First gather the arrows, and then work on making the outdoor shrine secure.
Khan dismounted and dashed out the opening. He scooped up the fallen arrows and ran to the carcasses of the creatures, yanking out the shafts. Hesitating, Khan took a moment to study the animals. He tapped on the thick, two-inch scales that covered the bodies like the overlapping shingles on a roof, ending in thick bulging paws.
He turned over one foot, examining the claws. If he was a primitive warrior, he might have cut them off and strung the talons into a necklace—powerful medicine. But while in his childhood pretend-I’m-an-American Indian stage, the idea would have delighted him, now the thought just turned his stomach. Although his sudden nausea could be from the rotting-meat stench, emanating from the carcasses. They hadn’t been dead long enough to acquire the scent of decay, so that must be their normal smell.
Good to know. Have to be alert for that smell.
Feeling he’d done enough examination for the moment, Khan dragged each of the beasts to the edge of the park and around the corner of one of the buildings. He didn’t want any scavengers near his camp.
Back inside the walls, he looped the rope around the gates, and, using Nika, dragged them from the dirt. Where his hands pressed against the gate, the metal held a sheen of purple, and he rubbed away the dust to study the unusual alloy. Must have been a unique type of metal, special and rare like gold, but strong enough to outlast whatever had destroyed everything else. If the ancient people had used this to reinforce the bricks of their city, more buildings would still be standing.
Khan made the gateway as secure as possible, then returned to the horses, who’d begun to graze among the brown weeds, and pulled off the packs and Nika’s saddle. Eager to explore, he dropped them on the steps that bordered a dry debris-filled pool in front of the statue.
When he reached the lady, he pulled his handkerchief from his pocket. He climbed up on the base and tried to wipe away the grime from her veil. Some rubbed away, revealing the white marble beneath, but the rest remained, giving her eyes and veil a mottled aspect.
“I wish I had water to spare. I’d give you a bath.”
Almost as if she’d tugged on his robe, she drew his attention downward to the base on which she stood. The end of a pipe, made of the same metal as the gates, protruded from between her sandaled feet.
Khan leaned over, fingering the pipe. He couldn’t see any valve. Pulling a dry stick from a pile of leaves, he crouched down, balancing on the balls of his feet, and poked the stick inside, thinking something had plugged the pipe. He scraped out sand, but nothing seemed to be in the way. Grasping the rim with both hands, he twisted. With a roar, dirty water rushed out, knocking him over.
He sprawled in the basin with brown water sloshing around him. “You could have warned me.”
After a while, the water from the pipe cleared. He imagined he heard laughter bubbling within the flow of the fountain.
He couldn’t resist. Laying his head back, he joined her laughter, half in hysterics, half in relief. The mirth banished his fear and the lingering pain and resentment caused by his brother’s attempt to murder him. No matter what his future brought, he was glad he’d chosen to come to this world.
~ ~ ~
Lounging on his bedroll, Khan stared into his campfire made of porous rocks that shot rainbow colors into the orange flames. Something about the green hue of one flickering light reminded him of emerald eyes, and he carried the vision of those eyes into sleep.
He stood on the beach in Seagem. With a sharp feeling of gladness, he recognized Daria, clad in a loose-fitting shirt and pants. She finished what looked like a yoga pose before melting into a final bow to the sea. Before her burned a tiny fire that sent the thick scent of incense rising into the air.
Daria must have sensed his presence, for she flicked a sideways glance at him, and nodded a greeting. “Stranger.”
“Khan,” he corrected.
“I told you to stay away.”
“I don’t always do what I’m told.”
“So I see.”
He ambled closer, needing to be near her. “What are you doing?”
“Every morning, we do the Yah-dar-sae, a combination of prayer and movement, to Yadarius. Normally, I practice with my family, but this morning, I was drawn here.” She waved a hand to a large rock.
He recognized the one they’d briefly sat on in the last dream. This time around, I’ll have to find a way to convince her to linger. “That’s a strange thing to do in a dream.”
She raised one eyebrow. “In our dreams, we seek Yadarius. He comes to us, and we spend time together.”
“Do you always have to do this ritual first?”
“No.” Her forehead wrinkled. “But Yadarius has been … elusive lately, which is unlike Him. I thought this would be a good way to catch His attention.”
“Why? Has something been bothering you?”
Daria hesitated. “If you must know … you.”
“Me.” For some reason her answer pleased him.
“I wanted to talk to Yadarius about you. Why you dreamwalked with me. Find out about the danger that stalks you.”
“Daria, why do you keep saying that I’m in danger?”
“In my first othersense dream, I saw you in a desert, riding a black horse, under a blue sky.”
Khan nodded, “Nika.”
“You reached out to me. Behind you I saw a black cloud, and I knew danger followed.”
“It did more than follow. To give you the short story … my half-brother, Amir, tried to kill me. I escaped into the desert. A sandstorm blew up. It almost swallowed the horses and me. But I sought shelter in a shrine. There, I found a statue of a goddess. And she sent me to her city. So, you were right about my being in danger. But I’m safe now.”
Better not tell her about the reptile-dogs.
“Perhaps, this is so,” she murmured. Her body relaxed. “Maybe it’s your Goddess who guides you into othersense dreams with me.”
“Why would she do that?”
“Sometimes, it’s hard to know the ways of Deities.”
“Speaking of deities… Did you find Yadarius?”
Daria wrinkled her nose. “You interrupted me. But … I can always try to reach Yadarius. Right now, I want to learn more about this Goddess of yours.”
“There’s not a lot to tell. She’s veiled, but I can see her feelings in her eyes. She speaks to me in my mind, or at least did when I was in her shrine. Outside… I get a sense of things. What’s safe, what’s not. Food. Firerocks. What will keep me alive.”
“Don’t her people help you?”
“There are no people. Just me.”
“A veiled Goddess. I’ve never heard of such a Deity. She must not have much power with only you to worship her.” The wind blew some tendrils of hair across Daria’s face.
He found himself wanting to tuck the silky strands behind her ears, and he clenched his hands into fists lest he reach out and touch her.
Daria laid a hand on his leg for a moment. “Your life sounds lonely.”
“It is, unless I’m with you.”
Their eyes met.
Seeming flustered, she looked away, glancing at the sand next to the rock and gasped. Leaning, she scooped up a shell and curled her fingers around it, a thoughtful look on her face. “Khan, in your country do you have a woman you love?”
He thought of the casual relationships he’d had in England, his brotherly affection for Jasmine. “No. You?”
“No.”
Taking a risk, he reached for her hand. A feeling of connection flashed between them.
She looked down at their entwined hands. “Do you feel it too?”
“I’m not sure what it is. But I know I have never…” He struggled for the words to explain. “When I first saw you, I felt as if you were the person I came here to find. The one I’ve searched for in my heart. Does that sound strange?”
With a rueful smile, she shook her head. �
�No. I understand.”
She opened her hand, showing the shell she’d hidden.
He brushed a finger over the top of the delicate star-shape, milky-white, edged with purple. A warm current of energy flowed up his fingers, up his arm, and into his chest, settling into his heart.
“This is a Lovestar. A treasure from Yadarius to courting couples. It breaks apart, see.” She unfolded the hinged shell, snapping it into two identical pieces. She kissed one half and handed it to him. “A gift of love.”
The words sounded ritualistic. What to say in return? He realized he might ruin something she obviously deemed important, and his stomach tightened. “Thank you.” He cupped the shell in his palm and placed it against his heart. “I’ll treasure it always.”
A little prompt on the edges of his mind made him pick up the half she still held. He kissed it, repeating her words, and handed it to her.
A smile bloomed on her face, and he could no longer resist the impulse. Carefully, he set the shell on his knee. Then he touched her cheek, his fingers soft. Keeping eye contact, he slid his fingers under her chin, lifting her face and slowly bringing her closer. He waited a few seconds, seeking her permission, and saw his answer in her dreamy gaze. He touched his lips to hers in a sweet kiss. Wanting surged through him. He pulled back slightly, gave her a loving smile, and then kissed her again. Longer this time, fighting not to overwhelm her with his need to do more.
Her hand crept up to his shoulder. She whispered his name.
He kissed her forehead, then leaned his cheek against the top of her head. “You say this is a dream, yet it’s so real.”
“It’s an othersense dream. That makes it real.”
He lifted his head to look into her eyes. “What happens when we wake up?”
Her expression saddened. “I don’t know.”
Khan cupped her cheek with his free hand. “I’ll find you,” he whispered.
The dream shifted him away from Daria. Khan felt himself leaving, and he resisted, trying to stay, but an invisible tide pulled him deeper into a dreamless sleep. Something soothed his ache of loss, banishing the memory of Daria.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The next morning, Daria strode along the beach, eager to reach the rock. In her hand, she clenched the half of the Lovestar she’d awakened holding. Would he be waiting, her dream man of the dark skin, strange clothes, and gentle kisses?
The rock came into view, and she could see no one around. But she’d met Khan further on. Perhaps he waited in the shade of the cliffs, where she couldn’t see him.
Daria broke into a run, feeling the sand squish under her boots, and the wind blow in her face. She enjoyed the anticipation thrumming through her body.
In a few minutes, she came to the area where she’d met Khan in her othersense dream and slowed to a walk. No one lurked in the shadows.
Disappointment banished Daria’s excitement. She turned in a circle, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.
Nowhere.
Her shoulders sagged, and she let out a long sigh. Then she turned and walked back to her rock.
When Daria reached the rock, she plopped down on the smooth surface. Opening, her palm, she ran her thumb over the top of the shell, staring down at it, wishing she could learn its secrets.
She took deep breaths, centering herself into her othersense—something she should have done when she first awoke. But she’d been too eager to get to the beach to see if Khan waited there for her.
If he were truly around, her othersense would tell her. Their bond had been too strong for her not to sense him anywhere in Seagem.
Within her othersense, she reached out. But in no direction could she find any trace of his presence.
“He will come,” she said to herself. “I’ll just have to wait.”
But for how long?
~ ~ ~
Khan awoke, feeling a wonderful sense of aliveness. He stretched his arms, then realized he clutched something in his hand. When he uncurled his palm, he found a star-shaped shell, a few grains of pale green sand clinging to the surface.
Dumbfounded, he gazed at it. “Where did this come from?” He stroked a finger over the creamy surface, then paused, as a sense of deja-vu shook him.
This shell is important, somehow.
He brought it to his lips, and then tucked it in his pocket for safekeeping. All through the day, as he went about his labors, the feeling of goodness brought by the shell stayed with him.
~ ~ ~
A few days later, Daria rode her horse, Teifa, down the wide street leading to the harbor. Even though the sun shone overhead, she could see no people. But that was usual for an othersense dream. She waited Yadarius to manifest, certain the SeaGod must have summoned her. But she sensed no sign of His presence.
Her othersense connection to Khan throbbed into alertness. The blood thrummed through her body, filling her with instant anticipation. At first she resisted the urge to gallop, the rules against galloping down crowded city streets inbred in her awareness. Then she realized that in an othersense dream Teifa could gallop, and neither the horse nor an innocent bystander would take any harm.
They sped down the cliff road, turning left to the beach instead of right to the harbor docks. Once they hit the sand, Daria leaned forward, kneeing her mount into greater speed.
Near her rock, she could see a distant figure in a long robe, and her heartbeat quickened.
He watched her come to him.
She slowed as she drew near.
Khan beamed, reaching up to swing her out of the saddle.
Daria dropped the reins and grabbed him around his neck. “I’m so glad you came.”
He hugged her tight, holding her close. Then he loosened his arms, and kissed her.
Stepping back, he took a long breath. “Me, too,” he agreed. Keeping one arm around her, he ran his free hand down Teifa’s neck.
The horse turned to snuffle Khan’s face. He laughed. “You have a beautiful mare.” He glanced at the reins, ends dangling on the sand. “You’ve trained her not to move with the reins loose?”
Daria glowed with pride. She’d worked hard to school Teifa. “Yes. Although to be honest, I had the help of our stablemaster.”
“I know so little about you. What else do you like to do?”
She pursed her lips, thinking of what to say.
With a mischievous grin, Khan leaned over and kissed her. “Couldn’t resist…”
Laughter bubbled up in her.
His eyes twinkled in response. “You were saying?”
Daria wrinkled her nose at him. “I was saying… I love to sail, weapons-train with my brothers, and delve into the library, studying anything that interests me. I’m not bad at hunting, but I like fishing better.”
“How many brothers?”
She tried to ignore the sharp pain in her heart. She’d never learned to easily say three instead of four. And rarely did she have to. Everyone in Seagem knew.
He must have sensed her hesitation. “Why the sudden sadness, habibti?”
The sweet sound of the foreign endearment took away some of the sharp edges of her answer. “Three, now. My oldest brother died when I was six.”
He ran his thumb over her cheek. “So long ago, but you miss him still.”
She tried to smile. “I think I’ll always miss him.”
“I’m sorry you lost him.”
Unexpected tears welled in her eyes. Embarrassed by her emotional reaction, she turned her face away, hoping he didn’t see.
“Oh, habibti.” He pulled her into an embrace. His lips on her hair, he whispered in his language, his words soothing.
She inhaled, breathing in the scent of him, and feeling comforted.
A sharp knocking on the door of her sleeping room jarred her awake, and she cried out at the loss of her dream.
Daria ignored the knocking. But the voice of Issa, her former nurse and now her lady’s maid, calling her name made her fling back the bedcoverings and storm over t
o the door. She yanked it open. “Issa, you know better than to disturb me. I was in the midst of an othersense dream.”
A look of chagrin crossed Issa’s wrinkled, round face. But only for a moment. Her expression quickly changed to excitement. “I’m sorry to disturb you, Princess. There’s news. And much to be done.”
Intrigued in spite of herself, Daria motioned the woman in. “What?”
“King Thaddis has sent word. He sails in three days for a state visit to Seagem.”
~ ~ ~
Daria scooped another bloated worm from the worn leather pouch at her side. With a practiced motion, she threaded the wiggling worm onto her hook and tossed the line into the river.
She leaned against the moss-covered rock she’d chosen as a backrest. Wavelets from a green pool, carved out of the rushing river, lapped at her feet. A stringer of silver flutterfish shimmered in the water.
Daria checked on the position of the sun and grimaced. The amber orb chased the Dawn Star too rapidly across the lavender sky. She wished she could toss a rope around the sun, pinning it in place. This better be my last fish.
She wrinkled her nose. No matter how much her father looked forward to the occasion, Daria had no desire to return to the castle and get involved in the hubbub of preparations for the state visit of Thaddis. Although Iceros had not spoken of Stevenes in the six months since the ruler’s death, she knew he mourned his friend. His already low spirits had plummeted after a recent fall from his horse. A battered body and broken leg had put him in bed for a few days. Today the healer had reluctantly granted permission for him to be up. Thaddis’s visit would do her father good.
Although why don’t I feel the same?
Aside from their brief conversation on the balcony, she’d spent little time with Thaddis. The new king had been busy with his duties and the overwhelming mass of people who had come to pay their last respects to Stevenes. Over the remainder of the few days she and her family had stayed in Ocean’s Glory, she had caught a few speculative glances from Thaddis. The tawny gleam of his eyes under their hooded lids had continued to make her uncomfortable.
Not that it mattered anymore. Daria touched the Lovestar, hanging on a gold chain underneath her shirt. The memory of Khan had banished any reluctant admiration she’d held for Thaddis.
Sower of Dreams (The Gods' Dream Trilogy) Page 7
