by Tamie Dearen
“Perhaps there were moments of hesitation, but not enough to compensate for my gifting. Had it not been for Wesley’s weapon, you would be dead now. Alora would be dead as well.” His jaw flexed as he swallowed.
“It seems to me you could be learning to fight Vindrake’s compulsion.”
“Yes, I fight. Always I fight him.” A single tear tracked down Daegreth’s face. “But every time, I lose. There’s no hope, Kaevin. Do you not see? The bloodbond could return at any time. Please kill me now and send me to the hell to which I’m already destined.”
“That would be wrong. We should leave it in God’s hands. If He wishes you to die, let Him take you as a consequence of your wound. If you live, He has some other purpose for you to fulfill.”
“What purpose could there possibly be for a man such as me? I’ve already told your Father everything I know about Water Clan. About the oath of fealty. When and how the bloodbond is taken. About the warrior training and trials. About Vindrake’s shamans and his council.”
“We’ve been discussing this since we began planning our journey to close the portal. You may yet have a purpose… a very important one.”
The slightest glimmer of hope shone in Daegreth’s eyes, but he didn’t respond.
“If we’re captured when we go through the portal…”
“You mustn’t let that happen,” Daegreth interrupted. “I wouldn’t be able to render aid while under the control of Vindrake’s bloodbond. Perhaps you should abandon the mission.”
“Do you not have intimate knowledge of the layout of Portshire? Enough to draw a map? If the worst happened and we were captured or killed, I know Father will mount an attack. You could help him make his plans.”
Did Daegreth’s chin lift a bit? “I do know Vindrake’s lair well, including the arrangement of his private quarters and the dungeons where prisoners are kept.
“There. You see. You may be of help yet.” Relieved that Daegreth wouldn’t insist he fulfill his fatal promise, Kaevin risked a quip to lighten the mood. “I must say you were lucky Wesley ended the fight as he did. I was about to flip you over and impale you with your own knife.”
Daegreth’s mouth dropped open, and he gave an emphatic shake to his head. “Do you not remember? I had your throat bared. You’d never have bested me.”
Kaevin grinned, nodding his admission.
“Ah. So now you jest about this thing. I’m afraid I don’t see the humor. My blade was a hand-width from your neck.”
“Yet here I stand, alive in your presence, with a headache that causes more pain than the ribs you cracked. We must learn to laugh at the unexpected turns of life. Not long ago I would gladly have taken your life. Only yesterday you would’ve sworn you had no family.”
“Surely those who’ve taken me into their family will now see their error.”
“Let me ask a question, Daegreth? Why did your weapon not kill Brian?”
“A simple answer. Had the instrument penetrated a finger-width lower or to the right it would have ended his life.”
“So you deliberately saved his life when you stabbed him?”
Daegreth inclined his head. “True, but I doubt Brian will see it that way.”
“Answer this… If you’d actually desired to end Alora’s life? Or mine? Would we still be alive?”
Daegreth squeezed his eyes shut. “No. You would be dead. Still, it almost happened despite my wish to save you.”
“I see you will not be cheered.” Kaevin moaned a great dramatic sigh, eliciting at last, the smallest upward twitch in the corner of Daegreth’s lips.
*****
“Wait, Beth! Don’t just barge in there. Kaevin and Daegreth are having a private discussion.” Alora grabbed the back of Beth’s shirt, holding at bay.
Beth tried to twist away. “I’m not waiting any longer. Daegreth’s been here a month and I haven’t even met him. The only time I saw him, he was unconscious and bleeding to death.”
“Whose fault is that? You’re the one who got yourself grounded. It’s not like Wesley could just bring Daegreth over to meet you.”
“What’s ‘grounded’?” asked Arista.
“It’s my middle name,” Beth quipped. “Come on, Alora. They’re guys… they don’t need more than five minutes to talk. Let’s go.”
Beth powered down the hallway to Daegreth’s room, towing Alora behind her as she clung to Beth’s shirt.
“You have a middle name?” Arista asked, following along.
“Her real middle name is trouble,” Alora complained as Beth burst into the room.
“Hi, Daegreth. I’m Beth. It’s great to finally meet you.” Beth stuck out her hand.
“Well met, Beth.” Daegreth mumbled his reply, averting his eyes.
“Oh, I forgot they’ve got you tied up.” Beth withdrew her hand. “Did it hurt very much to get shot? Or when Dr. Sanders dug the bullet out? Alora told me he didn’t use any anesthetic. You don’t mind if I look at it, do you? I’m an EMT, and I’m going to be a surgeon some day.”
Daegreth’s lips moved, but no audible sound emerged. His wide eyes blinked at the force of nature packed in Beth’s compact body as she picked at the tape covering his bandage.
“Look, Alora.”
“Beth, you’re crazy. I have no desire to see a gunshot wound.”
“I’d like to see,” said Arista, crowding beside Beth.
Alora moved to the head of the bed, bestowing a kind smile on Daegreth. His eyes darted away from her gaze as if she’d burned him. She leaned down to whisper in his ear. “I want you to know I don’t blame you, Daegreth. I’m gifted in discernment, and there’s no darkness in you.”
Daegreth turned back until his eyes met hers. His voice was so low, Alora had to strain to hear. “Truly? Am I not tainted by Vindrake’s vile spirit?”
“I wouldn’t lie to you, Daegreth.” Alora started to pat his shoulder, but she sensed Kaevin’s jealous glare. With a parting smile, she moved to stand beside Kaevin. The pain seeped back into her head, remaining steady after Kaevin reached out to take her hand. Once again, she pondered if this indicated a change in the soulmate bond.
Arista peered over Beth’s shoulder, while she worked intently to remove the bandage and expose the wound on Daegreth’s side.
“Beth, won’t you make it start bleeding again?” Alora tried to sound discouraging.
“Don’t worry, I’m being really careful. You don’t mind if I take a peek at this bullet hole, do you, Daegreth?” She continued to pull at the tape, not waiting for a reply. “Oh, it’s all stitched up. I thought there would still be a hole.”
“Incredible!” Arista’s expression was rapturous.
Alora’s heart went out to Daegreth, whose face couldn’t possibly turn a brighter shade of red. “Cover it up, Beth. Isn’t there a danger of infection or something? Dr. Sanders said he’s not out of the woods yet.”
“Out of the woods?” Arista questioned.
“Sorry,” said Alora. “It means out of danger. Dr. Sanders said his spleen could have been hit. Anyway, we’re here to pick Daegreth’s brain about what we might find when we get to Portshire.”
“Pick his brain?” Arista’s expression morphed from confusion to horror.
“That’s just an expression,” Beth clarified. “I promise we’re not going to poke around inside his head. We’re just going to ask some questions.”
Daegreth cried out in a loud voice, jerking against all his bindings and rattling the bed frame. Everyone jumped away from his frenetic form.
Everyone except Arista.
She froze, cocking her head sideways and pushing a few long, tangled blond locks out of her face so she could see him better. “What’s wrong with you? Are you in pain?”
“I’m dangerous!” Daegreth’s brows bunched in a fierce glare. “You shouldn’t stand so close. You can never relax—not for a moment.”
Arista straightened, placing her hands on her hips. “I’m not afraid of you. I’m a real warrior.
I survived an arrow in my leg. I escaped capture by a nasty, smelly Water Clan warrior. I unlocked Kaevin’s iron belt right under Vindrake’s nose, and I opened the lock on Vindrake’s own belt as he wore it. I even bit him, and it left a nasty taste in my mouth. I’m not afraid of you. I’m not afraid of anything.”
One side of Daegreth’s mouth curled upward. “You believe that makes you brave? I say it makes you foolish.”
“What are you afraid of, O Wise One?” Arista arched one shapely brow.
Daegreth turned his face away.
Beth inched forward. “I’m not afraid of you either. I just don’t like loud yelling. So be quiet while I put this bandage back on.”
“Let’s get back to the matter at hand.” Alora stood at a careful distance from the bedside. “Daegreth, are there any secrets you can let us in on? Like special hiding places we could use if we got caught?”
“But how can we get caught?” asked Arista. “I thought you were going to transport us out of there as soon as I close the portal.”
“Nordamen says Vindrake will have certain areas warded against transports. Raelene told me my gift may be strong enough to transport even with the wards, but we won’t know for certain until we try.”
“I want to know if we can steal something from Vindrake.” Arista grinned, rubbing her hands together. “Something important. Something we could use to defeat him.”
“I believe he keeps anything of value locked inside a chest in his private quarters. The chest is too heavy to carry, and the lock is strong and secure,” said Daegreth.
“Opening a lock is easier for me than riding a horse,” declared Arista with a flick of her hair over her shoulders.
“Arista, that’s not our mission,” said Kaevin. “We’re going for one purpose only… to close the portal. Nothing more. We go outside the portal when no one is in the area. You seal the portal. Alora transports us back… if she can.”
“And if I can’t, we hightail it to some place where I can transport us.”
“This entire plan is fraught with peril.” Daegreth scowled. “Why not simply guard the portal on this end to ensure no one comes through?”
“We thought of that.” Alora twisted a long strand of hair around her finger. “But evidently the entrance is in the middle of a huge national park. It would be impossible for anyone to guard the portal twenty-four hours a day, three hundred sixty-five days a year. It’s miles from any habitable place.”
“This much I can tell you,” said Daegreth. “Vindrake’s lair is located inside the cavern on the water’s edge, as are the dungeons. The entire system has but one entrance or exit, which is heavily guarded, although there are rumors of a secret passage known only to Vindrake. Should the portal open inside the cavern, and should the cavern be warded, you’ll have to abandon your quest.”
Throbbing pain swelled behind Alora’s eyes. “I guess I’ll have to test it before we let Arista close up the portal… to make sure I can transport us out of there. Although, right now, my head’s hurting too much to think about it.”
“Alora, I believe we should go back to Laegenshire tonight,” said Kaevin.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I’ve made several transports, and we’ve already been to Laegenshire once today.”
“For some reason, I’m concerned for Jireo. I believe we should bring him here immediately. It feels urgent to me.”
“Weren’t you planning to fetch Jireo for the big expedition, anyway?” asked Beth. “He might give us some good input.”
“Yes. I believe I’ll feel much better when Jireo has some input on the matter. We always seem to work better in tandem.” Kaevin’s spirit lifted as he spoke. “Daegreth, it will be interesting for you and Jireo to finally meet. Although, I suppose we could call your original encounter a meeting as well… during the battle when you attempted to kill one another.”
“No, don’t bring my brother here,” complained Arista. “Can’t you wait a few days? He’s always giving me orders.”
A dagger shot through Alora’s head, and Kaevin gave an audible groan.
“You two are still having headaches?” Beth’s voice had a muffled echo as if it came from a tunnel.
“Please, take us to Jireo now. We mustn’t delay.” Kaevin squeezed Alora’s hand.
Alora ignored a fleeting guilty thought about not asking Uncle Charles’ permission. Every second is important. She transported straight to Jireo.
*****
A cloud of thick, dark smoke totally obscured her vision.
“Kaevin! Where are we? Where’s Jireo?” Alora choked on the acrid fumes.
“I don’t know. I can’t see anything.” Kaevin coughed as he moved forward, groping with his hands. Alora held onto his back, afraid to lose contact with him. “My knee hit something. Wait… it’s a sleeping platform. I believe he’s here. Jireo! He’s unconscious. Alora, take us out of here!”
Where should we go? She made a snap decision, moving them to the town square, thinking a fire meant they needed to ring the bell.
“Is he breathing?” Alora rubbed her eyes, immediately regretting the action as they watered with stinging pain. Kaevin knelt to examine his unmoving friend by the flickering light of two torches.
“No, I can’t see him breathing.” Kaevin gave him a vigorous shake. “Jireo! Wake up!”
Alora ran to the bell, grasping the cord to sound the alarm.
“You need to do CPR,” she called out as she hurried back to take her place on the cold, hard ground beside Kaevin.
“I don’t know these words, ‘seepee are’. Is this something that will save him? Can you do it?”
“I can’t remember exactly. I’m bringing Beth here.”
Beth appeared before them, her shock lasting only a few seconds before she spied Jireo on the ground.
“I’m sorry, Beth. I didn’t mean to scare you, but I think Jireo needs CPR. And I couldn’t remember what to do.”
“What happened to him?”
“He’s not breathing. There was a lot of smoke in his house.”
Without another word, Beth dropped to her knees, tilting Jireo’s head back and lowering her cheek to his face. After a few seconds, she pinched off his nose and covered his mouth with hers, breathing into his limp body. Alora saw his chest rise and fall twice.
Pounding feet alerted her to Nordamen’s arrival. “Kaevin? Alora? What are you doing here?”
“There’s a fire at Jireo’s home,” Kaevin answered. “The house was full of smoke, and his parents might still be in there.”
“No, Jireo’s parents are traveling to stay with family until the expedition is over. However, other homes may be in danger.” Nordamen called out orders to the townspeople who darted into the square from every direction, and a flurry of activity ensued.
Beth held her hand against Jireo’s neck as she called up to Alora. “His heart is still beating. Get us to Wesley’s house. Dr. Sanders will know what to do.”
As Alora transported them back to Montana, she murmured a prayer.
~ 12 ~
Kaevin pulled Alora against him, wrapping her in his coat. He rubbed her back as he soothed, “Shh… be calm.”
“But if Jireo dies, it’ll be my fault. Why didn’t I take him straight to the hospital?” Why did I bring Beth to us in Laegenshire? If I was going to bring someone, I should have brought Dr. Sanders.” Her muttered words were almost lost to his ears.
“I sincerely doubt Dr. Sanders would have appreciated his first transport being a total surprise. It’s of no consequence. Jireo will recover.”
“You don’t know that.” Alora looked up with red-rimmed eyes. “Didn’t you hear Dr. Sanders just now? He told us Jireo might not make it.”
“Alora—”
“I’ll never be able to forgive myself if that happens. You’ll never be able to forgive me either if I killed your best friend.”
“Be still, Alora.” He lowered his voice, dragging her to the side, away from the listening ear
s in the waiting room. “You’re upsetting Arista and Beth.”
“They’re going to hate me, too.”
“No one will hate you. You made difficult decisions with no time to consider the options. Had we immediately transported to the hospital with Jireo, we wouldn’t have had time to warn anyone of the fire. Would you want the deaths of others on your head?”
“No, but that won’t make me feel any better if Jireo dies.”
“Alora…” Kaevin hesitated, glancing behind him to be certain no one else could hear. Dare I tell her about the defender bond? I’m not even positive we’re bound. “Alora, I’m confident Jireo won’t die. I’d know if he was going to die, in the same way I knew he was in danger before we went to Laegenshire.”
“How? How could you possibly know for sure?”
“Jireo and I… When we were young, we promised to guard each other. We cut our hands and sealed the promise in blood.”
“Oh, I think you mentioned that one time. You’re blood brothers.”
“We call it a defender bond.”
“No matter what you call it, just because you promise to defend each other doesn’t mean you know what the future holds. Unless you have some kind of crystal ball.”
“Crystal ball?”
“A crystal ball. You know… you look into it and see the future? Never mind. The point is, you can’t know Jireo’s going to be okay.”
“Very well. Suffice it to say, I have a very strong feeling Jireo will recover fully. I’m not worried at all.”
Alora took a deep shuddery breath. “Okay. I guess that does make me feel better. That and the fact our heads quit hurting.”
“Yes, the absence of pain is a wonderful thing.” He pressed his lips to her forehead, noting the intoxicating scent of her hair had been tainted with smoke.
“Oh-oh. Here comes Uncle Charles and your father, and they don’t look particularly happy.”
Kaevin pivoted to face the expected berating. “This won’t be pleasant,” he murmured.
