Keepers of the Flame

by Robin D. Owens

  “Only showers in the tower. Baths in the bottom of the keep from hot springs. Public baths.”

  Bri snickered. “I have my own luxurious hot tub and tiled area in the garden level. With opaque stained-glass windows.”

  “Snot,” Elizabeth said.

  “You want to share?”

  “I showered this morning.”

  “I will have one of the women bring down your clothes,” said Sevair formally. Bri understood she’d disappointed him. She hated that. Her parents rarely scolded. All they’d have to do was give her a disappointed look and it sliced her heart. Even though, after a while, she realized her parents had perfected nuances of expression to use on her.

  When Elizabeth made a poor decision, they all sat down like reasonable people—Bri included at Elizabeth’s request since she was twin and support—and discussed matters and options. Bri’s actions became part of a talk, but she always got disappointed looks as consequences for impulsive choices.

  Bri didn’t get a chance to apologize to Sevair—which always worked with her parents—because they were in a crowd of people. Unlike most everyone else, he appeared weary, strain living behind his eyes, etching the small lines of his face deeper. He’d probably not slept, been up dealing with this frinkweed and looking for her. His Song told her so, with hesitations and lengthening dips in rhythm.

  She laid her hand on his arm, and his music came strong and steady and…sweet. No, not sweet, gentle or tender. She wasn’t prime this morning either. So she opened the valve to the healingstream and let it sweep through her like a tide, lapping exhaustion from her, settling new energy into her. Transferring some to him.

  He stiffened, but was quiet under the rush of Power. Bri could almost see it sinking into muscle and tendon and bone, nothing wasted, all cherished. His eyes met hers and the color seemed lighter now that he was less exhausted. He bowed. “My thanks.”

  The rest of the medicas and Citymasters observed them. Elizabeth beamed. “Nice trick, isn’t it?”

  One of the medicas said, “She summons the Power so easily.” And Bri recalled that only the Citymasters and Castle medicas had seen her work before.

  “I don’t think Sevair slept at all,” Bri said. “And my night wasn’t comfortable.”

  Sevair’s expression solidified into stony anger. “I’ll find this Zeres. Where—”

  But Bri was striding from the room and heading for the warmth and cheeriness of the garden-level bath. She could already imagine it wreathing her in scented steam and sliding along her skin.

  When she got there, she indulged in a good soak until she heard the slam of the front door overhead and the sonorous demand of Zeres, “Where’s my student!”

  Voices clashed.

  17

  By the time Bri got dried and dressed and up to the parlor, the medicas and Zeres were going at it.

  Only the medicas and Sevair had remained, the latter with stern retribution on his face.

  Elizabeth was frowning. She’d taken one look at Zeres and judged him.

  As the medicas had judged her by the state and smell of her clothes. She’d been a wandering sheep who had returned, a party girl, a free spirit, not a kidnap victim. Though her feelings had been somewhat mollified as she sensed sheer relief from the Citymasters and had heard of their efforts to find her.

  The medicas and Zeres stood in the entryway, voices loud as they tried to impress their opinion on each other. Zeres was attempting to talk about healing the disease, and the medicas were running through all of Zeres’s failures. Bri winced.

  “That’s what we call a ‘heated discussion’ if it happens in the teaching rooms,” Elizabeth said.

  “Really?” Bri asked. “Zeres is the only one talking medicine. The others have lit into him.”

  Elizabeth stiffened. “A physician’s manner and methods and…past have bearing on every treatment.”

  “You think it’s fair? How did you feel when Cassidy caught you using your gift?” As soon as the words were out, Bri regretted them. Elizabeth paled. Bri put an arm around her shoulders and hugged her. “I shouldn’t have said that. But I’m tired of being judged and found wanting, too.”

  “You’ve helped many with your gift!” Elizabeth said, and Bri was surprised to hear the utter sincerity in her voice.

  “Yes, I have,” Bri said. “Both here and home on Earth.”

  A long, rising chord echoed through the house and everyone turned to the door, Bri and Elizabeth lagging behind as they realized it was the door harp. If it had been Earth there would have been thunderous knocking, the sound of urgency and desperation.

  Opening the door, Sevair revealed what all had dreaded. Three more people with the sickness: an old man with a cane; a teenaged boy leaning on his mother, tall and thin and gray-faced; a limp young boy of about ten in his mother’s arms.

  “Bring them in,” Sevair said.

  The “heated discussion” came to an abrupt end.

  The old man tottered in. Sevair started forward as if to scoop the guy up, then checked and bowed instead. “Master Mathias.”

  “I came as soon as I felt ill,” the old man said in a mellow voice.

  “Very good,” said the male medica who led the city doctors. They went to the large front room which had been furnished as a home consulting-room-cum-surgery.

  All three patients were placed on beds that looked much like the massage tables Bri was used to, covered with clean sheets and soft blankets.

  Everyone entered and someone closed the door, and a shiver of sound swept around the room along with the scent of sage and lavender—a cleansing spell.

  For an instant the medicas and the twins and Zeres eyed each other, then Zeres took the initiative. With an elegant gesture from a dirty hand, Zeres said to the cluster of medicas, “Go ahead, heal them.”

  The physicians stirred. Their robes rustled angrily. “We can’t,” the head medica muttered, chin jutting. “You cure one.”

  Zeres nodded slowly. “Very well, I will.” He went to a basin and washed his face and hands, humming more cleansing spells, and the sound of his voice caught Bri again—there was something more about Zeres than anyone else.

  Elizabeth said mentally, I see what you mean. He isn’t like the rest.

  No.

  If we can figure out what is different about him and train the other medicas….

  Bri stifled a small snort. Good luck.

  Elizabeth gazed at Bri. You have it, too, that extra quality to your Song, like Zeres.

  Hunching a shoulder, Bri said, Yeah?

  Yes. I don’t have it.

  Then it must be an aspect of the healingstream.

  Before they could explore that, Zeres turned from the cupboard, moving like a respected doctor under the scrutiny of all. He went to the old man. “Mathias, you permit?”

  The old man’s eyes narrowed. He sniffed lustily. “You smell and look stale but not drunk.”

  Bri crossed to Zeres, but he just sent her a cool glance. “I will not need your help.”

  She stepped back to Elizabeth, knowing Zeres had to prove himself. It was in the strained set of his shoulders. Zeres passed his hands over the patient, who watched with keen eyes.

  “Don’t worry, old man, when I’m finished with you, you’ll be better than you have been in years.”

  Mathias cackled and his tense body relaxed into the bed. He closed his eyes.

  The medicas muttered, a sarcastic buzz of noise.

  Zeres ignored it. He went to the top of the massage table, took Mathias’s head in his hands, the same way Bri would have if she were about to start a neck massage.

  And then he Sang, and it was beautiful, a low bass with throbbing notes. No one in the room moved. Elizabeth took Bri’s hand and she saw colors flow over Mathias. His skin looked finer pored, healthier, his lips ruddier.

  “Fini!” Zeres near shouted, then crumpled and lay on the floor, twitching.

  Mathias sat up, stared down at the fallen medica, the
n slid off the table, moving easily.

  The other medicas stared at spry Mathias, limp Zeres.

  Bri frowned. “He knows how to link with the healingstream, but can only control it with his Song, can’t determine the strength and depths of it or break the link without fainting.”

  Sevair lifted Zeres, carried him to a large, plush chair in the corner of the room.

  “Nice muscles, excellent strength,” Elizabeth murmured, then switched her gaze to the medicas, who appeared stunned and unhappy.

  Mathias walked over to the chair and perched on the arm. “This is interesting, the most fascinating thing that’s happened to me lately. I’m staying.” He sent a shrewd glance to Sevair, gestured with his chin to another corner chair.

  Sevair said, “I’m staying, too, but I prefer to stand.” He joined the twins.

  The boy’s mother said, “He isn’t eating.” She was anxiously stroking his head. “His tongue is coated white.” She opened his mouth to show them.

  Bri met Elizabeth’s eyes, “Looks like we’re up.”

  “Yes.” She studied the child, bit her lip, then squared her shoulders. “I learned a lot yesterday.”

  “And I know a lot. We’ll be fine, twin, we always are when we’re together.”

  Elizabeth smiled and it lit her eyes. “Yes.” She donned a physician’s manner and crossed to the bed where the boy’s haggard mother was now twisting her hands.

  Bri took the opposite side. “I can see his aura and chakras clearly,” Elizabeth said, putting her hands on the boy.

  Bri smiled. “I hear the tones better, and see the chakras dimly.” Their spread fingers touched.

  “Ah,” Elizabeth said with a tiny, satisfied curve of her lips. “I hear the tones, the ‘chimes’ now.”

  “Let’s see what you learned yesterday,” Bri said. That would have caused her to stiffen up, but Elizabeth was a med school graduate, used to being scrutinized. Their energy connected, strong and clear. Elizabeth glanced up. “Both of us are flaming green with healing energy.”

  “Ayes,” Bri said.

  “First Chime,” Elizabeth murmured.

  “C,” Bri said.

  “Red,” Elizabeth said.

  “Root chakra,” Bri replied. Elizabeth’s questing Power moved up the boy’s torso.

  “Ah, there it is. Muddiness in the yellow third chime.”

  “Solar Plexus chakra, musical note of E,” Bri said.

  Elizabeth began clearing out the gray smudges of sickness.

  “Wait, what are you doing?” Bri asked.

  Not glancing up, Elizabeth said, “My job. Healing him.”

  “Without looking him over? Since when don’t you examine the whole patient first before you start healing?”

  Elizabeth’s flow of energy jerked unsteadily. She gazed at Bri with shocked eyes. Bri smoothed out their shared Power. Let’s use our gifts, Bri sent Elizabeth mentally. Slowly she moved through the boy’s body, examining him. There were other minute smudges of black and gray tendrils. Elizabeth saw them, too.

  On up to the crown of his head, where a very fine cobweb of gray delicately shadowed his brain. Oh, my God! Elizabeth said.

  Zeres was right. They are treating one part of the body first, without looking at the whole.

  Elizabeth helped Bri with the complex destruction of the web, pulling at a thread, shriveling it with the healingstream. This house, too, had plenty of Power. Crystals rimmed the walls at the ceiling. Bri used a strong, laser-like current.

  An intense half-hour later, they were done. Bri gnawed her lip. Twin? I haven’t been methodical, I just let the healingstream flood me. Do you think we should do a follow-up with everyone we healed that first night and the girl yesterday?

  Frowning, Elizabeth considered, when her voice came in Bri’s head it was cool and logical and reminded her of her parents. The crucial word is “flooded.” She gestured to the patients around them. I think that’s what Zeres did to Mathias, too. They both turned and stared at the man. Bri listened to his chakra Songs and his overall “health” Song. She heard nothing wrong, just the slowing of old age.

  His aura is clear, Elizabeth said. I think “flooding” is an excellent cure, but not, ah, energy efficient.

  I agree, Bri said.

  Mathias stood and turned with a wicked smile, as if to let them see everything.

  They laughed together, then moved to the teenager, who had closed his eyes, a sheen of suffering on his face. His mother hadn’t said a word, but clutched his hand in a white-knuckled grip as if she could tie him to life.

  Again Bri and Elizabeth spread their hands on the youth, found the gray web in the brain, poisoning the rest of the body, and another knot in the gonads. Bri opened herself to the healingstream. Midway through the procedure, she noticed Elizabeth faltering.

  You’re using too much of your personal energy, draining Power from the crystals. You need to tap into the healingstream. Elizabeth didn’t answer, so Bri shrugged and hooked her into the Power flow.

  Then they were done, the teen rising from the table and stretching and grinning. Before Bri knew it, she was being squeezed and kissed soundly by him, then was released so he could do the same to Elizabeth. He shot them a wicked grin and flourished a bow. “Merci!” He held out an arm for his mother and she hurried to take it, sending a watery smile to Bri and her twin and curtseying.

  Then they were gone.

  “A very interesting exhibition,” Mathias said. He, too, bowed to Bri and Elizabeth, patted a snoring Zeres on the shoulder, and tilted his head in consideration at the group of medicas. “Not my place to get into the thick of this. Good day to you all. Keep me informed, Sevair.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Zeres snorted and woke up, wiped a little drool from his mouth and rubbed his belly. “I need food!”

  Bri patted his shoulder like Mathias had done. “We had a big, tasty breakfast. There’s probably leftovers.”

  He heaved himself from the chair and strode to the door with an even look at the medicas. “You’re going to have to listen to me, you know.” He pointed to Bri. “That one’s my student.” He rolled his shoulders. “Do what you will.” He left.

  The medicas had bunched together in disapproval. “We will have to think about this,” said the leader. He nodded and left, the rest either bowed or curtsied, but followed.

  Bri and Elizabeth and Sevair stood in silence. His brows were down in deep thought. Bri didn’t care about the internal politics of Castleton. She rubbed her hands. “We’ve done good work this morning. Want to try out that bath?”

  “Yes, before I go back up to the Castle,” Elizabeth said. Apparently she didn’t want to get involved in politics in this strange land, either. “Perhaps you can bring me some bread and cheese? I’m hungry, too.”

  Bri chuckled. “I could eat a bit of cheese. Done.”

  An hour later Elizabeth had had a complete tour of the house and had congratulated Bri on her new home while stroking the smoothly polished newel post of the stairs in the entryway. Mud arrived and flew her to the Castle to inform the medicas there of the morning’s events. Bri and Elizabeth had decided to see patients at the house every afternoon, starting tomorrow.

  Zeres and Sevair remained, lingering in the dining room, discussing the frinkweed. Bri came in from the back door, and went to the home surgery to cleanse it. The medicas had done some Song ritual that re-energized the Power crystals, and Zeres had also added a cleaning sweep, but Bri wanted to make sure it was purified the way she liked. She cleaned it physically and Sang under her breath, a little spell that she’d cobbled together. It went well and the room smelled right to her when she exited and found the men in the hallway.

  With a raising of his chin and squaring of his shoulders, Sevair became all Citymaster. “I would like to speak to you about your actions last night, Zeres,” Sevair said in a low voice that raised the hair on the back of Bri’s neck.

  The older man turned slowly, as if recognizing danger. Z
eres made a half bow. “Citymaster Masif.” He cleared his drink-roughened voice. “My apologies.” With a sweeping gesture at the elegant surroundings, he said, “I didn’t think I would have any chance of speaking with the Exotique Medica.” Drawing himself up to a semi-impressive figure, he continued. “It was vital that I talk to her. My theories might be unusual, but they are right,” he added with an ill-disguised gloat. Then he smiled and was as handsome as any other Lladranan man, likely a lady-killer in his youth. Attractive and arrogant like many doctors, he reminded Bri a little bit of Elizabeth’s ex-fiancé, Cassidy Jones. Bri slid a glance toward Elizabeth and saw her frown.

  “I couldn’t anticipate that Bri would be so open to my ideas, could I?” Zeres said.

  Sevair crossed his arms.

  “Ah.” Zeres’s smile faded and a line in his forehead deepened. “I did what I believed necessary for the good of our city and our country, to fight the Dark.” His hands fisted. “You, as a Citymaster, must know of difficult choices.”

  “I do,” Sevair replied coolly. “So I will convince my colleagues to delay your punishment until after the crisis of this sickness has past.” He stared at Zeres and got a sober nod in return, then Sevair switched his attention to Bri and something in his expression warned her a zinger was coming. “You will be allowed to train—excuse me, exchange ideas—with Bri, and will have to work with the city medicas.”

  Zeres coughed, but Sevair just showed his teeth. “For the good of our city and country and to fight the Dark we must all work together. So, we accept that you will be Bri’s mentor.” Sevair’s non-smile widened. “And Bri will be responsible for you and your behavior. I expect you to stay here in Exotique Medicas’ home.” He nodded. “Good day to you.” He walked to the door, then, hand on knob, turned back to look at them and this time he cracked a real smile. “The responsibilities for each other should be good for you both. I’ll see you later.”

  Check up on them.

  Sevair opened the door. “And if you cannot manage to stay in the Exotique Medicas’ house, at least stay together, and carry that crystal ball.” He left.

  Zeres stared at the door, then he sighed and smiled, winked at Bri. “Guess I’ll go get my few belongings.” He stared up at the second floor.