Twice Blessed

by Taryn Noelle Kloeden

  Today there was a particular reason for Terayan’s descent into the mire. He needed to check on his champion. One cell stood apart from the others at the end of a long, empty tunnel. Rats skittered under boot, and Terayan kicked the closest, sending it squealing against the wall. In the dim torchlight, Terayan saw the prisoner in the final cell flinch.

  “Aronak.” Terayan clasped his hands together as he came to stand within a few steps of the boy’s cell. “You live to fight another day.”

  Aronak did not respond. Blood covered his young, broad face and matted his dark hair. He eyed Terayan with deep brown eyes.

  “I was hoping for a better performance,” Terayan went on. “But the rabble seemed pleased enough.”

  “Isn’t it enough that I kill for your pleasure?” Aronak smeared a rusty stain on his cheek. “Must you taunt me as well?”

  “He speaks,” Garrison sneered.

  Terayan had almost forgotten the others were there. “Leave us.”

  “Councilor, I have to advise against—”

  “Garrison.” Terayan gnashed his teeth. “Now.”

  “Yes, Councilor.” The captain and his men obeyed, leaving Terayan alone with the prisoner.

  “Have a secret to tell me, Councilor?”

  “Only that I know yours, Kado.” Lonian Kemar’s act may have fooled the less observant, but Terayan had seen what really happened in the arena. “Today would have been your twentieth kill. I suppose we’ll have to call this nineteen and a half.”

  Kado's lip twitched. “Blood is blood.”

  Terayan chuckled. “If only that were true.”

  Kado gripped the bars separating them. “So punish me or leave me alone.”

  “Why did you hesitate?” This was what Terayan needed to know. Kado had made such strides from the terrified slave Terayan had bought at market. He was an efficient killer. Why the hesitation now?

  “I’ll answer your question if you answer one of mine.”

  Terayan scoffed. The boy had cheek, but it was precisely this fire Terayan needed to stoke. “Deal.”

  “Why did you buy me that day? And don’t say you wanted a Fenearen for the pits—there were plenty of others you could have chosen.”

  Before Terayan could answer, footsteps sounded behind them. Two thin figures glided down the corridor, arms linked.

  “Tallis. Garrison told us we’d find you here,” said Ezra Laevul, the female half of his closest conspirators, the Laevul twins. The lack of light in the chamber did Ezra credit—hiding much of her narrow, greasy features in shadow.

  “Come, Tallis,” said Amblin Laevul. “We’ve much to discuss.” Every bit his sister’s likeness, the only difference was Amblin’s shorter and thinning black hair.

  Aronak straightened, eyeing the Laevuls. “Who are you?”

  The Laevuls tended to unnerve most people they encountered. Aronak's boldness pleased Terayan.

  Neither twin answered. Instead, Ezra hooked her arm through Terayan's. “Come, Tallis.”

  “That's enough for now, Kado Aronak. I'll have you transported back to Krymammer prison until you're needed here again.”

  Aronak’s top lip curled in a near-snarl, but his rounding eyes betrayed fear.

  Terayan dipped his head to his prisoner and allowed the Laevuls to guide him back toward the surface.

  Amblin whispered. “He’s asking questions, Tallis.”

  “Good.” Terayan straightened the top-most golden button on his tunic. “His frustration will only feed his anger. After what happened today, it seems he is not as well prepared as we thought.”

  “You don’t think he’s ready for the Ascension?” Ezra asked.

  Terayan shook his head. “It isn’t enough to have the white wolf and force him to kill in the arena. It's a start, but when the time for my Ascension ritual comes, Aronak must be so broken, so full of hatred, that there is no doubt his sacrifice will be successful. Anything less and we risk failing Lord Razorn, the one true God. This is our only chance to channel his power into this realm through the tear in the veil the Sionic Hex created. Failure is not an option.”

  How do you propose to reach such certainty? Amblin did not voice the words, though they appeared in Terayan’s mind as though he had. They were nearing the surface and could not risk being overheard.

  You saw his fury in the arena when Kemar called him son, Terayan responded telepathically. The boy’s own step-father sold him into slavery, after he’d murdered the mother. Aronak longs for a parent to love him. I say we give him that, and then take it away. Terayan nodded to a passing group of guards as though nothing were happening.

  You sound like you have a plan. Ezra observed. But we still need the seer’s blood to bind the Ascension.

  “Always the skeptic, Lady Ezra.” Terayan kissed her bony hand. With what we have set in motion, Rayna is already on her way to us. She just doesn’t know it yet.

  Chapter Two

  Rayna's attacker feinted left, but she was faster. She tackled her opponent, a short girl with copper-brown hair, to the mossy ground.

  Katrine snarled as she struggled to free herself. The younger Fenearen's large brown eyes thinned to slits as she pressed against Rayna's hold.

  Rayna grinned. “One, two, three.” She released Katrine, offering her hand.

  Katrine took it, her face mushed in annoyance. “If you would have let me shift or use my claws, that wouldn’t have been so easy.”

  Rayna stretched, breathing in the cool evening air. The lilacs had bloomed. Their scent soothed her aching head. “That may be, but hand-to-hand combat skills are important. When I wore a Monil, I’d been unprepared to fight without my wolf form. I’m never making that mistake again, and I want to make sure you’re prepared, too.”

  Katrine rolled her eyes. “No one is going to use a Monil on me, Rayna.”

  Rayna touched her neck, remembering the cold metal, and the searing pain of separation from her other self. “Perhaps not.” She cleared her throat. “But you asked to train with me and become my ehreln. I'm your mentor, and you're apprenticed to me. That means I make the rules.”

  Katrine nodded as she wiped her muddy palms on her leggings. “You’re right. I just don’t like to lose.”

  Rayna laughed. “I’ve noticed.”

  “So, what’s next?” The glint in Katrine’s eyes told Rayna she was ready to spar again, but the scrapes and bruises coating Katrine’s arms betrayed a different story.

  “I’m tired,” said Rayna. “Let’s call it a day.”

  Katrine shrugged. “If you say so.”

  “Come on. I think we've earned a bath.” It was only a few days since the vernal equinox, and the spring air had not yet lost all its bite. Even so, both Rayna and Katrine were sweat-stained and muddied. A quick dip in the nearby stream sounded heavenly.

  “Race you there!” Katrine shifted into a light brown wolf and bounded out of the clearing into the green-budded forest.

  Rayna's laugh turned to a howl as she took her red wolf form and chased after her ehreln. Rayna felt a few of her own bruises swelling as she picked up speed. Katrine was fast, perhaps even faster than she was. But hazards filled the the white oak-dominated forest—fox holes, gnarled roots, and peaty mud. Katrine was quick, but Rayna knew the terrain better.

  Katrine's front paws slipped in a puddle, and the younger Fenearen toppled head-over-tail into the muck.

  With no time to stop, Rayna leaped over her ehreln to the safety of the clover beyond. Before Rayna could ask if Katrine were all right, Katrine regained her four feet and the race continued.

  By the time they reached the rocky stream at a small waterfall's base, Katrine and Rayna were more mud than wolf.

  First one in the water wins! Rayna barked in the Wolven language. She launched into the air and dove into the brook's deepest pool. Katrine splashed next to her..

  Rayna shifted human as her head broke the water's surface.

  Katrine bobbed up next to her, back in her doe-eyed human fo
rm. “Call it a tie?”

  Rayna wrung out her long red hair. “Sure. You're making incredible progress, you know?”

  “Rayna,” Katrine began, her voice dripping with disbelief. “I asked to be your ehreln over three months ago, right after the battle of the Northern Densite. I haven't beaten you yet.”

  “Believe me, you've landed plenty of blows.” Rayna smiled. “You need to be patient with yourself. You can't become a warrior overnight.”

  “I know, but...” Katrine's gaze focused on the water flowing between them.

  “But,” Rayna prompted her. “You think that if you'd been stronger last year, when the Da' Gammorn attacked your densite, maybe you would have been able to save your family.”

  Katrine swallowed hard enough for Rayna to hear. “I ran away,” she whispered. “They were dying and I ran.”

  “Your brother told you to run, and he was right to do so. The Da' Gammorn were evil incarnate, demon-infested corpses.” Rayna grasped Katrine's shoulder. “You had to warn the next densite. Because of you, thousands of lives were saved.”

  Katrine nodded. “You're right. I'm being foolish.”

  “No, you're not.” Rayna suspected that Katrine had asked to train together as a way of distracting herself from her losses. Rayna had been quick to agree; she had endured plenty of losses herself. Nothing quieted her inner pain quite like physical exhaustion. But neither of them could outrun the pain forever. “Katrine—”

  “Someone's coming.” Katrine wiped her face.

  Rayna sniffed the air currents. “It's Mina and Roxen. They must have finished their hunt.”

  “Oh Gods,” Katrine said, “you don't think she is going to try to make me practice archery again do you? I know she's your best friend, but that Kyrean is a harsh critic.”

  Rayna rolled her eyes. “She's not that Kyrean. Silver made her an official member of our Pack. You just don't like that she calls you little wolf.”

  “I'm not little,” Katrine grumbled as she and Rayna walked to the bank to dry off.

  Mina and Roxen approached the stream from the southern hunting trail. They made an interesting pair. At four-and-a-half tail lengths, Roxen was a giant even by Fenearen standards. Combined with his unruly auburn hair and muscular frame, it was clear why no one had ever challenged him for his position as Beta of the Southern Densite. Mina's head, counting her halo of brown curls, barely reached Roxen's chest. Freckles and tawny skin gave her heart-shaped face a youthful glow. Though, if given the choice between them, Rayna would rather square off against the massive Roxen than Mina. She looked delicate, but with her bow or daggers in hand, she was anything but.

  “Hey there, Wolfie.” Mina waved to Rayna. “Little Wolf.” She winked at Katrine.

  Katrine tensed. Rayna blurted out, “How was the hunt?”

  “Bagged a few squirrels.” Roxen lifted a leather satchel he wore at his side. “But food's still scarce. It's amazing the forest has bounced back as well as it has, given everything that happened this winter.”

  “In better news,” Mina said. “I've discovered Roxen's secret talent.”

  “Oh?” Rayna dragged her fingers through her tangled hair.

  “Mhmm. Observe.” Mina stood on her tiptoes until she could cover Roxen's hazel eyes with her hands.

  “Mina—” he complained, though his smile was not hidden. Nor was the blush flaring in his cheeks.

  “Shh.”

  They all quieted. A few moments later, a songbird buzzed.

  “There!” Mina said. “What was that one?”

  Roxen sighed. “A worm-eating warbler.”

  Mina released her hands. “Amazing! He knows all the birds by sound.”

  Roxen grinned. “I told you, I'm a man of many talents.”

  They all laughed as Roxen sketched a bow. “That demonstration done, I should get these squirrels back to the densite. I'll see you all later. And Mina,” he said as he turned to go, “thanks for your help.”

  “Anytime.” Mina knelt by the stream and took a drink.

  Rayna sat down and splashed water on her face, careful to clean the mud from the three jagged scars running the length of her left cheek. The claw marks Channon had accidentally given her in the Mouth of Hell did not bother her—Goddess knew she had plenty of scars—though she hated the way they must have reminded Channon of the Sionic Hex Rhael had used against him.

  “I think I'll head back, too,” said Katrine. “Thanks, Rayna. I'll see you tomorrow?”

  “Just before sunrise.”

  Once Katrine’s footfalls faded, Mina turned to Rayna. “I haven't seen you all day. Anything you need to talk about?”

  Rayna picked at a bootlace. “If you mean my dreams, nothing's changed.” Beyond her grief over the loss of her uncle and other packmates, Rayna shouldered another worry—one she’d kept secret from all but Mina. Rayna had discovered the truth of her identity as a seer over the past winter and used her new found abilities to defeat Rhael Demetrian. But in the weeks following the battle, her visions became muddled, her connection with Lumae and Alvo weak. A near constant headache kept her awake, and when she found sleep, her dreams were fractured and difficult to recall.

  Mina shrugged. “I still think it's a reaction to everything that happened to us. Your dreams will make sense again in time.”

  “But it's been almost three months,” Rayna protested. “What if I did something wrong, and it's affecting my visions?”

  “Well, there is one image you're still seeing clearly, right?”

  Rayna exhaled sharply. “Don't remind me. Kellan Kemar.” She shook her head. “Of all the people for me to dream about every night...” It was always the same. She saw flashes of people, places, and feelings she could not make sense of. She heard bits of Lumae's and Alvo's voices, telling her to help someone. Then her dreams centered on Kellan’s gray eyes and swirling black tattoos. But why would the Sylrian need her help?

  “If you feel guilty for seeing another man besides Channon in your dreams, you have to know you can't control it.”

  “I know.” Rayna stood, pacing the bank. “But I'm supposed to be able to control it. I'm the Awakened seer, remember? Going to the Eye of Heaven was supposed to change me, to make me stronger. And maybe it did for a time, but now? Now I'm more confused than ever. And worse, I'm keeping all of this from Channon.”

  Mina rinsed her hands in the water before she came to her feet. She gripped Rayna’s forearm, halting her pacing. “You're right not to tell him. He would only misinterpret what it meant, and he's still healing himself.”

  Rayna could not forgive herself so easily, but was too tired to argue the point. Instead, she changed the topic. “Roxen cares about you, you know?”

  Mina's left eyebrow quirked. “We're friends. You know that.”

  “I know. Just be careful with him. He acts tough, and he is, but he has a gentle heart.”

  Mina scoffed. “And I don't?”

  “That's not what I meant.”

  Mina pursed her lips. “Rox and I are only friends. If anything changes, you'll be the first to know. Besides, you're deflecting.”

  Rayna crossed her arms. “What does that mean?”

  “I brought up Channon, and you couldn't change the subject quickly enough.”

  Rayna turned toward the trail leading north to the densite. “We should head back.”

  Mina sighed. “See what I mean?”

  “Fair point.” They walked in silence through the trees as Rayna gathered her thoughts. The sun was beginning to set and already the air currents were alive with the scents of dusk animals. Rayna inhaled, focusing her tired mind. “I hate keeping a secret from him. I thought that once we were home, and safe, and life settled down again, that he and I would pick up where we left off. I can't help thinking that the reason we haven't is that he knows I'm holding something back.”

  “If you really feel that strongly, then maybe you should tell him about your dreams? Maybe leave out the part about everything being focus
ed on Kellan?” Mina offered.

  Rayna shook her head. “But you were right when you said he's still healing from the hex. I don't want to risk upsetting him or worrying him. No, I need to solve this problem with my dreams, and then there will be nothing for me to hide.”

  “All right. Then I'll do whatever I can to help you. Just make sure that when we solve this problem, you don't find another excuse to avoid facing your feelings. Love is always scary, Wolfie. If it weren't, it wouldn't be worth it.”

  As Rayna mulled over Mina's words, Channon's leather-and-pine scent drifted onto the currents as if summoned by their conversation. Rayna slowed her pace.

  “Company?” Mina asked.

  Rayna nodded as Channon came around the winding trail's corner.

  He waved, the gesture lifting his doeskin shirt and revealing a sliver of his toned stomach. Since his return from the Mouth of Hell, he'd regained the weight he had lost and more in the form of hard muscle.

  “Ah.” Mina smiled. “Perfect timing. Well then, I'll leave you to it.”

  “Mina, you don't have to—”

  But the Kyrean had already brushed past Channon with a friendly pat on his shoulder.

  “What was that about?” Channon asked as Mina disappeared.

  Rayna shrugged. “Who knows what goes on in Mina's mind?” She closed the distance between them to less than a tail-length. Guilt shadowed her heart as she once again recalled seeing Kellan in her dreams. Perhaps she ought to have told Channon about the problems with her visions—there was a time when they had known everything about each other. But she feared he would get the wrong idea, and she could not hurt Channon in that way again, not after what she had put him through when she’d almost married Rhael.

  If he suspected she was hiding something, he did not show it. “I thought I might find you out here. How's Katrine's training going?”