by Ada Haynes
Lyrian took a step back, out of Ekbeth’s grasp, and started pacing the study.
“Nothing? We can kill her when she’s back on this side!”
“Lyrian! Ara’s trial was her punishment. She survived it. We have to accept it!”
Lyrian stopped pacing and looked at Ekbeth with suspicious eyes. “You’re hiding something from me, Cousin. There’s more. You wanted that bitch dead as much as I did.”
Ekbeth had no subtle way to disclose the news. He sighed. “We discovered during the trial that she’s pregnant. And that I’m the baby’s father.”
That surely silenced Lyrian for a good minute. All he managed to utter was,
“Pregnant?”
Ekbeth nodded. “Certainly puts things in perspective, don’t you think?”
Lyrian was puzzled. “Why are you so certain that you are the father? She probably has slept with tons of guys in the meantime!”
Ekbeth just shook his head. “The baby reacted badly at the trial, as you can imagine. It screamed, mentally, loudly. I was the only one to hear it. Then, later, I put my hand on Kimiel’s belly and the baby immediately quieted. Is that not evidence enough?”
Lyrian finally whispered. “So what happens now?”
Ekbeth shrugged. “I don’t know.”
A discreet cough behind him made him realize that Lyrian and he were not the only ones present in the room. He turned around, and frowned.
A very old As’mir woman was sitting in his favorite chair. He knew she was As’mir from her clothes. And that she was very old because of the wrinkles on her face, and the whiteness of her hair, which was probably long but was now assembled in a complicated knot on the top of her head. He was not sure of her eye color, as the light in the room was dim, but he could have sworn they were green. Like his. And Lyrian’s.
He had never met the woman before.
“Has anyone ever told you that staring at people is very rude, Ekbeth?”
Ekbeth got over his surprise and bowed to her. “Please accept my apologies if I’ve offended you. I was a bit surprised to find you here, as no one warned me I had a visitor.”
She smiled, if a bit coldly, looking at Lyrian. “Your cousin told me it would be a good idea to surprise you.”
Ekbeth realized something was going on between those two. It was not like Lyrian to keep a guest unannounced. And Lyrian looked ill at ease when he introduced their guest. “Cousin, please meet Keremli Yamal na Duibhne.”
Ekbeth searched his memory, but could not remember ever having heard her name before. And the only Yamal he knew was…
He finally realized who she was! “You’re the banished Akeneires’eli! My… let me see…”
She nodded. “Great-great-grandmother! As well as to this stupid cousin of yours. And before you start trying to guess my age, just think that I’m just a tad younger than the current Aramalinyia, who used to be my best friend.”
Ekbeth had to sit on this. “I didn’t know you were still alive, Keremli.”
She shrugged. “I technically became dead the day the Na Duibhnes’ council banished me from the Valley.”
He had to ask. “What did you do to get this punishment?”
She laughed, unexpectedly. “I was fed up with my life, many times grandson of mine. Bad wedding as well. One day, I just decided to leave all my obligations behind me and do what I always wanted to do: discover what was behind the Veil.”
Ekbeth was puzzled. “You were banished for that?”
She nodded, gravely. “It’s all about circumstances, Ekbeth. I left a small baby behind. This is not really well looked upon in our community. I also took a good portion of the family fortune with me, including the Kadj’dur.”
Ekbeth had to smile. “I see. I wonder what made the balance tip: the baby or the money. But now I finally know how we lost the Kadj’dur. I must admit I’ve always wondered about this.”
She shook her head. “It was never lost. Not entirely. I spent all the money over the years. It has been a long and very interesting life, one I’m most happy with. But I never lost the Kadj’dur. I always planned to use it to be accepted again in the Valley at some point of time. When I felt it was time.”
Ekbeth had to ask, “So, what happened?”
Keremli glared at Lyrian. “What happened is that I put my trust in this cousin of yours! Six years ago, I met him and he promised to help me. He was supposed to ask you to lift the banishment. Allow me to reintegrate into the community. Ask you and the Aramalinyia. I gave him the Kadj’dur, and what did he do with it? Pretended he had found it in a flea market! Used it as a wedding ring for his wife! And ignored me! Kept me at distance from his home!”
Ekbeth looked at his cousin. He did not need to ask if this story was true. Lyrian’s face was telling it. And he did not need to ask why either. He knew how frustrated Lyrian had always been about his half As’mir status. Lyrian was allowed to visit the Valley, but the Na Duibhnes family never welcomed him as a full member of the community.
Finding the Kadj’dur again had certainly help improve his status. And Ekbeth had actually allowed Lyrian to use it as his wedding ring. No matter how much anger this had brought from their uncles, because that little ring was the wedding ring of the Akeneires’el of the Na Duibhnes’ wife, and had been made and offered to Nefer Keh Jariel.
Some recent events were suddenly making sense.
Ekbeth looked at Keremli, and then at Lyrian, accusing him, “You lied to me. You knew all along Keremli was behind this, Lyrian! Why did you not tell me?”
Lyrian paled and took a step back. “I only discovered the truth when Kimiel kidnapped me to take the Kadj’dur from me, Ekbeth.”
He bowed his head. “I’m sorry. I could not tell you about it without telling the whole story. And it did not matter in the end. You found Kimiel without me telling everything.”
Ekbeth got control on his anger. He would deal with Lyrian later. He turned to Keremli. “So, Keremli, you are the one who asked Kimiel to give that letter to the Aramalinyia and to steal the Kadj’dur from my cousin?”
She answered this by a question of her own. “Is Kimiel Shona’s As’mir name?”
“Yes. Kimiel Malcolm Keh Niriel.”
That visibly puzzled the old woman. “Most peculiar name. I understand now why she refused to tell it to me.”
“You’re not denying you’re behind all this, then?”
She startled, and then focused her attention on him again. “What? Oh, of course I’m behind this. See, I had no choice! I want to go back to the Valley.”
“You could have come to me directly, Keremli. There was no need to involve someone like her in this.”
Keremli did look a bit sheepish at that. “Call it pride, or whatever, Ekbeth, but I did not want to come to you empty handed. Also, I wanted to help Shona.”
“Help? Lyrian fumed. “Does this bitch need any help? She tortured me! She stole from Ekbeth! She almost killed Kalem! If someone needs help here, it’s us! Certainly not her.”
Keremli’s first reaction to Lyrian’s tirade was to purse her lips. “I do admit that her methods do not always agree with me. But she does get results. She got that letter to the Aramalinyia and got the Kadj’dur back to me. And it did help her. She’s now more the woman she used to be than she was four months ago.”
“I curse your decision, Keremli! She tortured me!”
“Well, you deserved far worse for cheating me, grandson!”
Keremli and Lyrian were glaring furiously at each other. Ekbeth was starting to develop a serious headache. “Enough. So, Keremli, if I understood correctly, you want to return to the Valley. I suppose that letter to the Aramalinyia was to ask her permission?”
Keremli nodded. “And to ask her to reintegrate Shona in the community as well. Though that may not have been my brightest idea, I admit. The girl did not want to go, and I should have known better than to trick her into it.”
Ekbeth could only agree with that. “The Aramalinyia is on y
our side apparently. She refused to reveal your identity when we asked who had written the letter. Do you only need my agreement to return to the Valley?”
“Yes. I was only banished by the Na Duibhnes’ family, not the High Council.”
Ekbeth pondered the news for a moment. To Keremli’s irritation.
“Do I need to go on my knees and beg, grandson? I am an old woman who just wants to finish her days where she was born. I won’t be any trouble. I promise.”
Ekbeth allowed himself a thin smile. “I certainly hope so. I’ve had enough trouble from you and your little protégée for the rest of my life.”
He sighed. “I want the Na Duibhnes council’s authorization before allowing you to come back. It should not take much time, and I have all reasons to think the result will be positive. And no, I won’t tell them about Lyrian’s or Kimiel’s involvement in your return. Things are a bit hot around Kimiel right now. You really don’t want to be associated with her. So I won’t link you to the return of the Kadj’dur either. But I would very much appreciate if you could give it back to me.”
Keremli’s eyes narrowed. “Why? Still planning to wed Shona? I must warn you…”
Ekbeth shook his head. “I had enough warnings about her already, Keremli. No need to add to the already long list. Marrying her is off that list for sure. I just want the ring in a safe place.”
She looked at him for a long time, and finally nodded.
As it was, she had the Kadj’dur with her. She unfolded her large coat, extracted a small box from one of its numerous pockets and handed it to Ekbeth.
He opened the box. Only a few inches of jade, but so much beauty. So much trouble.
He resolutely closed the box and looked at his ancestor. “Welcome back, Keremli.”
47
Shona was playing with the oracle jade pebble. Jeffrey had received her message and sent some belongings when he had heard that she was not to return for a few days. The pebble had been among them. She had no doubt the Goddess had arranged for the little stone to come into her hands again. A not so subtle reminder of her promises.
Shona had lost her faith a long time ago. The god her brother served on the Other Side did not agree with her. Trusting someone blindly, even God, did not agree with her. Her trust had been betrayed too many times. She had learned to rely only on her own strength.
This Ara, though—Shona could not deny her existence, not after what had happened during her trial. It was easy to discount her experience as hallucination. But her lower back was still glowing warm, and that was not merely her imagination. She could feel the heat every time she put her hand on her back.
Shona had to get used to the whole idea of a constant presence watching over her. A Goddess who was not all about forgiveness and turn the other cheek.
Shona rolled the little jade stone from one hand to the other. She had promised to marry Ekbeth. The idea only brought up so many conflicting emotions in her. Grief, anger, pain… fear, mostly.
She was not ready for it. And neither was Ekbeth. He had not been ready prior to her spectacular escape out of Kse’Annilis. Her hurting of people he cared for had not helped improve his frame of mind. He had made that clear enough during their short conversation yesterday.
She sighed. What was she going to do about Ekbeth?
The door of her room opened but she did not care to look up. Many people had visited her in the past hours. But, most of the time, they just looked at her then went away. Some of them were so bold as to approach and touch her. But not one of them was talking to her.
She knew what was happening. The community wanted to make certain they had not been dreaming. That she truly was still alive. Maybe some of them wanted to say something, but there was always a guard in the room—apparently enough to prevent any hostile comments on her having survived the trial.
Now, about Ekbeth, maybe if she considered this as another mission… If it did not involve emotions…
“Are you going to ignore us much longer, Kimiel?”
Oops. That was no casual visitor. She looked up and greeted her visitors. Andrew was frowning. Sarah-Lysliana was smiling. Two more people she had to make amends to as well, she thought.
Sarah-Lysliana crossed the room and sat next to her. “How are you, Kimiel?”
Her cousin’s concern sounded real. Not something Shona would have expected. She shrugged. “I had better days, but then I’m still alive. Can’t complain. I heard Duncan is dead. Is it true?”
Andrew nodded, then he growled, “Do you care to hear how it happened?”
Shona was not going let his rancor affect her. “Actually yes. Take a seat, please. I have a feeling this is going to take time.”
Andrew ignored the sarcasm, but he did set himself down on a chair. He told her about what had happened after she had so spectacularly transferred herself out of the Valley. The mob. The attack on the McLeans. Duncan’s death. Their injuries. And how her favorite aunt Fiona was now bound to a wheelchair for the rest of life.
Her cousin concluded, “And this all happened because of you!”
My, there was so much venom in his voice. She was not sure how to respond, but, apparently, he was not expecting any justification from her.
He nodded somberly. “We had a family council this morning. We are here to inform you that, since the Goddess has decided to spare you, the least we could do was to open our house again to you. Our grandfather was not very welcoming during your last stay. I am the Akeneires’el now, and I say this: you will be welcome under the McLeans’ roof, wherever they are, Kimiel Keh Niriel. Here in Kse’Annilis or on the Island, on the Other Side.”
Shona kept silent. She had wanted to hear those words so often in the past, so very often. She had cried bitter tears about it. Now… it just seemed too late. But it was a generous offer from the McLeans, especially considering the recent events. She was not going to tell them to go to hell.
Her voice was shivering a bit when she finally answered, “Thanks. Aren’t the Island ghosts going to be angry?”
Andrew cracked a tiny smile at that. “Oh, they are angry. We just ignore them. We have extended the invitation to your mother and your siblings, by the way. We think it is time to put a stop to that feud. For good.”
Shona nodded, but her mind was somewhere else. On the McLeans’ Island to be precise. She could not wait to go back to her early childhood place again.
“Is it true your baby is Ekbeth’s?”
Shona snapped out of her thoughts. Looked warily at her cousin. “Yes, and I’m glad he apparently accepts that fact.”
Andrew scowled. “For someone so bent on not marrying the man, Kimiel, it was not a very clever move.”
“There was no calculation on my part. I never expected a quick hour of sex to result in a baby, Andrew. No matter how good it was. Marriage was certainly not on my mind at the time.”
As she spoke, she was very conscious of the jade pebble in her hand. She did not want to discuss this any further. This was, for now at least, a private matter between Ekbeth and her.
Andrew sensed this and soon after took his leave, but his sister stayed. Sarah-Lysliana had questions of her own. “Why did you have to torture Lyrian, Kimiel? The rest, I can more or less find excuses for, but why the torture?”
My, was she going to have to justify all her acts, to everyone, thought Shona?
“I needed the Kadj’dur and I was running out of time.”
Sarah-Lysliana paled a bit. “You make it sound like it is nothing to you. Lyrian was deeply hurt, you know. He’ll never get over it.”
Then he should not have tried to play the hero, was Shona’s first thought. But this was not only about Sarah-Lysliana’s ex-husband, she realized. Sarah-Lysliana was trying to understand her.
She met her cousin’s gaze and said, “I don’t enjoy hurting people, Sarah-Lysliana. I really don’t. I always save hurting as a last resort. This does not make me better than anyone else. I’m not better. When necessary, I
don’t hesitate and, yes, I’ve killed people. Not only in self-defense. Sometimes, you don’t have a choice. Some people only understand violence as an answer. I was in a hurry but I gave Farrill fair warning. The man should not have been stubborn. I hope this has taught him something and he won’t play the same stupid game if he ever finds himself in the same situation again.”
She stretched. Damn, she could not wait to be able to escape the place.
“Why do you care about Lyrian’s fate anyway, Sally? You should be glad I made him feel what pain meant in the hand of someone else. I know he’s mistreated you.”
Her cousin shook her head. “He never meant it. Lyrian has always been all extreme reactions. He loved me with a passion. I was his world. How many women can claim to be so lucky in their wedding? I hurt him when I told him I wanted a divorce. All because I was not brave enough to tell him that I’d discovered I was a McLean and that I was afraid of his family’s reaction. I should have explained. Together, we would have found a solution. It was stupid of me.”
Shona grabbed her cousin by the shoulders. Her back immediately started hurting, but it was bearable… She ignored the movements in her belly. Shook her cousin instead. “You are indeed stupid! Don’t blame yourself for his brutality! Stop this! He almost killed you, Sally! If that’s his way to prove his love to you, he doesn’t deserve it!”
Sarah-Lysliana paled. Damn, Shona had never been good at this. She let go of Sarah-Lysliana.
“Sorry. It’s just… I’ve heard your story so often, Sally. The excuses. I just can’t stand it.”
Sarah-Lysliana somehow managed a smile. “You’re right. I know. I’m sorry. And I didn’t want to discuss Lyrian with you in the first place! I wanted to ask you to help with my next album.”
Shona went very still. Sarah-Lysliana did not noticed it. “I found a picture of you some time ago while cleaning Aunt Fiona’s bedroom. You, with a guitar, on a podium. And I remembered how well you managed with our choir attempt. I was intrigued, so I asked Aunt Fiona about it.”
