scratch at the insects he felt crawling around under his scalp. Then, as quickly as it started, it stopped. He began to sigh in relief as the prickling feeling faded, but the air was only half out when his skin began to melt.
He stumbled backward, shoving her away and clutching at his face in a single movement. Kaie started to shout at her – or maybe scream – but her hands darted forward like snakes, lacing over top of his mouth before the sound made it past his dissolving lips. The noise died against her palms, and he was left with the terror and a taste of her hand.
The sensation ended as quickly as it started, though his face was far from normal. It felt thick, heavy. Like someone replaced the skin with some sort of clay. Another second, and the clay hardened. It wouldn’t move the way it was supposed to, and he quickly found that he wasn’t able to open his mouth. The muscles in his jaw were like stone. With an effort, Kaie calmed his panicked breathing and Kissa lifted her hand.
She took a step back, rubbing her palm against her thigh absently. “You’ll be able to eat and talk in a few hours. Don’t do the latter until you’re sure you’re out of Lindel. Don’t do anything unless the soldiers tell you to, until you’re sure you’re out of Lindel. The Finders won’t hunt you, after that. But don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re free. Slaves are slaves through every bit of the empire. You won’t be free until you find a tiny spot of earth the Empress hasn’t noticed long enough to plant a flag on. Until then, keep running.”
He wanted to ask her how in the Abyss he was expected to know when he was out of Lindel. Vaughan talked about the country like it was the whole of the world, Kissa like there was some great line in the earth marking it off from the rest. Kaie didn’t think it would be as easy as either of those. Instead, he settled for a nod.
Kissa took a step backward, her lips pursed. Her need to say something more was so obvious it was painful. There were a great number of things he wanted to say to her as well, none of them particularly grateful. Again, he could do nothing but tilt his head to the side in a question that couldn’t be voiced.
After another moment of uncomfortable staring passed before she finally reached into her robe and pulled out a carefully folded piece of paper. Kissa pressed it into his hand with clear reluctance. “If you can’t get away before they reach Jorander, you’re going to be in a lot of trouble. You have to figure out some way to find Gregor Ironfist and give him this letter. He’s Ninth Rit and a good man. He’ll help you.”
He would read the letter for himself later. For now, he just nodded and tried to make his eyes look grateful. She sighed and did one final adjustment to his shirt. “Don’t need this letter. Get away before Jorander. Find your safe place and die old and asleep, dreaming of the revenge you never got. You owe us, the mages and Hollows who won’t ever get that chance. Don’t you dare fuck it up. ”
She took another step backward, a grim smile on her face. “Kaie the Unbroken is dead. Gods be merciful, may I never see his like again.”
You will , Kaie promised silently. Mine will be the last face you see.
For all the difficulty of getting there, it was absurdly easy to get on to the wagon. All the effort Kissa put into his hair was pointless. The soldier loading Hollows into the back of the ramshackle wooded cart hardly glanced him over before shoving Kaie into the dark depths. There was no checking of names or careful examination. It was, after all the work he put into it, a strangely disappointing sort of relief that flooded him when he was sitting on the rough bench.
The interior smelled strongly of urine. If it weren’t for the spell holding Kaie’s mouth, there would be no way to stop from gagging. The rest of the Hollows were already on, so with his addition the two soldiers slammed the door closed,
He stumbled backward, shoving her away and clutching at his face in a single movement. Kaie started to shout at her – or maybe scream – but her hands darted forward like snakes, lacing over top of his mouth before the sound made it past his dissolving lips. The noise died against her palms, and he was left with the terror and a taste of her hand.
The sensation ended as quickly as it started, though his face was far from normal. It felt thick, heavy. Like someone replaced the skin with some sort of clay. Another second, and the clay hardened. It wouldn’t move the way it was supposed to, and he quickly found that he wasn’t able to open his mouth. The muscles in his jaw were like stone. With an effort, Kaie calmed his panicked breathing and Kissa lifted her hand.
She took a step back, rubbing her palm against her thigh absently. “You’ll be able to eat and talk in a few hours. Don’t do the latter until you’re sure you’re out of Lindel. Don’t do anything unless the soldiers tell you to, until you’re sure you’re out of Lindel. The Finders won’t hunt you, after that. But don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re free. Slaves are slaves through every bit of the empire. You won’t be free until you find a tiny spot of earth the Empress hasn’t noticed long enough to plant a flag on. Until then, keep running.”
He wanted to ask her how in the Abyss he was expected to know when he was out of Lindel. Vaughan talked about the country like it was the whole of the world, Kissa like there was some great line in the earth marking it off from the rest. Kaie didn’t think it would be as easy as either of those. Instead, he settled for a nod.
Kissa took a step backward, her lips pursed. Her need to say something more was so obvious it was painful. There were a great number of things he wanted to say to her as well, none of them particularly grateful. Again, he could do nothing but tilt his head to the side in a question that couldn’t be voiced.
After another moment of uncomfortable staring passed before she finally reached into her robe and pulled out a carefully folded piece of paper. Kissa pressed it into his hand with clear reluctance. “If you can’t get away before they reach Jorander, you’re going to be in a lot of trouble. You have to figure out some way to find Gregor Ironfist and give him this letter. He’s Ninth Rit and a good man. He’ll help you.”
He would read the letter for himself later. For now, he just nodded and tried to make his eyes look grateful. She sighed and did one final adjustment to his shirt. “Don’t need this letter. Get away before Jorander. Find your safe place and die old and asleep, dreaming of the revenge you never got. You owe us, the mages and Hollows who won’t ever get that chance. Don’t you dare fuck it up. ”
She took another step backward, a grim smile on her face. “Kaie the Unbroken is dead. Gods be merciful, may I never see his like again.”
You will , Kaie promised silently. Mine will be the last face you see.
For all the difficulty of getting there, it was absurdly easy to get on to the wagon. All the effort Kissa put into his hair was pointless. The soldier loading Hollows into the back of the ramshackle wooded cart hardly glanced him over before shoving Kaie into the dark depths. There was no checking of names or careful examination. It was, after all the work he put into it, a strangely disappointing sort of relief that flooded him when he was sitting on the rough bench.
The interior smelled strongly of urine. If it weren’t for the spell holding Kaie’s mouth, there would be no way to stop from gagging. The rest of the Hollows were already on, so with his addition the two soldiers slammed the door closed,
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