by Tamie Dearen
“It shows how closely related we are. We tested all of us… Mom, Dad, you, me, Wesley. Mom and Dad were convinced your DNA would match up as a child to them and a brother to me and Wes. But you’re not.”
The news stung a bit, despite the fact Daegreth hadn’t really thought it was possible to be part of a family again. Still he’d allowed himself to hope, just as he’d allowed himself to hope he could be forever freed of the bloodbond to Vindrake. “I’m sorry to be a disappointment to your parents.”
“I don’t think they’re going to be disappointed. We got some pretty interesting results. You’ll just have to wait until everyone is here so I can make the announcement.” He gave Daegreth a friendly nudge in the ribs with his elbow. “I think you’ll be surprised.”
*****
Alora tried to ignore the throbbing behind her eyes and concentrate on Graely’s words, but when she noticed Kaevin rubbing his forehead, she elbowed him, pointing to her head and raising questioning eyebrows. With a curt nod, he affirmed her fears.
Their mutual headache had returned, despite having just returned from Laegenshire. Granted, they had come back with two extra in tow—Graely and Arista—but one such transport didn’t usually cause a headache. Not only that, but Kaevin had placed a chaste kiss on her lips only moments ago.
At her side, Arista squirmed with excitement, anxious to dispense with the formal meeting and explore the new realm. Alora couldn’t help but smile at Arista’s wide eyes as she took in the “magic” of Montana. Arista’s gaze darted from the recessed light fixture in the ceiling overhead to the window on her left to the glass of iced water in her hand.
“I love this realm.” Her coarse whisper was a bit too audible.
“Shhhh!” Kaevin frowned her direction. Arista flinched, but Alora gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. Kaevin probably didn’t remember how overwhelmed he’d been when he first arrived here.
Alora pulled out her cell phone, giving Arista a quick lesson on scrolling though the picture gallery. Arista squealed with excitement and was soon totally absorbed with the new toy.
“Eh-hem!” Graely cleared his throat, throwing a wry glance Arista’s way. “As I was saying… the portal must be closed from the outside, so Arista will have to locate the portal in the place Charles first found Alora, travel through with Alora and Kaevin, and seal the portal. Then the three will transport back to safety.”
“I don’t really understand all this portal stuff, but it seems really dangerous.” Karen chewed on her fingernail. “Didn’t you say the other end of the portal was located somewhere close to Vindrake?”
Alora glanced at Uncle Charles, who stood staring out the window, probably avoiding eye-contact with anyone. Of course he already knew all about the plan, having had a lengthy discussion with Graely and Nordamen. While he’d agreed to let Alora go, she knew he was against it. Plus she could tell from the dark circles under his eyes he hadn’t been sleeping much the past few days.
Her mind wandered as the adults debated the merits of the plan, but she already knew the outcome. There was really no other option. Uncle Charles had suggested Vindrake might not know about the portal, but Nordamen and Graely said he was too smart not to come to the same conclusion.
Nordamen said he wouldn’t be surprised if Vindrake had already found the portal and sent some men through to explore. At least they knew the portal entrance was in the middle of Yellowstone National Park. Even if Vindrake found the portal, it would take a while for his people to learn enough about this realm to be able to navigate to a city without raising suspicion. The snow would also provide an extra measure of protection, hampering travel by foot.
Meanwhile, Raelene and Bardamen had embarked on a journey to some place filled with ancient writings, hoping to discover a way to eliminate the soulmate bond between Kaevin and her. Evidently her grandmother’s vehement argument that removing the soulmate bond should take precedence over closing the portal had been ignored. She was so adamant, she swore to find the answers on her own. Alora felt a bit guilty for praying Grandmother wouldn’t find a solution.
“Why don’t we wait until Spring Break to do this, so I could come, too?” Wesley was drumming his fingers on his legs. The action seemed nonchalant, but Alora had learned he did this when he was upset. Wesley couldn’t stand being left out of the action.
“The longer we wait, the more likely Vindrake will find the portal on his end. He might set a guard at the entrance, and that would complicate Arista’s mission.” Graely’s use of the word “complicate” didn’t fool anyone. The longer they waited, the less likely the three would come out of this alive. If someone wearing an iron belt grabbed her wrist or Kaevin’s, they would be at Vindrake’s mercy.
“I don’t understand how we can locate this portal you’re talking about,” said Brian.
“We know Alora’s mother, Wendelle, must have come through the portal when she first appeared with Alora.” Graely gave Charles a chance to confirm his statement, but he kept his gaze fixed outside the window. “Charles remembers the exact location where Wendelle appeared with Alora, sixteen years ago.”
“But didn’t you say Alora’s mother could transport people, just like Alora?” asked Steven, without lifting his eyes from his iPad. “Maybe Alora’s mother just transported over here from your world to ours. How do you know this portal even exists?”
“We’re certain Vindrake had Wendelle warded to stop her ability to transport. Otherwise, she would’ve returned to Laegenshire. Furthermore, a bearer can only move to people or places he or she has seen in the past, since there must be a clear image in the mind.”
Steven looked up, narrowing his eyes as he studied Graely. “Why did she wait so long to escape? Did you say she returned to Laegenshire a year after she was captured?”
“We have to assume Wendelle didn’t discover the portal until after she was pregnant. With Vindrake’s killing ward on her, she couldn’t travel through the portal while pregnant without sacrificing the baby’s life, along with her own.”
“What’s a killing ward?”
“I can’t explain it well. Even Nordamen can’t explain the ward, except to say its victim will die if he moves beyond the warded borders.”
“Who’s Nordamen?”
“Nordamen is our chief shaman,” Graely answered.
“Shaman? So he does voodoo and stuff like that?” Steven’s voice was full of derision.
Beside her, Alora heard Wesley groan. She turned to see him drop his head into his hands.
“Steven, stop with the rude questions,” said Brian through clenched teeth. Karen, standing behind Brian’s chair with her hand on his shoulder, seemed to be keeping her husband from jumping up to throttle Steven.
“What?” Steven blinked, apparently clueless. “I was just curious.”
Only a small twitch of his left eye indicated Graely’s irritation. “A shaman has knowledge of all the gifts and trains the clansmen. And he can manipulate the elements through his gift.”
“If Nordamen knows all about the gifts and the elements, can’t he figure out a way to get rid of this bond between Vindrake and Daegreth?” Leaning forward with an eager expression, Steven set his iPad aside.
All eyes in the room turned to Daegreth, who’d insisted on being bound hand and foot to a chair across the room. His face turned a bright shade of red.
Graely’s steely gaze softened. “No, I’m sorry, but Nordamen has no understanding of the bloodbond. We have no knowledge of the source of Vindrake’s dark magick. Certainly it didn’t come from his father; he was a man of honor, though we disagreed on many points.”
A tight band squeezed Alora’s head, and the voices faded into the background for a moment. Simultaneously, Kaevin’s grip tightened on her fingers, and she knew he shared the sensation. She took a deep breath and pushed the pain away.
“How are we going to handle the trip to Yellowstone this time of year? We’ll have to trek to Imperial Geyser on cross-country skis, right?” Br
ian asked.
Uncle Charles answered Brian, still avoiding eye contact with Graely. “We can’t get close to the Imperial Geyser by car for several more months, but according to Graely and Nordamen, we can’t afford to wait.”
Alora felt the crackling tension between Graely and her uncle.
“So you can’t let Alora transport you there and skip over all the snow?” Steven asked the question, but answered himself. “I guess she doesn’t remember what it looks like, since she was a baby when she was there before.”
“That’s correct,” Graely affirmed. “Also, Charles insists on taking some gear along in case of… complications. Some of that gear can’t be transported.”
Kaevin’s grip intensified as Alora’s headache swelled, demanding her total attention, and she lost the thread of the conversation. Squeezing her eyes shut, she longed to fall into blessed sleep.
“Alora? Kaevin? What’s wrong?” Graely’s voice brought her back.
She pried one eye open. “It’s nothing,”
“Are you guys having headaches again?” Wesley cocked his head, squinting at them as if he could somehow see the cause of their pain.
Karen was stooping in front of Alora in an instant, pressing the back of her hand to Alora’s forehead, and then to Kaevin’s. “You don’t seem to have fevers. But I have just the thing for a headache. I’ll be right back.” As Karen disappeared into the kitchen, Alora squirmed in her chair, more uncomfortable with the concentrated attention than the pain in her head.
“Headaches?” Graely’s eyebrows knit together. “Is the soulmate bond no longer sated by holding hands or kissing? Why did you not mention this before?”
“We thought we understood the cause of the pain.” Kaevin spoke between strained lips. “Last time, the pain vanished when we returned to Laegenshire.”
“Go ahead and kiss if you need to.” Uncle Charles’ nose wrinkled as if a skunk was in the room.
“Kissing doesn’t seem to help, Uncle Charles, but thank you.” Alora was quick to express her gratitude, still reeling from his sudden shift in attitude toward her and Kaevin over the past week. Not only had he turned a blind eye to their handholding, but he also seemed to encourage the occasional kiss. And he’d even arranged the homeschooling at Beth’s house without complaining about the cost. She’d gladly agreed to his demand for extra chores as penalty for her insolent actions and speech, happy to be relieved of her guilt.
“It doesn’t feel as if it will take our lives,” Kaevin said. “Right, Alora? It’s simply pain, not weakness.” Kaevin was holding both her hands now.
He must be picking up on how distressed I am with everyone focusing on us, so he’s trying to downplay the pain. Alora tried to send grateful vibes his way.
“That’s right. It’s no big deal, really. Just a little headache.” She forced a smile on her face and made her eyes open wide.
“No, this isn’t normal,” Graely said. “At least I believe it’s not normal; we know so little about the soulmate bond.” Graely paced the room, oddly mimicking Morvaen’s usual action in his absence.
“Here you go.” Karen returned, handing two cold glasses to Kaevin and Alora. “It’s lemon-rosemary infused water. Great for headaches.”
Alora sniffed the pungent liquid before taking a small sip of the slightly bitter water. To her amazement, the pain in her head lessened immediately. “Thanks, Mrs. Franks… I mean, Karen. I think it’s helping already.”
When Kaevin murmured his agreement, Karen lifted her chin with an exultant smile. “You see, Brian. I told you my infused water really works. You should drink the raspberry-lemongrass-dill water I made you.”
Wesley groaned. “Now she’ll want all of us to drink that nasty stuff.”
Somehow sensing Kaevin’s thoughts were centered on his best friend, Alora reached out to touch Graely’s arm, speaking in a low tone. “When we take you back to Laegenshire, can we return with Jireo, since he’s going on the portal trip?”
“Yes, Father.” Kaevin took up her plea with an eager expression. “Since Jireo’s purpose on the trip is communicating with Darielle after Alora, Arista, and I go out the portal, he could utilize this time for practice.”
“Oh, I get it. Jireo and Darielle are going to be like cell phones,” Wesley remarked.
“So, Jireo and Darielle are telepaths?” Steven’s lips spread in a broad grin. Alora pictured him in a white lab coat tapping his finger thoughtfully on his tooth while watching a miniature Jireo and Darielle run through a rat’s maze.
“We intended to leave Jireo in Laegenshire until you begin your journey to the portal with Charles.” Graely cast a wary glance at Arista, who’d abandoned Alora’s cell phone to marvel at the mounted elk head keeping watch over the Frank’s family room. “Bringing Jireo to Montana now would give Charles yet another young person to supervise.”
“Jireo could help keep an eye on his sister.” Kaevin spoke through the corner of his mouth, not moving his lips, while Arista reached up to stroke the elk’s fur.
A fleeting smile twitched Graely’s mouth. “Perhaps that might be helpful.”
Though the headache was barely noticeable, Alora was still anxious to be on the way back to Laegenshire. For some reason, she felt an urgent need to fetch Jireo. She was about to verbalize her thoughts, when Kaevin spoke up.
“Father, if your discussion is complete, we could return to Laegenshire now.”
“Wait! I need everyone’s attention. I want to announce our great news.” Steven rose from his seat. “We got the results of the DNA tests.”
Wesley and his parents froze, eyes open wide. Clearing his throat, Steven smirked, obviously milking the moment for all it was worth. He paused, looking in turn from his brother to his parents.
“Spit it out, Steven.” Wesley looked as if he might tackle his brother to the floor.
“We proposed Daegreth might be a genetic match as a brother to Wesley and me, and the DNA says… he’s not.”
Brian’s face fell. “So he’s not related? He just happens to look like you?”
“I didn’t say he wasn’t related. He and I are a fifty percent match and fifty percent of his markers came from Mom and Dad. But he has fewer markers in common with Wesley.” Steven grinned like the Cheshire cat.
“Steven, tell us right now.” Karen was starting to get that wild look in her eyes.
Steven rolled his lips in, but he couldn’t stop smiling. “Okay, Mom. Here it is. Daegreth is… my son.”
“What?” Brian was on his feet. “What are you talking about?”
“But Vindrake killed my father,” Daegreth protested, his wide eyes blinking rapidly.
Steven lifted his shoulders and dropped them, his grin unfazed. “I can’t explain it, but the science doesn’t lie. A few weeks ago, I wouldn’t have believed a parallel world could exist. I wouldn’t have believed Alora could move people around like in Star Trek, either. Hey, Daegreth—do I look like your father?”
Daegreth’s mouth opened and closed a few times as if he were trying to make sense of Steven’s words. “I cannot say. He had more years than you, and he wore a full beard. But people commented we looked similar. Does this mean my mother is here in this realm? Will you someday marry her?”
Steven tapped his fingers on his chin. “I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem likely. I can’t even tell you your father and I had identical DNA. Just take it for what it is. Genetically, we’re family.”
Alora caught a glisten in Daegreth’s eyes before he tucked his chin down, and she could almost swear she sensed him choking back his emotions. In fact the whole room felt so thick with emotion, she was practically swimming in it.
Odd. I wonder if this is part of my discernment?
~ 10 ~
“I have no wish to depend on this decrepit old man to locate the portal for me.” Vindrake glared at Malphas. Not for the first time, he considered replacing his chief shaman. Always, it seemed, he fulfilled his duties with minimal effort. Vindrake could
hardly believe the small aged man quaking at Malphas’ side was the only citizen of Water Clan with the gift of gresses.
“But Ferrister here has an able body despite his years and he bears your bondmark. An extensive search revealed no other with the gift, save this man’s grandson, Markaeus, with whom you’re already acquainted. Surely you prefer the help of someone you could control, rather than that of a child of nine years.”
“Perhaps I’d prefer to take the gift and use it myself.”
“I beg your pardon, Sire, but are you absolutely certain you don’t possess the gift already? Daevidea, from whom you… ahem… procured the gift of water-source, also had the gift of gresses. Perhaps her other gift transferred to you, as well.”
Like the gift of bearer and shaman, gresses might not pass to him from its owner through the oath of Maladorn. Yet he couldn’t know for certain.
“In the past, the presence of a new gift has made itself known to me, but perhaps I might not notice such a minor gift.” Vindrake willed the old man to meet his eyes, noting little resistance in his cowering persona. A wendt created from this man wouldn’t be worth the energy expended.
“Ferrister? Is that your name?”
His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. Instead, he nodded with vigor.
“Ferrister, if I have the gift of gresses, you will teach me to use it. So how can I know if I possess the gift?”
“Uhmm… uhmm…”
“Look. There’s a lock on my trunk. How would I open it without using my key?”
Ferrister moved to examine the lock. “Y-you w-would… uhmm…”
The aged man was obviously inept. Perhaps he no longer remembered how to use his gift. Not bothering to hide his disdain, Vindrake prodded the timid man. “Is this lock too difficult for you? I don’t see how you could find and open a portal if you can’t—”
Vindrake stared at the trunk, astounded. The open lock dangled from the hasp. “How did you do that?”
“I… I…” Ferrister backed away, tripping over his own feet and falling against a table, which upended, sending a pottery washbasin crashing to the floor.
