"You have truly come," she said quietly, her gaze pinned on Akoni.
Akoni's lips curled upwards, and he gave a slight nod. Before he could speak, another woman approached them. She also had a pendant, this one the floral type to represent her rank as High Priestess of Gaia.
"Corvin."
Jeffrey gasped. "Mother."
They closed the distance between them, and when she opened her arms, Jeffrey fell into them.
"All these years, I knew you'd come back."
For a time, they stood in silence, holding on to each other. The other priestess wanted to speak and lead Akoni inside, but he declined, moving closer to Jeffrey. When the two pulled apart, Akoni put an arm around Jeffrey and gave a slight bow.
"Lady Trevino, it's a pleasure to see you again. It's been a long time."
"There are no titles here. I am a sister in Tiana's temple, and you are our brothers. However, thank you for returning my son." Aedinia smiled, her eyes glinting with happiness.
Akoni smiled in acknowledgement.
"There's much to talk about. Maybe we could do so over dinner?" Jeffrey suggested. "We'd be grateful for any hospitality offered."
"You are both most welcome here. We've been waiting for some time and will make your stay as pleasant as we can," Tiana said.
"Thank you, Tiana. If it were possible to have a bath, I think it would make a difference." Akoni looked down at his travel-stained clothes.
She smiled and gave a nod. With a wave of her hand, she called over another priestess. "Janice, show our guests to the baths and make sure they have anything they need. When you're ready, we'll have dinner together."
"Thank you." Jeffrey bowed to her. He smiled at his mother and gave her hand a squeeze, then went after the priestess.
Akoni followed, once more taking hold of Jeffrey's hand.
They were taken to a large room, not unlike the thermal baths at the palace. It was dominated by a big pool in the centre, ringed by columns and stone benches. Large pots of ferns and flowers were dotted along the walls. A shelf near the door held an assortment of towels and cleaning products.
The moment they were alone, Akoni stripped out of his clothes and entered the pool, sighing in pleasure as he sank into the warm water. Jeffrey followed moments later with a floating tray.
"Deja vu," Akoni said, laughing.
"I'll scrub you again if you want, and when we get out, I promise I won't run away this time."
"You better not," Akoni said and pulled Jeffrey close for a kiss.
They took their time washing each other, kissing and touching. Akoni didn't want to go further than that, but Jeffrey was relentless, insisting there was no better way of honouring the goddess of love and life than having sex in her temple. Considering Jeffrey's mother was a priestess, which gave Jeffrey seemingly endless knowledge of the goddess and her way, Akoni found no arguments that would dissuade him.
Afterwards, Jeffrey had shaved his face, well used to it from being a soldier. Akoni had watched in fascination but not followed the example. He'd never had to shave himself and worried he'd only cut his own throat. Jeffrey had laughed at him for it at first but then offered to take care of it. Akoni agreed reluctantly. He looked in the mirror after Jeffrey had finished and found a trail of trimmed hair on his chin and around his lips, almost like a circle shape.
"It makes you look more grown up, more like a prince," Jeffrey had said.
Akoni wasn't sure he agreed, but the hungry looks Jeffrey gave him were enough reason not to argue.
When they left the baths, dressed in simple robes they'd been given, a priestess standing in wait nearby led them back to Tiana and Aedinia. Both women were lounging on old-fashioned reclining couches, small tables with food platters in front of them. Two empty couches with more food beside them beckoned. The traditional furniture and layout surprised Akoni, but he remained quiet and went to make himself comfortable.
"You need not speak for me to see you mocking our old-fashioned ways," Tiana said, a glint in her eyes.
"I would not mock, my lady. It is simply unexpected."
"As is your visit."
"Yet, you said you were expecting me."
"We have been expecting one of your blood to return since well before living memory. I did not truly think you would..."
"I suspect I'd have arrived earlier, or my ancestors might have returned if we had known you were waiting," Akoni said, his head cocked to the side.
"A darkness came and settled, obscuring much. Still, if they so desired, they'd have found us. As you have."
"With all due respect to both your esteemed selves, would you quit your posturing and just talk! By Tempesta," Jeffrey said, rolling his eyes.
"Do not call on her in vain, Corvin. I've taught you better than that," Aedinia said.
Akoni bit his lip to stop a laugh as Jeffrey muttered an apology.
"I go by the name Jeffrey now."
She gazed at him, a sadness in her eyes. "There's much I have missed in your life. There'll be time for that later. The ritual must come first."
Tiana shot a look at Aedinia, who fell silent.
"What ritual? Why am I even here?" Akoni asked.
"You are here because Gaia wills it," Tiana said.
"Yes, I figured that, considering she helped me find your temple. Now, please answer my question. What ritual?"
"Gaia bestowed a gift on her chosen child. A gift that has been passed on down the line. Each blessed child is asked to show their gratitude and give thanks to her. It's a ritual that renews the gift."
Akoni stared at his hand. "Does it...will it change the magic?"
"It troubles you, doesn't it?"
Akoni didn't answer Tiana, he didn't need to.
"We are isolated and a long way from court, but tales carry far on occasion. Tales of mad kings who abuse the gift bestowed on them. Tell me, and I will do my best to help you."
Studying her, Akoni tried to decide if he could trust her. So few people even knew he had magic. Ignacio and Paul had been the only ones he truly confided in. His servant, Hendrick, had witnessed much, and of course, Jeffrey had learned of it. But they had all been close to him long before they knew his pain and suffering. Could he tell this complete stranger?
Jeffrey reached out, touching Akoni's arm. "She's a high priestess of Gaia. If you can trust anyone, you can trust her."
Akoni pursed his lips. No one could be trusted, not even the goddesses. Everyone always had their own plans, their own goals, and he had no idea what either the goddess or the priestesses could want from him, what they stood to gain. But there seemed to be little choice. He'd come this far, he'd have to take the leap now. He told her everything. How his magic burned him, the lack of control he had, the danger he posed to everyone around him.
Tiana and Aedinia listened in silence, letting him tell all of it. At the end they asked questions, gentle and kind, never judging. Had he ever been able to call on it successfully? Not intentionally, no. Had he ever used benign or helpful magic? Yes, to protect himself and those he loved. Most prominently, the shield of ice that had saved Jeffrey's live. Had he ever purposefully used the magic with ill intentions? Only when he lost control, like the council member he'd nearly killed. How had it been activated? When did he first notice changes? On and on the questions went.
By the time they were done with what felt like an interrogation at times, the sun had sunk beneath the horizon and the chirping of crickets filled the air, broken by the faint hooting of an owl once in a while.
"Thank you for your honesty, Akoni. Tonight, I will ask Gaia for guidance, and tomorrow we'll do our best to help you. For now, you should both rest. You've had a long journey, and tomorrow may be another long day."
Chapter 24
The next morning, they had a big hearty breakfast and set out for the island on the lake. Akoni, Jeffrey, Tiana, and Aedinia. A single rowboat was moored near the temple. Akoni and Jeffrey did the rowing. By the time they reached the island,
Akoni's arms felt like lead. As fit as he thought he was, rowing seemed to use a whole new set of muscles, and even the relatively short distance had him exhausted. Jeffrey seemed to fare only slightly better.
Tiana gave them enough time to moor the boat and drink some water from skins they'd brought before setting off again. They'd been given a single instruction: never touch the water of the lake. Not to drink, not to wash, not for any reason. The lake was sacred.
Jeffrey had asked why he was allowed to come at one point. It was only when Jeffrey posed the question that Akoni even thought about it. It had not occurred to him that there could be a reason not to bring Jeffrey. He needed him and wanted him nearby, always. Tiana's answer had been only somewhat reassuring. Descendant from a priestess, Jeffrey held power of his own that would play a role in the ritual. Also, as Akoni's lover and with such an evident link between them, he would most certainly need to be part of the ritual for it to work.
They had still not been told what the ritual actually involved or what would be happening. They simply followed the instructions they were given, when they were given them.
At a clearing in the centre of the island, they stopped. Tiana set a clay bowl down on the ground and poured in a measure of water from one of her waterskins. She motioned for them to sit in a circle and link hands. Tiana and Aedinia both knelt, so Jeffrey and Akoni followed their example. Taking hold of Jeffrey's hand, Akoni smiled at his lover, reassured by his presence. Jeffrey winked at him.
Akoni's attention was drawn away when Tiana took hold of his other hand. Her eyes were closed, her forehead wrinkled in concentration.
"Close your eyes, Akoni."
The others had already closed their eyes, Akoni noted. He did as bid. The ground felt hard beneath his knees, uncomfortable. Jeffrey's hand lay warm in his own, a source of comfort. Tiana's hand felt colder, stronger, too. He sensed something else and probed deeper. A tingling; his magic stirring in response to it. It couldn't be, could it?
It felt different to his own magic, different also to his father's, but it was magic. Had Tiana received a gift of her own? How? Only the royal family were granted this power.
He probed deeper. It was like the energy he felt beneath his own skin. Like what he had sensed when he'd finally overcome his father's magic. The whirling mass of energy, of life and power. But it seemed different, too. Less chaotic, gentler.
"Akoni, please focus. Don't search, open up and let her in."
His eyes flew open at Tiana's words, but hers were still closed. She must have sensed his probing. So many questions filled his mind. At a squeeze from Jeffrey, he looked at his lover, who smiled reassuringly. Akoni smiled back and closed his eyes.
He let his mind go blank this time, concentrating on his breathing, resolving to ask his questions later. He let his senses take over. The air around him was neither cold nor warm, just fresh. Earth beneath him, solid and firm, full of life. Water all around, the vast lake, moisture in the air, trickles in the ground.
Tiana and Aedinia chanted in the language of their ancestors, a beautiful but haunting singsong, gentle and quiet at first, then gaining strength. After a time, a presence joined them.
Akoni's magic stirred. One part danced as if excited, another fought and resisted. The latter part grew more restless and aggressive, glowing with heat. Groaning, he lost all focus, his insides seared by his own magic. He tried to resist it, to control it, but his grasp was too weak. Jeffrey. He tightened his hold on Jeffrey's hand, the only direct contact he currently had to his lover.
Blackness claimed him.
When Akoni woke, he smelled salt and earth and musk. Jeffrey's musk. He smiled and tried to move closer to the warm body beside him. Something dug into his side, and he groaned in pain. They weren't in bed because any mattress would be more comfortable. They'd been travelling and sleeping on the ground, he recalled.
"Are you awake again?" Jeffrey's voice. Gentle fingers trailing the side of Akoni's face.
He forced his eyes open and blinked, bright sunlight blinding him. "What happened?"
"You passed out during the ritual."
Ritual. Yes, the goddess, he'd felt her. His magic had reacted to her presence, not in all good ways.
"Are you in pain now?" Jeffrey asked, his fingertips still caressing Akoni's face and neck.
He thought about it. His body ached, partly from lying on the ground and another part from the aftereffects of his magic's reaction, not unlike so many other times in the past. "No, just sore. Did it work?"
"You'll have to ask Tiana. Can you sit up?"
With help from Jeffrey, Akoni managed to right himself. Looking around, he found the priestesses sitting some distance away, chatting quietly. They stood and approached.
"How are you feeling, Akoni?"
"Sore," he ground out. Every part of him ached, inside and out. "Please tell me it worked? Whatever it is."
Tiana knelt in front of him and held out her hands. "Let's find out."
Akoni hesitated a moment then took Tiana's hands in his. He sensed her magic again, stronger this time. "You have magic of your own."
Tiana didn't respond. She closed her eyes and probed, not unlike what Akoni had done to her earlier. "Did it always pain you this way?"
"Yes and no. It usually pains me, not always in the same ways. Does yours do that, too?"
"Your magic has been corrupted. A long time ago, before it passed to you. Do you feel the two parts of it?"
Akoni nodded.
"There should be only one. Healing the corruption would take more than a single ritual can do, but I believe the two strands have been woven together now. Do you feel the difference?"
Akoni closed his eyes, probing his own magic. There were still two parts to it, but they weren't separate anymore. "They feel linked."
"Good. Do you feel able to practise using it?"
"You can teach me?"
"I can try," she said and smiled.
She led him along the side of the mountain until they came to a cave. Jeffrey and Aedinia didn't join them, for their own protection, in case the magic went astray. Jeffrey had reassured Akoni that it'd be okay, he'd enjoy the opportunity to talk with his mother. He'd kissed Akoni hard before Tiana had led him away.
Now they were alone in the cavern lit by crags in the ceiling high above them. Tiana had brought the bowl of water they'd used previously. They sat cross-legged on the ground, the bowl between them.
"Reach out with your senses until you feel the water."
Akoni did as told. It had become easier on this journey since he'd been reaching out to the goddess frequently. In the palace he'd never had need for it, and only in the temple would he even have been able to sense more than air and dead stone. Out here in the depth of Gaia's realm, he felt her everywhere. The earth beneath him, the air all around, and the bowl of water. "I sense it."
"Good, now imagine cupping your hands and dipping them in the bowl, lifting them with the water staying in your cupped hands."
He frowned at her but tried to do as instructed. Nothing happened.
"Close your eyes and keep trying."
He did keep trying. Over and over again. She told him to link the strands of magic inside him with the image in his mind. For what felt like hours he did as she instructed with no result.
When she told him to stay focused and open his eyes, he sighed, wondering what she wanted now. The moment his eyes opened, they fixed on a glob of water hovering in the air, in front of his face. He gasped in excitement and laughed.
The loss of focus resulted in the glob crashing back down into the bowl, most of the water splashing over the side.
"I've done it!"
Tiana chuckled. "For the briefest moment, yes. You've a long way to go yet."
"Thank you, Tiana."
"We're not done yet. Go again."
He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. They hadn't eaten since breakfast, and it had to be late in the afternoon. "Could we not take a break?"
"If you wish it, we can even leave. But your magic is far from well. You need to learn to control and use it or it will revert back to the way it was." She pulled out one of the waterskins she'd brought and handed it to Akoni.
He accepted it gratefully and took a long gulp. It was flavoured water. A mix of fruits and herbs. He gave Tiana a questioning look.
"It's a concoction we use to access our inner sight. It may help you gain better focus."
Not quite the same as food, but it'd do for now. He drank his fill. Then, he closed his eyes again, concentrating on his magic. Over the next few hours, he learned to manipulate it, if not perfectly, then at least better than ever before. Though that wasn't saying much.
It took a few tries, but he once again managed to make the water float, this time without it crashing back down the moment he looked. She taught him then to move it farther away and to shape it, turning into a faint mist, then a fog, then ice. She called it the most versatile element for the variety of ways you could manipulate it. Akoni agreed, though he wasn't yet certain how useful any of it would be to him as king. She also taught him how to sense and manipulate air in the same way he had done the water. It was both harder and easier. There was more air available to work with, but also more he had to ignore, forcing him to limit his own reach.
His magic was interrupted by a presence that was becoming familiar. The air seemed to crackle with power. Akoni had his eyes closed and found himself unwilling to open them. Tiana took hold of his hands, only she didn't feel like Tiana.
"You've come far today, little human. There is more to come yet, let me show you."
It wasn't Tiana who spoke. The voice was inside his head. Female, yet different to a human voice. It was disconcerting.
Visions flooded his mind. The day Akoni had been summoned to his father and had his magic activated. The first time his father had drawn from him. The handful of times his magic had stirred within him. The flaming sword, the incident in council. Him standing in a field of flowers, on his knees, hands cradling something he couldn't see. At the head of an army, leading them, brandishing a sword. Standing in judgement over men he didn't recognise, all of them in red tunics, with red cloaks or in red armour.
Ties of Magic (Curse of the Crown Book 2) Page 24