by Bianca D'Arc
The old woman seemed to diminish as the memories of her own lost love came to her mind, and Jeri’s heart filled with compassion.
“I’m sorry for your loss, Sha Ellenor.” Jeri’s heart went out to the old woman. “I thought my sister lost to me. Even now, I don’t know if she’ll ever be the same as she once was. I understand your pain.”
The old woman smiled softly, her eyes kind. “You have a good heart, Jeri. I’m glad to see it.” She withdrew, moving away from them as she prepared to go. “Your sister will recover physically, though I fear the stone will always be part of her. It is her heart and soul you must fight for. With love and patience, she will heal and be whole once again.”
“Thank you, Sha Ellenor, for giving me hope.” Jeri rested her head against Micah’s chest, glad of his support during this strange meeting.
They were whisked back into the shuttle, only to land halfway around the planet on Micah’s home soil sometime later. His parents were there to meet him, as were most of the rest of his extended family, including Darak, who’d been released from wherever they’d taken him after they left the ship.
Meeting Micah’s parents was daunting, but his mother welcomed her with open arms and from then on, things were easier. Micah’s father looked much like his son, only older. Looking at him gave Jeri an idea of what Micah might look like in twenty or thirty years. He had that same steady power about him too, a Mage Master of great Talent. Micah’s mother held her own place on the Mage Council and was a tall woman with striking good looks and great elegance.
Jeri felt a little bit like a scruffy ragamuffin next to his sisters—one older and two younger—who were as tall and elegant as their mother. But they were warm as well, making Jeri feel welcome and taking her off for a few moments of girl talk while Micah discussed his recent trip with his father and uncles.
Darak came to steal her away, winking broadly as he escorted her to the banquet table that had been set up. Jeri realized only then how incredibly hungry she was as Darak filled a plate for her, chatting about the various characters in the family as they eyed her in return.
“I heard you and the rest of the crew were retested. How did it go?” Jeri asked Darak as they stood eating finger foods that were delicious and in some cases unidentifiable. At least to Jeri, who had never seen such an elaborate buffet.
Darak shrugged. “Ag did some testing before we left the ship. I was close to Mage level before, so I guess that’s where I ended up.” He looked uncomfortable though he tried to hide it. “I’ll have to take a seat on the Council, which will be quite a change. I don’t think they’re ready for me in that stuffy chamber.”
Jeri chuckled. “I have no doubt of that.” She saw Micah bearing down on them and he clapped Darak on the back heartily.
“So I hear we have a new Mage Master of Geneth Mar,” Micah teased Darak, who seemed stunned by the news of his rise in power.
“Micah.” Darak’s tone was chiding and a little panicked. “Tell me you’re joking.”
“’Fraid not, cuz. The word came down to Uncle Brandon, and he’s about to make the announcement. I’d say you’d better get that look of dumb astonishment off your face before everyone else finds out.”
“Master?” Darak breathed. “Really?”
Jeri touched his arm. “I’ve seen what you can do, Darak. The way you healed Tendil and my sister. How could you doubt yourself?”
Darak leaned down and kissed her, taking her in his arms for an exuberant hug a moment before adding his grinning cousin to the mix.
“I can’t believe it.”
“Believe it, Dar,” Micah said encouragingly. “Believe in yourself.”
Vizier Brendon made the announcement a few minutes later to much rejoicing among the gathered family. He also mentioned that all the members of the Circe’s crew had gained rank in an unprecedented way. Seta was now a strong Dominar, as was Trini, and the two young yeomen had each jumped two levels. Agnor was being seen by no less than the entire conclave of Specitars to see if they could figure out how to classify his incredibly increased powers and he let it be known that the Sha Ellenor had already met with Micah and Jeri and she would be delivering her findings on their progress soon.
The gathered family members asked Darak and then Micah to say a few words, and Micah surprised Jeri by pulling her into his arms and declaring that their bonding ceremony would be held in just a few days. He kissed her soundly in front of his whole family and she blushed as they made various kind and sometimes risqué comments.
From that moment on, Jeri was taken over by Micah’s mother and sisters as they planned the ceremony down to the last detail. Her days at the family compound were spent with the women, but her nights were Micah’s. He took her to his private apartments and loved her all night long, taking her to heights they hadn’t reached before.
They lay in the afterglow, the retractable ceiling on their tower room pulled back so they could bask under the stars. Micah held her close in his arms at his side, with her head nestled into his neck as they watched the twinkle of the tiny suns so far away and yet so close.
“How are my mother and sisters treating you? I know you’ve been cornered by them as they plan the ceremony. I’m sorry I haven’t been more available for you during the day, but there’s a lot to be done before I hand over the Circe to Darak.”
She leaned up on an elbow, quick as a flash. “You’re giving the Circe to Darak?”
Micah shrugged. “It’s time. The Circe doesn’t belong to me, much as I might wish she did. She’s a spy craft, built by the Council and in their employ. Darak doesn’t know yet so don’t spill the beans. It’s going to be a surprise for our new Master Mage.”
“He’s going to be floored, Micah. He barely believes he’s a Master now.”
“I know how he feels. I’ve been there before myself.”
“To answer your question though, your mother and sisters have been amazing. I never thought they would welcome me so readily. Jenet and I are about the same age and we’re becoming good friends.”
“How about Serina and Alis?”
Serina was his older sister and she possessed a beauty and self-assurance that was daunting. She welcomed Jeri with an open heart. Alis, the youngest, was a devil of mischief and she was fast endearing herself to Jeri’s humorous side.
“They’ve been great, as has your mother. They’ve made me feel like part of the family already, though I’ve got a lot to learn. Your mother is teaching me many things I don’t know about your culture.”
“I’m glad.” He hugged her close. “Once I turn over the Circe to Darak, we’ll have plenty of time for ourselves. And we’re taking a honeymoon trip to the southern coast. Just the two of us. I have a private villa there.” He moved so that she was straddling his waist as his hands roamed. “We can make love on the beach day and night.”
He then proceeded to demonstrate just how they would make love, in many different ways, all through the night.
The ceremony went off without a hitch. The crowd of well-wishers was immense though the ceremony itself was scaled down from what it could have been had his mother and sisters gotten their way. Jeri had insisted on a simple ceremony and Micah was glad. Undoubtedly she’d been told of some of the more excessive ceremonies where the couple consummated the union in front of everyone.
He wouldn’t have minded, except for the need to shield everyone present from their expanded powers, but he knew his shy little bride would never go for such a public display. She was slowly getting used to their culture, and he’d already discovered she liked to watch, but she was a long way from putting on a show of her own.
The party went on long into the night and even the next day some of the revelers revived the band enough to do a bit more dancing. Micah and Jeri had one more stop to make before they could go on their honeymoon. Micah had a full month planned at his private island, and he was eager to get there and have his new wife to himself.
There was just one further ob
ligation first. He escorted her to the small shuttle, taking leave of his family with a round of hugs and kisses while Jeri accepted the ribald humor most new brides were subject to with good grace. Her face was red with blushes as she sat next to him in the copilot’s chair, and he teased about it before getting down to the business of flying them to their next destination.
She was interested in learning how to pilot the small craft so they passed the time it took to get to the Council enclave with a rudimentary flying lesson. It wasn’t a difficult craft to master and by the time they landed, Jeri was flushed with the success of her first lesson. He was glad she hadn’t asked much about why they’d been summoned back to the Council compound. He was nervous about what they might learn, for today was the day he would not only introduce Jeri to the Council, but they’d also receive the results of their recent appraisals by the Sha.
The Council chamber was nothing like Jeri had expected. It was a vast hall, like an amphitheater, with an outer hallway that led to the chamber proper. There were private rooms in the back area, by the access hall, giving each Mage their own private suite for them and their aides. The outermost area was a small box that sat in the theatre itself, with a table and chair, comp and other equipment that might be needed to be heard in the large hall. The whole place was decorated in soothing colors and the energy of the place was dampened in some way that made her feel more comfortable here than she had in a very long time in any public place.
“The Viziers keep a shield up around the place when the Council is in session,” Micah explained, knowing her questions before she could ask them.
This new closeness with him was still somewhat startling, but it grew more comfortable with each passing day. She felt she’d finally come home. Wherever Micah was, that was her home. He smiled and swooped to kiss her lips sweetly.
“You’re my home as well, Jeri.” The voice sounded in her mind, and it was undeniably Micah’s. She gasped.
“How?”
Micah chuckled, pulling her close for a quick hug. “Agnor showed me a few things. He figured with our increase in power, some other things might’ve changed as well. I had a very slight telepathic gift before. Nothing to write home about, but it was there. It was hard for me to utilize, so I never really trained it. It hurt when I sent, but I could receive reasonably safely. Ag knew this and would sometimes ’path me when we were on missions. It was a useful little skill.”
“But now you can send without pain?”
“Apparently so. Agnor gave me a quick brushup on the technique and since our little jump in power, it doesn’t hurt to send. Of course, it’s still not my primary skill.”
“Do you think I could learn it?”
“Agnor said you might have the Talent. We’ll give it a try after we get this over with, okay?”
He squeezed her close for a short moment, then let her go to move into the chamber proper, taking the seat at the table set aside for them. He pulled out her chair, letting her precede him and squeezing her shoulders in reassurance while all heads in the chamber turned to mark their entrance.
Jeri was surprised to see Micah’s father and mother in the box next to them, smiling in support. His sister Serina was in the next box and on their other side, Uncle Brendon sat in a separate box, on the fringes of a cluster of other Viziers.
“The Viziers don’t always sit in on Council meetings, but they have a reserved area and are always welcome.” Micah explained the various tools in the box, message systems and audio pickups, as well as pointing out other sections in the great hall. “The business takes place down on the floor and these boxes can detach and move any of us down there if needed, so don’t jump if the box detaches. It can be a little jarring.”
“Do you think they’ll want us there?” Her voice was a little fearful. The room was immense, and there were so many people watching them already.
“Probably. I’ll want to introduce you at least, but there will probably be some discussion of what happened to us at Liata and then some announcement of our new rankings. Don’t worry, love. I’ll be beside you the whole time. We’re in this together.”
She smiled up at him and in that moment of unshielded love, a bright light shone on their box and it detached with a jolt from the wall.
“Hmm, that didn’t take long.” Micah tucked her hand in his and squeezed it in reassurance as her eyes went wide. “Chin up, sweetheart. They won’t bite.”
She smiled at his reassuring chuckle and it was that picture of them, united in their love, that most of the Mages present would take away with them as their first impression of the couple. There was silence in the hall as they neared the stage in the center, and Jeri could feel hundreds of pairs of eyes watching their every move. She tried to breathe deeply and concentrate on Micah’s warm presence at her side. He was with her. That’s all that mattered.
The Master of Ceremonies welcomed them to the floor, introducing Micah and reminding everyone present of his lineage. When he turned to introduce Jeri, he surprised her by using her full name and planet of origin. Several in the audience muttered, she could hear, when Mithrak was mentioned, but she sensed the disapproval wasn’t of her or her planet, but of the Wizards and the way they enslaved Talents in their collective.
Jeri’s nerves slowly subsided as Micah was asked to give a full report of their journey. He quickly and precisely explained about finding her on Pantur and then the action at Liata. Some of the Mages rang their question bells and asked about her stay on Pantur and how she came to be there, but the questioning wasn’t harsh or suspicious, only interested and she found herself going into some detail about her life on Mithrak and her escape to Pantur. Before she knew it, she was feeling more comfortable with friendly questioning and Micah beside her.
When they came to the end of their story, a hush fell over the chamber as a new person walked onto the center stage, stopping before Micah and Jeri. Micah stood and Jeri followed suit, bowing low before the old woman she’d met briefly upon arrival on Geneth Mar. The Sha had come to Council, apparently surprising many within.
All the Mages rose, Jeri realized belatedly, and bowed their heads in respect to the Sha. The old woman acknowledged them with a smile and a benevolent wave, then waited until they’d reseated themselves before addressing the assembly.
“Forgive me for staying away so long, my friends,” the old Sha began. “For a long time after my mate’s passing I had no hope. But I find new hope for us now, in these two young people.” Her arm swept theatrically to indicate Micah and Jeri where they stood off to her side. “For I have seen into their minds and met my match. And more.” Her eyes met Jeri’s and the woman’s smile was brilliant. “In them, I see the rebirth of hope for our people. Two new Shas to protect us and help guide us into the years ahead.”
Jeri felt Micah’s shock as they stared at the older woman approaching them slowly, her arms open wide as she hugged them both.
“Don’t look so surprised, my dears,” she said to them privately, startling Jeri a bit. “You had to have known this was coming. After what you did to those ships? And even before? I studied the records from the Circe after meeting you. You two are stronger even than I and my beloved husband were in our prime.”
Micah bent low to kiss the old woman softly on her cheek, a sparkle in his eye as Jeri did the same. Jeri was crying openly, tears of astonishment and the joy she felt from the cheering Mages running softly down her cheeks.
“Your lives will be very different now,” the Sha warned. “You will be protected and cosseted as you will protect and cosset the people who look up to you and depend on you. It is a weighty responsibility, but I think you two can handle it.”
The Sha turned to address the Mages once more as they grew quiet at her gentle motion.
“Lord Micah, you were bred to command. Your family has a long and proud tradition on Geneth Mar and a love for its people.” Her old eyes sought out the boxes where Micah’s family sat, and she nodded. “You will be a good and stro
ng Sha, vigilant and experienced in the ways of command.” Then she turned to Jeri.
“Jeri Olafsdottir of Mithrak, you are a stranger to our world, born under oppression and forced to hide for most of your life. You have a heart full of compassion and a firsthand knowledge of the right and wrong ways to use Talent. Your love for Micah and your love of freedom will be a beacon for the rest of our worlds to rally behind. We are truly blessed that you have come to us, and the people of our worlds will treasure you both, always.”
A huge roar of approval echoed through the hall and only then did Jeri realize there were roving newsbot cameras recording and broadcasting this moment to the rest of the planet and perhaps beyond to other Council worlds. She was nearly overwhelmed.
Micah caught her as she swayed just the tiniest bit, pulling her back against him and wrapping his arms around her waist as they faced the approving cheers of the Mage Council. Never had he felt so light of heart, except perhaps for the day Jeri had told him she loved him. Only that moment could match the joy he felt now directed at them from all these strong Talents.
Suddenly he realized what his new role—their new role—would be. They were protectors and leaders, but now they also represented hope for their people. With two new powerful Shas, the threat against all Council worlds diminished substantially. As they grew into their full power and learned how to harness it and use it, they would be the symbol of protection for the worlds aligned with the Council.
They would undoubtedly be called upon to defend those worlds in the dark times to come. For the attack on Liata was just the first foray, Micah knew, of a much broader plan by the enemies of the Council to expand their influence into Council space and make the Council itself fall, if possible.
That much at least, he had learned from Jana’s memories of her enthrallment to the Wizards’ collective. She would be either a strong ally or a sleeper agent for the enemy in their midst, but she was being watched carefully. Jeri would keep her close, as would he, albeit for different reasons. Both Darak and Agnor had been let in on the secrets Micah had picked up. He trusted them to look for any sign of problems, and be their backup should he and Jeri be called away somewhere else, which he thought would happen sooner rather than later. Better to attack new Shas who didn’t quite know yet what they were doing than go after them later, when they’d had a chance to study and learn to control their immense new powers.
