Her mouth hung open as she looked in all directions, letting her eyes drink in all the beautiful scenery. “This is… perfect.”
“Astonishing,” Shareis said.
“I am being selfish,” she said. “Shareis, this is your room, too. What would you like?”
Shareis rubbed a leaf from a low-hanging branch near the bed. “I am not particular about my surroundings. If it pleases you, I am fine.”
“Surely you would like something to remind you of home?”
“Proctors do not have a designated homeland,” she replied. “My mother and I moved frequently. It was hard to find a place where we were welcome.”
She walked to Shareis and put her arm on her shoulder.
“There is something from my childhood that meant a great deal to me. If it is not too much trouble, I would like a vase of roses.”
“Of course!”
“You may create the object yourself, Shareis,” Dailen said. “You are a magical being as well. Your craft is different, of course, but it should respond to the spell inside this building.”
“I’ll give it a try,” Shareis said.
Shareis pointed her dagger in front of her and closed her eyes. Within seconds, a nightstand appeared next to the bed, topped with a beautiful glass vase filled with red roses.
She opened her eyes and sheathed her dagger, then held one of the roses between her fingers and indulged in its scent.
A nostalgic smile graced her lips. “This is stunning, Dailen.”
“Yes, yes, you both have wonderful imaginations,” he replied. “I trust you now find your accommodations more to your liking.”
She smiled and extended her hands, embracing the exquisite scenery she created. “I love it. Thank you.”
“Good. Your studies will keep you here for quite some time, so I want to be sure you are both comfortable.”
She sighed. “I’ll be honest – I’ll have a difficult time enjoying this.”
“Why?” Dailen asked.
“Every day I delay, Vorea grows stronger.” She searched the jeweled canopy above her for guidance, but she knew it was just an illusion. “I have much to learn. But time is not on my side.”
“I agree,” Dailen said. “Fortunately, we are able to alter time. I will teach you this, too.”
“For everyone, or just us?” Shareis asked.
“The area of the spell is limited. We could spend days in study while only hours passed for those outside our space.”
“That will help,” she replied.
“You have the skill to defeat Vorea, but you lack the training and knowledge. I can help. But not now. You must rest. You both deserve it after your arduous trip.”
“Thank you, Dailen,” she said. “For everything.”
“No, thank you, Niv’leana. I am a teacher at heart, and yet it has been years since I have had a student.” Dailen smiled. “Get some rest - both of you. We have a busy day tomorrow.”
Chapter 42
Niv and Shareis sat on the edge of the bed.
“This is all so incredible,” she said, still in awe of their surroundings.
“I love your homeland,” Shareis replied. “I want to visit the Jeweled Woods.”
She took her hand. “You will. I want you to meet my parents. Well, Cherin and Ren. As for Maeva, I believe you two will get along under better circumstances.”
“I have much to do to earn her trust.”
“You have a way of winning over people, Shareis.” She propped herself on her hands and leaned back. “I’m exhausted.”
Shareis unlaced her boots, then sat behind her. She brushed her hair out of the way and rubbed her neck.
“That feels wonderful.”
“You are so tense,” Shareis observed.
“My muscles have been on edge for so long that I don’t think they know how to relax.”
“We will have to work on that.”
Niv closed her eyes and allowed the intense, therapeutic discomfort to loosen her twisted muscles. Pain gave way into soothing warmth as Shareis worked out her knots.
She leaned her head back and smiled. “I’d be lost without you.”
“You give me too much credit,” Shareis replied.
“I don’t think so,” she countered as she leaned forward to remove her boots.
Shareis grinned. “We were in the middle of something when Dailen interrupted.”
Her heart quickened as she recalled the tension. Shareis edged closer to her and put her hand on her face. “I was admiring your beauty.”
“Oh, Shareis, I don’t know about that. Even before we became friends, I would stare at you as you slept, wondering how your hair and skin were so perfect despite your illness and the dirty conditions we endured.”
Shareis chuckled. “I caught your gaze once or twice.”
Her face flushed with embarrassment. “Oh no. I was hoping—”
“No, it’s fine,” Shareis interrupted. “I was flattered.”
She sighed. “I thought you’d think I was weird. I certainly did. I still do. But I can’t deny what I feel.” She ran her fingers along the back of Shareis’s hand. “I… I don’t even know how to describe the way I feel about you. I’ve never experienced this before. I wake up thinking about you. I fall asleep thinking about you. I catch glimpses of you when I think you aren’t looking and adore every second of the time we spend together.”
“It sounds like you have the same problem I have, Niv’leana.” Shareis said.
She nervously chuckled. “It’s just Niv.”
“There is no just Niv. I want to say every syllable of your beautiful name.”
Shareis pulled her close and kissed her. There was no timidity in her approach. Shareis’s confident passion completely overcame any resistance her inexperience might have offered. She was certain Shareis could hear her heart beat. She savored the taste of Shareis’s soft lips. She couldn’t get close enough, so she pressed harder.
Shareis had taken the first step for them and dissolved her anxiety. Now she could channel her repressed desire into a passionate gesture of her own. Niv cradled back of Shareis’s head as they shared another loving kiss. They eased back onto the pillows and their lips parted. They caught each other’s gaze as emotion surged between them with palpable intensity.
“I wish I already knew how to slow down time,” she said.
Shareis ran her fingers through her hair. “You will learn.”
“I don’t want this moment to end.”
“It doesn’t have to,” she said. Shareis put her arm around her and pulled her even closer. “We have all night.”
She took a deep, nervous breath. “Like I told you before, I have no idea what I’m doing. I don’t even know what is expected of me.”
Shareis propped her head up with her hand. “What do you mean?”
“Well… I… I don’t know what’s next.”
Shareis kissed her. “A whole lot more of this.”
“Yes, but… that’s simple.”
Shareis put her finger over her lips. “There’s no need to worry. We’ll do whatever makes you comfortable.”
She smiled. “Right now, kissing makes me really comfortable.”
Before they could kiss again, a strong, deep voice cut through the dreamlike haze. “I am sorry to interrupt.”
She bolted upright in bed. “Father!”
Chapter 43
Shareis walked over to Farius. Niv lagged behind, struggling to smooth her hair.
She bowed her head. “Good evening.”
“Dailen told me you were here,” Farius said. “I did not know.”
Niv looked down. “I’m sorry.”
He pulled her chin up with his finger. “There is no need to apologize. I erred.”
“I should have shown more discretion.”
Niv’s embarrassment in being caught in an intimate moment was understandable for a human, but to imply that she was somehow to blame was off-putting. Niv’s confidence had fade
d and was replaced by that of a blushing schoolgirl. She knew it was due to inexperience, but it still irritated her nevertheless. She flashed Niv a disapproving look.
“You had reason to expect privacy,” Farius said.
She urgently wanted to be rid of the topic. “Druids are not used to doors. There is no reason to worry. No harm was done.”
“This is an astonishing reproduction of the Jeweled Woods.”
“Dailen showed me how to cast this illusion,” Niv said.
Farius walked around the room, examining the scene in detail. “Impressive.”
“What brings you here?” she asked.
Farius exhaled heavily. “Lahara is in imminent danger. Drox has been recruiting a larger invasion force and is in communication with Vorea. We fear they may strike at any moment. Have you made any progress securing assistance from the Den’tari?”
Niv bit her lip. “Well, not exactly.”
“It was a longshot,” Farius admitted.
“Dailen was adamant he did not want to get into a conflict with the Ael’Shanar,” Niv said. “But he is willing to prepare me for our conflict with Vorea. He will show me how to change the flow of time so I can quickly learn what I need to know.”
“That is helpful,” Farius said. “But I fear it will not be enough to save Lahara.”
“I’m not sure what to do,” Niv said.
Farius ran his hand along the quilt that his wife had made for his daughter. “I am in conflict myself. Your mother consumes my thoughts.”
Niv put her arm around Farius’s shoulders. “I understand.”
“I want to keep you safe, too, Niv’leana. And yet, Cadrin is my friend. The people of Lahara need us.” He sighed. “There is no simple solution.”
“There is,” Shareis said.
Farius turned to her. “What do you suggest?”
“If I leave now with a fresh horse, I can reach Lahara by mid-morning.”
Niv shook her head. “No, Shareis.”
“Horses cannot easily navigate the foothills,” Farius said.
“I’ll walk the horse until it’s safe, then make up for the lost time.”
“Proctors are excellent fighters, but one woman may not make the difference. If you had magic—"
“She does have magic, father,” Niv said. “But I need her here.”
“My magic is not the same as yours,” she said. “And you are in no danger, Niv.”
“She’s right,” Farius said.
Niv looked away and wrung her hands. She couldn’t read her mind, but it was clear that fear was in charge of her faculties. “Shareis, please don’t go.”
Shareis held her shoulders. “You’ll be fine without me.”
“I’m worried about you,” Niv said. “Lahara isn’t safe.”
“No, it’s not,” she replied. “But if I join Aiden and Frasie, I can help make it just a little bit safer. I can look out for them, too.”
Niv took a deep breath and grabbed her forearm. “I know you’re right.”
She pulled Niv in for a hug.
“I will give you two a moment,” Farius said, then left the room.
She ran her hand through Niv’s thick hair. “I will be back.”
Niv’s voice broke. “You don’t know that.”
“A bond this strong is not easily broken.” She looked into Niv’s misty eyes. “I promise—”
Niv put her fingers over her mouth. “No, don’t. You can’t promise that.”
She took Niv’s hand and gently lowered it from her face. “I promise that I will do everything I can to protect Lahara and our friends. And I will return.”
Niv kissed her, then opened her lips as though to speak. Her eye twitched as a tear escaped her stoic facade. She wiped it away, then held Niv’s head against her chest.
“Stay safe, Shareis,” Niv said.
She reluctantly pulled away, then left the hut.
Farius stood waiting nearby. “I know that was difficult.”
“She will manage,” she replied.
“I meant for you both, Shareis.”
Shareis took a deep breath, but no words came.
Farius took a few steps forward and raised his arms. “I will see you soon.”
After a thankful nod, magic swirled around him. His body collapsed into a swirling cyclone of feathers. His golden eyes shone through the chaos. He swooped toward Shareis then took a graceful banking turn away from the Den’tari village. She watched him clear the ridge and fade off into the distance.
She dared not look back at the hut. It was too difficult to leave Niv’s arms. She fetched her backpack and obtained a fresh horse from Dailen, then walked in the cold night down the foothills. The air was still, and only occasional neighs of her horse could take her mind off the woman she loved.
Chapter 44
Vorea’s fingertips pulled the cork from the tiny amber vial. She held the glass container over a large bowl of water and carefully allowed a drop of its contents to fall into the pool, creating a maelstrom of bubbles. As the activity calmed, a man’s face appeared.
“I haven’t heard from you lately, Drox” she scowled. “I hope you have a good reason.”
His expression betrayed not the slightest hint of concern. “I don’t.”
“You can do better than that,” she replied.
“I’m out here on the front lines, Vorea. Our meetings are not my priority.”
Vorea took a deep breath. “There are few who can get away with speaking to me in that tone.”
“Yea, we’ll I’m one of them. You need me.”
She chuckled. “For now. How goes your recruitment efforts.”
“Not well,” he replied. “I’ve assembled less than two dozen men from the countryside.”
“Pathetic. How much did you offer them?”
“Ten gold per man.”
She shook her head. “Your incompetence astounds me. Offer them more.”
“Our coffers are a bit bare.”
“Lahara has gold. You can plunder it.”
“And am I to write a letter of credit to those who we recruit? I’m sure that will motivate them.”
“Take what you have and secure Lahara.”
“We’ll take heavy losses,” he replied. “We need more men.”
“From an already subdued population? I doubt it.”
“We suspect they are forming a resistance.”
“Then stop it!” she yelled.
“We would have to go door to door and—”
“Stop telling me what you need to do and do it! I don’t have time for this.”
“But Vorea—”
“I mean it. Get the job done, or I’ll find someone who can.”
Drox laughed. “You won’t find anyone alive in Lahara province that can get the job done better than I.”
Her mind spun with possibilities. “Perhaps you’re right.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Vorea sneered. “You do that.”
Drox walked away from the image. She screamed with frustration, then threw the bowl of water across the room. She stood in front of the table with her mother and Mae’s jars, steaming with fury.
Anger is a tool to be used wisely.
She took deep breaths, calming herself. She walked to one of her bookcases and withdrew a book on necromancy. She thumbed through the first few pages, rolling her eyes at the overuse of skull and bone imagery.
Yes, we get it. This tome pertains to the dead.
Vorea preferred the arcane arts. Involving herself in the lower craft of necromancy was beneath her. Yet these were desperate times. No living soul could meet her standard of excellence. Her ideas were flawless, but the minions she had tapped to carry out her plans were incompetent or useless. She briefly considered her recruitment failures, then chalked up her oversight to the tremendous burden she was under to bring order to the continent. With a flick of her finger, she turned the page, and thus ended her brief bout of introspection.
> Her fingers traced the words as she read aloud. “Necrotic Army. Yes, this may do.”
She skimmed the spell, inspecting its requirements. One of them caught her eye.
Blood of a virgin.
She chuckled.
Where in Selandis will I find that?
She continued reading the spell. Its ingredients were quite esoteric, but obtainable.
My own blood will do. I have not spoiled my flesh.
A footnote on the spell denoted that the caster could not use their own blood. She sighed in disappointment. Her fingernails clicked against the wooden table while she pondered her dilemma. And then it hit her.
Dust scattered in all directions as she closed the book. She left her private study and proceeded to the classroom wing on the second floor of the temple. Young initiates, leaving their last classes, parted as she walked down the hall.
Second to last room on the left, I think.
The door was open. A young adept was shuffling papers on the desk.
“Hello, Cabrina.”
Cabrina walked toward her. “Good afternoon, High Priestess. How can I help you?”
“Do you have a moment?”
“Always for you, High Priestess. That was my last class. I was just about to head to dinner.”
She nodded her head. “That should work.”
“Work?”
“Oh, yes, sorry. I need your help with a ritual.”
Cabrina’s eyes lit with excitement. “A ritual?” She pointed to herself. “You want me?”
“Indeed. You are my most powerful adept, are you not?”
Cabrina looked away. “Oh, I don’t know.”
“Confidence, Cabrina. You are my most powerful adept, aren’t you?”
“Yes, High Priestess.”
“I must ask you a rather personal question. My apologies for the intrusion.”
“Anything.”
“Have you ever known a man?”
Cabrina tilted her head. “No.”
She narrowed her gaze. “Are you certain?”
Cabrina nodded. “Yes, of course. I mean, no, I haven’t. I am certain I haven’t.” She looked away. “I should know.”
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