A Plague of Giants (Seven Kennings #1) - Kevin Hearne Page 0,119

need to come with us now.”

“Sorry, I’m not going to do that. I’ve broken no laws, and you have no authority to take me anywhere.”

“Our authority comes from the viceroy.” He raised his crossbow and pointed it at my chest, a ridiculous escalation in response to my pointing out the truth.

“But mostly from that weapon, since the viceroy isn’t here.”

“Come with us now.”

“You speak patiently with Tamhan Khatri because his parents are privileged to know the viceroy personally, but I am immediately threatened with violence? We are supposed to be equal citizens and we are equally walking in the plains, harming no one. What are you thinking?”

“I’m following my orders, and I will bring you both back. How you go is up to you.”

Tamhan spoke up. “We have already stated that we will gladly return with you after the Seeking. The Sixth Kenning is real.”

“Let me give you a completely harmless demonstration of my abilities,” I said before the captain could reply. “I will ask your horse to take two steps backward.”

“Don’t do that,” the captain said.

“It will put your doubts to rest, and we can be more productive if we are working from the same facts.” I dropped my eyes to his horse and asked it to please take two slow steps backward. It’s not something a horse would think to do on its own without prodding or a fright, and the soldiers all knew that much even if the rest of the Seekers didn’t. The horse obeyed, and the captain lowered his crossbow to grab its reins in a futile attempt to stop it from moving after it already had moved. The other soldiers’ eyes widened, and a few of them muttered mild oaths of surprise. Unfortunately, the captain did not view this with the sense of wonder and excitement I had hoped for. He pointed his crossbow at me again.

“That’s enough. Start walking back to the city now.”

“Think about it, please, Captain. I might look unarmed, but you’re in the Nentian plains, surrounded by animals. And as you just saw, those animals tend to do what I say.”

“Don’t threaten me.”

I spread my arms wide, palms up. “Who is pointing a weapon right now? You are threatening me when I have done nothing wrong. You should be ashamed.”

“Last chance. You can agree to walk or I’ll drop you.”

There was no getting through to this man. His stubbornness reminded me of my father, as did that ultimatum. And I knew what he would do when I said, “No,” and I said it anyway, ready for what would come next.

The captain tensed and pulled the trigger in a syrupy slowness that was actually my quickened speed and senses. I was already moving out of the way of the shot. But as I was moving out of the way, Madhep and Tamhan were moving in, waving their hands and shouting for him to wait, and my panicked “No!” was much louder than my calm refusal to the captain. I had not been ready at all for their interference. The bolt launched and sank deep into Madhep’s chest with a sickening, juicy crunch and knocked him back into Tamhan and then me. We tumbled backward together, and he coughed blood and groaned. Tamhan and I knelt over him, and I cradled his neck in my arms, searching for life in his eyes. He was still there. He looked at the bolt shaft sticking out of his chest and then up at me.

“I just wanted…” he said, blood bubbling on his lips, a wet cough splattering us, “…wanted to talk to animals,” and then his eyes lost focus.

“No no no no no, not again,” I murmured. Why did I never see this coming? The captain was reloading. His soldiers were bringing their crossbows to bear, pointing them in the general direction of the Seekers as an unspoken warning, and I could see the others cowering already at the display of force. And I had never wanted anyone dead so much as those uniformed men at that moment. The captain had killed Madhep, who had done nothing to deserve a quarrel in his chest, and would have killed me for refusing to submit to his authority.

“Stand ready,” the captain was saying to his men. “If anyone resists, shoot them. You, Khose. You know I’m serious now. Come along for questioning or you’ll be meat.”

“No, I rather think you’ll be the meat here,” I said, laying Madhep’s head down gently and rising to my feet,