“What is her condition?” she asked them. Although her face was calm, it was clear that she was completely focused.
Elira said, “Loremaster Seryn, her injuries are healed, but she will not awaken. I was about to probe more deeply, but since she no longer appeared to be in danger, I thought it best to await your instruction.”
Seryn looked over Lenai’s still form. “Well done. Proceed with your examination. I will observe.”
Elira turned back to Lenai. She bowed her head and closed her eyes, preparing herself. As Elira gathered her focus, Seryn walked over to Tal and Reyga.
Reyga stepped forward, and said in a low voice, “Perhaps you should deal with this, Loremaster Seryn?”
“Have no fear. Elira is my best pupil. In truth, I plan on naming her as my apprentice at the Gathering’s End Festival this year.”
Tal raised an eyebrow. “Apprentice? Is she not rather young for such a position?”
“Perhaps,” Seryn said, “but she is my most talented assistant, regardless of her age. And the fire that burns in her heart for those in her care rivals my own.”
“I find that difficult to believe,” Tal said with a smile. “Nevertheless, if you believe she is capable, then it must be so.”
Seryn lowered her voice further and leaned toward them. “If I am not mistaken, I believe she and Tor will also be announcing their betrothal at the festival.” She indicated the young man watching Elira attentively, ready to assist if she needed him.
“Indeed?” Reyga said. A slight smile played across his face. “Well then, the festival this year will be a most joyous event.”
They fell silent as Elira opened her eyes. She glanced at Seryn, who gave her an encouraging nod. The young woman took a deep breath and raised her hands, which began glowing with soft argent light. Then she began slowly moving them above the length of Lenai’s body. As she examined Lenai, she told them what she was seeing.
“The internal injuries are fully healed,” she said, her head bowed in concentration. “There is no bleeding, nor blockage of blood flow.” Her hands moved up Lenai’s body. “The heart is strong and steady. Her air passageways are clear.” Her hands continued to move up the girl’s body, until they hovered over Lenai’s head.
“The injury to her head is healed, and…wait…there is something.” She closed her eyes once more, brow furrowed. “It is difficult to tell.” She tilted her head to the side, eyes still closed, a look of puzzlement on her face. Then, with a sharp breath, her eyes flew open. Like the sound of a giant whip cracking, a glaring arc of power exploded from Lenai’s body, hurling Elira across the room.
“Elira!” Seryn and Tor cried out. Tor and the three Loremasters ran to where Elira had fallen. She did not move as Tor dropped to the floor beside her, lifting her up and cradling her in his arms.
Seryn’s power flared as she fell to her knees and began ministering to the still figure. As the moments passed, her eyes closed, and tension flooded her face from the strain of her efforts. “No!” she hissed. Her breathing became labored, and her hands blazed even brighter as she intensified her power. The gemstones in her circlet and bracelets came to life, adding their fire to the glare.
Tal and Reyga moved to either side of her and laid their hands on her shoulders, placing their power at her disposal. The moments passed as Seryn struggled to heal her soon-to-be apprentice. Tal could feel her strain as she drew on their power.
“No!” Seryn repeated, her voice breaking. Her hands and gemstones blazed like small suns. Tal had to squint his eyes against the piercing radiance. The glare cast their shadows into sharp relief on the stone walls of the healing area. He could feel the power draining from him as she demanded more of his resources to save her assistant.
Just as he was sure he could give no more, Seryn cried out and collapsed, the light vanishing from her hands like a snuffed candle. He blinked his eyes as the room appeared suddenly dim, and looked to where Seryn had fallen. She lay face down, her head resting on her forearms, her back heaving from the exertion of her efforts. Without lifting her head, one hand crept towards Elira’s still form, moving up to lie on the girl’s hand. Tal knelt beside her, with Reyga looking on over his shoulder.
“Seryn, are you injured?”
“No,” she replied, in a ragged voice. “I am not injured, High One.”
She raised her head. Sweat and tears streaked her face as she looked at Tor, still cradling Elira in his arms. His tormented eyes were fixed on her face. “Loremaster?” he asked in a small, pleading voice.
“Oh, Tor,” she said. “I am so sorry. Her injuries were too severe. I—" Her voice broke. She took a shaky breath. “I could not save her.” She bowed her head, unable to watch as Tor’s once-happy future crumbled, leaving behind only bitter dust of loss.
For a moment, Tor did not appear to understand. Then he started trembling. Finally, with a cry of a soul in torment, he bent his head over the woman that would have been his lifemate, pulling her tightly to him. His anguished sobs of grief were the only sound in the room as he rocked her lifeless body.
Tal was stunned. How could a situation that had seemed so promising just a few moments before have turned into such tragedy? He knew using dimsai on another sentient being could sometimes have dire consequences, but the severity of such results was usually determined by the amount of power the target possessed. Most of the races of Teleria, Shanthi included, did not possess enough dimsai for this to be a concern. What could have triggered such backlash from Lenai?
The sudden change in outcomes denied coherent thought. It was impossible to focus on the questions spinning in his head. Instead, he bent to help Seryn to her feet. Beside them, Tor’s grief had subsided to quiet tears.
As Seryn regained her feet, Reyga took a step forward. An expression of confused grief drew deep lines in his face. “Loremaster Seryn,” he said. “How? Surely that was not backlash? Not from a Shanthi?”
Seryn wiped away the lingering tears and glanced sadly at Tor. “No, the Shanthi do not possess enough power to cause backlash of that magnitude.” Then her eyes turned to ice, and she turned to the table. “I must examine her myself.”
Tal stopped her as she stepped toward the bed. “Do you think that wise?”
“Wise?” She laughed bitterly. “On the contrary, High One, I am certain it is not,” she said. “Nevertheless, it must be done. We must know the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ of this, in order to answer it.”
From behind them, a grief-ravaged voice barely recognizable as Tor’s broke in. “Find out who did this! Then I will hunt them down! I will avenge Elira!”
Seryn turned back to look at the young man, his face filled with the passion of his anguish. “Peace, Tor,” she said softly. “We will find out why this happened. I promise you that much.” He did not reply, but his desolate eyes said that he would hold her to her oath. Seryn nodded slightly, and then turned back toward the bed.
Tal fell into step beside her, motioning Reyga to her other side. “Our power is at your disposal, Loremaster Seryn,” he told her. “We will do what we can to assist and protect you.”
Seryn gave him a half-smile that vanished as quickly as it appeared as she moved into position beside the bed.
As they had done before, he and Reyga placed their hands on Seryn’s shoulders while her head bowed and the silvery-white aura bloomed around her hands once more. Tal’s other hand took on a faint cream-colored glow as he extended it toward the still form on the bed. On Seryn’s other side, Reyga mirrored his stance. A sparkling green light danced lightly across Reyga’s fingers.
Seryn positioned her hands above Lenai’s shoulders, and began moving them upwards toward the young woman’s head. She focused intently on Lenai as her hands moved, watching for any sign of a repeat of what had just happened. Slowly, her hands moved over the Shanthi’s neck, and then hovered above her face.
“I am going to probe more deeply now,” she said. Tal prepared himself as Seryn forced her power deeper.
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“Yes,” she said. “I see what caught Elira’s attention.” She frowned. “I have never seen anything like this.” The glow about her hands increased as she probed more intently.
Suddenly, like her former assistant, Seryn took a sharp breath. Instantly, power sprang from Tal and Reyga’s hands. Iridescent pearl and verdant green joined to form a crackling shield between them and the girl on the bed. At almost the same instant, another bolt of power sprang from Lenai’s body, attacking the shield with explosive force. The concussion knocked all three Loremasters back, but they managed to keep their footing. As suddenly as it had appeared, the burst of power vanished.
Tal regained his balance. “Is anyone hurt?”
The other Loremasters indicated that they were unharmed.
“By Agathon’s scrolls!” Reyga said, shaking his head. “If that was what struck Elira, it is small wonder she was unable to withstand it.”
“That was not what struck Elira,” Seryn said.
“What?” Tal asked. “What are you saying?”
“That was merely an echo of the power that struck Elira,” Seryn replied. “Before the dimsai struck us, I was able to get a glimpse of what has been done to Lenai.”
“What is it?” Reyga asked.
Seryn studied the still form. “She has been made a trap,” she said. “I have never seen anything such as this. I can only imagine the skill and power it must have taken.” She shook her head. “The only thing I am certain of is that this was meant to kill the first person to trigger it. Even had it been myself, I would not have been able to withstand it.”
Reyga looked at Lenai. Concern and frustration filled his eyes. “Is there any way to undo this?”
Seryn shook her head once more. “What has been done to her is beyond my skill to remedy. However,” she added, as Reyga began to speak, “as I said, this was but an echo of the initial force. A reserve of power has been placed within her. How, I do not know, but I believe that each successive time the trap is triggered, the dimsai in her will be diminished. It should be possible to drain the remaining power away safely, if adequate precautions are taken.”
Tal frowned as he looked from Seryn to Lenai and back again. “Who could have done such a thing?” he asked.
“I do not know, High One,” Seryn replied. “There is no one that I am aware of in Lore’s Haven, or in the whole of Teleria for that matter, who has the power or the skill that would be required.”
His mind went back to the encounter with Nyala. “Is it possible the Altered have decided to intervene once more in the affairs of Teleria?” he asked.
Seryn sighed. “I suppose anything is possible, although I cannot fathom what the purpose of such an attack might be. However,” she said, turning to look at Reyga, “it might not be beyond the abilities of anyone who has this much power to conceal their dimsai from others.”
Reyga gave Seryn a troubled look. “So, you believe Jason to be responsible for this?”
“I do not know, Loremaster Reyga,” she said. “But considering your own experience with the young man, you yourself must have your own suspicions.”
“I understand your concerns,” Reyga said, “but I find such thoughts difficult to entertain. He very nearly sacrificed himself for Lenai. I can scarce believe he would use her in such a way, even if he did possess the ability to do so.”
Seryn looked back at the still form of Elira, and at Tor, who had fallen asleep beside her, one arm across her and his tear-streaked cheek resting on her shoulder. “Loremaster Reyga,” she said solemnly, “you know I have always held you in the highest regard. I know that you are a man of honor, and that you have chosen to give your friendship to this young man.” She turned to Reyga, her eyes burning with an inner fire. “I truly hope he is all you believe him to be, but you should know this: Should we find that Jason Bennett is responsible for what has transpired this night,” her voice gained a dangerous edge, “I swear to you he will wish the bloodfang had slain him.”
Tal and Reyga said nothing as the she turned back to her patient.
Muddy Water
Jason stared into the murky shadows of the ceiling above him. His jumbled thoughts harassed him as he tried to make sense out of the events that had brought him to this situation. Just a few hours before, he had been certain he was in mortal danger. Now, in a comfortable bed underneath a warm blanket, he reviewed the past few hours in his mind…
~~~
“Come, laddie. It’s high time you and I had a wee chat!”
The voice came out of nowhere, and before he knew what was happening, he landed harshly on a rough stone floor. An explosion of stars blurred his vision as his head struck the stone.
Through the ringing in his head, he heard Lenai’s exclamation, and then a concussion of power blinded him again. The man said something he couldn’t quite make out, and then the portal closed.
A cloaked figure stood over him. A cowl covered the man’s head, obscuring his features. Jason blinked away the spots dancing in front of his eyes, but still couldn’t make out the face hidden among the shadows of the hood.
“Well, laddie,” the man sneered down at him, “welcome to my humble home. I hope you enjoy yer stay.” Low laughter sent chills up his back.
He struggled to his feet. “Who are you? What do you want? And what did you do to Lenai?”
“Yer little shifter is alive. She’s of no use to me dead, so you needn’t be worryin’ yourself about that.” The man sat in a nearby chair. “And as for what I want, it’s as I said. I want to have a few words with you. Anythin’ wrong with that?”
“I guess not, but—”
“Good!” The hooded figure gestured, and a chair shot out from the wall, slamming into the back of Jason’s legs. He fell into the chair. Wow, déjà vu, he thought, remembering his first encounter with Reyga.
“Comfortable?” Before he could answer, the man leaned forward in his chair. “Now tell me, boy, why is the Circle so interested in you? Are you the one they think will best me?”
“Best you? Who are you?” Something about the man’s voice seemed familiar, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. The throbbing in his head wasn’t helping any either.
“I am Bodann,” the man said, in a tone that implied Jason should quiver with fear.
“Who?”
The man straightened. “Do you mean to tell me those bletherin’ Loremasters have not told you about Bodann?”
He shrugged. “Sorry. Maybe they were saving it for a special occasion.” Bletherin? The phrase seemed out of place, but before he could give it much thought, Bodann leaned forward until his hood was only inches away. Damp, putrid breath invaded Jason’s nostrils, almost gagging him. Light from the wall torches caused the man’s eyes to glitter through the shadows of the cowl.
“Mind yer tongue, laddie,” Bodann whispered, “before someone minds it for you.”
Jason gasped as he felt a noose around his neck. It felt like frigid, dead flesh pressing against his skin, cutting off his breath and sending a chill through his blood. He thought his neck muscles must be turning to ice as fingers of frost crept up the back of his neck and down into his shoulders. Just as shadows were gathering at the edge of his vision, the constriction eased and he drew in a wheezing breath.
Bodann leaned back in his chair. “Now then,” he said, “perhaps we can talk without yer flip tongue gettin’ in the way.”
“Uh, yeah. Sure.”
“Alright,” Bodann said, “here’s how it will be. I’ll ask questions. You will answer them.” His voice took on an ominous tone. “And you’ll want to keep this in mind.” For a brief instant, Jason had the sensation of an ice-cold snake gently gliding around his throat. He couldn’t suppress a shudder as Bodann finished. “If I think yer not tellin’ me everything, you’ll know it. Now, I’ll ask again. Why is the Circle so interested in you?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. Reyga just said I was the first one to come through a portal in several years,
so the Circle wanted to talk to me.”
“Why did they take you to Lore’s Haven overland? Why not use a portal?”
“My first trip through a portal made me sick. Reyga said the Circle thought it would be better to bring me overland to keep me from getting sick again.”
“Go on. What else?”
“Well, we were attacked on the way to Lore’s Haven. Some creatures called Trellin. They looked like big lizards carrying swords.”
“And would that be all? There’s nothin’ else you think I might be interested in knowing?”
Alarm bells went off in Jason’s head. Trying to appear calm, he shrugged and said, “No, that’s pretty much it.”
A blazing corona of power enveloped him. It felt as if the skin was being ripped from his body, and he couldn’t suppress a scream. As suddenly as it began, the power disappeared, leaving him gasping in shock. Beneath the memory of the pain, he felt something else, a tingling sensation he couldn’t identify. Bodann leaned forward once more.
“I warned you to tell me everything,” he said. “You seem to have forgotten about your father, laddie.” At his startled look, Bodann nodded. “Aye, I know about him. I know you picked him up at Carilian’s Roost in Gildenfell, and that he’s been here in Teleria for nigh on thirty years.”
“How do you know that?”
“I have ways that are none of your concern, boy. But then, you’ll find there’s very little in Teleria I’m not privy to.”
His mind was racing. How much did Bodann know? Was it even worth the effort to try to hold anything back? And what would the man do the next time he caught him holding something back?
“Now then, let’s continue our chat. And remember, I know more than you think. It’d be a sair fecht indeed if I find that yer still tryin’ to hold anythin’ back.”
A sair fecht? Suddenly he knew why Bodann’s voice sounded so familiar. Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, “You’re Scottish?”
Bodann didn’t answer at first. Then he said, “Aye, I called Scotland home for a time. From the day my mother bore me until the day I came here.” He studied Jason for a moment, and then said, “So, you’re from back home. An interesting coincidence, but it changes nothin’. You’ll give me the information I’m wanting, or I’ll drag it from your bones.”
From a Far Land Page 13
