Quest for the Moon Orb: Orbs of Rathira

by Laura Jo Phillips

  Karma flew to him, flinging her arms around him and burying her face against his neck. He held her tightly, his heart racing. “I almost lost you,” he said, whispering hoarsely into her hair. “I don’t think I could live through such a thing again.”

  Karma tightened her arms around him for a moment, then stepped back and smiled. “You didn’t lose me,” she said. “Thanks to you, and the Vatra, we’re both still here.”

  Zakiel nodded, unable to speak for the lump in his throat as he took in her appearance. Her hair and clothes were wet with seawater, there were a few bruises and scratches on her face and arms, and she was shivering, either from the cold, shock, or both. But she was alive.

  He looked around for something to wrap around her, but there was nothing on the deck aside from the men, the oars, a few dripping diplos, and an equally wet Nikura. “Valia, will you please sit with Nikura for a moment while I speak with the Captain?” he asked.

  Karma nodded. She already knew how many men and diplos had been lost, and neither wanted nor needed to hear it again. Zakiel was back, safe and sound, as was Nikura, and as long as Kapia was safe she thought she could bear just about anything else.

  “Kind of you to include me in those you care most about,” Nikura said as she sat down on the deck beside him.

  Karma frowned at the Sphin, but didn’t respond. She did care about him, snootiness and all. She just wished he’d stop eavesdropping on her thoughts.

  ***

  Their boat was the last to land, and there was no shortage of hands willing to help. Kapia flew toward them from the crowd, flinging her arms around Zakiel’s neck, then Karma’s, her tear stained face giving evidence of her fears.

  They made camp on the wide stretch of sandy beach between the forest and the sea, but the mood was subdued in deference to the lives that had been lost when the last boat had nearly capsized. Besides seven Chya rowers, they’d lost three Hunters, one servant, two drovers, and five diplos.

  Karma was not familiar with any of the men or animals that had been lost. She was relieved that neither Goldy nor Dippy were among them, and that both Caral and Lashi had been safe with Kapia. She felt guilty for her relief, but she felt it nonetheless.

  As soon as their tent was ready, Lashi prepared a hot bath for Karma. By then she was so cold that she wondered if she would ever get warm again. It was a strange feeling to be cold after weeks of traveling through the heat of the desert. She remained in the tub until the water began to cool. She was tempted to climb into bed, but as soon as she got warm, her hunger kicked in.

  When she left her chamber to join Kapia for dinner, she was not surprised to find Zakiel there as well. Somehow, she’d sensed his presence, but she was too tired to realize it. He rose to his feet and nodded to her with a warm smile, revealing the dimple in his cheek.

  “Greetings, Karma,” he said. “I hope you’re feeling better.”

  “Much better, thank you,” Karma said, taking her cushion. “I hope I haven’t kept you two waiting long.”

  “Not at all,” Kapia assured her quickly. “Zakiel was just giving me a lesson on bead sign. I don’t want to make another mistake.”

  “I know what you mean,” Karma said with a smile, leaning back so that Lashi could place a plate in front of her.

  They were all hungry so spent several minutes eating in companionable silence. Karma put her fork down and reached for a knife, but there wasn’t one beside her plate. She looked around, thinking she must have moved it, but didn’t see one. She looked up and around to ask Lashi for one when Kapia stopped her.

  “Here,” she said, holding a knife out toward her.

  “Thanks,” Karma said, starting to reach out to accept the knife.

  “Why do you have that?” Zakiel asked, reaching for the knife himself. Just as his fingers brushed the blade, Kapia pulled it back and held it against her chest.

  “It was a gift,” she said.

  “That knife belongs to Sir Bredon,” Zakiel said angrily, the orange and black stripes of the Tigren suddenly covering his skin, though there was no sign of the Vatra markings. “Did you accept a gift from a man?”

  “Yes, I did,” Kapia replied, tilting her chin and returning her brother’s stare.

  “You will give it to me and I will return it to him,” Zakiel commanded.

  “I will not,” Kapia replied, her voice just as cold and angry as her brother’s.

  “You dare to defy me?” Zakiel roared, leaping to his feet.

  Karma stood up and stepped in between Zakiel and Kapia. “Please calm yourself,” she said, keeping her voice soft in sharp contrast to his.

  “Stay out of this,” Zakiel growled as he glared down at her.

  Karma crossed her arms before her. She was shocked by the depth of Zakiel’s sudden anger, but she hid her reaction beneath a mask of calm. “I will not,” she replied. “It is time for you to leave. You can discuss this matter when your temper has cooled.”

  “You dare to interfere between me and my sister?” Zakiel demanded furiously.

  “I do,” she replied. “Leave now, Prince Zakiel.”

  “Beware, off-worlder,” he snapped, his voice dripping with contempt. “I do not take orders from such as you.”

  Karma felt each word as though it were a physical blow, but she would not back down, nor show how much he hurt her. “I outrank you, Prince,” she reminded him. “For the last time, remove yourself from our tent at once.”

  Zakiel saw the flash of pain in Karma’s eyes, and though she covered it quickly, it brought him up short. A low cough sounded from the doorway and Zakiel looked over and saw Sir Garundel, Sir Harmin and Jenz all standing inside the tent, their hands on their weapons. A moment later Nikura stepped in. He took in the situation and crouched down, ears flat, teeth bared as he prepared to spring.

  Zakiel glanced warily at the Sphin. Nikura was more deadly than all three of the men standing behind him put together. Satisfied he wasn’t about to be attacked, he met Garundel’s eyes, and saw a warning that confused him at first. He had to struggle for a moment to remember what he’d said and done. Then he understood. Lady Techu had ordered him to leave her tent and, Prince or not, he could not refuse and retain any honor before his men. He spun on his heel and strode out of the tent, pushing his way through the crowd of Hunters gathered outside.

  Karma nodded silently to Garundel, who bowed and left the tent, taking the other men with him. When she and Kapia were alone she sat back down, her knees feeling shaky and weak.

  “I’m sorry, Karma,” Kapia said softly. “I did not mean for that to happen.”

  “It’s all right,” Karma said. “Your brother’s anger was both shocking and uncalled for. I would ask about the knife though. When did you accept it, and why?”

  Kapia turned the knife over in her hands, then returned it to its sheath. “Bredon offered it to me on the crossing, in case I went into the water and needed a knife to rid myself of clothing that would weigh me down. I accepted.”

  “That was very considerate and thoughtful of him,” Karma said. “As I nearly went into the water with the same heavy clothing, I will not fault his reasoning. He made the offer for your safety, and you accepted it for the same reason. I see no wrong in it.”

  “Nor do I,” Kapia said. “Since today is the day of my birth and I am no longer a child, it’s up to me to determine the propriety of such things for myself. My reputation is in my hands now and I will not relinquish it.”

  “That’s why you refused to give the knife to Zakiel?” Karma asked.

  “Yes,” Kapia replied. “I would have explained it to him, but he did not give me a chance to do so.”

  “No, he didn’t,” Karma agreed.

  “I’m very sorry that you got caught in the middle of this, Karma,” Kapia said again.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Karma replied. “Had your brother’s temper not controlled him, it would have been sorted out. It is not your fault that he behaved as he did.”

&
nbsp; Kapia nodded, though Karma could see the conflict in her eyes. She just didn’t know what else she could do or say about it and frankly, her own pain was so great that her mask of calm wasn’t going to last much longer. She rose to her feet, bid Kapia goodnight, and hurried into the privacy of her own chamber.

  She readied herself for bed, trying to understand what had happened, but she was so tired from the events of the day she could barely think. Finally she climbed into bed, buried her face in her pillow and cried herself to sleep.

  Chapter 25

  The caravan got a later start than usual the next morning. The missing people left holes in the usual morning routine that took a little extra time to work out, but everyone was patient and eventually they were packed up and ready to continue their journey.

  Karma and Kapia were both relieved that Zakiel didn’t visit their tent that morning. They didn’t see him at all until they were preparing to mount their diplos, and then it was only from a distance. Karma was very thankful for the stirrup that allowed her to mount Dippy without help, a freedom that Kapia had insisted on having for herself as soon as she’d seen it. Bredon didn’t appear to appreciate the stirrup, but Kapia certainly did.

  As soon as Karma woke up that morning, the altercation over dinner filled her mind. Without the cushion of exhaustion to numb her, the full force of her hurt enveloped her and it was even worse than it had been the night before. For long minutes she lay in her bed, simply trying to breathe through the pain as Zakiel’s contemptuous words repeated themselves over and over in her mind.

  She began trying to understand what had happened in an effort to distance herself from her own emotions, and it helped her to get through the morning. But no matter how many times she went over everything that was said and done, she could not make sense of it.

  Zakiel had gone from smiling to angry in a heartbeat, and she’d truly felt that protecting Kapia was necessary. She’d done what she believed was right and she would not apologize for it, nor would she hesitate to do it again. If Zakiel didn’t understand that, then he didn’t understand her.

  So, is that it? she wondered. Were all the words of love and devotion meaningless the moment she said or did something he did not approve of? If so, as much as it hurt, she knew it was better to learn these things now rather than later.

  Shortly after they set out, Kapia rode Goldy up beside Bredon. They spoke for a few minutes, then Kapia returned to her place beside Karma with an angry expression on her face.

  “Bredon said that Zakiel asked him about the knife last night,” Kapia said.

  “Did Bredon explain it to him?” Karma asked.

  “Yes, he did, and apparently Zakiel thanked him for his foresight and generosity.” Kapia hesitated a moment, then glanced at Karma. “Bredon said that he didn’t seem angry at all when they spoke.”

  “He yelled at us, and then thanked Bredon,” Karma said wryly. “At the least, he should apologize to you.”

  Kapia shrugged and looked uncomfortable.

  “What is it?” Karma asked.

  “Zakiel asked Bredon to pass along his apologies to me.”

  Karma thought about that for a moment, then shook her head. “He is no longer angry with you, but he is angry with me for defending you,” she guessed.

  “It would seem so, yes,” Kapia said. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry,” Karma said, smiling at Kapia as she strove to hide the pain that was, once again, threatening to overwhelm her. “It’s better this way. Now, how is Sir Bredon this morning?”

  Kapia knew that Karma did not wish to talk about Zakiel any more, so she respected that and went along with the change of subject. Neither of them felt much like talking anyway, and after a little while, they fell silent. In fact, the entire caravan was quiet. The close set trees and heavy foliage made everyone feel a bit claustrophobic after the wide open desert.

  Zakiel called a halt at mid-day in a clearing just large enough for the entire group to crowd into. Karma dismounted using her stirrup, hiding her smile when Kapia used hers as well, leaving Sir Bredon standing there, staring at the strip of leather with a scowl.

  She turned around to give them some privacy and accepted a cup of water and a plate of food from Lashi. She didn’t have much appetite though, and after a few bites she returned the plate to Lashi.

  “I’ll be back in a minute or two,” Nikura said after he finished his own lunch.

  Karma nodded, then watched him walk away into the trees. She decided the Sphin had a good idea, and turned to ask Kapia if she wanted to take a short walk with her, but she was engrossed with Sir Bredon. Karma smiled and decided not to disturb them. She removed the Ti-Ank from Dippy’s saddle, then turned and walked into the woods on the opposite side of the clearing from where Nikura had gone. She spent most of her time with the Sphin, but there were some things she insisted on privacy for.

  She only meant to walk a few yards, just until she found enough brush for privacy, but there didn’t seem to be as much brush among the trees here as they’d been seeing all morning. The further she walked, the sparser the foliage became. There were fewer trees, and those were thinner, smaller, and appeared less healthy. She looked up as she walked, frowning at the dead leaves and branches higher up. When she lowered her eyes she realized she’d stepped into a small clearing with one enormous, dead tree in the center of it.

  There was something about the tree that made her blood run cold, and she stared for a moment, trying to figure out what it was. The tree was huge, with long, leafless branches stretching out over most of the clearing like long, clawed fingers. The entire thing was black, as though it had been charred in a fire. But even though it was black as pitch and showed no signs of life, she had the distinct impression that what she was looking at was neither dead, nor exactly a tree.

  As she stood there, she sensed that the tree felt her. It knew she was there, and it wanted her. She had no explanation for how such a thing could be, but the hair on the back of her neck stood up straight, and her heart began to race as every instinct she owned screamed at her to run.

  She spun around, one foot raised, her arms out for balance, Ti-Ank gripped tightly in one hand, but already she knew she was too late, had waited too long, gone too close. Before her foot hit the ground in her first running step, she felt something icy cold slam into her back hard enough to knock the breath out of her. The icy sensation spread rapidly, yet she forced herself to pick up her other foot, determined to keep running. But the ice spread to her arms, legs, heart and lungs so fast that she was lying on the ground, motionless, while still completing that last running step in her mind.

  Zakiel watched Karma all morning, though he made every effort to hide it. He was very angry, but with himself, not her. He had no idea how or why he’d become so furious the night before, and he was greatly ashamed of his actions, and for the unforgivable things he’d said to Karma. The moment he’d seen the knife in Kapia’s hand he’d known where it had come from. He had meant only to talk to her, to ask why she had it.

  The moment Kapia pulled it away from his grasp, his fury exploded. He was, in truth, grateful to Karma for stepping in between himself and Kapia. He had no idea what he would have done, but a sick feeling in his stomach told him it would have been bad. He would not have struck his sister, but he would have hurt her with his words, just as he had hurt Karma.

  He’d never had a temper before, and he did not know what had happened to him. He’d spent most of the night trying to understand it, and wondered if transforming into the Vatra before he was truly ready had something to do with it. All he knew for certain was that Karma was angry with him, for good reason, and that he could not bring himself to face her. Not until he had an explanation for his outrageous behavior.

  “Lunch, Highness?” Timon asked.

  Zakiel turned around and accepted a plate from Timon. He began to eat mechanically, not really tasting the food as he chewed. He swallowed, but couldn’t bring himself to take another
bite. He handed the plate back to Timon, and reached for the water on the tray instead. He turned around as he drank, his eyes going at once to where Karma had been only moments before, but she was no longer there. He scanned the crowded clearing as he finished his water, absently handing the cup back to Timon. He spotted Kapia and Sir Bredon, Lashi and Caral, even Goldy, Dippy, and Nikura’s mount standing nearby, but no Karma. He started walking back toward Dippy, his eyes skipping from face to face, his step picking up speed each second that went by even though he tried to convince himself that she was there, somewhere, he just hadn’t seen her yet. But something inside told him she wasn’t there. He sensed her absence, just as he seemed to feel her presence lately.

  Suddenly, a loud, ground shaking roar sounded from the trees off to his right, causing everyone to freeze for one long heartbeat before Nikura burst into view, a blurring streak of gray and silver as he shot across the clearing and into the trees on the other side without slowing. Zakiel didn’t pause to think as he raced after Nikura, his heart suddenly in his throat. The sounds of his Hunters as they crashed through the trees behind him drowned out any sounds that Nikura might be making, but Zakiel realized that he didn’t need his ears to find Karma. All he needed was his heart, and even though it was beating far too fast, and burned with a sharp, knifing pain, he followed it unerringly through the thinning trees to where Karma lay at the edge of a clearing, with Nikura standing over her.

  Zakiel fell to his knees beside her, and turned her over with gentle hands. He gasped at the utter whiteness of her face, and for one horrible moment, he thought she was dead. It was a moment that taught him how much he really loved her, and how empty his life would be without her.