“Wait!” Vale shouted, holding both her hands up in front of her. “Are you telling me there’s a godstone exactly like that in Mrtyu?”
Caelan smiled. He’d had a feeling they’d have to tell her eventually. Trust was still building, but she’d come from Prince Shey and knew Zastrad. If she was going to travel with them, it was only a matter of time before she saw something that couldn’t be easily explained away.
He might have secretly hoped that they’d be closer to Temit prior to that happening, though.
“Yes, we’re going to Mrtyu so I can wake the Dead God and possibly bond with him, just as I have with Tula, the Goddess of Life, and Kaes, the God of Storms,” Caelan admitted with a broad smile.
Vale stood motionless for a moment, as if Caelan really had broken her brain. When she finally moved, it was to clap her hands together. “Welp, I’m out.” She turned on her heel and started toward her horse, appearing as if she were willing to leave them completely on their own in Zastrad.
Drayce reacted first and darted after her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and gently guided her back to the group. “Hey, you can’t leave us on our own. It’s not like we’re asking you to take us straight to the godstone.” He was using his best sweet-talking voice, as if he were simply asking her directions to the best bar in town.
“Yeah, we can find our own way to from Temit to Mrtyu,” Eno added. “We wouldn’t ask you to deal with any gods.”
“Insane. You’re all insane,” Vale snapped.
“Quite possibly, but we have no choice,” Rayne said easily. “The Empire is looking to steal the gods out from under our noses. We have to beat them to the Dead God. If we don’t, the Zastrad drug leaking into Caspagir is going to be the least of your problems.”
Vale shrugged off Drayce and moved away from the car to point toward the church. “You think that’s not a big enough problem? KoD is killing my people.”
Caelan frowned and gazed in the direction of the black yurt. He couldn’t see it hidden behind the other buildings, but he clearly remembered the dozens of people stretched out on the ground appearing to be dead or at least near death. “Those people, they’re on that drug that’s being smuggled into Caspagir? Cod?”
Nodding, Vale returned to their little group. “Yeah. It’s called Kiss of Death—K-O-D. Or KoD for short. The drug is unique to Zastrad because it’s made from two flowers that are only found in Zastrad—the daphne blossom and the Zastrad Blue Poppy. The poppy in particular only grows in Mrtyu because it needs the high altitude.”
“And they hand this shit out at church?” Eno asked.
“Yeah, it’s fucked up. I’m all for religious freedom, but this is crazy.” Vale shuffled to the car and leaned against the trunk, near Caelan. “The stuff partially paralyzes the heart and lungs, bringing the user really close to death. Apparently the lack of blood flow and oxygen result in some great visions.”
“You mean hallucinations,” Rayne growled. “That’s barbaric.”
Vale shrugged. “Not arguing. They think it brings them closer to the Dead God. The people who are dying while using it are thought to have been personally selected by the Dead God. It’s why everyone goes to the church when it stops in their village.”
“And people in Caspagir are taking this? They don’t worship the Dead God,” Drayce said.
“No, but even a watered-down version can still create a great high. The only problem is that the product isn’t always properly diluted for their use. People are overdosing on it constantly, even after just one use. The death rate on this shit is astronomical, and people don’t care.” She threw her hands up. “Stupid fucking idiots.”
Caelan placed a hand on Vale’s shoulder and squeezed. “I’m sorry. I wish we could help more.”
Vale turned her head to regard him. Her expression had softened and she nodded. “Thanks, but it sounds like you’ve got your hands full with the Empire and gods. I wouldn’t want to trade you jobs.”
“But if the Blue Poppy comes only from Mrtyu, that means you have a good lead on the source, right?” Drayce asked. “Maybe when we’re in Temit, you’ll be able to get a line on the smuggler.”
A weak smile flashed across her lips. “I’ve thought of that. We’ve been investigating every mobile church we’ve encountered, but they’ve been clean as far as we can tell. That leaves a private seller who has contacts with Mrtyu.”
“We’ll help any way we’re able,” Caelan offered while trying to ignore the warning glare from Rayne. Yeah, he couldn’t make any promises. Their priority needed to remain dealing with the Dead God.
“Thanks, but don’t worry about it,” Vale said, already waving off his offer. “You just handle the gods and leave the drug-dealing mortals to me.” She pushed away from the car and sighed. “Guess we should get those horses so we can find a place to camp. We might have to stay near the town for a day or two in case the stable needs time to get enough horses for us. You’re with me again, Four Eyes.”