Children of the Healer

by Barbara Ann Wright

  Miriam slammed a hand on the table. All traces of sadness had gone from her face, and anger radiated from her in waves. Her dark eyes seemed to crackle. “What now?”

  “The scouts are still searching,” Jacobs said as she joined them. “The kidnappers can’t have gotten far.”

  Simon looked to Evan, torn between guarding the children and helping Miriam search. As she stood, though, so did he. There were enough soldiers and drushka at the house now. He needed to be out there, looking. Pakesh stayed with him and Miriam as they went outside.

  Before he went too far, Reach caught up and laid a hand on his arm. “Do you hear that rumble, shawness?”

  Simon stopped and listened. Now that he focused, he did hear a bass growl, like heavy machinery.

  “Thunder?” Pakesh asked. He looked to Simon with a confused frown. “Did we… Someone told us to look up.”

  Simon had nearly forgotten that. Anxiety built inside him, carrying the taste of bile to his mouth. Shouts erupted up and down the street as the rumbling grew louder. He looked up. South of Gale, the clouds were billowing like waves.

  “Is it a storm?” Reach asked.

  Simon shook his head. His anxiety peeked so hard he nearly trembled. The clouds weren’t moving naturally but being pushed. A fireball broke through, and the shouts around them turned to screams. The fireball streaked through the sky, becoming a flat shape, rounded at the edges. The rumbling grew deafening as the fireball curved. The orange heat flared out, leaving the sun glinting off a curved metal surface that headed for the mountains in the north.

  “Oh God,” Simon whispered. Naos had converted the orbiting station back to a ship, even though the skip drive didn’t work anymore.

  But she didn’t need the long-range engines in order to land.

  “It’s the Atlas. Naos is coming here in the flesh.”

  Epilogue

  Liam sat on one of the narrow cots in the small house Patricia Dué had stuck him in. She’d shepherded him and the two paladins inside, then left them to sit untended for at least an hour. He rubbed his hands together and tried to think of what that might mean. He’d had good intentions when he’d volunteered to negotiate, and he tried not to let the delays sap his confidence. It wasn’t easy, and he wished Patricia had let Cordelia come with him, though he couldn’t admit that. Even Simon Lazlo would be a comfort. At least he was powerful.

  Private Sunny Swanson sat cross-legged on the rug in the middle of the room, one arm resting on her knee, and her chin in that hand. She looked as bored as Cordelia would have been, only with far less cursing.

  “How long do we wait?” Lieutenant Porter asked from where he leaned against the wall. He hadn’t stripped his armor off, and Liam didn’t know whether or not to ask him to. Liam knew how uncomfortable it was, but they needed all the shows of strength they could muster.

  “Making you wait is a diplomatic tactic,” Liam said. “My mom pulled it all the time.”

  Sunny sighed. She wasn’t beautiful, but she had a glowing attitude that made her more attractive than she seemed at first glance, so much like Cordelia again. It was no wonder the recruits called her Baby Ross behind her back. Porter was much easier on the eyes with his dark skin and strong jaw.

  Liam told himself not to go there. Things with Shiv were back on track but still left a sour taste in his mouth. She’d said she could never belong to him, that she’d always have to think of her tribe first. But why couldn’t they think of the tribe together? Because he wasn’t drushka? That had never mattered to her before. Maybe it meant they could each have multiple lovers. He let his gaze shift back to Porter then sighed, telling himself to keep his mind on the mission.

  “If they don’t come soon, we’ll…” He trailed away as a low rumble filled the room. “What’s that?”

  Sunny jerked her thumb at the door. “Want me to go see?”

  Liam stood and held out a hand, listening. “I’ll look.”

  * * *

  Standing outside, Patricia heard the rumble, and she knew in her bones what it meant. “No.”

  She’d known the Atlas inside and out: the curve of the hull, the echo of its hallways, the ghosts that haunted it. Even now, she could summon the memory of the smooth console under her fingers. “She can’t land it.” Her insides had gone numb. “It wasn’t made for an atmosphere; she can’t land it.”

  But somehow, Naos was holding the ship together. It roared overhead, past the mine and to the east, to the mountains. Then it was out of sight, leaving a smoke trail and still rumbling. Then came the boom. The ground shook, and screams filled the air. A second boom came from the mine, and Patricia felt a wave of terror.

  She swiveled toward the sound, her limbs wooden. Screaming people tottered from the shaft, all of them covered in dust and dirt. “Cave-in! Cave-in!”

  When the dust cleared, the entrance to the shaft framed a pile of rubble; the hole into the mountain had disappeared. People were shouting her name, calling for help. Some were trapped, and their calls echoed in her brain.

  Raquel stood in front of the mine, digging with her power, but the people needed their mistress, their leader.

  Patricia’s feet wouldn’t move. Naos had come to Calamity.

  “She’ll kill us,” Dillon said.

  Kill or enslave. Patricia began to shake. She’d be trapped in her own mind again, forever this time, doomed to watch eternity play out in front of her eyes.

  “I can’t go back.” The shaking wouldn’t stop, threatened to tear her apart. “I can’t, I can’t, I can’t.” Her teeth began to chatter. “Dillon, Dillon, help me!”

  He was silent for a moment, and then, “I can’t do anything from in here.”

  Patricia’s head snapped up. She needed a vessel, but everyone was running for the mine. Even Jonah.

  A door opened on one of the houses, and a head poked out. It was the mayor of Gale, Liam Carmichael. His eyes locked on hers. “Are you okay?”

  Patricia rushed him and pushed him inside the house. His guards stood, but Patricia hit them with a micro-psychokinetic jolt, knocking them out.

  “What the fuck?” Liam cried.

  Patricia grabbed him with telepathy, but something in his head blocked her. He had no powers of his own; this was someone else’s work. He rushed her, his arm bent as if to bowl her over. Patricia hit him with power, bouncing him off a wall. She tried to gain entrance to his mind again, but those same blocks rejected her.

  Naos trying to thwart her? Patricia grabbed her head and dimly heard an animal squeal coming from her own throat. She’d wanted to shove this man’s consciousness aside, to give Dillon a temporary home, but the blocks prevented her, teased her. It had to be Naos.

  “I won’t go back!” She hit the blocks with everything she had. Her terror punched through them as if they were paper. She grabbed his mind and swept it away, taking his memories as she’d once taken Dillon’s, but she scattered them, wouldn’t let them coalesce as Dillon’s had. She left his body an empty shell. Its eyes rolled to the whites as it slumped, and Patricia rushed forward, grabbing on to it as she dumped Dillon inside.

  He slipped from her mind like oil, all of his thoughts and memories, all of his consciousness; she gave it all freely, desperately, even his power. Liam’s body jerked, eyelids fluttering. The green eyes opened slowly, and he peered at her almost as if he didn’t recognize her.

  Then he smiled. Dillon’s smile.

  Before she could jerk away, he kissed her deeply. She pushed him back.

  He grinned. “Let’s go save some lives, sweets.”

  Selected Cast

  Ansha—The sixth drushkan queen.

  Caroline Gerard—Deceased telepathic yafanai, Dillon Tracey’s lover, and Evan Tracey’s mother. Killed by Simon Lazlo.

  Cordelia Sa Ross—Former lieutenant in the paladins, Paul Ross’s niece, Liam Carmichael’s best friend, and Nettle’s lover. Has the ability to astral project and can speak to Pool and Simon Lazlo in spirit form. Last seen leadin
g a group of renegades back to Gale after the war with the Sun-Moon and Naos.

  Dillon Tracey, aka the Storm Lord—Deceased colonel from the Atlas, god of Gale, electrokinetic, and father of Evan Tracey and many other children. Killed by Simon Lazlo and a worshiper of Marie Martin’s.

  Enka—A drushkan hunt leader for the Shi and the poisoner of Gale.

  Evan Tracey—Dillon Tracey’s firstborn with Caroline Gerard.

  Fajir—A Sun-Moon worshiper, widow, and seren (captain) of the palace guard. Formerly bonded with the deceased Halaan. She once tortured Mamet.

  Freddie—Deceased lover of Lydia Bauer. Killed by a prog in the siege of Gale.

  Halaan—Deceased Sun-Moon worshiper, Fajir’s lover and partner.

  Horace Adair—Telepathic and micro-psychokinetic yafanai, Simon Lazlo’s lover, and one of Cordelia Ross’s renegades.

  Jack—Patricia Dué’s fiancé back on Earth.

  Jacobs—Former private in the paladins and one of Cordelia Ross’s renegades.

  Jania Carruthers Ross, aka Roshkikan—Cordelia Ross’s distant ancestor who was partly responsible for the drushkan schism.

  Jen Brown—Deceased captain of the paladins. Killed by Dillon Tracey.

  Jon Lea—Lieutenant in the paladins, now a guest of Cordelia Ross’s renegades.

  Jonah—The personality created by Patricia Dué to reside in the former body of Dillon Tracey.

  Kora—Deceased plains dweller who was a vessel for Naos. After her mind was destroyed, her body was taken over by Patricia Dué.

  Lasa—The second drushkan queen.

  Liam Carmichael—Former lieutenant in the paladins, Linda Carmichael’s son, Shiv’s lover, and Cordelia Ross’s best friend and fellow renegade.

  Linda Carmichael—Deceased captain of the paladins and Liam Carmichael’s mother. Killed by Dillon Tracey.

  Little Paul—Reach’s adopted human son, an orphan from Gale, and one of Cordelia Ross’s renegades.

  Lydia Bauer—Prophetic yafanai. Fled Gale after the death of her lover, Freddie. Now living with the plains dwelling Engali along with Samira Zaidi.

  Lyshus—A drushkan child with a unique bond to Shiv.

  Mamet—Plains dweller, Engali, and Samira Zaidi’s lover. Once tortured by Fajir, she is now at home with the Engali along with Samira and Lydia Bauer.

  Marie Martin, aka the Contessa—Deceased requisitions officer on the Atlas, god of the Deliquois Islanders, and telepathic. Killed by Dillon Tracey.

  The Moon, aka Meredith Marlowe—Former lieutenant on the Atlas, god of the Sun-Moon worshipers along with the Sun, telepathic, macro-psychokinetic, and permanently bonded telepathically with the Sun.

  Naos—Entity who took over Patricia Dué’s body during the Atlas accident. Macro- and micro-psychokinetic, telepathic, prophetic, and pyrokinetic. The only person still living in space on the Atlas.

  Natalya Conti—Deceased macro- and micro-psychokinetic yafanai. Killed when Patricia Dué took up residence in the body of Kora.

  Nau—The third drushkan queen.

  Nettle—A drushkan hunt leader, Cordelia Ross’s lover, and one of Cordelia’s renegades under Pool.

  Nico—A Sun-Moon worshiper, widow, and second in command to Fajir.

  Pakesh—Former plains dweller, telepath, and macro-psychokinetic. Now receiving training from Simon Lazlo and Horace Adair.

  Patricia Dué—Former copilot on the Atlas, macro- and micro-psychokinetic, and telepathic. Fled her former body, which had been taken over by Naos, and now resides in the body of Kora. She revived Dillon Tracey’s old body, turning him into her servant Jonah.

  Paul Ross—Deceased mayor of Gale and Cordelia Ross’s uncle. Killed by Dillon Tracey.

  Pool—The Anushi (first) queen of the drushka, Shiv’s mother, and bonded with the youngest tree of the original nine drushkan queens. She has a special bond with Cordelia Ross and Simon Lazlo and hosts Cordelia’s renegades.

  Reach—Former drushkan ambassador to Gale, a shawness (healer), Little Paul’s mother, and one of Cordelia Ross’s renegades under Pool.

  Samira Zaidi—Macro-psychokinetic yafanai, Simon Lazlo’s best friend, and Mamet’s lover. Now living with the plains dwelling Engali along with Lydia Bauer.

  Shi—The ninth drushkan queen, leader of all drushka except Pool, and responsible for the poisoning of Gale.

  Shiv—A young drushkan queen with a young sapling, Pool’s daughter, and Liam Carmichael’s lover. Has a unique bond with the child Lyshus.

  Simon Lazlo—Former botanist and biologist aboard the Atlas, micro-psychokinetic, Horace Adair’s lover, and Samira Zaidi’s best friend. Traveling with Cordelia Ross and Pool.

  The Sun, aka Charles Christian—Former lieutenant on the Atlas, god of the Sun-Moon worshipers along with the Moon, telepathic, pyrokinetic, and permanently bonded telepathically with the Moon.

  Thesta—Drushkan second in command to Enka.

  Wuran—Chafa (chief) of the plains dwelling Uri.

  Yuve—A chafa (chief) of one of the numerous clans of the plains dwelling Engali.

  Creatures and Terms

  Ahya/Ahwa—Drushkan terms meaning emphatic affirmative/negative.

  Boggins—Squat, swamp dwelling creatures that nearly destroyed Gale.

  Geavers—Very large, long-necked pack animals used by the plains dwellers.

  Grelcat—Furred predators that stalk the plains.

  Hoshpis—Large beetle-like creatures that the Galeans use for meat, leather, and mead.

  Nini—A drushkan pacifier meant to be bitten.

  Ossors—Large, two-legged insects that the Sun-Moon worshipers and plains dwellers ride.

  Pross Co.—The company that originally sent the Atlas into deep space.

  Progs—Large, long swamp predators that nearly destroyed Gale.

  Shawness(i)—Drushkan healers.

  Shi’a’na—Drushkan word for mother.

  About the Author

  Barbara Ann Wright writes fantasy and science fiction novels and short stories when not ranting on her blog. The Pyramid Waltz was one of Tor.com’s Reviewer’s Choice books of 2012, was a Foreword Review BOTYA Finalist, a Goldie finalist, and made Book Riot’s 100 Must-Read Sci-Fi Fantasy Novels By Female Authors. It also won the 2013 Rainbow Award for Best Lesbian Fantasy. A Kingdom Lost and Thrall: Beyond Gold and Glory won the 2014 and 2016 Rainbow Awards for Best Lesbian Fantasy Romance, respectively. Coils was a finalist for the 2017 Lammys.

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