Seeking Sorrow (Guardians of Terath Book 1)

by Zen DiPietro

“The more I think about it, the more convinced I am. I’m serious, let’s do it. If we didn’t still have to deal with the Council I’d be throwing you over my shoulder and running out the door with you right now.”

  She saw his hope, and felt his earnestness pulling at her. If she said no, she knew they’d never have more than stolen moments here and there. They deserved more than that.

  “All right. Let’s do it.”

  She dissolved into gales of girlish laughter when he dove at her, yelling something a lot like, “Woohoo!”

  Having released the battalion, Will now faced a new battleground. Kassimeigh only hoped he could handle words as well as he did a blade.

  She had joined him and Luc that morning in describing recent events to the Council. Will stood in a room similar to the one Kassimeigh had used to adjudicate the case of the little girl whose mother had died. Only in this case, he faced off the entire Council of Magistrates, who sat together at the front. He outlined his plan for maintaining and training an ongoing military guard, for the purpose of emergencies.

  “Not only will Terath have help when it’s needed, we’ll have the confidence of knowing that we’re prepared for an emergency situation. I intend to create contingency plans for natural disasters such as earthquakes and flooding. Having a group in place and trained to handle these situations is surely worth the relatively small expense.”

  Kassimeigh knew Will’s plan benefitted Terath tremendously. She had complete faith in him. She only hoped the Council would, as well. She gave her best endorsement of him and hoped it would be enough.

  “Thank you, Mr. Azrith,” offered Magistrate Olith, a ruddy-cheeked man with a stocky build. “Both for your service, which has been exemplary, and for your thoughtful presentation. If no one has anything further to add, the Council will recess for discussion.”

  As the last one out of the room, Kassimeigh closed the door behind her. Once in the hallway, Will let out a slow breath, like pressure escaping a balloon.

  Arc, who had waited in the hall while the three made their case, stood up from a bench and patted Will’s shoulder. “Hang in there, Will. You did your best, and I know Aunt Ina will do all she can to support you.”

  “Thanks, Arc. And to both of you, too.” Will nodded at Kassimeigh and Luc. “I’m actually glad to have all of it done. I’m going to sleep for a few days, then jump into a massively punishing workout regimen. Maybe by the end, I’ll know something.”

  Kassimeigh could relate to his desire to work out emotional frustrations through physical activity. She wouldn’t mind some of that, herself, once her own duties had been satisfied.

  Arc eyed the door to the room, as if wondering what was happening behind it. “We can hope. You have an apartment here in Capital, don’t you?”

  “I do, at the monorail. Very convenient. Any of you is welcome to visit, anytime. You’re even welcome to stay with me, whenever you’re in town.”

  Reciprocal offers of future hospitality were exchanged. With nothing left to say, Will said his goodbyes and headed off for some much-deserved rest.

  “You’re staying in Capital too?” Kassimeigh asked Luc.

  “No, actually, I’ve plans for a vacation. I’ll be leaving as soon as the Council is satisfied.”

  “Funny,” Arc mused. “My aunt mentioned she’d be taking some time off as soon as the Council has made a decision. I thought it interesting, since I can’t remember the last time she took a vacation.”

  Luc cleared his throat. “Yes. Well.” He shuffled his feet and checked his hand comm.

  Kassimeigh elbowed Arc, but he failed to look the least bit chastised.

  “I’ll keep you apprised of my plans,” she assured Luc.

  “Good,” Luc approved. “Regardless of the order’s plans for you, we must see to your mana education. It would be my honor to be your mentor, if you think you can put up with me.”

  She knew she could have no better advisor. “The honor is all mine.”

  Once Luc left, Arc and Kassimeigh were alone.

  “Are you sure I can’t be helpful to you at the keep?”

  She appreciated the offer, but knew he’d have nothing to do there. She shook her head with regret. “You’re welcome to stay as a guest of the keep, of course, but I have duties to attend. I’ll be quite busy for at least several days. I’m sure you have better things to do with your time than sit around staring at the walls.”

  “Hey.” He stepped closer and took her hands in his. “I have absolutely nothing better to do in life but to keep you company. Don’t doubt that.” He pulled her closer still, putting one arm around her waist and cupping her cheek with his free hand. “But you have work to do, and my aunt mentioned she’d like me to take a trip to the hinterlands to survey some areas that looked strange on satellite.”

  Kassimeigh took a deep breath, savoring the woodsy, clean smell of him. She had a hard time admitting even to herself how much she was going to miss him. She leaned in and rested her weight against him, savoring her last minutes with him. She felt him sigh.

  “It sounds like something you’ll enjoy. What did the satellite images show?”

  “Unexplained black spots. There should be vegetation there. Either something’s killing trees or we have some malfunctioning satellites. Either way, the first step is for someone to go see the area firsthand.”

  “Keep me posted on what you find.”

  “Count on it. You’ll get tired of the comm pretty fast, as often as I’ll be hassling you.”

  She laughed. The idea of someone regularly checking in on her was unique to her. Knowing that Arc wanted to do so warmed her insides.

  Only two hours later, Kassimeigh stood, looking up at Northern Keep. Her home had never looked so welcome, or so foreign. She craved the discipline, peace, and belonging that awaited her within.

  Yet her connection with Arc was now dimming, blunted across space, and she missed that, too. What was more, she now discerned slowly undulating coils of mana rolling through the air. She’d be experiencing her home in a new way. And she also knew that she had work to do in learning to be a masterful mana-holder. Pulled in so many directions, she could only start at the beginning and work her way through.

  Lifting her chin, she touched the identity scanner and the door whooshed open. Inside, the keep’s comforting sameness soothed her soul. She let the familiar, herbaceous scent of the floor polish and the echo of her footsteps sink into her as she made her way to her room. Once there, she stowed her gear away and freshened up to prepare to meet the elders. She knew they’d have been alerted immediately of her arrival, and she had no intention of keeping the elders waiting.

  Clad in a fresh, snow-white shoka, she paused when she noticed the message light blinking on her comm panel. It was too soon for Arc to message her, but her curiosity led her to check anyway.

  The missive was indeed from Arc but rather than a personal note, she viewed a series of satellite images. Broad swathes of wild land filled her viewscreen. Strangely, as Arc had described, black blots dotted the landscape, making it look as if there were small dead zones amidst the lushness. She moved closer to the screen and squinted but it didn’t help explain what she saw. She pressed her lips together thoughtfully as she touched the side panel, causing it to go blank.

  She threw her shoulders back and began the walk to the elders’ auditorium. Whatever was happening out in the hinterlands, Arc would find it. Meanwhile, her new future, whatever it was, awaited.

  MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR

  Thank you for reading!

  I hope you enjoyed Guardians of Terath: Seeking Sorrow. Kassimeigh, Arc, Izzy, Luc, and Will have all become like family to me and I’m thrilled to have had the chance to share them with you. If they or the story itself inspired you in any way, please let me know. I’d love to hear your input, an
d am curious about what you expect or hope to see in future books in the series. You never know . . . your feedback could have a direct effect on the next book in the series. Inspiration comes from everywhere and you might just be my next muse.

  Please visit me at my blog

  http://www.WomenOfBadassery.com.

  I would absolutely love to hear from you there, or at ZenDiPietro@gmail.com.

  Finally, I’d like to ask you a favor. I did the writing, but you are the one with the power to make or break this book. I would be grateful if you could write a review for me at Amazon and/or Goodreads. Just a couple minutes of your time would mean so much to me.

  I hope to hear from you!

  In gratitude,

  Zen DiPietro