Alora: The Portal

by Tamie Dearen

  “True. I’ll leave that part out for now. And there’s another little problem. I have to convince Uncle Charles to spend the money to pay Janice. He’s pretty tight.”

  “Tight?”

  “That means he holds on tight to his money.”

  “Ah, I see. He doesn’t like to spend his coin. Perhaps I could entreat Father to contribute some gold.”

  “I was thinking you could take classes from Janice as well.”

  Kaevin’s face contracted as if he’d bitten into a lemon. “I’d rather not.”

  “Not the same as high school. Not science and history and stuff like that. But you’re really good at math, and you could learn physics.”

  Although he’d never had any formal math training, Kaevin had breezed through all the elementary concepts and was tackling algebra and geometry concurrently. Maybe that means our kids will have a chance at being good at math. Wait! I can’t be thinking about having kids with Kaevin. She ducked her head as she felt the heat rising in her face.

  “Perhaps Father might be more willing to contribute if I were taking lessons as well.” He seemed oblivious to her flushed cheeks, which heated more when she realized she was still standing against him.

  “Uhmm… Kaevin? Maybe we should—”

  “Alora! Kaevin!” Uncle Charles’ voice made her jump, stumbling backwards, away from Kaevin. “Have you forgotten our rules about being alone together? Kaevin, your father will hear about this.”

  Kaevin’s arms dropped to his side. “I’m sorry, sir. We were…”

  “I saw what you were doing.” Charles pointed an accusing finger. “There’s no excuse for it.”

  “But nothing happened. We were just talking.” Alora felt her hackles rising.

  “You were not just talking. I’m not an idiot. And the point is, this is against the rules.”

  “The rules are stupid!” She was losing her temper, but she couldn’t stop herself. “I can’t believe you don’t trust me more than that, Uncle Charles. I’m not going to do anything with Kaevin. I’m not like that, and neither is he.”

  Charles’ expression turned to stone, and she felt like throwing something at him. “This is not about trust, Alora. It’s about rules and boundaries and obedience. I think you know that.”

  “All I know is you hid the truth from me for fifteen years, but you expect me to always be honest. You treat me like a child even though I have the duties and responsibilities of an adult.”

  Charles’ red face looked as if it might explode. Before his angry retort left his lips, Alora transported to her room. She knew he’d be livid as she flaunted yet another rule—no transporting while in Montana—but she wanted to show him she couldn’t be controlled.

  She regretted the act and her words the moment she arrived in her bedroom. What’s wrong with me? Why do I act like a child when I’m trying to make him think of me as an adult? Her tears flowed and kept coming, even while she showered and dressed for school. I’ve blown any chance Uncles Charles would ever approve of homeschool, for sure.

  *****

  Kaevin watched a myriad of emotions pass across Charles’ face—none of them seemed pleasant. Charles’ gaze was fixed on the spot where Alora had been standing as if he were waiting to yell at her when she reappeared.

  “Charles, may I have permission to speak?”

  The eyes that met his were angry and hurt. “Go ahead. Have your say.”

  Kaevin shifted his feet to control his trembling knees.

  “I’m sorry we broke your rules, but we would never do anything to bring shame upon your family or mine. You must know Alora didn’t mean the words she spoke. She has only the greatest respect for you.”

  “Yeah, right.” His voice dripped sarcasm. “She certainly didn’t sound respectful.”

  “May I be honest with you? Will you promise not to be angry?” Kaevin’s stomach lurched into his throat.

  “I’ll try, Kaevin, but I make no promises.” Charles’ jaw muscles flexed. “Do you have a confession to make?”

  “Only that we’ve been meeting here to hold hands and exchange a kiss each morning for quite some time.” Kaevin flinched, taking a step back. I didn’t believe Charles’ face could get any redder. “You know it’s necessary for us to have daily contact. We’ve never been inappropriate in any way, but Alora has been attempting to protect you because you appear so uncomfortable when we’re together. She’s also been working to balance her responsibilities at school with her duty to Stone Clan and her obligations to you.”

  “You’ve only known her for… what… three months? And you claim to understand her so well you can lecture me?”

  As sweat trickled down Kaevin’s neck, he hurried to explain himself.

  “Oh no, sir! I don’t understand her at all. She’s a woman… a complete mystery to me. Sometimes she’s angry with me, and I’ve no idea why. One minute she’s laughing, and the next she’s crying. I have no special insight. On the contrary, I was hoping you could help me understand her.

  “I’m only relating what she’s told me. She loves you very much, and I hate to see you angry at one another. Again, I apologize for my part and promise to do better in the future.”

  Charles swiped his sleeve across his eyes. “If only Lena were still here, she’d know what to do. I don’t know how to raise a teenage girl by myself. I’m sorry, Kaevin, but your presence causes a lot more complications. Having a seventeen-year-old boy around all the time…”

  “But I’ve passed another birthing-day. I have eighteen years now,” Kaevin clarified, hoping to sway Charles’ opinion.

  “You’re Eighteen? Of course Alora didn’t mention that little fact.” He balled his hand into a fist then slowly relaxed it again. “Lena and I always had a rule that Alora couldn’t date a boy more than one year older than her, and she’s still fifteen. Now you’re living with us—a constant source of temptation—and I can’t watch you two all the time.”

  Kaevin swallowed hard, acutely aware of Charles’ wide-eyed stare and his own flushing face. “If only I could convince you Alora and I will never do more than kiss. I know you don’t believe me, but I love her with my whole being. I would never take her unity gift from her before we’re legally married.” He dropped his eyes. “I’m prepared to wait as long as necessary to wed, even three more years, until I have twenty-one years.”

  “What if you have to wait until Alora’s twenty-one? She’ll only be sixteen in a few weeks.”

  Kaevin clenched his hands to stop their shaking, studying the floor around his boots. Five years! That’s an eternity. But what else can I say? A heavy sigh escaped his lips.

  “Then I will wait five years if I must.” It was anguish to even say the words, but he spoke them as a promise.

  He heard a snort. Then a chuckle. Charles’ laughter echoed in the stable, and Kaevin looked up to find him doubled over with mirth. It seemed he might continue his uncontrollable laughter forever. When he finally straightened and caught his breath, he clapped Kaevin on the shoulder.

  “I’m sorry, Kaevin, but the pain on your face…” He chortled again.

  “I’m afraid I don’t understand your amusement.”

  “Don’t worry about it. You know what? I believe you. All this time I’ve been so worried about you because you were older and from a different world. I was so busy praying about what to do that I refused to recognize you were a blessing sent straight from God. I don’t imagine I’d find another young man of any age in Montana with better morals or more self-control. And since you two seem destined to be together some day, I’m not going to fight you anymore.”

  Several breaths passed before Kaevin realized he was staring with his mouth agape. “Truly? We have your blessing? Your approval?”

  “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but yes, you have my blessing. Don’t worry—I won’t expect you to wait five years if you stay together. I married Lena when we were both nineteen.” Charles puffed out his cheeks as he blew a slow breath. “But I ca
n’t overlook Alora’s insolence. There’ll have to be consequences.”

  “I’m certain she expects this.” Kaevin blinked twice. Is this a dream? I’ve never seen him so equitable.

  “You both have to promise me… no more sneaking around. I’ll try not to make a face if I see you kiss or hold hands, but you have to be upfront with me.”

  “Yes. Up front.” What does that mean?

  “Okay. Is there anything else I should know?”

  “Well… there is the small matter of homeschool…”

  “Homeschool?”

  Please, God, keep him in a reasonable state of mind while I make my plea.

  *****

  Raelene loved traveling on horseback, especially with Forest, the mare she’d secretly named after her late husband’s clan. Her gifting with horses allowed her to sense the mare’s emotions and anticipate her movements. The seven-day journey to Glaenshire provided the perfect chance to savor the ride, while contemplating all the information concerning soulmates she hoped to glean from studying the scrolls at the Craedenza.

  She loved the opportunity to be alone with her thoughts. Only I’m not alone with my thoughts. Bardamen hasn’t stopped talking for a breath since we left Laegenshire. No wonder he’s not yet married, though he has almost thirty years.

  “… Don’t you agree?”

  “I’m sorry, Bardamen. What are you asking?”

  “I asked if you agreed there aren’t any suitable mates for me in and around Laegenshire.”

  “Yes, I would have to agree.” There probably isn’t a girl anywhere in all of Tenavae who could put up with your incessant talking.

  “This issue is the exact one I attempted to explain to Father, but he refuses to listen.”

  He probably learned to lock your voice from his mind years ago. How else could he survive?

  “So you’ll agree to help me search for a girl as we travel to Glaenshire?”

  “Wait, I never agreed to be your intermediary.”

  “An intermediary isn’t required. It’s not as if I’m unable to speak to a girl.”

  Certainly not.

  “I simply wished for a second pair of eyes to aid in locating a girl with acceptable qualities.”

  “And how would you describe this girl? The one with ‘acceptable qualities’?”

  “Were you not listening for the last four fingers? I’ve been explaining what I feel are the minimum qualifications for a potential mate. She needs to be tall, like you, and beautiful.”

  “I understand why you want an attractive girl, but why must she be tall? You’re not exceptionally tall yourself.” Bardamen was slightly taller than his father, who matched Raelene’s height. And while his father was thin and lanky, Bardamen was broad and muscular.

  “But of course, I’d like my offspring to be tall. I feel added height gives advantage in many gifts.”

  I hope he didn’t see me roll my eyes.

  “And she should be from another clan. Not from Stone Clan.”

  “Why is that? What’s wrong with Stone Clan girls?”

  “I thought you, of all people, would understand, Raelene. You married a man from Forest Clan and hid it for many years. Like you, I desire to have extremely gifted children and, as you’ve argued, intermarriage produces gifted offspring. Alora is a perfect example. And unlike most of the ignorant people in Stone Clan, I bear no prejudice against the other clans. Now, what was the next one on the list? Tall. Beautiful. A different clan.” He counted on his fingers. “Ah yes… extremely gifted, but not overly proud.”

  “Can you clarify?”

  “I’ve already explained. I don’t like women who believe they know more than I do.”

  “But what if that were true? What if she had knowledge you didn’t possess?”

  “I seriously doubt that would ever happen. Even if she knew some trifling tidbit of which I was unaware, she wouldn’t need to boast of it.”

  “Perhaps you should look for a stupid girl. You’d be assured she would never compete with you in wisdom.”

  Bardamen’s lips pursed as if he’d bitten into a green fize. “I wouldn’t enjoy being married to an idiot, and she might not produce intelligent children. My offspring must be intelligent.”

  “So you desire a smart, gifted girl who is humble and submissive?”

  “Yes. Precisely.”

  “I have but one question for you, Bardamen.”

  “Do ask.”

  “If we find a tall, beautiful, smart, gifted, humble, submissive girl from a clan other than Stone Clan, how will you convince her to marry you?”

  His eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped. “But what girl wouldn’t wish to be married to Stone Clan’s next chief shaman?”

  She bit her tongue. I can think of a few.

  *****

  “Isn’t there anyone else we can send?” Graely paced as he considered his options. And his options appeared to be few and far between. “Surely in all of Stone Clan there is someone else with the gift of gresses. Someone with more years. Someone less… less…”

  “Impulsive?” Nordamen supplied.

  “Yes, impulsive. Someone less impulsive.”

  “I’m afraid gresses is a rather rare gift, though it’s a minor one.” Nordamen rubbed his temples. “Of course, Raelene has the gift, but she’s already left with Bardamen to search for information about Kaevin and Alora’s soulmate bond. The trip to Glaenshire will take a seven-day, and we’ve no idea how long they will remain. I suspect Raelene will need at least three seven-days, probably more, to glean all the information available on soulmates. It’s unfortunate we had no one to send along with gifting in language.”

  “And with another seven-day to return… No, I suppose we cannot wait for Raelene.” Graely stroked his beard.

  “The girl is our best option… our only option.”

  “Perhaps one of her parents has the gift?”

  “Yes, her father, Plaegus, has the gift. But you remember he was critically injured in the last battle. He wouldn’t be physically able to complete the task.”

  “Couldn’t Alora simply find the portal and transport Plaegus to seal it?”

  “No, only someone with the gift of gresses can find a portal and bring someone inside.”

  “Perhaps it won’t be so bad. We need only allow her to travel to Montana, find the portal, and close it.”

  Nordamen grimaced. “I fear I haven’t explained the most difficult aspect of the task.”

  “What is that?”

  “Sealing the portal in Montana works only to prevent someone in Montana from discovering and entering the portal. We must also close the portal in Portshire, or wherever that end of the portal may be located.”

  Graely tried to imagine the possible dangers involved. “Can the portal be sealed from the inside?”

  “No. It cannot.”

  “So you’re saying she must locate the opening in Montana, travel through the portal, exit the portal somewhere in Vindrake’s province, and close the portal, remaining in Water Clan.”

  “Yes.” Nordamen spoke the single word, but Graely felt the weight of emotion behind it.

  “And if she were captured, could Vindrake not force her to open the portal again?”

  “Once sealed, the portal can only be opened from the inside.”

  Graely collapsed onto a nearby bench. I’d be sending her to her death.

  “Of course, Alora and Kaevin could go with her and transport her to safety after she closed the portal.” Nordamen’s eyes didn’t quite meet Graely’s as he made the suggestion.

  “Providing they weren’t captured or killed before Alora made the transport.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Will she be able to see outside the portal before they exit? Can she be certain no one is standing on the other side?” Graely knew he’d already made the decision. He couldn’t send her to close the portal with no hope of escape, though the choice meant risking his son’s life. And Alora’s.

  “S
he can look out, but her head would be visible...” Nordamen seemed to consider this question further. “However, anyone in the area would be unlikely to notice a disembodied head. It could provide a measure of protection.”

  Graely’s face fell into his hands. “It appears we have no choice.”

  “None that seems palatable.”

  “Will she be willing? When she truly understands the risks?”

  A mirthless laugh escaped Nordamen’s lips. “She’d be willing if we asked her to fling herself from a cliff. Whether by bravery or ignorance, I cannot say. Arista knows no fear.”

  *****

  “I’ve been looking into the plasmapheresis, Daegreth.” Steven ran frustrated fingers through his hair, leaving it in disarray. “It’s going to be difficult, because we first need to determine exactly what’s different in your blood and develop a filtering system to remove it. That is if we can find something specific in your blood that might be causing the problem.”

  “Then there’s no possible method to remove the bondmark?” Daegreth’s stomach churned, but he kept his expression neutral. Why did I let myself hope?

  “I’m not saying it’s impossible. I’m just saying I don’t have enough information. All your friends are coming over here for a big meeting, so I hope I can learn something more about it.”

  “I have no friends.”

  “Sure you do. Every single one of them wants to help you get away from this Vindrake guy. Apparently, they have a few other things on their agenda as well. If there’s a way to get you out of this bond, they’re all in favor. I’m thinking we may have the blood thing all wrong anyway. Maybe it’s some kind of hypnosis, and there might be a way to break it.”

  “Hypnosis?”

  “It’s a mind-control thing, but never mind that. The best news is about the email I just got… the results of the DNA tests. I can’t wait to tell everyone.”

  “I don’t understand the meaning of this test.” I don’t understand anything you just said.