The blonde ascendant’s glowing blue eyes widened. “Yes. They haven’t developed enough to resist.”
Kalindinai frowned and glanced toward the doorway that led to main infirmary. After a moment, she shook her head. “He isn’t likely to go after any of the young ones here. Their patterns are too well known and most of them have telepathic abilities—it would be detected too quickly. He wouldn’t want to go too far a field though, so it will be close, at least in terms of tao travel.”
Janai shook her head. “That’s a long way. How do we track him? It’s all so stupid, it’s like he’s inviting us to kill his body.”
“If we kill his body, he gets off easy,” Wren said. “He’s a mage. He may even have simulacrums prepared, so killing this body may just free him to switch into another body.” Wren answered. “The only reason I’m not convinced of that is he didn’t try to kill himself.” She rubbed a hand in her hair. “The problem is if we keep this body in stasis, he can run amok as long as he likes. Which he’ll do, he’ll raise as much hell as possible to encourage us to take him out of stasis and threaten his body. That, of course, gives him a chance to get back in it and get away.”
Daena put hands on hips, auburn hair falling down around her green eyes. “He’s a fool. Mother will turn him inside out.” She looked to Sarai. “Bannor, you could trace me even when I was stealthed. Can’t you do that with this guy?”
“I need my body for some of my powers,” Bannor told her.
“Would you know if you were close to him?”
“Of course, but—” Bannor started.
Daena held out a hand. “Give. I’ll find the bastard before he makes trouble.”
Sarai clutched the band on her arm and hugged him to her abdomen like he were her baby. “Like Hades.”
“Sar, but…”
“No!” Sarai snapped. “I just got him back damn it!”
Wren glanced between the two. “Sarai, would you trust me? I promise not to lose him. I’m not even sure he can be harmed now. Did you think about how you’ve been beating the snot out of Baronians and hitting walls with him?”
Sarai looked down at the band that was Xersis and the prison that had become the haven for his tao. He felt her heart skip a beat.
Kalindinai held up a hand. “Be still, we—”
Purple haired Wysteri breezed in with Corim following. She bowed to the queen and princesses. The mecha healer brushed at the black smock she wore which was dotted with blood from treating various injuries. She gestured and in a crackle and a flare of bluish light a cloth appeared in the air and dropped into her hand. She used it to wipe away the worst of the exposed blood as she looked over Sarai with a sympathetic expression.
The mecha woman shook her head. “You have a tough baby, Sarai. It’s a good thing with all the stress you put her under. This little one just soaks it up and keeps getting stronger. She’s going to be born a fighter that’s for certain.”
Bannor felt a wash of relief go through him, though the part about ‘being born a fighter’ made him vaguely uneasy. He didn’t want his daughter to be a warrior. To know how to defend herself yes… but make war—no child should have to know or have an instinct for that.
Kalindinai folded her arms. “What about Sarai?”
The mecha looked down at Sarai’s arms encased in the shaladens transformed into armbands. “Using two shaladens and channeling all their power would be stressful for anyone—especially an expecting mother. She is lucky that she was harmonized so closely with those weapons. She could have caused herself harm that only regeneration could have mended.”
“In other words, be careful damn it,” Kalindinai growled.
Wysteri put a hand on Sarai’s shoulder. “Mercedes and I knew it would be like this. She feels a little faint because her body is in recovery mode—that’s all.”
“Matradomma,” Wren said. “I don’t think we should let Wyyr do as he pleases. Daena or I need to get out there and look for him.”
Kalindinai frowned. “And I won’t have either of you running amok scaring the populous.”
“Mother,” Janai warned. “I think he’ll do that himself. He wants to draw us out of the citadel away from his body, so he can sneak in and escape.”
“Maybe we should just kill his body,” Corim said glancing at the case. “Even if it does allow him to transfer to another body, at least he will be out of our hair for the time being. When Mother Gaea and the others get back there will be no problem dealing with him.”
Kalindinai’s brow furrowed and swung a dismissing hand at the case. “Go ahead.”
The burly man scowled. Bannor knew that was exactly the sort of thing that would never sit well with him; executing a helpless prisoner.
“I can find him,” Bannor said aloud. “To be effective though, whoever has me will need to be able to fly.”
“Bannor, no,” Sarai said with a growl. “You aren’t leaving my side. That’s it. No discussion.”
“Sarai, you’re already synchronized with me. You can summon me any time you want!”
She frowned down at him. “Would you stop fussing?” She looked up. “Mother…”
“No,” Kalindinai said. “You’re going to rest. You don’t trust Wren or Daena, give him to me.”
“What?” Sarai slapped the edge of the diagnosis table. “No!”
“Sarai, he’ll be safe with me.”
“Star, it’ll be okay,” he tried to soothe.
Her voice rose. “It will be just fine, because you’re not leaving!” She drew a breath, a hysterical edge starting to come into her tone. “I—”
Bannor only saw the light from the diagnosis table come on. Then it seemed the room was abruptly cast in darkness. Everything inside his wife-to-be seemed to stop.
“What’s going on!” he yelled. “What’s happening to Sarai?!”
“Whoa!” he heard Corim say.
“Sar!” Janai let out.
“She’s fine,” Wysteri said. “I just sedated her.”
“Bannor, do you hear me?” Kalindinai asked.
“Yes,” he answered. “That scared me.”
“Bannor, will you allow me?”
“Matradomma, this is going to make Sarai very cross.”
“She was going to be cross when she found out her refusal to let you go cost the lives of citizens.” She sighed. “Will you lend your abilities to me or not?”
He couldn’t see anything. The world was blank and empty except for the beat of Sarai’s heart, and sparkle of life that was their unborn daughter. They had to get Wyyr before he hurt people.
“Yes, Matradomma,” he acquiesced. “My abilities are yours.”
He felt the Queen reach down and touch the shell of Xersis, sensing the surge of life-force as she pushed her will into the item and made it reform around her own arm.
A new sense stirred and he could see again, only now it was through the Queen’s eyes. He found it intriguing. It appeared she saw more clearly than Sarai. Faint outlines of color glimmered around the people in her view. Corim was gold, Janai was blue, while Daena had a silvery illumination. Wysteri also appeared gold in color though her aura seemed brighter.
Sarai lay on the diagnosis table, one arm across her middle. Her chest rose and fell in a slow but steady rhythm. She looked deep asleep. Wysteri stood by her with a hand on Sarai’s shoulder, eyes intent and probing.
As long as Sarai was okay, that was what mattered to him.
He focused back on Kalindinai, on spreading his nola through her body, bringing Xersis and her shaladen Vrinden into synchronous. The power of eternity hummed through the elf queen as the two weapons chimed first as a chord, and then as a single note of power.
Bannor felt Kalindinai stagger and gasp. “Whoo.” She gripped her chest.
“Matradomma?” Corim reached out to steady her.
“Bannor?” Kalindinai said with awe in her voice. “What did you do?”
“Same thing I did with Sarai, synchronized both sha
ladens with the garmtur.”
He felt Kalindinai shake her head. She blinked and let a breath out slow. “That—” She took another breath. “That’s amazing.”
“Are you all right, Mother?” Janai asked with a concerned tone.
Kalindinai swallowed. “Yes,” she cleared her throat. He felt the elder elf slowly master herself. Here was the difference between mother and daughter. Where Sarai had reveled in the sense of power, and had glossed over the possibilities, her mother dug in. He felt her pushing into the garmtur, feeling it, sensing its power. It started to worry him. Sarai hadn’t possessed all of the garmtur’s senses, but she wasn’t a sorceress and certainly not mistress of magic like Kalindinai. He saw the threads of the universe shimmer into the Queen’s sight. Her felt her press deeper into the skeins and sub-essences of the people and objects around her.
She pulled back. Whether because she was overwhelmed or afraid he didn’t know. “Yes,” she finally said. “I’m fine. I simply wasn’t prepared for him to open up his powers to me.” She turned to the others. “Janai, I want you stay here and watch your sister. Wren, you’re the strongest so you’ll stay as well. I’ll take Daena with me. Corim, if need be you can show me how to do that spell shackle?”
The warrior nodded. “Of course, Matradomma.”
“Mother, are you sure? Doesn’t this make you a target for the Daergons?” Janai asked.
“The reasons the Daergons wanted us is moot.” She held up the arm that was now encased in the metal of Xersis. “As far as they know, Bannor is dead. They would have to conclude that, because he’s not with the rest counter-attacking the Baronians. We wouldn’t keep him back if he was available.” She shook her head. “The attack on Sarai may simply have been a test to see if he was still alive. He would go to her even seriously injured if she were in danger.”
“Do you really think they know that much about me?” he asked.
Kalindinai shrugged. “I would hope that they don’t, but to be safe we must assume they do.” She turned to Corim. “Lord Vale, I have a special task for you.”
The man’s dark eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed. He nodded.
“I want you to stand by. If I request it, I want you to cut Wyyr.” She pointed to the enemy savant’s case. “I want it to be life threatening. I know you don’t want to kill, so have one of the healers stand by. I want to know if us killing this body is what he wants. We are not giving him what he wants.”
“Yes, Matradomma,” he said with a grim expression.
“So you plan to force him to seek a body if he doesn’t already have one prepared?” Wren asked.
“That’s the strategy, yes,” the Queen answered, running a hand through her dark hair.
“Are you sure you don’t want extra back up mother?” Janai asked, rubbing at her throat.
“If I need help, I’ll call for it,” she said. “I promise.” She looked to Daena. “Can you make yourself look like an elf?”
The girl smiled. “Of course.”
“Someone helpless—weak willed?”
Daena’s chin came up and she raised an eyebrow. “Like bait you mean?”
The Queen nodded.
“Absolutely,” Daena confirmed with a grin.
“Ah,” Wren tapped her temple. “I see. His body starts to kick off and he dives for a host, and you have a convenient body nearby.”
“And I grab him,” Daena said, wiggling her eyebrows. “He won’t sense me because I can stealth my aura.”
“Is she strong enough?” Janai wondered.
“She’s strong enough,” Bannor muttered.
“Oh,” Janai said in a sheepish tone. “I forgot.”
“Wysteri,” Kalindinai said looking back to Sarai. She stroked her daughter’s cheek. “Please see to Sarai.”
“Of course, Matradomma,” the mecha answered.
The Queen held out a hand to Daena, “come let us get moving, we’ve wasted too much time already.”
Daena bounced on her toes, came over and took the Queen’s hand. “Yes.”
Looking up into the young woman’s glowing green eyes it was hard to remember she was still really a child inside an adult’s body. A child with immense power and only a little experience using that tremendous potential. Bannor felt a surge of affection in Kalindinai. Daena had that affect on people.
“Dane,” Wren said in a serious tone. “Keep me apprised please.”
The girl rolled her eyes and waved at Wren as Kalindinai pulled her toward the exit. “It’ll be okay, he’s not even a full savant now.”
“He’s a bloody freaking elder, Dane,” Wren said, pointing a finger. “They are smart. Don’t be so damn sure of yourself. Watch your step. He might have contacted friends. Teleportation takes no time at all.”
“Okay, okay!” She cried as they headed through the main infirmary. Wren, Janai, and Corim followed with serious expressions on their faces. “I’ll be careful—yeesh.”
Kalindinai stopped by red-haired Arabella who still lay on the pallet pale and shivering. The lady bard did not look well.
She touched the woman’s hand.
Arabella looked up at her through slit eyes and tried to moan a greeting but was too weak to speak. She had grown a great deal worse in a very short time.
The Queen looked back toward Marna’s healer. “Octavia—a moment.”
The slender mecha looked up from a procedure she was performing on a piece of equipment. “Matradomma?”
The Queen waved her over.
Octavia rose and three of the Felspar daughters fell in behind her as she glided over to stand with Kalindinai.
“You cannot find anything wrong with this girl?”
Octavia looked down at Arabella. “I found no physical anomalies. There are definitely physical symptoms. I have been treating the pain but it has been having remarkably little effect.”
The elven woman touched the bard’s abdomen and the red-haired lady groaned and writhed. “Treat her for miscarriage.”
The mecha’s brow furrowed. “Pardon?”
“She pretended to be Sarai for almost a day and she was with child. Pregnant with an immortal child—a first one child. There’s powerful magic in that. It probably never occurred to anyone what might happen when she just suddenly shape changed it away.”
“Why was there no immediate reaction?”
Kalindinai spread her hands. “You’re the healer. You tell me. It’s just a theory.”
Octavia nodded. “Thank you, Matradomma, it’s plausible enough to test.”
The Queen looked back down to Arabella and patted her hand. She looked up to Wren and the others, nodded, then pulled on Daena. The two of them stepped into the hall and turned down the passage toward the audience hall. They stepped through the breech in the metallic barricade.
Kalindinai transformed Vrinden into a battlestaff with a swing of her arm. The weapon sparkled into glowing reality with a rasp of magic.
She looked at the staff, then down at the arm band that contained Bannor’s tao. “One could become very addicted to you, Son-to-be.”
“I wasn’t planning on going anywhere, Matradomma.”
He felt the smile in her voice. “Yes, but my daughter doesn’t share.”
Daena let out a breath. “Tell me about it.”
Kalindinai frowned at her. “Are you saying you aren’t satisfied with Janai?”
Daena focused wide eyes on her. “No, Matradomma, I didn’t mean it that way!”
The Queen tilted her head. “So, what did you mean?”
Daena’s jaw dropped. “Matradomma, she—she’s a woman.”
The Queen swung her staff around and walked with it clasped in both hands behind her back. She shook the hair out of her eyes and fixed the young ascendant with a stare. “So?”
The girl scrubbed her forehead. “I can’t believe we’re talking about this now.”
“We are walking quite fast, Child,” Kalindinai said, pausing to peer around a corner before proceeding
. “When we get to the conference chambers I will teleport us into town. However, we are being somewhat cautious in that there may still be enemies about.”
“Yes, Matradomma.”
The Queen looked back. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Matra, girls can’t…” Her voice faded away.
“Could it be you’re trying to tell me something about biology?”
“You know I am. I’m a girl and she…” She made a helpless gesture. “She’s a woman!”
“And she’s rather infatuated with you,” Kalindinai said with a nod. “Do you know that’s the first time Janai has ever loved anyone—well, aside from her family.”
Daena thumped her temples. “Sarai already told me this. I just—just can’t…”
Kalindinai hummed to herself. “I see. Could you if Janai were a boy?”
“They don’t make boys that pretty,” Daena said with a laugh.
“Don’t avoid the question. What if she had been a boy all along, what then?”
The girl’s brow furrowed. “I don’t… know. I love her now, so maybe it would be a different kind of love.”
They rounded the corner into the council chambers and Kalindinai looked around. She stopped in the central griffon symbol. She swung the staff back in front of her and held it out to Daena who took hold.
The Queen drew a breath, closing her eyes and drawing on her focus, symbols and magical lines of focus and vector whirled through her mind as she chanted. Power gathered around them in a glowing blossom of light that swelled and then like a great golden wave crashed down in a boom.
The council chamber fragmented into a black void, and for a moment it seemed as if they were compressed down into a single point. Between heartbeats, the universe stretched out and snapped back leaving them in a new place.
The environs of the gallery on Terrace Illustra at Hill Court faded into solidity around them. People all around the court went into a frenzy of activity at seeing the Queen. Bannor doubted her appearing in such a public place was any accident. Kalindinai was obviously fulfilling another agenda as she took Daena by the wrist and strode through the court like she had never been away.
As she walked, a gesture transformed her armor and Daena’s into court robes. Jewels and lace flared into being in Daena’s hair, around her neck and on her fingers.
Reality's Plaything 5: The Infinity Annihilator Page 41
