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I frowned. "What happens if something happens to her?" I waved a hand toward Helene's back.
"If that's the case, then we would already be dead," Luther said lightly. "She's more powerful than two of me. You might be her equal someday…" He trailed off when Helene gave him a dark look.
I returned my attention to my horse's ears and considered what he'd said. If I had the potential to be as strong in my power as Helene, then someday I might knock the woman on her rear. The idea was juvenile, but I didn't give a shit right now. That led to another thought. One I didn't expect an answer for, but asked anyway.
"How do you get your power?"
Helene surprised me by answering. "The same means as you, through scent."
Luther nodded.
"Is there another way?" I asked carefully. I owed Bain and Kerina no loyalty, not now, but if Helene didn't know about their abilities, then I wouldn't tell her. I owed her nothing either.
"There are other forms of power," Helene agreed. "Lesser forms." She made no attempt to hide her disdain. "They are insignificant."
I might disagree. Bain's skill kept him and others alive, so far as I was able to tell. Kerina's too, if she could see lies. Neither could throw people down a hill or bind them, but they could do those without the kind of power I had.
"I see," I said finally. The land to either side began to flatten out. Green became twisted brown, stunted trees. Wiry coastal grass gave way to dry dirt. "We're going through the desert?"
"We'll skirt the edge of it." Apparently Luther knew that much.
"Shame, I was hoping to see a sand dragon," I said. I was hoping one might rear up out of the sand and make a snack out of my captives.
"We saw one on the way down," Luther enthused. He launched into a story which involved shifting dunes in the distance and one of their party guessing about the cause.
I lost myself in thought while he chattered on and on. I glanced skyward and realised we had turned slightly to the west. If we kept going in this direction, we would skim the desert and make straight for the Onyx Range.
That made sense. We could get lost in the mountains and no one would find us, even if they were looking. Perhaps when the Alpha got word of my abduction, he would insist Dex send people to search.
The idea was so ridiculous, I almost laughed out loud at myself. Idiot, he'd probably be as happy to see me gone as the asshole Covener and his asshole son. Or use my disappearance as an excuse to make war with the witches.
I suspected Helene wouldn't bat an eye if that occurred. Whatever agenda she had likely didn't rely on the stability of the Alpha's leadership. The opposite, perhaps, if she wanted to make use of the unrest to carry out some sort of plot.
Here I am,I thought,a pawn yet again. This time, I have no idea what game I'm being used for.
The clattering of hooves behind us jolted me out of my thoughts. For a fraction of a heartbeat, I thought it was Dex.
That hope was dashed when I turned my head.
It was Helene's armed men, catching up with us at last.
The leader, I assumed, waved the men to a trot and then a walk as they fell into a loose formation around the three hemitheos. Did they have power too, or were they hired blades?
I couldn't tell by looking, but it was safer to assume they all had power.
"Elgar, there you are. We thought you got lost."
Elgar gave Luther an unreadable look and kicked his horse to catch up with Helene. With one hand on his cantle, he leaned toward her and addressed the Hemathea in a voice too low for me to make out.
Luther grinned and leaned back in his saddle as if he was on a pleasure ride.
I sighed. I would like to feel as carefree, but I wasn't sure I wasn't going the long way to my execution.
I sensed someone watching and turned my face enough to catch the faint shake of a head.
Only by sheer will did I keep from glancing back again.
What was Knox doing here? The apparently bumbling brother had indicated he was involved in something, but I wouldn't have guessed it was this.
