I have found a way to free your mother. I need your help.
His plea was unmistakable. She had to reply.
What can I do, father?
His response was not immediate. Anxiety surged within her, waiting for his answer. Had she lost the connection?
Soon, he spoke again.
Join me in the grove, Niv’leana.
Chapter 10
Olivia sat in a café in the upper city, swirling her glass of wine over a late lunch. A half-eaten chicken sandwich sat on her plate, but she couldn’t stomach finishing it. She stared out the window in a haze, lost in a whirlwind of thought.
There was no issue that overwhelmed her, but the sum of her troubles weighed heavily on her shoulders. Her time in Selandis had been productive, yet she felt hollow. She had assisted Niv by giving her a crash course in politics and the art of negotiating complex hierarchies. Niv had been a quick study and now came to her less and less for advice. Her days were filled with far too much free time for her taste.
Shareis sat across the table from her. She had been so disconnected from reality that she had missed her entrance.
“I hope I’m not disturbing you, Olivia,” Shareis said.
“You never disturb me.” She considered asking how Shareis knew she was here, but that wouldn’t have been a difficult guess. She nearly always at lunch at the café.
“Is everything alright?”
“Everything is fine.” She took a sip of wine. “I assure you I say that with all sincerity. And yet… I’m… restless. Or something. I am not quite sure how to label it.” She pushed her sandwich to Shareis. “Would you like the rest of it? I’m full.”
Shareis accepted. “Thank you. I haven’t had lunch.”
“It’s a far cry from the snowfields of Lahara, isn’t it?” she asked.
“Indeed. Summers in Selandis are notoriously warm and humid. I don’t look forward to them.”
“I never asked you where you lived before all hell broke loose with Vorea.”
“I was born in Masola, but my mother moved me to Lahara a few months after I was born. When I became an adult, I traveled to various places. Spent some time here, too. I was a nomad.”
“So was I. Then I settled down in Lahara.” She finished the last drink of her wine in one large gulp. “But that’s all over now.”
“Were you and Narelle close?” Shareis asked.
She swallowed hard. “Yes. We had been friends for close to six years before you met us. We hit it off well. She was a very closed person and I was a good listener. We practiced magic together, too. She was still in the broom closet, as you might say. Her husband, Cadrin, wanted nothing to do with it. He loved her but seemed to resent that she was a Skilla.”
“Cadrin didn’t seem close-minded to me,” Shareis replied.
“He tolerated it but kept his distance.” She wiped a tear from her eye. “I miss her, Shareis.”
Shareis gave her an inquisitive gaze. “Narelle was more than a friend, wasn’t she?”
She looked away. “You Proctors have a way of cutting to the truth, don’t you? We were not exclusive, if that is what you meant. But… Cadrin traveled frequently and left a cold bed. I would cuddle her to keep her company, and on occasion helped her loneliness.” She took a deep breath. “The problem with her was…” Her voice broke. “She wasn’t too particular about who warmed her bed.”
“I didn’t mean to—”
“No, it’s alright, Shareis. I haven’t talked much about her at all since her death, and if I’m going to confess who better to tell than a Proctor?”
“I am not judging you, Olivia.”
“I know. I now regret sleeping with her. It was wrong.”
“I thought Skilla practiced polyamory.”
“We do,” she replied. “But polyamory is based on consent. Cadrin didn’t know of our affair, and he didn’t know of Narelle’s other indiscretions. I implored her to tell him, but she wouldn’t.” She traced her finger along the edge of an embroidered flower in the tablecloth. “And, to be honest, I suppose my eyes turned a bit green from time to time.”
“Understandable.”
She folded her hands. “Regardless, all of that is over now.”
“I regret what happened to Narelle.”
She wiped her eyes with her napkin. “It was of her own doing. She thought she was helping Lahara, but she only created more misery. She was a troubled soul.”
“What of her son, Kytis?”
“I don’t know where to begin with him.”
“Did you ever meet him?”
“Once, and… it was not a formal meeting. Narelle never directly introduced us. He had visited Lahara with his wife Rachel.”
“Would you tell me about Rachel?” Shareis asked.
“There’s not much to tell. I only interacted with her briefly. She had red hair. Deep green eyes. Freckles. She seemed nice enough.”
“Remind you of anyone we know?”
The comparison stunned her. “I… I hadn’t thought of it, but you’re right. She could have easily been Frasie’s sister.”
Shareis nodded. “Aiden and I have been digging into his past. He’s quite a mystery. But we did find a deed to an estate in Masola.”
“Narelle never mentioned he lived in Masola. Come to think of it, I believe she said he lived in Selandis.”
“The deed was altered. I can’t be sure of the date.”
“Hmm. It wouldn’t surprise me. Narelle said Kytis was an unusual person. He was even more secretive than her, and that’s saying quite a lot.”
Shareis finished the last bite of her sandwich. “I’m going to get to the bottom of it.”
“I don’t blame you. Do you need any help?”
“Your help is always valuable,” Shareis replied. “But given how things ended with Narelle, I’m hesitant to enlist your help.”
“Kytis doesn’t know…” She took a quick survey of who was in the room but saw only an old man in the corner drinking a cup of coffee. She lowered her voice “He doesn’t know I killed Narelle.”
“And it will remain that way,” Shareis said.
“I feel awful keeping it from him.”
“It is a piece of information he doesn’t need. Telling him will serve no purpose and may diminish his memory of his mother.”
She nodded.
Shareis stood. “I must be going. Thank you for the sandwich and the conversation.”
“Thank you for listening. I appreciate it more than you know.”
Chapter 11
Niv felt safe in Shareis’s arms. The lamps were out, and it was time for sleep, but rest would not come easy.
“Shareis?”
“Yes?”
“I wasn’t sure if you were awake. Something is on my mind.”
“I know.”
“You do? I don’t know why I didn’t tell you earlier. I suppose I needed to mull it over before sharing it with you. Don’t worry, it can wait until tomorrow.”
Shareis nestled closer. “What is it, love?”
“I heard from my father.”
“When?”
“Today. In meditation. He spoke to me.”
“What did he say?”
She turned to face Shareis. “He has found a way to free Mae and wants me to come to the grove.”
“That’s good news.” Only a hint of moonlight slipped through the window, yet it was enough to see Shareis studying her expression. “What’s wrong?”
“How can I be certain it was him?”
“There are two ways to know something.” Shareis pointed to her head. “Here, and…” she laid her hand on her chest. “Here.”
“My head is full of doubts.”
“What does your heart say?”
“I feel it was him.”
“The head doubts spirit, and the heart doubts reason. The secret to discernment is balancing the two.”
“That comes easy for you as a Proctor,” she said.
“Not at a
ll. It is an everyday struggle.”
She put her hand on Shareis’s shoulder and pulled her closer. “You should be High Priestess.”
Shareis kissed her. “I’ll leave that to you, love. You’re doing a wonderful job.”
“I need to go to the grove,” she said.
“Emira can handle things for a while.”
“I don’t know that I’m handling things.” She smiled. “Though Emira did say today I was a good teacher.”
“You are. You have worked hard and deserve a break. Emira will be fine. Olivia can help her, too.”
She frowned. “The order only tolerates a Skilla because of me. I’m afraid without me they’ll shun her even more. Maybe you can help.”
“I won’t be here either,” Shareis replied. “I’m taking a trip to Masola.”
“What’s in Masola?”
“Please don’t take offense, but I’m reluctant to tell you.”
“Do I need to know?”
“You deserve to know.” Shareis paused. “I’m going to Masola to investigate Kytis.”
“Why would I be offended by that?”
“He’s your brother,” she replied.
“Yes but… if you asked me right now what my brother’s name is, I’d tell you Jarris. I don’t think of him that way yet. I know that sounds awful.”
“It sounds perfectly normal.”
She felt terrible saying those words but was somewhat reassured by Shareis. Her love ran her fingers through her hair and then started to rub her shoulders.
“That feels good.”
“I hope my fears are unfounded about Kytis,” Shareis said.
“When will you leave?”
“After you leave for the grove. I should be back in a few weeks.”
She was eager to see her father and free her mother’s spirit from Vorea’s cruel snare, but it pained her to leave Shareis’s company. There was no reason to delay the inevitable. “I’ll leave tomorrow, then,” she said. “Which means this will be our last night together.”
“For a while, anyway,” Shareis said, then lowered her hands to her waist. “We’d best make the most of it.”
Niv grinned. “Despite all that’s happened, I’ve thought of your teasing all day.”
“My teasing?” Shareis chuckled. “You pulled away from me.”
“My mistake. Had I known, I would have spent all day in bed.”
Shareis eased her on her belly and straddled her. She lifted her nightgown and rubbed her shoulders. “We have all night.”
Shareis’s strong, agile hands worked their way down her back and massaged her hips. Niv tried to say how good it felt but could only manage a blissful moan. She shivered as Shareis’s lips traced a line of kisses down her spine, stopping at the small of her back.
Taking her cues from gentle pressure from Shareis’s hand, Niv slid her body backward until she was on her knees, her face resting against the warm mattress. Her back arched as Shareis’s mouth was suddenly against her, quickly beckoning her toward climax. As she neared her peak, her thighs quivered, her forehead beaded with sweat, and her body ached with building tension. She grabbed the pillow in front of her and buried her face in it to avoid sharing her ecstasy with the entire north wing of the third floor.
She collapsed on the bed. The parting tension left only contentment. Shareis crawled up to her and they shared a slow, lingering kiss.
“I can’t believe how you make me feel, Shareis.”
“I hope it’s half as good as you make me feel.”
She chuckled. “I can’t move.”
Shareis gave her a quick peck. “No need.”
Shareis eased herself up to Niv, placing one knee on either side of her head.
Niv grabbed her bottom and pulled it closer, positioning Shareis directly over her mouth. She ran her hands over Shareis’s tight stomach, admiring the graceful curves of her breasts in the pale light. She pulled Shareis’s hips down and closed the gap between them, trying her best to bring the same pleasure Shareis had so lovingly given her.
With a gentle motion she rocked her tongue and lips to the steady rhythm of Shareis’s hips. She adored taste of her lover, her soulmate. Soon, Shareis’s powerful leg muscles tensed and she cried out in delight. After a final shudder, Shareis collapsed in complete satisfaction next to her.
She took her in her arms and nestled her against her chest. “You’re usually holding me.”
“You’ve had time to recover.” Shareis exhaled sharply. “I intended to make love to you all night, but…”
She pulled her closer. “I’m exhausted, too. We need our sleep.”
“I’m going to miss you,” Shareis said.
“And I you.”
Chapter 12
Brilliant sunrays shone through the intricate stained-glass windows that decorated the northern wall of the council chambers of the Ael’Shanar. Council members and their junior adept assistants took their seats. Niv turned to Emira and offered a reassuring smile, then called the meeting to order.
“At the beginning of each meeting I promise to keep it short. I usually fail at this, but not today. I have been called to the grove by my father, Farius. He has informed me he has found a way to free Maeva and requires my assistance. I’ll be gone for a while. In my absence, I’m leaving Emira in charge. She, like all of you, have my full faith and confidence. The grove is a week away, so I must leave immediately after our meeting.”
Emira’s mouth hung open in disbelief. “I am honored, High Priestess. But surely one of the other council members would be a better choice.”
Diana, an elder member, spoke. “Emira, you are well qualified. I support the High Priestess’s decision.”
“Thank you, Diana,” Emira said. “I’m… just not sure I’m ready.”
“I wasn’t ready when I arrived in Selandis,” she replied.
“But High Priestess, you are the daughter of Maeva. You bear the Amulet of Balance. You’re far more qualified.”
“You have more experience than I in the order.”
Emira took a deep breath. “If you say so.”
“We will miss you,” Emira said. The rest of the council echoed her sentiments.
“I will miss you too, but Maeva needs my help. Are there any remaining items this morning?”
Emira glanced at her notes. “Yes. We must decide who will be your escort.”
She hesitated. “There… won’t be one.” The council returned a blank stare. “I will be fine, I promise.”
“With all due respect, High Priestess, that is a terrible idea,” Diana said.
“I know it seems that way, but I’ll take every precaution. I’ll wear civilian clothing and try not to draw attention to myself.”
“Selandis is relatively safe, thanks to you,” Diana replied. “But the southern highway is not well guarded. There are highwaymen and—"
“I know it’s a risk, Diana, but I don’t know how long I’ll be. I’m not tying up an entourage while I’m in the grove. That could be weeks.”
“I can’t allow that.”
She knew the courage it took Emira to protest her decision. She was proud of her protégé for being honest. She turned to her and let slip the slightest hint of a grin. “You aren’t High Priestess yet.”
“Well, no, but—”
“I appreciate everyone’s concern,” she said. “But I am doing this alone. I will disguise myself and be vigilant. There are risks, but I can handle them.”
“If you wish,” Diana said.
“I do. Now, are there any other items I must attend to before I leave?
Emira glanced at her notes. “Yes, but we can handle them.”
“Then I leave it in your capable hands.”
They wished her a safe journey. Before she reached the door, she heard Emira continue with the daily agenda. She smiled, knowing she had made a wise choice.
Chapter 13
Frasie adored breakfast. There was nothing that could equal the bliss of a well-pre
pared first meal of the day. She acquired her love of breakfast from her father. When Frasie was old enough, she helped her mother in the kitchen—not to prepare lunch, dinner, or any sort of snack. Her assistance was unashamedly self-serving. She made breakfast.
The cafeteria in the Temple of the Ael’Shanar eliminated the need to cook as soon as she rose each morning. The kitchen had an ample supply of her favorites—scrambled eggs, biscuits, scones, bacon, and apricot jam. The food was fresh and well-prepared, but each bite was only a hint of what she enjoyed at home.
Her early schedule meant she usually dined alone. Her red curls stood out among the field of gray hair that gathered around pre-sunrise table. She became well-acquainted with her breakfast crew and the cooks in the kitchen. In exchange for their good food and company she provided many tales of adventure.
She always remained in the cafeteria until sunrise so she had a chance to spend time with Aiden. She feared the more serious tone in their relationship would dampen their jovial, friendly conversations, but it didn’t. They spoke at ease about anything and everything. As much as she loved to talk, she adored listening to Aiden’s thoughts on the world.
“I haven’t seen you in here the past few days,” she said.
Aiden smeared grape jam on his biscuit. “I’ve been busy in the archives.”
She propped her chin in her palms. “Doin’ what?”
“Investigating.”
She frowned. “Kytis, right?”
“Not entirely.”
She sighed. “Oh Aiden, there’s no need to do that. He’s a nice man. In fact, he drew this picture of me.”
She pulled out the drawing Kytis had given her and unfolded it on the table before him. He gave it a quick examination and answered with a bite in his mouth, “That’s good.”
“He’s very talented. I’ve never seen anyone draw quite like that.”
Aiden shrugged. “He’s not bad. I suppose we all have to be good at something, right?”
She jerked the paper from him, folded it, and put it away. “You don’t have to be so mean to him, you know?”
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