Elder

by Thomas, Raine

  The Yuki-onna had particularly troubled her. Seeing the child in the pale female’s arms left Clara Kate frozen and speechless. When the spirit’s eyes moved to her waist, Clara Kate somehow knew it sensed her pregnancy. The look on its face had her fearing the spirit would attack her, trying to harm the baby.

  Fierce maternal protectiveness rushed through her then. She may have only known about the pregnancy for a very short time, but she wasn’t going to let anything happen to her unborn child.

  That was when the spirit screamed and departed. Somehow, Clara Kate understood that the unknown woman hadn’t saved her own child, causing her devastated spirit to linger.

  Hopefully that mother was at peace now, Clara Kate thought as she sat propped up against a tree. She rubbed a hand over her own flat belly and thought about what lie ahead for her. What would it be like to feel a new life growing inside her? Would she have a son or a daughter? Would he or she look like her or Ini-herit?

  Glancing up, she realized the male in question watched her from where he sat a few feet away. He tilted his head, his eyes moving to her waist. When she realized it, her hand stilled.

  What would he say when she told him? She thought she’d been prepared to find out when she was about to confess outside of the maze. Now, she hesitated. Could she really handle this?

  Her attention shifted to the edge of the forest where Sophia and Quincy emerged. The two had been gone for a while. Judging by her cousin’s rosy cheeks and secretive smile, they’d been engaged in a romantic interlude. Clara Kate couldn’t blame them, but she could admit to envying them. Quincy treated Sophia like a goddess, and despite what they currently faced, her cousin hadn’t ever seemed so light of spirit.

  A small commotion had Clara Kate looking around. She realized that the remainder of their group had arrived. She spotted Derian first. The large Mercesti male was hard to miss. He wore only a kilt and knee-high boots, and half of his face and upper body were covered in colorful tattoos. His dark hair was pulled back, reminding her of how Ini-herit often wore his hair on the human plane.

  Derian’s mate, Melanthe, stood by his side. The former Lekwuesti currently wore her golden-brown hair in a braid secured tightly to her head. Her gown flattered her, even if it was partially covered by leather armor. Much like Derian wore his lochaber axe strapped to his back, she wore a bo attached to a special holster. The pair had been at the front of the line in their recent battle, and their efforts—as well as those of their followers—had been noted by everyone involved.

  As the new arrivals entered the forest, Clara Kate got to her feet. She saw Sebastian approach Tiege, who held Ariana. As the elder’s power glowed, Clara Kate took the opportunity to move a little deeper into the forest for a couple minutes of privacy.

  Once she saw to her personal needs, she took a moment in the rare solitude to center herself. She didn’t have just herself to think about anymore, a thought that terrified her. She knew allowing herself time to rest was important.

  Just as she started back to camp, she caught a glimpse of color through the trees. She paused out of curiosity and spotted Tate and Zachariah. She realized that Tate was awake and now clean and clothed in an outfit unlike anything she’d worn in weeks. Her hair was done in its usual style, as well. When she heard Tate asking Zachariah if he’d selected the wardrobe items, she inferred from her cousin’s response that the Mercesti had.

  The couple kissed, making Clara Kate turn her gaze, intending to give them privacy. But her heart ached for this kind of interaction. She found herself unable to walk away.

  Thus, she witnessed their avowing. Her eyes filled over Zachariah’s heartfelt vow. She wouldn’t have dreamed him capable of such emotion. It made her so happy for Tate.

  After the vows were exchanged, Clara Kate started to head back to the others. She noticed Ini-herit watching her from between two trees. Embarrassed over having been caught spying, she hurried closer to him and out of earshot of Tate and Zachariah.

  “Do you need something?” she asked.

  “I thought you might wish to continue our earlier conversation.”

  Thinking about the shared love she had just witnessed between Sophia and Quincy and then Tate and Zachariah, she couldn’t find it in her to share her news with him. She knew how important it was. But her heart wasn’t ready.

  “Not right now. But soon,” she said, and really hoped she wasn’t lying to them both.

  From a distance, Eirik watched the team of Estilorians that he, Friedrich and the other chosen Mercesti followed from the library. They entered a thick forest located within aerial sight of the maze outside of Metis’ lair. Unable to see through the thick trees to be sure, he assumed the two females had been rescued.

  “You said the Kynzesti was incapacitated,” Friedrich said. “She would surely not be able to make it through the maze in the condition you described.”

  Although fury had his vision going in and out of focus, Eirik replied, “Nothing would surprise me at this point. Perhaps the Kynzesti’s blood ties to Gabriel have given her exceptional abilities. She must be able to harness the strength and intelligence of the elders to have gotten this far without breaking.”

  “So you believe that she and the Lekwuesti managed to escape the confines of their cage and then avert each of the deadly creatures you described within the maze?”

  “Whether or not I believe it, that certainly appears true,” Eirik retorted. “No one is trying to enter the maze, which tells me that they have found the beings they expected to emerge from it.”

  Nodding, Friedrich said, “Very well. So we believe they have the two females who can lead us to the final piece of the artifact. How do we get them back?”

  “We do not need the troublesome females,” Eirik said after a moment. “We can follow this group to the artifact and wrest it from them after they go through the effort of recovering it. Then we will have all of the pieces we need.”

  “Did you not say that we will have to figure out how to imbue the artifact once we have all of the pieces?”

  “We will, but that is not a concern. I am confident we will know what to do once we have it complete. With us working together, no one will be able to stop us.”

  Part II:

  REVELATIONS

  Revelation [n. rev-uh-ley-shuhn]: Something revealed or disclosed, especially a striking disclosure, as of something not before realized.

  Chapter 13

  Because Uriel was busy strategizing and issuing orders shortly after the rescue of Tate and Ariana, Ini-herit conveyed the situation to Gabriel using their mental connection as elders. He didn’t want his friend worrying more than necessary.

  I’m so glad everyone’s okay, Gabriel thought once he had been caught up on everything. It’s been so hard, not being able to help. The strain has really taken a toll on all of us.

  Ini-herit sensed Gabriel’s relief. Amber, Olivia and Skye had all given birth within the last week. For the safety of their newborns, both parents needed to stay within close contact of the babies for at least a month, preferably longer. For this reason, none of them had been able to join the search for the Elder Scroll.

  We’ve all talked about it, Gabriel continued, and we think it would be best for our kids—well, those with you—to travel to Central right away to pair with Lekwuesti.

  But the third scroll piece—

  Isn’t going anywhere, Gabriel interrupted. Twice now, Tate has been separated from you and the others without the benefit of a paired Lekwuesti. This last time, Sophia was, too. We want our kids to have someone they can connect to for food, water and other things they need to survive, like all full Estilorians.

  Ini-herit considered this. Tate and Ariana were still targets, now by two villains. Recent events proved that Eirik and Metis would do anything possible to get the third scroll piece, and they intended to use Tate and Ariana to do it. Neither the Mercesti male nor the form-assuming female would hesitate to use one of the other Kynzesti to lure the two femal
es back into their clutches, which put them all at risk.

  Including Clara Kate.

  Very well, he thought. I will communicate with the others about this. We will head to Central as soon as possible.

  Thanks. How is Clara Kate?

  The question made him wonder if he had conveyed his thought about her, but supposed it didn’t matter. Thinking back to his interrupted conversation with Gabriel’s daughter as they stood outside the maze, Ini-herit almost mentioned that she wanted to talk to him about their time on the human plane. Perhaps his friend had some insights into his daughter’s mindset.

  Then he thought better of it. There had to be a reason that Clara Kate was acting in such an unusual manner. Perhaps she didn’t want her parents involved.

  She seems all right, he thought at last. She is unharmed and finally getting some rest.

  Good. It’s hard having her away. Let her know we love her, okay?

  Although he would impart the words without understanding their meaning, Ini-herit gave a mental nod of agreement. Once he disconnected from Gabriel, he went in search of Clara Kate, figuring he could pass along Gabriel’s message. He found her hiding behind a tree, watching Tate and Zachariah.

  The look on her face had him stopping rather than approaching her. While he might not have ever experienced it himself, he recognized the longing he saw in her expression as she witnessed her cousin and the Mercesti interact.

  Was Clara Kate seeking from him the level of emotional commitment that existed between Tate and Zachariah? Although he couldn’t hear the words they spoke, he certainly recognized the pairing of hands, pressing of lips against lips and the flash of light that resulted from an avowing. The act required powerful, unconditional love.

  He knew he couldn’t fulfill Clara Kate’s obvious wish. As he followed her back to camp after she refused to tell him what was on her mind, he decided that it was in both of their best interests that she wasn’t ready to ask him for something he couldn’t possibly give her.

  Tate wanted to spend some time with Tiege when she returned to the camp. Zachariah made sure she was seated and had something to eat before he moved a few feet away from the twins. He knew how important the sibling relationship was to Tate. Since he witnessed Ariana walking in the other direction, he imagined she knew it, too.

  Sebastian prepared food for those who wanted to eat, so Zachariah took a handful of biscuits flavored with honey. They would give him energy without being too filling. Beside him, Ini-herit considered the food offerings and took a plum. They exchanged brief nods before they turned and approached Uriel, who stood with Harold, Alexius, Knorbis and Malukali.

  “We should leave the area now that everyone has regained consciousness,” Uriel said as Zachariah stopped walking and took a bite of a biscuit. “We can discuss our next steps in a more secure area. Metis could teleport back here whenever she wants and bring any number of other beings with her.”

  Derian and Clara Kate joined them. Zachariah belatedly realized that he hadn’t noticed the return of the other Mercesti. He caught Derian’s gaze and returned the other male’s chin-lift of greeting.

  Glancing beside him, he realized that Ini-herit was focused on Clara Kate where she stood on the opposite side of the small circle. Zachariah had noticed that Tate’s cousin kept her distance from the Corgloresti elder. Beside her, Alexius caught her gaze and smiled. Seeing the look, Zachariah again looked at Ini-herit. Although the elder’s expression didn’t change, he did stop chewing the bite of plum in his mouth when he saw the exchange.

  Interesting.

  “Have all of your warriors checked in with you?” Malukali asked Uriel.

  Frowning, he replied, “No. Caesar is missing. I have spread the word and would appreciate each of you doing the same. If anyone sees him, they had better approach him with caution.”

  There were nods around the circle.

  “If Metis assumes Caesar’s form, will she still retain the ability to teleport?” Derian asked.

  “We can’t be sure,” Knorbis answered.

  Looking over at Tate where she sat sharing a fruit tart with Tiege, Zachariah said, “It’s best not to chance it. We should move somewhere Metis won’t know so she can’t visualize it.”

  “I intend to spearhead the search for Eirik,” Harold said. “Ariana revealed that Metis transported him somewhere around the library, but he has somehow eluded us. So far, none of his followers that we have found knows where he is.”

  Derian looked at Zachariah. “We can aid the Waresti in the search, sir. There may be some among our allies on the mainland who have seen Eirik. Verrell, Oria and Alys are already working on recruiting some of them to our cause.”

  Derian, a former Gloresti, still looked to Zachariah as a commander. Zachariah had told him that the formal term of address was no longer appropriate since he now bore no rank, but the tattooed male hadn’t stopped using it. After several attempts to dissuade him, Zachariah just gave up and accepted it.

  “Very well,” Zachariah said. “They will be more likely to speak with you, anyway.” His gaze moved from Derian to Harold. “Should you find Eirik—”

  “He’s all yours,” Harold assured him.

  Nodding, he said, “Then let’s move out.”

  A few minutes later, Clara Kate adjusted her cloak and extended her wings. Not too far from her, she heard Tate arguing with Zachariah, who held a flight harness.

  “I’m perfectly capable of flying, Sparky. You don’t have to carry me.”

  “Stop arguing. You can hear my thoughts now. You know you won’t win this one.”

  Tate sighed. Then she grinned, flashing a dimple in her left cheek. “You know I’ll only distract you with my thoughts while you’re holding me, right?”

  He shook his head as he secured her in the harness. “I’ll endure it somehow.”

  That made Tate laugh. Clara Kate smiled over the exchange as Zachariah took flight with Tate securely in his arms. Her smile faded when Quincy approached. He held some items wrapped in a cloth.

  After he looked around to make sure they stood alone, he said, “Take this food and store it in your pockets. You said you haven’t felt hungry every day like a typical expectant mother, but your appetite might be suppressed. You’ve been a little, um…”

  “Depressed. I get it.” Clara Kate took the food, telling herself not to blame Quincy. It certainly wasn’t his fault she was in this position. “Thanks, Quincy.”

  “Of course. I’d like you to drink this supplement, too,” he said, handing her a small vial. “You normally only need it once daily, but you were particularly exhausted and dehydrated earlier. I’m concerned about anemia—”

  Seeing a few of the Waresti glancing at them because everyone else had taken flight, Clara Kate took the vial, downed its contents and handed it back.

  “Thanks again,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound too rude. “Are we good?”

  “Sure. You’ll let me know if you need anything?”

  Nodding, she offered him a small smile. “We’re all good, Quincy.” Then she took flight, hurrying to catch up with the others as Quincy joined Sophia and they followed.

  They didn’t fly more than twenty minutes before finding a good location to camp for the night. The small island sat in a huge lake, giving scouts easy visibility of anyone approaching. Although there were a number of trees, most of the flat ground was covered in grass or sand, making a great foundation for the tents Sebastian created.

  As the sun lowered in the sky, Clara Kate sat on one of the chairs Sebastian placed around a campfire. She fought the impulse to get up and move when Ini-herit sat beside her. Although she felt his gaze on her, she remained focused on the flames.

  “What? I’m still hungry,” Tate said from across the way. She held a stick covered in marshmallows over the fire as Zachariah stood beside her with his arms crossed.

  “You’re going to catch yourself on fire, you crazed female,” Zachariah grumbled, taking the stick from her.
“Sit down and rest.”

  “Okay, okay.” She smoothed her dress and took a seat. “I like them dark, but not too—”

  “I know how you like them, Beautiful.”

  Sophia wiggled her eyebrows from beside Tate and nudged her cousin. “He is still talking about the marshmallows, right?”

  Tate giggled and Clara Kate snorted out a laugh. Quincy rolled his eyes from Sophia’s other side as Tiege approached the fire with Ariana. Tate’s brother lifted an eyebrow over the sight of Zachariah roasting marshmallows.

  “Are you taking requests, bro?” he deadpanned as they took their seats.

  “Don’t press your luck,” the Mercesti responded with a glower.

  The other elders joined them. Knorbis and Malukali sat on Clara Kate’s other side. She’d noticed that the couple gave Zachariah a wide berth. After Knorbis lured Tate and Ariana away in an attempt to save his wife, Zachariah had wanted to kill the elder. In the end, when Zachariah saw how badly Malukali had been tortured to gain Knorbis’ compliance, he had acknowledged a level of understanding about the abduction…but he hadn’t forgiven it.

  “Have you mentioned Gabriel’s request to everyone yet?” Malukali asked. She leaned forward to look at Ini-herit before asking the question.

  Curious, Clara Kate also turned to look at him. His level silver gaze moved briefly to her, making her heart twist painfully. Then he looked back at the Orculesti elder and said, “No. They only just sat down.”

  “What does archigos Gabriel want?” Zachariah asked as he sat beside Tate and handed her one of the marshmallows. She mashed it between two graham crackers and a layer of chocolate.

  “He has asked that we all travel to Central immediately so that the Kynzesti can pair with Lekwuesti,” Ini-herit said.