Abyss

by Bethany Adams

  Kezari snorted. “Leave it to one of them to claim such.”

  Lyr glanced over his shoulder. “What do you mean?”

  “It was a joint effort,” the dragon replied. “The power grew unchecked. Many frail humans hurt themselves trying to learn to harness it. The human use of magic required action.”

  Selia stiffened. Surely, they hadn’t meddled with an entire world’s energy to prevent a single race from accessing it? Humans struggled to connect with natural magic and thus required a stronger flow. Walling off enough would leave them fairly powerless.

  Arlyn’s eyes narrowed as she seemed to come to the same conclusion. “So the Unseelie and the dragons decided that humans were unworthy?”

  Kezari shook her head. “Oh, no. I do not believe so. Humans live such short lives, and their magical channels are terribly small. And they do not require magic to live, as we do. We did not want them to die out.”

  “I suppose it didn’t occur to you,” Arlyn ground out, “that the human race might have evolved, shaped by the magic?”

  “Evolved?” Kezari asked.

  “Been changed by their environment, as all living creatures are.”

  The dragon stared at Arlyn for a long moment. “I do not believe dragons do this thing.”

  Arlyn’s lips pinched. “It takes generations. Perhaps you live too long to notice much of a difference.”

  Varying degrees of horror filled the others’ expressions, and Selia imagined hers was no exception. The Unseelie and the dragons had cut the humans off from any chance of evolving to be more like the magical races. Would they have changed to survive partially off of energy, as did many fae, and begun to live longer lives? According to myth, their natural lifespan had once been greater.

  Walling off the magic might have harmed the human race.

  “We didn’t mean…” Kezari whispered.

  “Good intentions often go astray,” Lyr said. “In any case, if Vek is to be believed, the human race may be getting another chance. Provided the release of that much magic at once doesn’t flatten them all.”

  “We must go now,” Aris said, his voice low and urgent.

  Selia peered at her husband. “Why now? You were unsure before, but suddenly, you’re ready to go?”

  His hands clenched in his lap, but he nodded. “I connected to Earth through Kezari’s link. Smaller lifeforms are already crying out for help, and I cannot neglect them. The Earth’s heartbeat stutters.”

  Selia set her cup down on the side table with a decisive click. She had no idea what she was supposed to do—Repair the wall? Mitigate the damage?—but she was willing to try. “I’ll help.”

  “Not so fast,” Lyr said. “For one thing, there’s still the matter of Kezari’s citizenship. I’m afraid she can’t go through without it.”

  The dragon marched over from the window and halted between Aris and Lyr. Lifting her chin, she stared down at the Myern. “I ask for a place among your kind. A home. I will make no war and will consume no sentient creatures. If there are areas where I may not hunt, I will abide by that law. All laws I will heed. I do not know if we can live in peace, unlike our ancestors, but I will put forth effort to do so.”

  Lyr smiled. “House Dianore welcomes you to Braelyn as one of us, although I recommend being confirmed by Ralan in this sensitive situation. He should—”

  The door opened, and Selia almost snorted as the prince sauntered through. “Done,” Ralan said. “I bid you welcome to Moranaia. Would you like to keep your clan’s name, or do you wish a rebirth?”

  Kezari’s gaze flicked to Aris. “If I might be counted among my skizik’s people, I would be pleased. He is now my clan.”

  “Then you will be known to all as Callian iy’dianore tenah i Kezari Baran nai Braelyn.” Ralan winked. “For now. If you return to Fiorn with Aris and Selia once Arlyn’s training is complete, you’ll have to petition Selia’s father for entry to their branch, but your family name is the same. And you might yet earn a title besides tenah—dragon friend.”

  Kezari’s body shuddered, though her expression was too closed for Selia to determine why. “I must fly,” the dragon said. “My feelings ride close, and I must fly.”

  Aris frowned. “Should I—”

  “Stay, skizik,” Kezari interrupted. “I am not distressed like last night, but this form is difficult to maintain in my current state.”

  “So long as you remember your vow not to eat anyone, I see no issue,” Lyr quipped.

  Selia gaped at him and Arlyn’s eyes went wide, but Kezari surprised them by laughing. “Not unless you have a citizen daeri.”

  The Myern chuckled. “No, we do not. And hunting is not restricted on my land if care is taken to avoid domesticated herds.”

  Kezari nodded once and spun away, rushing toward the outer door. Selia caught a hint of golden scale on the dragon’s arm as she darted out the side entrance. A moment later, a sharp snap sounded, and the tree branches swayed with the dragon’s wingbeats. Well, at least she hadn’t changed forms in the middle of the study. That would have been unfortunate, indeed.

  Before anyone spoke, Ralan plopped down on the floor where Kezari had stood and crossed his legs. Selia’s brows lifted at the sight of the heir to the throne in such a humble position, but the prince appeared at ease. Would she ever be comfortable with his unusual blend of informality and authority?

  “We do have more chairs,” Lyr said wryly. “Kezari might have refused, but there’s no reason for you to sit on the floor.”

  Ralan shrugged. “It is no hardship. Now, about this journey to Earth. You need to—”

  “Don’t start,” Lyr said with a wave of his hand. “Unless you’ve Seen a highly probable future strand. You promised to stop interfering without being certain of the course. After last time…”

  “Fine.” Ralan’s lips turned down. “I’ll give you the chance to choose the least messed up option.”

  When Lyr made another gesture, this one much less polite, Selia had to cough to hide her surprised gasp. No, she might never get over the bizarre informality here. Her own father would have lost his mind at such a show of disrespect, but the prince only laughed and returned the gesture. Changes would almost certainly come to the kingdom when Ralan ascended the throne.

  Lyr focused on Aris, ignoring the prince. “As I was about to say next, there is another matter of importance before you travel through the portal. Your health, Aris. Tynan reported that he had to interrupt another episode in the middle of the night.”

  A flush crept up her husband’s neck. “Not the way you think. I connected to Kezari, and the combination of her distress and the Earth’s pain almost pulled me under.”

  “You don’t think that kind of vulnerability might be a problem during a crisis?” Lyr asked. “I mean no offense, nor do I minimize your trauma. I know a bit about such things myself. But you need a few sessions with the mind-healer before you leave for another world.”

  Aris’s nostrils flared. “We do not have that kind of time.”

  “What do you think might happen if you have a breakdown while connected to the Earth?” Lyr asked softly, though his fingers tightened around the arms of his chair. “Consider that. Also, Lial has reported that your body still needs repair.”

  “A few poorly healed bones—”

  “Aris.” Selia dared to lower her hand to his arm, and despite a slight flinch, he didn’t remove it as he glanced at her. “You have said many times that undertaking an expedition in a poor state of mind or body, and without proper preparation, is a certain path to disaster. I know it is difficult for you not to follow your magic’s call, but it will not serve you well to make everything worse.”

  His jaw clenched, and for a moment, she thought he would argue. But then his shoulders slumped as he let out a breath. “Thank you, Selia. Hard to argue with you and myself.”

  “You’ll work with Tynan and Lial for the couple of days until the autumn festival,” Lyr said. “I’ve sent Kai to check with h
is father, Lord Naomh of the Sidhe, a powerful earth mage. Depending on his advice, I may send Selia, Kai, and possibly Arlyn through for an initial analysis while you heal.”

  “Me?” Arlyn asked.

  Lyr gave a sharp nod. “Consult with Lial on the possible repercussions to the baby. If he believes this may cause harm, then no. But being part human, you might be able to detect something the others miss. We’ll have to see.”

  “Oh. Okay.” Arlyn stood and ran her hands nervously down her tunic. “I’ll go find Lial now. The sooner we know, the better.”

  As Arlyn hurried from the room, another thought occurred to Selia. “What about Meli? She draws upon magic when she’s divining, but she doesn’t carry a large store of internal energy. That could be a boon if the energy fluctuates. Plus, she could use her runes to guide us to the best location.”

  Lyr’s lips pinched until they whitened. Selia could sympathize with his plight. He’d lost his soulbonded, Arlyn’s mother, before they’d been able to join many years before. He’d found her reincarnated in Meli less than two months ago, and his fear of losing her again had to be intense. Finding Aris after believing him dead sparked a similar reaction in Selia’s heart.

  “As much as I hate it, you are right,” Lyr finally said. “I’ll ask her what she wants to do. She has grown more confident with the runes as she has worked with my mother, so I imagine she will agree.”

  “Kezari will not be happy,” Aris grumbled.

  “Then pose to her the same question I did you,” Lyr snapped. “About losing control while connected to the Earth. Cooperate with the healers, and it will all go faster. Trust me.”

  Ralan stood in a single fluid motion. “I didn’t have to interfere. Good job. Now let’s get to it.”

  Laughter edged with worry echoed through the room, but no one argued. Even Aris headed for the door without another word, although he’d tensed up again. Selia gripped her fingers in her tunic to keep from running her hand down his back in an attempt to soothe. He wouldn’t welcome her touch, not now.

  But maybe someday. Maybe.

  “So,” Naomh drawled. “You come to me for help now?”

  Kai bit back the words he wanted to say and kept his gaze locked on his father’s. “If you have sensed a problem with Earth’s energy, just say so.”

  Naomh leaned back in his seat with a slow smile. “If only you’d been more eager to return for your studies, hmm?”

  Fuck it all, he didn’t have time for this. Lyr was waiting on him to make a final decision on the coming mission. There was too much at stake. “Arlyn’s pregnant,” Kai snapped without meaning to. Miaran. “It has hindered our travel.”

  His father’s expression went blank, his sly humor gone. “Another of our blood already?”

  “Yes,” Kai said sharply. “And I’m afraid Lyr might be thinking about sending Arlyn on this mission. It’s her choice, but we need to know more about what’s going on with the energy. Right now, we have only a dragon’s concern and an Unseelie prince’s word on the problem.”

  Naomh merely stared. “You would trust me in this?”

  “Stop stalling,” Caolte, Kai’s uncle, said as he strode into the massive dining room. “When you consider breaking the ancient covenant, it’s time to drop pretense.”

  Kai’s head reared back at that. Thousands of years before, the Sidhe had agreed to remain in the underhill dimensions and leave the surface to the humans. Naomh had been so adamant that the deal be honored that he’d worked briefly with Kien to try to keep his brethren underground. Only something major would make him consider breaking that law.

  “Your dragon friend is right. There is a schism in the wall regulating Earth’s energy. Though the Unseelie think we don’t know, we are not fools,” Naomh said softly. “We’ve let the barrier stand because it serves our purposes, too. But this fissure…it’s tinged with poison, same as the kind Kien tried to use. This has his mark all over it.”

  Kai went cold at those words. “Kien? He’s dead. Beheaded by the king himself.”

  “He must have found some way to inject his poison before he died,” Naomh said, his gaze never wavering. “Others might not have detected it building, but I know this sickness all too well. More is released with each surge of Earth’s heart. Do not send Arlyn there. In fact, I recommend evacuating any vulnerable fae—pregnant women, children, elderly.”

  “I thought the greatest risk was the wall breaking, releasing the energy,” Kai said.

  Caolte settled his fists on the table and leaned forward. “Oh, that’ll definitely be bad.”

  “Now imagine the greater catastrophe of poisoned energy flooding Earth.” Naomh sat up straight, and for once, true worry lined his face. “Forgive me for giving you grief. I’ve been considering what I could do for days now, but perhaps my thinking was incomplete. Maybe we need to work together.”

  For once, Kai fully agreed with his father.

  Clechtan, he thought. Didn’t see that coming.

  Chapter 14

  Aris made no effort to block the rain that dripped onto the hood of his cloak, penetrating the fabric until a few chilly runnels made their way down his neck. The door to the training room beckoned, but it also repulsed. Aris had circled the tower twice as he searched for his courage, but no matter how many times he perused the walls, the current two windows were the only ones. Small windows, too, barely enough to let in light.

  It might be the best shielded room on the estate, but it looked like a prison.

  The mind-healer had insisted on meeting here in case Aris lost control of his magic during the session. Reasonable—if he could manage to go in. His fingernails dug into his palms, and he recoiled, the ill-timed pain tipping his mind toward darkness. Aris took a deep breath. It was a room, not a cave.

  The door opened, and Tynan stepped beneath the doorframe. Beyond him, light from several mage globes filled the mostly empty stone room. The priest eased back and gestured silently toward a pair of cushions situated in the center of the floor. Though Aris’s shoulders ached with tension, he forced his feet to carry him through the door and into the room. Creatures needed saving, and cowering outside wouldn’t do it.

  “Thank you,” Aris said as he hung his sodden cloak on a hook and shook the rain from his hair. Then he shuffled toward the cushion and sat. “I appreciate your quick action on my behalf.”

  “Opening the door?” Tynan asked wryly before taking the other cushion.

  If the question was designed to lighten the tense mood, Aris had to admit it worked. A little. “Your arrival. And helping last night. I don’t know what would have happened if I’d broken while Kezari was so upset.”

  The priest smiled. “As a mind-healer, I am accustomed to quick action. Mental injuries can be dangerous for all involved.”

  “I never…” Heat crept into Aris’s cheeks. “I never thought I might need this type of aid.”

  “Who does?” Tynan asked, his eyes crinkling with his grin. “Trust me, I am accustomed to such a reaction. Our thoughts form the base of our existence, and no one wants to contemplate a weak foundation. But it is the part of us most in need of care, lest everything else crumble.”

  “I would think the base would be the soul.”

  “No.” The priest’s smile faded. “The soul is existence. The structure and base change with each incarnation, but our spirits flow on, retaining only an echo of the shape before.”

  Aris averted his gaze. He must have done terrible things in his past lives to shape his soul into its current form. “I met my potential soulbonded,” he whispered.

  “Did you, now?”

  At the calm curiosity in the priest’s tone, Aris glanced at him. Tynan sat cross-legged, his palms upturned on his knees. For the first time, Aris detected the steady flow of cool, calming energy emanating from the other man. It didn’t stop the nausea creeping up his throat or the tension in his muscles, but the admission wasn’t threatening to suck him into madness.

  “My captor,”
Aris said. “She tortured me.” He gripped his hands together until his fingers stung. “And violated my body. All to try to force me to complete the potential bond. What does it say about me that my soul is a match for hers?”

  Despite Aris’s words, the priest’s expression remained neutral. “Absolutely nothing. It isn’t the shape of the soul that makes the bond, it is the flavor. Her actions must stem from a broken mind, for I can tell that your spirit is whole and untarnished by that kind of evil. If her soul was evil, it would not be a match for yours. The bond would not be possible.”

  Relief flooded Aris’s body until his head spun with it. Only when he’d steadied did the full import of Tynan’s words hit. “How could she torture me for almost seven years and not blacken her soul?”

  The priest’s brow lowered in thought. “It is difficult to say without examining her. However…we all have darkness within us. Echoes of poor choices in this life or the ones before. It doesn’t prevent bonding. But a soul is not turned to evil easily. Perhaps it is her mind that is broken but not her very core. Insanity sometimes leaves its mark for the next life.”

  Aris shoved his fingers through his hair as he tried to process the priest’s words. Could Perim be redeemed? His stomach lurched as the image of her cruel face flickered into his thoughts. If so, it would not be done by him. She’d forfeited any right to his aid. She could be responsible for her own poor choices.

  And she never would have gained his love in any case.

  “I don’t understand soulbonds,” Aris finally said. “I would swear Selia is the other half of me, but some cosmic force decreed otherwise. The gods? Fate? I don’t know.”

  “It is true that some souls are able to join, but plenty of others are perfect complements.” Tynan let out a long sigh. “I would be well pleased to find either.”