“Speaking of time, will I lose my body?” the champion asks, catching her mother by surprise. She cannot stop herself from smirking at the way the goddess coughs and covers her mouth. “This has been on my mind for a while, but now I feel like I need an answer. Once the prophecy is complete, I go into the Spirit Well for eternity. I’ve come to terms with my fate since it’s what I deserve for the times I helped my father and put the prophecy at risk. Yet, I can’t stop worrying that I will become trapped within an emaciated form since there’s no food or sun down there.”
“I wish I had an answer, but this is a mystery to all of us.”
“You create a psychic echo when you lie.”
“Very well. You are immortal, but not like the rest of your family,” Zaria answers, her body glowing with a defensive barrier. A swarm of whispers strike her ears, but vanish when someone shouts for everyone to mind their business. “Those who remain between deity and mortal may live forever. They can be killed through violence, but that’s all we know. I am sorry, Dariana, but there’s no way to tell what will happen to you. Lack of food, water, and sunlight may take a toll on your body. Unlike your slumbers, there will be nothing to sustain you beyond eating vermin and that can lead to disease even in you. Then again, you will be the new guardian and that means you will be connected to the natural magics of the area.”
With a tired sigh, Dariana gets to her feet and cradles Fizzle in her arms. “That’s what I figured out on my own. Thanks for trying, mom. Feel free to visit me from time to time. I’m sure I’ll be lonely after a while. Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to sound angry or try to make you feel guilty. It’s only that I’m not happy about having to leave my friends behind. I’m trying to pretend that I’m okay around them, but we had so little time together. What if they forget about me after I’m gone?”
“Dear, I’m sure-”
Refusing to be comforted, the telepath moves away from her mother and walks towards the castle. She stops at the bottom of the stairs and turns to see that Zaria has already vanished from the garden. In the Purity Goddess’s place is a circular patch of white orchids that are covered in sword-shaped thorns. The tiny blades are sheathed in felt sleeves, which leave only the sharp tips exposed. A gentle wind caresses Dariana’s face, which causes her to smile and send a psychic thanks across the miles. The fear of never seeing another living soul again starts to consume her thoughts, but she immediately erases it from her mind. No longer wanting to go inside, she claims a nearby bench and falls asleep with Fizzle snoring on her stomach.
2
Woken by her own groan of discomfort, Sari’s eyes flutter open and she bats at the beams of light that are striking her face. Rolling off the small couch, the gypsy lets her enchanted boots glide her to the floor where she sprawls for a few minutes. Her attention locks on the dark blue ivy dangling from the ceiling, which she is sure had been bare last night. Kicking off her boots, she enjoys the cool stone on her feet and lets the sensation ease her tense muscles. Sari holds up her arm to see that her dress is getting worn around the seams, the garment being the only thing she has worn for the last four days. The desire to change or take a bath still eludes her, so she pulls out a bottle of perfume to hide the smell that even she is beginning to notice. Sitting up, the gypsy takes in the sight of the well-furnished bedroom and enjoys a strong breeze coming through the open windows. Claiming a half-eaten cookie as her breakfast, the blue-haired woman rolls backwards to her feet and turns to face the canopied bed that she has refused to stray far away from.
The stale food falls out of her mouth when Sari sees that Luke is sitting up, the blonde-haired forest tracker staring ahead like a zombie. Light bounces off the gold flecks in his chocolate brown eyes, but the glistening orbs hold very few signs of awareness. It is only when he slowly reaches up to touch the pink scar crossing his torso that the gypsy finally accepts that she is not dreaming. Carefully moving across the room, Sari keeps her attention on Luke as if he is a wild animal that she does not want to startle. Reaching a pile of pillows that reaches the ceiling, she nudges an exposed arm with her foot in an attempt to wake her partially buried companion. All she receives is a whimpering moan and a gentle slap to her heel from the bronze-skinned limb.
“Luke is awake, Grasdon,” Sari whispers at where she thinks her friend’s head is. Leaning against the pile, the gypsy locks her body to prevent Kira from rushing to the bed. “Don’t make any sudden movements. He’s sitting up and staring at something. Not much blinking and no sign that he knows I’m here. I’m as excited as you are, but we need to be smart. Yola could have put a spell on him or maybe he’s possessed by a ghost. One thing I do know is that spooking him could cause trouble.”
“Get your butt off my face, gypsy,” Kira angrily growls before pinching her companion in the thigh. Freeing herself from the immovable woman, the heiress crawls to a basin where she hastily washes her face and hair. “Hand me the cleanest towel you can find and turn away because I’m changing out of my travel clothes. Luke woke up an hour after you fell asleep. Sorry I didn’t tell you, but it was . . . All he did was cry until he just stopped. No build up or slow down. He simply started weeping and it cut off abruptly. That’s why I buried myself under the pillows because I can’t see him like this.”
“You didn’t try to get a reaction from him?” the gypsy asks before stealing some of the basin water to clean herself. Caring very little about privacy, she changes into a clean shirt and new layered skirt while liquid tendrils run along her skin. “I know Dariana told us to be careful, but we can’t leave him like this. One of us has to be able to get through to him. I mean, he’s obviously awake, right?”
Realizing that she is not going to get the privacy that she wants, Kira strips out of her dirt-covered clothes. Picking up a green tunic and her last clean pair of pants, she is about to put them on when a gentle shiver overtakes her body. For an instant, she thinks it is a conjured hand of wind running up the red line that goes from the base of her spine to the tips of her hair. The hopeful thought is wiped away when she sees that the windows are open and the feeling was only her imagination. Turning to Luke, the raven-haired heiress feels a pang of fear in her chest at how he does not notice she is around. Her bloodshot eyes never stray from her fiancée while she finishes getting dressed. Unsure of what to do next, Kira walks to the edge of the bed and sits a few inches away from the forest tracker’s splayed hand.
“Awake and aware are two different things,” she softly says, her fingers moving toward Luke’s thumb. She pulls back when she notices one of his pointy ears twitch and blush ever so slightly. “There are subtle reactions, so maybe he does know we’re here. I mean, we just changed in front of him and he’s turning red. What if he doesn’t remember any of us? The Baron could have wiped his memory or broken him to the point where he reverted to an earlier version of his personality.”
“I told you to stop reading bard stories about this kind of thing,” Sari sighs while brushing her long hair. Gracefully hopping onto the bed, she walks to the other side and sits within Luke’s line of sight. “He’s aware of us. I just know it. We’ve all come too far together for one of us to break, especially you, Luke. Say something to let us know that you’re back. I don’t care what it is. All I want is to hear your voice.”
“Don’t force him, Sari,” Kira hisses as she leaves the bed. Pouring a goblet of water, she returns and tries to get some of the cool drink into the half-elf’s mouth. “You can tell that he’s thirsty, so maybe his throat is too dry for words. He must have been screaming a lot, so he could have lost his voice. We should get some oatmeal or soup for him because I hear his stomach rumbling. I know you’re worried, Sari, but let him come back to us at his own pace. Why are you pushing so hard?”
“Because it hurts seeing him like this.”
“At least he’s alive.”
“I know, but I want him to get better.”
“That will take time.”
“How can you be so casual about this? Don�
�t you care that he’s broken?”
Startled by the harsh words, Kira drops the goblet in Luke’s lap and backs away from the bed. Tears flow from her eyes and she clenches her fists, the young woman unsure if she should be angry or distraught. Knowing that Sari is equally heartbroken, she bites back her desire to verbally lash out at her former rival. Collapsing to her knees, the heiress puts up no resistance when the gypsy eases her against the bed. The pair sit in silence until the emerald-eyed champion takes Kira’s arm and uses it to weakly slap herself across the face. Sari repeats the attack, but is not ready for the limp-wristed hand to become a fist that bops her in the nose. The crying woman can only watch as her companion falls back and remains sprawled on the floor, a dribble of blood running out of her left nostril.
“I deserved that,” Sari admits while using her bare foot to pull a handkerchief out of a skirt pocket. Handing the cloth to Kira, she stretches her arms and cartwheels off the floor in order to stand next to the bedpost. “I’m sorry for what I said. Both of us care about him and I should never have questioned you. My patience is running thin because I’m scared that we’ll have to take him into battle like this. This stupid prophecy won’t let us leave Luke behind, so I want him to be back to normal. I’ll even accept him frayed around the edges, but I want him to be unpredictable and taking risks and putting his foot in his mouth like he used to. He saved me from my own loneliness and made me feel loved again within weeks of me losing my clan. Why can’t I return the favor and make him better with the same amount ease?”
“You said weeks and he’s only been awake for-” Kira starts to reply before her voice cuts off. She scrambles onto the bed and straddles Luke’s legs to stare into his eyes, which rapidly blink at her touch. “Why in all of Windemere was he asleep in the first place? We put Lucy back into him days ago, which means he should have been in a trance. Griffins don’t go into comas and she said that his powers would come back immediately. We proved that when we drew his antidote blood and he sprouted feathers and some fur after Dariana pushed him too far. He even growled like a Sword Dragon. Dammit, Luke Callindor, you’ve been aware of what’s going on this whole time, haven’t you?”
“So much for you being the patient and calm one,” Sari mutters, joining her friends on the bed.
The gypsy is about to move the heiress away when Luke’s hand lances out to grab her by the wrist, the lightning fast movement startling both women. His face remains staring ahead, but his thumb strokes Sari’s palm in a circular motion. Taking his other hand, Kira tries to get a similar reaction by putting his knuckles to her lips. His fingers move to touch her cheek and chin, but the forest tracker gradually slips from her grasp instead of making contact. A flicker of bloodthirsty rage causes the heiress to move away, her pounding heartbeat setting off his sound sight until she moves off the bed. Letting go of Sari, Luke silently slumps forward and lets his tears fall onto his bare legs. He wraps his arms around his body, which shudders until he gradually returns to his previous position. Unlike the stillness of before, he taps his fingers on the bed in a chaotic rhythm that changes every few seconds.
“I’m sorry I was rough with you,” Kira whispers while she keeps her distance. Leaning to the side, she smiles at how the half-elf’s eyes shift in her direction. “Sari and I brought you to Nyx’s new city. You may have heard us talking about Spellstream while you were in your extended trance. That’s probably not important. Please let us know what we can do to help. We can get Dariana if you need her telepathy.”
“Is he mumbling an answer?” Sari asks as she leans closer. The gypsy leaps away when Luke’s arm tries to wrap around her shoulders. “He keeps trying to grab me. It’s like he thinks I’m a threat until he touches me. That or he’s mixing the two of us up. Okay, I know I saw him mouth something there. I have to keep my distance, so put your ear to his lips and see if you can make sense of this.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. He could bite me.”
“Like he hasn’t done that before?”
“Neither the time nor the place, gypsy.”
“I was hoping to make him laugh.”
“Stop trying to help and-”
With her ear a few hairs away from Luke’s barely open mouth, Kira clearly hears what he says. Her face loses some color, but she refuses to move until he repeats his statement. She backs to the edge of the bed and gazes at the forest tracker, who lowers his head and curls his knees against his chest. Lips quivering and tears in her eyes, the heiress slides to her feet and goes to grab her kusari-gama from a wall hook. Without warning, she picks up a nearby pot and vomits what little food is in her stomach. Wiping her mouth on her sleeve, she drops the container on the floor and watches as her hand quivers. Dragging the chain and sickle behind her, Kira refuses to face Luke as she abruptly sprints out of the room.
“What did you do?” Sari asks, her head repeatedly swinging from the half-elf to the closing door. Knowing that she will not get an answer, she hastily puts on her velvet and leather boots while hopping toward the exit. “Forgot how fast that woman can run when she puts her mind to it. I’m going to send Dariana or Timoran to watch over you, hero. Just don’t go anywhere.”
Luke watches the gypsy dart into the hallway as he mutters, “Two down and five to go. I’m sorry, everyone. This is for your own good.”
*****
Sari shoulders her way through the door to the roof in time to see Kira hop onto one of the turrets. Not wasting any time, she runs to the edge and turns the distant moat into a churning hand. Shouts from the city bring the nearby citizens to the lowered drawbridge, all of them curious about what is going on at the castle. The gypsy’s creation flies at the startled heiress, who is unable to avoid a blow that knocks her off her perch. Sputtering and gasping within the gusher, Kira is sent rolling to the far end of the roof where she falls over the edge. She is saved when Sari grabs her foot and Fizzle darts from below to wrap his tail around her waist. After hoisting the drenched woman to safety, the pair maintain their holds to make sure she does not make a move for another turret.
“I don’t know what Luke said, but let’s not do anything crazy,” Sari says while Fizzle lands on her head. Handing the drite an apple, she pulls the heiress into a tight hug and strokes her sopping wet hair. “He’s in an extremely delicate place and killing yourself will only make things worse. Good thing I ran into Fizzle on my way here. You’re pretty fast for a merchant. Maybe walking and running through sand for most of your life has given you strong legs. Remind me not to get kicked by you.”
“Let go of me, Sari, before I strangle you with my kusari-gama,” Kira coldly states, her predatory eyes making Fizzle flutter into the sky. With an edge to her voice, she stands and does her best to shake the water from her body. “I wasn’t going to jump off the roof. I needed some fresh air and open space. Figured up here was where I could find some solitude. You couldn’t have done something else to stop me?”
“Maybe, but no sense coming up with an alternative now,” the gypsy replies with an awkward smirk. Putting her hands in her pockets, she follows her friend to the wall and takes a seat next to her. “I’m in the dark here, Grasdon, so tell me what happened. He said something to you that was upsetting. Let me know and I’ll try to fix it.”
“Fizzle help too,” the drite chimes in, landing in front of Kira. Releasing wisps of rainbow smoke from his nostrils, he nuzzles her hand until she strokes his belly. “Fizzle know Luke not well. All hurt inside. Need friends now. Kira need stay to help.”
The heiress gives the purple dragon a kiss on the nose, her senses briefly swimming from his hallucinogenic breath. “No, I don’t think I’m going to stay. Luke broke up with me. At least that’s what I took from him saying we’re through. He said that he prefers Sari because she’s stronger and tougher than me. After everything I went through to bring him home, he just cast me aside. He did it so easily too.”
“You can’t possibly believe that!” Sari shouts, turning to the city. Clapping he
r hands, she causes the moat to explode and scares the curious citizens away from the bridge. “The fact that he picked me over you proves that he’s lying or at least very confused. I can’t figure out why he said it, but Luke and I don’t have that kind of bond any more. He knows I’d refuse him. Maybe his mind is muddled and we only need to remind him about what happened in Rhundar. I tried to kill him, which should be a strike against me. Heck, me being in his life caused all of this chaos in the first place. Shouldn’t be too hard to make him realize we have no future together. Don’t give up on him, Grasdon.”
“I’m not, but I can’t stay here,” Kira replies, picking Fizzle up. She places the drite on her head and lets him gently wrap his tail around her neck. “Luke is suffering and I should be here for him, but not when he’s trying to hurt me. There was no love in his eyes when he spoke, Sari, which terrifies me more than his words. He is the only family I have left and he’s pushing me away. No matter his reasons, I refuse to stay here and let him say that to me again.”
“You’re taking a risk by leaving him.”
“I trust you and the others to keep him safe.”
“I mean, he could take this the wrong way.”
“You and Fizzle won’t let him do that.”
Walking to the other side of the roof, Sari looks at the garden with its rows of flowers and three story hedge maze. The giant labyrinth still makes no sense to her and she continues to pray that it is replaced with something less ridiculous before they leave for Shayd. Hearing voices below, she waves to Nyx and Delvin, who are walking through a patch of tulips. They never look up to see her and she prepares to yell in the hopes of drawing them into the conversation. Sari stops with her hands cupped over her mouth, the idea quickly losing its appeal. She cannot bring herself to turn back to the others, her own emotions clearly visible on her face. Feeling tears drip from her eyes, the gypsy swiftly turns them into a salty mist that is dispersed by the constant breeze.
Warlord of the Forgotten Age Page 4
