Cill Darae

by Donald D. Allan

  Nadine felt a shock at his words. This can’t be happening. She closed her eyes and reached out for the motes again. The motes recognised her and again hesitated in responding to her. She tried to force her power across the bond and felt the motes resist. What is happening here? She used her sight to look for a reason but saw nothing. Intuitively she knew she had to see from within the motes, but they were denying her. She directed her thoughts to the motes.

 

  Nadine rocked back mentally. The motes responded to her!

 

 

 

 

 

  Nadine thought furiously.

 

 

 

  Nadine growled.

 

  Nadine gawked mentally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Nadine opened her eyes and saw that Kennit was still speaking with the draoi. His words washed over her, and she heard nothing. She had to rectify the problem with the Simon motes. Gaea never spoke about an access code. She had stated they were the ones who would control the Simon motes. And now she was blocked. It made no sense. Nadine felt her anger build and in a rage she opened her power and directed it at the motes. She felt her power strike the motes all around her. She kept her eyes open and poured all her anger and frustration into driving her power into her one purpose of connecting to the motes. She saw Kennit stagger forward and be caught by the draoi closest to him. He raised a hand to his head and Nadine felt something start to give. She pushed harder and suddenly she felt the motes open up before her.

 

  Nadine felt triumph surge through her. she demanded.

 

 

 

  Nadine looked around at the draoi. Now that she had immediate access to the Simon motes she could see the difference in the surrounding air. Half the draoi were blocking her ability to truly see them for what they were. Within a heartbeat she could see the divide across the draoi. Half of them were looking to Kennit for guidance. Nadine needed to make a decision, and she made it quickly.

  She sent her direction across the draoi bond to those she could see were still loyal to Will and her. She told them to meet her in the barn at a later time. They looked at her in surprise and then noticed who had been excluded from the message.

  Kennit managed to get to his feet, and he turned on Nadine. “That was…painful.” He turned to the other draoi and motioned with his hand as he walked away. “Come. We must speak.”

  Nadine watched as half the draoi looked guiltily at Nadine, but then walked away after Kennit.

  “So it begins,” she muttered under her breath.

  But she knew who the other was. It was Kennit. She looked for Will and sobbed when she saw he was also one of the draoi who resisted her. Will was lost to her.

  Archbishop Eylene Kissane poured a measure of wine into Edward’s goblet and set the carafe back on the table. They sat in her private dining room, and one she enjoyed. It was cosy with a table that seated no more than six people. The walls were covered with religious icons, and gold and silver items glinted on bookshelves and in display cases. Central to the far wall was a large fireplace with large tapestries hanging on either side.

  The remains of their supper lay strewn across the table. It had been a fine meal, and she was enjoying the firm pressure in her stomach. As the head of the church, they spared no expense to see to her comforts. Edward had eaten little, but that hadn’t stopped her. She still remembered the pains of hunger as a child. Her father and her had lived a frugal life back in Shape. As a young girl she had helped her father toil the land as best she could. He had suffered a terrible accident as a young man and his legs had never healed properly. It limited what he could do, and they always struggled to make ends meet. The beautiful thing about Shape was how they supported each other. But she still went hungry.

  Now she basked in luxury. She ran the church with authority and already she was moving her plans forward. This young upstart sitting next to her on her right could and would steal all that away from her. She smiled across at him and he looked away. Sometimes her beauty had the effect of making men uncomfortable. Edward was one of those men.

  She reached across the table and squeezed his right hand. He pulled it away, and she laughed. “Come now, Edward! No need to be bashful! We are alone here in my private dining room. The attendants are long gone. Please, relax! It’s just us!”

  Edward mumbled something incoherent and Eylene smirked to herself. It gave her such great pleasure in making men uncomfortable. She watched his neck and cheeks flush red and sat back in her high back seat. She had dressed for the occasion. She had removed her religious robes and wore a fine silk low cut shirt and a skirt that barely touched the top of her knees. She had Edward sitting next to her and positioned her legs to split the skirt in a way that had Edward looking anywhere but toward her. She knew, with practice, that simply leaning forward a little exposed her ample cleavage and she did so often.

  It seems such a shame that all this must end soon, she mused. Too bad he can’t enjoy it.

  “How goes your studies?” she asked.

  Edward shifted in his seat but kept his gaze away from her chest and exposed thighs. “They are going as well as can be expected.”

  “Meaning, they aren’t going well at all. Seriously, Edward, how can you expect to be our King if you refuse to learn the role of the King with respect to the Church?”

  “The role of the church matters little to me. I mean no insult, but my work is with the Word and the teachings of the great wordsmiths. My passion lies in the healing arts.”

  “Ah yes, you are a chirurgeon of some great respect. Your work is all the buzz across the land already. You are changing the way the Chirurgeon’s Guild performs. Applying standards that have many of them upset with you.”

  Edward made a small noise. “They are upset because they understand little and choose not to understand.”

  “Much like you with the instructors from the church.”

  Edward this time chose to look directly at her and Eylene caught her breath with the intensity of his glare. “They are not the same. The teachings of the church are based in nothing but blind faith. An illogical acceptance of words written into a book that are contradictory and clearly fictional. And yet the church would insist they are the words of your god and must be obeyed without question. I am a man of the Word. I require fact, not fiction.”

  Eylene sighed and reached out to stroke Edward’s cheek, but he pulled his head back with a look Eylene had rarely seen: repulsion. Eylene gritted her teeth and then forced a smile. “Come now. As King you will be expected to head the church. You must take that role seriously. As
your Archbishop, I must insist. The very souls of the people of Belkin are at risk. These lessons are crucial—you must start to take them seriously.”

  “I cannot and will not,” stated Edward with conviction. Eylene could see the strength of the man, clear to see in moments like these. He would be a good leader, she knew. Strong in his convictions and fair in his judgment. Yes, he really does need to go.

  A knock sounded at the dining-room door and Eylene called out for the person to enter. A female servant came in carrying a silver tray with a decanter and two small crystal glasses on either side of the bottle. One glass was marred slightly with a minor chip at the lip. She placed the tray on the table and moved to remove the dinner platters. Eylene waved her away, and the servant bowed and left quietly.

  “A small digestive from Cala made from their whiskey. I recently discovered it and I simply adore it.”

  Edward waved his hand. “No, thank you. I’ve had more than enough to drink already.”

  “I must insist. This is very expensive. It’s not often I have a chance to dine with the future king and offer something of value. Please.”

  Edward continued to protest, but Eylene ignored him and poured the fine liquor. The deep amber colour reflected the flickering candlelight and a pleasant smell filled the air. Once poured, she placed a glass in front of Edward and took the glass with the chip for herself.

  “Before we drink, I see you brought your valise. You carry it with you everywhere. Even to dinner with the Archbishop. Does it contain your journals?”

  Edward paused with his glass raised toward his mouth. His eyes darted to the valise he had placed on the end table next to his seat and then to Eylene. He set down his glass and looked with interest to Eylene.

  “It is important to me. I carry it everywhere. And yes, it does contain my journals. Can I ask you why you ask? It is an odd question.”

  Eylene chastised herself. She had overstepped. She smiled and raised her glass and took a sip before responding. “Only that I hear they contain a great many ideas that has the wordsmiths all gossiping. They would love to examine them.”

  “Who told you that?”

  Edward was now staring with interest at Eylene. Flustered, she gripped the front of her silk shirt and closed the front. “No reason. You seemed out of sorts and I thought perhaps you would feel more comfortable talking about your passion than the matters of the Church.”

  Edward raised an eyebrow and then looked at his untouched glass.

  “Please, try it. It really is wonderful,” said Eylene and took a sip. “It warms the soul.”

  “Is there anything in particular in my journals you would like to speak about?”

  Eylene looked at the valise. I may as well ask him bluntly. “I heard from Vicar Martin that men from Windthrop’s estate were able to avoid the scrutiny of the draoi for a time.”

  Edward frowned. “He told you that?”

  Eylene nodded. “And Lana confirmed it.”

  “Right, Lana. I hear you are fast friends with her. Well, it’s true. They used herbs. It affected their minds. Calmed them.”

  “I see. How did that work exactly?”

  Edward picked up his glass and brought it to his lips. He held it a moment and then lowered it. “You know, I’m not quite sure. The herbs are unknown. At least, unknown which ones he used. I could surmise likely candidates. There are certain plants that have a calming effect.” Edward picked up his glass and then sniffed it.

  Eylene frowned at his actions. “How well did it work?”

  “Why are you so interested? I thought the church, and the draoi were working well together. You and Lana talk often.”

  Eylene laughed. “Yes, yes. Of course we are. Lana is a good friend. Do your journals contain other facts about the draoi?”

  Edward dipped a finger in his whiskey and tasted it gingerly. He spat in disgust. Eylene cried out and then jumped when Edward snatched her glass. He sniffed it and tasted it. He looked at Eylene with horror.

  “By the Word! What are you doing, Edward!”

  “You are trying to poison me!”

  “Whatever are you talking about?” Eylene put her chair between her and Edward.

  “My glass. It’s poisoned. Yours is not. You poured the liquor. You knew which one to give me!”

  “That’s crazy! Who would want to poison you?”

  Edward looked incredulous. “You would for starters. It’s all clear to me now.”

  Edward made a lunge toward Eylene and she shrieked and ran around the table crying out. “Guards! Guards!”

  Edward looked toward the door and heard the sounds of heavy feet on the stone floor. Eylene reached out and snatched the valise off the end table. Edward glared at her.

  Eylene held the valise up against her chest with both arms. “You have nowhere to run. Give up.”

  Edward ran to the fireplace and fumbled with the side of the mantle.

  “Edward, really. You have nowhere to go.”

  Edward made a sound just as the feet reached the door. Eylene felt a change in pressure in the room and watched in disbelief as Edward ducked behind the tapestry on the wall.

  “You can’t hide there, you fool.”

  Two Church guards burst into the room and looked about for trouble.

  “Behind the tapestry. He’s hiding there.”

  The guards looked at one another and pulled back the hanging art. Behind it was a stone wall. Edward was gone.

  * * *

  Edward moved as quickly as he could through the hidden passages in the dark. He was certain he had been doomed but finding the hidden switch that opened the wall behind the tapestry had almost had him believing in this god of the church. Vicar Martin would say it was a sign. The wordsmith in me would say it was applying logic to a situation to my best advantage.

  As he hurried down the corridor, he kept the fingers of his right hand rubbing along the wall. In a moment, he felt open space and stopped. He tried to picture the castle design in his mind and in a moment he had his bearings. He continued past the opening and felt the wall resume with his right hand. It’s not far.

  For the next forty minutes Edward made his way down corridors. Occasionally light would filter through cracks or peep holes in the wall and give him a respite from the fear that gripped him. He descended some stairs and then made his way to an area he knew well. He stopped at a table and lit one of the lanterns found there. In moments, he opened a door into a crystal cave where the sect had tortured draoi for years. The light from the lantern reflected off the crystals and threw colours across the walls. He moved past an altar down to a small wharf and cried out in relief when he spotted two small rowboats tied up. He clambered into one and put the oars in the locks and pushed off.

  He rowed the boat out of the cave and emerged into the bay outside Munsten. The cloudless night sky was full of stars and in the distance the glow from Munsten gave him enough light to douse the lantern. He rowed south and was thankful the sea was calm.

  He cursed James Dixon for discovering who he was and wondered, not for the first time, what his life would be like if he had remained hidden. He wondered where he should go now. He knew he had to hide and escape beyond Eylene's eyes and her church. She tried to poison me! Rage made his arms shake and he forced himself to remain calm. He wondered who he could turn to for help. He knew Brent could not help him. He was lost to the church influence. There is nothing in Munsten for me, and I never wanted to be king. He thought of Rigby Farm, but dismissed the idea. Lana, a draoi was involved in this and Edward no longer trusted them. If anything Will and Nadine would drag me back to Munsten.

  Edward paused his rowing and waited for the burning in his arms to subside. Water lapped at the sides of his boat and he was gently rocked. He stared at the stars and felt his head clear. I was at peace when I was reading and researching. Everything was so much clearer then.

  He had a sudden image of the library in Jergen and a smile crossed his features.

  Niner />
  Rigby Farm, August 902 A.C.

  TWO WEEKS HAD passed at the Rigby Farm since Kennit had split the draoi and Nadine spent all of her time trying to mend the divide. Kennit had moved those draoi loyal to him to the old barn. The speed of the move told her they had planned for this, which made her even more furious. They refused to mix with the other draoi and avoided all contact. They stopped all their work in the fields and the other draoi were picking up the slack. It kept them busy at least.

  Nadine had met with Will in his workshop right after the confrontation and he refused to speak to her; shocking her to her core. She could see their bond of love, still bright and vibrant, but their draoi bond was lost to her. She looked into his eyes and saw an anger there directed at her. Somehow he blamed her and despite her words he turned from her and went back to cutting herbs as if nothing was wrong in the world. She had cried and pleaded with him, pounding on his back. Eventually Steve had pulled her away and tried to calm her down.

  Steve had led her into the living room and sat her down on the large sofa. Outside the sun had set and a strange quiet had descended on the farm. Nearby the evening supper remained untouched on the kitchen table. Dempster, Anne and wee Frankie were upstairs after Steve told them to make themselves scarce. He had sat next to her and placed his hands on her shoulders and faced her. He gave her a shake.

  “Nadine! Nadine! Listen to me! I don’t know what’s happening here, but Will is not himself. I know you and I know him! Tell me what’s going on!”

  His words were lost to her. Nadine could not stop searching for the draoi bond to Will. She could see it start, but it disappeared from her sight. She could see all the threads. The threads to the Kennit faction faded from her view a short distance from her. It faded so much she could no longer feel them on the farm. The threads to the draoi still loyal to her were strong and she could feel their fear and trepidation. They didn’t know what was happening any more than Nadine did. Nadine could feel Steve’s crew and the farm hands as well. They were scared and whispered amongst themselves. The past few hours had spun her world around and Nadine felt more lost now than when the Purge had happened all those years ago. Back then I knew what was happening. Today I know nothing. Dear Gaea, what is happening?