Last of the Temple Line

by Nicole Bedford

  Emersyn clutched her chest. Jaela.

  "My mother watched me closely after learning of the last time I broke the law and took him to see the world outside the walls. So many secrets I held, and none of them would serve her if they were found out. But for her approval, to show that I was who she wanted to see, I left him. When I returned, he was in chains. My mother had beat him and starved him until there was almost nothing left. She had waited for me to leave to finally break his spirit as mine would have been if she had not needed me more than she hated what I was. Instead, she broke his mind. He strangled her and then my grandmother. She always liked to watch my mother whip him. She said it reminded her of when she broke my grandfather. The Matrons caught him and kept him alive for me. For me to do my duty to my mother."

  "You do not have to tell me more," Emersyn said, tears streaming down her cheeks for the woman who stared blankly at the bone dagger.

  Jaela's lips twisted. She continued as if Emersyn had not said anything. "After he killed himself, they threw me out. Said I would die for my dishonor. That I was a disgrace to tradition." Her fingers moved to touch the ivory of her dagger. "If only they knew how true that was. Only the herbalists trained by the Head Matron know how to make the oils which can keep Wraith's shadows from devouring me. And then a woman found me in the woods. That woman defied my punishment and saved me. Had enough good in her heart to help me. Accept all that I am. Me, the one who had been too weak to save her own father."

  "Jaela, you are not to blame for what happened to him. He gave his life for you. Not for you to hate yourself. But because he wanted you to love yourself and he knew you could not if they had forced your hand."

  Jaela looked up at her. "Of all the arguments you could have given to me, the need to live with yourself is the one I cannot fight."

  "Nor can I," came a feminine voice from the door. Sarah stepped inside the cottage. She carried her daughter. "I am not going to apologize for shamelessly eavesdropping. It saves me the trouble of pretending to not know what is going on. We will not say another word about it," she promised Emersyn. "Jaela and I will get mad if you hurt yourself or overextend, but you will deal with our fussing and we will accept that you want to do this." She gently rocked her baby, sniffling. "I will also bring Willa to see you as often as I can nag Bannon into it."

  Wiping away the silvery trails left behind on her cheeks with the back of her hand, Emersyn turned to Sarah. "Thank you."

  Sarah smiled. "You have always been there for me. I was lost after my family died." She looked at Jaela. "You too, Jaela. What you went through, everything you suffered. I know we are not as close as you are to Emersyn, but I am ashamed you never thought you could unburden yourself until now. You have been a constant, solid presence in my life. Whether it was to provide protection when I first came here and was unsure of my place in the market or to carry my sewing to Wulfram for the large markets there, you never told me 'no.'"

  Jaela and Emersyn looked to object. Sarah shook her head. "I know you will both say I have been dutifully occupied as a wife and expectant mother. The truth is I was selfish and only thinking of myself." She looked down at the little one sleeping in her arms. "It's time for me to grow up. The Mother knows Bannon won't."

  Emersyn sighed. Some of Dalaric's words came back to her. "Sarah, he cannot help some of his words. But he only reacts to your anger. If you were less angry then he would be calmer."

  Sarah snorted. "Don't worry, Emersyn. I will handle him. He just has to learn how to accept his human side and give up the animal instincts his father gave him. I mean no disrespect to Lord Dalaric, of course. But Bannon is not Akkadian. He never will be. While courting me he told me he wanted nothing to do with the blood of his father. That his only hope was to make his mother smile if she could see him."

  Emersyn frowned. "He is both. Akkadian and human. He cannot make the Ki within him disappear any more than he could live without the blood within his veins."

  "It will be okay," Sarah said with a smile. "Trust me. Before we married, he told me that he loved knowing that I would not allow him to become less human." She frowned. "I hadn't thought he could get as out of control as he did, though. I am sure this is just a little set-back. He will calm down. He had apologized once to you. He will again and he will mean it. That is a step in the right direction." She laughed. "Could you see Bannon apologizing to anyone a year ago?"

  Jaela lifted a brow. "If he needs a reminder of his place you will allow me to be of assistance."

  Sarah laughed. "Of course! He knows I have both of you if he gets out of line again."

  Emersyn chewed her bottom lip. Sarah was making a mistake. No one could deny their nature. Caged, a tiger was still a tiger. Whatever his intentions had been, Bannon would never learn to control instincts if he denied they even existed. She held her silence, though. She loved her sisters dearly but knew them to be as strong-willed as the most powerful of witches. Beloved daughter of the wealthiest family in Kildair, Sarah had been given whatever she wanted and had been allowed to run free over the small village. Jaela, well, Jaela was Jaela. Warrior of Liindre. Despite the loss of her father, she would never question a female's right to take command of a male.

  And, Emersyn thought, Bannon had to have known what he was choosing by marrying Sarah. Which was the greater disrespect? To deny him what he said he wanted or to give him what he needed in spite of it?

  She forced a smile. "You know what is best for your husband," Emersyn said softly. "I am sure everything will turn out as it is meant to."

  Sarah grinned. "Of course! So," Sarah asked as she settled into a chair Jaela pulled out for her to nurse her daughter, "enough of the tears and sadness. It is a disservice to those who can no longer smile that we refuse to do so." She took a deep breath and chuckled as her daughter, Willa, latched onto her with ferocity. She looked over to Emersyn. "I must admit, I am curious about the Akkadian." She waggled her eyebrows. "I had not known they could be so ... male."

  Jaela choked on the water she had been sipping. Her golden eyes narrowed on the other woman. "Quiet your chirping, Finch," she commanded. "The last thing Emersyn needs is to view this as anything other than a transaction of business. He is a contract. Nothing more."

  Sarah rolled her eyes. "You have to admit he is incredibly handsome." She grinned wickedly. "Any interesting perks of being a witch of a former temple line we should know about?"

  Jaela snorted and rolled her eyes and Emersyn blushed. She was not ready to disclose the events of the day to her sisters. They mistook her embarrassment for an expression of her natural modesty and the room filled with laughter. Emersyn felt the last of her tension ease. She could not remember the last time she felt so wonderful. She had needed this. Would always need this.

  A few hours later, after much laughter and sharing of memories to give her a proper sending away before Dalaric would come take her to the palace, Jaela and Emersyn edged their way out of the cottage. Sarah had left a few minutes before to hunt down her husband and explain to him that he had better get used to the idea that they would be visiting the palace when it was time for Emersyn to perform the Rite for Caelwin.

  Jaela had still been eating, so Emersyn waited for her to finish before walking with her to the edge of the woods. Jaela preferred to stay mobile and would rather sleep under the stars with Narina than be cooped up behind another stone wall.

  On their way they met with Alvin. The sage had returned to Gilvern a few days ago to gather his belongings and await the new trainee for Paelia to give Wulfram the accounting of her safe arrival.

  Emersyn felt her heart swell when Alvin walked up to them and gave Jaela a playful wink and greeted them with an amiable wave. Apparently, he had decided to ignore the acid of Jaela's tongue for the favor of her company on more than one occasion.

  Jaela ignored his flirty grin but did not growl at his greeting either.

  Emersyn smiled at Alvin. "How is Paelia doing?" The older woman had been called to a village wom
an's tricky birth. He had accompanied her in case last rites had been needed. Witch rites would work for a girl, but if it had been a boy only a sage can send their spirit on the next life.

  "She is well. The babe was born without a problem. I am more troubled by the news that came from one of the village elders who traveled to the south to see his son. The trade routes are still closed due to the plague hitting more and more villages. It has not reached Longmere where his son resides, but the villages to the east of it have begun to see the signs. Paelia is talking to the elder about the perimeter border. We will put up some more protections and add more talismans to ward against evil tomorrow."

  Emersyn frowned. She did not like the idea of leaving Gilvern when it was looking like danger was just around the corner. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

  He shook his head. "There is nothing for you to do," he said. "However," he added with a look at Jaela, "It would be helpful to add more night patrols to the woods on a regular basis. I have asked Paelia to send a message to Wulfram to seek permission to stay a few days longer until I know more about what is happening. I have already sent one of the village men as well as security to ensure the sages there are aware of what is going on."

  Jaela nodded. "Violence grows in the hearts of men when the sickness comes. Some of the sickness will be spread by those seeking to leave their infected villages. Have you warned the other hunters to be mindful of strangers entering Gilvern by means other than the main road?" she asked.

  "We had already increased awareness due to Nialle. There is a group out now and I will meet with Bannon later tonight to see if he has more news for Wulfram."

  The repeated mention of Wulfram gave Emersyn pause. "Alvin," she ventured, "what did Wulfram have to say about The Red Sorrel?"

  His mouth tightened. "I was not given a satisfactory answer. At the moment, I am waiting for my old friend, Randall, to dig for answers amongst his connections with Ilfarai."

  "Dalaric has proof that Wulfram gave The Red Sorrel a contract," she disclosed, half-fearful of his reaction. Had he already known and simply did not tell them because it was not a matter for anyone except other sages? "He has the contract itself. They had other slaves there, too."

  His shoulders slumped. He wiped a hand over his face before saying, "I was told to report my findings and leave it with the Council to investigate. I did not like that answer and asked my own questions at the contracting house. The copy of the contract was in my hands. The former headmaster of Ilfarai was the one to sign it. What I did not know was if it was an honest mistake to give such a place protection, or if it had been done without regard for what took place behind the walls. This is what Randall is looking into. He already has a position within Ilfarai so has access to more information and contacts."

  "And if they knew?" Jaela asked, furious. "What would you do if your beloved Wulfram knowingly protected the hell which gave the dark witch the power to kill Will? To hurt and enslave so many?"

  "I do not know," he answered honestly. "I do not know. To sanction this would be a blasphemy of the Mother. It would be against everything Wulfram stands for. What I believe in." His brows lowered as his fists clenched. "If the Council has become corrupted, it will mean internal war. No true sage would allow such perversion of the laws to stand unchallenged."

  Emersyn watched with anxious eyes when Alvin gave a subdued farewell and walked off, lost in his own thoughts. Jaela took her leave with a hug. The woman promised to be careful in the woods.

  That did not stop Emersyn from worrying as she walked back to Paelia's cottage. She cleaned up the bowls that had been used and wiped the table clean. She filled the bag Sarah had given her with her few belongings and kneeled next to the fire to wait for Dalaric's return.

  What was happening to Wulfram was not a perversion of the one the sages called the Mother, Emersyn knew. The darkness lived off strife. Conflict made the one Dalaric had named a false goddess strong. And in the times before, only witches had stood strong against her. Knowing fully the evil, and all joined together against her, they had fallen to the sages. In this time, the division between witch and sage was still strong. Divided, how could the world survive again?

  The low flames flickered across her tense features.

  ∞∞∞

  Alvin walked alone in the deep woods. The signs he had been taught to follow refused to yield their secrets to him.

  The night calls of the birds had become quiet. Muted. The moon, which had once shined its light upon the village, had been dull the last few nights. It matched his mood perfectly. What had happened to Wulfram? The beacon of love and laws meant to safeguard humanity had become tarnished.

  A cloud of black insects congregated in the distance. Carrion flies. The sage followed their darting bodies, wary of the stingers each possessed. A deer carcass had been left to rot near the stream which led into the village.

  Sores which crawled with maggots had been eaten away to hide their original form. Any poison or sign of sickness had been consumed by their voracious taste for death.

  He frowned. No hunter would have wasted the meat of a kill or left it to foul the waters the townsfolk drank from.

  He covered his mouth with his tunic sleeve and grabbed the nearest antler of the dead buck with his other hand. Swatting the carrion flies away from his face, Alvin dragged the hundred-pound corpse away from the flowing water and dropped it beside an old stump.

  After inspecting the corpse, he could not find a wound to explain the young buck's death. He frowned. Only the flies had answered the call of death. Bears stayed away from the perimeter of the town, but wolves or wild dogs should have feasted on the carcass.

  This was the third such find that he knew of. After questioning hunters, two of them had mentioned similar scenes.

  A rustle of leaves alerted the sage to a visitor. "I don't know what is at work here, Bannon."

  The Annunaki kneeled beside the buck. He took a breath, hoping a whiff of a clue could be found. His eyes watered and he coughed on the fumes of rotting flesh.

  "The hunters need to be restricted to the village perimeter," Bannon said.

  Alvin nodded. "There is a group of hunters who left a few hours back. They will return in a handful of days. The meat stores have fallen sharply lately. The animals that once populated the forest have become scarce."

  Bannon snorted. "Yeah. I heard a few of the men grumbling. They think Dalaric is to blame. My uncle may be large, but even he could not hunt a forest dry."

  Alvin followed Bannon back to the stream. He washed his hands in the crisp water. "What is going on?" he asked the Annunaki. "Do you sense anything I cannot?"

  "No. Other than a few dead animals left to rot around the village, there haven't been any other signs to find."

  "The disease which struck the other villages came with the same beginning," Alvin told Bannon. "The traveler from Longmere told us that before it killed entire families the wild animals fled."

  Bannon looked up. Alvin's serious eyes met his. "You think there is more at work here than a typical spread of human disease?"

  "The caravans have all been closed for over two years, Bannon. Every village and town that shows signs of sickness are quarantined. That should have stopped the spread of sickness, yet it persists."

  "Merchants still travel. Just because they are not sick does not mean they cannot carry it into the villages with their wares. People also run from the disease to families and could bring it with them."

  Alvin's large hands clenched. "I cannot explain it, Bannon. You may think me foolish, but I know in my stomach that this is not a simple matter with human origins."

  "What do the other sages say? Has Wulfram given an update?"

  Alvin shook his head. "My last missive has not been given an answer. The messenger may have only just reached the city. Paelia said she can send word through a mana-touched messenger pigeon, but it is still just a bird, after all."

  Bannon huffed. "For a sage, you do not place much
faith in mana."

  "You misunderstand, my friend. As a sage, I know the value of mana and will use it accordingly. But our greatest gift is to understand the world and look upon all things with suspicion and doubt. It is the only way that we may guard against the return of what once was."

  The Annunaki yawned into his hand. He had not been sleeping well lately. It did not help that Sarah denied him the bed until he apologized to Emersyn. He was forced to make do with the floor next to it. "Well, there is nothing to guard against here. At least not now. Let us return to the perimeter. You can have first watch. I will take the second."

  Broken Rite

  “Sarah came today. We played with mother’s old broom and imagined we could fly like dragons.”

  -Emersyn’s Grimoire-

  Following the scent of his son, Dalaric leapt from tree to tree. He ignored the sounds of birds taking flight as he disturbed their rest. Intense anger swirled through his senses. He had returned to his palace only to be told Caelwin had not returned from Tranton. His son was a youngling no more. Caelwin was a young male, and had he Ascended he would have been allowed to travel freely. He was still too vulnerable for such freedom, however.

  Loren had already alerted the other Annunaki before his return and had been scouring the area for his missing heir. Caelwin was not with his friends in Tranton. Everyone they questioned had said his son had been there but had left for the palace before dark. The search party split in two.

  Rather than take the straight path from Tranton to the palace, Dalaric and Loren took the one hedged in by overhanging trees that crawled with the thorny vines that snapped if touched. He knew Caelwin preferred the longer path because the white berries which grew upon the vines were his favorite treat.