Prison Break: Fated Touch Book 5

Chapter 2

2

Our dismal destination took us further down the winding dirt path. The road turned a sharp corner and some hundred yards further down the woods parted. We reached the opening and paused to view the beautifully dark scene before us.

The woods still thickly covered the entire area, but within those plant confines was a round island nestled in a large depression. The algae-covered marshland that surrounded the island covered its gently-sloped borders with tall grass that hid the soft edges. The waters were filled with lily pads and fallen trees that rotted in the dark waters. Pockets of land existed among the reeds and tall water grass, and they appeared like sentinels standing guard around the island.

The mist was thicker over the island than anywhere else, though I could still see the trees through the white blanket, and through that fog I glimpsed a dark shape on the island a mile inland. It was like the outline of a giant beast that slumbered, waiting for us to awaken it with our intrusion. The shadow was accessed via a narrow causeway over the water, that dark pool that lapped against the edges as though trying to tear away any vestiges of civilization.

A chill ran down my spine. I wrapped my arms around myself and turned my face away. My eyes fell on an open spot in the forest where a tree had fallen into its lower brethren. Atop the decayed log stood a familiar figure, the man in black whom I had first glimpsed at Inceron.

He was dressed in that leisurely turtleneck with the dress pants. The small smile on his pale lips bespoke some hidden secret I couldn’t even guess, but it made my blood run colder than the shadow shrouded in mist.

I pointed at the spot so not to lose him and looked to my friends. “Do you guys see-” I returned my attention to the spot. My hand held steady, but my eyes found nothing. I scoured the area, but there was no man. “Where the heck did he go again?”

“Who are you looking for, dear?” Bee asked me.

I turned to my companions. “There was that guy standing there again! The one in black!”

“As I am?” Alex suggested.

I frowned at him. “Yes, but it wasn’t you, it was this other pale guy.”

Sage looked to our lumina companion. “A friend of yours?”

Alex shook his head. “I felt no other daiadic presence.”

“Nor did I feel any disturbance in magic,” Sage chimed in..

“And the animals didn’t tell me about him,” Bee added as she lifted an outstretched finger. A small bug with the wings of a butterfly and the body of a praying mantis landed on her digit.

I balled my hands into fists at my sides and looked at each of them. “I know I saw him.”

“Perhaps you did see something, but whatever presence there was has vanished,” Alex pointed out.

Sage returned his attention to the island in the mist. “And we should continue onward or night will make this place even less hospitable, though it appears we are not alone.”

The road dipped down to a wide spot in the road, and there I glimpsed the soft flicker of fire which Sage rightly recognized as company. A few figures huddled around the fire, and around them were three covered wagons. The ragged canvas and worn wood indicated that whatever was their business, it wasn’t lucrative.

Of the six figures huddled around the fire, only one of them was female. The others were of questionable stock, more like beast than man in their rough appearances. They wore thick canvas-like attire of plain colors that had been neglected to be patched in many places and sported stains in a variety of colors and vintages. The stench that floated off of them reminded me of the bowels of hell mixed with a cow farm.

They stood at our coming and the woman took the lead. “Who are you?”

We stopped at the edge of the firelight and Sage nodded at the fire. “Might a weary traveler rest by your fire?”

“They might, but for a fee and an explanation,” she countered.

Sage drew out our purse. “I can give you the first, but perhaps not the second.”

Her shining eyes fell on the purse and she nodded. “The first will be enough.”

“Only if it’s split, little missy,” one of the men spoke up.

She flashed him a scowl. “Who was it who paid for the kindling when nothing in this forest will burn, Brutus?”

He frowned, but lumbered off. The other five followed him. We took our seats in their stead, though I wasn’t glad to smell that their scent lingered.

Sage passed a few geld to our new acquaintance and they both sat down. “What brings a merchant so far out here?” he asked her.

“That would cost you more than what you gave,” she told him.

He fished out another coin and tossed it at her. She caught it with eagerness and pocketed the money. “I suppose I don’t have to tell you that Casglade Citadel lies further down this road.”

“That is our destination,” Sage revealed.

She snorted. “Then you’re either a fool or know something I don’t. Either way, it doesn’t matter to me. I just handle the food shipments. They can’t grow much in this worthless soil, and then there’s their luck with beasts.”

“What kind of luck?” I asked her.

Her eyes fell on me and there was a strange tension in them. “The bad kind. No beast will stay in Blakishain Forest for more than a few days before they wander off.”

“You mean looking for food?” I guessed.

She shook her head. “No. They disappear. Even these beasts-” She nodded at six donagers that stood nearby munching on imported grass. “Would forget their master and leave us.”

Bee furrowed her brow. “But donagers are very loyal animals. They would never leave you here.”

“Tell that to the two I’ve lost over a single year,” she snapped.

“Then you have not been at this business for long,” Sage mused.

The woman straightened and pursed her lips. “No. I took over from the last guy.”

“A retirement?” Sage wondered.

She shook her head. “No, he was fired. The prison guards said he was forgetting too much of the order. Sometimes he’d even forget his way in here” She swept her eyes over the trees and the light mist that surrounded us. “Seems there’s a lot of stories of things forgetting what they’re supposed to do. Maybe it’s cursed.”

“It’s merely some ancient magic beyond our understanding, at least for the moment,” Sage assured her as he studied our hostess. “Though I find it strange that you would undertake such a poor job when you’re well aware of such horrible dangers.”

She picked up a stick and poked the burning fire. “That’s my business.” She paused and her eyes flickered up to him. “But what brings adventurers out this far?”

“We’re just sightseeing,” I quipped.

She scoffed. “Then the woods have already fogged your minds.”

“What would you say if we told you we wished to enter the citadel?” Sage wondered.

“I’d say you were insane, and hopeless,” she retorted. “Nobody enters there except the Blue Binds, the prisoners, and me.”

“What of your men?” Sage asked her.

She cast a glance in their direction. They stood in the shadows near one of the wagons and watched us with dark eyes. “They come in as far as the wagons, which is as far as I can go, too.”

“What would it cost us to join your mercantile business, at least for this trip?” he inquired.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Why would you want to do that?”

He smiled at her. “Perhaps we wish to free a prisoner.”

The change that washed over her was quick and deep. Her eyes widened and the hand that held the stick shook so much that she dropped the wood. Our hostess dropped her mouth in surprise, but quickly clapped it shut. She wrapped her arms around her to stop a slight quiver and glared at the fire.

“That isn’t funny. . .” she murmured.

“Then let us assume we are merely wishing to enter and leave without too much trouble,” he persisted.

She shook her head. “No way. I’m not taking a couple of sightseers on a jaunt through there.”

“What might we offer to convince you to allow us to take us inside?” Alex asked her.

Her eyes flitted to her men before she looked to us. “Are you serious about getting a prisoner out of there?”

“What would it be to you if we were?” Sage wondered.

“A great deal, now answer the question.”

I met her eyes and nodded. “We are.”

Our hostess jerked her head over her shoulder. “Then follow me.” She led us to her covered wagon and opened the rear flap. “Get in.” Sage nodded at us, and we made to climb inside.

I was behind Alex when he paused and looked out on the woods. His brow was furrowed and there was a tension in his body that I didn’t like. “The thick, quiet air made my voice come out in a whisper, as though anything louder would have been a sacrilege punishable by some hideous consequence. What is it?”

“The air is too still,” he commented as his eyes scanned the area. “It is as though the forest itself watches us.”

Sage poked his head out of the wagon, as did Bee. “I did say the forest has a greater magic than we can understand, though I’m impressed it befuddled even you.”

Midge twittered atop my grandmother’s shoulder and she nodded. “I agree. Angels are rather strange in their abilities.”

“Stop your yapping and get in!” our hostess snapped. We finished climbing in and she half-turned to her men and nodded at the donagers. “Get them hitched up to the other two wagons. We move out soon.”

“Ain’t it kind of dumb to be moving out in this thick fog?” Brutus questioned her. “And it’ll be night soon.”

“And they’re not expecting us until tomorrow, right?” another spoke up.

She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at them. “Whether they’re expecting us tomorrow or yesterday, I don’t pay you to mind the schedule, now do as I say.”

They eyed her with dark suspicion, but turned and shambled away. She climbed into the wagon after us and secured the flap before she turned her attention to our group, most especially Sage. “You mentioned you wanted to get a prisoner out. Were you serious?”

Sage arched an eyebrow. “Completely, but why does that interest you?”

“Let’s just say I might be able to put your idea to use,” she replied. “That is, if you succeed. Casglade Citadel didn’t get its reputation as the inescapable prison for no reason.”

I searched her face and my heart grew heavy with the deep look in her eyes. I had only to look in a mirror to recognize that look. “You have someone in there, too, don’t you?”

She flashed a scowl at me and her words were biting. “Mind your own business!”

“Your business is our business, Miss-?” Sage spoke up.

She pursed her lips. “My name’s Miela.”

“Whatever plans you have in there, we wouldn’t deign to interfere, and mayhap we might find common cause?” Sage suggested.

She examined us with her sharp eyes before she nodded. “All right, but if you make trouble you’re on your own, got it?”

I jerked my thumb over my shoulder in the direction of her shady coworkers. “I think they’ll make more trouble than us.”

“What of your men?” Sage wondered.

Alex peered out a small hole in the fabric and frowned. “Their faces are shadowed by greed. They are not to be trusted.”

Miela snorted. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

He turned to her and furrowed his brow. “I would not know what you do not-”

I clapped a hand over his mouth and smiled at her. “Then it’s a deal?”

She nodded. “Yes, but as you pointed out, we have to deal with my men, and they’re not going to leave without a lot of money.”

“How much?” Sage wondered.

She nodded at his cloak. “More than you have in there. This is a good gig for whoever can get it, but they take all of my profit, and then some.” She leaned back and folded her arms over her chest as she studied us with a ghost of a smile. “If you hadn’t come along they probably would’ve dealt with me and taken over the operation. I suppose I should thank Gad, if He existed.”

“Gad does exists, and He helps His children,” Alex assured her.

Miela studied him for a moment before she tilted her head back and laughed. She got control of herself and wiped a tear from her eyes. “That look in your eyes almost makes me believe you, stranger. Unfortunately, belief won’t make those assholes go away.”

“Perhaps we could,” Sage suggested as he stood as tall as he was able to in the short confines of the wagon.

She looked at our company and shook her head. “Only if you guys know something I don’t.”

I grinned at her. “I think Sage here knows a spell or two that might make them go away.”

Miela eyed him with newfound curiosity. “You’re a sage?’

He bowed his head, though the short roof meant he didn’t have far to go before his chin touched his chest. “At your service, Miss Miela, most especially now that you are at ours. If you’ll all follow me.”

Sage hopped out and we followed. The men had hitched the donagers to two of the wagons and sulked around the one closest to where we had our parlay. They pushed off from leaning against the wagon as Sage approached with our group at his back.

Miela took the lead and eyed them. “I bring you good news: I’m giving you what you want. None of you have to leave camp right now if you don’t want to.”

The men glanced at each other, but Brutus, the tallest and burliest of the bunch, frowned at her. “What’s the catch?”

She crossed her arms over her chest and smiled at them. “The catch is that you’re all fired.”

The uproar was instantaneous.

“What?”

“Like hell we are!”

The leader raised one hand and quieted the unrest, though not the ugly looks. “I don’t think you want to be doing that, little missy.”

Miela rolled her eyes. “Will you shut up with that ‘little missy’ s**t? I’m so tired of hearing that crap out of your mouth. You’re fired and that’s it, now get lost!”

Brutus’ face reddened and his eyes burst with fury. He took a step toward her and clenched his teeth. “You think we need you, you little b***h? Anybody could do this job.” A wicked, crooked smile slipped onto his lips as he looked hard at her. “We just need to get rid of the person with the contract and those sods in the prison would be glad to give it to us.”

Sage stepped forward and his medallion softly glowed. “I’m afraid that arrangement isn’t to our interests, and that you should heed the lady’s words and accept some geld in exchange for the trouble of leaving here at once.”

Brutus laughed, and his cronies joined in. “We’re not leaving here until every last one of you is nothing but a corpse.”

Sage lifted his upturned hand and a small flame appeared in his palm. “I believe you shouldn’t attempt anything foolish”

Brutus sneered at him before he looked to his companions. They had taken a step back and cowered beneath the firelight. “Don’t worry about him, boys, I’ve seen his kind. They’re all flame and no fire. They can make some stupid fire in their hand, but that’s all.” He slammed a fist into his other hand and grinned at my grandfather. “Now let’s deal with you and then the others.”

“I want the pretty one!” one of the men spoke up as he nodded at me.

A swift anger flashed through Sage’s eyes, and his voice trembled with rage. “You leave me with no choice but to expel you.”

The flame in his hand was extinguished by a rough wind that spun upward into a tornado. Brutus lost his gusto and was the first to flee with the others close behind him. The tornado flew after them and one-by-one it swallowed their evil selves. The mist was also caught up and wrapped around them like soft blanket as the tornado flew over the trees. The last we saw of them was their dark forms disappearing over the far canopy.

Sage lowered his hand and turned to us with pursed lips. “Such cretins.”

Miela looked at him with awe and shock. “I’ve never seen such magic before.”

Sage smiled and shook his head. “It is merely magic, my dear. Now shall we hitch the other steeds and be off?”