“There goes my next suggestion then,” Grace said.
“Which was?” Hope asked curiously.
“Dragging her back to that place we camped last night. That was a good spot. It was safe, sheltered, lots of water and firewood. You could stay there for days.”
“That’s true,” Hope replied. “But it wouldn’t solve the problem of getting medical treatment for Karma.”
“All right, all right,” Grace said irritably. “I got it. You’re going to sacrifice yourself for this woman who wouldn’t do the same for you, me or anyone else.”
“Ouch,” Hope said softly. “I’m not sure that was deserved, but if it’s the way you feel, I hope you feel better for saying it.”
“I’m sorry, Hope,” Grace said contritely. “Really, I am. I just hate this. It’s not fair.”
“Fair?” Hope asked with a smile. “Whenever I said that to my mother, she would say, Child, what is fair to do with life? Tò peproménon phygeîn adýnaton!”
“Which means what?” Grace asked.
"It is impossible to escape from what is destined,” Hope replied.
Grace shook her head. She had no intention of arguing that one. She looked at Karma for a moment, then to the northwest.
“All right, here is what I think we should do,” she said. “First, we use some of the extra sheets and blankets to set up a tent. It will help camouflage you both, and provide some shelter from the sun. We’ll fold a few blankets up to make a mat for Karma and move her onto it, and maybe we can try to straighten her leg a bit. Once the two of you are set up, I’ll leave and go as fast as I can to that town, and then I’ll bring help right back here. But I am going nowhere unless you promise to wait for me, Hope. No fair calling in help from the bad guys.”
“All right, here is my counter offer,” Hope said. “You help me get Karma moved, and then you leave. I’ll set up camp here, and take care of Karma. We can’t afford for you to take the time to help me, and I don’t have anything else to do anyway. I’ll wait two days. If you can’t get back here by noon, day after tomorrow, I’ll start a smoky fire to attract attention from whoever I can.”
Grace hesitated, but she couldn’t argue with Hope when, deep down, she knew that Hope was right. “All right,” she said.
“Okay, let’s get this done,” Hope said. She reached for the straps on Karma’s pack and began to work them off of her. Grace dropped her own pack, pulled out her knife and simply cut them.
“Its not like she’ll be carrying it any more,” she said.
“That’s true,” Hope agreed.
Working together, Grace and Hope folded a couple of blankets into a narrow mat for Karma to lay on and moved her onto it. They straightened her leg as much as they could, and went through all of the bags of fire wood searching for something long enough to use as a splint, but they had no luck with that. The longest stick they had was only about a foot long, and it was a dry, brittle stick.
Hope tossed the stick aside and looked up at Grace. “Okay, get going,” she said. “I can do the rest.”
Grace wanted to argue, but she knew there was no point to it. She picked up her pack and shrugged into it, then bent to give Hope a hug. “I’ll be back for you, Hope, count on it.”
Hope hugged Grace back. “You are a great lady, Grace. When this is all done, I want us to stay friends.”
“Absolutely,” Grace replied, squeezing Hope tightly once more before releasing her. “Listen to me, Hope,” she said seriously. “If I’m not back by the deadline, you light your signal fire. But keep in mind that I will still be coming for you. No matter how long it takes or what I have to do, I will be back for you.”
“Thanks, Grace,” Hope replied. “Now, get going, and be careful out there on your own.”
“I will,” Grace promised. She stared at Hope a moment longer, then turned and walked away. She looked for the spot on the horizon that Hope had showed her and picked up her pace. Now that she was on her own, she knew she could make much better time than the three of them together had been able to do.
Karma was slow, though Grace had to admit that the other woman had tried hard to move at a steady pace and had not complained once. The truth was, she just didn’t like Karma much. Even so, she had to admit that Hope was correct in her decision to stay with the wounded woman. Now it was all up to Grace. If she didn’t get to that town and get help, she’d be letting a lot of people down who were counting on her. She hitched her pack up a bit, checked her direction, then put her eyes on the ground before her and walked faster.
Chapter 37
Ellicia was tired. She had only slept a few hours the night before and had dozed fitfully on the transport from Virginia to Phoenix II, the huge military base at the edge of Glass Lake.
Once a thriving city called Phoenix, the entire area was now a gigantic jungle of glass, interspersed with steel spires and myriad lumps and hills that had once been magnificent buildings called sky-scrapers. It was, in its own strange way, beautiful. Until you remembered the millions of people who had resided there at the time of the Bolkin Maser Bombardment that had turned it into a thirty square mile lake of bubbling steel, sand and concrete. Ellicia found it chilling to look upon.
“You ready?” Rob asked softly from just behind her.
“Yes,” Ellicia replied, turning to face the Bearens “I’m very ready. I’ve never seen anyone shift before.”
“It’s not a big deal,” Jackson said. “Just don’t be afraid, all right?”
“No, I won’t be afraid,” Ellicia assured him. In truth, she’d been looking forward to this ever since Jackson had mentioned on the transport that they needed to take some time to shift soon. After they’d landed and been greeted by General LeJune, the base Commander, Jackson had explained their need and asked for a deserted area they could use. The General had directed them here, warning them against going too close to Glass Lake.
Ellicia watched carefully as Jackson seemed to shimmer in the bright sunshine for a moment before expanding quickly into an eighteen foot tall creature that, to Ellicia, looked very much like a bear. That is, if a bear had foot long fangs, fifteen-inch razor sharp claws and a shiny coat of dense white fur, broken here and there with large patches of black.
Jackson lowered himself to all fours, which meant that Ellicia didn’t have to crane her neck quite so far back to see his familiar blue eyes. He was still about nine feet tall at the shoulder, though. She was amazed at the size of him and, when he walked slowly toward her, the masses of muscle that slid smoothly beneath the thick, shiny fur when he moved. She reached out to touch him, smiling at the soft feel of his fur, though it was so dense she could barely run her fingers through it. After a moment she lowered her hands and stepped back, noticing that Clark and Rob had shifted into their bearencas as well.
“All right guys,” she said, “go run now.”
Jackson tilted his head at her, and somehow she understood him. “I’ve satisfied my curiosity, and I’m just fine right here. Off with you.”
Jackson tilted his massive head in what could only be a nod, then turned around and raced away, moving so quickly that Ellicia couldn’t actually follow him with her eyes. She laughed out loud as she watched, even clapping her hands together when Rob and Clark took off after their brother.
Ellicia watched them run for a long time, unable to take her eyes off of them. They were so beautiful, and so fast! She laughed as she watched them wrestle with each other, though they were careful to stay a good distance away from her so that they didn’t accidently hurt her. She couldn’t seem to get her fill of watching them, and was disappointed when they returned to her and transformed back to their human forms.
“That was magnificent!” she exclaimed. “Thank you so much for letting me watch that. I will never forget it.”
The Bearens seemed a little embarrassed by her praise, but she couldn’t help it. She hadn’t had such fun in a very long time.
“If you think that was something, wait unti
l you see your sister,” Jackson said.
Ellicia’s eyes grew big. “I hadn’t thought of that,” she said. “I know she transforms into a dracon, but I am not really sure what that is. What does she look like?”
“The Dracons are the largest, strongest, and wiliest of all the Clan animals,” Jackson said. “When Princess Lariah transforms, her dracon is also very beautiful and graceful. She is perhaps as long as I am tall in her dracon form, with a black and gold spotted coat. I have heard her say that the dracon is much like a mythical Earth creature called a dragon. She is strong and elegant in her dracon form, as she is delicate and beautiful in her human one.”
“I cannot tell you how much it means to me to know that, no matter what, no one can ever harm Lariah again,” Ellicia said, sudden tears stinging her eyes. “She was hurt so badly, and it was all my fault.”
“Why do you feel guilty for what another did?” Clark asked, feeling both Ellicia’s sadness and her guilt.
“Because it was supposed to be me,” she said. “Not Lariah. She never did anything to deserve what happened to her.”
“Did you?” Jackson asked gently.
Ellicia looked at him with startled eyes. “No, I don’t think so,” she said. “But they were supposed to kidnap me, not Lari. The man that had her thought she was me.”
Jackson placed one arm gently around Ellicia’s shoulders and urged her to begin walking with them back toward the base. He felt how deep her guilt really went and was surprised that she was able to hide it as well as she did.
“Ellicia, if you had been kidnapped instead of your sister, would it have been possible for anyone to rescue you?” he asked.
“Probably not,” Ellicia replied honestly.
“We love our Princess,” he said. “Lariah means much to all of our people. But all things happen for a reason, Ellicia. If not for you, she would not have been rescued. She would not be our Princess, and she would not have given birth to Salene, Rayne and Tani. Had you been kidnapped instead, you would not be carrying your own children now.”
“I know,” Ellicia said with a sigh. “I understand what you are saying, and I know you are right, but I still struggle with it all. But, I am so happy for Lariah now, and knowing that she has the means to protect herself means everything to me.”
Jackson felt sad for Ellicia, but he didn’t know what else he could say to her. He decided to think about it. Perhaps he would find a way to help her release her guilt over what had been done to Lariah. For now, a change of subject was in order.
“When would you like to try finding Hope again?” he asked.
“Now would be good,” Ellicia said. “I feel relaxed and a little more energized than I did earlier.”
“General LeJune has offered us the use of his office whenever we want it, and has promised absolute privacy,” Rob said.
“Great,” Ellicia said. She had tried to read the earring several times during the flight, and again right after they reached the base, but there had been too much noise and too many distractions for her to concentrate. She needed a place that was safe and quiet. And she needed a bathroom.
As they entered the base she spotted what she needed and veered toward it. “Be right back,” she said as she hurried into the building. A few minutes later she came out to find Rob waiting alone.
“Where are Jackson and Clark?” Ellicia asked.
“They’ll be along in a few minutes,” Rob replied as they began walking toward the base Headquarters Building. “They thought you might like something to drink so General LeJune took them over to the...what’s it called? Mess? No, that can’t be right.”
Ellicia laughed at the grimace on Rob’s face when he said that. “Yes, that’s right,” she said. “What you might call a cafeteria is called the mess. But it’s not what you think. It’s actually a derivative of an old French word, meaning a place where people gather to eat. its many centuries old, but the military is nothing if not traditional.”
Rob returned Ellicia’s smile. “Yes, we warriors revere tradition.”
“Rob, would you guys mind staying with me?” she asked as they entered the building.
“Of course not,” Rob replied. “We will do whatever you need.”
“I need to feel like I am completely safe before I can let myself relax into a trance. I think that being in a strange place is why I couldn’t focus before. If you guys are nearby, I’m sure I’ll be able to do it.”
“I am glad that you feel safe with us,” Rob said. “I promise you, your faith is not misplaced.”
Ellicia smiled up at him, noticing, not for the first time, how very handsome the Bearens were. Hope Strigida was a lucky woman, she thought. Or rather, she would be, as soon as they found her.
Rob guided Ellicia down the hall, through one waiting room and a small outer office, before they reached the General’s inner sanctum. It was just slightly larger than the outer office, and was furnished with the usual military issue desk, chairs and bookshelves.
Ellicia looked around the office and selected a spot beneath a window where a beam of sunlight fell on the floor. She lowered herself a bit awkwardly and leaned against the wall with a sigh. It felt good to be off her feet. She reached into her pocket and removed the tiny gold and pearl earring, placing it carefully on the floor in the sunlight.
“There is much depending on that little bit of a thing,” Rob said.
“Yes, there is, but don’t worry, Rob,” Ellicia said. “I just know that it will lead us to Hope.”
“We have faith in you,” Rob assured her.
“Just remember,” Jackson added, entering the office in time to catch part of their conversation, “if we are unable to locate our Arima, it will not be for lack of trying, nor will it be your fault.”
“I’ll try to remember that,” Ellicia said as she accepted a cup of steaming hot chocolate from Clark. She raised it to her nose and breathed in. “Hmmm...this smells wonderful,” she said before taking a sip.
“Shall we leave now?” Jackson asked.
“She asked that we remain here with her,” Rob said. “She needs to feel safe before she can go into a deep trance.”
“Of course,” Jackson agreed. “Is there anything in particular we should or should not do?”
“I need to concentrate at first, so it would be helpful if you remained really quiet. After I go into a trance, I think you could transform into your bearencas and roar the place down and it wouldn’t bother me much. If you all left, I would sense it though, so if at least one of you could remain with me, I would appreciate it.”
“We will not leave you alone,” Jackson promised. “Do you know how long this will take?”
Ellicia shook her head. “When I read objects, it usually only takes me a few minutes, or less. But for some reason, when I read the earring last night it took hours. I don’t know why, and it really surprised me. It might take that long again. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Jackson said. “We are very lucky that you are able to do this at all. Let us know when you wish to begin.”
Ellicia sipped more of her hot chocolate and began staring at the earring again, studying it as she had the day before. It did not take as long this time before she felt she had each detail firmly set in her mind. She reached out and turned it over, repeating the process. A few minutes later she set her cup down and picked up the earring, placing it in the center of her palm and closing her fingers around it. Then she closed her eyes and pictured the earring in her mind.
“Tell me a secret,” Harlan said, smiling.
Ellicia jerked in surprise, pulling herself out of her trance. She hadn’t expected that memory to pop in. She took a long, slow, deep breath, and refocused on the earring and Hope.
“Tell me a secret,” Harlan said, smiling.
Ellicia tried to stay relaxed, realizing that, for some reason, she had to relive this memory. She didn’t want to, but it didn’t appear that she was going to get a choice. She refocused, and began again
.
“Tell me a secret,” Harlan said, smiling.
Ellicia had a feeling he was up to something, but she couldn’t imagine what it could be. “Okay, you first,” she replied.
“I want to ask you to marry me,” Harlan said.
Ellicia’s heart skipped a beat. “Seriously?” she asked.
“Oh yes, very seriously,” Harlan replied. “If I ask you, will you say yes?”
“Hmmm...,” Ellicia said, tapping her chin with one, delicate pink nail. “Let me see if I have this right. You want to ask me to marry you, but before you do, you want to know what my answer will be. Is that it?”
“Yes, that’s absolutely correct,” Harlan replied with a grin.
“Well, here’s my secret,” Ellicia said. “From the moment I first saw you in the Director’s office, I knew that we were meant to be together.”
“That’s no secret,” Harlan said. “I’ve known that as well.”
Ellicia smiled, but her mouth was dry with fear. “Yes,” she said, her voice so soft he almost couldn’t hear her.
“Did you say yes?” he asked.
Ellicia looked up, meeting his amber gaze with her own. “Yes,” she said again, more clearly this time. “Yes, if you ask me to marry you, I will say yes.”
Harlan stood up and approached her, his grin fading as he took both of her hands in his. “Will you marry me, Ellicia Daniels?”
“Yes, I will marry you, Harlan Hontza.”
“Ah, Angel, that’s just what I wanted to hear,” he said as he released one of her hands and reached into his pocket. He pulled something out without letting her see it, and she felt something cool slide onto her finger. He turned her hand over and kissed her palm before releasing it. Ellicia raised her hand, gazing at it in wonder.
The engagement ring was narrow, with a delicate design of vines and leaves etched all the way around it. On the top was a flower made of gold and platinum petals, with a round diamond glittering in its center. She could not imagine a ring more uniquely beautiful. She threw her arms around Harlan’s neck and kissed him deeply, ignoring the tears of happiness pouring from her eyes.
The Bearens' Hope: Book Four of the Soul-Linked Saga Page 23
