Barbarian King’s Mate by Ivy Sparks

Chapter Fifteen

Daphne

When Garathand Tennar came back, I recognized instantly that something was wrong. Something happened between them in the trees. They split apart and didn’t go near each other while Nissaya made the evening meal. Tennar didn’t joke, and Garath stalked to the farthest point where he could still see us without anyone trying to talk to him. He hacked at the undergrowth with his dagger for no apparent reason.

Nissaya handed me an ubos cake. “Ignore him. He’ll work it out for himself. Let him come back in his own time.”

I nibbled on the cake, but I couldn’t leave Garath alone. Whatever was bothering him must’ve been important. He didn’t act this way during our first trek through the forest.

I took another cake and tiptoed over to him. He didn’t move away, but he didn’t look at me, either. “You must be tired,” he simply said. “I can make you another hut to keep you warm tonight.”

I held out the cake to him. “Eat this. You haven’t eaten since before the ritual.”

He slashed even harder at the vines. “I’m not hungry.”

“You’re lying. Tell me what’s bothering you.”

“No.”

I took a deep breath. He was as knuckle-headed as he looked. “Is it this trip that’s bothering you?” I started, not the slightest bit deterred. “The fact that we have to bring back proof?”

Garath simply grunted.

“Why do you think your father couldn’t just take your word about the Vorlax?”

He cast the most fleeting glance at me, then concentrated everything on tearing the jungle to pieces with his bare hands. “He’s tired. The war took a lot out of him. He wants to believe we’re safe here. He doesn’t want to believe the Ranxi might have found us again.”

“Why are the Ranxi so hellbent on wiping the Kavians out?”

He stopped only long enough to inhale. “The Ranxi are incredibly advanced. They go after developing civilizations that might pose a future threat to their imperialistic plans for galactic domination.”

“How advanced were the Kavians before the Ranxi came?”

“We weren’t advanced, but we had the beginnings of a warrior society that could have stopped the Ranxi from invading our sector. We had strong allies, and a thriving trade network with our neighbors. We were the only species in the sector who would have been able to stop the Ranxi’s advance, if we were given a few more centuries to develop. They biologically modified our allies to turn against us, and plundered their homeworlds for resources to use against Kavius. Once they get what they want from their chattel species, they wipe them out too.”

I shook my head in disgust. I couldn’t imagine why the Ranxi would be so malicious.

Garath continued, “The Ranxi would have wiped us out too, but another species rescued the survivors and got us off Kavius at the height of the invasion. They brought us here. They couldn’t help us beyond that without incurring the Ranxi’s wrath.”

“They could have given you some technology to help you. They didn’t have to leave you hiding in a cave.”

He shook his head. His slashes at the undergrowth grew less as his thoughts wandered to the past. “Our rescuers had a law against that kind of interference. They classified us as a tribal species. They said we have to advance at our own pace.”

I smacked my lips. I still didn’t like it. Whoever these mystery rescuers were, they could have at least left the Kavians some tools to defend themselves against the Ranxi. Didn’t these supposed saviors realize that the Ranxi would never rest until they annihilated all Kavians everywhere?

Garath still didn’t acknowledge me standing next to him. He went back to cutting the branches. Though once I noticed his cut branches were all of equal length, I realized he was cutting them for the hut he planned to build for me. He was thinking of me, after all.

I returned to the fire to find Tennar talking to Nissaya. His reserve from a few minutes ago had evaporated, and he was his usual chipper self. By the time full dark set in, Garath had completed a hut almost identical to the first one—except that he made it obvious we wouldn’t be sharing it.

He waved me toward the entrance without meeting my eyes. I couldn’t bring myself to drag him out of whatever dark funk he was in, so I crawled inside. Thankfully, the leaves put me to sleep before I could worry further.

* * *

Our party passed mostof the next day in silence. No one felt much like talking. Tennar chatted pleasantly with anyone who engaged him, but he didn’t initiate like he did yesterday. He kept to himself and thought a lot, which in the short time I’d known him was about the most uncharacteristic thing he could possibly do.

Garath hung back and scowled anytime anyone looked sideways at him. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what I might have done to piss him off. If Nissaya was right, I might not have done anything. Maybe he just enjoyed stewing in his own juices until he snapped out of it.

That left me and Nissaya between the two guys. The two of us talked more than anyone, which was still pretty close to never. For some reason, the expedition that started out so jovially transformed into a brooding, fuming strain that lasted for hours.

Toward the afternoon, we stopped at a stream. It looked remarkably familiar. It took me a minute to realize it was the same stream where Garath and I had first stopped to rest.

Garath nodded up the hill. “The glade is on the other side of this ridge. I propose we sneak in and see how many Vorlax are there. If there are over four, we’ll retreat here and come up with a contingency plan.”

“And if there are less than four?” Nissaya asked.

“Then we attack, kill them, and see if any of Daphne’s gear is still there.”

Tennar nodded. “I can go along with that.”

Nissaya put her pack on the ground and fished out a longbow, along with a quiver of arrows. She draped the strap over her torso, then the four of us tiptoed up the hill. Garath and Tennar went in front, but now that we finally got this close to the glade, I kicked myself for not bringing a real weapon. Garath tried to give me a dagger, but since I didn’t really know how to use it, I was effectively unarmed.

Tennar and Garath crouched behind a thick patch of bushes. Nissaya and I scooted in behind them as quietly as we could. Through the leaves, I gaped at the cage where the Vorlax had held me captive. They hadn’t moved it. I couldn’t see Philippa’s body behind the platform, but I wouldn’t be surprised if her corpse was still lying where I left it. I didn’t want to look too hard to confirm either way.

Garath clenched a fist, and his knuckle spikes shot out from under the skin. At the same time, spikes erupted along his neck and back. He arched his shoulders until he looked twice his normal size. He looked deadly and ferocious—more deadly and ferocious than usual.

He gave Tennar a hand signal, and they both crept out of hiding. They stepped into the glade and my heart stood still. But the farther they ventured, the more we could tell that the Vorlax weren’t there.

Garath turned a complete circle, scanning every inch of the surroundings. He motioned me forward. I swallowed hard and stepped out. I was back in the one place I had never wanted to return to again.

Fortunately, Philippa’s body wasn’t there either. I made a mental effort not to think about what the Vorlax might have done with her. The cage bars hung from the torn fibers where Garath had cut them, otherwise they were untouched.

Garath caught my eye and nodded toward one side. Against the opposite fringe of leaves lay two backpacks—mine and Philippa’s. I didn’t see them there when Garath had rescued me. Either the Vorlax brought them here when they captured us, or they brought them here from the hilltop afterward. At least we wouldn’t have to make a second side trip to retrieve them.

I pounced on them and rummaged through their contents. I pushed aside Philippa’s scanner and seized the communications device. I hit the power button to turn it on. Nothing happened. It had been disconnected from its power supply for too long.

Never mind. I might not have been the greatest tech expert in the universe, but I could at least try to get it working. I shoved it inside and searched only enough to satisfy myself that the solar power pack was still in there too.

I cinched the top closed and heaved the backpack onto my shoulder. I turned to let Garath know I was ready to go… and my heart stood still. In front of my eyes, five Vorlax sprang from the undergrowth, and one of them collided with Garath.

He wheeled to face them. He raised his dagger in his right hand and clenched his left fist to expose his knuckle spikes, but he was already too late. The Vorlax hit him in a flying tackle and slammed him down on the ground. The creature pinned his arms on both sides, and its deadly tail arched over him. The dripping stinger on its tip plunged to impale him.

I screamed and exploded out of myself. I don’t know what hit me, but I couldn’t let him die like this—not after everything that happened. I dove for the Vorlax. Drawing the dagger Garath gave me never entered my head. I wanted to tear the creature apart with my bare hands.

More Vorlax hurtled into the glade from all directions. Nissaya streaked to my right with dozens of arrows flying from her bow. Three of the monsters spun around and skittered to catch her, but she vaulted high in the air and landed in a nearby tree.

One of her arrows glanced off the Vorlax attacking Garath. The projectile deflected off the exoskeleton near its eye, and the creature whipped around with a hideous squeal. At that moment, Garath struck out with his knuckle spikes. He caught the creature between the head and thorax. Its pencil-thin neck got stuck between the barbs of Garath’s spikes, and he held the monster still long enough to slash it with his dagger.

I charged at the creature as its head toppled to one side. I heaved at the enormous body still holding Garath down. Even in death, it remained fixed so he couldn’t move.

I planted my palms against the smooth armor and shoved with all my might. I pushed so hard my feet slipped in the soft soil, but still the Vorlax remained fixed there, as though rooted to the ground.

Another Vorlax lunged for me, but before it could reach me, Tennar vaulted into its path. He didn’t raise his weapon or use his knuckle spikes. He hunched his shoulders and lowered his corkscrew horns. The Vorlax’s own speed impaled itself on Tennar’s horns, and he finished it off with his blade.

Nissaya dashed to my side and added her strength to mine. Between the two of us, we toppled the Vorlax off Garath, but he still didn’t get up. He could hardly raise his head.

Nissaya collapsed on her knees next to her brother and covered her face with both hands. “No, Garath! It can’t be.”

He tried to extend a hand to her, and his arm flopped. Tennar towered over his friend and compressed his lips, holding back emotion. Garath’s eyes drifted half-closed before he dragged them into focus on his friend. “Take… care of…”

Tennar nodded, and his voice broke when he finally managed to speak. “You got it. You have my solemn word.”

“What’s the matter with you guys?” I shrieked. “Get up, Garath! Come on. More Vorlax could come back at any moment.”

I took his arm and tried to lift him, but he weighed as much as a boulder. Nissaya and Tennar didn’t move to help me. They bowed over Garath as though he were already dead.

“I’m so sorry, Garath,” Nissaya choked. “I should have… I should have gotten to it sooner.”

He tried to touch her again, and this time, his hand grazed her knee. Tears overflowed her eyes, and her shoulders shook with sobs. “No, Garath. No!”

Tennar turned away. I wheeled from one to the next. “Cut it out! Come on, Garath! Get up! We’re leaving. I got the communication device. We can go back to Caverncall. We don’t have to stay here.”

Garath lurched toward me, and one mighty hand clamped behind my head. He pulled me in and kissed me once. Then he yanked me off and held me in a death grip a few inches away from his eyes. He struggled to focus even at that distance. “Daphne… get… safety. Have to… get out. Go.”

“No!” I screeched. “I’m not leaving you here. Christ, Nissaya! What’s wrong with him?”

She took one hand away from her face long enough to point to a black dot on his stomach, right under the ribs. It looked like a large freckle, but it definitely wasn’t there before. I’d seen him with his shirt off enough. I would have recognized it.

I frowned. “What is that?”

“Vorlax…” Nissaya blurted out. “It’s a sting.”

“A…” I couldn’t say it. That thing had stung him after all.

“Vorlax venom…” Tennar husked. “It’s the most deadly poison there is. There is no cure.”

“Bullshit!” I thundered. “He can’t die! He can’t!”

Nissaya started crying again. Tennar raised his eyes to stare into the trees, pulled himself together, then forced himself to look down at Garath.

This couldn’t be happening. Garath couldn’t die. I couldn’t live with that.

I bent over him, but his eyes were already blurred out of focus. They didn’t look at me again. That was the last time. He told me to get to safety.

No. I couldn’t leave him. Some part of me would rather die here with him than to walk away. I didn’t care if it was hopeless or if the Vorlax came back. In a way, it would be a mercy to die here rather than…

I looked up. The forest surrounded me on all sides. I couldn’t go back to Caverncall without him. At that moment, I knew I couldn’t go back to Earth without him either. Something happened to me on this crazy planet. I didn’t know what it was, but I could never go back to who I was before.

I bowed over him. He couldn’t see me, but I could see him. I filled my awareness with him alone. “Garath, I don’t know if you can hear me, but thank you. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I’ll never forget…”

I wanted to say so much more, but none of it expressed how I really felt. I lowered my mouth to kiss him. Just one more kiss. A long, tortured sob rose in my throat. That sob went on and on into eternity. It would never end if he fell here. If he died, it would never go away. The pain would haunt me for life.

With my lips still pressed to his mouth, something buzzed against my thigh. I lifted myself off of him and looked down. It was coming from my pants pocket.

I pulled out my scanner. Dozens of readings streamed across the screen as the detection system covered the area. My weight leaning against it must have turned it on.

I almost put it away when I spotted something familiar. I stabbed my finger at the screen and stopped the feed. My throat went dry. It couldn’t be. It had to be. My heart leaped into my mouth.

Tennar tugged Nissaya’s sleeve. “We should get under cover. We can’t stay here. It’s too dangerous.”

“Tennar!” I hissed. “How long does Garath have?”

He blinked back tears, but he didn’t let them fall. “Hours, if he doesn’t move. We can carry him down to the stream, but that’s all. He won’t make it back to Caverncall no matter how still he lies.”

I rocketed to my feet. “Do you know this plant?” I showed him my scanner. “It grows on the hills near the coast. Is it here? Does it grow in this jungle?”

Nissaya exploded into furious bellows. “Your mate is dying before your eyes, and all you can think about is your precious plants? Don’t you know what this means for our people? Zixor will become King, and none of us will survive when the Ranxi come after us.”

“Listen to me, please, Nissaya,” I breathed. “I know you’re upset right now, but please, if you ever listen to me, listen now. This poison—Vorlax venom—has almost exactly the same chemical composition as a poison we have on Earth. It’s the venom of a rare sea snake that lives… well, that doesn’t matter. The point is that we have a cure for it. We developed an anti-venom that neutralizes the poison.”

“So what!” she shrieked. “That antidote is on Earth. It’s no good to us here.”

“This plant…” I showed her the scanner screen. “I found it on the hilltop where the Vorlax attacked me and my friend. It’s very closely related to another plant growing on a nearby planet. It has the same healing properties as the anti-venom. If we can find it in time, we can cure him. Don’t you see? Garath will survive—but we have to work fast. I need you and Tennar to help me find this plant. Do you know where it grows?”

Nissaya stared at me in blank astonishment. I might have been speaking another language for all the comprehension she registered at this revelation. She glanced over at Tennar, who also didn’t react.

Nissaya jerked around and stared at me again. “Really? You’re sure?”

“I’m positive! Please. There isn’t much time. We have to find this plant.”

She blinked a few more times. Then she and Tennar looked at each other as Garath lay senseless on the ground. Finally, Nissaya straightened up. “All right. I know where it tends to grow. Tennar, you stay here and guard Garath.”

She nodded at me and led the way into the trees. My heart crashed in my throat and head. I couldn’t be too late. I counted down the seconds while Nissaya and I hiked all the way back to the stream. The trip took way too long. I wanted to run, but Nissaya marched one foot in front of the other without rushing.

She followed the stream uphill to some rocky cliffs. She scaled the high walls and waited while I clambered up after her. She balanced on the rim of a clear pool with a tremendous waterfall plunging into it. A shower of spray filled the air.

At long last, when I thought my nerves couldn’t stand another second of delay, Nissaya squatted down. She pointed to a patch of grass sprouting from the rocks. “Is that it?”

My heart fluttered as I recognized the bluish hue commonly found in plants containing the anti-venom. “Yes. That must be it.”

I pointed my scanner at the grass just to make sure. It was the same species Philippa and I found on the hilltop—the one related to glaxis weed from Citronov.

I tugged the grass out and cupped my hand under the roots to keep the soil around them. I had to keep this plant fresh until we made it back to Garath. Nissaya showed me where to find four more clumps. I gathered them and tucked them inside my backpack.

Now came the long, torturous hike back to the glade. Once we returned, I found Tennar pacing back and forth as he glared into the trees. He kept his spikes out as if challenging any Vorlax to come near Garath.

Garath had regained consciousness, but when I saw him, I wished he hadn’t. He thrashed and contorted on the ground where he’d fallen. He ground his teeth and howled in agony. His wild eyes rotated around the glade without seeing anything.

Nissaya rushed to his side and tried to hold him against his own struggles. “Are you sure you can cure him?”

I ripped open my backpack, working fast. My shaking hands didn’t help, but I managed to draw out the grass. I didn’t care anymore about getting dirt all over my equipment.

I darted toward the cage platform. Memories of my experience inside its bars meant nothing to me now. I snatched one of the loose poles and positioned the grass against the smooth planks.

I used the post to pound the grass to a pulp. I spat on it to moisten it into a paste. I kept my back to Garath. I couldn’t let his tormented roars distract me.

When I finished, I scraped the mashed grass into my left hand and stormed back to him. I knelt down and fixed him with an unbending stare. “Listen to me, Garath!” I yelled over him. “Keep still. I’m going to put some medicine on the sting, then you have to swallow the rest. Understand? This is gonna hurt—a lot—but you have to take it all if you want to survive.”

If he understood me, he didn’t show it. He kept writhing and seething in pain, but he couldn’t rise. He roared in agony when I touched one gooey finger to the sting. I gritted my teeth and rubbed it into the skin as deep and hard as I could. I didn’t want to hurt him, but saving his life was more important.

I finished and turned to him. He had crossed into a sort of madness. He didn’t recognize me. He kicked his legs and slashed his spikes in the air.

“Hold him down!” I yelled at Nissaya. “Tennar, help me hold him!”

Tennar came over, but he couldn’t get near Garath with me and Nissaya there too, so he sat on Garath’s hips and jammed his massive arms down on Garath’s chest. Garath bellowed to the skies as Nissaya pried his jaws apart.

I scraped the rest of the pulp into his mouth, and Nissaya pinned his jaw shut until he swallowed it. Even then, he didn’t seem to realize he’d taken the cure.

It didn’t affect him at all for five full minutes. That was the longest five minutes of my life. Finally, he gave one last powerful convulsion, then collapsed, unconscious.