not apologetic, merely antic.i.p.atory or the reaction he knew would follow.

Myranda stopped walking. She was silent for a time. Lain and the other Chosen continued on. Desmeres stopped a few steps later. He turned to her.

”I warned you,” he said.

”That . . . How could you even . . . ?” She attempted.

”Is it really so much worse than merely handing you over? We were doing so with the full expectation that you would not last long once we turned you in. The poison would have been a quick death, far better than anything that they would have had in store,” he offered.

”Are you still planning to kill me?” she asked.

”Against all good judgment, the decision has been made to let you live your life to its natural end,” he said.

”Well, I am glad that-” she began.

The ring of a sword being pulled from its sheath cut her remark short. Lain held the sword to the neck of the other Chosen.

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