“Why Cole?”
“Only one protected by the Raven-Eater can bind him to eternal darkness. Crossing into the Land of the Living made him human, now only your son can stop him from rising again.”
“Okay.” Ian took Cole by the shoulders and placed him in front of the hole. “It’s okay, just do as he says. Quick.”
Cole followed orders, tossing the hair-braided necklace into the hole and quickly pouring in the dirt. When he was finished, Smoke Speaker lit a bowl of white sage and said a prayer to Creator, an offering to the sacred directions, forever ending the reign of the Raven-Eater.
The red and purple lights glittered high above the Land of the Dead, the Western Sun churning steadily in the distance. The world of dead and lost souls was balanced once again. Whisper knew the moment her new kingdom had been restored, as not only did the light return and the wind blow refreshed air, but the Raven-Eater stopped groaning and convulsing, passing away into eternity, along with his army.
“This is…not…over…half-breed,” he had snarled around a mouthful of blood, anger taking over any fear that may have filled his black heart when he realized he was about to die. “You will…suffer. I…will…return…”
Whisper had only knelt down and smirked, holding the blade across her knees so the Raven-Eater could see the weapon that took his life. “Until then, Raven-Eater,” she had answered, just before his eyes closed for the last time.
Only when the Raven-Eater was truly dead and vanished in a subtle burst of gray dust did Whisper release Gentle Heart from the altar. She tossed the sword to the side and stepped to the edge of the Fire Tower, looking out over the Land of the Dead fondly. Yes, she thought without any regard to her confused mother rising to unsteady feet on the altar, I am home.
“I don’t understand,” Gentle Heart said from behind. “I thought you wanted me.”
Whisper turned. “I never said I wanted you.”
“But you said you…” She was right, Gentle Heart thought as she recalled her daughter’s words. Whisper never said outright that she wanted to kill her, only that she wanted revenge against the one who forced her into a life of training. “The Raven-Eater,” she replied quietly. “He tried to kill you, and ordered your death, and so I had to give you up.”
“Yes.” Whisper walked up to her mother and touched the bone necklace around her throat. “I have never blamed you for my existence in the Land of the Living, only him. I cannot fault the Elder for wishing his daughter to be returned to him, for being blinded to any other purpose. It is only human. His grief, as was my training, was the result of the Raven-Eater’s treachery. And so he had to be destroyed.”
“But how…how did you kill him?”
“The boy,” Whisper answered, pointing to the Western Sun. “Only a child protected by the Raven-Eater can bind his powers. When a part of him crossed through the Western Sun and into the Land of the Living, he became mortal. By burying his hair, he is forever bound to a place created for souls without a life in either world, a place where he can never exist except within his own black soul.”
“And me?”
“You…” Whisper bit back a sigh and turned her attention to the Barren Plains, remembering her attack, Ian’s courage. It seemed so long ago. “You are free, Blue Feather. Free to return to the Land of the Living. I have the power to return you to Smoke Speaker, so you can live the life that was stripped away by the Raven-Eater.”
“And what about you?”
Hundreds of images came to Whisper’s mind. What she could do with this place, how she could rule. The possibilities were endless. “My place has always been here.”
Chapter 46
Before he could return to his own life, Ian had to get answers. Smoke Speaker was willing to hear his questions, and had built a fire over the Raven-Eater’s place of burial to cook a rabbit for the three of them. Cole sat silently at Ian’s side, fidgeting and wishing he could go home.
“So you’ve trained Whisper since she was a child to kill the Raven-Eater.”
“Yes.” Smoke Speaker nodded and turned the rabbit. Only he, Ian, and Cole would ever remember this journey, and it had taken its toll on the Elder. Giving up his life, knowing there was the chance he would never return, acknowledging the fact that Whisper wasn’t coming back, was a lot for his old heart to bear. “I gave her a choice, though. She did not have to go. She chose to save her mother.”
“How do you know she’s still alive? That he didn’t kill her first?”
Smoke Speaker gestured to the gray tendrils drifting up to the sky. “She told me she is still alive, and that my daughter is free.”
Ian looked around. “Then where is she?”
The Elder frowned and poked at the rabbit. “Blue Feather has chosen to stay in the Land of the Dead, to be with her daughter.” His answer was sad, though tinged with pride. “She chose right. And one day, I will join them in the Land of the Dead, and be reunited with my loved ones.”
Ian considered the old man’s declaration. Smoke Speaker had trained Whisper to defeat the Raven-Eater so as to save his daughter. To be so young and be forced to carry such a burden, he couldn’t imagine. And to be a mother, living for so many years with a terrifying beast filled with evil in a world not meant for a woman so kind, choosing to stay for the sake of a daughter she never got the chance to know. That was a sacrifice he wasn’t sure he was strong enough to make. Yet it was one to be honored, no matter how deceitful Whisper had been, no matter the fact Cole died because of the Elder’s own objectives.
The truth was, Cole was safe, and Whisper was dead. She had given up her life for them both, making her own fate a reality. He truly believed that deep down she understood the power of good over evil, and would rule accordingly.
“You’re lucky, Smoke Speaker.” Ian accepted the wooden plate that the Elder offered, picking up a chunk of meat. “Both your daughter and your granddaughter will be legends for your people.”
The comment filled Smoke Speaker with delight. “My Whisper was born into a world she was destined to change. And now, she has the chance to do so.”
Ian handed Cole a bite of meat. The boy wolfed it down and grabbed for more. He cleared his throat. “Just two things I still don’t understand. The first is…well, there was this word tattooed on Whisper’s back. It said Ayohuhisdi. I asked her a few times what it meant, but she would never tell me.”
The happiness on Smoke Speaker’s face faded. “Ayohuhisdi,” he repeated, remembering the sad day he had inked the word on Whisper’s flesh at her own request. “It means…Death.”
“Death? As in…her death.” The pieces came together for Ian, and he felt guilty for his accusations. “So…all this was never about us. Cole was just the unlucky kid in the wrong place at the wrong time. You both used us to get Whisper into the Land of the Dead and the Raven-Eater’s hair here.”
“Yes, Mr. Daivya. I only hope you can forgive my granddaughter for following her destiny.”
Part of Ian wanted to fume, wanted to hate Whisper and the Elder. And yet, he was here, alive, and Whisper would never return. He just couldn’t despise a woman following the path set before her at her birth.
“So…she knew all along that the Fire Tower would be the place of her true death. God, all this time I thought that word had something to do with Cole.”
“Not at all, Mr. Daivya.” Now the Elder was gloomy as he recalled the magnificent tattoo. “Those markings were meant to serve as a map, her guide. The paths led to one destiny, Ayohuhisdi…You have a second question?”
“Yeah.” Still trying to wrap his head around the answer to the first, Ian moved on. “When we first found Cole, he had the mark of the half-breed on his back. But when we got to the RiverKeeper, it washed right off. So…who put it there? And why?”
Smoke Speaker smiled, revealing two rows of yellow and crooked teeth. “I must tell you a story, Mr. Daivya…Many moons ago, I traveled to the Land of the Dead to save my little girl. It was a long time after the R
aven-Eater had taken her, as it had taken a lot of work to prepare for the journey. Like you, I had to cross through the Western Sun. On my quest, I met a young warrior who had fallen. His eyes had burned, and his flesh was scorched. He lay on the earth just fingers away from the Western Sun. He was weak after an ambush by other dead souls, and could not pass through on his own. So I gathered him in my arms and pulled him through. I helped him through to the red and purple sunset, and together we faced our fate.” He sat back and thought of the warrior, so scarred and ragged. His death had not been an easy one, and he had lay before the Western Sun for many years before help had come.
“He gave his word that he would return such kindness when I asked, no matter what I asked.”
“So you asked him to draw the mark of the half-breed. Why? To confuse me?”
“So you would believe, even if it was in the wrong person.”
“Huh.” So the Elder had a few tricks of his own up his sleeve. And yet, Ian didn’t mind, because it he hadn’t of seen that mark, he never would have believed Whisper’s outlandish tale. He never would have tried so hard to reach the RiverKeeper, and things may have turned out quite differently. “What was that warrior’s name?”
“Hunting Hawk.”
At the name, Ian laughed, his first true laugh in so long. Loyalty is truly something among these people, he thought. Hunting Hawk had the chance to leave along with the other guards with Whisper’s magic powder, but chose to stay. He had the chance to return to the Land of the Living, but chose to save Ian and return to help Whisper. Whisper and the Elder had been looking out for him and Cole all along.
“Well, I know it’s hard losing Whisper like this, but if it makes you feel any better, I met Hunting Hawk at the Fire Tower. And I think he had a little thing for her.”
Smoke Speaker smiled. Hunting Hawk, if not a bit rough around the edges, was a good man, loyal and true to his word. “Then I pray she opens her heart.”
After saying their good-byes, and after delivering Whisper’s final message to her grandfather, a message that made tears brim in Smoke Speaker’s eyes and his bottom lip tremble, Ian and Cole eagerly headed back to their campsite. Cole was antsy, bouncing with each step, gripping his father’s hand hard with excitement. He had promised Ian not to tell his mom where he had been, because he didn’t want to scare her.
But with each passing moment, the Land of the Dead felt more and more like a dream, and by the time they reached the campsite, he wasn’t sure if it had actually happened or not. His young mind wasn’t capable of grasping such a concept, and the Elder had whispered a chant of sorts to ensure the journey would be a mere memory in the distance to the boy as he grew older, like a faded idea, a forgotten dream. Ian was grateful for that, for he didn’t want his son living with such a traumatic event.
Julia and Olivia were gathering up food for dinner when they returned. Cole raced to his mother and all but leapt into her arms, smothering her with kisses. Surprised, Julia laughed and dropped the hot dog buns, returning the hugs.
“What’s gotten into you?” she asked with a chuckle.
“Nothing,” Cole answered after a pause. He remembered feeling like he really needed to see his mom while on the trail, but now he couldn’t remember why. It didn’t matter though, for he was still delighted to see her. “I love you.”
“I love you too, honey,” Julia replied, thinking that her son must want something. Her smile faded when she saw Ian walking her way. His stroll was determined, though slightly awkward, like he was afraid of getting any closer.
She set her son down and regarded Ian with a suspicious frown. “Is everything okay?” she asked when he stopped, peering at her through sad eyes. “Did something happen at the park?”
“Yes,” Ian answered truthfully. He saw the worry cross his wife’s face when she glanced over at Cole, who was chatting up a storm with his grandfather at the picnic table. “I realized something.”
“What?”
Ian frowned, closing the gap between him and his wife. “That I’ve been a crappy father, and an even worse husband.” He tucked Julia’s hair back behind her ear, tracing a finger over the bottom lip she had begun to chew. “I want things to get back to how they used to be. I don’t want work to come between us, or anything else. I want us to last.”
Tears flooded Julia’s eyes as she listened to her husband speak the words she’d waited so long to hear. “What…well…Ian, you know that’s what I want, but…what…well, what about your secretary? I can’t do this if—”
“Nothing’s happened,” Ian cut in honestly. “I swear. And nothing ever will. She’s nothing, just some redhead bimbo who thinks she can use people. Hell, she’s gone Monday morning if you want. I don’t care. You’re the one for me. You always have been.”
Julia sniffled and raised her hands to cup Ian’s face. She saw truth in his blue eyes; she saw the man she fell in love with. “You’re the one for me,” she replied, rising to her toes and kissing him firmly, tenderly. She didn’t know what caused this sudden transformation, but welcomed it with her entire heart. “So let’s make this vacation our new beginning.”
“Deal.” Ian like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders, though there was a small place in his heart that mourned for the woman who had died so he could realize what he truly wanted out of life.
Pushing the thought from his mind for the moment, Ian swept Cole up from the table and tickled him. The boy squealed with delight, kicking and squirming in his father’s arms.
“How about a hot dog for dinner, Champ?” he asked, plucking up a pack from the table.
“How about a real doggy when we get home!”
Ian looked over at Julia, who had raised her eyebrows. “I knew that question was coming sooner or later,” she said, then nodded. “I think we can talk about that and see what we can do.”
“Yea!” Cole cheered. “I’m gonna name it Whisper.”
Ian’s breath hitched in his throat, but Julia didn’t seem to notice. “Whisper?” she repeated, wondering where such a name had come from. “Well, if that’s what you want.”
Cole struggled to get down, so Ian set him on his feet. The boy ran to the tent, where he grabbed his book on dog breeds and began flipping through the pages. Ian watched him with a smile, not noticing as David came to his side.
“Whisper,” the military man said, crossing his arms. “A good name.”
“Sure,” Ian agreed warily. “Strange though.”
“Not so strange.” David shook his head and adjusted the collar of his shirt. “After all, it’s always good to pay your respects.” With the slightest of winks, David patted Ian on the back, then walked over to his pop-up trailer to get ready for dinner, leaving Ian standing in a standstill of surprise.
“No way,” he whispered, then had to smile. Yes, he agreed, it was always good to pay one’s respects.
With that thought in mind, Ian headed over to the table, where Cole and Julia sat oohing and ahhing over puppy pictures. He would pay his own respects here, by rebuilding the family he almost lost.
Epilogue
Bright orange flames raged atop the Fire Mountains. At their base stood Whisper, tossing ancient relics onto the pyre as she burned everything that had once belonged to the Raven-Eater. When she was finished, no trace of his memory would remain.
She had worked hard her first six months in power. As the magic of the half-breed continued to grow within her, she learned more of the talents that lay within her heart and soul, talents that enabled her to transform the Land of the Dead into a world worthy of death.
Just weeks ago she had taken a burning ember in her hand, crafting a ball of fire in her palm and sending it up to the sky. Now the red and purple hues once lighting the darkness floated among a bright sky that darkened only at nightfall. Villages had began to spring up in new places no longer tormented by the Raven-Eater’s evil minions, though Whisper had been careful not to banish the creatures of her ancestors’ pasts. I
t wasn’t fair to them to be punished for living in their natural form.
The Land of the Dead would no longer be a place of torment and fear. She would make it a haven for those who didn’t receive a proper burial. Though the Land of the Dead would never be the refuge that the Spirit World offered, she could still provide a safe place for those who crossed the Bridge of the Dead and reached their final resting place in one piece.
She thought about how she would redesign the Fire Tower to suit her own needs as she carelessly threw an old blanket onto the pyre. Thick, dark gray smoke billowed up to the sky. She was looking forward to her rule, to being the one everyone called their leader. The half-breed, coming back from the dead to destroy the tyrant and bring forth their land from the blackness.
The sound of a twig cracking in the distance had Whisper spinning around. Before she had even come to a stop she had an arrow knocked and aimed directly at the approaching figure.
Hunting Hawk paused long enough to shoot Whisper a smirk. He continued along the path that led to the burning pyre, the red and orange flames reflecting off the round stone that hung low on his bare chest. It was the stone given to the RiverKeeper, the stone that held the blood of the half-breed. Whisper had retrieved it upon establishing a new RiverKeeper, and given it to the guard as a way of thanking him for staying true to his word to Smoke Speaker. She had been surprised when, instead of using it for his own advantage, he merely crafted it into a necklace and asked to stay in the Land of the Dead.
“I received a message from Utlav,” he announced, his accented tone welcome to Whisper’s ears. “He said you wished for me to come to the Fire Tower.”
“Mole was mistaken,” she answered, lowering the bow and arrow. “My message was for you to stay away.” Then she lifted a hand, palm facing Hunting Hawk, and shoved her arm forward.
The churning fire burst forth, burning the path and creating a scorching circle around Hunting Hawk. He was a warrior, though, and refused to show fear, even as the flames licked closer to his feet. He stood in place and watched as Whisper appeared through the flames, walking among a fire that shaped to her curves, a phoenix rising forth from the ashes in a glorious portrayal of magic and power. She broke through the blaze and entered the circle where he stood.
Beyond the Western Sun Page 31
