“Tomas!” Kapia yelled. Tomas took a moment to be sure that Tiari was still alive and breathing, then he looked up and gasped in shock at the sight before him.
“Has there been a war?” he asked Kapia as she went to her knees in front of him, her clothing covered in blood.
“Yes,” she said. “And I’m afraid we may have lost.”
Chapter Twenty Two
Tomas sat on the floor of the Argiari’s enormous community dwelling, refusing to move an inch from Tiari’s side. She lay on a soft pallet near the roaring fire, her feet wrapped in clean white bandages, the Sun Orb tucked close beside her. Kapia sat across from him in clean clothes, her face freshly scrubbed, the bandage on her upper arm covering a minor scratch that was the only sign she’d taken part in the battle. Since both she and Tiari were taken care of, Caral and Lashi now assisted the Argiari Healer as he bustled back and forth among the wounded Hunters.
Colfin, Healer of the Argiari, was almost too happy to have the opportunity to practice his skills. Being fire breathers, the Argiari were experts in the care and treatment of burns. He’d assured Tomas that, while the burns on Tiari’s feet were quite severe, and would take some time to heal, his burn ointment would prevent pain, infection, and scarring so long as his instructions were followed to the letter. If not, he warned, it was unlikely that Tiari would ever walk again without pain.
Unfortunately, all of the Argiari would be magically returned to their home world in a few short hours, so Tomas had asked the Healer to go over the instructions twice. Then to be sure he had them exactly right, he’d asked Kapia to write them down because his own hands still trembled too much to hold a stylus. He had two clay jars of the burn ointment wrapped carefully in a bag beside him, twice what Colfin said he needed, just in case. Kapia had offered to handle the treatment herself, but he’d politely declined. He would care for Tiari with his own hands, trembling or not, and he would make no mistakes.
Garundel approached and knelt down beside Kapia. “How is she?” he asked Tomas, nodding toward Tiari.
“Still sleeping,” Tomas said, glancing down at her. “The fever is gone.”
“That’s a good sign,” Garundel said. “Nikura is still outside watching the sky. He has not moved.”
“I wish we could speak with him,” Kapia said. “I wonder if he knows what is happening with Karma and Zakiel.”
“I asked him if he knew where the Ti-Ank was, and he shook his head,” Garundel said. “There are still a dozen servants and drovers searching the mountainside for it, but I fear it will not be found. That there have been no harpies seen these past two hours indicates they may have what they want.”
“We should call the searchers in,” Kapia said. “It will soon be dark.”
“Yes, Highness,” Garundel said. “I’ll send someone to do that. The entire camp has now been moved here, and the tents set up.”
“Thank you, Sir Garundel,” Kapia said, feeling better with the knowledge that they were all together in one place again.
“How bad were the injuries to the men?” Tomas asked.
“We lost two Hunters, and one servant, to harpy bites,” Garundel said. “Aside from that the injuries were fairly minor. Scratches, cuts, a few broken bones.”
“That’s good news,” Tomas said.
Garundel nodded in agreement. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go check the guards and have the searchers called in now.”
“What shall we do next?” Kapia asked Tomas when Garundel left.
“Do?” Tomas asked, struggling to think beyond his worry over Tiari. He opened his mouth to say something, he wasn’t really sure what, when the door flew open. Tomas, Kapia and every other man and Argiari in the room spun toward the sound, weapons, fangs, and claws ready.
“Zakiel,” Kapia breathed as they all stared at the Prince who stood holding Karma in his arms, his icy eyes searching the room before settling on Tomas and Kapia. He stalked toward them, Nikura at his side, leaving the door open behind him.
Kapia leapt to her feet, then turned to one of the Hunters standing nearby. “We need another pallet here,” she said. The Hunter, whose name she couldn’t remember at the moment, nodded and hurried away. Kapia studied Zakiel’s eyes as he stopped in front of her. His face might have been carved from stone, but she read the anger and worry in his eyes. The Hunter returned with an Argiari sized cushion, and set it down beside her. She nodded her thanks, then picked up her cloak from the floor where she’d been sitting and spread it over the cushion.
“Here,” she said to Zakiel. “Put her down here, Brother.”
Zakiel knelt down and, with infinite care, laid Karma down on top of Kapia’s cloak. The first thing Kapia noticed was how pale Karma’s face was. The second, that the Ti-Ank was gripped tightly in one hand. Even unconscious, Karma had not allowed the precious Staff of Life to slip away from her. Her relief was enormous, but she resolutely set it aside and focused on Karma.
“What are her injuries?” she asked as she brushed a tangled lock of hair back from Karma’s face.
When Zakiel did not answer, she looked up and saw the blood on his forearms and abdomen for the first time. She frowned, searching for the wound responsible, but saw nothing.
“Summon the Healer, please,” Kapia said to the Hunter who’d brought the pallet. Marl, she realized. How had she forgotten him?
“We must turn her over,” Zakiel said, speaking through clenched teeth. And all at once, Kapia understood. A harpy had carried her off, inflicting wounds on her back. That explained the blood on his arms. She and Zakiel both reached for Karma at the same moment and, working together, turned her over onto her stomach. Kapia bit back a gasp at the bloody mess that was Karma’s back.
“The first thing we must do is remove the cloth,” Colfin said as he knelt down beside Kapia, though he still towered over her. She nodded and turned toward Tomas who was already holding his belt knife out for her. She hesitated, worried she’d cause more harm than good. She was a warrior, not a healer.
Nikura had crouched down above Karma’s head, his blue eyes fixed on her and no one else from the moment they laid her down. Now he shifted his gaze to Kapia, and nodded once. Kapia returned the nod, then accepted Tomas’s knife.
She moved Karma’s thick braid to one side, then reached for the hem of what was left of her blouse, and began cutting the fabric with steady hands. While she worked, Colfin called for warm water, clean cloths, and his medicine bag. Kapia finished cutting Karma’s blouse from hem to neck and set the knife aside. Then she began to work the fabric free of the wounds on Karma’s back. She took her time, knowing that even one scrap of cloth left behind could cause a deadly infection. Once she was done, they could all see how extensive the wounds really were.
She glanced up at Zakiel, who continued to stare at Karma without moving or speaking. Kapia wondered what was wrong with him, but was distracted when Colfin handed her a warm wet cloth and instructed her to begin cleansing the wounds.
The claw marks that covered most of Karma’s back were very deep in places, and would certainly leave scars, but Colfin assured them that no damage had been done to her spine, and no lasting damage had been done to the nerves and muscles beneath the skin. Provided proper care was taken, and his orders for her treatment were strictly followed, she would heal fully. Thankfully, there were no bite wounds. Even Colfin did not have a cure for the poisonous bite of the harpy.
A little while later Karma’s wounds were fully cleaned, disinfected and bandaged. Then Colfin turned his attention to Zakiel, who had still not moved or spoken since telling Kapia to turn Karma over. “I am not sure what is wrong with him,” Colfin said after a few minutes.
But Tomas understood. How could he not, with his own love lying unconscious beside him these past hours? He checked Tiari quickly, then got up and stood directly in front of Zakiel. “Cousin,” he said in a low, compelling voice, “look at me.”
Zakiel’s blue eyes shifted from Karma to Tomas. “Your wife
is injured, but she will be fine,” he said. “She will heal. I give you my word that I will watch over her, as I watch over Tiari. I will not leave either of them unguarded for a single moment. You may now rest.”
Zakiel’s hands came up and clamped onto Tomas’s shoulders. “Swear it,” he commanded, his jaw clenched tightly, his entire body tense with strain.
“I shall not leave them, I so swear by the Blood of the House of Feenis, by the Blood of the House of Lorin, and by my love for Tiari Zora,” Tomas said solemnly.
Zakiel’s body relaxed for the first time since his return. “I thank you, Tomas,” he said. Then his eyes rolled up into his head and he crumpled to the floor.
Chapter Twenty Three
“Bredon?”
“I am here, Kapia, my love,” Bredon replied, smiling as he watched the flames dance in his small campfire. “How are you this evening?”
“Excited, tired, relieved, happy,” Kapia said.
“How is it that you can feel all of that at once?” Bredon asked.
“I’m a woman,” Kapia replied. “Doing several things at once comes easy to us.”
Bredon laughed, something he seemed to be doing a lot of these past few days, now that Marene no longer shared his mind. “How is your brother?”
“He’s almost back to normal,” Kapia said, her tone serious now. “Nikura told Karma that he was lucky he didn’t destroy himself when he-or the Vatra- annihilated every harpy on Rathira. Of course that frightened Karma, which made Zakiel angry with Nikura. They’ve been sniping at each other all day. I think Karma’s ready to use her staff on the both of them.”
Bredon laughed again at the mental image of the petite, but fierce, Lady Techu chasing after the Prince and the Sphin, both of whom were many times larger and stronger than she was. He had no doubt that they’d run from her. Nor would he blame them. If she came after him with her staff, he’d likely run too. A smart warrior recognized those battles he could not win.
“I bet she wishes Prince Zakiel hadn’t awakened with the ability to hear the Sphin,” Bredon said.
“That’s not a bet I’d take since she says the same thing herself ten times a day,” Kapia said.
“Her wounds are healing?”
“Yes, she’s doing very well,” Kapia replied. “She’s up and walking around a little, though Zakiel doesn’t like it. He wants her to stay put or let him carry her.”
“That’s understandable,” Bredon said soberly. “I cannot imagine how terrifying it must have been for him to see her carried off that way. Not only her, but the child she carries.” Bredon shuddered at the thought.
“I know,” Kapia said. “I see the way he looks at her sometimes. It’s going to take him a while to get over that one, I’m afraid.”
Bredon searched for a change of subject. They’d gotten into an ugly argument, their very first, a week earlier when she’d told him about the battle against the harpies and kadjet, and her role in it. She was proud of how well she’d done. He was appalled that she’d been so close to such danger, let alone that she’d taken part in it.
Bredon was perfectly aware of how skilled Kapia was with the staff, and he enjoyed watching her spar with it. He did not, however, think that she should be fighting with it. After their argument he decided to wait until they were face to face before continuing that particular discussion.
“How is Tiari?” It seemed strange to be asking about someone he’d never met, but Kapia had told him so much over the past few days that he felt almost as though he knew her.
“Her feet will take another couple of weeks to heal completely,” Kapia said. “The burns were very bad, but the medicine the Argiari left is amazing. I wouldn’t believe the improvement if I hadn’t seen it myself.”
“Is the wedding still on for tomorrow?” Perhaps the most surprising thing Kapia had told him about was the change in Tomas. Bredon found that he was quite curious to witness that for himself.
“Yes,” Kapia replied. “Neither Tiari nor Tomas will listen to any hint of a delay, even though Tomas will have to carry her throughout the ceremony.”
Bredon laughed again, though deep within his secret self he felt a twinge of envy. No matter, he thought. It will not be much longer before Kapia would be his, at long last.
“I’m sorry Bredon. I really hoped you could be here for the wedding.”
“It’s all right,” Bredon said. “Were I in their place, I would do the same.”
“So would I,” Kapia replied, her voice softer in his mind. Wistful, almost.
“I will reach the Hidden Sister in three days, Kapia,” he said. “You will still be there, won’t you?”
“Yes, we’ll be here. Zakiel has decided to remain for a couple more days to give you time to catch up with us.”
“I hope no one minds,” Bredon said carefully.
“No, not at all,” Kapia replied. “The dwellings that the Argiari built here are not as solid as the stone walls of the palace, but they are much more solid than the walls of a tent. It’s nice to have a real roof overhead for a change, even if it is temporary.”
Bredon hid his disappointment. He’d hoped Kapia would tell him what the general feeling was about him, but she’d missed the hint. Well, he’d discover soon enough if the other Hunters were suspicious of him. And he’d deal with it.
“You’re beginning to sound tired, surna,” he said. Kapia’s ability to speak with him through the Moon Orb had increased dramatically since the Sun Orb had been claimed, but she still got tired quickly.
“Yes, a bit,” she admitted reluctantly. “I will contact you the night after next.”
“I will be looking forward to it,” he replied, secretly hoping he would reach the Hidden Sister by then. He’d hedged a bit on his current location in order to surprise Kapia with an earlier than expected arrival. “Sleep well, Kapia. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Bredon,” she replied. He thought she said something else, but her voice faded away too quickly for him to tell what it was.
He added another stick to the fire and sighed with happiness. Soon, very soon, he would be with his beloved Kapia again. Then he shuddered as Marene’s call interrupted his pleasant thoughts.
He ignored her for a few moments while he braced himself for the feel of her true self touching his mind. It would not do for her to suspect how much he really knew about her now. When he was sure he had firm control of his emotions and reactions, he opened his mind to her, and the creature she had become.
***
Karma sat on a stool beside the huge, Argiari sized bathtub, wrapped in a thick robe, her eyes closed as she thought about Tomas and Tiari’s wedding while Lashi brushed her hair. It had been a little strange to see Tomas carry his bride throughout the ceremony, but it was either that, or put the ceremony off for another couple of weeks while Tiari healed enough to walk on her own. Neither Tomas nor Tiari were willing to wait once Samyi confirmed that, with the Sun Orb safely claimed, there was no reason to.
Even with that oddity, the ceremony had been beautiful, thanks in large part to Kapia. Tiari had reminded her of Snow White with her white skin, red lips, and glossy black curls streaming down her back. Her red dress had been beautifully embroidered with golden sunbursts, thanks to Lashi’s and Caral’s nimble fingers.
Tomas had been very handsome in his blue kilt trimmed in silver, and his silver bracers. The most startling thing about him was the way he looked at his bride. His love for her was so big, and so intense, that it drew every eye.
Sir Garundel had stood with Tomas, and Kapia had stood with Tiari. Custom dictated that the bride select a male relative for that honor, but she’d insisted that she wanted no one but Kapia. Since Tiari had no family, and the only male of her new family, Zakiel, was performing the ceremony, no one grumbled over the deviation.
The most beautiful sight to Karma, though, had been her own husband, who stood before the couple in his red kilt, golden torc and bracers, his black hair gleaming in the afternoon
sunshine. Zakiel had been nervous about making a mistake during this, his first wedding, though she was the only one who knew it. His deep voice had filled the clearing with heartfelt emotion as he spoke the ceremonial words, and she doubted that anyone would have noticed, or cared, if he had made a mistake.
“Good evening, Nikura,” Zakiel said.
Karma’s eyes flew open in surprise. Zakiel had spoken to Nikura silently. Why had she heard it? How had she heard it?
“Greetings, Highness,” Nikura replied.
Karma frowned. She knew they’d spoken with each other in her presence several times over the past ten days, but she’d never heard their conversations before. Nor did she want to, the way they constantly snipped and picked at each other. There had to be a way to turn it off.
“Nikura,” Zakiel said. “Do you mind if I ask you a question of a somewhat personal nature?”
“I thought you’d gleaned all there was to know about me from the Vatra,” Nikura replied.
“I did learn some things that I had not known before,” Zakiel admitted. “However, I did not seek the knowledge that I received.”
“I know that you didn’t,” Nikura replied with what sounded like a sigh. “I apologize for my attitude these past days, Highness. What is your question?”
“How do you stand it?” Zakiel asked plaintively. “How do you keep from going completely insane?”
Stand what? Karma wondered.
“Is something the matter, Lady Techu?” Lashi asked, worried by Karma’s sudden stiffness. Karma pressed a finger to her lips. Lashi nodded, and Karma closed her eyes again and went back to listening.
Quest for the Sun Orb Page 34
