Deadly Fate [Book 1 of the Teadai Prophecies]

by Dana Davis

  “Adelsik Nunsey!”

  She looked toward the cave to see Haranda, Saldia and Thad hurrying toward her, but her head hurt and she felt exhausted, so she just sat and watched them approach. A bright light filled her mind and she was suddenly aware of three separate heats sources coming toward her and numerous strange senses from the vast ocean and beneath the sand. Such strength she felt too! Exhilarating! She wanted to get up but her limbs felt unusually heavy. Strength filled her but she couldn’t seem to do anything with it. Frustration rose and she tried to stand but slipped from the rock. Someone caught her just before blackness closed.

  She opened her eyes as Thad carried her toward the cave. Once inside, the healer placed her on a blanket and put one hand on her forehead and another on her left wrist. His eyes were distant for a heartbeat then he smiled down at her.

  “Did she do it?” Henny said.

  “Hush,” Haranda admonished.

  “You didn’t stay out long, lass. Good thing I caught you. You would’ve split your head on a rock the way you fell. That a fact.”

  “Thank you, Thad.” She pushed to her elbows with considerable effort and focused on Haranda. “That was the calling, wasn’t it?”

  The Gypsy sat cross-legged next to Thad. The others stood or sat nearby, watching, and Adelsik had to admit she liked the attention.

  “Yes. It seems you have the Energy of dreams, youngling.”

  “I dream, of course. Everyone does.” The Gypsy wasn’t making sense.

  “You walk in other’s dreams. It’s called slumbering. When Henny woke from her nap as startled as a hen around a fox, I made her tell me what happened. She said she was floating on the beach in her dream. When you called her name, she turned and saw you standing behind her with a white glow around you. She thought you were a ghost and panicked, waking herself just as she fell.”

  Henny had her arms crossed. “Would you mind staying out of my dreams, Adelsik? They’re personal. And it’s very upsetting to have your friends just walk in on you.” She looked somewhat amused.

  Adelsik smiled. “I’ll try.” Slumbering. The Energy of dreams. What could she do with it? Frighten people in their sleep, the way she had done with Henny. Might be amusing on a few occasions then it was certain to get old.

  “You’ll be working with me, youngling. For now anyway.”

  “Why, Haranda? What does slumbering have to do with sparking or urging.” A cloud seemed strong in her mind and she worked to keep her thoughts on a steady path.

  “You’ll learn about sparking soon enough, as every Gypsy has some amount of that Energy, but you will slumber only with me, youngling. And I’ll show you how to keep your otherself in your body while you sleep. We can’t have you haunting everyone’s dreams. Do you understand?”

  “No, not exactly.”

  Haranda’s eyes darkened. “You won’t go into another’s dreams without me. Do you understand that?”

  “Yes. No.” Her mind felt like it was full of cotton and she pressed her thoughts through. “I mean, I understand what you’re saying. It’s just—oh, you have slumbering Energy too.” She rubbed at her forehead. “My apologies, Haranda. I’m a bit hazy.”

  The Gypsy placed a hand on her knee. “Oh, yes. I seem to have forgotten that side-effect. My slumbering Energy isn’t as strong as some, but I can teach you a few things. Just don’t slumber without me. This is important, youngling. You can harm someone in their dreams if you’re not careful, just by being there. Send them into a mental state.”

  “You just about frightened me clean out of my wits. I thought my heart would burst when I awoke.”

  “My apologies, Henny. I thought it was my dream. But it did seem very colorful.”

  “You’ll learn to tell the difference between dreaming and slumbering,” Haranda said. “Now, you sit and regain your strength and I’ll make us some tea.”

  It wasn’t long before Adelsik felt herself again and contemplated her new Energy. She had wondered what the Goddess would give her and now that she was a slumberer, disappointment set in. The others had powers they could use in the waking world, not some inane sleep-haunting Energy.

  Maesa must have noticed because she sat at Adelsik’s side and took her hand. “You look distraught. What is it?”

  “Nothing.” She had met Maesa at Mistress Flindering and the two had spent almost two moon cycles together while Haranda rescued the last of their group. There wasn’t much she could hide from this woman, who was a year older and marriage age.

  Maesa raised a dark brow, which reminded her of Haranda. The mind-healer already acted like a Gypsy in many ways. “I went through the calling recently, Adelsik. I know how confusing things are afterward.”

  She caught Haranda’s glance and fought a groan. “It’s just—” Should she dare complain with the Gypsy in earshot?

  “What?” Maesa’s gaze was intense, always had been, and she usually got whatever information she wanted from Adelsik.

  “My Energy. It’s no good when I’m awake.” She didn’t care if the disappointment showed. All the waiting, the worrying, taken from her family for what? The ability to frighten dreamers like some silly specter.

  Maesa must have understood from the sympathetic look she offered. “I know this is difficult, especially for you, but I’m here. I’ll always be here for you, Adelsik. You know that, don’t you? I take my friendships seriously.”

  “Yes.” She felt a little better and offered a smile. Her eyes fell on Saldia and she gave a wicked grin to the tavern wench. At least, she had gotten the calling before that wretched woman.

  Haranda stepped to them and gazed down at Adelsik, stripping her to her bones. She fought the urge to grab a blanket and cover herself. “You stay, Maesa,” the Gypsy said. “You can help with the exercises. Adelsik needs to learn to hold the Energy without fainting, which I believe won’t take her long. As Thad said before, you came to quicker than most.”

  Now that definitely lifted Adelsik’s spirits. She was strong in the Energy. Perhaps it didn’t matter what aspect she harnessed? Perhaps power alone would earn respect.

  Haranda sat and offered her a cup of tea. The liquid was hot so she held the metal cup with her blanket and let the steam caress her face.

  “Slumbering is used to assist those with nightmares, youngling. Slumberers often work with mind-healers and help them understand matters that plague some people in the waking world. Many occasions people forget things in the waking world but those matters haunt their dreams.”

  Adelsik found herself staring at the Gypsy then at Maesa. “So, we’ll get to work together?”

  Haranda chuckled. “Well, that will take a while, but yes, eventually, you and Maesa will work with each other. You need a lot of training, though, both of you, before you’re ready for such a task. Remember, a slumberer can harm a sleeper if she’s untrained.”

  Adelsik nodded and took a sip of the tea. It tasted bitter and she started to put the cup down.

  Haranda’s hand stopped her. “No, youngling. You need this if we are to work.”

  She stared at the cup. “What’s in this?”

  “Just something to help you sleep. You’re too new to Energy to do that on command.”

  “Oh.” She drank half the cup before she felt the effects. Then as Haranda lowered her to her blankets, she found herself standing on the beach, realized she was dreaming and glanced around. No one else was present. Until a glowing figure appeared near her. How did Haranda get here? And so quickly?

  “Don’t look so surprised, youngling. I’ve been traveling to the Netherworld a long while.” She stepped close. “This is a normal dream, nothing out of the ordinary.”

  “Except you.”

  Haranda smiled. “Well, yes. I want you to take in the Energy. Concentrate on the Goddess Light you saw during your calling and pull it gently into your otherself. This is done the same way in the mundane world. Energy works differently here in the Netherworld, but you’ll learn about that later. For no
w, just get the Light inside.”

  Adelsik did as Haranda instructed and felt something soft and warm caress her feet, or rather, her otherself’s feet. She tugged. The awareness she remembered from her calling filled her but it felt different than before. She couldn’t sense individual objects in her dream but something was there, pushing at her senses, pulsing in a thousand different strengths. And somewhere, in the distance, she thought she felt darkness, something not quite right, as though a diminutive part of this world had vanished. But the sensation disappeared so quickly, she was certain she’d imagined it.

  Haranda studied her down to her bones it seemed. “What you’re sensing, the pulses all around, are other dreams. All you’ll have is a feeling at first. As you become more attuned with your Energy, that sense will change and you’ll begin to see the dreams. They look like thousands of bubbles. For now, I’ll teach you a beginner exercise. While you hold the Energy—and you’ll have the ability to hold it much longer in the Netherworld—think of something simple and concentrate on the image.”

  Adelsik thought a heartbeat and Nym’s game popped into her head. “A pebble?”

  “That’ll do. Where would you like it?”

  She glanced around and decided to think about a small pebble in the sand near her feet. She gasped and took a step back when one appeared. The thing was brilliant, brighter than a normal rock should be. It immediately disappeared, leaving just the sand of her beach dream.

  “Very good, youngling. This is how slumberers alter dreams. Ours and those of others. You noticed the difference in the rock from the rest of your dream?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s how we know we’re slumbering. Things you create with the Energy are brighter because of the Goddess Light within. When you enter another’s dream, that world will be bright and colorful to you because you don’t belong. You’ve used the Energy to get there.”

  This intrigued Adelsik. “So that’s why you glow?”

  “Exactly. But I’m allowing you see the aura of my otherself, youngling. I know how to hide my aura here.” Haranda’s white glow disappeared and she looked like she did in the mundane world.

  Adelsik nodded. There was so much to learn. “How did I get into Henny’s dream?”

  “You didn’t do that, exactly. That trip was a side effect of the calling. Henny was near you and asleep. You won’t have that talent for some time. You must learn to recognize dreams first, and then identify the dreamers. You will eventually see both middling and Gypsy kin’s dreams. There’s no way to learn everything in one lesson. Now, I’m tiring here. As I told you before, slumbering is my weaker Energy, and I’ve been active with my urging and sparking abilities of late. I’ll see you when you wake. The tea should wear off soon.” She popped out of existence.

  Adelsik glanced at her feet and thought the pebble into form again, still surprised it appeared. Something else thrilled her—she hadn’t awakened herself upon the realization she slept. She attempted to create another rock, larger than the first, but the Energy seeped from her and the dream faded. She opened her eyes to Thad and Haranda leaning over her.

  “There you are, youngling.” The Gypsy focused on Thad. “You can get back to your chores now.”

  “Yes, Haranda.” The man left Adelsik’s view. She tried to sit but found herself feeling more feeble than she had been after the calling. Maesa caressed her arm in a sympathetic gesture.

  Haranda smiled down at her. “Energy drains us even in the Netherworld, youngling. So don’t think you can practice without me. I will know.”

  Disappointment set in. She’d planned to do just that and she frowned.

  “Chin up, Gypsy-child Adelsik.” Haranda had pride in her voice now. “You did well for your first lesson.” She patted Adelsik’s knee. “Now, let’s get you to build a wall. But no more after that, not today anyway. We’ll do more exercises tomorrow. How to create an orb for instance. And I’ll instruct you how to hold your essence close.”

  “What other Energies do I have? You said slumbering was weaker for you. You also have sparking and urging Energies.” She wondered what else the Gypsy could do.

  Haranda smiled and smoothed her long, chestnut hair. “Aspects of the Energy are up to the Goddess, youngling. She gives us what we need to do Her bidding. Many Gypsies have a single, prominent Energy. As I’ve said before, every Gypsy harnesses enough sparking to create an orb. Some of us can do more. There are things we can do collectively with the Energy too, using special crystals. But you won’t learn about crystals for a while.”

  “Does any Gypsy have all aspects of the Energy?” Now there would be some power.

  Haranda looked surprised and a little appalled. “Gracious, youngling. Only the Goddess harnesses all aspects. No Gypsy could be trusted with that kind of supremacy.”

  This news disappointed Adelsik but she could see Haranda’s point, especially if supreme talent filled the wrong person. Her eyes flicked to Saldia but the wench concentrated on something else.

  Haranda called Kal to them and the listener sat next to Maesa as they helped Haranda teach Adelsik about mental walls. Building a wall seemed easy at first, like a child’s puzzle, but it began to fall apart as soon as Adelsik took her mind from it. After several attempts, she learned to hold it with a distant thought while talking to Maesa.

  “I still can’t hear her thoughts.” Kal cocked her braid-wrapped head to one side.

  Adelsik must have impressed Haranda because the Gypsy smiled. “Very good, youngling. Keep it up and you’ll be new-oathed before long.” Whatever that meant.

  Maesa focused sharp eyes on the Gypsy. “It took me forever to keep my wall in place.”

  “Forever is not an accurate statement, Maesa.” For some reason, Haranda didn’t like anyone telling falsehoods, and she seemed to know when those who’d been through the calling told one.

  “Well, it seemed like forever to me.”

  Haranda stood, stepped to the fire and held a hand out to the kindling. “Adelsik. Watch me.”

  Despite seeing the woman build a fire numerous times, Adelsik was obedient. She jumped when she saw a white pulse of light rush from Haranda’s hand to the kindling. Flames burst upward.

  “So that’s how you do it? Sparking Energy?”

  “Yes.”

  “But it’s different than what you do with the orbs?”

  “Exactly, youngling.”

  “Certainly explains a lot.” There must have been similar things going on when the Gypsy did sparking exercises with Zarenia. Only now, Adelsik had the ability to see them.

  Haranda crossed to her and squatted, a rather unladylike position. “There are different levels of sparking, each with a particular color and heat. All of you will need to learn about this, just in case your sparking Energy strengthens. It’s the only aspect of the Energy that can manifest later in your training, once you’re new-oathed.”

  The others gathered closer to listen.

  “Blue sparks are cool,” the Gypsy said. “Used for sealing wounds and other things having to do with the flesh and body.”

  Eletha grunted. “Not cool enough.”

  The others chuckled. All but Nym. For some reason, Haranda had never used sparking Energy on the boy.

  “Yellow sparks, the ones used for orbs, are warm. White sparks are hot and used for creating fires and more difficult tasks that need a lot of heat. They can be destructive, even to the wielder, and must be used with caution and precise training. Everyone understand?” There were nods and murmurs of agreement. “Good. I expect you to remember what I just told you.”

  A teacher. That was Haranda’s role. Adelsik certainly took long enough to figure that out and she nearly smacked herself in the head. Why hadn’t she realized before now? Funny how she didn’t feel as upset about leaving her family now, though she still missed them.

  Haranda’s right hand patted Adelsik’s leg. “Enough exercises today. I want you to rest. Play stones with Nym or something. Eletha can take your
turn fishing.”

  “Well, that’s just not right,” the small woman protested. Though Adelsik didn’t know why. Eletha enjoyed fishing. Or so she thought. The little woman’s fiery hair whipped like her temper. She stood shorter than Henny but looked like she was ready to knock down a mountain.

  “You’ve had enough trees today, Eletha.”

  “You call those pathetic little branches trees? There are real trees not far from here. We passed them on our trip. And some tall, skinny ones a ways up the beach. I should be able to venture out to one or two alone. I’m a grown woman. Sandworms! There’s not a bloody soul within a giant’s hundred strides of this place, so it’s not likely I’ll harm anyone by climbing a bloody tree or two. Bloody Gypsy rules!”

  Haranda stood, towering over the diminutive woman, and grabbed her arm. “I warned you about your tone with me and your tongue.” She hauled the protesting Eletha outside.

  Adelsik turned to Maesa. “I thought Eletha liked to fish.” Which, in her opinion, was absolutely disgusting.

  “She does. She just doesn’t like being ordered to do it.”

  The two chuckled.

  Chapter 13

  Haranda kept a firm grip on Eletha’s arm, half dragging the youngling out of earshot of the cave. This was getting tiresome but Wren, Mistress Lane and others had warned her this task would be a challenge. She remembered her own insolence eighty-seven years ago. Had it been that long already? She and Candelus got into there share of trouble, along with Eguin, who fancied Candelus’s company. Though Gypsies supervised youngling men and women when they were together, the three managed to sneak off on many occasions, testing Wren’s patience. Eguin’s clan father, Xiath Akarda, had seemed frustrated as well.

  “Stop struggling, Eletha. You’ll only make this harder on yourself.” She would have obedience.