by Lilly Pink
“So, it wasn’t just the people that disappeared. It was the world too,” Zoe said as this vision too, began to fade. “Do you think that means the human world is really the other half of Kumarinatu?”
“It seems that way. Although, now I wonder how much more there was of the ancient world than we were always led to believe. All our history books say that this world was made for the Kumari and implies that we were the only civilization upon it, but I am beginning to believe that we were originally one nation among many. This spell was meant not only to stop a war, and perhaps curtail Jahan’s abuses of power, but also as a form of isolation, to keep us from destroying the other cultures of the world.”
“Perhaps the final memory that I collected will give us more answers,” Darya started to say, and then she gasped as they all felt the strange sensation of the nonexistent earth being pulled out from under their feet. “Something… someone has taken control of the spell,” she said with wide eyes.
“What do you mean? Are we under attack?” Kian asked, perhaps unconsciously trying to shield Zoe with his own body.
“No… I do not know?” Darya replied, as the sensation of movement subsided and a form approached them out of the mist.
Kian was the first to recognize the ancient wizard. “Mehr? It cannot be,” he said, taking a step forward.
“Kian,” Mehr replied, though he didn’t seem to be looking at anyone in particular. He was much, much older than he had been in the first of the visions they had seen, gray and bent with the years, but his presence was still somehow commanding. “I have left this message attached to this moment in time in the hopes that you will one day come looking for it. What you would have witnessed was the final confrontation between your grandfather, Jahan, and myself.
He knew that I had done it, robbed him of his great victory, as he saw it, and stole not only all of his servants but most of his nation as well as his enemy right out from under his nose. As you might expect, he was furious, and he came to confront me in the Dreaming, right at the front of the tree I had created to hold the two worlds at just the right distance. He thought he could force me to set things right.”
Mehr shook his head. “I still do not know where we went wrong with him. I was his mentor too, after his father and brother were killed in an accidental skirmish with the Wylkani. He was obsessed with revenge, and he saw emotions, even his own, as tools to either be used to advantage or discarded.
I refused his request to reunite the worlds. He had already sacrificed so many to fuel his vengeance, both in battle and in increasingly horrible magical experiments. My hope was that either age would mellow him, and he would be humbled by the ordeal of living without people waiting on him hand and foot, or that eventually the people would tire of him and toss him out of their own accord.
But Jahan would not take no for an answer. We fought, and he was killed. He begged me to heal his wounds at the last, I will never forget, and for a moment, I wavered, remembering the boy whose scraped knees I had healed so long ago.” The old wizard looked heartbroken for a moment before his mouth set itself in a firm line.
“But he was like a mad dog, even in the end, and he tried to strangle me as I knelt over his broken body. I told him that he would be found dead in his bed, and no one would know what had happened. His son, whom I had rescued as an infant from his father’s madness, would be brought to court and installed as the new king. Jahan cursed me and my betrayal, but with his dying breath he cursed the world as well.
You see, I had intended for the human world to be just like this one. Magic would exist on both sides, and crossing between one world and the next would be possible, even fairly easy, for the determined. But Jahan was strong in magic, and even stronger in hatred, and he swore, with his life’s blood pouring out on the tree, that the other would suffer for disloyalty. He, perhaps not entirely consciously, bound his spirit to the tree, and prevented magic from flowing to the human world.
That is why the Kumari can no longer find their mates. They are all on the other side now, and without magic, there is nothing to fuel the bond. If the worlds are not reunited, this world will eventually die. You will not be able to solve that problem without defeating Jahan, and furthermore, he will pose a danger to anyone who comes over from the other side. Unfortunately, you will need to bring your mate here to reunite the worlds, because of the peculiarities of the spell used to split them. I didn’t want Jahan to be able to undo my work so easily, so it requires a mage from each world.”
There was more. Mehr relayed to Kian where he might find specific information about undoing the spell, and what they could expect to happen in the process of reuniting the world, but by that point, Zoe was too overwhelmed to really be listening. Jahan was the cause of all this, in the most basic sense. She had no doubt, just from what the visions had showed, that if he hadn’t been stopped, he would have sacrificed the whole world in his mad quest for power.
But now they knew for sure that the worlds had to be reunited if the Kumari were to be saved, and that the giant dragon guarding the world tree was only one of the obstacles in their way. And she would have to be there, battling right alongside Kian. Not that she wanted to leave him alone, because she would much rather he involve her in his plans, but she wasn’t sure she was ready for that fight.
Furthermore, reuniting the worlds might be the best option for the Kumari, but what about the human world? Zoe wasn’t sure they would fare as well during the transition, and the very idea made her sick to her stomach.
When they finally made it back to their bodies in Darya’s workroom, everyone was too exhausted to do much in the way of discussion. As she lay in bed beside Kian that night, she tried to push her fears aside, but they kept swirling around in her head until she thought she might go mad. Luckily, fatigue finally won over anxiety, and she fell asleep, but her last conscious thought was that this was something she and Kian would have to talk about, and soon.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
But when the next morning came, Zoe couldn’t seem to find a way to start the conversation. They were both busy, of course, between running the kingdom, such as it was, preparing for the birth of the twins, and their various other responsibilities. Kian had thrown himself into research, unsurprisingly, and Zoe was working on the mural as well as continuing to practice magic with Darya and archery with Shahin.
She had to accept the fact that she wouldn’t be allowed to go out with the scouts or do any other sort of battling, and though it rankled to be restricted, she knew she didn’t actually want to do any of those things. Her stomach made most activities slow and cumbersome, and there were plenty of other things to keep her busy.
Almost a week after their trip into the past with Darya, Kian visited her in the nursery again. The whole mural was finally mapped out onto the wall, at least in concept, and she was now able to apply the first coats of paint. He came up behind her as she was surveying her work with a critical eye, frowning with her hands on her hips.
“I think it looks wonderful,” came his voice suddenly in her ear. She jumped in surprise, rounding on him with paintbrush in hand. The streak of green she left across his face completely deflated the angry lecture she was about to give.
Instead she let out a surprised bark of laughter, while he blinked owlishly at her. Obviously it was not the reaction he had expected. “Don’t sneak up behind me like that!” she said, suppressing more laughter and handing him a rag.
He wiped off his face and smiled. “I suppose I have learned my lesson. Next time it might be the whole bucket.”
Zoe laughed again, dropping her brush into the water bucket and wrapping her arms around his waist. “I would never waste paint that way, but you don’t want to scare me into labor either. Now, did you have a reason for coming up here besides scaring me half to death?”
“Yes. I’ve discovered some things, and I think I know what must be done to defeat Jahan and reunite the worlds, but obviously it is something we should speak about.”
Guess there’s no getting out of it now, she thought with a deep sigh. “Yeah, I’ve been wanting to talk to you about it too. Let’s go into the bedroom.” Sirius got up from his position in the doorway and strode ahead of them, sniffing the air and patrolling the room before sinking down on the floor at the foot of the bed. That was the sign that it was safe.
Zoe sank down on the couch by the window and Kian sat down beside her, far enough away that he could see her expression. “Jãné del-am, please, tell me what is troubling you,” he said, taking her hands in his. “I am sorry we did not talk about it before, but we both have had a lot on our mind.”
Zoe sighed again, not sure she could explain her reservations in a way that Kian would understand, not even sure if they were reasonable reservations to be having. “I just don’t know if bringing the two worlds back together is a good idea. I mean, I know it will help the Kumari, but I feel like the human world is going to suffer.”
“I do not understand. I thought you would be eager to see your family again,” he said, frowning.
“Of course, Mehr already warned me about possible environmental disturbances, but placing Kumarinatu in the Pacific Ocean mitigates most of that, and with all of us standing by to calm the waves, the physical effects of reunification will be practically unnoticeable.”
“But what about everyone suddenly having magic? There is so much that could go wrong. People will panic! Not to mention it throws all the major belief systems of the world right out the window. I can’t even imagine what people would do if they saw actual dragons flying around. Probably shoot at them, or try to capture them for study or…” she was rambling, the very thought of the consequences bringing on a slight panic.
“Calm down, my heart,” he said soothingly. “Those are all good points but I do not think it is anything to get upset about. I can ease your mind about the magic. It will not come upon everyone in a sudden burst, but will flow into the world slowly. It is like a river emptying into a great empty basin; it will be years before a human will able to do much more than light a candle. Even the Kumari will find their magic dampened until the flow of power reaches an equilibrium.”
“Oh.” Now she felt dumb for not asking before because it did make her feel a little better. “Still, I just… I think we should wait. I feel like we’re just jumping into something too big for us.”
Now it was Kian’s turn to sigh. “Though there is some merit in waiting until after the children are born, I could make an argument for either approach. However, we gain nothing by waiting longer. This is something I have prepared for my entire life. Though it may seem sudden to you, many of the people here, your friends, have been waiting centuries. And, like it or not, the people are depending on us, as the rulers of this nation, to complete this task. Tackling large problems is our job.”
That was the crux of the problem, wasn’t it? “I never asked for this,” she said quietly. “I’m not cut out to be a hero.”
“I would not involve you in this battle if I had any choice,” he said, his tone getting a bit desperate. “But Mehr was right, your presence is required for the spell.”
She felt a surge of annoyance at this, and a part of her wondered if maybe the pregnancy had her a little on edge, but the words came out before she could rein them in. “You don’t have to remind me how hopeless I am. I know there are at least fifty people more qualified for this job than I am, but since I hardly had a choice in the matter….”
Kian looked as if she had slapped him in the face, which only served to make her feel worse. “Zoe… I didn’t mean—”
She stood up, with some effort. “I just… I need to go for a walk,” she said, screwing up her face to keep herself from crying. “Just… leave me alone for a minute.” The pregnancy did not make it easy to make a dignified exit, but she managed to flee their suite without Kian following.
By the time she reached her favorite of the lower gardens, she was already feeling guilty. Kian hadn’t meant to insult her, he was only worried for her safety. He had understandably been more protective than usual after the incident on their wedding night, and she knew he was trying his best to give her space.
Part of her wanted to run right back up to apologize, but her emotions were still unsettled. They had both been under a lot of pressure lately, but she wasn’t handling it nearly as well. She supposed Kian was more used to it than she was; people had depended on his judgement and leadership probably since the moment he had reached adulthood. No one had ever depended on Zoe. Except maybe her cat, and that was debatable. A walk would help clear her head.
“My Queen, you seem troubled. Might there be anything I could do to assist you?” came a familiar voice from the doorway.
It was not a voice she particularly wanted to hear. “No, thank you, Faizel. I’m just taking a walk. I even have Sirius to keep me company.” The Vryka glowered at the archivist, his hackles raising slightly.
“Ah, I understand, of course. But it is rather cold out. If it would please Her Majesty I could make some tea. It is soothing to the spirit and undoubtedly better for one’s health than the winter winds.”
An icy gust blew against Zoe’s neck almost on cue. The winters at Darisum Eunir were not nearly as harsh as those she had experienced in her former life, but it was chilly and she had not gone out dressed for the weather. She did not like the archivist, but only because she thought he was a stubborn old fool. A cup of tea would feel nice, and likely she would be so annoyed at dealing with Faizel, it would erase the remainder of her frustration with Kian. So she nodded graciously. “Thank you, Faizel. Tea would be lovely.”
He showed her into a quiet room in the back of the library which she had to assume was his office, Sirius settling at her feet once she had seated herself in one of the overstuffed armchairs. The room was neat to the point of obnoxiousness, in her opinion, and the aura of revered ancientness permeating the air made it seem even more like a museum than the rest of the palace.
Faizel busied himself with the tea set, which was both aged and ornate, completely in character for the fussy historian. “I do not wish to pry,” he said, turning to her once he had enchanted the teapot to start heating itself, “but if you tell me what troubles you so, I might be able to offer some assistance.”
Of course she didn’t want to involve him in their marital disputes, but perhaps he could help her with the more academic parts of her concerns. “I’m just worried about reuniting the two worlds. There are a lot of things that could go wrong.”
“Ah, yes,” he said, his smile annoyingly smug. “A difficult undertaking to be sure. Are you concerned about the battle? I admit I am surprised that the king would subject his mate to such a trial, especially a women in your condition.”
“No,” she said with a snort. “I mean it is a little scary, but I’ll be glad to have it over with, quite frankly. Kian would rather not have me involved with that part at all, but he doesn’t have much choice. Someone from the human world has to assist with breaking the spell.”
“I see,” Faizel replied, frowning and turning to attend to the teapot as it started to whistle. He seemed surprised to hear that, and Zoe wondered that Kian hadn’t mentioned it. Perhaps it was a detail he didn’t think the Archivist required. Maybe he hasn’t talked to Faizel about it at all, and that’s why I’m here. He’s trying to pump me for information that Kian won’t give him.
That was a somewhat disturbing thought, and it made Zoe more cautious when she continued. “I’m only concerned about the consequences of success. It will mean a lot of big changes.”
Faizel handed her a cup of tea. It smelled good, earthy with a slight hint of vanilla, and the warm cup was pleasant on her hands. “I could not agree more,” he said, seating himself behind his desk with his own cup. “There are over seven billion humans, but there are only a hundred of us. We will be quite vulnerable, putting ourselves deliberately in their midst. I do not know why the king will not consider allowing each of us to travel there as h
e has done, finding a mate and bringing them back. We could rebuild our population that way before we take such a drastic step.”
“I suppose I never thought of it that way. I was more worried that people would panic, having magic suddenly thrust back into the world. But Kian said traveling the Dreaming is difficult and dangerous. It takes years of training. And besides, the guardian of the tree doesn’t like transplants. I imagine he’ll try to kill anyone who crosses over.” The tea was good, once it was cool enough to drink. It reminded her a bit of hot chocolate, only it was spiced more like apple cider.
“It is true that the way your mate travels is a difficult path, but I have tried to persuade him to look for a different way. I believe that with some effort, we could build a permanent portal, allowing anyone to travel back and forth with ease. That does not solve the problem of the dragon, but it is a better solution than we have right now.”
Zoe drained the dregs of her tea cup and set in on the desk. Her limbs felt oddly heavy. “That seems just as dangerous,” she said, finding it somewhat difficult to think through her sudden fatigue. “Anyone could find it and come through. Now, I’m afraid you’ll have to excuse me. I have a sudden need for a nap.”
Faizel chuckled. It did not sound very friendly. “I’m afraid that will be impossible, Your Majesty,” he said with a sneer. “The herbs that I put in your tea cause paralysis. Completely temporary, but by the time it wears off, you will hardly be in a shape to complain.”
“But why?” she said thickly, though perhaps she would have done better to scream while she still could. The poison was taking hold, making her limbs feel cold and dead, but she desperately wanted to know why he was doing this. He and Kian did not get along, but it seemed more like a cordial difference of opinion than actual animosity.
“I am terribly sorry about it, you know. You seem like a sweet girl, a tad naïve, perhaps, but intelligent enough. It is nothing personal, I simply cannot allow the reunification to proceed. Previously, I miscalculated. By assuming that Kian’s ridiculous preoccupation with doing the right thing was a charade, I mistakenly believed that your mating was a sham. It would be easy enough for someone of his abilities to find any random pregnant girl and bring her over.
