‘Why did Mistral faint? What’s causing her illness?’
‘You are going to be a father Mage De Winter, congratulations.’ Serenity replied with a happy laugh. ‘I’ll just leave you two alone for a moment to celebrate the good news.’
‘What?’ Fabian’s eyes widened.
‘That’s right! A baby!’ Serenity called from the storeroom.
Fabian blinked and sank slowly onto the bed. He took hold of Mistral’s hands absently while they stared wordlessly at each other. Mistral could see his aura spinning out of control, his confusion apparent in a dark swirling fog of olive green, then a blinding explosion of joyous yellow burst forth, brighter than the midday sun. The murmuring of his thoughts abruptly filled her mind as his shock faded and he began to think again. She listened to them, the panic building in her with every emotion he expressed … hearing his joy, his pride at being a father … at her being a mother.
A mother.
She stared at him, watching the look of glowing triumph spread across his face, the heavy weight of claustrophobia sliding over her with every second that passed.
Trapped.
She was trapped by something impossible to escape from, by something living and growing inside her … like a parasite. And the cause of it was staring right at her with eyes of softest velvet; her gaoler.
‘Everything’s going to be fine Mistral. There’s no need to be afraid.’
She could see her face, stricken with fear, reflected in the shining black depths of his eyes and knew that everything was far from fine, ‘No it’s not!’ She cried hysterically and immediately wrenched her hands from his; fear suddenly giving way to anger. ‘You! You’ve done this to me!’ She shouted and leapt from the bed, backing away from him towards the door, pointing a shaking finger at him. ‘You’ve trapped me!’
Fabian stood up and walked towards her, his hands outstretched in a supplicating gesture, ‘Mistral –’
‘Don’t say my name!’ She howled, covering her ears and shaking her head wildly.
‘Please, just listen to me,’ he moved closer with slow, deliberate steps.
‘Keep away from me!’ She screamed, backing away from him and reaching into her belt to grab her dagger, eyes bright with fear. ‘Or I swear I will kill you for what you’ve done to me!’
Fabian paused and held his arms out to her, his eyes beseeching. She glared at him for a second, her whole body shaking with fury and then she was gone, the Infirmary door banging shut behind her.
Fabian immediately strode towards the door to find the twins blocking his way, ‘Move!’
‘Mage De Winter, do not make your child fatherless.’ Phantasm warned softly. ‘Just let her calm down. Or she may do something foolish.’
Fabian’s eyes burned into Phantasm’s steady green gaze.
‘If you chase after her now she’s more likely to ride recklessly. It wouldn’t be good for her to fall.’
Fabian stared at him wordlessly, his face filled with sudden anxiety, ‘Why the hell didn’t you use your gift to stop her?’ He burst furiously.
‘We were. But the Sight has made her stronger now. I don’t think she even felt us.’
‘Would somebody care to tell me why my Seer has just stormed out of the Infirmary with a face like thunder?’ Leo’s icy voice demanded from the doorway.
‘She’s my wife, not your Seer!’ Fabian shouted.
Leo raised an eyebrow and regarded Fabian in cold silence, ‘Well, your wife looked even more bad-tempered than usual. It really isn’t convenient for her to be storming off every time you two have an upset! I have an elven delegation arriving this evening and I need her in the meeting!’
‘I don’t have time for this!’ Fabian shoved past Leo and stalked away down the corridor.
Leo stared frostily at the twins, ‘And what has Fabian done now?’
‘Only the most natural thing in the world.’ Phantasm sighed.
Leo continued to regard him stonily, ‘I am not interested in riddles Phantasm! I merely need to know whether I can expect Mistral back this evening or whether she is intending to have an extended tantrum and force me to reschedule my meeting!’
‘Extended, I think,’ muttered Phantom.
There was a short pause while Leo narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, ‘Why was she in the Infirmary?’
Phantasm turned to look at Leo, ‘Mistral is going to have a baby.’
‘That’s impossible. She’s a half-breed!’ Leo snapped callously.
‘Hmm, that’s what we all thought, but the evidence would suggest otherwise.’
Leo frowned and gazed out of the Infirmary window where Fabian could be seen galloping Spirit along the path leading to the North Gate, ‘If she’s not a half-breed, then what is she?’ He muttered to himself.
‘Pregnant,’ confirmed Phantasm shortly.
‘And really angry,’ added Phantom.
Leo snorted and turned on his heel, leaving the Infirmary door to bang shut behind him.
‘I’ll pass your congratulations on.’ Phantom murmured sarcastically.
Serenity emerged from the safety of the storeroom, her expression disapproving, ‘That door will fall off its hinges if you all insist on treating in like that! And I really don’t think Mistral should have been allowed to leave.’
Phantasm sighed, ‘It was safer than trying to stop her, I assure you Mistress Lightwater.’
‘Well, I want to know the moment she returns. She’s going to need constant monitoring. This is going to be a hard adjustment for her. She’ll have to stop working –’
‘But how can Mistral not have realised she could bear children?’ Phantom interrupted in a perplexed voice.
Serenity frowned thoughtfully, ‘She was raised in a Mage community Phantom. It would have been perfectly normal for her to have a natural cycle. And,’ she gave a rueful shrug, ‘since we’re not exactly inundated with female warriors, Mistral probably never realised that she was different to other half-breeds in that respect. I do need to question her about it though; I may be able to work out a timescale for her pregnancy based on that information.’
‘I’m sure that’s a conversation Mistral would love to have!’ Phantom muttered under his breath.
Phantasm lifted an eyebrow in brief agreement before shaking his head in bewilderment, ‘I never knew!’
‘No, but then, she’s hardly the sharing type about that sort of thing is she?’ Phantom said then frowned. ‘Although, thinking about it, she did seem extra grumpy sometimes.’
‘A baby!’ Phantasm echoed in a stunned whisper.
‘Mistral a mother.’ Phantom added in a heavy voice.
They shared a long look.
Mistral rode without noticing where she was going, allowing shock to shield her from reality. A sharp spurt of gratitude made her cry when she saw Prospero running alongside, loyal to the last. She gave Cirrus his head and clung on, sobbing blindly into his mane. Cirrus ploughed across the snowy meadows and plunged into the dimness of the trees. She didn’t attempt to guide him, but let him find his own path, sometimes cantering, sometimes trotting, but always moving on, never stopping. Mistral’s tears gradually slowed, leaving her feeling strangely empty. She let her mind drift, avoiding the inevitable moment when she would have to face the truth; accept the unacceptable.
Time passed unheeded. Daylight had given way to soft winter twilight when Cirrus finally wearied. It would soon be dark. Mistral knew she should return, but to go back to Fabian was out of the question. Resentment reared in her like an angry snake. How could he do this to her? He’d trapped her! She’d heard his thoughts, seen his desires … and they terrified her more than anything she’d ever been asked to See … a mother … Mistral felt panic raking at her insides with razor-sharp claws.
Cirrus stumbled over a tree root in the fading light and dropped heavily to one knee, throwing Mistral. She landed on the hard floor and lay winded, staring numbly up at the darkening sky. The first stars were just starting to appear th
rough the overlapping branches above her. Maybe, just maybe, if she lay there for long enough, she would simply sleep and never wake up … exhaustion washed over her. Mistral felt her eyes close, letting the irresistible lure of sleep pull her down.
‘Seer. You have fallen.’
A rich, wild voice spoke suddenly close by, waking her abruptly. Mistral began to laugh hysterically and fresh tears trickled from her eyes.
‘I fear she may have hurt her head.’
‘No, that is grief brother.’
Mistral opened her eyes with a soft cry of recognition and saw the proud faces of Dravite and Faris looking down at her. Suddenly she wanted nothing more than to hear the peace and wisdom of Imperato’s voice, to ask him how to escape the fate Fabian had sealed her into. ‘Please! Please can you take me to the tribe,’ she begged hoarsely.
They nodded silently and reached down to pull her to her feet. Looking around she could see Prospero sat obediently beside her and Cirrus stood a short distance away. It was night; she had been asleep for hours. Light from the moon cast an eerie silvery glow over the two austere centaurs beside her.
‘Can you ride?’ Dravite asked with a frown as he watched her swaying on her feet.
‘Yes,’ she said and immediately staggered, leaning a hand against a tree while to steady herself.
‘You cannot. Then you must travel with us. Your charges will follow.’
Strong arms gripped her and swung her lightly around. She felt the familiar sensation of being astride a horse, only with the disconcerting feel of a man’s naked torso beneath her hands. Faris had lifted her onto Dravite’s back and placed her arms around his waist for balance.
‘Oh no!’ She gasped in horror, jerking her hands away and holding them by her sides. ‘This is such an insult to you!’
‘I think that Imperato would be more insulted if we left a Seer lying in snow.’ Faris firmly positioned her hands around Dravite’s body once again. ‘We travel fast, hold on firmly Seer.’
Fabian returned to the Valley long after night had fallen to be met by his brother waiting at the stables.
‘We need to talk.’ Leo said curtly as Fabian dismounted and unsaddled his exhausted horse.
Fabian did not even look at him, ‘We do not. I need to collect a fresh horse and leave immediately.’
‘Set aside your concerns. You will not find her tonight! We must speak of what this signifies!’ Leo insisted in a low hiss.
‘It means that my wife is out there somewhere, alone and half-insane with fear! And every second I waste talking to you is one I should be spending trying to find her!’
‘How could she fall?’ Leo demanded. ‘What blood is she Fabian? You must know!’
Fabian spun around to glare in stone-cold fury at Leo, ‘What does it matter? You have your Seer!’ He turned away and began to lead Spirit towards the stables.
Leo hurried after him, ‘It matters because we need to know what she is carrying! Have you considered that she may be Mage born – perhaps even related to you?’
Fabian’s eyes snapped around to meet Leo’s, his disgust swiftly darkening to fury, ‘You risk your life with your vile insults!’ He snarled. ‘Mistral is not Mage born! I am certain of it!’
‘But can you be sure? We didn’t know of each other for a long time –’
‘She does not have the Craft!’ Fabian snapped. ‘And if you value your life you will never mention this to me again!’
Leo stepped back to allow Fabian to stride ahead of him into the stables. He appeared moments later with another horse. Without even acknowledging that Leo was there he threw himself into the saddle and kicked the horse into a gallop, vanishing into the darkness of the night.
Blood Ties
It was light the next time Mistral opened her eyes. She was lying on a woven pallet of willow and dry moss, soft and springy. She looked at her surroundings with bewildered eyes, with absolutely no idea where she was or how she’d got there. Reassured by the familiar sight of her dog lying on the floor next to her, Mistral propped herself up on one elbow and looked around curiously.
The room had a swept earthen floor and held no furniture other than the pallet bed she was lying on. A row of shelves on the wall held a variety of everyday objects; wooden bowls, cups, clay cooking pots. The hut and everything in it was designed to be practical; it was a forest dwelling, of that she was certain. The sound of hoof beats drew her attention to the doorway. It was higher and wider than a normal door and opened to reveal the regal face of Imperato.
‘You have awoken. This is good. There is much we need to discuss.’
He walked into the hut and halted a respectful distance away from the bed. Mistral swung her legs around and sat up, making the room spin sickeningly.
‘You must eat. It will help with the sickness.’
Mistral closed her eyes as the memory of previous day’s events came swimming back. She sunk her head into her hands despairingly. Nothing had changed. She had run away from the Valley and from Fabian, but she couldn’t run away from what was inside her. A second, lighter set of hoof beats made Mistral look up. She stared in amazement at the centaur walking shyly through the door. Unlike the bare-chested males, she was dressed in a tunic of animal skins and her long hair was tied back in a braid. The eyes that met Mistral’s were dark and strangely familiar. Mistral frowned. She knew this centaur.
‘This is my bonded partner, Alyssa.’
Alyssa smiled gently at Mistral and walked forward. It took Mistral a moment to realise that she was carrying a wooden platter of food.
‘Er, thanks.’ Mistral took the platter from her and set it down on the bed; looking hungrily at the cold meats and rye bread she reached instead for the cup of water and drank thirstily. She had neither eaten nor drunk since the previous morning but was certain it would be rude to eat in front of the two centaurs.
‘Eat.’ Alyssa implored her in a husky voice. ‘I remember well how it feels to be with young! You must eat. It will make you feel better.’
Mistral stared at her and then at Imperato, ‘But … how do you know?’
Imperato gave her a profound look, ‘Your destiny was written in the stars from the day you were born. I have known this day would come for a long time now.’
‘Oh.’ Mistral said quietly. Her wretched destiny. How many times would it conspire to ruin her life? Cursing her with a gift she hadn’t wanted, keeping her from the man she loved and now … now she had run away from the man she loved and was hiding somewhere in the forests because her stupid destiny had seen fit to let her believe she had been a half-breed, unwanted, rendered incapable of having children by the mixed heritage of her blood, when in reality she was something else. But what?
‘Eat.’
Imperato’s quiet order cut through her troubled thoughts. Mistral obediently picked up a piece of bread and bit into it. She chewed in silence, acutely aware of the fact that Alyssa and Imperato were watching her intently. Feeling slightly uncomfortable under their joint scrutiny, Mistral finished her meal and immediately realised that Alyssa was right; she did feel better.
Smiling proudly, Alyssa moved forwards to take the empty platter. Mistral watched her leave the hut with quick, light strides that reminded her heart wrenchingly of Spirit’s dancing paces.
‘And now I am sure you have questions you wish me to answer.’ Imperato said quietly.
Mistral dragged her mind back to her bewildering predicament. Imperato had the answers? Of course he did. Imperato knew everything. Mistral thought for a moment. Which question should she ask first?
‘How?’ She finally asked, gazing at Imperato with despairing eyes.
He sighed deeply, ‘This is going to be difficult for you to understand. Perhaps you should read my thoughts Seer, the answers you seek are there and it will save you having to ask the right questions to release the truth.’
Mistral stared at him dumbfounded. Read Imperato? The centaur chieftain; older and wiser than the last Divinus … she sho
ok her head quickly.
‘I have nothing to hide from you Seer.’
Mistral’s heart gave another painful lurch at the echo of Fabian’s words. She shook her head again, her throat suddenly too constricted to allow her to speak.
‘Perhaps you will feel ready to listen to my thoughts when your first question has been answered,’ he paused and fixed her with his timeless eyes. ‘You ask how? How is it that you, a half-breed have fallen with child? The answer is simple. You are not a half-breed.’
Mistral stared at him silently, hardly daring to breathe in case she missed a single word. He was about to answer the question that had plagued her life. Finally, she would know the truth about the blood that ran in her veins. Silence fell in the small hut. Mistral waited, feeling the tension rise with every second.
With a slight swish of his tail, Imperato finally spoke, ‘You are a centaur.’
Mistral blinked then, to her horror, laughed, ‘Oh I’m sorry!’ She cried, clapping a hand to her mouth to halt the almost hysterical peal of laughter. ‘I mean no offense! I’m not laughing at you but, it’s just that, well, I don’t exactly look like a centaur!’
Imperato nodded calmly, ‘You are correct. And perhaps I should have been clearer. It is a fault of our kind that we are often too easily distracted; the changing weather, the stars, the light that falls across water ... it speaks to us. We read signs and portents where others see only nature –’
Mistral gaped at Imperato, disbelief and disappointment mingling in her rude stare. Instead of answering the question she’d spent countless nights puzzling over he’d made some ridiculous joke about her being a breed she blatantly wasn’t ... and now he was delivering a soliloquy about nature? She felt a spark of impatience flare and forced her face to remain composed while Imperato continued to speak.
‘It is the ability of our race to see beyond the façade of normal life that has led to the honour of producing four Seers – ’
‘Four?’ Mistral couldn’t help but interrupt. ‘I thought it was three.’
The Seer Page 30
