“I should heal her then, shouldn’t I?” she asked.
“I cannot answer that for you. But if you plan on healing her with magic, you should know it will not work.”
“Why not?”
“Your healing magic is incompatible with her wound.”
“I’ve saved people’s lives,” she said. “I’m sure I can heal an infection.”
“You could if it were acquired harmlessly. But if a Proctor is hurt while unjustly harming another, the wound can only be healed by her.”
“Is her magic strong enough?”
“Yes, but it does not work as you might expect.”
“I don’t understand.”
“For her to have a chance to survive, I cannot explain more. I do not want to interfere with her healing process. I know it does not make sense to you now, but hopefully, in time, it will.”
She was confused by Farius’s evasiveness on Shareis, but his confident tone and wise council rejuvenated her spirits.
At camp that evening, she gathered some herbs and sliced the cap off some glowing mushrooms and minced the plants together with some water to form a paste. She applied it to a spare piece of burlap from an empty provision bag to fashion a poultice.
She knelt next to Shareis. “The herbs in this bandage will help reduce the infection.”
Shareis leaned forward. “Thank you. I doubt it will, but I appreciate your effort.”
“Did you get enough to eat?” she asked.
“I’m not hungry.”
“Farius has made some wonderful soup. He’s quite the cook.”
Shareis’s chuckle led to a coughing fit. “Druids specialize in soup. They are vegetarians, after all.”
“At least you can get warm by the fire,” she said. “You don’t have to sit this far away from camp. I can see you shivering.”
Shareis gazed past her at the flames in the distance. “That would be nice. But it probably wouldn’t be good for my fever.”
Shareis tried to stand, but collapsed on the ground. She took her hand and helped her steady herself. “We’d better go quickly. I don’t know how long I can remain upright.”
When they reached the others, Fraise greeted them with a smile, while Aiden offered a suspicious glare. Farius’s countenance betrayed no hint of approval or disapproval. In fact, her newfound father hadn’t said much of anything after he’d tucked the Charolite stone, as promised, into her palm when they made camp. He seemed content to track her movements and she often caught him studying her when she glanced his way.
Frasie extended a cup to Shareis. “Tea?”
Shareis nodded and took the cup but struggled to drink it with her bound hands.
Niv was impressed with her efforts but knew she would need assistance. She asked Aiden for a knife and knelt next to their prisoner. She took the cup from Shareis’s cold grip.
“If I free your hands, can I trust you to not attack us?”
“I have no intention of doing so,” Shareis replied. “Besides, I am in no condition to fight.”
“A flick of a dagger across any of our throats can save you the struggle,” Aiden said. “You didn’t answer Niv’s question.”
“I did,” Shareis retorted. “You just didn’t like the answer. I am no threat to you.”
She took the knife and worked the tip of the blade in between the fibers of hemp in effort to avoid injuring her. She handed her the cup. “I hope my trust in you is not misplaced.”
“Likewise,” Shareis replied. “You quite literally hold my life in your hands.”
Aiden motioned to her. She followed him to the edge of the road. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
“No,” she replied. “But as she said, she isn’t a threat to us. She can barely stand.”
Aiden grunted. “I don’t trust her.”
“I’m not sure I do either.”
“We had to pull you off her in Grey Oak, and now you seem concerned about her wellbeing.”
“Is that alright?” she asked.
“Well, yes, of course.” He exhaled sharply. “I’m just concerned for your safety.”
“Thank you, Aiden. I’m not worried about Shareis. I’m concerned about Vorea.”
“You don’t think she’s still working for Vorea?”
“No. Shareis failed her.”
“We’ll have to remain even more vigilant,” Aiden said. “We should move to a watch rotation. I’m a light sleeper, but someone stealthy could slip by me.”
“Agreed.” She felt the Charolite stone in her pocket. “I’ll take second watch. Frasie will be eager to take the third. She’s always up early.”
“Alright.”
“I’ll leave you to first watch, then,” she said.
He stopped her. “I wanted to ask you a question about Frasie, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course.”
Aiden shifted his weight. “Well, uh… I... am having a tough time talking to her.”
“Really? You two seem to be chatting all the time.”
“Yes, but not of anything substantive,” he replied. “She tells me a lot of stories, and jokes. Mostly jokes.”
“That’s Frasie.”
“We do seem to get along well. However, I like her.”
“I like her too,” she replied.
Aiden shook his head. “No, no, not like that. I like her. More than friends.”
A strange emotion washed over her. She found Aiden’s attraction to Frasie both cute and annoying. She didn’t understand. She tried her best to hide her reaction.
Aiden started to pace. “Maybe she doesn’t feel the same way, I don’t know. I mean, a lot has been—”
“I believe she likes you too,” she interrupted. “And your affection for her is obvious.”
“It is?” he asked.
“Painfully so.”
“Oh, I didn’t want to be so conspicuous.”
“The realization of subtlety is not one of Frasie’s strong suits.” She sighed. “She probably has no idea.”
“Ah, well… telling people how I feel isn’t one of my strong suits. Aren’t we a pair?”
She pulled out the Charolite stone. “I’d really better begin my meditation. Farius has information with me to share.”
“Thank you, Niv.”
She nodded, then returned to her bedroll. All the others were asleep except Shareis.
“Does she always snore?” Shareis asked.
She looked at Frasie. “I’m afraid so. But if you ask her, she’ll likely deny it and mention my snoring.”
“Do you snore?” Shareis asked.
“I don’t think so, but Frasie disagrees.”
“You care for her a great deal, don’t you?”
The awkward emotions she felt with Aiden flashed through her mind. “I do, yes. Why do you ask?”
Shareis grimaced as she shifted positions. “There’s something different about you, Niv’leana.”
“That’s an unusual observation,” she said.
“I say what I think. At least most of the time.”
“I wish I had the courage to do that.”
Shareis rubbed her wrists. “Thank you for releasing my hands.”
Niv looked to the sky. “A purely selfish action. I don’t want to have to hold your cup each time you want a drink.”
“Someday, you will have the courage to speak your mind. Goodnight.”
Shareis quickly fell asleep. Niv pondered the cryptic words as she fixated on the flames that danced on her untied prisoner’s all-black hair. No split ends. No variation in color. No curl. The shimmering mass swept across the ground like the even swish of perfect fringe on a well-made gown.
What the hell is wrong with me?
She turned from the near mesmerizing sight and pressed the stone into her hand. She wasn’t sure precisely how it worked, but her intuition told her the stone would do the rest. She closed her eyes and held it tightly, waiting.
In moments, she was in the middle of a busy city, walki
ng across a bridge. She was being held by Maeva. When they reached the other side of the water, Mae stopped and greeted a blond-haired girl in front of them.
“Good morning, Vorea.”
Chapter 25
Niv’s infant perspective limited her field of vision. She wondered if she could change to her mother’s point of view. As soon as she had the thought, her perspective changed. She now saw through Maeva’s eyes. It was a surreal sight to see herself swaddled in her mother’s arms.
“Good morning, Maeva,” the girl replied in a soft voice.
“Where are you going, child?”
“Mother said I could go for a walk. I don’t like being in that stuffy temple all the time.”
“I understand.” She motioned to a seat near the water’s edge. “Why don’t we sit by the water for a while?”
Vorea followed her to the bench and sat next to her.
“Niv’leana is already starting to show her natural gift for magic,” she said.
Vorea leaned over Niv. “Really?”
“Yes. I believe she is already developing telepathy.”
“But she can’t speak yet,” Vorea said.
“Yes, but she already knows the meaning of some of my words, even if I don’t say them. I could just be an overly proud mother. But the druidic blood within her is strong.”
“Will she be able to wear the Amulet of Balance?” Vorea asked.
“How do you know about that?”
“I read about it in one of the books in the library.”
“Those are not books for the public.”
“But I’m not the public,” Vorea insisted.
“You are a bright young girl and I’m sure you’ll be very prominent in the order someday, perhaps even High Priestess, but you are not even an initiate. Those books are meant for the council’s eyes only.”
Vorea exhaled sharply and slumped. “It’s not fair. I’m old enough to join. I’m nine.”
“You are still a child, my dear.” Vorea looked away. A flock of ducks swam across the water. “Look at the ducks, Vorea.”
Vorea watched them for a moment, then stared at the ground. “Why?”
“Because they are beautiful.”
“Beauty does not matter.”
“Use not humility or allow aesthetic disinterest to prevent discovery of all kinds of beauty, lest ye forfeit its knowledge.”
“The Ael’Shanarian Precepts, Book 8, Chapter 2,” Vorea said.
“Impressive memory. Do you understand its meaning?”
Vorea shrugged. “Not really.”
“Beauty can be both appreciated and be our teacher. When we see something beautiful we see something that resonates within us. It’s a gift from the creator, and a gift to ourselves to experience.”
“I don’t see the point.”
“Your understanding of those words will change as you age,” she said. “You simply do not have enough experience to use the wisdom you have been reading.”
Vorea frowned. “But how does that give me more power?”
“Power has nothing to do with ruling over others, it’s about having control of oneself. And that’s something that starts to come with age.”
“It’s still not fair.”
“It is exactly the way it should be,” she replied. “Now’s the time for you to do things like watch ducks and play in the park.”
Vorea stood and put her hands on her hips. “Being a child is boring.”
She chuckled. “You have no choice but to be a child, so why not enjoy it?”
Vorea scoffed and walked away, and the view changed.
In the next scene, Niv saw a bassinet in the corner of what she instinctively knew was Maeva’s room. Vorea stood next to it with a dagger in hand, hovering it over the bed.
Mae rushed to Vorea and pulled her away from it. “What are you doing?”
“I’m just trying something I read in a book.”
She pried the dagger from Vorea’s hand. “This is your mother’s athame! Why do you have this?”
Vorea shrugged. “She wasn’t using it.”
She took the scabbard from Vorea and sheathed the blade. “You shouldn’t touch things that don’t belong to you. Holding a knife over someone is dangerous, especially for a child. You could have hurt Niv’leana!”
“I was just trying to draw some of her power,” Vorea said.
She dragged Vorea to the door of her room. “Don’t ever do anything like this again, do you understand?”
Vorea looked toward the bassinet.
“Do you understand?” she yelled.
“Yes,” she replied.
After Vorea left, Maeva rushed to pick up the baby. Maeva’s heart pounded in terror as she examined her child and returned her to safety in the bassinet. Satisfied there’d been no injury, she sat on the side of the bed, drew the athame from its scabbard, and let its weight rest in both hands. The handle was cool, but the blade was still warm. She surmised that Vorea had some success in initiating the flow of energy through the ritual weapon.
She pondered the situation, and then the scene changed yet again. She was in a similar location in her room, but Farius was there. The two were discussing Vorea and the threat she posed. After an intense conversation, they determined they must send their baby away for protection against Vorea’s twisted desires.
“I will spell her blanket so her location and power will be secreted from Vorea.” She took two Charolite stones from her dresser drawer and held them in her hand. “But we need to convey to her why we took these actions.”
Farius took her hand in his and closed his eyes. The two meditated with the stones for quite some time. A tremendous outpouring of love and devotion overwhelmed Niv. The powerful emotions felt just as authentic as the visions she had experienced. She sat upright and opened her eyes, still gripping the stone. She stared into the darkness, contemplating what she had experienced.
What happened to Mae’s stone?
Chapter 26
The chilly current rushed over Niv’s toes. The water was almost too frigid for her, but her feet sorely ached and the layer of dirt that managed to worm its way inside her shoes wasn’t going anywhere without its gentle aid. While her feet took their respite, she surveyed her clothing, noting that the hem on her dress was filthy and in tatters. She desperately longed for a soak in a hot tub and sighed with the realization that its luxury would have to wait.
She pulled her feet out and dried them, then started to remove the layer of topsoil that had accumulated under her fingernails. She had only a rough cloth, a poor substitute for a bristled scrub brush, but it would have to do. After she finished her left hand, someone grabbed her wrist. Before she could react, a knife was at her throat.
“Don’t say a word,” a man’s voice growled.
Her pulse quickened. Every muscle was on edge, ready to either defend herself or run away.
“I know you have magic. You’re not going to use it. If I even think you’re trying to cast a spell, I’ll slit your throat.”
“Unless you have a Sorceress’s Tear…”
He grabbed her hair and jerked her head back. She could make out the tip of his well-trimmed beard. “I’ve got something better. This knife. You can’t cast if you’re talking to me, so if you want to keep your pretty little head, you’ll keep talking.”
“What do you want?” she asked.
“The amulet.”
“You can’t wear it.”
“I’m not interested in wearing it,” he snapped. “Take it off.”
“I don’t know that I can.”
He pulled her hair by its roots, forcing her to stand. “I’m not interested in what you know. I’m interested in what you do. Take it off. Now.”
His grip relaxed when she reached behind her neck. While she fumbled with the clasp, she heard a shuffle. “I’m trying to unfasten it. Just be patient.”
“No need.”
Shareis!
Shareis held a blood-coated dagger ov
er the assailant, a short, dark haired man with a distinctive beard and mustache. She dipped the dagger into the creek, wiped it on his shirt, then offered the blade to Niv.
Niv scrambled from the creek’s bank to accept the dagger. “You saved my life,” she said, unable to look away from the pull of Shareis’s dark gaze.
“Not likely,” Shareis replied and stepped back. “He wouldn’t have killed you unless it was absolutely necessary. He was interested in the amulet.”
She glared at the thief’s corpse. “An agent of Vorea, no doubt.”
“Maybe.” Shareis paused to catch her breath. “Either way, the threat has been neutralized.”
“Are you alright?”
Shareis coughed. “I fear the infection has spread to my lungs.”
Niv closed the gap between them again to examine the wound. “You must be in terrible pain.”
“I can handle it.”
Farius approached with Aiden at his heels. “What has happened here?”
“He tried to steal the amulet. Shareis killed him.” She held out the blade. “With this.”
Aiden clenched his fists as if prepared to fight. “How did you get that?”
“Does it matter right this second, Aiden? She doesn’t have it now. And she saved my life.”
Shareis sighed. “I merely saved your necklace from falling into the hands of a common criminal.”
“Do you think he’s connected to Vorea?” Aiden asked Farius.
Farius knelt next to him and examined his clothing. “I do not think so.” He searched his pockets but found nothing. “No papers or money.”
“Either way, we shouldn’t be wandering off by ourselves,” Aiden said.
“I just needed a few moments alone,” she replied.
“That’s all it takes,” Aiden said. “Why were you following her, Shareis?”
“There is no need to interrogate her,” Niv said.
“A legitimate question,” Shareis replied. “I had the feeling Niv might be in danger.”
Aiden narrowed his gaze. “And how would you know that?”
Farius put his hand on Aiden’s shoulder. “I am glad Shareis was here when she was.”
“Of course.” Aiden relaxed. “I am just concerned for Niv and Frasie’s safety. Shareis was working for Vorea only a few days ago.”
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