Solace

by Bethany Adams

  Kneeling in front of the girl, Lynia gentled her expression. “Please note that where one chooses to sleep is private and isn’t something one discusses around others. Should you someday have a vision about such things, one that you feel is important, you should tell the person what you Saw when no one else is around.”

  Eri nibbled on her lip. “What if it’s something like…Iren deciding to go sleep in the woods?”

  As Selia sucked in a startled breath, Iren scowled. “Hey, why are you trying to get me in trouble? I’m not planning to do anything like that.”

  “Oh!” Eri cried. “That was only an example. I promise. I don’t See much about sleeping, really. But sleeping in the woods doesn’t seem private, so what would I do?”

  “You don’t need to imagine every scenario,” Lynia explained with a smile. “If you See something about a child doing something dangerous, you speak to their guardian. A misbehaving adult? Find the closest person in charge, like your parents or Lord Lyr or Lady Meli. But if there is no danger, you speak to the person involved. Alone.”

  “I’ll try to remember,” Eri whispered.

  Heart twisting, Lynia studied the little girl’s face. She was typically a bright, happy child despite the power of her gift, but her behavior had been more erratic of late. Lynia would have to ask one of Eri’s parents if they’d noticed. Not that Ralan and Cora neglected the child, of course, but some changes in demeanor were tougher to see up close.

  Lynia squeezed Eri’s shoulder and stood. “I’m certain you will.”

  Amusement had mostly replaced discomfiture by the time Lynia and Selia settled across from one another at the library table. To her credit, Selia didn’t ask about Eri’s revelation, though her eyes gleamed with curiosity. She merely pulled over a stack of blank paper and one of the history books without saying a word.

  “It truly was innocent,” Lynia muttered. “We fell asleep after talking.”

  Selia’s lips twitched. “I wasn’t going to question you, although I confess I wondered.”

  A few tables down, Arlyn murmured something to the children before marching over to lean her hip against the edge of the table. “If you’re spilling, I want to hear.”

  Did she want to “spill” her thoughts? Despite her difficulties getting close to others, Lynia had befriended both women over the last few months. She’d already shared some of her concerns about Lial, so why not this? So instead of combing through her notes and ignoring her problems, Lynia found herself recounting her dream and much of what had happened after—except for Lial’s confessions, of course. She would not dishonor him by breaking his confidence.

  “Sounds like your own subconscious is telling you to give Lial a chance,” Arlyn said.

  Lynia twisted her fingers together. “It…might have been real. I don’t know.”

  “Exactly. It’s impossible to know,” Arlyn replied with a shrug. “Honestly, if something happened to me, I’m afraid Kai would become a hermit in the woods, making creepy glass structures that scared off the village’s children. Or worse, he’d move to his father’s weird compound and start adding to the underground maze. I’d be dream-haunting him to cut that shit out for sure.”

  Selia snorted. “You know he’d be too busy moping for any of that. He would surely kick Aris from the brooding tower.”

  “Losing a soulbonded is painful,” Lynia argued, frowning.

  “I don’t mean to make light of a broken bond, and I’m sure Selia didn’t, either,” Arlyn said. On the other side of the table, Selia nodded. “I guess I’m just reinforcing what you already know. Think about what the other person would truly want for you and keep that in your heart.”

  “Happiness is more than possible without a bond.” Selia leaned forward, her voice dropping low. “Iren doesn’t know this, but…I have a potential soulbonded out there. I rejected him because he was a pompous arse. Our souls might have been a match somehow, but our personalities certainly weren’t. And I have no regrets in choosing Aris. None at all.”

  Lynia’s mouth dropped open in surprise, both at the revelation itself and the confidence Selia had been willing to share. “I had no idea.”

  “Many don’t.” Selia smiled. “And some don’t even realize that Aris and I aren’t soulbound. Let others wonder, and don’t be afraid to find your own definition of happiness.”

  “Thank you,” Lynia said softly, her throat going tight as she absorbed their words.

  Fortunately, both women knew her well enough now to leave her to sort out her emotions on her own. Arlyn returned to her studies, and Selia shifted the topic back to the work at hand. A fortuitous switch, as it would take time to work through the tumult the conversation had brought. So Lynia thrust it to the back of her mind, gave Selia her instructions, and buried herself in the history of Abuiarn.

  The rest would resurface later—of that she could be certain.

  Lial wrote down the last of his observations and folded the single piece of paper in half, sticking it between the pages of the book. The last two tomes Lynia had given him hadn’t been nearly as useful as the first two. A few vague mentions of illnesses as observed in other species and a long-winded treatise on the underrated usefulness of potions and tinctures—that was it. Though he tended to agree with the latter point, he wouldn’t have minded something more helpful.

  Like recipes for a cure.

  Pinching the back of his neck, Lial rubbed out the knots as he straightened. The workroom was quiet, only the steady sound of his patient’s breathing stirring the air. Maddy and her mates had returned to their tower to rest—with no few jokes at Lial’s expense—and Elan was out checking on yesterday’s injured. It was a while before Caeleth would need another healing session, and Lial had no other books to check.

  If he were lucky, he might have time for a quick nap.

  Not upstairs, though. Lial wouldn’t press fortune that far. Instead, he headed for the chair beside his patient’s bed. Uncomfortable, but it wouldn’t be the first or last time he’d slept sitting up. Of course, it couldn’t compare to a few marks’ rest with Lynia curled against his side. What would?

  Lial settled his head in the gap between the chair’s back and the wall, then closed his eyes. But he’d only begun to drift into rest when a knock sounded on the door. He heaved a sigh. He’d better get the door before it woke Caeleth.

  A quick stretch of his senses as he marched across the room revealed Aris waiting outside, something Lial’s eyes confirmed when he opened the door. The midmorning sun lit the green streaks in the mage’s hair and sparked against the ocean of ice behind him as Lial squinted, used to the dim lighting of the workroom. Silently, Aris stepped over the threshold and bent to remove the spikes attached to his boots before advancing further.

  “Good morn,” Lial murmured as he and Aris halted beside the workbench. “Is all well?”

  Aris cast a glance toward Caeleth and then shook his head. “Yes and no,” he answered softly. “Nothing that needs your immediate aid, so I’ll keep this brief. I was wondering if you might summon Tynan for another session.”

  “The mind healer?” Lial struggled to keep his voice low as concern threaded through him. “Has something else happened?”

  Aris sighed. “Not exactly. But Kezari has been unsettled since she detected a dragon on Earth, and combined with other recent events, I’ve struggled with control. A couple of light mind healing sessions…wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

  Lial didn’t miss the way Aris avoided looking at the stone operating table or the slight tremor in his hand as he brushed his hair out of his eyes. Seeing Caeleth’s surgery couldn’t have helped his memories of trauma. “I’m sorry you caused yourself harm by assisting me.”

  “An interesting statement from a man who caused himself harm assisting me,” Aris said wryly. “I have no delusions about what you suffered after experiencing my memories.”

  “All part of a healer’s work.” Through his link with Caeleth, Lial sensed his patient’s disturbanc
e and softened his voice again. “I’ll contact Tynan. And before you go…I’ve an idea for that boon you offered to me, but you’ll likely want time to think it over.”

  Aris’s eyebrow lifted. “That complicated? Or perhaps I might disapprove.”

  Making the suggestion was tricky on its own, and that was in no small part because Aris was somewhat of a mystery. It wasn’t unusual for life mages to be…well…unusual, but not only was Aris an adventurer who’d likely seen more of their world than anyone on the estate, bar Kezari, he’d also been held captive and tortured on a remote island for years—by his potential soulbonded, no less. No matter how easy their discussions, friendship with Aris would not be simple to attain, and that lack made his reactions difficult to guess.

  “Lynia and Telien had difficulty conceiving,” Lial began.

  Aris held up a hand. “I am not going to be present when you two—”

  “That is not what I’m suggesting,” Lial snapped. “I found a potion that might help, especially with a life mage’s energy behind it. If you’re willing to do an infusion, I’ll distill the tincture. Then she can drink it whenever and with whomever she chooses.”

  “With whomever… But I thought…” Aris shook his head. “Never mind. None of my business. I’m willing to help with the infusion, but I’m not certain how well it will work. Are you sure you want to use a favor when it might not be successful, especially when it might not benefit you?”

  “I’m certain.”

  “Then send word when you have your potion at the right stage,” Aris said.

  “Thank you.” Lial trailed Aris to the door and waited until the mage had slipped the spikes back on his shoes to speak again. “I’ll contact Tynan as soon as possible. Are you having enough trouble that I should monitor your health?”

  Aris’s lips curved upward in a humorless smile. “Not quite. Hopefully, we can prevent a return to that level of distress.”

  Indeed. Lial was always willing to establish another healing link with any patient who needed it, but he couldn’t say he looked forward to the possibility with Aris. Lial still woke from nightmares full of torture from time to time. But he didn’t say that as he bid the life mage farewell and turned back toward his current patient, who’d begun to fight against the spell keeping him asleep.

  Lial scanned the wound with his magic and found the organs knitting back together nicely, if not as quickly as he would prefer. Fortunately, there had been enough improvement that he could wake the mage for a short time. An explanation of what had happened and where he now was might be enough to set Caeleth at ease so he stopped fighting rest.

  First, though, Lial ensured the nerves in and near the injured area were numb and then reinforced the spell holding the mage’s torso immobile. Any rapid movement could still separate the stitches, and neither of them would be happy if that happened. Five marks’ worth of rest hadn’t been enough to fill the gaping hole in Lial’s depleted energy. Needless to say, performing surgery was far down his list of things he was in the mood to do.

  Once the patient was as prepared as possible, Lial slowly released the sleep spell. In less time than many would have required, Caeleth’s eyelids popped open, and he jerked his head up as though attempting to sit up. Thank the gods he’d kept the man immobile.

  “Calm yourself, Caeleth,” Lial said. “You are safe. I’m the primary healer here at Braelyn.”

  The mage dropped his head to the pillow, his wide eyes on Lial. “Healer.”

  “Yes.” Lial did his best to give a comforting smile, though that wasn’t precisely his strong suit. “You were wounded with iron, so I had to stitch up your injury. I’m afraid I’ve had to place a spell on you to keep you from moving.”

  Caeleth’s breath hissed out. “Gods bless. I thought I paralyzed myself with the rocks.”

  “Paralyzed yourself?” Fenere’s words from earlier echoed in Lial’s head. Then the foolish mage pulled the ridge down on us. “So you did cause the rockfall on purpose?”

  “No one knew where I was.” Caeleth grimaced. “Thought I should check yesterday’s work before the worst of the ice hit, but I didn’t wake anyone when I left. When the attacker struck, I used the last of my energy to grab at the stones, hoping to get attention. Maybe hit the guy with them, too. But I grabbed more than I meant to.”

  From just those words, lines of strain bracketed the young man’s mouth, causing Lial to frown in concern. “I suppose it brought you help. But I need to place you back into a deep sleep, Caeleth. Your body needs to focus on healing. You’ll have to allow me to do so instead of fighting against my magic.”

  His eyes already slipping closed, Caeleth nodded. “Thank you.”

  There was a depth to the mage’s tone that suggested his thanks were for more than sleep. More even than gratitude for allowing him to wake long enough for an explanation—the mage was thanking him for life. Lial swallowed down the uneasy dread that word brought and focused on his magic. Caeleth didn’t know he was still in danger.

  At least someone here could rest easily.

  Chapter 21

  Lynia flipped through the pages one more time, though she technically knew every word thanks to her magic. But neither her recollection nor her eyes revealed the information she sought. Nowhere in the entire history of Abuiarn was there mention of Bleyiak or a healer named Emereh. There was barely even a discussion of the mysterious illness that had led to the colony’s downfall.

  “I cannot fathom such an incomplete history being included in the palace archive,” Lynia grumbled. “It’s almost as though this source is trying to be vague.”

  Selia frowned. “If they wanted to prevent others from learning about the spell used, perhaps that was their intention.”

  “I think the only book mentioning Bleyiak ended up in your stack.” Lynia turned her head to examine the spines before freeing the book on the bottom. “Yes, this one.”

  “I don’t understand why you need the physical text if you already transcribed them,” Selia said.

  Lynia opened the large tome and flipped to the index, noting the page number she would need. “The information may be in my brain, but it can get jumbled, especially when I copy several books at the same time. Besides, there’s a certain satisfaction and clarity that comes from reading the physical book.”

  With a shrug and a smile, Selia resumed her study of a book on Tebid Oren.

  Fortunately, this book had the bit of information she thought she remembered. In the year 11,201, a Lord Bleyiak Oenan arrived on Abuiarn, his status in the land of Gale more than ample to earn his place amongst the lower nobles. Lynia skimmed several paragraphs detailing the work he’d done to improve his status, a list almost as boring as import and export records. After a mere six years, Lord Bleyiak had taken charge of trade matters and set his heart upon a daughter of the ruling family.

  “Had to know there would be some kind of thwarted love in here somewhere,” Lynia muttered.

  Selia chuckled. “I don’t know what you’re reading, but that’s a definite feature in many a disaster.”

  Recalling the rest of the story made Lynia grimace. “Not true love in this case. It seems Lord Bleyiak attempted to force his favorite princess into bed with him, but she rendered him unconscious with her magic and had him hauled up in front of the court. He was banished, with all his properties and belongings passing to the princess he tried to rape.”

  “A light punishment,” Selia said.

  “Probably because he didn’t succeed, though I suppose laws might have shifted in more than twenty thousand years.”

  Selia nodded. “That colony was independent enough for its own ruling family, too.”

  “I imagine they wished they’d killed him on the spot.” Lynia tapped her finger against the page. “The what isn’t detailed, but his wrath and destruction are. As my other source stated, he shoved some kind of spell into their energy field. A great many—”

  “Wait,” Selia whispered, her gaze shifting to the ch
ildren a few tables down. “Softly, please. Iren doesn’t know the extent of what we’re investigating. I doubt Eri does, either, if future possibilities are being hidden from her.”

  “Ah, thank you. They’re being so quiet for Arlyn that I forgot they were there.”

  Selia’s lips twitched. “Iren hopes to impress Arlyn with his studious nature so she’ll share the secrets of human space travel. Come to think of it, I should probably be grateful Iren hasn’t mentioned his fascination to Aris. Then they’d both leave me here to go circle planets.”

  Lynia laughed lightly. “Surely not.”

  “Never fear,” Selia said. “I would find a way to go, too.”

  Before Lynia could return to the woes of Abuiarn, someone knocked at the door, which opened to admit Delbin and Inona. The scout levitated a trunk between her and Delbin, and she followed him to a clear spot beside Lynia’s table. Only as Inona settled the trunk on the floor did Lynia spot the unusual paper bag on top.

  “Lady Lynia. Lady Selia,” Delbin said, his quick bow offset by his mischievous grin. “I hope you are faring well this day.”

  Lynia narrowed her eyes at him. “Isn’t that the exact line from the etiquette book you read on your last visit?”

  “Proof that I retained the knowledge, I’d say.”

  “I suppose that’s true,” Lynia replied, no longer able to hold back a smile. “Did you find the information I requested?”

  Delbin’s forehead furrowed. “Yes, and I suspect I don’t want to know why you wanted these books in particular.”

  “What is in the bag?”

  “This?” Delbin lifted the paper bag and jiggled it. “This is a gift for Arlyn.”