“How far back?” Isabel asked.
“A day,” Alexander said, “but they seem to know their way around the jungle better than Phane’s people.”
“They do,” Ayela said. “Our soldiers have been using our superior knowledge of the jungle to exact vengeance against the Regency since Phane sent the demons against us. Rather than fight a battle we knew we couldn’t win, we’ve chosen to fight only when we have the advantage.”
“A wise strategy,” Alexander said. “Unfortunately, it means that this new hunting party is probably going to gain on you pretty steadily.”
“We could play them off against Phane’s people,” Hector suggested.
“Please don’t,” Ayela said. “These are my people, my brother is probably leading them. Were it not for the influence of the Sin’Rath, they would be pursuing Phane’s soldiers rather than us.”
“Maybe I can lead them away,” Alexander said. “I’ve been working on other illusions, and I can project a pretty good image of you, Isabel.”
“If they fall for it, it might buy us some time,” she said. “At this point I’ll take what I can get. This jungle is thick and I think it wants to kill us; I can only imagine how hospitable the gloaming swamp is going to be.”
“You don’t have to do this alone, Isabel,” Alexander said. “You could always find a place to hide until I can come help you.”
“Nice try, but we’re not stopping. With your help we should be able to avoid some of the more dangerous parts of the swamp and make our way to Siavrax’s laboratory well before any of our pursuers get close. And who knows, maybe the swamp will make them change their mind, or at least thin them out.”
“You really think they want to go back to Phane empty-handed?” Alexander asked.
“I guess there’s that,” Isabel said.
“The edge of the swamp is still a few days away,” Alexander said. “Once you get there you’ll need to make a raft. The swamp looks pretty deep in places and there’s no telling what’s beneath the surface.”
“I was trying not to think about that,” Isabel said. “Are you sure there isn’t another way?”
“Not unless you can fly,” Alexander said. “Siavrax’s hidden laboratory is built inside the top of a stone mountain that rises from the middle of the swamp. I’m pretty sure he picked the location for just that reason.”
“I wonder if Asteroth can hear me from here,” Isabel said.
“Even if he could and even if he could get past Andalia, where would he land?” Alexander asked, motioning to the jungle around them.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Isabel said. “The swamp it is.”
“Try to get there as soon as possible,” Alexander said. “You’ll need time to make a raft, and it doesn’t really matter if you leave a trail because you’ll be able to lose them easily enough once you’re on the water.”
Isabel nodded and looked over at his projection, smiling sadly. “I wish you were here,” she said.
“Me too,” he said, fading out of sight.
They pushed through the day, moving as quickly as possible through the dense brush. Isabel periodically checked on the progress of the Regency soldiers through Slyder’s eyes and was relieved to see that they were falling farther behind.
Midway through the afternoon she heard an odd chittering coming from above. When she looked up into the thick canopy she thought she saw movement. Stopping to look more closely, she was sure of it.
“Tree rats,” Ayela said. “We must keep moving.”
“Tree rats?” Isabel said.
“Large rodents, maybe twenty pounds, with very sharp teeth and claws,” Ayela said. “They hunt in packs and have been known to take down creatures much larger than themselves.”
“Hector, Horace, keep your eyes open,” Isabel said.
As they continued through the jungle, the tree rats followed in the canopy above. Isabel thought there must be about twenty. A few times she got a good enough look at one to know that she didn’t want to see them any closer.
She tried to link her mind with them but failed, a fact that made her even more nervous. These little beasts weren’t natural creatures. She presumed that they were yet another of Siavrax Karth’s creations. What purpose he’d intended them for was beyond speculation.
When they reached a clearing, Isabel stopped, smiling at the patch of odd flowers near one side of the open space-deathwalker root. “We’ll stop here for a few minutes,” she said, as she started pulling flowers from the ground, one by one.
“Be careful,” Ayela said. “The powder in those flowers will make you sleepy.”
Isabel smiled up at her. “You know about the deathwalker root?”
Ayela nodded. “Healers often use the roots to make a poultice, and the powder in the flower sacs is a potent sleeping agent that can be prepared in a variety of ways. Some tribes use it to create a poison for their darts, others use it to help sick people rest through the night.”
“We’re going to use it to make a healing salve,” Isabel said. “Your brother took my potions, so this might come in handy.”
“We still have one healing potion each and a jar of Master Alabrand’s salve between us,” Horace said.
“Good,” Isabel said, continuing to work. “I fear we’re going to need everything we can get before this is over.”
Ayela knelt down to help Isabel. She seemed familiar with the process, pulling the root out of the ground and carefully breaking it from the stem.
The noise of the tree rats started to grow as more arrived.
“Any chance we can lure those little monsters down here?” Hector asked. “I’m tired of constantly looking over my shoulder.”
“Doubtful,” Ayela said. “They’re skittish, preferring to attack only by surprise and in large numbers.”
“Looks like they have the numbers,” Isabel said, surveying the trees surrounding the clearing.
There were well over twenty now, all looking down at them through their beady little eyes and chittering angrily, as if scolding Isabel and her friends for trespassing.
Shadowfang strolled into the clearing and rubbed up against Isabel’s leg. The tree rats grew more animated at his sudden appearance. Isabel was debating whether she should try to scare them off with a light-lance when she felt a sudden stabbing pain on the back of her neck. It was so sharp and unexpected that she yelped, slapping at the source.
She killed a bug that looked almost like a horsefly, only twice as big or more.
Ayela looked closely at it and worry creased her brow. “This could be very bad,” she said.
“What is it?” Horace asked.
“A lightning fly,” Ayela said. “They create the shocking power of lightning itself and use it to overpower their prey. Usually, they only attack small animals and birds, but a swarm of lightning flies has been known to overpower a horse.”
“Then what?” Hector said. “A horse is more than a meal for a swarm of bugs.”
“They’re parasites,” Ayela said. “They lay their eggs inside their victims, usually in early winter. Come spring, the eggs hatch and the larvae eat their way out of the body, then feed until they’re ready to cocoon for several weeks and emerge in their adult form.”
Isabel looked around at the tree rats. “Maybe these bugs will go after them instead of us,” she said.
“Perhaps, but the tree rats will return to their nests at night,” Ayela said, “which is when the lightning flies come out to hunt.”
“So how do we defend against them?” Hector asked.
“Either find some form of shelter or build a fire,” Ayela said.
“All right, let’s keep moving,” Isabel said. “Everyone keep an eye out for a cave to hide in for the night.”
When they started moving, the tree rats started following again, always staying well above them and out of reach but making an unsettling racket with their incessant chittering.
A dark mood started to come over Isabel. The threat of the little rodents coupled with all of the other threats surrounding her in this unfamiliar place started to wear on her nerves. Before she knew what she was doing, she unleashed a light-lance at the nearest tree rat, burning a hole through the predatory rodent and sending its companions scattering into the jungle.