Siege (The Warrior Chronicles, #5) - K.F. Breene Page 0,83
here,” someone said near the door. “They’ll find us.”
“So we meet again, eh?” A larger woman sauntered into the room with half her large bust hanging out of her top. She planted her fists firmly on her hips. “I tell you I be ready, no? Well now, here we are. You tell me the plan, and I tell you a better plan. Go.”
“Tauneya…how…?” Shanti shook her head, mystified that the prostitute from the Hunter’s camp so long ago would be in that city. “Did you save them?”
Tauneya glanced at Xavier and Leilius. “One of us found them. They running around like idiots. Inkna no need eyes to see.”
“Is this the Wanderer?” the man who had led them to the building asked. “I thought so, but she wouldn’t say. Yes, look! The violet eyes! I feel so lucky.”
“How are they doing it?” Shanti asked, ignoring the man.
“Here.” The man ran into another room.
“They fed us something, S’am,” Leilius said. “Inkna patrol. They must’ve felt us like you do sometimes, and then they tried to kill us, I’m sure of it. We didn’t get to see the gate. I tried to go out again, but they wouldn’t let me.”
“Tauneya knows about the guards around here,” Xavier said as the man ran back into the room holding a long black stick in his hand. “They’re all mapped out. And Ruisa is trying to poison them. Still, S’am…there are a lot of Graygual. At least five times as many as we have. If the Shadow don’t show up…”
Shanti took what looked like a black root from the man. “This disguises the mind?”
“Yes,” Tauneya said as she took a seat. She said something in another language. A man at the door ran out.
“They send lookout,” Tanna translated.
“That is cooked weed.” Tauneya pointed at the thing in Shanti’s hand. “Nasty weed. Call it ghost weed. Now know why, eh? It grow wild around this city—probably others, too. You have to cook a special way, then Inkna can’t find you. Can’t kill, eh?”
“She got me, though.” The man rubbed his temple. “That hurt.”
“She powerful. More so than stinky Inkna.” Tauneya nodded once.
“Can those with mind power use it?” Rohnan asked.
Everyone looked between each other. Finally it was Tauneya that answered. “We never try. How could we?”
“I doubt it,” Kallon said from beside the door. “If it disguises the mind, it must hinder the Gift.”
“We can use it on the enemy,” Sayas said.
“And they can use it on us.” Shanti didn’t need access to her Gift to be bred. Xandre getting his hands on that weed would be devastating in the wrong circumstances. “Who else knows about that weed?”
“The weed? Everybody.” Tauneya shrugged. “It be a weed, eh? But to cook the weed, now that is secret. We guard that with life. Have to. If Inkna knew, we would no longer have sliver of freedom.”
“It makes you feel really sick, though, S’am.” Leilius rubbed his belly.
“Better than dead.” Shanti’s mind raced. “Do the Inkna gather in one area? Can we get that weed into tea or food?”
All eyes went to Tauneya. She ran a finger across her chin. “Best I do is morning tea. It be too late for sex calls tonight. You won’t get all, just some.”
“I’ll take some. Maggie, Ruisa, learn how to make that tea.” Shanti looked at the gathered Shumas. “Who is going to volunteer to take the tea and see if they can still use their Gift?”
The three weakest raised their hands, then looked at each other, figuring out who would be best for it. It was Rohnan that took the stick from the man. “My Gift is not as useful in battle.”
Shanti stayed his hand. “Your Gift keeps you alive in battle.”
It was Rohnan’s turn to slap her hand away, putting in more sting than he needed. “I am good enough now, Chulan, that I only need my Gift with you. Or the Captain, if I ever fight him.”
“You haven’t fought the Captain?” Kallon asked without expression.
“I do not care for being punched.” Rohnan gave Shanti a level stare that spoke volumes. She didn’t comment while he put the weed into his mouth. His face pinched together. “Bitter. And it burns.”
“How much does he need to eat?” Shanti asked.
“Without tolerance to it, two big bites should do.” The man watched Rohnan with interest.
Rohnan huffed out a painful breath and put a hand on his chest.
“It feels better than the Inkna mind power,” Leilius said with a solemn expression. A few people around