Kerrick

KERRICK

He hated keeping secrets from Avry. But in this case it’d been vital to the success of their mission. And she had understood.

After Avry’s team left, Kerrick asked Flea about Yuri.

“It worked, but it might have been too subtle. It’ll all depend on what she remembers.”

“And where is Yuri now?”

“Back in his room.”

“Good.”

As he led his team through the bare woods, Kerrick marveled over the sheer genius that had brought them all to this point. Amazing. He also wanted to throttle that same genius for putting Avry through so much pain. But if everything went as planned, then it would be over for good and they could live their lives. Provided he didn’t go dormant in the meantime.

His team followed him in silence. Avry had trained Saul and his squad well. They easily kept up without making a sound. And Kerrick set a fast pace. He limited rest periods and stops. His goal was to arrive near the Healer’s Guild well before Avry’s team.

After a day on the road, Kerrick slowed and allowed Flea to scout ahead. Flea navigated them around pockets of dead soldiers who had been ordered to hunker down in the dips of the terrain. Flea also shared a bit of his energy with Kerrick. Each day dawned colder than the last, draining his magic.

As the sun set on the second day, Kerrick prodded the sluggish living green. With Flea’s help, he sought the intruders surrounding the Healer’s Guild, committing their locations to memory because this would be his only chance. The effort exhausted him more than he’d admit to his team.

“We need to head northeast,” he told the others.

“But you told Avry we’d attack from the east,” Belen said.

He didn’t have the energy to explain, but Flea quickly informed Poppa Bear that everything they had told Avry was a lie for Tohon’s benefit.

“I thought Prince Ryne fed her bad information on purpose, but she wouldn’t listen to me. She’d rather hate him. Again.” Belen chuckled.

“She’s supposed to hate Ryne,” Kerrick said. “It’s for the best.”

They spent the rest of the night skirting the outer ring of Tohon’s army.

“Are we still going to provide a distraction?” Belen asked him when they stopped for breakfast at dawn.

“We’re going to do more than that. If all goes well, Tohon will be taken care of before she reaches the Healer’s Guild.”

“Nice.” Belen slapped him on the back.

Kerrick clamped down on a cry of pain. When he recovered, he noticed Flea studying him. He waved off Flea’s help. Flea needed his full strength. The boy’s magic would be invaluable when the action started. By then, Kerrick would only be able to direct from a safe distance.