by Frank Morin
“You can.”
“No I can’t,” Connor objected. Sure he had ascended the third threshold, but she wasn’t human.
“Perhaps this is the lesson we need to deal with first,” Kilian said. He glanced at Evander, who nodded.
“What lesson?” Connor was really not in the mood for more cryptic answers.
“Are you still connected with your elements?” Kilian asked.
“Of course. But—”
Kilian drew his long belt dagger and plunged it into Connor’s chest, right through his heart.
94
Some Gifts Just Keep on Giving
Verena swept out of the sky, aiming toward the towering new mountain that lorded over the immense new ring of lesser peaks that now replaced what had been barren, empty lands. She’d watched from afar, fighting the tempestuous currents that had driven most of the others farther and farther away.
Not everyone had trained themselves to handle the bumps and swaying of flight. Lady Briet and General Wolfram in particular reached the stomach lurch point remarkably soon, even though the Albatross was so much more stable than Verena’s little Swift. Hamish had been forced to fly the Hawk packed full of Juggernaut pilots back to Merkland.
She’d seen Tomas and Cameron make their heroic last charge into the heart of that inferno, and her cheeks were marred with still-drying tears. They had all entered the battle knowing full well that many of them, if not all of them, might not survive a head-on fight with the dread queen. That truth didn’t help as much as it should.
Connor had raised an elfonnel.
She’d nearly screamed with tension as she watched the enormous super-elfonnel rise above the exploding new volcano. Connor was consumed by the elements, and she’d feared he would never return.
And yet, looking at the stable ring of new peaks spread over what had to be fifty square miles, she clung to hope that Connor had survived intact within that fiery beast. Somehow. It had taken the form of a deadly rampager, which at first had seemed to confirm her worst fears. But it had snatched up Queen Dreokt and incinerated her, then instead of spreading destruction across Obrion, it had fought to contain the disaster.
Kilian had kept them updated on the progress of their battle against the disaster and his amazement at the elfonnel’s control. When the Connor-elfonnel swept the ash from the sky, settled the land, and formed the mountains he’d sounded awed. When he spotted the earthen leg grow out of the fire-bound elfonnel, he’d sounded like he was seriously considering fainting from surprise.
Verena took it as a good sign. Now as she surveyed the majestic peaks up close, she couldn’t help laughing. They bore the stamp of Connor all over. The pedra was magnificent. The duck made her laugh, with tears of joy in her eyes. Only Connor would know the significance of that duck, fashioned to look like her father’s precious trophy. Everyone else would think it a monument to Ilse’s Revenge, and it could serve that purpose to.
And the cookie. Who but Connor would think to inscribe a cookie, complete with recipe, on the side of a mountain?
She felt moved to fresh tears by the memorial Connor had carved for Tomas and Cameron. The two fighters were often insufferable, always insolent, but among the bravest men she knew. They’d charged into the face of death without hesitation, and that final act of courage had helped save them all.
Her eyes were then drawn to the main peak. As she swept in close, heading for the tiny trio perched on the very top, she shook her head slowly in amazement. Connor had to be in control, and the fact that he devoted that incredible peak to her filled her with joy. He’d hesitated to make their betrothal official, and doubts had wormed their way into her heart, despite knowing his reasons for delay. Seeing that enormous testament of his love erased those concerns and made her more eager than ever to wed the man she loved.
She still sighed as she studied the expression on the giant sculpture. Sure, she often smiled in that mischievous way around Connor, but did he really want the entire world to know that aspect of her personality above all others? She could accept that, as long as Connor returned to her as himself and not as some inhuman monster like the queen.
Verena slowed as she noticed Connor, Kilian, and Evander turning to the west. The Swift already had three separate speakstones tuned to their general channel, as well as one paired directly with Kilian, and another with Connor. Over the open line with Kilian, she heard Connor exclaim, “We can’t lose her now.”
She pivoted west and magnified the front viewscreen, scanning the landscape, but not sure where to look. How could they be talking about the queen? Verena had seen Connor eat her, then spit her out in tiny bits. They’d won. Hadn’t they?
A glowing death beam shot through the sky, leaving a trail of ghost light lingering in Verena’s vision. She turned to watch the path of the beam, noting the spot where it abruptly deflected away.
She gaped and magnified her viewscreen as far as she could, zooming in on the unbelievable sight. It looked like a flying skull. What, by the Tallan’s eternal grace did that mean?
Could it really be the queen returned from the dead? If it was, they’d just lost her because the skull was accelerating away faster than Verena could follow, even in the Swift. Despairing, she pivoted back toward the mountain and accelerated. She had to talk with Connor and understand what was going on.
As she descended toward the trio, their voices rang through the Swift. Connor’s frustration matched her own. Then without warning, Kilian drew his dagger and plunged it through Connor’s heart.
Verena screamed. Connor staggered, mouth open in silent horror, both hands rising to grip the handle of the dagger standing from the center of his chest. Verena couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The sight clobbered her harder than Shona’s max-tapped fist.
How? Why?
Kilian yanked the dagger free in a spray of bright arterial blood. Connor fell to the rocky ground, mouth moving silently as if trying to ask all the questions clamoring in Verena’s mind.
She crossed the distance on max thruster and started spinning up her speedslings without even consciously willing her hands to move. She sighted on Kilian, but resisted the overwhelming urge to unleash a torrent of destruction on her beloved many-times great uncle. She needed to understand first what he’d done.
If he’d just killed Connor, Verena would kill him.
She only managing to slow instead of overshooting by tipping the Swift back ninety degrees and unleashing the puking dooms underneath. The force dragged her into her seat, but she didn’t care. Pivoting back around, she dropped the window shielding and settled the Swift to a hover.
Leaping out, she rushed to Connor and dropped to her knees beside him. Blood covered his chest, and he was staring up at the sky, blank eyes wide, not moving. Verena seized his head and turned his face toward her. Through uncontrollable sobs she shouted, “Connor! Connor, don’t be dead.”
Kilian flicked his dagger, and the blood flew off, leaving the blade gleaming. He sheathed it and said calmly, “Hi Verena. You got back fast.”
“What did you do?” she shouted so loud she felt something tear in her vocal cords. The pain barely registered.
He looked surprised, glancing from her to the unmoving form of Connor. Verena was tempted to check for a pulse, but why bother? Kilian had stabbed through the heart. Unless . . .
With a flick of her Builder senses, she checked if Connor was still connected to the Sucker Punch. She’d tested the healing power herself for just a second and had nearly leaped right out of the Swift from all the energy it poured into her. If anything could save him from even such a devastating wound, it would be that.
No. He did not appear to be tapping sandstone. Fresh tears flooded her eyes as that last desperate hope extinguished. He was really gone. She’d been so close, and Kilian had taken him away forever. The horrible cruelty of it nearly toppled her to the ground beside Connor.
Kilian said, “I guess the timing would seem a bit weird to you.”
/> “Weird? You just murdered Connor!” she screamed. She couldn’t help it. She leaped to her feet, hand dropping to her satchel. Her horror was quickly being consumed by a towering fury. She’d felt that fury before, each time she’d thought she’d lost Connor, and it still shook her like a nightmare beast ripping her heart to pieces. She only managed to keep from attacking Kilian because her questions still outweighed the blinding rage.
She trusted Kilian. Usually. He never acted without a reason.
Had he decided to punish Connor for not defeating the queen? No, Verena couldn’t believe that.
Had he discovered Connor had returned to human form broken? That was entirely possible, and that new jolt of icy fear quelled some of her hot anger. If Connor returned as a monster instead of the man she loved, he could unleash as much destruction upon the world as Queen Dreokt herself. Stabbing him in the heart would be the most charitable thing Kilian could do.
Evander also looked unusually calm about the stabbing. He poked Connor with a toe and said, “Shock is delaying reaction.”
“He’ll figure it out,” Kilian said calmly.
Fighting to control her emotions, Verena clenched her hands by her sides and asked with forced calm. “What. Did. You. Do?”
Kilian flashed his trademark roguish smile and said, “Some lessons need to be experienced to be understood.”
“What lesson? Death?” Verena shrieked, despite herself.
Kilian fixed her with the full weight of his stare and said gently, “Relax, Verena. I didn’t kill Connor. I’m helping him understand who he now is.”
She glanced at the still-unmoving Connor. The bleeding had stopped. In fact, now that she thought about it, he should have bled a lot more. “How does stabbing Connor through the heart help him understand anything?”
Gesturing to the west, Kilian asked, “You saw the thing that’s all that’s left of my mother?”
Verena shuddered and nodded, unable to voice the horror she felt at that sight. She rubbed her arms against a sudden chill.
“If she can recover from that, a little stab through the heart isn’t going to kill Connor.”
She opened her mouth to retort, but blinked as the words sank in. She glanced back to Connor. “You mean . . . ?”
“Yup. He’s had a big day. I figured he’d worked all the drama out of his system, but elfonnel do weird things to the mind. Maybe I should have given him a few more minutes.”
Just then, Connor gasped and convulsed into a sitting position. He clutched at his chest, looking panicked. Verena dropped to the ground beside him with a cry and tackled him right back to the stones. She clung to him, weeping with joy. After a surprised second, he clung to her just as hard.
“That’s very touching, especially after he carved this mountain for you, but don’t you two think you’re overdoing it a bit?” Kilian asked.
“Shut up, Kilian,” Verena said, not letting Connor go.
“Fires of the heart burn hottest in youth, and it’s the lost prize rediscovered that brings the most joy,” Evander said.
Kilian grunted. “Couldn’t have said it better.”
Evander laughed. “You couldn’t have said that at all.”
“Roses blooming in winter gladden the icy heart, but the balm of company eclipses the still waters of solitude,” Kilian replied.
Verena loosened her hold on Connor enough to gape up at Kilian. Had he really just said that?
Connor sat up beside her, looking annoyed. “Really? You stab me and then decide to joke about it in Sentry speak?”
“You were taking a while,” Kilian pointed out.
Verena was so full of joy by Connor’s recovery, her anger at Kilian melted away. “I never knew you had the heart of a Sapper.”
“I’ve had it a while. Pickled. On my bookcase,” Kilian said with a straight face. Then with a grin, he hauled the two of them to their feet and hugged them both.
Verena wrapped an arm around Connor, ready to support him if he stumbled. Anyone else who had just been stabbed through the heart wouldn’t be standing at all, let alone grumbling about the fact they weren’t taking his near death more seriously. Kilian’s humor helped dissipate her terror and she breathed a sigh of relief when Connor draped an arm across her shoulders instead of collapsing against her. Despite his blood-soaked shirt he looked healthy, although he leaned against her more heavily than usual. She didn’t mind.
“What just happened?” she asked.
“I’m okay,” Connor said, looking like he barely believed it.
“Of course you are. You ascended the third threshold,” Kilian said. He actually sounded a little exasperated. “Didn’t you just see my mother regenerate from bits of broken skull?”
“Just because she can do it doesn’t guarantee I can,” Connor protested.
“Actually, it does. The very day you ascended you stabbed yourself in the heart with that sculpted serpentinite dagger. Don’t you remember that?”
“Not really. I was kind of distracted,” Connor admitted.
Evander said, “Usually one remembers driving a stone dagger into their own heart.”
Verena stared from Kilian to Connor, amazed. She hadn’t put the pieces together either. She touched Connor’s chest in wonder and breathed, “You can’t die?”
Connor grinned. “Can you believe it?”
“You can die, just not easily,” Kilian clarified. “With your third ascension, you’re bonded so tightly to your affinities, you’ve become almost a living convergence point.”
That was a nice way to say it, and the concept made a lot more sense when Verena thought about it that way. “A living convergence point,” she whispered.
Connor grinned, and it amazed Verena anew that he didn’t act like he was the second most powerful person in the world. He was the living embodiment of affinity power, who could wield mind-boggling abilities, but he was still Connor. That comforted her immensely.
Kilian added, “Remember, Tallan died. When you’re completely cut off from your affinities you’re vulnerable. That’s why I thought maybe today’s plan might work. We had never figured out how to block my mother from her affinities.”
“We got close,” Connor said, looking annoyed again. “So close!”
“She won’t fall for that again, will she?” Verena asked. She appreciated Kilian proving to Connor that he was now immune from most fatal injuries, but teaching time with Kilian was usually more fun than that.
“She’ll be motivated not to. I don’t think she understands exactly how we accomplished what we did, so she might not grasp how to avoid walking into another trap,” Kilian said.
That gave Verena some hope. “We won’t let her get away again,” Kilian promised, little waves pulsing across his left eye. Flickers of crimson fire ignited in his right eye, then abruptly winked out.
Kilian staggered and cried out in agony, one hand clapping over his right eye. Verena spun, hand dropping to her satchel, looking for the threat. Anything that could strike Kilian down unawares could kill them all if they didn’t react quickly. Evander also spun, one massive fist raised to fight.
Connor didn’t. He stepped to Kilian and grabbed his shoulder. He looked sad, or resigned maybe. Kilian’s face had drained of color, and he looked more shaken than he had by the sight of his cursed mother flying away as a ghastly skull.
“It’s gone. I feel it too,” Connor said gently.
“What’s going on?” Verena asked. She hated not understanding. Usually she had answers, but now she felt rattled, which made her feel cranky.
“Marble. It’s gone,” Connor said.
Right. Verena rushed to Kilian. Even though she’d been on the verge of killing him just moments ago, she threw her arms around him and hugged him. He wrapped her with one arm, and she could feel tremors quaking down his torso.
“I knew it would happen. I saw the stone and we finally understand what they mean, but . . . but feeling my affinity fade away is the worst thing I’ve felt sinc
e Tallan was murdered.” Kilian drew in a ragged breath and tried to smile. Didn’t quite work.
She read the depth of his anguish and wasn’t sure how to comfort him. If her Builder powers had just gotten snuffed out, she’d probably panic. Kilian had trusted fire for centuries. Losing that affinity would be like losing a limb. Maybe worse.
“It’s gone. Fire is gone,” Kilian said more strongly. He recovered his composure quickly.
“I can still feel it through green,” Connor said.
After a moment of intense concentration, Kilian blew out a relieved breath and grinned. “I can feel it. Sort of. I’ve had to balance red and green for so long, it seems completely wrong to focus entirely on the green.”
“That’s probably why your mother struggled to reach fleshcrafting when we blocked sandstone,” Connor said.
“Probably. I’m glad we knew to work through the challenge and focus on green. Without that understanding, I doubt I would have figured it out for a long, miserable time.”
“So she might have limited herself more than us?” Verena asked, happy to grasp for any glimmer of positive from the crazy day.
“Perhaps. She’s crippled her Firetongues just as she has ours. She might not realize she can still reach some aspects of fire, but she will eventually.”
Connor scowled. “She noticed me tapping serpentinite earlier. It surprised her. If the whole near-death-by-elfonnel experience and skull flight back to herself doesn’t distract her too much, she might put the pieces together.”
“Why aren’t we going after her?” Verena asked.
Connor said, “She’s too fast. She’ll get back to Crann before we catch her, and we’re not prepared to fight her and her entire army there, outside of the reach of Sucker Punch.”
Kilian chuckled. “I’m glad you were paying attention.”
Evander said, “Come. We should return to Merkland. We have much to discuss.”
Kilian nodded, but Verena took Connor’s hand and said, “We’ll catch up. I haven’t thanked Connor yet for giving me an entire mountain as a sign that he was still alive in that elfonnel.”
