by Jon Chaisson
She heard a rumbling sound, coming from above.
“What the —”
Icy cold water hit her back and neck, and hit with such force that it knocked her flat to the rocky ground and stole her breath. She choked, gasped, screamed, unable to push herself back up. She was going to drown! No, she was not going to be done in, not like this. Not now. Denni. Somehow she’d managed to keep her hands under her body, and forced herself to move. She had to move or she’d be overtaken. She’d gained purchase on the muddy floor of the cavern, and with all her energy, she grunted and arched her back. The torrent pushed her down, but she refused to give in. Coughing and spluttering, she writhed and rolled her way out, only to have it catch up a half-second later, hitting her directly in the chest and knocking the wind out of her again. This was not a good position to be in. Not in the dark. Not in this coffin. She grunted and rolled back onto her hands and knees and arched her back again. Yes. Yes. There. She could breathe again. Hra khera, hra mehra. Goddess, what was this? Where the hell was this water coming from? What was this Elder trying to accomplish? This wasn't a damned test anymore! She screamed Crittiqila's name again and again received no answer. The fear of darkness came rushing back, and so did the water. Much heavier and harder this time.
“Crittiqila!” she yelled. “Make it stop!”
You can make it stop, Karinna.
Caren choked on a mouthful of water and rolled away, pushing herself free again. She skittered backwards and wiped her eyes, gasping for air. She saw nothing, but could still hear the rush. It was directly in front of her, only feet away, and it was approaching. She felt the push of water on her left foot, and for a second she saw a glimmer, a reflection of light against a raindrop.
Light.
She hissed and rolled free of the water. “I won’t use that!”
You can make it stop.
“Like hell I can!” she yelled. “What the hell is this? Where am I?”
You're waking up.
“I'm not —”
She cursed, forced to admit the truth: I did this to Saisshalé. She could use her Mendaihu strength to push it back.
She had to use Light. It was the only way to survive.
Goddess, how stupid have I been?
She felt the water again. This time she was ready for it, held her hands directly in front of her chest, and rolled directly underneath it. With the strongest concentration of energy that she could muster, she said a silent prayer to her sister. and pushed. Her arms folded back, her fists flat against her breastbone. She got a mouthful of water and choked again, and lost her focus. She reached for the energy again, but couldn’t find it. She was losing this battle. She couldn't stop this water. She couldn't —
Like hell I can't.
“Enough!” she screamed, and pushed harder.
This time, she thought of Anando. The one who calmed her spirit.
This time, she saw sparks.
“That’s more like it.”
A brilliant shower of white energy sparked out of her hands, crackling against the waterfall and dancing along the ground at her shoulders. Her mind focused solely on the Light coming out of her hands. Her senses heard and felt and saw nothing but her battle against this rain. The water’s pressure rose in response, pressing her back down against the floor.
I can do this.
She pushed again, and a new burst of sparks exploded out of her hands, bouncing everywhere, hitting her in the face, dancing against her skin. Yes. She felt its fire, its energy as it touched her skin, reabsorbing itself into her body, replenishing her. Yes, this is how it works. She pushed harder still and felt the pressure receding. She pushed herself up with one hand as it receded farther still, until she was standing and holding back the water. I can do this. She lowered her head, and through the rain of sparks, she scanned the room. She could make out dull shapes…she was standing not in a cavern but an empty hall made completely of cold gray stone, and wider and taller than any hall she'd ever seen. The rain came at her from an arc, originating not from a hole in the ceiling or a skylight high above, but from the floor, somewhere across the hall. She had to send it back. She adjusted her position and pushed at the water once more. She brought her hands back into her chest, bracing herself back against her left foot, took in all the energy sparking all around her. The room faded once more into darkness.
Anando. My cho-shadhisi. You truly are my anchor.
She gave one final push and her arc of Light defeated the Water instantly, surging through it and scattering it into millions of tiny rain droplets that shimmered and sparkled with life. Rainbow fragments appeared everywhere as the droplets exploded into mist and fell lazily to the floor, calmed and defeated.
And in the mist, the Light finally began to illuminate the entire hall.
“...emha,” Caren whispered. Her voice echoed off every surface.
Across the room where the Water had originated, she finally saw her. Crittiqila smiled, her thick serpentine tail waving through the air, and though it never touched the ground, she could hear it cutting through the mist. Her paws were folded in front of her, giant black talons tapping quietly against the stone floor in an even beat. She smiled, her deathly sharp teeth glimmering. Beautiful black eyes staring back at her intensely. Looking directly into her soul.
I am proud of you, Karinna Shalei, Crittiqila said, her low inner voice resonating with every inch of Caren’s soul. You have ascended. You are Mendaihu Gharra.
Caren let out a breath. “I am...”
“I heard you,” Denni said.
Caren stared at the ceiling of her bedroom, dizzy and out of breath. The room spun at odd angles, first toppling one way then the other, sounds coming from all sides. She heard voices outside, she heard the honking of wild geese flying overhead and heading south, she heard the unexpected blast of a car backfiring, she heard heartbeats, she heard the wind and the earth, she heard...she heard Denni. She reached out until she felt the grasp of Denni's hand in hers. The sounds of Gharra receding into the background. The bed rocking and swaying as her sister climbed on and moved up next to her.
“I...” she whispered.
“I heard you calling me,” Denni soothed, pushing strands of hair out of her face. “I heard you praying, sis. And I answered. And so did Anando.”
Her face heated up. “I...”
“Shhh...” Denni snuggled up closer, calming her down, her fingertips touching her breastbone, tapping it quietly. She was soulhealing her, bringing her back down to this reality. Waves of love, of care and protection trickled into her, strengthening her spirit and keeping her from harm.
“Denni...” she whispered.
“You're here,” Denni soothed. “You're home now. You're okay.”
Yes. She was just fine. Spiritually rejuvenated but completely exhausted physically, every bone and nerve in her body aching too much for sleep. She laid there, eyes still focused on the ceiling, breathing normally again, wondering what would come next. You have ascended, the sehndayen-ne had said. You are Mendaihu Gharra. Was that really it? How could she have possibly learned anything in that short time? Maybe something insignificant and symbolic, but no more than that. With a little help from Denni and Anando, she'd defended herself. That was all.
With a shuddering breath, she squeezed her sister's hand and turned to her. “Taftika eichi. You guided me back.”
Denni shook her head and smiled. “No, you did that yourself. All I did was give you something to focus on. And you were anchored to Anando. I did the same with you during the Ascension.”
Anchored, she thought, and knew Denni was right. She'd kept her senses, kept her footing, and remembered where she was, simply by keeping her sister in the back of her mind and using Anando’s love as stable ground. By doing that, she kept her focus on what had to be done, to defend herself. Once she stopped distrusting herself, she had won. The water had turned to mist, the dark cavern had become a brightly lit castle hall, and Crittiqila...
Crit
tiqila had become her True Self. A kiralla. She'd become a mighty and deadly beast, an impossibly beautiful, impossibly real spirit body, right before her eyes. Oh, how she wanted to share that view with Denni right now! But how could she adequately describe such a thing to her? She could not find any words at all, English or Anjshé, that could even begin to describe what she'd experienced and seen.
“Guess we’re even now,” Caren laughed weakly.
Denni smiled, and kissed her forehead. “Yeah. Guess we are.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Shadha fadhyané
David stood at the bedroom door, watching Alec pack his belongings and ready himself for the train ride back to Bridgetown. He felt his brother’s presence well before he’d arrived, and now he could feel him staring with some kind of annoyance. No, maybe not annoyance. Frustration? Sadness? He’d been in a dour mood all afternoon, and just like all the Poe men, he kept it well contained and rarely came out and said what was on his mind. He wasn’t unsure of his emotions, far from it — he just chose not to burden everyone else with them. He watched silently, slouching heavily against the doorframe, arms crossed.
“I've got to get back,” Alec said noncommittally.
“I know,” David said after a long pause. His voice barely crossed the room. “I just wish...”
He smirked at him. “Yeah, I know. Believe me, any other situation and I would love to spend a good month or so up here. But you know my place is in B-Town. Especially now.”
David hunched his shoulders and grimaced. “Alec, do you really believe…?”
“Yes,” he said, again without any emotion, and continued packing.
David entered the room and grabbed his forearm, stopping him. “That's it, Alec? 'Yes'? No explanation?”
He gently pulled away from his grip, stood up straight, and faced him. “No explanation,” he said as evenly as he could. “I really wish I could say more, but I can't, because I need to protect you guys. You're my only family, Dave. I can’t lose a family the way Caren did.”
David threw up his hands, twirled around and headed back to the door. “Caren has nothing to do with it, Alec,” he growled. “Yeah, we're your family, but for goddess' sake! We don't need you to be so damned heroic! We need you up here.”
Alec let out a deep breath, shaking his head. So it had finally come to this? “Look — I'm involved in this way too deep, Dave. Honestly. I cannot back away. I'm a part of what’s going on down there, whether any of us likes it or not. I hate to tell you this, and I really shouldn't...but you of all people should know. Even though you're not a blood relative, you're still my brother. You and Mom and Dad are part of my soul, and I love you all. But I've got to tell you this.”
David saw the hurt in his eyes and gestured for him to speak. He returned to his doorframe lean, arms crossed and patience wilting.
“Ever since I was told I was adopted,” Alec said, “I always wondered who my birth parents were. Once I was old enough, I found their names at the DRL: Deilo and Shara Eiyashné. But out of respect for both them and our parents, I left them alone. I never contacted them. I don't even know if they're Meraladian, Mannaki, or Gharné. All I know is that they separated a while back, one living in McCleever West and the other down in NewCanta Province.”
“They split up about eight years ago,” David said. “Mom got a letter from them then, just as a precaution...you know, medical reasons, if anything came up.”
“Right,” he said. “She told me about that. But other than that, I really never knew anything about them.”
“Why should you?” Dave shrugged. “It was a mutual decision after all, wasn't it?”
“That’s not —” he growled, and stopped himself. Now was not the time for anger. He took another slow breath, and faced him again. “The point is that I may or may not have inherited something from them...and I don’t exactly know what. They both passed away a little over two years ago. Mom called me about that as well. That was the real reason why I’ve avoided talking to any of you since then. I never held it against any of you, I just needed time alone to figure myself out. I never told Caren.”
“I understand that,” David said, moving back into the room again. “But what the hell is your point here? What could you possibly need to know that we didn't know already?”
Alec dropped his head, not wanting to do this at all. Certainly in all the years he'd lived under their roof, at least one of them should have noticed how different he was, how out of place he was in this family. It would be so much easier if David knew already. But he didn’t. Nobody in the family did.
“I...” he started, then turned away, afraid to face him. “I was one of those affected a few weeks back, during the Awakening ritual. I'm not quite Mendaihu...I'm what you call a cho-nyhndah. A spiritual mixture of both Mendaihu and Shenaihu soul.”
He stopped and waited. He couldn't see David's face, and he hadn't responded, so he warily continued. “But I might be more than that, Dave. And I want to find out. Even if I can't meet up with either of my birth parents...hell, I'll hire a sehndayen-ne if I have to.”
“You're...” David started. He'd grown very still and quiet at the opposite side of the room, looking out the double windows at the driveway. Finally, he turned around and faced him. He was backlit by the brightness outside, making his facial expression hard to read. And he did not want to soulsense his own brother. It wouldn’t have been right or fair.
“You're cho-nyhndah,” David started again. “Huh.”
He offered him a weak smile. “A peaceful one, if that makes you feel any better.”
“Oh, sure,” David said with equal sarcasm. “I feel so much safer now.”
“Good to know,” laughing despite the tension. “Smartass.”
David finally walked into the light of the room and revealed he was smiling. It was forced, but it was heartfelt. “I'm fine with that, Alec. I've been surrounded by Mendaihu and Shenaihu all my life. And I know I'll be seeing more of them soon. Hell, half my students have awakened to one or the other already since the One did whatever she did down there. I'm half expecting them to go at each other’s throats now, but that doesn't seem to be happening at all. In fact, it's quite the opposite.”
“They're keeping the peace?”
“As far as I can tell.” He sat down on the bed next to his suitcase and looked up at him. The look in his eyes was not quite sadness…it was a mixture of exhaustion and relief. “Don't get me wrong, Alec, I'm not mad or scared or whatever because you're cho-nyhndah. I'm just...well, I’m surprised, that's all.”
“So we're good?”
David smiled and held out a hand. “We're cool.”
Alec grabbed at his brother's hand and held it between both of his hands. David recognized immediately and chuckled, but clasped both his hands as well. Whatever he may be, he’d accept it and trust him as he always had. He pulled him up and into a tight embrace. He felt a heavy wave of relief wash over him, both his and David's. David still didn't fully understand what he was going through, or what he had to do, but he had accepted what his brother was, without a second thought and without reservation.
“Taftika, eicho,” he said, as he pulled away. “I needed to hear that.”
“Sure thing,” he said, and turned back towards the door. He slowed when he got there, however, and turned back around. “Listen,” he said. His face was dark, completely devoid of the humor he'd had just seconds before. The relief he felt was short lived, replaced by a cold, restrained anger. No…not anger. Not anger at all. “You take care of yourself down there, okay?” he said, his voice wavering slightly. “Mom and Dad may have come to terms about you playing the hero, but it still bothers me.” He pursed his lips and turned away, a shaky hand against the door frame. “I don't want to lose you, kid.”
He closed his own eyes, tears threatening. “Damn it, Dave...”
“Promise you'll come by again, once this is over,” David said, his voice only a whisper now.
Damn
it. “You know...” He coughed, hiding the catch in his voice. “You know I will, Dave. I promise.”
“Good.”
Alec watched his brother. His head was lowered, rubbing at his eyes, his shoulders hunched. He wanted to say more, say anything that would make him feel better, but nothing came to mind that would do justice. He resisted throwing out a gossamer thread of energy, trying in his own pathetic way to soulheal him through this experience, but he knew Dave would have none of that. He would have protested, just as Caren once would, preferring to face his inner demons without any help. He would heal on his own.
“When do you want to go?” David finally asked. He'd regained his voice, but still did not turn around.
“Late afternoon, if you can do it,” he said. “I've got some last minute stuff to tie up at the ARU headquarters.”
His brother's shoulders twitched in a quick chuckle. “You were behind that escape I heard on the news last night, weren't you?”
He laughed bitterly. “Busted.”
“Thought so,” he said, and began walking away, down the hall. “Be careful, Alec. I'll be here whenever you want to leave.”
“Thanks,” he said, and turned back to packing.
“Who's Alix Eiyashné?” Detective Murphy asked before Poe had even finished closing the office door. He turned and saw Murph staring at the monitor on his screen and typing furiously. “Someone you know?”
“It's my birth name,” Poe said. “Good to see you too, Murph.”
“Thought so,” he said without missing a beat.
Poe watched him for a second as he finished off the report of yesterday's fiasco with Saisshalé. Murph was so engrossed in his work that acknowledging his presence surprised him; it reminded him, perhaps a little too closely, of Matthew when he was working on Vigil projects. He took one of the seats in front of Murph's desk and waited patiently until he finished.