Hundreds of Urisk eyes illumined to a dusty blue, their feathers plumed as Molly lifted the Khiton from the trunk.
She unfolded the large cloth, letting it cascade to the floor. “This is the shroud of Agapios, the first Urisk to understand the strength of the whole. He instilled the traditions of the Khiton and brought to our race unspeakable power. Upon his death, Agapios asked that a plume of the fallen be collected before the ceremony exalting them to the higher plane, for the essence of the Urisk remains within its shaft.”
She unfolded the cloth, and I gasped. Thousands of feathers lay beneath a delicate weave of thread, their silver, and black design looked like something between hieroglyphics and ancient Chinese writings. Power radiated from the cloth, and Gavin’s hands shook as he tightened his hold on my waist.
“As we have never held this ceremony with any other, I am uncertain how to proceed.” Molly looked at Rune. “The law requires mates be unclothed and unashamed of the way the Creator crafted them. However, the law of the Alfar states that their form is only for the pleasure of their mate.”
Rune spoke up. “I have requested the Nora and her source wear under clothing that meets the criteria of the Alfar while adhering to the intent of the Urisk.” Rune looked at Gavin. “Future King of the Alfar, we ask that you shed your outer garments, for cloth blocks the energy embedded within the Khiton.”
The Urisk kept their eyes down as I unbuttoned Gavin’s shirt and pushed it off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. He took off his shoes, socks, and pants, leaving him in running shorts. Gavin struggled for a minute, glancing around the room. He took a deep breath and stepped forward, lifting my shirt and tossing it next to his. The thin camisole clung to my body, and Gavin scowled, his eyes darting around the room once more. I slipped off my shoes and socks, before pulling my pants down my thighs.
Noticing how little the homemade shorts covered, Gavin growled and pulled me to him.
Rune took the cloth from Molly and brought it forward. “Now your mate’ll be placin’ her left hand over your heart, and you’ll be doing the same to her.”
Sliding his fingers under the camisole, Gavin’s palm made its way up to my chest, taking the top with it and exposing my abdomen. I placed my left hand on his scar.
Seeing Gavin’s scowl, Rune made quick work of draping the Khiton over my shoulders. My small feet stood between Gavin’s larger ones, the outside of my legs rubbing against his inner thighs. Skin to skin, hand over heart, foreheads resting together, we held still while Rune circled, cocooning us in silver and black.
Our energy cycled through as it did when we made love.
“I like this kind of training,” I whispered.
Gavin smiled and kissed me. “I do too.”
Rune stopped by Gavin’s ear.
“Prince,” he muttered, pulling the material tight. “Be raisin’ the Light’s shirt up, so the Khiton’ll be touchin’ as much of her as possible. And make sure your torso’ll be touchin’ hers too. It’ll help.”
Gavin grew somber. “Thank you, Rune.”
“I’ll not be havin’ ‘em hurt neither,” he grumbled.
My eyes darted to Rune. “What are you talki—”
“Now, Light.” Rune pinned the last of the Khiton close to my shoulder. “You’ll be needin’ t’ let yer thoughts out of those confounded streams you’ll be containin’ ‘em in.” He leaned in. “And I’ll be tellin’ ya. Before we’d be startin’, transfer the energy you’ll be storin’ in that amulet round your neck t’ the one on yer wrist.” He adjusted the bottom of the cloth. “You’ll be needin’ space t’ be storin’ the Khiton’s energy in the stone that’s not yer mates.”
I tensed and didn’t say anything.
“You’ll need t’ be trustin’ me, both on the lettin’ go and the storin’ energy. And Prince?” He placed his hand on Gavin’s shoulder. “Be prepared. She’ll be seein’ things she’s not been seein’ before. ‘Tis the way of the Urisk.”
As soon as Rune let go and the Khiton rested solely on our shoulders, heat poured over me. Gavin jerked my cami to my neck and lowered my shorts until they rested below my hips. His hand found my lower back, and he pressed our bodies together.
“Transfer the energy,” he growled.
The Khiton wiggled as I channeled the energy from King Frey’s stone to Gavin’s amulet.
Molly came forward with a long silver braided rope. “Now, you’ll be closin’ yer eyes and trustin’ what you’ll be seein.”
Urisk growls of approval reverberated around the room as Molly bent down and started wrapping the cording around our ankles.
Gavin’s heart raced under my fingertips, and I rested my forehead next to my hand guarding his heart. Molly continued coiling the rope around us, winding upward until she tucked it in the pin Rune had secured by my shoulder.
“Don’t be lettin’ go of his heart, my Light,” she whispered.
Molly opened her arms wide. The Ancient Language rang loud throughout the room. “By the ties that bind our clan, we share the lives of our loved and lost. It is our intent to strengthen our Light of Hope.”
The Urisk’s growl grew louder. Molly’s clear tone echoed across the vast hold as she sang an ancient melody.
The Khiton tightened around us.
Gavin’s hand dug into my back, as his other palm pressed into my chest. I closed my eyes as the Khiton moved again. The embedded feathers wriggled as if they had come to life, digging in to find bare skin.
The Urisk growl became a low single tone; their eyes brightened to a dusty blue.
I gasped as the Khiton squeezed once more.
The energy circulating through us, so intimate and familiar, suddenly took on a different timbre, like a new flavor had been added to our favorite dish.
My eyes widened. It’s the essence of their dead.
Gavin’s possessiveness roared, and he struggled, but I dug my fingers into his chest. Rune rushed forward, muttering in the Ancient Language.
“Do not struggle, Prince. No one will know her as you do.”
“But she’ll know them,” Gavin hissed.
“In a way, yes. The Urisk share everything but the body of their mate. Our Light will know their pain, their joy, their experience. But she will not know them physically, nor will she love them as she loves you. She will experience it as a memory, nothing more. Therein lies the difference.”
The Khiton tightened again, pressing against every contour, the feathers now stung where they touched.
Gavin’s head strained against the silver rope as the energy intensified. The current so strong that it was almost painful as it surged through me and into him before cycling back again.
“Don’t let go,” I muttered bringing him close. “Whatever you do, please don’t let me go.”
Gavin’s eyes hardened, and he pulled me as close as possible.
The Khiton seemed pleased by the move because the energy surging through reached past the point of pain, and I cried out.
Urisk memories flooded my mind, and the rugged beauty of the Glens of Scotland came into view. Blue tartan draped across the chests of Urisk warriors as they exited a cave high atop a hill. Silver feathers gleamed in the sunshine as the young laughed and ran out of the cave, wishing the warriors Godspeed and safe travels. They followed the Urisk through the valley, singing and playing until a smaller, elderly frame came from the mountain to call them back. The young raced through the fields, taking time to splash in the creek that ran along the forest’s edge. Flute music lilted across the valley, and laughter, joy, and peace surged through me.
The afternoon breeze cooled as dusk settled in, and the children scampered to the cave, ready for something to eat. Moonlight flooded the scene, turning everything to shades of gray. White noise whispered in the wind. Black silhouettes darted through the trees.
“Not the children,” I whispered, horrified. “Please, no...”
A sea of Dokkalfar charged across the field, pouring into the mount
ain. Screams ripped through me as the elderly futilely attempted to protect the young. Dokkalfar roared in victory, feeding off the despair and pain.
I threw my head back and screamed as agony pierced my heart. Gavin put his forehead on my shoulder; his ragged breath punched my neck.
“Let go of your mind, Lass!” Rune yelled above the hum of the energy. “You’ll need to be lettin’ go!”
I whimpered as a thousand lifetimes surged through me, their understanding, empathy, and experience etching hard imprints on my soul.
Gavin leaned in, whispering. “Trust him, Nora ... trust and let go.”
My body gave way as my shoulders slumped. I stopped fighting, allowing the streams of thought to spill from their banks and flood through my consciousness.
The Khiton heated again. Ceremonies ... countless Urisks joining souls under this same cloth ... battles, love, loss, all of it, ran through me. Instinctively, I funneled the energy into King Frey’s stone.
Tears ran down my face, and I sobbed for the tragedy, the triumph, the love and the pain, but especially for the young that needlessly died. I felt every birth, every slip onto the higher plane, every moment of who they were and what they had lived. It all spun through me. Some of it cycled back to Gavin, some of it stayed, burning deep within.
My eyes rolled in the back of my head as the energy cycling between Gavin and I could no longer be contained. A blinding white light bled through the binding of the Khiton, and I realized that the cloth itself was holding our energy, absorbing it, strengthening it for the next Urisk and his mate. We would now be part of the Khiton’s story.
And for some reason that gave me peace.
Gavin’s sweat-slicked torso rubbed against mine as he adjusted the hand on my back, keeping us from toppling over.
The memories of the fallen waned, the energy pulsed instead of rushed. Every muscle in my body trembled, and my head lolled back as I allowed the cloth and rope to hold my weight.
The Khiton cooled, and the sweat from my body chilled. I started shivering. Molly rushed forward, unwrapping the ties that bound us together.
Exhausted, I sank to the floor. Gavin grabbed my shirt, pulling it over my head and threading my arms through. The Urisk filed out of the cargo hold, keeping their eyes averted. Rune came and stood next to Molly.
“I don’t know whether to thank you or hit you,” Gavin growled, tugging my long pants up over my hips.
Rune put his hand on Gavin’s shoulder. “You and the lass’ll be needin’ the night t’ rest, but at the end of it all, you’ll be thankin’ the Urisk. They’ll be strengthenin’ yer line for generations to come.”
“How’re ya feelin’ my Light?” Molly asked as she sat next to me.
Gavin grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head.
“To be honest, I’m not sure.” I closed my eyes, trying to visualize the streams of thought that I’d so controlled over the past few years. “I feel different. The hard banks that contain each stream are gone, but the thoughts flow in the same way.” I concentrated again. “It’s like each one melds into the other, but you can see their individual bands—like the colors of a prism, but they’re all different shades of blue energy.” I closed my eyes. “Except the last one. That one is almost silver.”
“That’ll be the Khiton’s gift.” Molly patted my thigh. “And it’ll be takin’ some gettin’ used to, but you’ll be callin’ to it if need be.” Her eyes grew serious. “Listen t’ me, my Light. You’ll not be usin’ the Khiton’s energy unless there’ll be no other choice. You’ll need t’ be hearin’ me on this. Our kind’ll be storin’ energy through our feathers like the Alfar’ll be storin’ through their stone. We’d not be sure what’ll be happenin’ if you’d be releasin’ our energy, but me Rune’ll be insistin’ that you take a bit of our power with you. I’m trustin’ his judgment, I am.”
Startled, I looked at Molly. Why would Rune insist we do something that had never been done before? What if I wasn’t meant to have this power?
“But what if you were?” Gavin countered.
Rune grinned. “Welcome to the clan, Lass. Prince.” He dipped his head to each of us, and then he and Molly walked away. The door creaked closed behind them.
I groaned. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’ll take Alfar training over that Khiton any day of the week.”
Gavin knelt, slipping my shoes on my feet. “I think we did well, all things considering.”
Exhausted, it took us a few minutes to get our coats and hats on before making our way out of the hall.
“I don’t know about you, but I could sleep for a week.” I kept my eyes down, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other.
Gavin didn’t say anything but kept us moving forward until we found our cabin.
I shucked off my shoes and pants but froze when I saw the camisole.
Ester’s cloth was now solid silver. I tugged the chain around my neck, pulling out King Frey’s stone. The peridot green had turned slate gray.
“You should see your hair.” Gavin sighed, and I made my way toward the bathroom.
I’d gotten the slippery patch of silver, which rested above my eye, the day I entered the abyss. While it always had the same quality as the unicorn’s mane, it now had a sheen that made it seem almost white.
“It’s been forged.” Gavin stood at the door. “We’ve been forged—brought through the fire and now we’re stronger because we made it to the other side.”
I frowned, not sure I liked the idea of being changed.
Gavin sadly smiled. “Not changed, love. Forged. You’re still the same, only stronger. As am I. Both the good and bad.”
My head whipped around. “What do you mean the good and the bad?”
He sighed and took off his shirt. Mia’s mark now held a faint thread of silver.
“Looks like I’m not the only one.” I traced his scar. The two outer lines of the “M” were faint, even missing in a few places. But the inner lines were thicker and brighter. The symbol now looked more like a “V” or a “U.”
I kissed his chest. “Looks like the Urisk marked you in their own way.”
Gavin smiled, dipping his hand around my waist. “And you as well.”
I brushed the hair from my eyes. “The silver is much brighter. Hey, I think it looks good with blonde hair, don’t you?”
Gavin kissed my forehead. “That’s not what I’m talking about.” His hand caressed my lower abdomen. “Look,” he whispered.
Halfway between my hipbone and belly button was a silver imprint of two tiny Urisk feathers.
Memories of the dying young filtered through, and tears stung my eyes. I touched the mark, surprised to feel it wasn’t like a tattoo. The design was raised, like an embossed marking.
“The cloth must have gotten caught between us. What do you think it means?”
Gavin’s devotion surged through me. “I think it means we are very, very blessed.”
I smiled. “Turn around. I want to see if you have one somewhere too.”
Gavin shucked his shorts and slowly turned. Red welts on his back and thighs were still there, but, other than his chest, the Khiton hadn’t left any more permanent marks on him.
I yawned, and Gavin helped me onto the bed and settled me into my favorite spot. “Rest, love. Soon, we’ll be on land.”
Chapter 25
The Edge of the World
I stood on the rocky shore of what used to be Newfoundland, looking at our ship, which we could barely see on the horizon.
Tension building over the past few days had everyone on edge. Molly had sent a scouting team ahead while Gavin and I recovered from the Khiton ceremony. They reported back that no Dokkalfar had been sighted, and so, as soon as the sun touched the sky we made our way to land.
The Urisk had worked around the clock preparing the boat to stay at sea, while others created makeshift sleds out of canoes for provisions and weapons. Molly had sent a good portion of the supplies ahead of us
so they could prepare a place to stay and assure the path was safe.
Snippets of dark green speckled the landscape, peeking through snow burdened evergreen tops, their lower branches drooping under the weight of ice. The wind whistled through the trees, bringing with it a sense of isolation.
“It has a harsh beauty, doesn’t it?” Cali said, coming to stand next to me.
“Yes, and it’s one of the last refuges for the animals.” Rena grabbed her bow and strapped it across her back. “These extreme conditions will be in our favor. With such a stark white landscape, we’ll be able to spot the Dokkalfar a mile away.” Rena’s eyes blanked before she looked at Cali. “Elaine needs help getting the sleds secured.”
Cali tucked her hair under her hat. “Lead the way.”
Rena and Cali jogged across the field to where Elaine and a few Urisks were tying down supplies.
The snow crunched as Weylin walked up beside me, his eyes tracking Cali as she and Elaine shifted the pack. Cali bent over to tighten a rope. Light reflected off the silvery white camisole as her coat slipped up her back.
“I forgot to thank you for giving Kitten that extra set of Ester’s underwear.” Weylin grinned. “She hasn’t shivered since she’s had them on.”
I nudged his ribs with my elbow. “It a camisole and leggings. And you’re more than welcome.”
Weylin grew serious. “You know what I keep thinking about?”
“What?” I rubbed my hands together, warming my gloves.
“Ester.” He glanced over. “The night she asked you to bring her clothes to Earth, she was adamant you needed the extra protection. When I told her I’d be the one protecting you, do you remember what she said?”
I shook my head. “No.”
His eyes fell back to Cali. “She said ‘... there will come a day when the Princess will protect your heart, so tend her well. Mark my words; she’ll need the clothing.’” He frowned. “The crazy old bat knew. She should have warned me.”
The Heart of the Ancients Page 26