Shadow Heir

Chapter 15

The more we traveled, the more we learned something. Extreme cold and starvation weren’t the only problems facing the Otherworld’s residents. This world was full of all sorts of nightmarish creatures, most of which stayed away from the more civilized kingdoms. Creatures that were adapted to snowy climates also tended to live in obscurity since monarchs preferred to maintain pleasant conditions in their kingdoms.

Now, that had all changed. Monsters that had lived in ice and snow had just conveniently had their territory expanded exponentially, thanks to Varia. They began creeping out of their haunts, plaguing the bedraggled gentry. With so much infrastructure lost, monarchs were unable to muster much resistance to help their people fend off these threats. The Storm was only the first of many snow-loving adversaries we faced. Ice demons, albino trolls, more abominable knock-offs ... the variety seemed endless the farther we traveled.

“Why haven’t we seen these kinds of monsters in our kingdoms since the blight started?” I asked Dorian one day. It was midafternoon, and we rode our horses side by side. He didn’t answer for a few seconds, and for the first time in a very long time, there was a weary—though not quite defeated—air about him. We’d been on the road for a week, and it was taking its toll on all of us.

“A couple reasons, I’d imagine,” he said at last. “One is a matter of logistics. These creatures tend to live on the outskirts of our world. It’s simply taken them time to discover the feast the blight has created for them, and then of course, they’d actually have to put in the time to spread out and make the journey. They may simply not have reached our lands yet.”

That was a disheartening answer, its severity driven home by his sober look. “What’s the other reason we haven’t seen them yet?”

“We were living in a state of war before this disaster struck. Our armies were built up, our lands regularly patrolled. Much of that has stayed in place, even though our forces have taken heavy hits from the blight. But other kingdoms? Like the Palm Land? They were living an idyllic, peaceful existence. Their armies were minimal, so they had less to work with when the blight fell—and next to nothing now that the monsters are coming out of hiding.”

“Will ours be enough?” I asked. “Will our forces be able to protect our people?”

He studied me for a few moments, and I got the impression he was debating whether to answer with truth or comfort. He opted for the former. “I don’t know. We’re in better shape than most, and it’s a rule of nature that predators prefer easy prey. I don’t wish harm on any of these lands, but they’re probably more appealing to snow monsters than lands that fight back.”

His point was proved by the fact that many of the creatures we encountered tried to back off once they discovered the kind of fight we could put up. The smart thing on our part would have been to let them run ... but we, foolish or not, often pursued and took them out. It was hard not to when we kept passing more devastated villages. Leaving those people unguarded would have been cruel. It didn’t matter if they were our kingdoms or not. We were all victims of Varia.

The occasional fight also broke the monotony of travel. Volusian and our own intelligence assured us we were on the right path, but our days were long and dreary. We weren’t entirely sure how much farther we had to travel, and our rations were running low. I’d overheard Rurik and the soldiers debating whether or not they should impose new food restrictions to ensure our supplies would last. They’d decided against it at the time—we were already weak from hunger—but I’d gotten the impression that things might change very soon. I didn’t like that, but I disliked the thought of running out of food altogether even more.

Kiyo continued to be a constant stress to me. Whenever he had me alone, he’d attempt his absurd “reasonable” arguments about why Isaac was such a threat. Fortunately, Kiyo rarely got me alone, since almost everyone else went out of their way to interrupt his attempts. When Dorian did it, he would always act as though he had something really important to ask me, which almost always turned out to be ridiculous—like whether the purple in his cloak clashed with his tan horse. Others, like Rurik, made no such pretenses. He would simply force himself into the conversation and glare until Kiyo backed off.

Despite his nagging, Kiyo otherwise seemed to go to great pains to act like we were all civilized and friendly. I supposed this was better than him being aggressive or homicidal, but it seemed ridiculous after what he’d done to me. I couldn’t really believe he expected me to forgive and forget.

He scouted throughout most of the daylight hours, giving me some peace. One afternoon, he came tearing back toward us in fox form, with a sense of urgency that was obvious even as an animal. Immediately, we stopped and drew weapons, ready for an army of abominable snowmen around the bend. Kiyo reached us and turned human.

“What’s going on?” I demanded. I was tired and sporting a headache (probably from lack of food) but was ready to fight if need be.

Kiyo was panting, meaning he’d run back to us at a pretty serious pace. His fox form was normally pretty hardy. “You ... you have to see this. You won’t believe it.” Recovering himself, he glanced around and seemed to notice our tension. “And you don’t need your weapons.”

“What is it then?” asked Rurik, who showed no signs of putting his sword away.

“You just have to see it,” said Kiyo wonderingly. “It’s amazing.” He shape-shifted back to a fox and began trotting away. He paused after a few steps and glanced back to ascertain we were following. We set out at a cautious pace, none of us disarming.

“The kitsune’s gone insane,” said Dorian with mock sadness. “I knew it would happen sooner or later. If cold or starvation didn’t do it, I figured his own nature would bring it about. You can see these things coming, you know. I spotted it long ago, not that anyone bothered listening to me.”

I smiled in spite of my apprehension. “Right. You’re a regular—”

I gasped. The land had shifted around us, as it did a few times each day. Only this time ... we weren’t in a blighted kingdom.

Brilliant sunlight and a blue, blue sky nearly made me wince after spending so much time in the stark landscape of the blight. Chilling silence had been replaced by birdsong and the chatter of other animals. Trees—with leaves—spread out as far as we could see, radiantly green and alive. And the temperature ... that was the most amazing thing of all. Probably, it was only around seventy, but after being in the blight, we might as well have stepped into the tropics.

“There’s no blight here,” exclaimed Jasmine, her gray eyes wide. “It’s like—plums! Holy shit! Plums!”

She was off her horse in a flash, running toward the nearest tree. With dexterity I hadn’t known she possessed, she scurried up the trunk and began picking purple and gold fruit as soon as she could reach the branches. She tossed several of the plums to the ground and then hopped down holding a huge one for herself. She bit into it, juice running down her chin, and looked as though she would faint in ecstasy.

The rest of us wasted no time. We dismounted too and joined in the plum feast. The crazy thing was, I don’t even like plums, but in that moment, they were the most delicious things I’d ever tasted. Our rations had consisted mostly of dried, salty goods that would travel well. Eating something so sweet and so fresh was exquisite. Plus, there were no limits here. We could eat as much as we wanted—and we did. I didn’t doubt I’d regret it later, but for now, it was glorious to have a full stomach. I stretched out in the grass when I was finished, marveling in the warmth. Others joined me, also basking in the moment. It took Dorian to point out the obvious.

“You realize, of course, why there’s no blight here?” he asked. No one responded. “This is one of Varia’s subject kingdoms. If not the Yew Land itself.”

That revelation certainly dampened the mood. I summoned Volusian, though it seemed like a shame on such a beautiful day. The only positive part was that this sort of cheery, bright location obviously bothered him.

“My mistress calls.”

“Where are we?” I asked. “We’re not in the Yew Land already, are we?”

“No, mistress. We are in the Beech Land.”

“Are you sure?” asked Jasmine with a mouthful of fruit. “Seems like the Plum Land to me.”

Volusian regarded her with narrowed eyes. “I am quite sure. This kingdom lies near the Yew Land, however.”

“You were right,” I said to Dorian. “One of Varia’s subjects.”

Dorian was sprawled on the grass, eyes closed and face tilted toward the sun. “Of course I was right.”

Kiyo tossed aside a plum pit. “I checked where the road led. It crosses back to the blight in a few miles, then back to this land. Not sure after that.”

“Still,” I said. “It’s a good sign that we’re on the right track. We should stay here for a little while. Stock up, wash up ...”

A number of us had begun peeling off our layered clothing, and the effects of not having bathed in a while were kind of obvious.

Jasmine sat up and peered around us. She pointed off to her right. “There’s a body of fresh water over—”

The sound of hooves on the road startled all of us. The impromptu plum picnic had made me feel lazy and content, but we’d spent too much time on edge recently to go totally lax. We were all on our feet as a group of riders came into view. Just like the scenery, these gentry were a sharp contrast to those we’d seen in the blight. This group was clean, well dressed, and obviously eating well. They looked strong and healthy—and had weapons drawn. We followed suit, though I hoped an altercation wouldn’t be necessary.

I also figured this probably wasn’t the most ideal situation for Rurik to negotiate, so I stepped forward before he could attempt to take control. Dorian joined me, and I tried to look pleasant and nonthreatening as I faced the riders.

“We don’t want any trouble,” I called. “We just want to pass through peacefully.”

“We can pay for the plums, if that’s the problem,” added Dorian helpfully.

“We know who you are,” snapped one of the riders. She was a woman with graying, curly hair and bore the air and authority of a leader. “And we know why you’re here.”

That caught me by surprise, and I wondered what had given us away. Had someone leaked our plan to Varia? Had our descriptions been spread around? Did she have all of her kingdoms on high alert?

“So just turn back now,” the rider continued. “We don’t want your kind here.”

I blinked in confusion. If Varia was on alert for us to attempt some ploy, she would hardly have her people simply send us away. “I ... I don’t understand,” I said.

“You’re like all the others,” she said in disgust. “Dragging yourselves in from your wretched lands, trying to steal our food. Go back to where you came from and reap what you’ve sown for not acknowledging our queen as your mistress.”

Dorian immediately figured out what was going on. “Do we look like refugees simply here to steal food?” That might not have been the best question since we had just stolen food and looked kind of tattered. Still, there was a big difference between us and the other gentry we’d passed on this journey. “The reason we’re here is to fall upon your queen’s mercy. Our king sent us here to plead with her.”

The riders exchanged questioning looks with each other. “It’s true.... You don’t look like the usual rabble,” admitted the spokeswoman. It was a sign of our worn state that we didn’t look like royalty either. We certainly looked more like servants than masters. “What kingdom do you come from?”

“The Lilac Land,” said Dorian quickly. This was met with blank looks, largely because said kingdom didn’t exist, to my knowledge. “It’s very far away. We’ve been traveling a long time and simply want to free our land from the curse.”

The riders had a quiet conference with each other and finally came to a decision. “We’ll escort you to our borders,” said the gray-haired woman. “Just to be certain. Once you cross into the next loyal kingdom, however ... be warned. You may not find such a warm reception. The Mimosa Land and its residents are not nearly so accommodating.”

This was warm and accommodating? That didn’t bode well for the next kingdom. I also found it sad that a place called the Mimosa Land was unfriendly. It sounded like a party waiting to happen.

“Thank you,” said Dorian, in the humblest voice I’d ever heard him use. “May we rest here briefly? We promise not to take long. We wouldn’t want to waste your valuable time, fair lady.” He then diminished some of his meekness by flashing her one of his charming, come-hither smiles. To my astonishment, she actually blushed. Unbelievable.

We were granted our break, but it was hardly the long bath I’d hoped for. I mostly managed to get the worst of the travel grime off and chose to stay in the clothes I’d been wearing. By Kiyo’s report, we weren’t entirely free of the blight yet, so there was no point in getting rid of the warm clothing yet. In fact, our party had to manage some tricky maneuvers to get it on and off quickly once our journey resumed. The layers were too heavy for the Beech Land but instantly needed when the road took us across the blight. After about three crossings, we stepped from the Beech Land into a new kingdom. It was evening now, and I couldn’t make out much in the darkness. The heat and humidity were immediately discernible, though. It kind of reminded me of Ohio.

“This is the Mimosa Land,” declared the Beech woman. We had never learned her name, though Dorian had certainly tried to woo it out of her with his shameless flirtation. “And here we depart. If the road maintains the pattern it has recently, you won’t cross the blight anymore.”

“Thank you,” said Dorian, sweeping her a bow. “Your kindness will not be forgotten. Nor will your beauty. My dreams will be haunted by your starry eyes and glossy hair.”

She merely grunted at that, but as the riders turned around, I caught sight of her smoothing back her hair in some weak attempt at styling. “That was ridiculous,” I told Dorian, once she’d left. “She’s not the kind of person to fall for your flirting.”

“On the contrary,” said Dorian. “She’s exactly the kind of person to fall for it. I understand these warrior maids, you know. They live such harsh, cold lives, always trying to keep up with the men ... when really, they just need someone to make them feel like a woman. And that, of course, is an area in which I excel. Why, if I’d had ten minutes alone with her—”

I groaned but couldn’t help laughing too. “Just stop,” I said. “I don’t want to hear it.” Dorian grinned back at me, supremely pleased with himself.

“We need to make camp,” said Kiyo harshly, not looking amused at all. In fact, he looked downright disapproving. “And post watches, if what she said was true about this being a hostile land.”

The levity vanished, and we were back to business again. The blight itself was more than enough proof that Varia and her allies weren’t people we wanted to underestimate. We doubled our usual night watch, and even those of us who weren’t on duty had trouble sleeping. The tropical setting was full of night noises, and I tossed and turned over each one of them, certain every insect or rustle of leaves was a combatant sent by Varia.

And yet, morning came uneventfully. I didn’t know if our presence had gone undetected or if the Mimosa residents really weren’t as dangerous as the Beech captain had claimed. Since this land didn’t seem to border any of the blighted ones, maybe there wasn’t such a need to protect against refugees. Regardless, we deemed ourselves reasonably safe enough to finally take our full break and get in some serious bathing in a nearby lagoon. We took the baths in gender shifts—something most of the gentry found silly—while the other half of the group gathered food. The Mimosa Land didn’t have fruit immediately growing on the road, but in this climate, one didn’t have to search far for sustenance.

Once I was stripped and in the water, I was able to get the first good look at my body that I’d had in a while. All of my residual pregnancy weight was gone. Unfortunately, this was largely because of the stringent diet I’d been on these last couple weeks. I wasn’t showing quite as many ribs as the others, but it was clear gym time would have been a much healthier way to get my figure back than near-starvation. Still, provided we survived this adventure, I could hope for nutrition soon and some return to my former state. The scar from my C-section was still obvious, but that would be the case for the rest of my life. For now, it was enough to have a moment’s peace and the luxury of submerging myself in water.

“Eugenie.”

There was an odd note to Jasmine’s voice as I emerged from underwater and tossed my soaking hair back. Blinking, I glanced over at her and saw that she and Keeli were focused on something off on the shore. I followed their gazes and saw nothing at first. Then, a slight movement revealed a lithe, female figure. I hadn’t noticed her because she literally blended into her surroundings.

Ostensibly, she had the same features as any pretty gentry or human woman. It was her coloring that was remarkable. Her hair and eyes were a vivid emerald green, her skin tanned to a shade of nut brown. Her only garment was a short dress made of leaves and flowers. She watched us nervously, like a doe ready to flee.

“Dryad,” said Keeli matter-of-factly. “Usually harmless.”

Dryads were rare in the human world, though sometimes they made it over. I’d never encountered one myself but knew “usually harmless” was an accurate statement. Dryads were tree nymphs who preferred to be left alone in their woods. When threatened, they could get aggressive. Otherwise, they tended to be shy and were often in more danger from passing men who were attracted by that Otherworldly beauty. Dryads allegedly didn’t welcome those advances and could be quite hostile to the opposite sex.

“I wonder if she could give us information about this place,” Jasmine remarked. I raised an eyebrow. It was a good idea and a surprising one from Jasmine, who tended to run to extremes.

“She probably won’t know much. It’s unlikely she’d have any loyalty to Varia,” added Keeli. “Dryads usually stay out of our affairs.”

We were using “usually” a lot here, but it was worth a try. I attempted what I hoped was a friendly smile at the dryad as I took a few steps toward the shore. “Hi there,” I said. “We aren’t going to hurt you. We’re just passing through.”

Jasmine decided to help as well. “Nice, um, trees you’ve got around here.”

The dryad regarded us thoughtfully with her long-lashed eyes. “You’re human,” she said in a voice that put one in mind of babbling brooks. She tilted her head. “Somewhat.”

I gestured to Jasmine and me. “Half human.”

“I’ve never met any human at all,” said the dryad.

“We’re harmless. I promise. What’s your name? I’m Eugenie. This is Jasmine and Keeli.”

Again, the dryad considered her words. “Astakana.” It was a big name for someone so delicate, but at the same time, it suited her.

“Leave her be,” murmured Keeli. “She’ll come to us on her own. Or won’t.”

So, with a few more friendly smiles, we returned to our swim and ignored Astakana. Travel in the Otherworld had prepared me to carry a few essential toiletries, and once I was sufficiently scrubbed clean, I sat on a rock and began untangling my hair with a plastic comb. I felt rather mer-maidlike. Also, considering I was sitting here naked with three other women around, I also kind of felt like something from a Penthouse letter.

“You have lovely hair.”

I’d been so intent on playing casual that I had almost forgotten the dryad’s presence. Glancing up, I was surprised to see she’d come closer to me. I hadn’t noticed her moving. Keeli hadn’t either, and even if she thought Astakana was “usually harmless,” the guardswoman still swam over to stay near me. Jasmine soon followed.

“Uh, thanks,” I said. “So do you.”

“Can I braid it?” asked Astakana.

I glanced around at the others. They shrugged. Braiding? That was unexpected. I guessed we were now moving into slumber-party territory. Still, the dryad looked so hopeful that I held out the comb. “Knock yourself out.”

She shook her head and sat behind me. “I can’t touch that. And I don’t need it anyway.”

Sure enough. Her deft fingers began sorting and arranging my hair, working out any residual tangles with touch alone. Jasmine and Keeli moved in closer, enthralled.

“That’s cool,” said Jasmine, cocking her head to get a better view. “Can you do mine next?”

“Of course,” said the dryad sweetly.

Astakana didn’t massage me or anything like that, but her workmanship had the same soothing quality as she began braiding small sections of my hair. I sighed contentedly, feeling more relaxed than I had in months, and it was only halfway through that I remembered I was supposed to be getting information out of her.

“Have you lived in the Mimosa Land for long?” I asked.

“All of my life,” she said.

“Seems like a nice place.”

“It is,” she assured me.

“Much better than other places,” I added. “Lots of other lands are having a terrible winter right now.”

“I’ve never seen any other lands,” she said simply. “I’ve never left this glade.”

I stifled a yawn, feeling mildly disappointed. If she’d never been outside this parcel of land, it seemed unlikely she’d know much about the world around her.

“Do you know anything about Varia?” I asked.

“Varia.” Astakana said the name with a slightly puzzled tone. “She rules the shining ones of a neighboring kingdom.”

“And this kingdom, from what I hear.”

“Perhaps that is what the shining ones say. My people keep free of their affairs.”

I looked over at Keeli and Jasmine to see if they had anything to add that might provide more information. So far, Astakana didn’t seem to have much to offer. But my two companions looked as though they weren’t even listening. They were too fixated by Astakana’s braiding skills and bore a dreamy, languid look. When the dryad finally finished with me, I discovered I had long since dried from the bath. She moved on to Jasmine while I sought clean clothes. After so much time bundled up, it was nice to just put on jeans and a T-shirt. When I returned to the others, I watched Astakana’s clever hands work and found myself just as fascinated as the others.

Jasmine’s hair was longer than mine, so it took Astakana a while to arrange it. When Keeli’s turn came, the dryad still took great pains with her hair, even though it was only chin-length. I sighed happily, watching the strands of hair go in and out, up and down. It was hypnotic. My eyelids felt heavy, and the afternoon heat and humidity were making me sleepy.

Afternoon?

I blinked myself awake and squinted up at the blue, blue sky. The sun was at its peak, and for a moment, I thought I was imagining things. We’d come here early this morning, and even with a “leisurely bath,” we’d only intended to spend about an hour.

“How ... how long have we been here?” I asked. A seed of panic was rising in me over the fact that I even had to ask a question like that. I honestly wasn’t sure.

“Dunno,” said Jasmine, not taking her eyes off of Astakana’s hands in Keeli’s hair.

I stood up and began pacing, trying to get my thoughts in order. “Why haven’t any of the guys come looking for us?”

“They probably didn’t want to bother us,” said Keeli. “They know how you feel about male and female nudity.”

“But after, what, four hours? I think they would’ve risked it.” The more I walked around, the more I returned to myself. Keeli and Jasmine seemed lost in their own worlds, though. “You guys? What’s the matter with you?”

Astakana glanced up from her work and gave me a pretty frown. “Why are you so agitated? Come back and join us. Once I finish her, I’ll find some flowers to put in your hair.”

“We don’t have time for that!” I exclaimed. “We don’t have time for this. You guys ... we need to go.”

Neither of my companions moved. I hurried back over and jerked Jasmine to her feet, dragging her away from the dryad. “Hey!” exclaimed Jasmine, with the first spark of energy I’d seen all day. “Why’d you do that?”

“You need to snap out of this. We need to get back to the camp. We’ve been here half the day!”

At first, Jasmine looked disbelieving. Then, glancing up, she deduced what I had about the time. She frowned, and I could see clarity returning to her eyes. “What the hell?”

I tossed Jasmine her satchel. “Keeli,” I called. “Keeli, we need to go.”

Keeli didn’t respond, and I strode toward the dryad, grabbing my silver athame along the way. “What have you done to her? What have you done to us?” I demanded.

“Nothing,” replied Astakana with another sweet smile. She finished the last of Keeli’s braids and stood up. “Nothing but spend a pleasant morning with you. It’s what we do. We bring peace and joy and leave happy memories—at least for women. With men, we leave nothing at all.”

The men. “What’s happened to them?” I suddenly felt cold all over. “Why were you distracting us? Never mind. Just get the hell away from her.”

I advanced with the athame, but Astakana moved with all the speed of the doe I’d likened her to earlier. She sprinted away, laughing merrily.

“We’ve done you a favor,” she called. “You don’t need those men. Men cause war. Now you can pass through our land serenely and maintain Varia’s great peace.”

Before I could attempt to figure out what that meant, Astakana bounded off into the woods and melted away. It was unclear if she simply slipped into the trees or became one, but I had no more time to care. She was gone, and I turned back to my friends. Jasmine was dressed, and Keeli was staggering to her feet.

“We have to get back,” I told them. Assuming they’d follow, I set off at a hard run back to where we’d left the guys.

If our experience had resembled a slumber party, the men’s was about two steps away from an orgy. I found the five of them exactly where I’d left them—only, they weren’t alone. Half a dozen dryads were there, performing the same kind of spa treatment Astakana had been giving us. Kiyo sat shirtless while a dryad rubbed some kind of flower oil into his back. Another dryad twined flowers into Danil’s hair. Still another held Dorian’s head on her lap and crooned to him as one of her cohorts rubbed his feet. All the men had the same dreamy, glazed-eyed looks we’d had at the lagoon.

I hurried forward with the athame, not entirely sure of my strategy, save that it would likely end in some dryad ass kicking. “Get away from them!” I yelled, hoping either silver or a pissed-off woman would scare them. “Leave them alone!”

The dryads scattered like a flock of birds, offering no resistance and disappearing into the trees with more merry laughter. After what Astakana had insinuated about men, I had thought there might be a fight ahead of us, as though the dryads would be busy slitting throats. All the men seemed to be alive, though, and I breathed a sigh of relief. We’d made it in time. Jasmine and Keeli soon joined me, also looking relieved.

“Well, that could have been a lot worse,” I said, putting the athame away. “I didn’t realize this would be the danger we’d face from the Mimosa residents.”

None of the men responded. None of them even looked my way. I’d assumed that, like us, they would come back to themselves once the dryads’ druglike presence was gone. Yet, all of the guys were staring off into space with dopey looks on their faces, oblivious to us and the world.

“What’s wrong with them?” asked Jasmine.

“Not sure,” I said. I hurried over to Rurik and shook his shoulder. “Hey. Wake up. Walk it off, okay?” He said and did nothing. Frustrated, I attempted to rouse the others and received similar results. Astakana’s words came back to me: We bring peace and joy and leave happy memories—at least for women. With men, we leave nothing at all.

I stared around in disbelief, clueless what to do. The men were still alive, but for all intents and purposes right now, they were dead to the world.