held it out to Kiran. “Can you use it?”
Kiran touched the charm with a cautious finger. An astonishing amount of power lay within the metal, far more than even a channeled spell could have bound. The spell pattern was strange, covered in tangled, multiple layers as if Simon had laid new pathways overtop of old ones.
The pattern was too complex to fully analyze without long study, but the activation and power pathways were clear. Unlike most charms, this one wouldn’t work for an untalented man—from what he could sense, it needed a mage to constantly feed in power—but he didn’t have to understand the entire design to use the charm. He’d have to drop his barriers, but if the mark-binding link remained unstable, he might hold Ruslan off long enough to cross the border safely.
“I think so.”
Dev gave a gusty sigh of relief and shoved the charm in his pack. “Speaking of Simon’s magic...want to tell me what happened back in that cave?”
“It’s a little hard to explain.” Kiran’s breath came short as he clambered over the massive hulk of a fallen cinnabar trunk.
“Skip to the good part,” Dev said. “He’s truly dead?”
“Yes,” Kiran said, with savage satisfaction. His memory of Simon’s casting held only fragmented flashes of fire and agony, but he knew well enough what had happened. No channeler could have contained that amount of backlash—Simon had been destroyed utterly, in the same manner he’d intended to destroy Ruslan. Kiran’s satisfaction faded, and he shivered. Simon had come terribly close to success.
“Well, thank Khalmet for that.” Dev coughed, muffling the sound with his hands. “I guess Sechaveh and everyone else in Ninavel can rest easy.”
Surprise slowed Kiran’s steps. “You knew what Simon planned to do in Ninavel?”
“Overheard him talking to Pello, in Kost. And later, Pello told me more. Turns out Pello was working for Sechaveh, all along.”
“Sechaveh!” Kiran nearly fell face first over a log. “But Pello wouldn’t help free me, even though I offered to release him from Simon’s binding!”
“He said Simon stopped him—but yeah, I didn’t believe him either, until he gave me the hair he snatched off you at Ice Lake. I’d not have tracked you to Simon’s cabin without it.”
Dev, coming so far and facing Simon alone, all to help him...Kiran was profoundly grateful, but he still didn’t understand Dev’s motive, after Dev had handed Kiran to Gerran without so much as a warning. “You didn’t answer me before, when I asked why.”
“If you’re asking why I helped sell you to Simon, it’s a long story. The short version is, I needed the money to save someone who’s got no hope, otherwise.” Dev’s voice was tight. “If you’re asking why I came back...” He shrugged, awkwardly. “Look, I heard you talking to Ruslan in that cave. You told him you didn’t want to be the kind of person he is. Well, back in Kost I decided I don’t want to be that kind of person, either.”
“Thank you.” Kiran said it quietly, but knew from the sudden rigidity of Dev’s shoulders that he’d heard.
“Don’t thank me yet,” Dev said. “We’ve still gotta cross the border.”
The forest thickened, the moonlight fading. Kiran barked his shins on rocks and slipped on pine needles, an uneasy mixture of fear and hope churning in his chest. Ruslan must have awoken by now. He’d waste no time in hunting them, and he’d have all the energy of the meadow’s confluence to fuel spells.
Spells...where was Mikail? Surely Ruslan wouldn’t have come alone to Simon’s valley.
“I can hear the river.” Dev’s dark form halted at the edge of a moonlit clearing.
Relief scattered Kiran’s thoughts. He’d assumed the faint rushing noise was the sound of wind in pines. “How far to the border?”
“Quarter mile.” Dev’s voice had a brittle quality that brought Kiran’s concern flooding back. He hurried forward, hoping to glimpse Dev’s face.
Dev strode into the clearing. Halfway across, he stopped and doubled over in a series of harsh, tearing coughs. When he straightened, he ducked out of the moonlight, but not before Kiran saw the blood staining his mouth and chin.
“Dev! You’re hurt—why didn’t you say?”
Dev spat and wiped blood away. “Wasn’t so bad, before. Guess you were right about that charm.”
“Take it off!” Kiran grabbed for Dev’s wrist.
Dev jerked his arm away. “No! It’s still working, I can still feel—”
“Don’t be a fool!” Kiran snatched again for the charm. “The Taint won’t help you if you collapse before we reach the border!”
Reluctantly, Dev brought his wrist forward. “Fine,” he