“Daria says Withea turned him into a withered, bed-ridden old man. So I can’t even have the satisfaction of hunting him down and killing him.”
“That wouldn’t satisfy you, Indaran. Killing Thaddis would only make you feel worse.” She kissed his forehead.
Indaran allowed her love and warmth to comfort him and gave thanks to Arvintor that they were together. My sister’s alive. She’s married, happy in her choice of husband. He started to tally up his blessings. We’re free. We… His optimistic thoughts stuttered. But for how long? The nightmare of helplessness, the years of pain and confinement—these plagued him still.
~ ~ ~
The next morning, three pairs of newlyweds stepped out of their gruptas at the same moment, causing silly smiles to break over their faces at the sight of each other. Indaran glanced at Jasmine, delighted to see the pink blush spreading over his bride’s dusky cheeks. But before he could tease her, she straightened, her eyes widening. Khan and Daria had a similar reaction.
He exchanged bewildered glances with Roe-al and Jora. “What?”
“Withea,” his sister said cryptically.
Not liking being left out of whatever was going on, Indaran crossed his arms over his chest. “Withea what?”
Jasmine placed her hand on his arm. “Withea summons you to Her.”
Unease rippled through him. He glanced at Roe-al and Jora, who were holding hands. “Just me?”
Daria nodded and sent the two nomads an apologetic glance.
The monkey-bats swooped down. The bigger one landed on Khan’s shoulder and tugged his hair in an obvious greeting. The smaller one hovered in front of Daria, chirping until his sister held out her arms, and the animal flew into them.
Roe-al released Jora and stepped back, raising his arms and spreading his fingers. “That’s for the best. One encounter with a God changed my life.” He shook his head. “I can’t imagine what a second such experience—with a Goddess—would do to me.”
Jora laughed, her dark eyes dancing with agreement.
Indaran wasn’t sure what an encounter with a Goddess would do to him either. “Why does She want me?”
Daria exchanged a glance with Khan then looked back at her brother. “Because you haven’t had a chance to bond with Her.”
Images of Yadarius rose in Indaran’s mind. He felt a sudden longing for his God. “I don’t need to bond with Her. Besides, I don’t have time. There’s too much to do to prepare for the battle.”
Khan laughed, gently tugging on Daria’s braid. “It must run in the family.”
Everyone stared at him.
“Run in the…” Khan repeated before making a negating gesture. “Never mind. I meant that Daria had a similar reluctance to bond with the desert Goddess.”
Jasmine moved to face him. “Withea must think it’s important for you do so,” she said in an earnest tone. “The journey is not difficult, Indaran, I promise. And it won’t take long. I’d go with you, but I wasn’t invited.”
“You are to bring Ontarem’s spear and helmet.” Daria raised an eyebrow. “What does She mean by that?”
Jasmine made an expression of distaste.
Indaran covered her hand with his while meeting his sister’s gaze. “When we first escaped Ontarem’s temple, I had to kill one of the Evil One’s priests. He was wearing an unusual helmet and carried a spear. Jasmine sensed the two evil objects were very powerful, and she warned me not to touch them directly. We hid them. But one of my men, you remember Mastin?” He glanced at his sister.
She wrinkled her nose. “He was always dogging your heels.”
“You were always dogging my heels,” he teased.”
Daria elbowed his side. “Finish the story.”
“I gave them into Mastin’s charge. Against orders, he wore the helmet when we fought Ontarem’s guards. Doing so made him go berserk, and he slew many of the enemy. But the helmet turned on him in the end, and he was vulnerable. He ended up being killed.” Indaran frowned remembering the pain and fear of that day…Mastin’s death…Jasmine’s kidnapping.
Daria briefly bowed her head. “I’m sorry to hear of his death, brother.”
His shoulders slumped. Indaran didn’t want to remember that time—how the helmet and spear had impacted Mastin’s personality, turning him bitter and jealous…how they’d fought. If only I’d realized what was happening to him… One more regret to add to the many he carried.
Jasmine squeezed his arm. “We brought the evil objects with us.” She tilted her head to look up at him. “Where did you stash them?”
“Near Arvintor. He’s making sure they do no harm.”
“Go get them,” his wife urged. “I’ll escort you to the entrance of Withea’s shrine.”
“Did Withea say to hurry?”
Daria shook her head.
“Then I’ll clean up, change, and grab something to eat. He flashed his sister a grin. “I’d prefer to be at my best when meeting with a new Goddess.”
~ ~ ~
Indaran walked behind Jasmine, pack on his back, as she led him through the forest to the entrance to Withea’s shrine. Their path twisted through stubby trees, which dangled coin-shaped leaves appearing like multi-colored stained glass. The muted sunlight reflected the vibrant hues around them. Sometimes he had to duck under branches to avoid catching the wrapped spear he carried thrust through a strap on his pack on any overhanging limbs.
A breeze clinked the leaves together like chimes. Spongy cobalt moss cushioned their feet. The gaps between the trees widened enough for them to walk two abreast. He took a long stride and caught up with Jasmine.
Jasmine waved her hand in a circle. “This was all gray when I first came here. Moss, trees, leaves, sky, which totally suited my mood at the time.” She gave him a faint smile, but her eyes held a haunted look. “I didn’t want to live. If not for Withea, I would have walked into the desert until I could go no farther.”
The picture those words conjured hurt his heart. Indaran stopped abruptly and pulled her into his arms. “I didn’t know that. I mean, you’d told me about…” He couldn’t even put Jasmine’s horrible experience into words. “If Khan and Daria hadn’t killed them, I would tear the savages who violated you from limb to limb.” He brushed a finger across her cheek. “And now, habibti?” he said, borrowing the endearment he’d heard Khan use with Daria.
Jasmine’s face was too thin for classical beauty, but watching her expressive mouth tremble, then bloom into a smile, and the way her dark-lashed blue eyes shone with love, made her the loveliest woman in the world to him. He cupped her cheeks with his hands and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Thanks be to Withea for preserving you, healing you, and sending you to me.” He brushed the hair back from her forehead and dropped a kiss there. “I don’t like leaving you even to visit the Goddess.”
“The time with her will be worth our short separation, I promise.”
Indaran wasn’t so sure.
Jasmine tilted her head. “The shrine is just a little ahead.” She took a few steps forward and pulled him down the path.
They wove through a stand of trees into a clearing where stood a small, round building. Jasmine went up to the wall and placed her hand on the worn surface made of tan brick, her fingers splayed. With a tilt of her head, she invited him to do the same.
He set his hand next to hers, pinky fingertips touching.
The wall slid aside to reveal a darkened tunnel.
Jasmine stepped back. “There you go. I’ll be eager to hear what she has to say.”
Indaran kissed her, then took a deep breath and stepped into the cool interior. The door stayed open, casting enough illumination to see, even though the farther he walked, the darker his surroundings became. Just as the last of the bit of brightness from behind him vanished, a tiny glow appeared in the space ahead of him, growing bigger the closer he moved.
He picked up the pace, eager to meet this Goddess who’d rescued his beloved, and thus saved him, and his people.
The sound of trickling water beckoned him forward. He emerged into a circular room, with a round pool taking up most of the space. A large statue of a veiled Goddess stood on a pedestal in the middle. Water dripped from one extended hand.
Withea nodded at Indaran. Welcome, brother of Daria, mate of Jasmine.
He swept Her a deep bow. “I have heard stories, Goddess Withea. I thank you for healing my sister and my beloved, for saving me and my people.”
I, too, was powerless for a long time, Indaran of Seagem. Khan, Daria, and Jasmine made a great difference to me as well. Now I am powerless no more.
“I’m glad we’re both free.”
You must bathe in my pool, but first, set down your pack. Ontarem’s abominations cannot touch my healing waters. You will leave them here with me when you leave my shrine. I will give them into Ocean’s Glory’s keeping.
Indaran didn’t think to question whether Seagem’s recent enemy was the proper holder of the “evil abominations.” He just slid off the straps of his backpack, pulled out the wrapped spear, and set the weapon on the marble floor and dropped the pack next to it. He yanked off his boots and stripped the clothes from his body. Naked, he stepped into the pool, which felt warm like bath water, and he wondered if Jasmine had done the same thing.
I allowed Jasmine to keep on her clothing. She’d been violated and to bare herself would have been too vulnerable for her.
Indaran clenched his fists, wishing he could pommel Jasmine’s abusers, then forced himself to uncurl his fingers. He knelt and ducked under the water, the pushed off the shallow bottom into a face-down glide.
Immersion in the liquid soothed him, and Indaran relaxed muscles he hadn’t realized were tight.
You were young and impetuous. A little spoiled as any handsome prince would be… Her mental tone changed, hinting at disapproval. Yadarius, too, was at fault, Indaran. Too involved with life under the sea to pay attention to anything happening on land unless it involved the peninsula of Seagem. Therefore, you’ve carried a burden and paid a price for your choices far greater than you deserved. Lay down the guilt and regret you bear.
Indaran flipped over to his back and floated, allowing the healing water to soothe his body and soul. He had a vague othersense realization of the importance of this moment...of freeing himself from some of his shame and blame. All too soon he’d have to return to the world…and the battle.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Sadie drifted awake from the othersense dream, the salle in Seagem so vivid in her mind, she didn’t realize she’d transitioned. Her hand was wrapped around the grip of her new sword, and the sting in her thigh remained from the last smack Micfal had given her with the flat of his blade. Better than cutting off my leg, which would have happened in a real battle.
She blinked, looking up at the arching dome of Guinheld’s temple ceiling, inhaled the scent of citrus, and realized she wasn’t in Seagem anymore. As Sadie became more aware of her surroundings, the aches and bruises acquired from her bouts with Micfal faded. She flexed her empty fingers, already missing the feel of her warrior queen sword, and thought with longing of the weapon she’d left behind in the dream world.
She turned her head to see Tharon already sitting up.
Briefly, he dropped his face in his hands. His shoulders moved as he took a deep breath.
He was just with people he loved…who are gone now, except for Daria.
Tharon straightened and studied her. His golden eyes, which had blazed with excitement in the othersense dream, now looked bleak.
He’s lost so much. That othersense dream must have been like ripping the stitches out of an unhealed wound.
Sadie rolled to a sitting position, hesitated, still expecting to feel stiff and sore when she moved. When no pain hit her, she stood. Feeling amazed, she walked over to Tharon, sat next to him, and touched his arm. “I’m sorry for your losses. I know those are inadequate words for such deep grief.”
Tharon tried to smile, but the tiny turn of his lips failed to lighten his expression. “It’s kind of you to offer comfort.” He closed his eyes and moved his head as if shaking off his feelings. “The sword’s important, Sadie. We need to travel to Seagem to obtain it.”
The longing for her sword intensified. “Do you think it’s still there?”
“That weapons room was hidden, although it wasn’t secret. It’s possible the reavers overlooked it. The soldiers from Ocean’s Glory might have taken the weapons for themselves. I—” he caught himself. “The King didn’t stop his men from looting the city and bringing their treasures back to Ocean’s Glory. But if the sword’s there, then we can get it back. Counselor Ogan—he’s the one in charge of Ocean’s Glory now, is planning to surrender the ill-gotten spoils of war as soon as it’s safe for people to return to Seagem.”
As he talked, Sadie couldn’t help comparing Tharon to the younger self she’d just spent time with. He’d changed so much…white hair and a thinner face, the lines around his mouth and eyes, his haunted expression. And his energy…his personality seemed so different—so subdued.
Sadie’s heart went out to him, and she couldn’t hold back the wish that she could help him feel better—make his eyes light up like when they’d been together in Seagem in the othersense dream. She grasped his hand, curled her fingers under his palm, and gently squeezed, trying to show her support.
Tharon gazed into her eyes, brought her hand to his mouth, and dropped a kiss on the back. “Thank you.”
The touch of his lips tingled over her skin, sending warmth throughout her body. Even her cheeks heated. I have such strong chemistry with this man. But is he too damaged? Is it even right to think of pursuing a relationship when we are on the eve of war?
Sadie thought of Bubby and the brief time her grandmother had with her beloved husband. Bubby would wholeheartedly tell me, yes!
Breaking eye contact with Sadie, Tharon stared up at the statue of Guinheld. “We can go to Seagem through the temple window?”
Guinheld gave a stately nod but didn’t speak.
Sadie took Tharon’s hand, rose, and pulled him to his feet. “Let’s get ready for our expedition,” she said, trying to infuse him with her energy. “I’m eager to claim my sword. After sparring with Micfal, I think I can hold my own with you.”
This time his smile turned real. “We shall see.”
Her heart skipped to see it. “When can we go?”
“We’ve worked hard, even though it was in an othersense dream. Time has passed while we’ve been away. We need to eat and rest. We’ll go first thing in the morning.”
Sadie put a little bounce in her step. “That dream was amazing. So real. And considering the workout Micfal gave me, I should be exhausted. But I feel great! How about you? You and Indaran pounded on each other hard enough.”
“Guinheld has given us energy. But we still need to fuel ourselves and rest because of the intensity and amount of our workouts.” He slanted her a wry glance. “Once we get your sword, I’ll certainly put you through your paces.”
Sadie gave a mock groan. “A double workout!”
“Perhaps triple. Guinheld may send you back to Micfal when you dream tonight. Or have us practice here. Or whatever She plans to do to accelerate your training.”
This time Sadie’s groan was real. But, she realized, maybe Guinheld will continue to soothe away my sore muscles and give me energy. Then triple workouts wouldn’t be so bad. She’d be training harder than she ever had for the Olympics. Oh, what I could have done before with a Goddess on my side. A vision of the gold medal dangled in front of her eyes.
For the first time, the thought of her lost hopes didn’t sting. Sadie shrugged the image out of her mind, put it in the past where it belonged, and focused on the present.
I have the sword of the Warrior Queen to recover.
~ ~ ~
Tharon had a hard time shaking off the images from the othersense dream. To be in Seagem again. To interact with Indaran and Micfa
l…with Daria…. The little princess had always adored him. For the first time, he wondered what would have happened between them if he hadn’t sailed into Ontarem’s clutches. Would she have grown up to love the man he would have been? Surely the princess refused his proposal because she sensed the taint of evil binding him.
Thank the Goddess she turned me down. Daria would have been bound over to the Evil God to serve His purpose, and Ontarem would still have forced Thaddis to destroy Seagem.
Tharon knew if he had experienced the othersense dream a few days before, he’d be much more conflicted about his feelings for Daria. But now—he glanced at Sadie, who walked beside him, a sense of energy and purpose radiating from her, her brown eyes still holding a trace of awe from the othersense dream—things had changed. I’ve changed.
This beautiful Outworlder had traveled into his life, and all his senses had awakened. She wasn’t immune to him, either. He could feel that. But he also knew her attraction would die as soon as she learned Tharon was really Thaddis the Destroyer. The soft brown eyes that gazed at him with warmth would change to disgust, maybe anger or even hatred.
Tharon knew he should distance himself from Sadie—spare both of them the inevitable hurt that would come when she knew the truth. And, if the circumstances were different—their lives, their world wasn’t at stake—he’d find a way to walk away from her. But by coming to Kimtair, she’d chosen a dangerous path, and he was her best hope of receiving the training she needed to survive the coming battle.
I have to tell her the truth. The decision weighed heavily on him, but Tharon knew it was right. As soon as we return from Seagem, we’ll talk.
~ ~ ~
That night as she slept in her bedroom, Sadie let an othersense dream take her.
She stood in a moonlit garden, clad in her nightie. A nearby bush laden with tiny white flowers sent out a fragrance that reminded her of jasmine. She looked up at the diamond stars glittering in the black velvet sky. The moon, fat and silver, and definitely not the one from Earth, cast a shimmering glow around her, bathing the garden in milky light and dancing off a round reflecting pool about twenty feet in front of her.
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