“If you give all of your power to the Udari, what happens to you?” Ian asked.
“I won’t be giving it to the Udari,” Nica said. “It’ll be more like…sharing it. Besides, whatever happens to me, this is what must be done to save Apedra, and all the people who live here. I think that’s a fair trade.”
“I don’t,” Ian said.
Nica reached up and touched his face lightly with her fingertips. “I love you Ian, but I must do this.”
“You are extraordinarily stubborn,” Val said with a sigh. “But we cannot argue with your need to help the people of this world. I could not be more proud of you, Nica, were you one of our own daughters. Quenton, Karl, and Sam would be proud of you too.”
“Yes, I know,” Nica said. “They told me when I spoke with them earlier.”
“They freed your soul.” Garen said.
“They did,” she said, sudden tears on her cheeks.
“Go forth, Proud Warrior,” Garen said solemnly, bowing with his fist to his heart, Trey and Val copying his actions.
Nica was so startled by the honor of being addressed as a true warrior that it took her a moment to respond. She stood straight and placed her fist to her heart. “Fly true, Honored Warriors,” she replied, bowing low. Then she hurried forward to hug each of them in thanks.
Garen cleared his throat and waited while she stepped back and wiped her eyes. “Now, tell us what we may do to aid you, Nica.”
“Okay, just a moment please,” she said. Then she took a deep breath and slipped the ring onto her finger. As soon as it was on, she saw what she needed to do.
“Uncle Garen, will you use Air to lift me up and move me to where that crack is on the crystal?”
“Of course.”
“He cannot surround you with his power, Nica,” Eibhleann’s voice spoke in her mind, startling her. “It will interfere with what you must do using your own power.”
“Nica?” Garen asked.
“Excuse me, Uncle Garen, Eibhleann is talking to me.” Garen nodded, and she turned her attention back to Eibhleann. “How am I to get up there if I don’t get help?”
“You must learn to trust yourself, Nica,” Eibhleann said
“I don’t understand,” Nica replied.
“Are you not Princess of the Butterflies?”
“How do you know about that?” Nica asked in surprise. But Eibhleann didn’t answer her question.
“Trust yourself,” was all she said, then she fell silent.
Nica felt the now familiar spike of pain in her head, and took a deep breath, trying to relax. She had no idea what Eibhleann meant, but evidently it was supposed to be obvious. Her heart started to race, her stomach turned over, and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead.
“Nica, what’s wrong?” Ian said worriedly.
“Eibhleann says that if Uncle Garen wraps me in Air, it will interfere with what I have to do,” she said, speaking loud enough for everyone to hear her. “She said I’m supposed to trust myself, but I don’t know what she means. Now the headache is coming back and I don’t know what to do.”
“I’m afraid we’re running out of time,” Eibhleann said suddenly. “Ask if he can create a platform of Air strong enough for you to stand on.” Relieved, Nica asked, already knowing that the answer would be yes.
“Where exactly do you want to be?” Garen asked.
Nica looked up at the crystal. “I need to place this ring against that crack, and I have to be wearing it.”
“Can one of us go up there with you?” Trey asked.
“Eibhleann says no,” she replied. “Something about mixing powers. She says that the platform can’t be too big, either. Just enough for me to stand on.”
“I don’t like this,” Trey said, frowning.
“Nor do I,” Ian agreed.
“It can’t be helped,” Nica said. “I must channel a lot of power, and if there’s other power too close, it will draw it like a magnet.”
“She’s right,” Garen said. “Nica, you’ll be perfectly safe. We’ll watch you the whole time and if you stumble or fall, we’ll catch you. Just focus on what you need to do, and we’ll take care of the rest.”
“Thanks Uncle Garen,” she said. She rose up on her toes to kiss Ian quickly on the mouth, then walked to the edge of the water, facing the crystal. “I’m ready.”
Nica felt herself begin to rise up off the ground, though her feet felt as though they were still on something solid. She was glad that the sensation was not completely unfamiliar for her. She and the other children of Dracons’ Ranch had often played with the male-sets and their magics. Air had been her particular favorite because it made her feel like she was flying.
Garen raised her up and out toward the crystal slowly enough that she didn’t lose her balance, but quickly enough that it didn’t take long for her to reach the crack. She waved back at him when she was at eye level of the crack and she stopped. She looked down and immediately grew dizzy at the sight of the rolling ocean below her. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, then opened them again, glad the sensation had gone as quickly as it had come.
Following her instincts, she reached up with her right hand and placed the stone of the ring against the crack in the crystal. She immediately felt warmth flowing through her body to the ring, and from the ring into the crystal. As she watched, the crack began to heal, starting at the point where the ring touched it and slowly moving inward. She focused on it, imagining that it was healing faster, and was satisfied to see a significant increase in the speed of the healing.”
“Not too fast,” Eibhleann whispered. “Be sure it’s fully healed.”
Nica nodded to herself in understanding but didn’t reply. She continued directing the healing until the crack was gone, then went back, searching carefully to be sure no flaws were left, and the crystal was completely whole. Satisfied that she was finished, she started to lift her hand from the crystal, but couldn’t. She frowned. Was she stuck? She pulled harder, starting to panic, when Eibhleann’s voice spoke in her mind.
“Calm yourself, Nica,” she said. “All is well. Now you must recharge the Udari.”
Nica nodded and tried to relax by focusing on the warmth that was now leaving her at a greater rate. She watched as the cloudiness of both the crystal and the stone of her ring began to dissipate until both were deep, flawless green. When the entire Udari was clear, the warmth flowing from her into the crystal started to become warmer and warmer until it was uncomfortably hot, but she didn’t attempt to move the ring again. She gritted her teeth against the growing pain, watching as the crystal grew brighter and brighter until a thin core of golden light ran all the way from its top to below the waves. Suddenly, the flow of power stopped and the pain vanished. Nica was exhausted, but she didn’t care. The Udari was whole again.
Just as she started to lift her hand from the crystal, something icy hot lanced through her side. She froze, unable to move or breathe for one long moment. Then a tidal wave of pain crashed over her, and she stumbled backward off the platform of Air.
***
“Where are we going now?” Flora asked.
“We are returning to Galia,” Luagh replied shortly.
“Oh,” Flora said, wishing there was something else to look at besides water. “Isn’t that the island we just stopped at a few minutes ago?”
“Silence, human,” Luagh snapped.
“Fine, then I won’t tell you that there are people on that island now.”
“Your eyes are weak, but I can still see through them well enough for that,” Luagh replied, descending until he was flying just above the waves.
“Do you have to get so close to the water?” Flora demanded.
“Yes,” Luagh said. “The rocks will hide us so that I don’t have to waste power hiding us.”
“Are you saying we’re invisible right now?”
“Yes,” Luagh replied. He landed on the rocks at the back edge of the island and folded his wings. It had ta
ken a lot of power to meld with the human enough to gain the use of his wings, and even more power to fly so far, but it had been worth it to learn so much. It seemed his luck was holding, too. If he hadn’t decided to retrace his route, he would have missed seeing these humans.
“If you don’t want those people to see us, why did we land?”
“Because the human female of power is here,” Luagh said. “I want to know what she’s doing.”
“Nica Vinia?” Flora asked. “That female?”
“Yes, that is the one,” Luagh said. “I suspect she plans to heal the Udari, which will probably free the Tuatha De.”
“Crap,” Flora said. “We have to stop her.”
“Yes, we do,” Luagh agreed.
“Good,” Flora said with relish. “How do we do it?”
“With this,” Luagh said, unsheathing the large knife she’d taken to wearing at her hip.
“If she’s so powerful, won’t it bounce off of her like her knife bounced off of us?”
“No, not when I’m finished with it,” Luagh said. He raised one hand and Flora watched in horror as the perfectly manicured nails of her right hand grew into ugly black claws.
“You better put that back the way you found it,” she said angrily. Luagh ignored her as he used one claw to etch a design on the blade of the knife. When he was finished, he turned it over and etched the same design on the other side. When he was finished, he examined his handiwork carefully, then nodded to himself, satisfied. “The claws, Luagh,” Flora reminded him.
“This hand is more powerful than yours,” Luagh said and wrapped his fingers around the hilt.
“Fine, but just for now,” Flora snapped. “What do we do next?”
“We must climb these rocks in silence,” Luagh said. “I am hiding our appearance, our scent, and power, and I must use power to throw the knife fast and true.”
“So why not use power so they can’t hear us, too?”
“We must be able to fly back to Galia, human,” Luagh growled. “Or do you wish to remain here forever?”
Flora decided not to answer that. Instead she watched as Luagh climbed the rocks, wincing inwardly each time he scraped her hands or knees. It wasn’t cheap or easy to stay beautiful all the time and he was trashing more than just a manicure now. She fumed silently until he reached the top of the rock pile and they were able to look down and see the people below them.
“Who are the large males?” Luagh asked, sensing enormous power radiating from them.
“How should I know?” Flora asked. “But that man standing in the back is Ian Fadden.”
“Perhaps we can take him after the female,” Luagh said in a placating tone.
“No, he’s the most dangerous,” Flora said. “We should take him out first.”
“You are foolish, even for a human,” Luagh retorted contemptuously. “He is the least dangerous of all.”
“I know those men are big, but muscle won’t matter against power,” Flora argued.
“Those are not men, fool,” Luagh growled.
“No?” Flora asked. “What are they then? Trees?”
“Silence,” Luagh said, and Flora heard the deeper warning in his tone. She always knew when she’d pushed someone to the limit because her sense of self-preservation kicked in. She kept silent, but she was angry. “We must get closer,” Luagh said. “The female is too far away.”
Flora looked around, not even seeing Nica. Only when Luagh looked up did she see the other woman floating in mid-air without any means of support. Okay, she thought, maybe the little twit had some power after all. But she was far away. “What if you throw that knife and miss?”
“I do not miss,” Luagh retorted.
“Maybe not, but you’re in my body, and I’m a lousy shot,” she said.
“What do you suggest, human?”
“You said we were invisible, and she’s alone up there. Why not fly over and just stab her?”
Luagh thought about that for a moment and had to agree that it was a good idea. “What then?”
“Then, when everyone is watching her fall, we can come up behind Ian and get ourselves a quick Druid snack.”
“You’re quite bloodthirsty, even for a human,” Luagh said approvingly. “Your plan is a good one.”
Luagh replaced the shields he’d dropped, then spread his wings and took off. He flew around the island, watching the males on the beach carefully. None of them looked toward him at all. They all had their attention on the small female floating high in the air next to the Udari. An Udari, he suddenly realized, that was once again clear and filled with power.
He slipped the knife from its sheath again, and gripped it tightly as he approached the female, furious that he hadn’t moved quickly enough to prevent her from healing it. He flew close to her and reached out, stabbing the knife deep into her side with more viciousness than usual. Then he was past her, the knife in his hand dripping with her blood as he swung around in a wide circle, barely hearing the shouts of the men below.
“We must kill Fadden and destroy the Udari, so move quickly,” Luagh said to Flora as he descended behind the men who were still watching the female fall slowly toward the sea. Hopefully they would remain distracted for just a few more moments. “Are you ready?”
“Yes,” Flora replied as Luagh placed their feet on the sand just a few feet behind Ian, who stood behind the other three men. She raised the knife in Luagh’s clawed hand and struck fast and hard, plunging the knife deep into Ian’s neck.
She yanked the knife out just as Luagh, scenting the power in the blood now flowing from the Druid’s wound and helpless to resist it, jerked control away from her, and began to drink. Flora saw the huge men turn toward them and warned Luagh in time for him to shove Ian away and spread his wings.
Garen speed traveled the short distance between himself and the woman holding the bloody knife in an instant. He grabbed hold of Flora’s arm just as Luagh sensed Eibhleann’s approach. In a panic, and unable to break the giant man’s grip on his human’s arm, Luagh tore himself, and Flora’s soul, out of her body, screaming with the pain of it, but knowing flight was his only chance. What he didn’t count on was how disoriented he would be when he suddenly went from a human body to his own, with stronger and better senses of sight, sound, and scent. He stumbled on the sand, struggling for balance even as he leapt into the air, but he was already too late. With a single whispered word, Eibhleann caught and held him like a dog on a leash.
***
Nica felt the Dracons’ power wrap gently around her and stop her freefall toward the sea. She focused on trying to breathe in and out, struggling not to panic, knowing that the moment she was safely on the ground one of her uncles would speed travel her to the Ugaztun, Doc, and a healing tank.
Just before she touched the sand she heard Ian scream, and an image of what had happened to him, in detail, flashed through her mind. Without even realizing what she was doing she brushed off the Air surrounding her and leapt to her feet. Forgetting her own pain, she ran as fast as she could toward Ian, her feet barely touching the sand that would otherwise have slowed her down considerably.
As she ran she saw a black, shadowy thing that she couldn’t quite focus her eyes on emerge from Flora’s back with a snapping sound, saw Flora’s suddenly lifeless body fall to the ground, and saw Eibhleann catch and hold the writhing creature. None of it mattered to her in the least. All she cared about was Ian.
Her strength gave out just as she reached him and she fell to her knees, gasping for air, ignoring the rush of hot blood running from the deep wound in her side. She placed one trembling hand on his pale, cool cheek and the other over the ragged wound on his neck. She looked up at Garen, Trey, and Val, who stood looking down at her with sorrow in their eyes. “Is there nothing you can do?”
“We’ve slowed the bleeding,” Garen said as gently as he could. “But the damage caused by the knife is massive, and beyond our powers to heal. Nica, you are bleeding badly. Why?�
��
“It stabbed me first,” she said. “That’s why I fell.”
“You must let us take you to Doc,” Garen said, moving toward her, but she held up one hand.
“No, not yet, Uncle Garen,” she said in a tone that brooked no argument. Garen hesitated, then stopped and nodded. Nica turned her gaze, and her attention, back to Ian. “I love you guys so much, and I don’t want you to think I’m a coward, but I can’t do this again.” She looked up to see tears in the eyes of the Dracon Princes, and felt her own overflow though she tried very hard to prevent it. “I can’t lose the other half of my soul twice in one lifetime. I’m sorry, I just can’t.”
Nica's Legacy (Hearts of ICARUS Book 1) Page 32
