Children of the Healer
With the Storm Lord dead, Cordelia Ross and Simon Lazlo return to Gale, to normality, but when they find the populace poisoned by the drushka, it’s clear the aliens must be dealt with before life can be anything near normal. In the north, Patricia Dué takes control of Gale’s mine with Jonah, the servant she created in Dillon Tracey’s old body. She thinks controlling the humans’ only source of metal will bring her power, but her past won’t be banished so easily.
Amidst the chaos and conflict, a prophet predicts that true calamity is still to come, and the only way to stop it may be a murderous widow looking for revenge. As factions splinter and reconnect, the fate of Calamity lies uncertain, and even the prophets can’t see every ripple on the horizon.
Praise for Barbara Ann Wright
The Pyradisté Adventures
“[A] healthy dose of a very creative, yet believable, world into which the reader will step to find enjoyment and heart-thumping action. It’s a fiendishly delightful tale.”—Lambda Literary
“Barbara Ann Wright is a master when it comes to crafting a solid and entertaining fantasy novel…The world of lesbian literature has a small handful of high-quality fantasy authors, and Barbara Ann Wright is well on her way to joining the likes of Jane Fletcher, Cate Culpepper, and Andi Marquette…Lovers of the fantasy and futuristic genre will likely adore this novel, and adventurous romance fans should find plenty to sink their teeth into.” —The Rainbow Reader
“The Pyramid Waltz has had me smiling for three days…I also haven’t actually read…a world that is entirely unfazed by homosexuality or female power before. I think I love it. I’m just delighted this book exists…If you enjoyed The Pyramid Waltz, For Want of a Fiend is the perfect next step…you’d be embarking on a joyous, funny, sweet and madcap ride around very dark things lovingly told, with characters who will stay with you for months after.” —The Lesbrary
“This book will keep you turning the page to find out the answers…Fans of the fantasy genre will really enjoy this installment of the story. We can’t wait for the next book.” —Curve Magazine
“There is only one other time in my life I have uncontrollably shouted out in cheer while reading a book. [A Kingdom Lost] made the second…Over the course of these three books all the characters have blossomed and developed so eloquently…I simply just thought this whole novel was brilliant.” —The Lesbian Review
Thrall: Beyond Gold and Glory
“[I]ncidents and betrayals run rampant in this world, and Wright’s style successfully kept me on my toes, navigating the shifting alliances…[Thrall] is a story of finding one’s path where you would least expect it. It is full of bloodthirsty battles and witty repartee…which gave it a nice balanced focus…This was the first Barbara Ann Wright novel I’ve read, and I doubt it will be the last. Her dialogue was concise and natural, and she built a fantastical world that I easily imagined from one scene to the next. Lovers of Vikings, monsters and magic won’t be disappointed by this one.” —Curve Magazine
“The characters were likable, the issues complex, and the battles were exciting. I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.” —All Our Worlds
“Once more Barbara has outdone herself in her penmanship. I cannot sing enough praises. A little Vikings, a dash of The Witcher, peppered with A Game of Thrones, and a pinch of Lord of The Rings. Mesmerizing…I was ecstatic to read this book. It did not disappoint. Barbara pours life into her characters with sarcasm, wit and surreal imagery, they leap from the page and stand before you in all their glory. I am left satisfied and starving for more, the clashing of swords, whistling of arrows still ringing in my ears.” —Lunar Rainbow Reviews
Paladins of the Storm Lord
“This was a truly enjoyable read…I would definitely pick up the next book…the mad dash at the end kept me riveted. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who has a love of sci-fi. An intricate…novel one that can be appreciated at many levels, adventurous sci-fi or one that is politically motivated with a very astute look at present-day human behavior…There are many levels to this extraordinary and well written-book…overall a fascinating and intriguing book.”—Inked Rainbow Reads
“I loved this…The world that the Paladins inhabited was fascinating…didn’t want to put this down until I knew what happened. I’ll be looking for more of Barbara Ann Wright’s books.” —Lesbian Romance Reviews
“Paladins of the Storm Lord by Barbara Ann Wright was like an orchestra with all of its pieces creating a symphony. I really truly loved it. I love the intricacy and wide variety of character types…I just loved practically every character!…Of course my fellow adventure lovers should read Paladins of the Storm Lord!” —The Lesbian Review
Coils
“Greek myths, gods and monsters and a trip to the Underworld. Sign me up. This one springs straight into action…a good start, great Greek myth action and a late-blooming romance that flowers in the end…” —Dear Author
“A unique take on the Greek gods and the afterlife make this a memorable book. The story is fun with just the right amount of camp. Medusa is a hot, if unexpected, love interest…A truly unexpected ending has us hoping for more stories from this world.” —RT Book Reviews
House of Fate
“[F]ast, fun…entertaining… House of Fate delivers on adventure.” —Tor.com
Children of the Healer
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Children of the Healer
© 2018 By Barbara Ann Wright. All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 13:978-1-63555-032-0
This Electronic Book is published by
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 249
Valley Falls, NY 12185
First Edition: February 2018
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Credits
Editor: Cindy Cresap
Production Design: Stacia Seaman
Cover Design by Sheri (graphicartist2020@hotmail)
By the Author
The Pyradisté Adventures
The Pyramid Waltz
For Want of a Fiend
A Kingdom Lost
The Fiend Queen
Thrall: Beyond Gold and Glory
The Godfall Novels
Paladins of the Storm Lord
Widows of the Sun-Moon
Children of the Healer
Coils
House of Fate
Acknowledgments
A big thank you to my readers, Angela, Deb, Erin, Matt, Natsu, Pattie, Ross, Sarah, and Trakena.
A continuing thank you to Bold Strokes Books: Radclyffe, Cindy, Sandy, Ruth, Stacia, and Sheri. You’re forever awesome.
I love you, Mom.
Thank you, Wonder Woman.
A Selected Cast list can be found at the end of this book.
Prologue
Enka crept past the trees and into the fields surrounding the human city of Gale. No one moved atop the wall—the palisade, they called it—but still she walked carefully, gesturing to her fellows to do the same. Among the trees, the brown and silver bodies of the drushka mixed well
with their surroundings, but here, among so much nothing, they stood out like bright leaves on still water. The whorls that covered their skin could not hide them among grass and dirt, and any moment she expected a shout from the human wall.
When she had first come to Gale, she had walked boldly, wanting to speak to their leader, their god. She had thought to use the power of the scent to seduce the Storm Lord into giving her weapons or lowering his defenses, but he had threatened her instead. He only wanted hoshpis, the large insects of the swamp that the humans used for food and clothing. The humans had traded such with other drushka, the renegades, but Enka did not want to be tricked into an alliance. She did not really seek trade, only information that would give her an advantage over them.
The humans had conceived their own destruction instead. The Shi had been happy to deliver their death to them.
When Enka reached the gates of the settlement and still went unchallenged, she stood straighter and smiled in satisfaction. The second time she had come here, long after the hoshpis had been delivered, she had done so stealthily and alone. The hoshpis she and her band had gathered had been dosed with spyralotus leaves, and she had smelled the scent change in the humans who had eaten them. A harmless change until she had scattered veira pollen in the human wells. When it mixed inside the body, it became a powerful poison.
Thesta, Enka’s second, pushed gently on the gates that led into Gale. They swung open, but they should have been guarded. When Enka had sneaked in before, she had done so at night, scaling the wall, but this was far easier.
Thesta peeked inside and grinned, showing her sharp teeth. She put her spear to her back, and the wood clung there, a gift from the Shi, the same as they all had: a living piece of their queen. Thesta stepped inside the gate, and the rest followed. Enka let her own knife cling to her waist. She still had poisonous claws on the tip of each middle finger, the paralyzing poison that coursed through every drushkan female, enough to incapacitate any human she met.
As Enka studied the streets of Gale, she saw no need for either claws or weapons. It seemed nearly deserted, and the air stank of sweat and sickness. Human detritus lay untended in the streets, wagons and rickshaws and other words she had learned her first time here. She supposed she should not have bothered to learn those terms, either. The humans seemed finished.
One of them lay in the shadows along the street. His light brown skin was splotchy and pale, his lips tattered and flecked with foam. Enka bent over him, hissing at the stink of the poison and something more. This one had fouled himself, but his chest still rose and fell with shallow flutters. One eye blinked rapidly, mouth working as if he knew someone was there but could not respond. The other eye stuck firm, encased in yellow crust.
Enka left him to die.
“Spread through the city,” she said to her band. “Find any humans who have not succumbed, any healthy or able to walk.” They ran to do her bidding.
Elsewhere in the city, other hunt leaders would be bringing in their bands and searching for survivors. Other agents of the Shi were moving east, keeping watch for the renegades and their human allies. The Shi still sensed the mind of the renegade Anushi queen now and again; she could not have gone that far into the plains. This poisoning of humans would lure her back and let her know that the Shi would never stop chasing her, that any humans who associated with her would meet the same fate.
Enka leaned against a wooden pillar on the front of a building and waited for her band. She watched the dying man breathing his last and knew the Shi would be pleased. Nothing the Anushi queen did would save her human allies, but the Shi would let her believe it was possible. They were the source of her freedom. They would be her downfall.
Truly, there was no escape.
* * *
Fajir stood in her stirrups and shaded her eyes against the sun. Beneath her, the ossor danced sideways. She’d run the insect hard already, but she would need it to run harder before the day was through. It flapped its vestigial wings against her legs, clacking its mandibles and drooling. Her instincts said to slow the creature, but her sense of vengeance cried out for her to keep going.
In the distance, the large tree moved away from Sun-Moon territory at high speed. It was another wonder she didn’t have time to marvel at. At Celeste, city on the coast, there weren’t many trees, and those they had would not begin to rival the monster that had visited them, the home of the strange, alien drushka. It was bizarre enough to see the massive tree; it was nearly impossible to believe it could move as well.
“The tracks are easy to follow,” Nico said from her side. “Even if we couldn’t see it.”
She glanced to find him watching her instead of the tree. His cheeks were tattooed with large teardrops, just as hers were. All widows bore the same marks. They’d lost their partners, the person they were raised with, who was to share all aspects of their life. And like her, Nico’s dead partner had also been his true love. His was killed after losing her way. Hers was killed by a plains dwelling raider. By the customs of their people, they were supposed to spend the rest of their lives making sure no other partner died as theirs had. But Fajir had been asked to be a palace guard when her Lords had come from the sky, and Nico had pledged his life to Fajir. He’d said she would never lose her way while he lived.
Now, though, Fajir had an opportunity she’d never thought possible. One of the humans riding the walking tree, Cordelia Ross, had said she would help Fajir avenge her dead partner by hunting down the man who’d killed him. She’d offered the pledge in exchange for the life of another plains dwelling vermin, and Fajir had agreed.
But then Cordelia had left Celeste without fulfilling her promise, curse her! Well, Fajir would make that right soon enough.
She settled in the saddle and put her feet to her ossor again, urging it forward. Gentle tugs on the reins wrapped around its antennae kept it on track for the giant tree. Cordelia would either help or watch Fajir hunt her friends and family to the ends of Calamity. If she had to, Fajir would make her see the horror in being alone.
Three people had already departed the tree and headed north. They were likely more plains dwelling vermin. And even though revenge was closer than ever before, Fajir longed to pursue them, kill them, and rid the world of more of their kind. But she told herself to keep her mind on her goal, and her soldiers didn’t question her. The opportunity for true vengeance didn’t come along very often, and they all wanted to see it done.
But once she caught up to the tree and made certain Cordelia would honor her promise, her soldiers would have to leave her. She couldn’t deprive the Lords of this many guards at one time, not after their city had been devastated in the war with Naos, the one-eyed goddess who still resided among the stars. Too many of their people had been killed, and they would need not only protection but help rebuilding. As soon as her vengeance was done, she would return and aid them, too.
Or perhaps, after vengeance was done, she’d take her own life, and she and Halaan would reunite in whatever lay beyond.
Chapter One
Cordelia floated above Pool’s tree, watching the drushka and humans crawl through its branches like ants. To her spirit eyes, the massive tree shone as a column of white light, brighter than the setting sun. A beautiful sight, it eased the fear that wound through her like rot.
The last time she’d ventured out as a spirit, Naos had severed the long silver cord that attached to her body. Doomed to float around forever, unheard by anyone except the drushka and unable to touch anyone or anything, she’d never felt so alone. She hadn’t known she could feel so deeply, and that scared her nearly as much as the mess she was in.
Now, after three days of nightmares, she’d told herself to get the fuck back up. She would use every weapon in her arsenal to help her people. After all, she’d helped Simon Lazlo defeat Naos, and he’d tied her body and spirit together again using their shared attachment to the drushka. The white light that infused Pool’s trunk, that infused all drushka, wound a
round and through Cordelia’s silver cord, letting her feel Pool and hear the drushkan babble of voices even louder than she could before.
It still freaked her out a little. And she could feel Simon, too. After he’d been healed by Pool, he’d developed his own drushkan attachment. He’d said his first love had been botany, so he easily took to communicating with the arboreal aliens and their moving tree.
Even before she’d almost been eaten by Naos, being so connected with another person, let alone a whole tribe, would have made Cordelia’s skin crawl, but now she could see the comfort in it. If any mad gods tried to kill her again, Simon and the drushka were only a thought away.
Cordelia looked for Simon now. A human mind among aliens, he was easy to spot, a darker flame instead of white. He sat near the base of Pool’s tree, using his micro-psychokinetic powers to heal some plains dwellers of a deadly disease, a task he’d began before Naos and the Sun-Moon had pulled them all into a war. But that was done now, and after this stop, they were on to Gale.
And a host of other problems.
Cordelia took another look at Calamity’s plains, the rolling hills dotted by rocks and ditches, the occasional river snaking in the distance. She floated as high as her spirit cord would allow, seeing farther than any scout. In the distance, a group of people rode hard from the east. Probably more plains dwellers coming to see the walking tree or wondering about missing kin. When Naos had raised her army, many plains dwellers had flocked to her banner, and other clans had gone looking for them, though most would be going home with only grief for company.
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