Darklands 02 - Something Wild This Way Comes Read online

  The great symbiont gave a huge sigh and sagged.

  "Hey." Leo's voice was stern. "It won't kill you."

  With a soft growl, the entity went to investigate Andrea, giving Mathin a wide berth. Symbionts never touched a Haunt if they could help it.

  Half-heartedly, the front part of the bike nudged Andrea. A tendril formed and extended, delicately brushed over her arm. When it withdrew, she opened her eyes.

  "Where am I?"

  Mathin smiled in relief as the symbiont moved back and parked at the edge of the fire. "How do you feel?"

  She sat up with difficulty. "Better, but not one hundred-percent."

  "You won't until your symbiont regrows." Leo frowned. "How did you lose half of it, anyway?"

  "She gave half to another human," Mathin answered for her. "What's important now is, how long will it take to regrow?"

  Leo shook her head. "A season? Longer? Who can say? I'm not a medic, but I'll wager the baby will strain her system and the symbiont."

  "Can she get a new one?" At Leo's look of horror, he demanded, "What?"

  "You can't just switch symbionts like you'd change your pants! It would be murder."

  "Andrea would die?"

  "I don't know, but the symbiont would for sure. Their systems are far too integrated now. Just give it time. It will regenerate."

  Mathin glanced at Andrea. "We don't have time."

  Leo chewed the inside of her lip. "I could take her home until the birth." She frowned at him. "You couldn't come. My brother would never allow it."

  "Could you guarantee her safety?"

  "I should hope we aren't so backward as to allow harm to come to a pregnant woman or her baby," Leo muttered. "Besides, she's human and you're not, and less likely to goad anyone into a fight." When he glowered at her she added, "Our men are very protective of our women. You should hear what I have to put up with every time I ‘run off’ as my brother puts it." She tossed a small rock into the bushes. "It's no wonder I dislike males."

  "I don't like this, Mathin." Andrea's nails were practically digging into his hand. "I don't want to have this baby without you."

  Mathin kissed her knuckles. "I know, but...." He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. The idea of not being able to communicate with her was agonizing. "If you come back with me...." He didn't have to say it. She would lose the baby.

  She closed her eyes. "It's three months until the rains are over, right?"

  He drew in a shuddering breath. "Yes. But it's at least eight months until the birth."

  She pressed his hand to her trembling lips. It shook. "Maybe the symbiont will grow back by then?" She brightened a little. "I could come home, then."

  "We might be able to manage that. Or...." Leo waggled her booted foot. "Depending on how well she gets, I might be able to bring her back to you after the rains and stay a bit to see that all is well."

  "Really?" Andrea perked up. "That would be great!"

  "One thing at a time," Leo cautioned. "In the morning I'll take you to my brother." Her smile was lopsided. "Just to be safe, I think I'll introduce you as a sick woman I found wandering in the swamps. Your husband died while trying to bring you to safety when your town was overrun by the beasts. You weren't used to the swamps and you need a safe place to stay. How's that?"

  Andrea frowned. "I was separated from my husband. I don't even like to pretend he's dead."

  "Whatever." Leo stretched out on her now-flattened symbiont. The creature had become a silver bed of sorts. "Anything's better than being the wife of a Haunt. Especially that one."

  Chapter 10

  "What did she mean when she said, 'Especially that one'?" Andrea asked the next morning. Leo had already left, saying she needed a ride and that she'd be back in an hour. Andrea thought it had been sweet of her to give them time alone.

  Swamp birds called greetings to each other in the early morning light as Mathin stared at the dark clouds on the horizon. "My father fought in the Symbiont Wars." His jaw tightened. "He was one of those rare Haunt who had no respect for his wife, and he hated me." He was silent a long moment. Hatred was a mild term for the active viciousness his father had spewed on his family. "No one was sorry to see him go to war. Even though I fought in it as well, I managed to avoid him most of the time. I only heard the rumors of what he became."

  She waited until she could stand it no longer. "And that was?"

  He turned to her, his face full of disgust for the man who'd been his father. "A rapist. A killer of women and children. A man who delighted in torture." His lip curled in an unpleasant smile. "They still speak of him today in hushed whispers."

  So that was what all the mystery was about. At last she understood. Andrea struggled to stand up. "You are not your father, Mathin."

  He knelt beside her, eased her back down. "No. I'm far luckier. I have you."

  Throat tight, she gripped his hand. "Don't say it like that. You are not your father, no matter what."

  "I'm not. I know." He smiled at her, stroked her hair. "I can't stay much longer. Bloodlight and I will have to conceal ourselves soon."

  About to cry, she curled her hand around the back of his head and drew him near. "One last kiss."

  "Not until I take my last breath," he swore, and kissed her.

  * * * *

  Roughly an hour passed before Mathin's eyes moved to the southeast. In moments Leo reappeared, riding on her symbiont cycle. She parked in front of Andrea. "Ready to go?"

  Andrea swallowed hard, but nodded.

  Mathin helped her up, settled her on the bike. "I will be thinking of you every minute." He gently hugged her. With his chin on top of her hair, he gave himself a moment to control the tears he felt and that she shed so freely. Ah, but it ached.

  "Ah-hem." Leo shifted, made a slight face. "She's not dropping off the face of the world, Haunt. I'll look after her."

  He gave her a look. "I will be waiting."

  Leo snorted and mounted up. "You're welcome."

  "Leo?" He waited until she looked up. "Thank you. You will never lack for hospitality in my house."

  She nodded and gripped her bike's bars. "I'll remember that."

  * * * *

  Andrea felt well enough to notice the swamp around them for the first time. Eager to take her mind off Mathin, she focused on the details of the swamp. Moss-hung swamp trees with huge aerial roots surrounded the marshy, bug-infested bog. They traveled about two feet off the ground, and their speed was such that she didn't have time to study the local flora and fauna. The thing that made the biggest impression on her was the complete lack of civilization. They covered miles and didn't see a single soul. "How far is it to your village?"

  "Another hour. Why?" Leo looked at her in the rearview mirror.

  "It's so desolate. How do you make a living here?"

  Leo laughed. "We eat what doesn't eat us." At Andrea's wary silence, she added, "We farm and hunt the swamp. There are minerals here, and we mine them. Many of our technologies are deliberately kept low-tech and sustainable, however. We use wood, natural fiber, stone, metal and leather instead of synthetics or chemicals, and we still make our soaps with fat and lye. Many of lights and heat sources are oil or wood."

  Fat and lye? Wood stove cooking? Andrea was dismayed. Even the Haunt had something like electricity. "Tell me you don't use outhouses," she begged. Visions of flies and drafty perches danced in her head.

  "Hardly." Leo banked the bike around a large tree. "We don't pollute our waters."

  Maybe it was just Andrea, but Leo sounded just a teensy bit self-righteous. As a result, Andrea's tone was just a touch ironic when she asked, "So what do you do instead?"

  "Compost."

  Ohhh ... It took a full minute for Andrea to get up the nerve to inquire further, but she had to know. "So, um, what becomes of this compost?" Tales of China's night soil-caused epidemics danced in her head. She fervently prayed that the Ronin didn't spread raw sewage on their fields, too.

  Leo'
s expression in the mirror--really little more than highly "polished" metal--was incredulous. "We use it on our food crops." Andrea must have blanched, for she added as if to a small child, "The composting kills any pathogens and bacteria, silly. It's far safer than allowing untreated waste to seep into the ground water and sicken us all."

  "Ah." Admittedly unfamiliar with the entire concept, Andrea decided to reserve judgment. But just in case...."You don't eat your veggies raw, do you?"

  It didn't take very long to arrive at Leo's village. Andrea stared in amazement; many of the houses had been built in the spreading branches of the huge grove of trees. Some stone structures had been built underneath--well maintained residences with stone tile roofs, fanciful waterspouts on the gutters and scalloped trim. But by far the most numerous buildings were perched in the trees. "Does it flood here often?"

  Leo parked in front of one of the stone residences and dismounted. "Often enough. Here, let me help you."

  Forced to swallow her automatic refusal as a wave of dizziness assailed her as she tried to stand, Andrea nodded her head.

  One hand firmly under Andrea's elbow, Leo pushed open the carved door to the building and strode inside. "Healer! Got a customer for you. Rest here." She eased Andrea down on a red leather covered bench. When the healer didn't show himself immediately, Leo shouted, "Healer? Are you in?" and went in search of him, calling over her shoulder to Andrea, "Be right back."

  Never one in a hurry to visit with a doctor, Andrea was content to wait and look.

  There was no receptionist in the stone room. Just a fireplace with a curious clear panel in front of it. Surely it wasn't glass, for it wasn't stained with smoke. An enormous rainbow-hued snake skin hung to one side of the fireplace. Another in black and red graced the other side. A brilliant woven rug had been laid before the fire, with comfortable red leather couches flanking it. Various weapons hung on the walls and from the bare wooden beams overhead, along with all manner of herbs and drying foodstuffs.

  Quite an eccentric collection, Andrea thought. The sound of voices made her look toward the snake skin curtains Leo had disappeared behind just in time to see them flung open.

  "So this my patient."

  Andrea stared. She couldn't help it. The "doctor" was little over average height, with curly hair that parted in the middle of his ear-length pageboy haircut and frizzed at the sides. In spite of this, he was gorgeous. Or maybe he was just so good-looking that nothing could detract.

  Oblivious to her amazement, he continued to dry his hands on the towel he held. Finished, he tossed it to Leo with a teasing smile. "Make yourself useful, gorgeous."

  Leo rolled her eyes and tossed the towel on the couch. "Get a servant, Scy. I'm not your chore girl."

  "Pity." Scy considered Andrea while Leo hovered. With a sigh of exasperation, he turned to Leo and frowned. Leo wandered off to examine the snake skin.

  Scy winked at Andrea before settling down to business. "Leo tells me that you lost half your symbiont. That's very rare."

  "But not unheard of," Leo interrupted. "Don't hassle the girl, healer. Just fix her."

  Scy didn't even raise his voice. Without looking, he said pleasantly, "Leo, kindly muzzle it, would you? Unless you'd rather take her to another healer?" With silence from that corner, he continued, "What happened to your symbiont, Andrea?" He frowned as he said her name, and he slipped an "h" in after the "a’s", but his manner was gentle and concerned.

  Aware of Leo's subtle signal, Andrea improvised. "I got hurt...." Leo was pointing to the fire, "burnt, and it...." Leo grabbed her throat, stuck out her tongue, rolled her eyes back in her head and let her head loll. "Died."

  "Hm." Scy's eyes shifted to the side, where Leo stood behind him. "I'm sure Andrea would like some refreshment, Leo. You know where it is." Steel laced the command.

  Leo hesitated, but exited through the curtain.

  As soon as the material swished behind her Scy fixed Andrea with a compelling blue stare. "I understand that you don't know me and have no reason to trust me. Leo tells me that you're also carrying a child and that it's making you weak. This too, is rare. Is there anything you would like to tell me?" His voice softened. "Has someone hurt you, Andrea?"

  Confused, Andrea shook her head. What did he mean?

  The curtains were shouldered aside as Leo returned with a bowl of fruit and a dripping pitcher of water. "Refreshments are here." She plopped them on the bench.

  Scy glared at her. "You couldn't find a glass?" He removed the wet pitcher from its precariously balanced position, set it on the floor and wiped at the wet leather with his hand.

  "She might be very thirsty." Leo gave him a cheeky grin.

  "Leo, love," Scy wrapped one arm around her shoulders and escorted her to the curtain. In the crook of his other arm he held the bowl. "Do you see this curtain? Beyond it lies my kitchen. I promise not to tell anyone you're turning domestic if you go in there and set out a meal for us. You won't even have to cook--I've taken care of everything. Just take out the roast and the vegetables, warm them, and set out a few plates. Can you do that?" Again his words were mild, but the stare he locked on Leo as he held her in a half-embrace was unyielding.

  "Fine," came her grudging acceptance.

  Before she could pull away, he added, "And Leo? I'll let you know when we're ready to come in." He handed her the bowl.

  Leo's eyes narrowed, but she left.

  Andrea couldn't help her silent chuckles. It seemed this was one man who knew exactly how to handle Leo.

  Scy gave her a conspiratorial grin. "How can I help it? The woman tempts me." Some of his amusement faded as he once again hunkered down by her. "Now, you were going to tell me about this pregnancy."

  She shook her head. "No, I wasn't." At his frown she added, "No one hurt me. This wasn't forced on me, if that's what you're worried about. As a doctor--healer," she hastily corrected when he frowned, "I can see why you're concerned, but--”

  "As a man I'm concerned," he told her softly. "Women do not deserve to become our prey."

  Touched and a little flustered, she nodded. "Thank you. You're very sweet, but I wasn't forced. Nor do I want to talk about it. Right now what I want is a way to get through this thing without losing my baby." Her throat clogged. "I want it very much. Can you help me?"

  He winked at her. "No one better."

  Scy's kitchen was every bit as orderly as the outer room, and as interesting. The counters were all topped with polished granite embedded with fossils. The large bay window in front of the table was framed by a flowering, vining plant and equipped with wrought iron shutters. The bowls and platters were made of pieced wood that alternated light and dark in a diamond pattern. Utensils consisted of a silver spork--a cross between a spoon and a fork--and knives.

  Andrea sat on one of the leather-covered stools around the table--a breathtaking affair made of fitted octagons of polished purple, ivory and honey-colored wood. "This is so beautiful!" she exclaimed, awed. "Who makes it?"

  Scy smiled. "Thank you. I do."

  "You're very talented."

  "So say all the girls," Leo put in just as he opened his mouth.

  He raised a brow. "All the girls?"

  Leo colored and shrugged, quickly pretending disinterest in the conversation.

  "I've yet to receive a compliment from you, Leo," he purred.

  "Yeah, well, I don't need your services." She stabbed her meat with her spork and sawed with determination.

  Scy cast Andrea a conspiratorial smile. "I could argue that no woman ever needed them more--"

  Fire flashing in her eyes, Leo rounded on him with her knife still clenched tightly in her hand.

  "But I won't. After all, it's well known that I'm looking for a wife ready to commit and raise children, not a rogue huntress with a lust for adventure." His eyelids lowered. "I'm selfish. I want my woman to save her passions for me."

  Andrea looked away from the chagrin on Leo's face. It was painful to sense her struggle, sin
ce she'd felt something similar with Mathin. Desire, yet painful caution. She didn't know what held Leo back, but she felt the need to ease the pressure for her. "So what will I have to do to stay well?" She speared a piece of tender white vegetable out of the creamy sauce on her plate and sampled it. Starchy and slightly sweet. Nice.

  Scy considered her as he chewed and swallowed. "Well, I have these leeches...."

  Leo moved as if she were furtively kicking him.

  Making a show of peering under the table, he continued, "I'll have herbs and a special diet for you to follow. I'll use my symbiont to help support your own and encourage its regrowth. You should have enough energy to engage in mild exercise, also a must." He cocked his head thoughtfully. "It would be best if you avoided anything that might cause undo stress, of course. Do you have a place to stay?"

  "She's accepted my hospitality," Leo informed him before Andrea could say anything. In truth, things had happened so fast she hadn't thought that far.

  "How will that work?" He studied Leo as if puzzled. "You're rarely home. I doubt your house has finished airing after your last disappearance. She would be better off here if she has nowhere else."

  "I think I can manage to remain home for a few months." Leo gritted her teeth. "I'm not as irresponsible as you seem to think I am, healer."

  "I could just rent a room," Andrea broke into the brewing argument. Mathin had given her a pouch full of prismatic silver coins. The thought of being dependent on strangers chaffed. "You do have a hotel or an inn or something here, right?"

  "You're not staying at an inn." Scy's tone brooked no refusal.

  "No, she's staying with me." Leo touched him on the shoulder when he started to protest, causing him to instantly still. "She's a woman and will be more comfortable with me. Besides, you have people coming and going at all hours seeking your help. At least at my house she'll have some peace."

  He was still for a long moment, seemingly intent on the pattern of the table, but his eyes weren't quite focused. "Andrea? Your choice. You will still have to see me daily."

  Leo dropped her hand. Andrea could almost see the link between the pair snap. She considered. It would be interesting to see what became of these two. But first.... "What do you charge?"