Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder Page B

knew this was here.” He swept a hand out, indicating the buried village. “They’ve must have coordinated their efforts because the mercs have us boxed in on three sides. The only way we can escape is through the Lilys.”
    Fear energized my tired muscles. Too bad it wouldn’t do me any good.
    “We’re trapped,” Loren said.
    “We’re dead,” Quain said.

Chapter 9
    “Those thorns look sharp, but what’s wrong with going through the Lilys?” Flea asked.
    “Nothing if they’re all Peace Lilys,” Belen said.
    “Unfortunately, there is no way to know if there’s even one Death Lily hiding among them,” Quain said.
    I met Kerrick’s gaze. “Did you know this was here?”
    “No. The town is outside the forest. Besides, I can’t tell if a Lily is benign or lethal.”
    “No one can,” Quain said. “That’s the problem. You don’t know until the flower opens, and by that time it’s, See you later, sister!”
    Staring at the barrier, I tried to find a route that would avoid the white flowers. No luck. When we had plenty of workers, they would pull out the new shoots of all the Lily plants before they could grow a flower. With its deep root system that covered miles, eradicating the plant had been a full-time job. The Lilys also grew in unexpected places and the Death Lilys killed the unwary.
    “Now what?” Flea asked.
    “We stage an ambush of our own. If we move fast enough, we might be able to fight our way through one side and escape,” Kerrick said.
    “Not going to work,” Belen said. “Too many of them.”
    “I’ll surrender and they shouldn’t hurt the rest of you,” I said.
    “No,” Kerrick and Belen said together.
    “We’ll take our chances and go through the Lilys,” Kerrick said.
    “You’re crazy.” Quain gestured with his knife. “I’d rather take my chances against the mercs.”
    “What are the odds?” Loren asked.
    “It’s more like a ratio,” Kerrick said. “Approximately one Death Lily for every hundred Peace Lilys.”
    Everyone turned to the field. I estimated there were about three hundred Lilys.
    “Approximately three Death Lilys,” Kerrick said. “I’ll pick a route with the least number of Lilys and go first. Belen, keep her close to you. You’ll be last. Who wants to go second?”
    This was the first time Kerrick asked for volunteers.
    “I’ll take second,” Loren said without hesitation.
    “Third,” Quain said.
    “Then Flea,” Kerrick said. “If one of those flowers so much as twitches, run.”
    Lining up in order, we followed Kerrick. The flowers’ scent misted the air. A combination of sweet honey and tangy lemon that evoked a strong feeling of déjà vu in me. We climbed through the vines, avoiding the thorns with little success.
    When we reached the halfway point, the crash and rustle of many boots sounded behind us. A line of mercs spread out along the forest. No going back now.
    The mercs cursed and called us idiots with good reason. If a Death Lily grabbed you, it would do one of two things. Either consume your flesh and then spit out your bones, or spit you out whole. But don’t get too excited about being released. You’d most likely die later. Only ten percent survived the toxin the flower injected into them.
    And if you were caught, your friends wouldn’t be able to cut through the petals. They were thick and fibrous. Plus they would need to get close to the plant. Then the vines would ensnare them, saving them for the Lily’s next meal. Nice, huh?
    With the arrival of the mercs, Kerrick picked up the pace. We skirted many of the white flowers, but couldn’t avoid them all.
    Memories of my younger brother kept surfacing in my mind. Something about the Lily’s scent reminded me of Allyn. He had gone from crawling to running in a matter of days and all before he turned a year old. Once mobile, he’d never stopped moving unless asleep. My family had constantly chased after him. I remembered bolting after Allyn with my heart