Above them the blue desert sky receded, opening to the brilliance of the heavens above. A galaxy in motion twinkled and twirled far above it.
“I can stop the anchor’s heart with a snap of my fingers before you draw your next breath,” said Morning Star, almost hidden from view with the crowd in front of him.
“You can.” Abigail sounded delighted, and Kahtar drew Beth to his side. “Would that stop him from loving her? Bring him to you? You’ve lost, Morning Star. Again.”
The being of light moved, taking form right in front of Beth and Kahtar. The ground beneath them echoed with his movement. He leaned toward Beth and inhaled, breathing of her. She froze, eyes wide with terror. Kahtar wrapped his arms around her in a useless effort to protect her.
In the blink of an eye Morning Star vanished, and only Abigail stood beside them, patting Beth on the shoulder with a chubby hand.
“He’s gone. I always knew you had it in you, young lady.”
Beth buried her face in Kahtar’s chest, letting loose a stream of garbled profanities.
The line of women vanished with a loud popping sound. Abigail appeared to grow a bit fatter as she smoothed her dress over her hips and glanced over at the quester and Delphine.
“Let’s get out of here. This place is giving me hot flashes. Delphine, would you like to do the honors? You’re not half bad at tessering, you sneaky little brat.”
BLOODY GRACE—CLAN ABERDYFI
DELPHINE WAVED A new tesseract into life and Kahtar led everyone, still dripping with the slime that had been Tartarus, inside it. Instead of exiting into the cloak where surely the warriors and Old Guard of Clan Aberdyfi awaited them, the tunnel vanished, plopping them directly into the sea, deep beneath the waves. From the taste of the icy water filling Kahtar’s mouth and the salty sting in his sinuses, they were in the outside world, pollution and all.
By the time Kahtar reached the surface all the bloody muck had been washed away, and he scanned for Beth. She bobbed up beside him, her lips blue and her eyes shining. The steely blue of her eyes was the most beautiful color he’d ever seen, like hot sunlight reflecting against the summer sky.
“I t-thought,” she said with chattering teeth, “I r-really thought that was the end of it. I could feel how drawn you were to him, how beautiful you saw him.”
“And I could feel the truth in your heart. You saved me.” Kahtar wrapped his arms around Beth as waves rocked them. They were a good mile off shore and the weight of his wet clothes and sword tugged him downward, but before he could criticize Delphine, she tessered them from the water to the beach and the warmth of a huge fire.
“It was all Abigail.” Beth shivered as Kahtar drew her closer to the flames, their sopping clothing trailing water over sandy pebbles. “She’s the reason I came to Willowyth. The first time I met her she was a librarian who told me about the house for sale on Pearl Street.”
Pulling her against his body, Kahtar slid warm hands beneath Beth’s sweater to warm her pregnant belly. I thought I’ve always been alone and the truth is I’ve never been alone. Questions filled his mind as he looked for Abigail, but there was only Delphine and the quester. The quester had sheathed his great sword and held his hands to the fire, but Delphine was glaring as if they’d been arguing.
“You forgot Abigail,” Kahtar interrupted.
“Nope,” said Delphine. “She went home. Left us to the mercy of Clan Aberdyfi’s retribution for our trespass.” Her voice came out strained; reminding Kahtar they were not home free yet. They’d all invaded Clan Aberdyfi’s cloak. By all rights they could be put to death.
The quester turned to look at him, no longer smiling.
Mentally Kahtar swore.
“I’m Clan Aberdyfi’s warrior chief,” the quester said. “Is there anything you’d like to tell me before I pass judgment?”
“Are you kidding?” said Beth. “Didn’t you see what just happened? How much choice do you think we had?”
Squeezing her shoulders in warning, Kahtar said under his breath, “None of that changes the fact we committed a crime against his clan.” It took him several seconds to recall the man’s name. It seemed long ago that they’d slain Tartarus and exchanged introductions. “Augustus? It’s been a long day. Would you trust me to return and face your clan’s wrath another day? My wife is pregnant and cold, and I need time to consider what’s happened today before I can defend my sins against you.”
The quester sized him up with his dark eyes. “What is to defend, Kahtar Constantine? Your guilt is a given.”
“After all you’ve seen today, won’t you speak to your clan leaders in our defense?”
“Absolutely not. Would you have me do so? What would you have me say? That you are the immortal offspring of a demon that needed faced today? That you could only access him via our cloak? Do you think that knowledge would somehow make Clan Aberdyfi sympathetic to your cause? Do you think they’d have no concern your demon kin would someday access our cloak trying to reach you? I don’t think you’d appreciate the outcome of my intervention.”
“What remains of Tartarus is likely being eaten by the fishes now, and the one called Morning Star can find no refuge in the hearts of an honorable clan. What is there to fear?”
“Your argument may be sound to me, but my clan has no reason to trust you and every reason to harbor a grudge against you,” Augustus replied.
Kahtar glanced at Delphine. A couple words from her with her storytelling gifting and the quester would be on his way, today likely forgotten. The idea held appeal. No. It’s wrong.
The quester tilted his head, amusement shining in his eyes. “She’s already tried her little talent on me. It doesn’t work.”
Crossing her arms, Delphine turned her back on the quester. Kahtar raised his eyebrows. “Teach me how to do that and I’ll be at your service.”
“It’s not your service that would atone for the infringement.”
“Whose would?” asked Kahtar.
The quester inclined his head toward Beth. “Your child. Pledge your child to my clan and all will be forgiven.”
“Hell, no!” said Beth. “You can claim my life before I’ll allow you to touch my child!”
“You misunderstand. I meant when she’s old enough to mentor. We wouldn’t abuse her, Beth Constantine. She would be well loved as part of our clan. We’re a seafaring people. The discrepancy between men and women is large and our population continues to get smaller. For years now we’ve accepted pledges to our clan as penance for even the most serious of infringement.”
“How long would she be well loved?” asked Kahtar. “You heard what passed today. My child will be like me. Two or three hundred years from now when my daughter still lives, will Clan Aberdyfi still love her without question? If they were to ever know her true history would they love her at all?”
“Ah,” said the quester, taking a seat on a large boulder. “It would seem we are at an impasse. And my clan would consider your refusal to pledge your child an act of hostility, and I’m afraid the sentence for your trespass would be fierce and medieval.”
“Fine!” Delphine’s eyes flashed. “I volunteer as tribute!”
“Excuse me?”
“I’ll join your clan on one condition. Sex. You and me. Tonight.”
The quester’s face turned red. “What?”
Kahtar shot the woman a condemning glance, and Beth sighed. “Not going to slut shame, but really, Delphine?”
“Don’t you two judge me,” Delphine said. “Why do you think I’ve been kissing every warrior in Cultuelle Khristos? I’m trying to get Tartarus out of my heart! After all he’s done to me I’m finally free of him and yet I stand here and think only that I’ve lost him. Don’t you dare judge me.”
“Sweet ilu,” muttered Kahtar. “Look, Delphine, you can’t just switch clans anyway. Unless…”
“Unless she joins outside your clan,” said the quester, frowning at Delphine.
Spreading his hands out, palms up
, Kahtar shook his head. “Delphine. You don’t have to do this. As a matter of fact I encourage you not to. You saw what happened today. Love is your best defense in this world. Don’t join with someone you don’t love. There’s no going back.”
“It’s better than us all being dead, Kahtar! I’m pretty good at puzzling out plots and we have two endings to choose from here.”
“How about you, Augustus? Would you even want to join with her?” Kahtar asked. “She’s not an easy person to be around.”
“Thanks, Kahtar,” said Delphine. “Like you are.”
The quester laughed. “I have obligations that should forbid my joining and I never thought to thwart them, but I agree with Delphine, there are only two ways this day can end. If she will choose to declare to any of the men in my clan, this day can end well. I can promise we will give her time to know us. There’s no reason her heart couldn’t find a home with one of our men. And when Delphine joins and becomes part of Clan Aberdyfi, it will reprieve your sentences. In the meantime, you’d be free on her oath to join us. So—” the quester turned his attention to Delphine, “if you’re amenable to all this, we have an accord.”
“It’s not enough,” said Beth. “Trying to logic out what your heart might want isn’t love, and anything else is not enough.”
“Depending on this quester’s view of free love, it might be enough for me,” Delphine admitted.
Kahtar threw up his hands. “This day cannot possibly get any stranger.”
“Sure it can,” said Delphine. “I’m a storyteller, so you can trust me on that. I’ll now have to join with some man from a clan I don’t know, but you’re going back to our clan where you’ll either have to pretend all is normal—with your wife who can’t lie—or you’ll have to tell The Mother you used to be immortal but Beth cured you. Only now the two of you and your kids are immortal-lite or something like that, because your biological father was some type of a demon and apparently his mojo is contagious and definitely sexually transmitted. Frankly, I think you might want to consider a new clan yourself.”
THE DAY NEEDED to end. Kahtar felt his literal age after all that had happened, and he still had to inform The Mother.
On his way to tell her heaven knew what, he spotted Abigail in the cave, headed in his direction. At the sight of her his energy level increased and he moved quickly down the path. Trotting along in her orthopedic shoes, she appeared to plan on passing him without saying a word.
“Abigail,” he said and she stopped, looking impatient.
“What?”
It took him aback. “You rushed off. We never had a chance to talk.”
“About what?”
So many questions crowded his mind, but he started with the most relevant. “Why’d you rush back?”
“It’s International Games Day at the college library. I didn’t want to miss it.”
“What?”
She rolled her eyes. “I thought the Old Guard needed to know about Morning Star. He seemed a bit hell bent on vengeance when he left, for lack of a better term.”
“He can’t penetrate the Arc.” Kahtar felt a rush of relief at the thought. It hadn’t occurred to him the being would seek retribution against his clan.
“No, but since Tartarus could get into your veil it seemed Morning Star might, but the Old Guard said no. They can watch it if you like, but they aren’t concerned it will be a problem. That means you can go back inside if you want. Keep in mind we are two less Old Guard thanks to Tartarus. The rest of the Old Guard sensed their deaths as soon as it happened, but you’ll need to explain it to The Mother.”
“What should I tell her?”
Abigail snorted. “How should I know?”
“Do I tell her my story? Do I tell her about Tartarus in my veil looking for Delphine?”
“Why are you asking me?”
“I was hoping you had some insight into the right thing to do!”
“You’re the warrior chief. Don’t you know the right thing to do?”
“So I tell her the truth?”
“Ah. Haven’t you noticed how well that works out for your wife?”
“That’s my point, Abigail! But I’ve never willfully lied to The Mother.”
“Well, now’s not the time to start.” She made to pass him on the narrow path and Kahtar stepped to block her.
“Do I need to keep Beth inside the Arc to know she’s safe?”
“She’d kill you in your sleep if you tried. Beth’s not in any danger from Morning Star. If he hurt her he’d destroy any hope of ever claiming your heart. That’s what he’s wanted all along.”
“He’ll never have it.”
“Let’s hope not after all the work I’ve put into it! My callouses have callouses.”
“Thank you, for everything.” It seemed insufficient. How did he thank this woman—this being—for taking care of him since the beginning? Tears filled his eyes.
“Are you going to get out of my way now? It really is International Games Day at the college.”
“DELPHINE IS JOINING with a quester she met this morning?” asked The Mother, rubbing her hands up her arms as though cold in the humid cave.
“Yes,” said Kahtar.
“After she attempted to copy Abigail’s tesseract gifting and it collapsed on and ended two of our Old Guard?”
“Delphine’s tesseracts are quite stable. It collapsed because this Tartarus person knew a way to make it. I’m fairly certain he could have killed them in a tesseract of Abigail’s too. Apparently he’s been stalking Delphine for some time.”
“And he got his hooks into her while she was on Avalon?” The Mother’s normally calm voice cracked on the last word, producing something akin to a squeak.
“Yes. That shocked me too. The only way I can think to describe his heart is to say it was a hole.”
The Mother pressed the palm of her hand against her forehead and slumped onto a bench. Kahtar stepped onto the long stone plinth and took a seat beside her, taking her other hand. It was icy against his warm skin and he squeezed it.
“It pains me to think of her being in a loveless marriage. You couldn’t talk her out of it?”
“No, and Beth tried, too.”
The Mother blew out her breath. “And this Tartarus person is the reason for what happened in your veil to Beth?”
“Yes.”
“Because he could trace Delphine via her tesseracts to your veil?”
“Yes.”
The Mother had kept up quite well. Kahtar had often considered her one of the cleverest people he’d ever met. Now he had to add the mental caveat next to Abigail.
“None of that explains why Beth came back to life after she’d been dead.”
Whoa. You owe her the truth and she’s asking for it outright.
“Tartarus was something Delphine called a daemonium.”
“Half-demon?” The Mother nearly shouted it.
“Yes.”
“So, what, he infected Beth in some way?”
“No. I infected Beth in some way.”
The Mother jerked to stand, pulling her hand from Kahtar’s. “What are you saying to me, Kahtar? Out with it.”
“It would seem I’m a daemonium too.”
“What? Since when? Kahtar Constantine, I knew your father before he died! Levi was not a demon! What nonsense are you telling me?”
Still sitting on the stone bench, Kahtar crossed his arms over his chest. “The truth, if you’d like to hear it.”
“All right. Proceed.”
“There’s a reason I don’t look like Levi Constantine, apparently. I never knew why until today.”
“This daemonium named Tartarus told you this? What did he tell you exactly? That you were his brother? Didn’t it occur to you he might be lying?”
“Beth was there and he couldn’t lie to her, and he didn’t say I was his brother, exactly. He said I was a failed experimentum.”
“Like a changeling?”
The term caused act
ual physical pain in Kahtar’s heart. How many times had he been accused of being that in the past? Not all clans accepted that he looked different than he should. Most scanned and knew he belonged to his parents because his DNA always matched theirs. Those clans accepted ilu’s will best they could and moved on, like Cultuelle Khristos had. But some clans had called him a changeling and shunned him—or worse.
The Mother sensed his pain and softened her voice even as she continued to press. “Are you telling me you truly believe you are a daemonium, Kahtar?”
“Yes. I know I’m a daemonium, Mother.”
After a moment of staring at him, Anwyn plopped onto a bench opposite him. “So for the past fifty odd years Cultuelle Khristos has unwittingly harbored a daemonium-unawares.”
Kahtar wished they could quit saying the word, but made himself incorporate it into his mental vocabulary. It was, after all, the truth.
“Yes.”
“And this daemonium-unawares has made a fine warrior chief and a fairly good police chief too, with a clan also unaware.”
“Yes.” Kahtar tried not to make the response sound like a question.
“So the question is—were you biding your time, even unawares, seeking to destroy the hearts of your clan? Some might think taking a half-seeker wife would be evidence of that.”
Abigail Adit’s nails-on-chalkboard voice interrupted. “For the love of light, life, and love, you just had to open that can of worms and tell her!”
The Mother twisted to watch Abigail stalk into the chamber. “You knew?”
“Yes! I was there today and I had my brains with me.” Abigail plopped onto the bench beside Anwyn and leaned forward to rub her chubby legs. “The kid never even knew what he was! So he was not plotting to overthrow the world or Cultuelle Khristos.”
Kahtar had to assume he was the kid.
“I cannot conceive of the fact you’d not want me to know this, Abigail,” said The Mother. “It’s my duty to protect this clan and one of our members is half-demon!”
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