by Callie Kanno
“No,” replied Ravi simply.
The people of Emerald Harbor had treated the L’avan with indifference, and the refugees from the High City had acted as if trying to befriend a dangerous beast. Neither of these reactions had been openly hostile, and so Adesina had felt cautiously optimistic.
However, Suvi was welcoming in her attitude and appeared anxious to get to know them better. Could it be possible that there were others who would treat the L’avan with such ready friendship?
Adesina had feared that her people would spend generations fighting for a place among the people of the world. She worried that the centuries in isolation would damage their relationships with others for an equally long time.
Now she felt a ray of hope.
If this young girl was so willing to associate with the L’avan, why should there not be others?
Perhaps they could build a home where L’avan and non-L’avan lived in harmony. Perhaps they could begin to travel the world and establish ties with other nations. Perhaps they could use their gifts as they were originally intended—to help others.
Suvi had shown her that all of it was possible.
Chapter Seventeen: Confessions
After several hours, Adesina became accustomed to the motion of the ship and her stomach settled down. Faryl made some sort of tea for the others to help with the seasickness, but it didn’t work on Kendan because he couldn’t keep it down. He remained violently ill, and confined to his bunk.
The young queen took pity on her former teacher and went below deck to pay him a visit. Ravi surprised her by staying on deck, leaving the two former Shimat to talk in private.
Kendan’s face was pale and a sickly green hue, and his eyes were clenched shut. He opened them briefly to see who had entered the room, but then he closed them again.
“What do you want?” he asked hoarsely.
Adesina held up the shallow bowl that held a mixture of water and fragrant herbs. “I am here to nurse you back to health.”
Kendan moaned. “Please, just throw me overboard and let me die.”
She rolled her eyes and sat down next to him. “Do not be so melodramatic. I thought you were a Shimat. Shimat do not let something so insignificant as seasickness stop them.”
He looked as if he wanted to throw something at her, but he didn’t have the strength to even respond.
The L’avan dipped a rag in the water and loosely wrung out the excess. Then she laid the cloth on Kendan’s forehead. The smell of the herbs was soothing, and he immediately began to relax.
“All of the others are back on their feet,” she teased gently. “It would be a disgrace to our training if you were to remain ill.”
He gave a wan smile. “I doubt that the Shimat care if I am upholding their reputation anymore. I believe they are more concerned with making me pay for my betrayal.”
Adesina’s expression became more serious. “Do you regret your decision?”
“No,” was his immediate reply. “I regret not leaving them sooner. I should have left them with you.”
She felt her cheeks grow warm, and she fixed her eyes on her hands. “I do not wish to talk about that.”
“But I do,” he insisted. “I owe you an apology for my behavior. I lied to you and I manipulated you. Then, when I had the opportunity to make things right, I turned my back on you. I have done many things in my life that I wish I could erase, but nothing more than that decision.”
Adesina turned her gaze on the man she had thought she loved all those years ago. It was impossible to pretend that she did not care about the events that had torn her from Kendan’s side, nor could she say that she had not been deeply wounded at the time. However, she had been given time to heal and L’iam had taught her how to love again—a truer and more lasting love.
“I cannot deny that I was very hurt by what happened, but I have moved on. Ravi and the others have taught me that one of the most important things we can do is to learn from our mistakes and move forward.”
“That is what I am trying to do,” said Kendan. “I am trying to make amends so I can continue with my life.”
She snorted. “You certainly are making it hard to see that.”
Anger swept across his handsome face. “Oh?”
“Yes.”
He propped himself up on one elbow. “How can you believe that I am not sincere? I put my life in danger to leave the Shimat and to help you. I brought you the Tracker, I led you to Faryl, I even brought your horse and sword back. What else can I do to show you I am committed to this mission?”
“Perhaps you could drop the air of mystery and stop keeping vital information to yourself,” she said acidly.
Kendan leaned back again slowly, appraising her with his dark eyes. “Perhaps you are right.”
Adesina wasn’t prepared for such an open admission. She stared at him for several moments before managing, “Of course I am.”
The fragrant herbs appeared to be doing their job. Kendan’s color was beginning to improve, and his voice became more steady.
“The truth is,” he continued quietly, “that you do not need me for this mission. Not really. If I were to provide you with all of the information I have gathered, you could easily leave me behind and carry out this mission. I wanted the chance to regain your trust. I wanted you to…need me.”
There was a pause as Adesina organized her thoughts. “You cannot force someone to trust you, Kendan. Keeping the truth from me will only make things worse.”
“I know. I keep telling myself that I am going about this wrong, but,” he chuckled softly, “you make me so angry sometimes, and my spite gets the better of me.”
She smiled back. “You cause your own share of frustration, you know.”
“That is true,” he grinned. The merriment faded from his face and was replaced by earnestness. “Can we begin again? I want to put everything behind us.”
There was so much hope in his words that Adesina couldn’t help but agree. “Yes, of course. But I want you to tell me everything. What is really going on with L’iam?”
Her former teacher took a deep breath and began his tale. “There is a branch of the Shimat that focus on unraveling the mysteries of magic. Some of them do this by experimenting on magic-users, and others have turned their attention to legends and ancient texts.”
Adesina indicated that she understood, and urged him to continue.
“There are stories that tell of the world before the Great Wars, and how there were more magical creatures than humans. There are texts that indicate that some humans were granted magical powers by some of these creatures.”
“Yes, but Ravi said that such contracts do not exist anymore.”
There was a glint in Kendan’s eye when she affirmed that the ancient reports were true. “It is said that a bargain must be struck between a mortal and an immortal, and so it was surmised that such a path to magical power would be impossible. After all, there have not been any magical creatures in the world since the end of the Great Wars.”
Other than the Rashad and those few Serraf, amended Adesina silently.
“A few years ago the Shimat acquired a book that was written near the end of the Great Wars. A handful of scholars were dedicated to seeing it translated, and they were astonished with what they found.”
He paused and Adesina leaned forward in anticipation.
“Yes?”
“The book told the tale of how the magical creatures left this world.”
A chill ran down her spine at the idea of such knowledge in the hands of her enemies. She struggled to keep her face impassive. “Oh?”
“Yes. It said that there were ‘Thresholds’ that led to another world, and that new world was the refuge to which they escaped. Our histories say that they all died in the Great Wars or the plagues that followed, but this book attested that many of them survived.”
“How many?” asked the young L’avan.
Kendan shrugged. “It did not say exactly. But it
did say that only magic could be used to open the gateway between worlds. That is why it has not happened in the centuries that have passed since it was written.”
A sudden thought came to Adesina’s mind, filling her with dread. “What does this have to do with my husband?”
Kendan tried to present the rest of the information in as gentle a tone as possible.
“The ancient book revealed the location of one of the Thresholds, using a series of cryptic descriptions. However, with the right guide, the gateway could easily be found. The book also gave the details on how to open the portal between worlds.”
“All of that information would be useless to normal humans,” said Adesina in a subdued tone.
“Yes,” agreed Kendan. “That is why the project leaders determined that they would need the use of a L’avan.”
“Why did they choose L’iam?” she asked in anguish.
It was clear that he hated seeing her in pain, but he answered truthfully. “The translation was completed more than a year ago, but the Sharifal determined that there were more pressing matters—more promising possibilities to harness the power of magic. So, the project was put on hold indefinitely.”
Kendan took a breath. “Then, a few months ago, I heard a whispered rumor of a group of Shimat conducting missions without the approval of the Sharifal.”
“Traitors?” Adesina asked in an incredulous voice.
He shook his head. “I do not know, exactly. I tried to find more details, but no one seemed inclined to even mention what they heard, especially to the nephew of the Sharifal. I cannot say that I blame them. Signe would execute anyone tied to disloyal acts.”
Adesina knew this all too well. If she ever fell into the hands of the Shimat, her life would be forfeit.
“I finally found one Shimat who was willing to tell me of the rumors that had fallen on his ears. He said that there were tales of a splinter group of Shimat trying to obtain magic before the Sharifal found a way, and that they had sent out a handful of operatives on secret missions. He told me that there were plans to kidnap the L’avan king and use him to complete some sort of ritual that would open the gateway to a magical realm. The man telling me this information did not understand its significance, but I did. I knew about the ancient texts and what had been discovered from them.
“I was not certain of the truth of such reports, but then I found that the book containing the texts in question was missing. I knew that it could not be coincidence, and I decided to help you rescue your king. Basha must be a part of that splinter group, and have the task of finding the Threshold and striking a bargain with whatever creature lies on the other side. She chose your husband because of her vow of vengeance against you, because he has the required type of magic, and because it would strike at the heart of the L’avan to lose their king.”
“She must not be allowed to succeed,” came a deep voice from the door.
Both former Shimat turned to see that Ravi had joined them. His golden eyes were intense with determination and an underlying sense of sorrow.
“The Threshold of Zonne leads to the area in that realm that is controlled by demons. If the Shimat make a blood vow with demons, then the entire world will be in danger.”
“Demons?”
Ravi moved into the small room and sat back on his haunches. “I have said so before, Ma’eve, there must always be balance in the universe. If there are creatures of exquisite good, then there are also creatures of unspeakable evil. The Shimat named themselves after a race of shadow demons from ancient lore, but such creatures used to exist in this world. Every legend is based in truth, but the stories told about demonkind fall far short of reality.”
Adesina studied her guardian closely. “Did you know this would happen?”
“I had a Dream,” he replied cautiously.
Anger flared up within the young queen. “Why did you not tell me about it?” she demanded.
His feline face remained perfectly calm. “Because I was not certain what it meant. I Dreamed that you and I were searching for L’iam, and Kendan stood in the way of the truth. That is why I told you to confront him. Then I Dreamed that L’iam was caught between two beacons of light and that he was a bridge that brought darkness from one beacon to the other.”
“Just as he would be the means of bringing demons into our world,” affirmed Kendan.
Adesina’s initial reaction was one of panic. She could not allow her beloved husband to be used for such vile purposes.
She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her mind. Her years of Shimat training had taught her that she could do nothing if she could not first master herself. There was no denying that the situation was dire—much more so than she anticipated—but she had to keep her mind clear if she was to save L’iam from such a dark fate.
“Well,” said Adesina bravely, “we will simply have to rescue him before they reach the Threshold.”
Ravi’s expression was grave. “There has never been anything simple about this mission, Ma’eve. I sensed from the beginning that it was more than rescuing him from his kidnappers.”
The calm that Adesina clung to desperately slipped away. The cold fingers of dread gripped her heart painfully. “What do you mean?”
“There was a time in our ancient history when demons ran rampant on this world, leaving absolute ruin in their wake. There was a millennium of warfare before a balance was found and life was able to continue among the mortals.”
Both Adesina and Kendan were still and silent, waiting for him to complete his tale.
“During the Great Wars that balance was almost lost, giving demons a free reign once more. In an act of desperation, the Creatures of Light opened up the Thresholds to another realm and drove their ancient enemies through, trapping themselves in the process.”
“They did not go of their own accord?”
“They did,” assured Ravi. “It was their purpose to protect this world from darkness, and they did so by placing themselves as a barrier between spheres. That is why a L’avan’s vyala must be used. Only the power of Light can open the way, and the L’avan are the children of the Serraf.”
Adesina hesitated to interrupt her guardian, but her impatience to find her husband was strong. “You said that this was not a simple rescue mission, but would not saving L’iam deprive Basha of her opportunity to open the Threshold?”
“We are still several days behind them,” he reminded her, “and I do not have high hopes that we will close the distance easily. The ritual to open the gateway between realms takes time, especially with those unpracticed in vyala, but we are still in danger of being too late.”
Ravi fixed his most intense stare on them. “The Threshold of Zonne must not be allowed to open, no matter the cost. It would be the beginning of the end of our world.”
Kendan sat up in agitation. “What can we do to stop it?”
The Rashad’s gaze shifted to focus on the young queen. “A leader must put the needs of the people over the needs of their own.”
Adesina had heard this lecture many times over the past few years, given in many different situations. L’iam sometimes even mumbled it in his sleep. “A king must be willing to make the sacrifices that will allow his people to live and prosper.”
Ravi’s voice was gentle. “Do you believe that?”
“Of course,” she replied automatically.
“Do you believe that it is right to sacrifice a single life in order to save all others?”
Adesina froze, her heart racing with terror at the implication. Her throat went dry, and she couldn’t find her voice to speak.
Her guardian went on in a soft but unrelenting tone. “It may be that we do not stop Basha before she begins the ritual. It may be that we cannot reverse the ritual once it has begun. If that is the case, there is only one path left to us to prevent the release of demons on all that we hold dear.”
The young woman still couldn’t utter a single word, and so it was left to Kendan to urge the
Rashad to continue.
“What path would that be?”
“L’iam would be acting as both key and bridge to open the portal. Once the ritual is begun, he is essential for it to succeed.”
Understanding dawned on Kendan’s face, and his eyes filled with apprehension. “Are you suggesting that we…?”
“If we cannot stop Basha before she begins, our only way to stop the ritual may be to kill L’iam.”
Chapter Eighteen: Tales of the Historian
Adesina had barely spoken all day. Luckily, Captain Zulimar had made Satosh’s early predictions a reality, and he kept the L’avan occupied. That limited Adesina’s need to talk, and it kept her mind from dwelling on what Ravi had said in Kendan’s cabin.
Between healing crewmembers, mending the wood and metal of the ship, freshening the food and water supplies, and giving reports of incoming weather, Adesina had no more than a few seconds on her own to think.
Than’os and Mar’sal were both limited in how much they could do, which meant that Adesina was required to make up the difference. They tried to explain to Zulimar that almost all L’avan have only one or two types of magic, but then he demanded an explanation as to why Adesina was not like them. To save her the pain of sharing the details of her personal history, they simply accepted his requests for work and tried to balance it as much as possible.
Faryl used her skills as an apothecary, dispensing herbs and salves for simple afflictions. Maizah stayed with Kendan, who was still recovering from his seasickness. The whole party kept busy in earning their passage across the ocean.
Adesina noticed that Suvi always found an excuse to be nearby. She attended to her tasks faithfully, but she never seemed to be more than a dozen feet away from the L’avan queen. The teenage girl would watch her carefully, but she seemed to sense Adesina’s reluctance to converse, so she did not attempt to speak.
When evening fell, the crew relaxed and had a merry meal. They enthused over the quality of the food, and the cook generously attributed it to the magic-users.
Captain Zulimar ate with his comrades, treating them as equals. Adesina could see how much they respected him, and her own respect for him deepened.
