Barla smiled tenderly and replied, “Tirsha, I want you to know you can always tell me exactly what you are feeling. I’d feel the same sense of loss as you have experienced. I must say, you’re handling this situation better than I think I could.”
Instantly Barla recalled the confusion and loss she had felt, as a teenager, upon first arriving in Tuala. If it had not been for Ahn’s kindness, she knew she would have been lost to the questioning minds of Elder Vargen or another like him. She suppressed a shudder of fear and focused her attention back to Tirsha.
“Don’t worry, Tirsha. Ahn and I really meant it when we told you that you could live here as long as you wanted. Technically, you could take Corva and start a life of your own, but we love Corva and want her to stay here. I guess it’s pretty selfish of us, but…you know…she’s like our daughter now too.”
Tirsha nodded her agreement and said, “I can see and feel how much the two of you love Corva. I’m sure that’s why she has grown to be such a tender and caring young woman. Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do for my family.”
“There’s no need to thank us; it’s been our pleasure. Having you come back into Corva’s life will bring more joy to her life, and I couldn’t be happier about how everything has turned out. Now, tell me about your plans with Petre.” Hoping the abrupt shift in conversation would lead Tirsha to admit to her feelings for Petre, she pulled a minor amount of elemy through her birth crystal to try to compel cooperation without seeming rude.
Tirsha felt the slight pulse of power and wondered what Barla was up to, but kept her thoughts about it to herself. She had no idea how things were run in the Harbor Master’s house, and she was a guest, after all. Deciding to be completely honest, Tirsha replied, “Since I know my husband is dead, I guess I can admit I do have honest feelings for Petre.”
“Do you think they are feelings of gratitude or something more?”
“Hmm, they might have begun there, but I think it is something more. It’s nothing like what I felt for my husband. He was a hard man to like, let alone love. He drank too much and talked harshly against everything when he was drunk. It’s probably pretty terrible to admit I don’t miss him at all. In fact, it’s a relief not to have to worry about protecting Corva from his tirades. Does it make me a bad person?”
“Not at all, it makes you a mother and a good one at that. I’m sorry Corva lost her father, but I’m glad his bad behavior wasn’t able to ruin her life. Maybe things have turned out for the best for Corva, even if her life didn’t happen as any of us would have planned.”
“Maybe.” Tirsha considered Barla’s comment with a fresh set of eyes and finally came to the same conclusion as her host. She probably never would have left her husband since he was the sole means of support for the family since she had been disabled. “Oh!” Her eyes widened as she realized another miracle: her disability had disappeared. Now there was nothing stopping her from learning a trade and getting a job.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
The fear in Barla’s raised voice caused Corva to look up from her studies and worry for her mother. She stood up and crossed the room to kneel in front of her. She took both of her cold hands into her own and looked up into her face with concern. “Mom, what is it? What’s the matter?”
Tears formed in Tirsha’s eyes as joy bubbled up through her. She curled her fingers around her daughter’s and smiled to dispel the concern from her girl’s face. “Nothing! Everything is perfect, just perfect. I just realized my disability has been healed. No longer do I have the shooting pains through my back which kept me from ever getting a job. I don’t know how or why it occurred, only that it has happened. Jehoban is wonderful; He has healed me when He kept me from dying between the dimensions.”
Corva’s lips curled up into a smile to match her mother’s. She pulled her hands away so she could reach up and put her arms around her mom’s neck in a big hug. “That’s incredible, Mom!”
“Yes, Tirsha, it is amazing. Didn’t you ever have a wise-woman see to your pains before?”
Tirsha nodded and answered, “Yes, several of them actually. None of whom could find the source of the pain. I even went to see Elder Vargen when my husband’s business dealings took him into his District. Granted, his examination was very cursory, but he said it was in my head and not in my body. He told me I’d have to live with the pain. But I don’t have to anymore because it’s well and truly gone. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to realize it!”
“Well, you’ve been through some pretty shocking things lately. This is the first moment you’ve had to sit down and really process anything,” Barla spoke reasonably. She wondered if the pains really had been psychosomatic. She took a deep breath and asked, “What would you like to do now? Did you want to get a job?”
“I don’t know what I’d do since I’ve never been trained in anything. I always thought I was helpless and useless.” Tirsha shook her head in wonder at all of the possibilities in her future since she was free from her abusive husband, free from physical pain, now unencumbered and able to work on her own. Her whole life was still ahead of her, a life of adventure and wonder.
“I’m sure you’ll figure something out, Mom. This is the best news ever!” Corva hugged her mom tightly before letting her go and sitting down on the floor across from her. She still could hardly imagine how her mother had been brought back to her. The memories of her mother’s face had almost completely vanished over the past ten anons, and yet, as she looked intently at this woman, there was no doubt she looked exactly as she had the last time Corva had seen her.
Barla watched the exchange of mother and daughter with pleasure, and a tinge of jealousy, which surprised her greatly. She shook her head slightly to dispel the strange notion. It was not lost on her that Tirsha had not given her any real answer where Petre was concerned. She only hoped Tirsha’s choice in men was not consistent in finding someone who would treat her poorly. Barla would make sure Tirsha knew her own worth so she could have her pick of the decent men of the Port of Cresdon. This idea suddenly became an important mission she was intent on making happen.
Chapter Five
EVEN THOUGH IT had been four weeks since being appointed Elder Wilken’s successor, Rasa still found it overwhelming at times. Not only was she learning all of the duties necessary to become an Elder, but she was also dividing her time with her new charge, Gevena. The young girl was mostly self-sufficient, yet Rasa could not help but wonder if her assurances were only a front to what was really going on.
When Gevena had first come with her to Manzanit, she had just been freed from a forced sex-slave relationship with a much older man. Returning her to her father was definitely out of the question, as it was his idea to basically sell her off to satisfy his gambling debt. Gevena had handled herself admirably given she was only fifteen anons old. Rasa wanted to make sure she received as much mental help as she needed to overcome all of the trauma she had endured.
Rasa shook her head in disgust at what the world was coming to these days. Not only were the people losing their faith in Jehoban and becoming increasingly corrupt, but some of the Elders were also no longer keeping order within their Districts. She had seen first-hand the discord between the Elders at the conclave voting her in as Elder Wilken’s successor.
The idea that she might be part of the problem snuck into her mind, and she instantly dismissed the thought since she knew she was doing as Jehoban desired. It was His express desire for her to have come to Manzanit and to be elevated to her new position. Jehoban would not make a mistake.
No, she needed to keep herself focused on what she could do to help Jehoban. Her position allowed her to influence the people in the most prestigious District. She would do everything in her substantial abilities to redirect the people to the old ways of living. It was also necessary for her to do her part in making sure the prophecy Amanda had found would be fulfilled.
This brought up another sore spot in
her mind as she realized how many people had already received their samaras. The list kept growing every time she checked in with the group of men and women who had attended Jehoban’s meeting on Acaim. It had been such an odd assortment of people from all across Tuala, from housewives to Elders. There had been thirteen people present, with the exclusion of Jehoban Himself, and now ten of those people had claimed their powerful crystal skulls.
It seemed as though Amanda’s idea of each person at the meeting getting to receive one of the thirteen samaras was coming true. The only people who did not have their own powerful talisman were herself, Elder Debbon, and Amanda. The legend of the samaras had told of there being twelve identical skulls and one master crystal tying them all together.
So far, the only glitch in the retrieval of the skulls had been when Alena’s had arrived at one of the meetings in several pieces. Luckily, Alena was a skilled wise-woman, and she had been able to fuse the shards back together until nobody could even tell it had been broken. Hopefully, the magic imbued in the crystal had not been damaged and would allow it to function as the rest would.
Thinking of the meeting, she opened her desk drawer and dug down to the bottom to pull out a small envelope. She flipped open the flap with her thumb and removed the much read paper. What was written on it was already memorized, but she wanted to see if she had possibly missed anything. Her eyes saw what her memory supplied:
‘From a far-away land, There will come in time, Intuition is in hand, Strange details known, With ties to the people. From one of my own, There will be a sign. Those born to this one, Will transform all. Lucinden will pursue, Elders will fall, Then all made new.’
‘When the descendants of the Watchers bring these all together then the gates between the worlds will be open for all to pass through without a loss.’
The phrase ‘bring these all together’ could really mean anything, Rasa mused, but when you put it together with the ‘descendants of the Watchers,’ then the words took on a whole new meaning. She had read the ancient library texts when she had lived on Acaim. Those old tomes told the history of the Watchers, and she knew they had received the samaras into their safekeeping.
The part about the gates still remained a mystery, but it certainly held more relevance to her personally since she was now a guardian of the Ascension Gate in Manzanit. Well, she reminded herself, she was the successor to the guardian.
A knock on her office door broke into her ruminations. She swiftly refolded the paper and shoved it back into the envelope even as she called out, “Come in!” Dropping the envelope back into the drawer and softly closing it, Rasa looked up and smiled when Gevena came in and shut the door behind her. Normally Rasa had to seek out the girl’s company, so it was a pleasant surprise to be visited willingly.
“I hope I’m not bothering you,” Gevena spoke quietly while keeping her eyes cast down to the luxurious carpet beneath her feet.
“No, no! Please come in and sit down. My thoughts weren’t being very productive, and I’d much rather talk with you. How are you today?”
Gevena flinched slightly at the question. She had learned to hate being asked about her well-being as if she might fall apart or become unhinged. Rasa meant well and, after all, Rasa never looked at her with pity in her eyes. After seating herself directly across from the young woman, she folded her hands in her lap and replied, “I’m fine. Thank you for asking.”
“But you wish people would stop asking you that, right?”
Gevena looked up swiftly, wondering if Rasa had been so rude as to read her mind. The only thing she saw in the woman’s expression was kindness without any kind of cunning. No, Rasa would not stoop to mind-reading, she was just adept at reading people’s moods. “Yeah, I really am doing fine. I was just wondering…”
Rasa waited for her to continue until it appeared she needed prompting. “Yes? What were you wondering?”
“Well,” Gevena cleared her throat gently as she tried to decide if she should even ask. She glanced up at Rasa one more time and saw her expectant, friendly expression. “I was wondering if it could be arranged for Valentina to come and visit me.”
This was the last thing she expected to hear from Gevena, and she did not even bother to hide her surprise at the request. Suddenly, she knew this was exactly what her young charge needed to help her through the memories of her abuse. “Yes, I’m sure we can have her come over. I’ll have to find out when she’s available, but I can send a message today. How does that sound?”
Gevena’s worried expression turned to one of joy in an instant as she nodded enthusiastically. She had spent enough time in her own head; it was time to start talking to someone her own age. Valentina had offered to visit, so it seemed like the perfect time. “Wonderful! Thank you!” She stood up and started to back away from the desk. “I’ll let you get back to your work. I’m going to take a walk in the private garden before dinner is ready. Thank you.” Her heel touched the door, and she turned hurriedly and let herself out of the room.
Shaking her head sadly, Rasa wondered how long it would take Gevena to feel comfortable in the Residence. It was a good sign that the girl was utilizing the gardens. At least there Gevena would be kept safe from prying eyes and away from any strangers. The Residence was a veritable fortress of protection.
With a sigh, Rasa shifted her attention away from the haunted girl and back to the piles of paperwork scattered across her desk. She would send Riccan a message on Gevena’s behalf and then she would get as much work done as she could before dinner interrupted her progress. She turned to her patil and tapped on the message button.
Her message was short but to the point. Riccan knew she was being kept busy, so she had no worries about him taking her brevity the wrong way. After all, Riccan was also the successor to an Elder, so he was intimately familiar with the ever-present demands on her time. She hit send with a satisfying tap on her keyboard and then she picked up the first paper nearest her hand and got back to work.
Chapter Six
BREAKFAST HAD BEEN consumed and cleaned up before Amanda was able to get the girls talking about what they had been doing since she had left them at their grandparents’ house the previous week. Even as they had been eating and joking with one another during their meal, Amanda had been watching them carefully and noticed Jena seemed more light-hearted than usual. She supposed it had something to do with ending her betrothal with Willian.
They all took their usual places in the living room: Riccan resting alongside the arm of the leather sofa, Amanda leaning against him, and Jena and Juila sat in the love seat directly across from them.
Not one for standing on ceremony, Amanda immediately got straight to the point. “Tell me what happened during this last week. It seems as though a lifetime of happenings have occurred and I’ve been left out of the loop.”
Juila looked over at her identical twin sister and nodded slightly for her to take up the story. They knew this conversation was not going to be avoided, so they had decided the night before to be as direct and matter-of-fact as possible. The less their mother knew of the danger they had been in, the quicker they could move ahead.
Jena took a deep breath and said, “Willian found his soul-mate in Valentina, and I asked Grandpa Daven to break our betrothal. Grandpa could see it was the only course of action which could be taken, given the circumstances, so he granted it immediately. That’s really all there is to it.”
“Not exactly,” Amanda said as she shook her head. “Isn’t there a blemish on your good name if you withdraw from a betrothal agreement? You didn’t do anything wrong, so why should you bear the shame of his mistake?”
Jena began to voice her negation when Riccan held up one hand to forestall her. He used the other hand, draped across Amanda’s shoulders, to squeeze his wife gently. He looked down at her as he answered, “Normally that would be the case. This matter had extenuating circumstances, as my father told me, so nobody will be blamed for the dissolution.”
“How will the people of Tuala know the difference? I don’t want Jena to have to explain herself to anyone.”
“She won’t have to, hon, the people who matter will know, and that will be enough,” Riccan spoke with a reasonable tone. He could understand Amanda’s concern; he had shared the same ideas with his father when he had first heard about the change in his daughter’s status.
“At least now I won’t have to give up my dream of becoming an Elder since I won’t be the wife of one,” Jena announced happily.
Amanda blinked several times as she tried to comprehend what her daughter was telling her. “Is it what you really want? To become an Elder? How come you never said anything before?”
Jena shrugged. “What was the point? As an Elder’s wife, it wasn’t even a possibility. Besides, no woman had ever become an Elder anyway.”
“Until now,” Juila pointed out. “Since our cousin, Rasa, was appointed successor to Elder Wilken, it changed the rules. Jena’s credentials are just as good, if not better than Rasa’s. They were both students of Jehoban and Jena is the direct descendant of an Elder. Now Jena can be Dad’s successor, and nobody would even think twice about it. I think it’s great! Don’t you, Dad?”
Now it was Riccan’s turn to be surprised. He had never even thought about elevating his daughter to be his successor. Of course, since Juila had pointed out the obvious, it seemed foolish of him not to have thought of it himself. “Is that what you want, Jena? Do you want to follow in my footsteps as Elder of Pantano?”
“Wait, as the oldest child, wouldn’t the position be given to Juila?” Amanda asked suddenly.
“No! I don’t want it!” Juila raised her hands in alarm and shook her head vehemently.
“I guess she answered your question, didn’t she,” Riccan teased Amanda. “What do you say, Jena?”
Ascension Vision- The Levels of Ascension Box Set Page 61