Don’t fret, girl. I’ll let them know. Back you go now. He’s waiting for you.
Who are you?
Stubborn little thing, aren’t you? I’m Chryss. Call me if you ever need help.
How?
Just holler.
And then he was gone. Her eyelids flew open. For a split second she was disoriented, and then she realized Blayne was still holding her tightly. “I’m finished now,” she whispered to him. And closed her eyes again for just a moment.
When she opened them again her seer-senses told her it was late morning.
Blayne pressed a kiss to her brow. “Morning, sleepyhead.”
She stretched and yawned, rubbed the sleep from her eyes. And as she blinked and awoke fully to the familiar black-on-black, a painful longing gripped her. Was being able to see the man you loved when you awoke too much to ask?
She fought despair and anger, but it was the anguish that broke her.
“Gods’ grief! Whatever’s wrong?” He gathered her into his arms and held her tight.
“I-I want to see!” she sobbed against his chest. “I want to see you. I want to… to… wake up in the morning and see your face. It’s not fair.”
“Sshh. I know, I know. But you don’t need to see my face to know how much I love you. And what if you didn’t like the way I looked? What would you do then, hmm? Trade me in for someone better looking? Pinch Willem out from under Varaya’s nose, perhaps?”
She rewarded his attempt at humor with a watery smile and a half-hearted smack on his chest.
“That’s better.” He blotted her tears with the sleeve of his tunic. “What brought this on all of a sudden? You’ve never struck me as someone who rants against things that can’t be changed.”
“I don’t know. Hormones? Aren’t emotional outbursts standard fare for pregnant women?”
“That they are.”
Her stomach rumbled.
“What do you feel like for breakfast?” he asked.
“I don’t feel like eating.”
“That’s not what your stomach is saying. You need to eat, Hope.”
“People are dying.”
“I know, dear one. And we have to continue on as best we can.”
“I wish….”
He stroked her hair. “What do you wish?”
“That this was over and things could go back to the way they were. I can hardly bear to be in the same room as Daryon—or any of his people. Their despair shrouds me. Trying to counter it makes me bone-weary.”
“Since becoming a healer I’ve learned there’s only one cure for the pain of losing loved ones.”
“What’s that?”
“Time.” Blayne chucked her beneath the chin and kissed the tip of her nose. “Get dressed and I’ll whip up some food.” He strode from the room.
She threw back the covers and found she was clad in yesterday’s tunic. She made her way through to the bathing room and stripped off. It was a pleasant surprise to find warm water in the urn. Blayne must have heated some for her, bless him. And he’d laid out a drying cloth and a change of clothes. She was lucky to have such a thoughtful partner.
She ran a hand over her stomach, and cupped the slight bulge. Her breasts were fuller now, too. Standing sideways, she stuck out her stomach, imagining she was looked into a mirror. But of course it was only pretence.
When she was mostly sure her clothes were on straight she cocked her head, listening for Blayne. He was outside, talking to the others.
“There you are!” Maya called the instant she showed her face. “We’ve all been waiting for you so we could start breakfast.”
“We set up an outside grill and cooked up a treat for you,” Varaya piped up. “Well, Blayne and Maya have, since I’m still not much of a cook. But Maya’s going to teach me.”
Hope wasn’t convinced by her friend’s cheerful tone. She sensed Varaya’s fear that she would not come through this alive, that Hope’s Seeing of her and Willem together would never be fulfilled.
Poor Varaya. Poor everyone. Gods save them all. “What’s all this in aid of, Maya?” she asked, wondering at the hustle and bustle.
“Blayne told us you were starving, and we thought you deserved something special.”
“Guess what we’re having,” Lukas said.
“Hotcakes and syrup?”
“Correct!”
Blayne handed her a plate with what he told her was a stack of hotcakes liberally doused in sweet syrup. She tucked in, savoring each bite. As she ate, she mentally ticked off each of her companions. “Where’s Taran?”
“Off on an errand,” Blayne said. “Ah, here he is now. Any luck?” he asked the Master Tracker.
“Helps to know the right people.”
Blayne slapped something into a pan. It sizzled and a familiar aroma made Hope’s mouth water.
“Oh, my goodness! Is that—?”
“Bacon,” Taran said. “Found it curing in the smokehouse.”
Maya patted her arm. “Are you ready for the next course?”
Her stomach rumbled again and Maya laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Cayl muffled a belch. “Thanks, Hope.”
“What are you thanking me for? I didn’t do any of the cooking.”
“It was your rumbling stomach that resulted in this feast. So any time it’s hungry again don’t hesitate to let it speak up.”
Her spirits lifted. Sharing a meal like this, with her friends—it all felt so normal. She’d just crammed another forkful of bacon into her mouth when she sensed Naytan approaching.
“Dayamar, Hope! We’ve discovered something important about the Valley of Lights.”
The food turned to ashes in her mouth.
~~~
“Where’s Dayamar?” Daryon asked the instant Hope and her companions were ushered inside.
“He’ll be along shortly,” Naytan told his leader. “He’s gone to fetch someone.”
“Did he tell you who?” Daryon asked.
Hope sensed his impatience. The muted sound she heard was probably him tapping his fingers on his biceps or knee. And then Dayamar entered the hall and she heard indrawn breaths. Anger and dismay swirled around her. The tension skyrocketed.
She borrowed Naytan’s eyes. When so much was at stake now was not the time to worry about observing the niceties. She’d practiced this over and over again with Blayne and her close friends, and the invasion was seamless with Naytan none the wiser. Through his eyes she watched Dayamar lead a pale, drooping figure by the hand. The woman’s features were obscured by her lank unwashed hair.
“What possessed you, Sehan Dayamar? She’s in no state to be here! Last night was hard enough on her.” Naytan strode toward the woman, hand outstretched. “Come with me, Breanna. I’ll take you home.”
Dayamar drew her forward. “Breanna assures me she is well enough to attend.”
Naytan halted, peering into the woman’s face. “Are you sure?” he asked her, his voice gentle. “You don’t have to do this.”
The woman raised her head. Her eyes burned with fanatical zeal. They were the only part of her that seemed alive. “Yes, Naytan, I do. Sehan Dayamar assures me I can be of help. So I will help.”
Hope recalled Daryon saying this woman was skilled in water-divination. Mere months ago she would have dismissed Breanna as a bit of a flake. Now she kept an open mind. In Dayamaria, land of seers and gods, anything was possible. Before withdrawing from Naytan’s mind she eased his guilt over not being able to save Breanna’s family.
“How can I help you, Sehan Dayamar?” Breanna asked. “I can’t imagine the Dayamari requiring new wells.”
“They don’t. During last evening’s meeting I accessed memories from a number of people who’d heard talk of a place that fits the description of a ‘Valley of Lights.’ Does that mean anything to you, Breanna?”
“I’m sorry, but no.”
Undeterred, Dayamar continued. “One of Naytan’s group of helpers knows of a place th
at fits the description. You may know it too, Breanna. And you have earth-sense as well as an affinity for water, is that not so?”
“Yes. There’s little point digging for water if it’s hidden deep beneath layers of impenetrable rock.”
“Exactly. Your skills may help us locate an underground cave in this valley.”
“I can’t promise anything but I will try my best.”
“What do we do once we find the cave?” Nerraya asked.
“First we narrow down the location of the Valley of Lights. Then we will decide what must be done. Naytan, will you tell us what you’ve discovered?”
“My trainee healer Kaylia remembers her grandfather telling of strange lights at night in a barren valley a few weeks travel north of here. The whole area is dotted with caves.”
“The area was never settled because people were superstitious and preferred to avoid it,” Kaylia piped up.
“When I was a child,” Breanna said, “my father told me his grandfather told of a strange valley with eerie lights that danced about the place at night. We were told it was a dangerous place and never to go exploring there.”
“Taran,” Dayamar prompted. “I believe you have something to add.”
“I might have been there.” The Master Tracker’s careful statement drew everyone’s full attention. “A decade ago I found some strange tracks that drew me to such a place. It was near dusk so I remember deciding it would be foolish to explore further. And then I—” He expelled a sharp breath. “I lost track of time. I don’t know how else to explain it. Next thing I knew I was halfway down the path leading into the valley with both hands outstretched toward the lights.”
“Go on,” Dayamar said, and although his tone was carefully neutral, Hope sensed his eagerness.
“Looking back on it, I feel like I was encouraged to explore despite my better judgment,” the Master Tracker said. “Eventually the trail disappeared into one of the many underground caves. By this time, it was completely dark, and you’d have to be an idiot to go exploring underground caves at night without a decent light-source. I’m no idiot, but it took all my will to walk away. The place wanted me. And if I’d been less stubborn, it would have had me. Never been back since.”
“In the past few years a small number of people from the settlement have gone missing,” Daryon said. “We sent out search parties but found no trace of them. Sehan Dayamar, do you think—?”
“I do.”
“We’ve found it!” Naytan crowed.
“I wouldn’t celebrate just yet, Healer,” Taran said. “There are many caves in that region. It’s rumored some lead to tunnels that run for miles underground. Could take months to locate the exact one we’re looking for.”
“Will you help us, Breanna?” Dayamar asked.
“What have I got to lose?”
Hope shivered at the fatalistic undertone in the woman’s words. Breanna no longer cared whether she lived or died. She rubbed her arms. She was hurtling headlong into the destiny Dayamar had foreseen. And she feared she wasn’t ready to meet it.
Chapter Twenty Two
Taran halted the group. “We’ll stop here for a bit.”
Hope flopped to the ground and stretched out her legs, wiggling her toes to ease her aching feet. They’d been traveling for four solid days, and only a healthy dose of sheer stubbornness helped her make it through each day. She was too exhausted to even protest when the men in the group took turns carrying her pack, but didn’t offer the same courtesy to Maya or Varaya. She could only feel grateful for the special treatment.
Aside from herself and Dayamar, the Dayamari contingent consisted of Blayne, Cayl and Maya, Willem and Varaya, Taran and his apprentice, Lukas. The Usehani were represented by Daryon, Naytan and Breanna. Dayamar had “bubbled” them all as near to the Valley of Lights as he dared, and insisted they travel the remainder of the journey on foot. No one argued. Hope guessed he had wanted to minimize the chances the Big Bad lurking in the cave would sense them approaching. And in a rare private moment he admitted large outputs of psychic power disturbed the atmosphere, and were easy to track if one was adept.
Despite his assertion they were only attempting to confirm the location of the valley, Hope knew in her bones they were heading toward a confrontation.
Taran urged them all onward again. “At our present rate we’ll reach the entrance to the valley by nightfall,” he said.
She struggled to her feet. Please gods, keep us all safe.
~~~
Taran led them through a stand of trees and let everyone stop to catch their breaths. Blayne draped an arm about Hope’s shoulders as he described the hills ringing the valley. The tension in his body put her even more on edge. She wasn’t the only one feeling the strain. Even the normally irrepressible Cayl was unnaturally quiet and subdued.
With each passing mile her footsteps dragged and grew heavier, until she felt like there were leaden weights attached to her legs. Finally, as dusk fell, Taran called a halt. “Best we make camp here. We shouldn’t attempt the descent in poor light when we’re tired. The path down into the valley is more treacherous than it appears.”
Dayamar agreed. “We’ll make the descent at first light tomorrow. That will give us maximum daylight hours to locate the cave.”
Silence descended as they went about the now familiar routine of establishing a camp. But Hope’s mind was battered by a welter of emotions. Fear, longing for home, anger at being forced on this pointless journey. Finally she’d endured enough. Hands on hips she screeched, “Stop it!”
“Stop what?” Varaya whispered.
“All the negative things you’re thinking! They’re driving me crazy. Don’t you all realize what’s happening?”
“What are you talking about?” Blayne gripped her forearm but she shook off his hand.
“Remember Taran saying he thought he’d been ‘encouraged’ to explore the caves? Something is messing with your minds. It wants you to leave. It doesn’t like you being here and it’s trying to scare you off. Don’t you feel it?”
“She’s right,” a voice boomed.
Blayne dragged her behind him. She heard the ominous scrape of hunting knives being drawn from leather sheaths.
“Tell us who you are.” Dayamar had infused his voice with a strong compulsion.
“Uh uh, Sehan. None of that.”
Hope recognized the voice. “You!” She stepped out from behind Blayne but he hooked an arm about her waist and jerked her back against his chest.
“It’s all right, Blayne. He won’t harm us. Will you, Chryss?”
“Right again, girl,” the man said. “You did good bringing her to Dayamaria, old man.”
“How could you know about Hope?” Dayamar sounded disconcerted by the stranger—something Hope had never imagined she’d witness. “And more to the point, Hope, how do you know this man?”
Chryss gave a deep rumbling chuckle. “I know many things. I sensed it when you opened the gate between worlds and brought someone through. Took a lot of strength to do that, eh, old man? I knew when the seer-power took her, too. Didn’t take a genius to figure out there was a new adept in the land. And she’s strong. Very strong. That’s how she contacted me. Missed the Third Settlement by miles and reached me instead, didn’t you, girl?”
“Why didn’t you tell me about this, Hope?”
In truth she’d had so much else to worry about it’d slipped her mind. Rather than admit it, she ignored Dayamar’s question. “I didn’t call for help but I’m glad you’re here, Chryss.”
“Happens you did call me, girl. Your mind has been roaming willy-nilly ever since you set out on this journey. Three days ago I felt your call. Figured you were headed here and decided to meet you.”
“I have a few questions—”
“I bet you do, old man. So I’ll tell you this for free. Ferreting about in my head is a waste of your energy. I hold my secrets close. All you need to know is I’m here to assist. Ask your little apprentic
e. She knows.”
“He’s telling the truth,” Hope said. “I don’t understand how or why I know, but we need him.”
“And thirteen is a luckier number than twelve, don’t you think so, old man?”
Dayamar muffled an imprecation that made Chryss roar with laughter.
“I wish someone would let me in on the joke,” Cayl muttered.
Blayne’s slow exhalation ruffled her hair. “I trust Hope’s judgment,” he said, and squeezed her arm. “Let him stay.”
“Good choice, Panakeya. Not that you could force me to go, in any case. Now let’s see what we can do about this negative energy affecting everyone’s mood. Time for you and me to put our heads together, Sehan Dayamar. If you’ll excuse us a minute?”
Dayamar was wary of the newcomer—Blayne could tell from his fiercely knit brows and the tension in his spine as he followed the big man. But Blayne was relieved to note that after a few minutes of listening to whatever Chryss had to say, Dayamar relaxed. And by the time the big man had finally said his piece, Dayamar’s face sported a smile.
Good. He hadn’t relished the prospect of backing Hope over Dayamar if the old Sehan had decided to reject Chryss’s offer of assistance.
He beckoned everyone into a huddle so they wouldn’t be overheard. Hope seemed preoccupied, so he left her to her thoughts. “That’s two of us he’s won over. Be honest, what do the rest of you think of him?”
“I back Sehan Hope, no question about it.” Taran scratched his beard as his gaze drifted to Chryss. “Even if he’s not Sehani, it appears the man has powers of his own. Might be useful having another adept around.”
Blayne understood the implications behind the tracker’s words. They were relying on an old man and a pregnant blind woman to protect them from whatever was in the cave. Not overly good odds, no matter how skilled Dayamar and Hope might be. And Hope’s powers were often unpredictable.
“I agree with Taran,” Naytan said. “We need all the help we can get.”
Willem was not so easily swayed. “I don’t trust him. And I won’t until he proves himself. I’ll be keeping a close eye on him.”
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