“Can you read dreams?” she asked. Her voice was a thin thread.
I was puzzled by her oddly timed question. “Yes, I can. Perhaps you should rest. The vision came over you, and you hit your head.”
She ignored my concern and questioned me further. “And you read the waters? And do you dream true?”
“Yes to both.” I frowned down at her. Her eyes were half closed now. She leaned back against me. Her muscles relaxed as she folded her hands on her chest.
She smiled a tired smile. “You have the trinity. None have had the gift since my grandmother’s time. It was our punishment for our ignorance.” She closed her eyes as if she were falling asleep.
I shook her lightly. She could not fall asleep now; I had so many questions left to ask. “What do you mean the trinity?”
“You were born with all the gifts of a diviner: the dream walking, the prophetic dreams and the ability to scry. I can only scry, your mother as well. We are limited in our gifts but not you. You are the last.” She rested her head in my lap. I cradled her head in my hands, fearing to let her move. I was afraid she might snap like a twig.
“I am the circle unbroken,” I replied. I looked over to the scrying dish. I reached out and traced my finger along the edge against the symbols that my grandmother had touched earlier. “How do I break the circle?”
“The specter is bound to the world of the living. He needs to pass beyond the veil to the world after. You must find a way to break his hold on this world and force him to pass through,” my grandmother answered without opening her eyes. Her skin was thin and near translucent. I could see the veins upon her eyelids as she lay in my lap.
I pondered her words for a moment. For generations my people had been defeating the specter. Something tickled at the back of my mind, something the specter had told me when we were on the rooftop in Sanore. You and those like you are meant for me. You are not destined to be my destruction. Why do you think it ends the same? Those were the specter’s words. I knew then what was holding the specter to this world.
“We are keeping him here. The specter is bound to this world by the diviners. Our fates are tangled together. He will continue to return as long as we remain,” I said.
My grandmother opened her large violet eyes. She pushed up and returned to a shaking seated position beside me.
“Yes, I have thought much the same. The Sea Chamber is the source of our power, where the first of our line was bestowed the gifts to look into the past, present, and future. You must bring the specter to the Sea Chamber, where this battle began. Blood will open the gateway, and then he can be led beyond the veil. But only on the day the moon swallows the sun, the gateway will open only on that day to allow him to pass through. He will want to use the gateway to gain his full strength as well, so you must be careful.” She sighed.
My hands shook, and I stared at the dark surface of the water in the basin. “I’m afraid,” I whispered.
She sandwiched my hands between hers. “I know. It is all right. Fear is its own form of bravery. Just remember you are Helene’s daughter, and you were meant for this.”
My mother’s name, I had forgotten or maybe I never knew it. My mother had died when I was seven years old. It had been a very long time since I had spoken of her with anyone.
“My mother, Helene, was she a powerful diviner?” As much as I resented my mother, I longed to know about her.
“She was. She showed great promise, but she never developed the other skills you have.” My grandmother reached up and stroked my cheek. “You look like her when she was your age.”
“I know. She speaks to me in my dreams and visions,” I admitted.
“Your mother?” My grandmother’s eyes glistened with tears. “I wish we had mended the cracks between us.” A tear slid down her cheek.
“Would you like to see her?” I said. I was not certain I could connect my grandmother with the realm of dreams, but I had to try.
I glanced at the water. How long had it been since I had gazed into the waters, and the pull here was very strong. I felt the magic coursing through me, and the memory of Johai’s burning touch remained with me. My grandmother drew closer to the basin, sitting up on her knees. I sat up on my knees as well and leaned over the basin. My grandmother placed her fragile hands over mine, and I sank into the vision. I felt a sigh escape my lips as the vision overtook me.
Adair paced up and down the length of his privy chamber. His hands were folded behind his back. To the side of the room, Layton leaned against the far wall, looking relaxed and unruffled.
“Why is he coming to me now with promises of soldiers and aid?” Adair said to Layton.
“I think he meant what he said; he wants revenge. You know how vengeful he is. Remember at the end of the war how he disappeared for years?”
Adair nodded. “I remember well enough. But we have never been close, he and I. This could very well be a trap, a way for him to wrest the throne from me.”
“He was never one for politics, and I do not think he wants to be king,” Layton said.
Adair rounded to face Layton. “Since when are you on his side? You’ve been against him for as long as I have. Why the sudden change? Has he ensorcelled you with his smooth words?”
Layton shrugged. “I do not trust him any more than you do. What I know is our ambassador in Neaux is dead, as are our soldiers. There have been reports of attacks all along the border. Whether we want it or not, we are at war. He is offering us the aid we need to fend off Neaux.”
Adair scowled then turned away. “What about what he said about Maea. Do you think it’s true?”
Layton frowned. “I think he speaks the truth. Why would he have reason to lie about that?”
Adair punched the wall and then leaned against it. “Why?” He said no more. He pushed away from the wall and faced Layton. “Prepare a parlay. We will agree to his terms. And Goddess strike me down if he betrays me. I have no other choice because all my plans have been ruined.”
The vision changed, and instead I saw Sabine sitting in a chair; her belly was burgeoning with the child growing within her. She seemed as serene and beautiful as I remembered. Her dark hair was coifed on top of her head, and she was working on some needlepoint. In the chair beside her sat Duchess Magdale. Her bright blond hair had been pulled back in a caul, and she wore a pale pink gown. She, too, was working on a cross-stitch, and the pair of them side by side looked like the sun and the moon.
Sabine stopped and pressed her hand to her belly. “The child is very active today.” She smiled and stroked her stomach.
The duchess smiled, but once Sabine was distracted once more, she scowled. Her hand brushed against her own stomach, and then she let it rest in her lap.
“The birth is not far off. Are you prepared?” the duchess said.
Sabine nodded. “Yes, I cannot wait to hold the child in my arms. His Majesty thinks it will be a boy; I only hope for a healthy child.”
“But a boy would be a great blessing, someone to carry on his father’s name. He will be Duke of Ilore come the time, since he cannot take his father’s place on the throne.”
“No, he would never sit on the Danhad throne.” Sabine was pensive.
Both women were silent in contemplation, and I did not like the look on the duchess’s face. I focused the vision, trying to call my mother to us. We were in a circular chamber; water dripped nearby. The walls were lined with torches, which cast long shadows across the room. A stone basin was erected in the center of the room. Adair stood over it, dagger in one hand. Johai stood beside him; his hands were red with blood.
The base of the pedestal was soaked crimson with blood as well. I saw black locks curled about on the ground and a pale hand. I moved around the pedestal. I lay on the floor in a pool of my own blood.
I screamed.
Johai turned to look at me and smiled. “The time is coming, Maea. Are you prepared?”
Chapter Eight
I threw my head back to
break the trance and the vision’s hold on me. My heart jumped into my throat. Was that my death, or the future if I fail to stop Johai? I felt my grandmother’s eyes upon me. She had shared the vision with me. Her expression was difficult to gauge. I stared into her violet eyes and tried to read her thoughts. She slid her gaze from me. Her skeletal hands were folded in her lap. Her eyes were fixed upon the water’s surface.
“Do you understand the meaning of this vision?” she asked me.
My chest was tight; it was difficult to breathe. I tugged at the white gown Shewa had given me. I never changed after the dance. My hair was still braided, with the bells tinkling each time I moved.
“Not every vision comes true,” I said with more confidence than I felt. “This is a possible future. One where if I were not to stop the specter, my life would be forfeit.” My mother has told me from the beginning that I must kill the specter or be killed. It was one thing to be told and another to witness your own death. A hundred different questions were buzzing through my head. That place seemed familiar, but I could not recall where I had seen it.
My grandmother spread her hands palm up and shrugged. “We are meant to be vessels for the vision; interpretation can often be subjective. You may be correct that it is one possible future. I can also tell you what I have seen when I gaze in the waters. Our line is dying. As it stands only two remain, you and I. I am an old woman; my time here draws to a close. The specter has his host, and he will not suffer us to live. You are the circle unbroken, and you must put aside all doubts. You must bring the specter to the Sea Chamber. There you will kill the host and destroy the spirit within. You have to sever his ties with this world.”
I must kill him. There is no other choice. Johai is gone. I contemplated the water’s surface, trying to let my thoughts settle. How do I bring him to the Sea Chamber? I do not even know where it is. My grandmother made it sound easy. Even if his soul is gone, how can I face him as I kill him while he wears Johai’s face?
“Where is the Sea Chamber? How can I bring him there?”
“You will not need to bring him, my child. He is drawn to that place as you are. You will both go back to the beginning, and there the cycle will end at last.”
“Where is the beginning?”
She tilted her head to regard me. “Do you not know yet? It is back in Keisan, the city by the sea. You must return to our family’s ancient seat in Keisan, find the chamber, and on the day the moon swallows the sun, he will come for you and the chamber to finish his ascension.”
I jumped to my feet. “No. I cannot return there. Adair would have me killed the moment I arrived. I can never go back.” I put my hands to my throat, the same place Adair had tried to squeeze the life out of me. He will take my head this time for sure. I am not welcome in Keisan, not while Adair lives. In my vision he seemed concerned for me; what did Johai tell them? What if I could return? What if Adair did not kill me outright?
“You must,” my grandmother pressed. She, too, rose, and though she was a head shorter than me and slumped, she seemed powerful, and I shrank beneath the burning light in her violet eyes. “The end must happen there.” Her voice echoed around me, filling my head and ringing in my ears.
This is it? Even if I manage to make it to Keisan and lure Johai and kill him, I may not escape. Either way I go to my doom. I cradled my head in my hands. Tears threatened, but I held them back. I am strong. What life I have, I will give to save the kingdoms; I would rather die than let thousands perish because I was a coward. And that was the heart of the matter. The specter keeps coming back because the diviner line persisted. I knew what I must do. The truth gnawed at me, but I dared not give it form, not yet.
My grandmother invited me to stay in her tent. I could feel Johai waiting for me out in the night, and I agreed to stay with her. She shared her sleeping mat with me. I tried to protest, but she would hear none of it. The night was cold, and the wind howled outside, but I was wrapped up safe in my grandmother’s furs. They smelled of musk and herbs. It was a comforting scent. My grandmother did not lie down to sleep; instead she sat before her basin and gazed into its depths. I watched her through sleep-heavy eyes as she scryed before I descended into my deep dreamless sleep.
In the morning when I woke, my grandmother was nowhere to be seen. I stretched and looked about her tent. It was different in the daylight. Sunlight filtered through the canvas top and cast light upon the bundles of herbs and the jars of oils that lined the floor around me. I rose up, my body aching, and headed for the door of the tent. Outside was an endless sea of grass; it rustled in the wind like golden waves. On the rise of the hill beyond, I saw smoke curling from thousands of campfires. The sky was clear and blue; the air was crisp and cold. Winter is coming apace. Time moves too quickly. The day the moon swallows the sun is not far off; it will be here before I know it. I must prepare.
I noticed something flapping in the wind beyond the grass and climbed the rise to investigate. There was a stake in the ground with a bit of ribbon tied to it. The ribbon was red with the shape of a blue trout embroidered on it. I turned and there were several more stakes, green with golden stags, purple and blue stones, and black with white bears. I touched a ribbon I had passed by with orange and green ferns. What are these? They remind me of House banners, but the Biski have only clans. I followed the path I had taken the night before, back to Thero’s camp. My grandmother’s tent was further away from the others than I had realized, and it took me quite some time to reach the lake edge.
I wended my way through the crooked pathways between camps. I encountered a few tousled women in white gowns, their braids untied and bells hung about their neck along with different charms and beads. They saw me with my braided hair and gave me suspicious glances. I ignored them and hurried forward with my eyes glued to the ground. If I had let the dance with Johai take its natural progression, I would be just like them, ready to dedicate myself to the Mother’s service. Perhaps it would have made me better prepared for the journey ahead. I shook my head; these were dangerous thoughts. Is this more of Johai’s spell, or am I mad? I sensed him far away from me; he was waiting, I could tell. He wanted me to come to him. I will not come to you. I refuse to play your game. From there, I had some difficulty finding the Running River Clan’s encampment. I stopped to ask a small clan with one husband and his two wives. I used my halting Biski tongue and hand gestures. They seemed to get the gist of it and sent me in the direction of Thero’s camp.
When I arrived at Thero’s camp, the Running River Clan was gathered about, sharing their morning meal. Unfortunately Thero’s son Hett was the first to spot me. He looked up at my braided hair and frowned. I smiled and waved. I had hoped there would be no hard feelings. He picked up his bowl and walked over to the other side of the campfire. Yellen watched her son with a sad smile. She set aside her own bowl and came over to greet me. She threw her arms around me and absorbed me in a hug.
“You are woman now. Welcome, sister,” Yellen said in her accented Danhadine.
I saw Shewa smiling at me over her shoulder. I broke away from Yellen and went to Shewa. She rose to her feet to greet me. She petted my hair and asked me something. I only understood one in three words, but I got the meaning. “You did not undo your braids, why?”
Wey scolded her, saying something to the effect of, “She does not know our customs.”
Shewa tugged at my arm and tried to bring me into the tent, presumably to untie my braids. If I untie the braids, it means I’ve given my maidenhead, I suspect. If that is the case, I would rather keep them to deter any man who would think to dance the longest dance to the end with me again.
“No, I must speak with the elder first,” I told Shewa.
She tilted her head, looking at me with a perplexed expression.
Thero had been sitting by the fire and watching my exchange with his wives. He stood up and opened his arms. “I hope you had a good night, Dreau. My son came home licking his wounds after you rejected him to dance with a
white-haired stranger. Will you say your vows today? You will be happy to meet the oracle at last, I am sure.”
I blushed. They all assume I danced to the end with Johai. And why would they think any differently when I was gone most of the night and slept in the oracle’s tent. “I had a pleasant night, thank you,” I said. As for the rest of his questions, I did not have answers for them, yet. Hett was looking at me again. I spied him from the corner of my eye. When I looked in his direction, he turned away again. We were of an age. He could not be more than three years older than me. Two years ago I might have been charmed by his interest, but I am not the girl I was when this journey started. I sighed. “Elder, can I speak with you, alone?”
His smile did not falter as he rose from his seat. “Of course.” He waved his hand, and we stepped beyond the tents. There was nowhere we could go to have a private conversation, not with camps lined side by side and children, chickens and dogs running about underfoot. As we went behind Nia’s tent, a pack of Thero’s children, nieces and nephews went rushing past. They called out for me to play with them, but I waved at them and told them to go along.
We watched them run down the crooked paths between tents, gathering children from other camps on their way down to the lakeside to play in the ice-cold water.
“What is it that you wanted to speak with me about?” Thero asked me.
“I wanted to thank you for your hospitality and welcoming me into your clan. It has been a pleasure to get to know you all.” I started with the formalities. It had been nearly two months I had lived among the Running River Clan. Though brief, it had been some of the happier times of my life. I had come to love them all like family. It hurt to part, but destiny and the prophecy were pulling me in another direction. It will be better to leave now before I draw them into some danger. I will leave for Keisan as soon as I have learned as much as I can from my grandmother.
[fan] diviners trilogy - complete series Page 67