Both Gemynd and Soman froze, their blades pointed at one another with Molly standing between them.
“Get out of here, Mother!” Gemynd shouted.
“Put down your swords,” she pleaded and Gemynd noticed her face was wet with tears. “The battle is over. There are no more Iturtians here. Put down your swords.”
Gemynd looked over his shoulder and saw Ileethios’ head lying several feet from his body. His mother was right, every single lost Iturtian had been killed.
Gemynd turned back and took another step towards Soman. “You killed my people!”
“And you killed mine!” Soman shouted back, his voice rumbling through the entire valley.
“Please, put down your weapons,” Molly pleaded then sobbed. “You cannot kill each other or it will all have been in vain.”
Gemynd watched Soman slowly let go of both longknives, and he felt his own hand release the shortknife. But he was hardly aware of either. The repeated pulsing of his heartbeat in his ears carried Molly’s words through his brain again and again. “It will all have been in vain.”
Something about the words and the way she said them made a sickness churn in Gemynd’s stomach. He felt the bile rise up into his throat and he swallowed hard against it.
“What have you done, Mother?” He stepped towards her, every instinct in his body telling him that she was the real enemy. The terror in her eyes was deeper than anything Gemynd had seen before. He realized it was the look of fear without a drop of hope. It was the second time that day he’d looked into pure darkness.
“Everything I did was to keep you and Soman together. And to keep you both with me!”
Gemynd ground his teeth together and flared his nostrils. His breath came fast and shallow. “What did you do?”
“The workers gave me a supply of hebenvine,” Molly sputtered and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “To keep my youthful appearance.”
Gemynd’s hands trembled and he swallowed down the sickness in his throat once again. “What did you do?” he asked one more time, but hoped with all he had that she would not answer.
“I killed him!” Molly shouted, her whole body shaking. “I killed Golath!”
In an instant, Gemynd was on her. With his left hand, he grabbed a fistful of her hair, pulling it back to expose her neck. With his right hand, he snatched his dagger from Molly’s grasp and pressed it against her throat.
Time and movement seemed to freeze as Gemynd pressed the tip of his dagger against the pulse point at his mother’s neck. No one stepped in to help her. No one even called for Gemynd to stop. Here, in Gemynd’s grasp, was the true enemy of Todor.
“Kill me, please!” Molly said, lifting her chin to expose her neck further. “I cannot bear the guilt a moment more. I killed my love so you would come back to me, but now I am without you both. I did not mean to cause a war. How can I live with knowing that the deaths of so many are because of me?”
“No more talking, Mother,” Gemynd growled, trying to remain rational. He had seen himself in the polished silver. He knew he was capable of reacting without violence. But the rage had already reached his brain and was fragmenting it, the way ice can crack a rock once it’s seeped inside. It was becoming impossible to hold on to his thoughts.
“Gemynd, you have always been blind to the truth that is right before you,” Molly wailed, spittle flying from her lips. “Your father was incapable of loving you.”
“Cease your talking,” Gemynd warned again, pinching his eyes closed. That voice. That voice he had heard directing him to destroy Aerie haunted the fragments of his mind once again. Kill her. Kill the enemy.
“You asked me why I didn’t fight to change the laws of Todor when Golath was banished from Aerie,” Molly said, ignoring Gemynd’s warning. “Well, I ask you now: Why didn’t he? Golath was far more powerful than anyone else in Aerie. So why did he save Aerie rather than destroy it that day and change Todor forever? Why did he allow the laws of separateness to continue? Why, when he was in control of the queen for so many years, did he not change the laws then? Why did he not fight to be with his wife and his son? He waited for you to grow up and come to him so that he could control you. Gemynd, he never loved you as his son. What you were to him was his greatest weapon.”
“Silence!” Gemynd shouted, his hand shaking on the dagger hilt.
“I couldn’t let him take anything more from me ever again.”
Gemynd looked at his own hand holding the knife against his mother’s throat. He tried with all his might to silence the voices. His mother’s voice and the voice inside his own head. But they were screaming and mixing together, whipping his mind into an ineffective soup. He could not grasp a hold of anything real. It all dripped away into nothingness.
Until, at last, he remembered the feeling of power that had surged through him when he’d killed the Zobanite soldiers. It was the same feeling he’d had when he destroyed Aerie. This power was something he could touch, something he could stand upon to make sense of the world again.
Suddenly his entire being surged with the power he’d longed for. It was real. Gemynd felt alive and whole, his purpose satisfied.
The only other thing Gemynd felt was the warmth of his mother’s blood as it poured over the back of his hand.
CHAPTER SIX
Numa
Numa willed herself across the field to Gemynd’s side just in time to catch Molly as she slipped to the ground. Hot blood poured in spurts from the hole in Molly’s neck and the smell of it filled Numa’s nose. She cringed as she noticed the way it felt running onto her arm and through her fingers. It was sticky and slippery at once.
She looked into Molly’s eyes and saw unmistakable pleading there. “It is not yet too late for me to heal you,” she whispered to her. Molly was the last Terrene, her life meant something for Todor. But what? She would likely not have another child and, if she did, the child would likely not be Terrene. She would never repopulate the race in Todor. Did it really matter if her death happened now or at some future time?
A grotesque gurgling sound came from Molly’s throat and blood bubbled out of her lips. Numa realized she was trying to speak. “You killed Golath,” Numa said, feeling her own Lifeforce run cold. “By doing so, you undermined my plan to create my vision of Todor. You are my enemy.”
Molly tried to speak again and the pleading in her eyes grew desperate.
“I cannot allow you another opportunity to put Todor at risk for your own selfish gains. But that is not the only reason I’m going to let you die. I’m going to watch you suffer through your last moments in Todor because you took Golath from Gemynd. If you loved your son even a tiny bit as much as I do, you could not have done this to him. You’ve earned your fate. May you find Peace with the Viyii.”
Numa kept her gaze on Molly’s eyes until the vacant stare of death filled them. She sat back on her heels and watched as Molly’s Lifeforce left her body and expanded into infinity, becoming true Oneness. Then Numa turned her head to look up at Gemynd. His face was a mask of anguish. Before Numa’s eyes, Gemynd became the embodiment of suffering.
“My love,” Numa whispered, standing to face him.
“Where are the rest of the Iturtians?” Gemynd spoke through clenched teeth, his gaze never leaving his mother’s body.
“They are safe. I moved them back to the original Iturtia for now. I can take you to them if you’d like. I’m sure they would prefer to hear of the fate of the lost Iturtians from their Director.” Numa took a step forward, wanting to reach out to him, to wrap her arms around him, but there was a guardedness in his posture that reminded Numa of the mongrel dogs she’d seen in Tolnick. They had to be approached slowly and gently. Any sudden movements and they would run away, or worse, attack.
“No. Just keep them safe.” Gemynd looked at Numa then, his eyes had become black pools of pain.
Numa took another step forward. “Let me hold you,” she said and reached out for him.
But she had moved too quickly and Gemynd took a step back. “You ought to fear me,” he said, glancing back at Molly. “Look what I’ve done. Look what I am capable of doing.”
“Right now the only thing I fear is that you won’t allow me to help heal your pain.”
Gemynd shut his eyes and Numa took the opportunity to close the distance between them. She slipped her arms around his waist, feeling that his muscles were rigid with restraint. But Gemynd did not push her away. He rested his forehead against hers and took two long, deep breaths. “In my life of madness, the only thing I never doubted was my love for you. Take heart in knowing that it will always endure.”
A sense of foreboding came with Gemynd’s words and Numa felt her legs weaken. She squeezed him harder and clung tightly to the back of his tunic. “Our love will endure all things. Let us heal this pain together.”
With one hand, Gemynd grabbed hold of Numa’s face and pressed his lips to hers. His tongue parted her lips and his mouth pushed against hers with desperation. Despite tasting Molly’s blood in her mouth, Numa returned the kiss with all the fervor she could muster. She knew it was what Gemynd needed.
Gemynd pulled back then, ending the kiss as abruptly as he had begun it. Numa felt disoriented and blinked as she looked at Gemynd’s dampened lips.
“I release you from our bonds of marriage.” Gemynd let go of Numa’s face and took a step back. “Consider your vows to me fulfilled. Take a new husband and rule with him by your side.”
“Gemynd, you don’t mean that. You are lashing out as you always do when you’re in pain. Our marriage will not end because of what happened here today. We will get through whatever comes next together.”
Gemynd leaned over and kissed Numa again. This time the kiss was tender and Numa felt a jolt of fear as she realized it felt like a kiss of farewell.
“Let me go,” Gemynd said, his lips still close enough to hers to feel their warmth.
“You know I can’t do that.” Numa pulled back, her heart drowning in an all-too familiar pain. “How many times must we make up excuses to be apart? We always end up back together. We don’t need to go through the heartbreak of separation. We will heal each other from the tragedy of your mother’s death.”
“I need you to let me go.” Gemynd took several steps back so that he was now beyond Numa’s reach.
There was a strange peace in Gemynd’s expression that terrified Numa. She had been wrong to say he was lashing out. His behavior was different this time. This time he was not enraged, he was not making a decision based on anger or fear. He was resolute. He was certain.
As Gemynd walked backwards, the blood on his right arm caught Numa’s eye. She followed a ribbon of it as it coursed down his hand toward his fingers. It made a winding pattern like a snake slithering through grass, then it dripped off the side of Gemynd’s finger onto the jewels of the dagger handle.
Numa’s breath caught in her throat as she recognized the scene. This was what the Deis had shown her. This was her greatest obstacle.
“It wasn’t the wealth of Aerie,” she said, looking into Gemynd’s eyes. “It was you.”
Gemynd said nothing in reply. When he reached the gravel pathway, he turned away from Numa and did not look back. Soon, he disappeared around the corner of the arena. Numa stared at the pathway long after he’d gone. She had let him go just as he’d asked.
Soman stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on her back. “He is grieving,” he said. “He will come back to us.”
Numa thought about the dozens of times Radine had told her that she must remove her greatest obstacle. “What if it’s best for him to stay away?” she asked aloud, then silently wondered what it would mean if Gemynd truly was her greatest obstacle. Would she have to destroy him in order to make her vision of Todor a reality?
“How many times have I heard you say that we’re better together?” Soman pulled Numa closer. “You know it’s not best for him to stay away. And he won’t. He’ll be back.”
Numa turned and looked Soman square in the eye. “I am no longer his wife. He released me from our vows. Perhaps now is the time for you and I to be together.”
Soman tilted his head to the side. “Is that truly what your heart believes?”
Numa kept her eyes on Soman, but put her attention on her heart. She knew in an instant that it still belonged to Gemynd. “No,” she said, looking back down the gravel path. “In my heart I will always be his wife.”
She didn’t want to tell Soman her concern that Gemynd could be her greatest obstacle. If she refrained from saying it aloud, maybe it would never be real.
“All will be well soon,” Soman said. “The remaining Iturtians are your devoted followers and have no desire to make war against Zobanites. Perhaps the battle here today will be the last one in Todor. Perhaps this was the last bit of destruction that needed to take place to clear the way for your vision.”
“Perhaps.” Numa found it difficult to join in Soman’s way of thinking. The last Terrene lay dead at her feet and Gemynd had just walked away from her. Numa was not certain if the race of Terrenes was required to make her vision a reality, but she had no doubt that Gemynd was. He needs to be with her and Soman at the top of the Tolnick keep when the people cheer.
“Zobanites! You fought well and bravely today!” Archigadh bellowed from behind them. Numa turned and met his gaze. “Perhaps we can persuade Queen Numa to provide you all with refreshment before you retire.”
“Of course.” Numa nodded and filled the city square with every edible delight she could think up. “You will find food and drink in the square. Go eat, you have more than earned an evening of Joy and relaxation.”
“As have you, my queen,” Soman said, his hand still resting on her back. Numa leaned against it, grateful for the support.
“I must speak with the surviving Iturtians,” Numa said and sighed. “They need to know what has transpired here today.”
“While you do that, I will speak with my people. I will be sure they understand that the remaining Iturtians are not their enemy,” Archigadh offered. “Then we shall, at last, have our grand celebration and I will attempt the strengthening of will.”
Numa forced a smile at the Chief. It was a wonderful thing to have his cooperation, but Numa did not feel like acting as queen. Right now, she preferred the idea of disappearing into Turiya as the truly wise Empyreans do.
Archigadh smiled back and looked out across the battlefield. Hundreds of corpses covered the meadow. “Before any of that happens, we must take care of these dead.”
Numa scanned the bodies, easily recognizing that all but a very few were Iturtians. “May these lost Iturtians find their way with the Viyii,” she muttered mostly to herself.
“This lot was so foolish that our victory feels hollow,” Archigadh replied. “Why they chose to control the armor instead of our soldiers makes no sense.”
“But when I saw Gemynd run onto the field, I thought for certain it was the end of the Zobanites,” Soman said. “He should have been able to control every Zobanite soldier here except me. Yet he didn’t. He came at us with swords, fighting as well as any soldier I’ve trained. In fact, the four Zobanite soldiers who lost their lives today did so by Gemynd’s blade.”
“Aye,” Archigadh agreed and pulled at his beard. “He did not even use his mind tricks to throw the swords. He fought like a Zobanite.”
“I tried nudging his mind when I saw him, but it felt like I was pushing against a stone wall,” Numa said. “It was as though his powers were impaired.”
“I may never come to trust the lad, but he earned my respect today,” Archigadh said, then turned to count the dead.
Numa created pyres in the meadow. Most were large enough to hold dozens of bodies, but she created one special p
yre just for Molly. She was the last Terrene and the enemy of Todor. She would go to the Viyii alone.
Soman and Archigadh piled on the corpses, their great strength making the task take little time. “I ought to speak with the Iturtians before we set these aflame,” Numa said when all the dead had been placed on the pyres. “They may want to be here to say their goodbyes.”
A small figure suddenly walked into the meadow and Numa recognized him immediately. “Keeper Sam!” She ran to him and picked him up, swinging him around in a circle. She knew it was a foolish thing to do with a grown man, but his childlike appearance had gotten the better of her. “I was afraid we’d lost you again. I hadn’t realized until just this moment how I’ve come to depend on your counsel and friendship.”
Sam smiled at Numa, but held himself stiff in her arms. “I am a far better friend when my feet are firmly on the ground,” he said.
Numa set him down, but held onto his hand. “I am sorry for any accusation that came your way regarding Golath’s death. Molly confessed to it.”
Sam’s eyes went wide. “Molly?” he asked, then looked all around. “Where is Gemynd? How did he react to this news?”
Numa stayed silent, unsure how to form the words.
“The lad pierced his mother right in the throat, ending her life,” Archigadh said, apparently not sharing Numa’s apprehension.
Sam’s eyes stayed wide and his face went white. “That poor man,” he said. “How will he bear the guilt of such an act?”
Again, Numa stayed silent. She knew better than anyone that Gemynd would add this to his collection of scars. It was something that would never really heal.
“The woman needed killing,” Archigadh said. “She murdered Golath and set off a battle that killed thousands of my people. Someone had to do it. The way I see it, it was fitting for her to die by Gemynd’s hand.”
Sam put his hand to his throat. “Then she’s the one who poisoned me,” he said and gasped. “She meant to kill me. She knew I would be the likely suspect if I disappeared.”
Unity: The Todor Trilogy, Book Three Page 13
