A Quantum Convergence (Nexus Trilogy Book 1)

by C. A. Farlow

  “It will all be well. Let’s plan a celebration. You and I, and a meal, and a hot bath? And then we shall see what happens.” Alex bent her head and sealed their deal with a kiss. Joy spreading through her heart and soul.

  Alex opened the box containing her blade and slipped it in place. “Off we go, let’s do this.”

  Alex and Merilyn left for the meeting, while Lauren remained in Alex’s private rooms. Here more than in her own solar, she felt closest to Alex. Surrounded by her things, her essence, even her smell. Ice elected to stay with Lauren, while Snow went with Alex to face the challenge.

  “Be safe. I will always be with you.” Lauren sent her love and peaceful thoughts along with her mindmessage.

  Alex responded, “I will, Dearheart. All will be well. And besides, we have a date planned. I would not miss that for the world.”

  Lauren grinned. She looked down at her kilt. Everything fit her like a glove. She had never felt more comfortable before.

  Alex and Merilyn stood before the great door of the Council Room. Alex looked at Merilyn. “Whatever happens, promise me that you will take care of Lauren. Ensure that the treatment is given to the children, and that you save our future.”

  Bowing her head and placing her hand on her heart, Merilyn swore her oath. “I will do as you ask until my last breath.”

  Alex placed her hand on Merilyn’s head. “Thank you.”

  Merilyn smiled. “You are most welcome. Now let us do this.”

  Alex’s laughter filled the hall, and she grinned. The doors swung open.

  “I present her Royal Majesty, Alexandra, Rigain Rìoghachd Fuar Ćala, Queen of the Country of Cold Harbour, soulmate of a' Mhaighdeann Lauren Beckwith, healing technician, nexus traveler, and member of Clan Fraser. All rise and pay homage to your Rightful Ruler and Sovereign.”

  “What the hell is she doing? She shouldn't be mentioning me.” Lauren shouted into Alex’s mind, but Alex couldn’t respond. She too was dumbfounded by Merilyn’s actions.

  “Easy, she knows what she is doing. Now let her continue,” McLaran the Elder said, projecting into both Alex and Lauren’s minds.

  Eyeing McLaran and calming slightly at his words, Alex again gathered the Doouglas tartan up and wrapped it about her shoulders. Settling into her chair, she surveyed the gathered Councilors. “Is there a reason for this meeting, or are we just here to waste each other’s air?”

  Alex waited to see who would speak first as the tension in the room rose. After many silent minutes, Oswein jumped from his seat, pulling his blade from its sheath. “I challenge you. You are neither fit, nor able to continue. You have done nothing but damage our world, our safety, and doom our future. You are responsible for bringing the Comin here, showing them where we are! Now they will attack us again, through the nexus membrane that you breached. You are the one responsible for our children’s struggles, pain and suffering, and will ultimately be responsible for their deaths.”

  Mention of the children tipped Alex over the edge. Sweeping from her chair, Alex rose. At the same time, Snow leapt to her paws, growling deep in her throat, hackles rising. The boys stood behind the leaders of their clans. But Alex’s move brought forth their blades too.

  “Cover the Hebrideans now!” Merilyn’s voice rang in their minds. They moved to stand behind the three chairs of the Hebridean clan, blades held ready at their sides. Oswein walked up to Alex and spat. “Do you accept my challenge, bitch?”

  Snow lunged forward to grab Oswein’s arm, only to be dropped in her tracks by a psi-attack from an unknown source. Ice howled and raced from the western solar. Oswein raised his blade and struck Alex. Blue-green sparks erupted as his blade contacted Alex’s body armor. Although the blade didn’t penetrate her armor, the force of the blow nearly knocked her off her feet. “What the hell?”

  “He is too strong.” McLaran’s voice rang in her head.

  She countered Oswein’s next blow with a thrust and parry that nearly disarmed Oswein but he held forth. Alex had moved to disarm not harm. I must end this quickly. He is too powerful. She recognized that her challenger had an unnatural strength. Their blades locked at the hilt, and she looked into his eyes. Amber-streaked orbs with pinpoint pupils burned into her. She mentally shouted to the boys. “He’s being mind-controlled. Someone is using him.” Her fear spiked. She was fighting more than one opponent.

  Oswein renewed his attack with a stroke that caught her beneath her sword arm. Pain crashed into her and numbed her arm. Her sword dropped from her deadened hand and clattered to the floor. She fell to her knees. Ice crashed into the room and vaulted across the table. She came down on top of Oswein, taking them both to the floor. The wolf grabbed his neck. She shook Oswein, trying to rip out his throat, until he drove his blade into her side. Alex screamed as Ice slumped to the floor next to Snow. Blood marred the white fur and spread quickly across the floor beneath her body.

  “Ice!” Alex felt her life-energy being pulled out of her by the wolves.

  “No!” Lauren shook her head, her anguished cry tearing through the minds of everyone in the room.

  Merilyn tried to calm her. “Be still. Alexandra must finish this.”

  “Like hell she does, Merilyn.”

  Lauren burst into the weapons’ vault and ripped open the first box she came to, pulling out the blade. She rushed down the stairs to the Council room. Lauren shoved open the doors and ran up to the table.

  Lauren raised the blade. “Enough! Sit down!”

  Oswein spun around to face this new threat, but he was empty-handed. His blade still buried in Ice’s side. “Who the hell are you?”

  Lauren ignored the question. “Sit the hell down!”

  All of the energy seemed to drain from Oswein, and he slumped into the nearest chair. Lauren kept her blade raised as she swept the room.

  A strangled yell came from behind her. Spinning around, Lauren saw McLaran the Younger land in a heap beside Snow and Ice.

  Turning back, Lauren drove the blade into the table A flash of silver green energy burst from the table where the blade vibrated and surrounded itself within a shield. “I said sit down!”

  A woman in white robes stood and thrust an arm towards Lauren. “No, I will not sit down. I sent you away once, and I shall do so again.” She raised her arm farther, opening her hand at Lauren. “Now get out of these proceedings. They are closed to rabble such as yourself.”

  Lauren immediately recognized her. “It’s you! You’re the one that sent me through shield, and away from Alex, away from my future, away from my soulmate.” She sent a query to McLaran, who replied, “Her name is Gwenhwyfach. She is a witch.”

  Lauren focused her anger toward Gwenhwyfach. “Sit down, witch. I am not afraid of you.” Her anger stiffened her spine.

  Lauren felt someone drawing her energy away from herself and everyone in the room. Merilyn rose. “So, you are the one who is plotting to overthrow the Ruler and assume the throne. You shall not succeed.”

  Laughing, the woman turned toward Merilyn and raised her hands above her head. “You could not beat me during school, or in the archives, and you will not defeat me now. I have already succeeded. Alexandra is injured and will die once each of her companions succumb to their injuries. As for this usurper, she will die once Alex does. She is untrained and uninitiated.”

  “I may be injured, but I am not dead yet. Stand and fight me.” Alex stood and took up her blade in her right hand. “Your cadre raised this challenge, now you must finish it. Or are you afraid of losing against someone injured?”

  Lauren glared at the witch. “Alex, let me at her.”

  “No, she will kill you easily in combat.”

  “But I have you, and the boys to guide me.”

  Lauren funneled all the energy generated by her anger toward Alex and the injured companions, hoping this would help them heal somehow.

  “No one is fighting this day.” A deep voice rumbled through the minds of everyone in the room. “This will stop now. Sit
and we will judge the outcome.”

  Gwenhwyfach stared around the room. “Who said that? Show yourself.”

  No one moved.

  “You do not need to shout. We are here, directly in front of you. It is you, who will sit down.” A chair moved forward and hit each of the challengers in the back of their knees, knocking them back into their seats. “We said sit, and await our decision.”

  Lauren glanced down. The only thing that was in front of Alex was the tree. Did it speak? It seemed so. The tree seemed to grow as silver green light spread around the room. The Doouglas Sword vibrated where she had driven it into the tree. Its diamond pulsed with a quickening double beat. Oh my gawd, I took the Doouglas blade.

  Reaching out to the blade Lauren grasped the hilt. Her thoughts pierced Alex’s mind and everyone else it seemed from the Hebrideans exchanged glances. “I am sorry for injuring you. I meant no harm. Just stop the challenge and protect Alex.”

  “We understand, M’Lady Fraser. We are pleased that you are here, that the Ruler Alexandra has found her soulmate, and that now the clans are fully represented and we are complete. Please sit.”

  The table began to morph. A point formed and extended out from the Doouglas side. The point grew and broadened into a thirteenth side. The table was now a triskaidecadon. Everyone was silent as the Doouglas sword hummed and a female voice filled their minds. “The Ruler and her Lady will occupy this new side, representing the Fraser clan. The Seneschal will sit on the right side representing the Doouglas Clan and uniting them with Fraser. The McLarans will sit on the left side and guard her sword arm.”

  Lauren looked around and realized that she didn’t have a chair. MacDonald got up from his and pulled one up from those along the wall, to the newly formed side for Lauren. Rumbling low, the tree continued. “Now, this feud has gone on long enough. It is a challenge to the throne without merit and shall be halted now.”

  Gwenhwyfach sprang from her chair. “I object, Alexandra is—”

  “We said sit.” The tree boomed in a bass so deep Lauren felt the rumble in her bones. An energy blast erupted from the diamond pommel of the Doouglas blade and struck Gwenhwyfach in the chest, knocking her backwards into her chair.

  “To defeat the Comin bioweapon you must act together not apart. The Hebridean challenge is denied. Further pursuit of a challenge will be seen as treason and we will deal with it accordingly. We declare that this meeting is over, and all are dismissed.” The silver green light faded from the diamond. Lauren stood and pulled the blade from the tree. She sat back down next to Alex and held the Doouglas blade across her lap.

  Merilyn stood and struck the floor with her staff three times. “The tree of our Homeworld and the sword of the First Foremother have spoken. This meeting is closed. See to the injured, allow the healing technicians in.” With Merilyn’s pronouncement, the Council room doors opened and techs rushed in.

  A blast crashed into Lauren’s chest and blew her backwards out of her chair. Lauren gasped, pain spearing through her shoulder and chest. She slammed into the floor, unconscious.

  Alex bellowed, springing to aid Lauren. Chaos erupted. MacDonald struck down Gwenhwyfach with a fist to the head, grabbing her weapon. McLaran the Elder leapt in front of Merilyn, knocking her back into her seat. Oswein collapsed with a scream. Alex sank to the floor at Lauren’s side.

  “Dearheart, speak to me.” Silence answered her. The blast had burned a hole in Lauren’s waistcoat and penetrated through her shoulder and out her back. Alex could see the tissue dissolving around the edge of the injury. “No!” She reached out to close the wound, covering it with her hands.

  A healing technician knelt beside Alex. “Your Majesty, please let me see.” Alex rocked back, her hands covered in blood.

  The technician tried in vain to arrest the damage spreading across Lauren’s chest.

  Merilyn’s commands roused the remaining Council members that seemed frozen in place. “McLaran, call in the Guard. Arrest the Hebridean now! Confiscate that weapon. I believe we know who is aligned with the Comin, and it is not Alexandra. Alexandra, please pick up Lauren and follow me.” Alex looked up at Merilyn dumbly. “Now, Alexandra, we have little time to stop the damage. Bring her!”

  Merilyn strode from the room. Newkirk slid down beside Alex. “Come on, Alex. I will carry her. Get the swords.” Cradling Lauren in his arms, Newkirk ran from the room.

  Alex moved numbly as she picked up her sword and sheathed it. She lifted the Doouglas blade from the floor and slid the blade into her belt, beside her own. McLaran stepped up to her left side and MacDonald to her right. “This way. We must hurry. There is not much time.” They led her out of the room, leaving the healing technicians to deal with the other wounded.

  Moving swiftly, the trio made their way to the deepest level of the Keep. Here they stopped at a large iron door. Opening the door, McLaran stepped into the room and knelt. “I bring you Alexandra, Your Grace.”

  Merilyn nodded. “Thank you, please leave us now.” She waved at the two boys.

  Alex stepped into the room, overwhelmed by fear at being back here where her healing had taken place. Merilyn bent over Lauren’s head where she lay on a stone table. Newkirk sat cross-legged in the far corner, almost completely hidden by the large steaming cauldron that occupied the central portion of the room. The cauldron glowed a soft silver, reflecting its composition of platinum and electrum alloy. Three white clad healing technicians clustered around the table holding Lauren. Blood ran freely onto the stone floor beneath the table. A technician hurried forward, her arms full of bundles of dried herbs. Stepping up to the cauldron, she threw the bundles into the roiling waters. A silver-green steam rose from the water.

  Merilyn stepped away from the table and grabbed Alex’s shoulder. “I know this room brings back terrible memories, but if we are to save Lauren, we must help her by sharing in the experience. Are you going to be able to do that?” Alex could only nod. “Then we must be prepared to take on some of her pain while the technicians remove the disrupted molecular matter from her body, and then regenerate new tissue in the cauldron. We must use the Ruler’s Rite to do this. Do you understand?” Another nod, even though Alex had never heard of the Ruler’s Rite being used in this way before. Merilyn’s hold tightened and Alex lowered her gaze to her friend, her mentor. “Alexandra, you must be prepared for her not to survive.”

  “She will survive!” A deep rumbling shook the room and all its occupants. “She is our future.”

  “We will try our best, but there is nothing sure about this treatment,” the chief healing technician spoke up, glancing up from where she worked on Lauren.

  Turning to Merilyn, Alex grabbed her hand. “She will survive because she has our bond. I am here because of her, and she will have every last bit of my life-force to aid her healing.”

  Merilyn frowned. “You must not give her everything. You must balance what you have to give with the probability of her surviving. We will be nowhere if we lose both of you.”

  “Seneschal, you will have our life-force, too.” Snow’s voice filled their heads, speaking for the companions.

  “And ours.” Two female voices rang out. The diamond pommel in the Douglas blade sprang to life and a bolt of silver-green light shot forward and enveloped Lauren.

  “And mine.” The deep voice of the tree rumbled.

  More than a day later, Merilyn and Newkirk staggered from the cauldron room with Alex supported between them. Lauren’s survival was yet not assured. The healing technicians said it would be more than a week before Lauren would be removed from the regeneration bath within the cauldron.

  Merilyn nudged Alex forward. “Let us all rest a bit and then reconvene in Lauren’s rooms.”

  Merilyn sighed. “I will see you all there. Newkirk, please take Alex there. I will call the boys and the Elder McLaran to meet you.”

  Alex nibbled on a piece of bread, while she sat slumped on the sofa in Lauren’s solar. She was lost. Her bond with Laure
n was gone. The companions and McLaran the Elder had gathered in Lauren’s rooms four hours earlier. The tables sagged under the weight of food and drink the kitchens had sent up. It seemed the entire Keep now knew of Lauren’s presence, and the tales of her heroism in bringing Alex back from the nexus spread like wildfire. Even during Alex’s brief walk to her rooms, the telling and retelling of Lauren’s deeds reached epic proportion.

  McLaran the Younger curled around the wolves. Swathed in bandages, Ice rested on her uninjured side, Snow’s head on her flank. A plate of steak sat next to them. McLaran had cut up the meat and hand-fed Ice.

  Merilyn sighed. “She is never going to eat by herself again if you keep spoiling her.”

  “I cannot spoil her enough. She helped save Alex, and her efforts helped the rest of us, too.”

  Nodding, Alex was falling asleep. Tired, I am so tired.

  For now, everything seemed calm. Save for Lauren, of course. They had defeated the Hebridean treachery. Gwenhwyfach was under constant guard in a mindshielded cell, cut off from all contact. The Council would decide her fate at their next meeting, scheduled one week from today. No one wanted to act before Lauren’s fate was known.

  During the night, each of the companions took one hour to focus on Lauren and share life-energy with her. Only Ice and McLaran were excluded from the rotation, their injuries deemed too serious for them to share any energy with Lauren. Yet, Alex wanted to give more.

  Waiting to see if Lauren survived was hard for everyone, but Alex suffered the most. While Lauren was in the cauldron, Alex couldn’t feel her. Their bond was severed. Alex felt so alone. If this is what Lauren felt when I was healing, no wonder she left the Keep. She worried that Lauren would survive, but their bond would not. She worried that Lauren would not remember her. She worried she would be mind-deaf. She knew that this was the way of the Ruler’s Rite, nothing was certain and a price was demanded for this healing.