Chapter 31

Part 1

On the ship ride to the island, Kol was trying to find a nice spot to take a nap. Max stepped from the shadows. “Max.”

Max had a stern look on his face, “don’t hurt her.” He was gone.

Kol was a little shaken but continued to search for his quite napping place. He was praying he would be able to sleep the whole way. It wasn’t long before the lapping of the water against the hull sent him to dream land.

Kessa jumped off her horse when she spotted a child lying in the water.

They went together to investigate. The child was a girl and her entire left side had been removed. Kol frowned. “What person could be so cruel?”

She examined the child, “I don’t think it was a person.” She clicked her teeth together.

He looked at her in shock. “Why did you do that?”

She rolled her tongue around her teeth, “Look here.” She pointed at the stomach. “Look at the curvature of the wound; it looks like a bite.”

“No, what animal could have done this?”

“But look at the pattern. Here,” she pointed at the two ends of the wound. “The flesh is smooth in the middle and torn around the edges, meaning the teeth got more penetration in the middle.” They examined the back. “See, they line up as if by a bite.”

“That is a horrible thought.” He pointed out a design on the flesh in the small of the child’s back. “What’s that?”

“She’s a Shadow child. They brand themselves according to clan. If she married into a different clan, that brand would go above hers.”

“How do you know that?”

She smiled, “I believe you told me once before my king, that I take my job too seriously.”

“I did didn’t I?” He smiled.

She took a blanket from her horse, wrapping the child up. “Please go back to the city. I will take the girl to her people.”

He nodded, “be careful.”

“I will.” She started to mount her horse, “Kes.” He kissed her, “return to me.”

Kessa rode very slowly into the forest. Even though Brum and a group of his men helped clean up Mecca after the sand storm, minds can be changed in a heartbeat.

She was being watched. Eyes peered from behind every tree. She stopped by a large fire, encircled by people. From the looks on their faces, most would have been happy to kill her.

One gruff man stood, with a hatchet in his hand, “you have nerve.”

“I seek an audience with King Brum.”

He mocked her in a childlike voice, “I seek an audience with King Brum.”

King Brum appeared out of a tent, “what brings you to our forest?”

“Good king, are you missing any children?”

A distraught woman stood, “my daughter.” She shouted, “has been missing for seven moons.”

The gruff man that greeted Kessa growled at the woman and she sank back down.

“King Brum, I found a child by the river. A female child.”

He took the body from her and in the grieving woman’s presents unwrapped it. She began to wale.

The gruff man shouted above the waling, “You did this Meccian.” He started wielding his hatchet.

Brum waved him down.

“An animal did this.” Kessa offered.

“What animal?” Someone called from the group.

King Brum let out a long sigh, “walk with me.”

He led her deep into the forest, stopping in ear shot of rolling water. He made a noise but got no reply. “If a woman was here giving birth, no man shall enter.” They continued walking. Below them opened up a beautiful scene. Rolling water seemed to come out of the rock, warm as evident from the steam that was rising off of it. “Our women have been coming here for centuries. They say the water is soothing and helps with the pain of child birth. The flowers calm the senses. It gives them something else to focus on. They can clean their baby’s in the water; clean themselves, before coming home.”

Kessa agreed, it was an amazing place. “Has anyone been killed here?”

“Yes, there have been four attacks: one woman as been killed and one child.”

“Tell me about the woman that was killed.”

His voice cracked when he spoke, “her entire mid-section was gone. She had already started giving birth. All that was left of the baby was its head and shoulders.” He dropped to one knee. She let him grief, “we searched the entire forest. We found nothing. My people are angry. They think this curse is a direct result of helping you.”

“We know nothing of this.” She walked around the ridge for a moment. “Has anyone survived an attack?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think she will talk to me?”

“We can ask.”

King Brum did ask. And in front of the assembled tribe, she agreed. She lifted her top allowing Kessa to examine her body. On the front half were two well defined round holes. On her back was a crescent shaped ridge. “What do you remember?”

“Nothing, just being terrified.”

Kessa lowered the woman’s top, “what about before?”

“Nothing, it was quiet. There were no birds singing. No anything.”

“Is that odd?”

The gruff man answered, “what do you think? We live in a forest!”

Members of the assembled group laughed.

“Were you giving birth?”

She hung her head, “no. I was there with Mara.”

Kessa looked at King Brum. He laid his hand flat on his stomach.

“I’m sorry.” She paused, “do you remember who was attacked first?”

The gruff man asked, “what’s with all the questions?”

“I was.” Tears rolled down the girls face. “I was there to help Mara. There was this foul odor. Rotten. Then pain. I heard Mara scream. I felt myself being flung through the air. Her screaming was all I could hear. The men that found me said I had hit my head on a tree.”

“I didn’t think men were allowed there?”

The gruff man answered, “we are not. She was found on top of the ridge as far as from me to you from the edge.” He was standing at least the length of five people away from Kessa.

She turned back to King Brum, “I will be back.”

Kessa was standing in the king’s chamber. He was nowhere around. The curtains were still pulled. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

He picked her up and spun her around the room. “You’re back.”

She smiled, “were else would I be, my king?”

Chapter 30

Part 2

“Let me test.” He dipped her blood filled boot in the pool. It bubbled and hissed wildly. “Can’t do that. Looks like we are doing this the old fashion way.” Rajaf began to mix together different things from his bag making a green paste. “Baby girl, this is going to hurt.” She screamed as he began working the paste into her wounds.

Kol wanted to die. He thought she was going to tear his garments off. With each scream, his heart stopped.

Violet collected Kessa’s uniform and ran from the room.

As much as Kol wanted her arms around him, he didn’t want it to be this way.

When he moved to let Rajaf have a better position to bandage Kessa’s hip, the box containing the chain fell from his pocket. Max picked it up handing it to him. They locked eyes for a moment. Max knew.

Once Rajaf was finished, “we need to let her rest.” He and Max left. Kol found a Bible and decided he would start reading to her. Much like she had read to him in the past.

He stroked her hair and she moaned. “Kes?”

“Yes, my king.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m afraid to look.”

“May I help?”

She tried to smile. “Thanks, my king.” He helped her up out of the floor. Instantly, she was light-headed. “Too soon.” He directed her head to his shoulder. It took all her strength not to be sick.

Rajaf came back. Kol held her while Rajaf cleaned and redressed her wound. “I soaked the bandages in the liquid. They didn’t react violently to her blood. Let’s see what happens.”

“Isn’t that too great a risk?”

“I don’t think she would think it was.”

It seemed to work.

“Let’s try this again.” He woke her. Her leg hurt like sin. It burned and felt like a swarm of bees stinging. She pulled her breath through her teeth. Kol stood at the ready to support her. She made it out of the floor. Already, she was covered in sweat and her head was spinning. Instead of allowing her back to the floor; Kol took her to one of Enda’s tables.

Kol woke to see Max with outstretched arms ready to catch Kessa if – when she fell. Kol was amazed that just after two days, she was up and walking.

She hissed, “we missed the boat.”

“He smiled a great big smile, “boats wait for me.”