Chapter 22
I asked Skyler to let her in and send her to us. Anna Marie walked into the room and smiled at me, “Good afternoon, Yari. I trust all is well with you?”
I smiled back at her, “All is well with me. And you?”
“I am doing quite well. How are you, Mary Ann?”
Mary Ann glared, “How do you think? I feel like I want to gut you where you stand and suck the morrow from your bones.”
Anna Marie smiled even bigger and said, “That is a good thing, if you can believe it.”
“How can that possibly be a good thing?”
“Because you only feel like that rather then acting on it. If you were acting on it I would have to seal you off from your other side until you regained control. Yari, do you have a place for us?”
“Yeah, my bedroom.”
“Good. Mary Ann, if you would follow us we can get this sorted out.”
The three of us went into my bedroom and Anna Marie led Mary Ann to the bathing room. She looked at me and said, “If you want to you can watch, but there really won’t be much to see. I just need the tub so that I will have enough water to work with.”
I shrugged and said, “Either way. Will I be in the way if I watch?”
“No.”
“I’ll join you then.”
She was right. There really wasn’t all that much to see. First she had Mary Ann sit on one of the chairs as she drew water up to fill the tub. Anna Marie had Mary Ann undress and lay down in the tub. Anna Marie then touched the surface of the water and sent a very slight shockwave through it toward Mary Ann.
After a few moments she said, “You can get out and dry off. Your not pregnant.”
She looked up, “How can you tell?”
“A Kier child would have sent back a specific sound. No sound means no pregnancy.”
“If I were human wouldn’t I have a human child? Or at least a half Kier child?”
“If you were human it wouldn’t change anything. Have you been with anybody other then Ja` Lynn?”
“No. I’m not a whore.”
“I never said you were. If you were pregnant it wouldn’t matter what you were. The child would either be Kier or latent Kier. There would be no other option. When our kind was made our makers unintentionally worked into our DNA the ability to repopulate our race so long as there was one of our race in existence.”
“Well, why did it wait so long to wake up? Wouldn’t just being with Ja` Lynn be enough?”
“Not all the time. Male latent Kier are not able to contain that other side when they are with a female Kier, latent or otherwise. Female latent Kier can. For us the best ways to bring you other nature out of latency is to either actively seek it, such as in Yarianna’s case, or to be in a life-threatening situation and choose to live through it. I have heard that constant exposure to on or the Kier is enough, but that goes back to the actively seeking it. My guess is that you just didn’t feel a need to be Kier until you fell from that platform.”
“So do all Kier get this cranky?”
“Yes. We all get like this when we hit puberty. It is worse, however, for the latent Kier when their other nature wakes up. The reason you are so pissed off is that your latent DNA is converting your active DNA to be Kier. Your latent DNA is literally ripping you apart and putting you back together then devouring the pieces it doesn’t need in order to make more of the pieces it does. Quite unpleasant. In addition you are going through a second puberty, this time as Kier.”
“Well, make it stop. I never really wanted to be Kier anyway.”
“A bit too late for that, Mary Ann. Once the process starts it continues until it is over. Sit here for a few moments. I need to speak with Yarianna about a few things.”
We got up and went into my bedroom while Mary Ann fumed in the chair. Once the door was shut Anna Marie looked at me and said, “I don’t know if she is Kier Tan or Kier Sona, but she is definitely Saleen. She resonated quite strong with all six elements.”
“Why only those two?”
“If she were Kier Lan she would already have her wings and be growing scales and the Kier San don’t get that pissed off when they transition.”
“Ah. So where are we going to go from here? Do you need to test her for the Order?”
“I do, however, she has to request it in some form.”
“Well, then I guess I should start thinking of a way to get her at ask for the test. In the mean time I need to find her a place that she can safely transition. I don’t think her house will be able to withstand the damage.”
“Too true.” She sighed, “This is going to be a long month. I didn’t plan on needing to another rune cloth so soon. I’ve barely recovered from making yours.”
“Want me to weave it for you?”
“Whoever weaves the cloth has to give the tests. You can if you want to, but are prepared to put your friend through what you just experienced? I can feel it in your energy that you still haven’t completely forgiven me or Ja` Sair for what we put you through. No, I won’t let you put a friend through that just yet. I do have a request though. I would like for you to be her instructor for the Forms of the Inokahn.”
“Me? Why not Sy` Khan or one of the other Knights of the Order?”
“Well, Sy` Khan will refuse to come back here so soon and frankly we can’t make him. As for one of the other Knights, to be honest, they would fall short of my standard. Yari, you are the first Initiate to actually strike Sy` Khan, not to mention striking him with enough force to get his attention. On top of that, not only did his Dragon’s Fire pass through you, you were able to draw on it without any kind of filter or barrier. There are a few Knights of the Third Order that can’t do that. Hell, most of the Nobles of the Order need some form of barrier to filter out the bulk of the energy.”
“Well, since you put it like that, I guess I can teach her the Forms. Is Ja` Sair going to want to teach the Forms of the Yenianas?”
“Most likely since he is here and is the Order’s instructor for Yenia. Besides, he enjoys teaching.”
“We should probably get back in there before Mary Ann decides to rip a hole in my wall. When will you know if she is Kier Sona or Kier Tan?”
“I can test her when she is through transitioning. Until then there is nothing more I can do.”
“Ok. Shall we?”
“Go ahead. I have to get started on that rune cloth if I am going to finish it on time.”
I gave her a hug and said, “For the record, I may not have forgiven you yet, but I do trust you. Ja` Sair too. I will talk to you later.”
I left her standing in my bedroom and walked into my bathing area. I found Mary Ann pacing around the room. She glared at me as I walked up to her. “Took you long enough, Yari. What the hell were the tow of you talking about? The Weather?”
“You, actually. Anna Marie had some other errands to run so she left for the day. Come on, I know the perfect place for you to vent your frustrations.”
I walked back out of the room with her muttering behind me. We got back into the front room where Skyler and Ja` Lynn were also pacing. I looked at Skyler, “I’m going to take Mary Ann to the other side of the lake so that she can vent her frustrations in peace. Care to join me?”
“How long are you going to be there?”
“Oh, just long enough to show her where it is. I still have Ja` Sair coming over later to help celebrate my birthday.”
“Ok. Well, if your just going there and back then I think I will stay and watch some more of the contests. You going with them Ja` Lynn?”
Ja` Lynn nodded, “Yeah. I’m going to stay with Mary Ann and make sure she doesn’t permanently hurt herself. Besides, I think there was a shack out there that I was wanting to look at rebuilding.”
I smiled, “I think it will do you both some good. I don’t think apperating will be such a good idea right now so we are going to just walk there.”
Skyler kissed me and said, “See you when you get back.”
Ja` Lynn, Mary Ann, and I walked out the door. I didn’t realize how far it actually was to the lake until I walked it. We got to the run down shack a little before it got dark. I looked at Ja` Lynn, “Are you sure you don’t want any help?”
He shook his head, “It will give Mary Ann and I something to do while she is adjusting. You go enjoy your birthday. I will watch over your friend for you.”
I smiled at him, “You know that I am going to be at the wedding.”
“You will be at the top of the list of people we are going to invite. Now go. You’re just pissing her off more by staying here.”
I looked at Mary Ann who looked like she would be more then happy to rip out my throat. I walked up to her and smiled, “I will see you when you feel more like yourself. Take care of yourself.”
She nodded, “I will. You had better go. She is scratching her way to the surface and I’m running out of reasons to stop her.”
I nodded and apperated back to my house. Skyler and Ja` Sair were sitting in my front room. I smiled at both of them, “So my day was eventful. How was yours?”
Skyler laughed and shook his head and Ja` Sair looked at both of us and gave me a curious look, “Well that was cryptic and vague. Do fill me in.”
“I’ll fill you in over supper. I just got through walking to the lake. I didn’t realize it was that far out. Took bloody forever.”
“The walk was part of the cryptic and vague explanation your going to give me?”
“Sure is.”
We went into the dining room where supper was waiting. I smiled and realized how much I was beginning to take for granted. Two years ago I would have never dreamed of getting used to people waiting on me outside of a restaurant. We sat down and started eating. Between bites and courses I filled Ja` Sair in on everything that had happened throughout the day.
He shook his head, “Never a dull moment around you is there? You would think that the Gods would let you have at least a little break before throwing things into chaos again.”
I laughed, “I don’t think I remember what life was like without the chaos. If they did give me a break it would drive me insane for the lack of something to do. At least with everything going out of control I don’t have to worry about what might be going wrong.”
He chuckled, “True. So what are you going to do while she is adjusting?”
“I am going to go on about my life and plot out how I’m going to take over the world.”
Him and Skyler both looked up and said, “Huh?”
I laughed until my sides hurt. I looked up and saw the confusion on their faces and started laughing all over again. When I could finally breathe again I looked at Ja` Sair and Skyler, “You should see the look the two of you have on your faces.”
They looked at each other then back at me. Skyler asked, “Yari, are you ok?”
I smiled, “Never better. How about you?”
“I’m fine. Your starting to worry me though.”
“Oh, relax. I’m stressed out, getting pissed off, and reacting with sarcasm. Let me have my laughs.”
“Ok. I was just starting to worry.”
“Well, don’t. Bloody hell. Skyler, I want to pick a fight. Want to spar with me?”
Skyler and Ja` Sair shared another look and Ja` Sair said, “Yari, have you been feeling like this for some time, or is it only recently?”
I shrugged, “I have no idea. For a little bit, I guess. Why?”
“No reason. I was just wondering. I have to get going though. I have a few things I need to get taken care of. Happy Birthday, Yari. I will see you sometime later.”
“Ok. Bye dad.” Ja` Sair left the room and I looked back at Skyler, “So, about this sparing.”
“I will pass on it tonight. I also have some stuff I need to take care of. Besides, you need to start getting things ready for Ja` Lynn to take over while you are at the school.” He got up and walked over to me. He kissed me and smiled, “Happy Birthday, Yari. I will see you later tonight.”
I kissed him back and sighed, “Ok. See you later.”
He left and I looked down the empty table. I raised a glass of blood wine in a toast, “To all my friends.” I drank it then headed to my office. I sifted through my paperwork for a little bit and managed to get it sorted into a semi-balance of organization. I sipped more wine and paced around my office. I started growing more restless so I headed up to my room and went through the portal to the alter room.
I found me an unused room and started going through my forms. They felt different then they did before. More powerful. It was as if they were suddenly alive to me in a way that I never would have imagined. Each step carried with it a whisper of power and potential. I had to make a conscious effort to not channel the promised power. I got through the first Thirteen and started on the elemental forms.
Whispers of potential continued to build with each step. I could see the ways each form could be combined with others to create unimaginable wonders and unforgivable devastation. I kept my focus on just the basic forms and channeled the excess energy into the weapons in my Mark of the Order of Saleen.
The mark drank in the energy as if it were alive. As I went through each element the Mark glowed green, gold, crimson, deep blue, silver, and black. With each form I felt the weapons grow stronger. I reached for the blades in my Mark and held the twin scimitars. I restarted my forms and rather then trying to not channel, I channeled the energy into the blades.
Each rune etched it’s self into the blades. The whispers of potential carved their promise into the length of each blade. Every combination of the Thirteen Runes of the Kier etched into the blade almost too small to read. I went through each one of the elements and channeled those runes into the blade.
At first it was just the elemental bind runes, the combination of runes just within each element. When those finished it went through the bind runes combining one or more element. I didn’t stop until every combination of each element and the Thirteen Runes were etched into the blades.
I felt drained and invigorated at the same time. I looked down the length of the blades and saw what I had accomplished. I smiled and pushed those blades back into my mark then called out the punching daggers and restarted the process. By the time I finished with the claymore I was more then ready for bed. I stepped through the portal into my bedroom and saw Anna Marie waiting for me.
I looked at her questioningly, “Is something wrong?”
She shook her head, “No, nothing is wrong. I just needed to take care of one last thing before I started. A favor for a friend, if you will.”
“Ok. What can I do to help?”
“Well, you can meet me in the other room and lay down in the bath water.”
“Lay down in… Why would I need to do that?”
“Its part of the favor for my friend.”
“Fine. Let’s get this over with then. I need a bath anyway.”
I walked into the bathing room and stripped out of my clothes. The water was far too cold so I warmed it up to comfortable as I lowered myself into the tub. I leaned back and let myself relax until Anna Marie walked in. I hadn’t realized that I had dozed off until I heard her voice next to me.
“Yari, can you wake up for just a moment please?”
I picked my head up and said, “Huh?”
She shook her head, “I’ve been trying to wake you up for ten minuets now.”
“Oh, have you already done your test?”
“No. That’s why I’ve been trying to wake you up.”
“I thought all you had to do was sent that shock wave thing through the water. Why do I have to be awake for that?”
“Normally you would be right. However, it doesn’t work out so good when I can’t touch the water.”
“Why can’t you touch…”
“Look down, Yari.”
“Why?”
“Humor me.”
“Fine.” I looked down at the water and saw that I was sitting in a rolling boil. The top four inches of water had already boiled off. I raised my eyebrows and looked back at Anna Marie, “Oh. Sorry. I guess I can cool it down a bit.”
I tried cooling that water, but it just continued to stay hot so I cooled my own temperature instead. Within a few minutes the water stopped boiling and settled down. After that I cooled the water down until it was chilly to me.
I looked at Anna Marie, “Better?”
She touched the water and pulled her finger back as if she had burnt it. I sighed and cooled the water down until it was cold. She touched it again and said, “I guess that will have to do.”
She touched the water and I felt the shockwave move through the water and pass through my body. The wave mover back up through my body and a very clear sound emanated from that water. It was like every sound that makes a person smile all rolled into one. It was pure, and bright, and beautiful. It took a moment for me to grasp what that sound meant.
Just as it hit me Anna Marie said, “Yarianna, you are pregnant.”
Chapter 23
I was completely speechless. I almost asked how it happened, but stopped myself before the words came out. What finally came out when I could speak again was, “Can you tell how far along I am? Or if I am going to have a boy or a girl?”
Anna Marie smiled, “From the sound I would say about a month and to answer your second question, yes.”
I looked at her and tilted my head to the side, “Yes?”
She nodded, “A boy and a girl. You are carrying twins.”
“Twins? You can tell that from the sound?”
“Yes. Did you hear how the sound seemed to have a slight echo?”
“Yeah. It seemed like one was a deeper pitch then the other.”
“That’s because it was two different pitches. The higher one is from the girl and the deeper one is from the boy. I can also tell that they are both very healthy by the sound of each tone.”
“I was worried a bit about that. I’ve been channeling a lot of power lately and there was that fight with Sy` Khan. Bloody hell. I’m not ready to be a mom. I’m still just a kid. Where the hell am I going to find the time to raise them? How am I going to do it while I’m training at the Order? I can still go and train there can’t I?”
“Yes. You can still go and begin your training with the Order as we planned. I wouldn’t worry too much about that part of it since, judging by your Mark you have already passed the first year’s final exam. As for you just being a kid yourself, I wish you would stop lying to yourself. No kid I know of is capable of what you have accomplished these past two years.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“I know. You were referring to your physical age. Yari, like it or not, unless a tragedy happens you are going to be a mom. On that note, if I find out that a tragedy does happen that could have been prevented I will hunt you down and gut you myself.”
I was out of the tub, fully shifted to Kier form, and had her pinned against the far wall with my claws digging into the throat before she finished speaking. I could see that my eyes had gone completely like Sy` Khan’s in the reflection of her eyes. I was barely able to stop myself from ripping out her voice box.
I looked her in the eye and in the most controlled way I could asked, “Are you implying that I would intentionally harm my children?”
I could smell burning flesh and hear the sizzle of her skin under my hand. She lowered her eyes from mine and said, “I would never imply that. Please forgive me if my words offended you.”
I slowly released my grip and backed away from her. I let the energy bleed off into the water still in the tub until I was able to pick up a bath robe with out singeing it. I tied it around my waist and looked back at Anna Marie, who hadn’t moved from where I had left her. The skin around her neck was black and bleeding and I could feel that it hurt her. I swore and sent Ja` Sair a thought to get here now to heal her.
He apperated into the room with us, took one look at her and swore. He looked at me, “Fill the tub and help me get her in. It’s the least you can do for her.”
I did and took a seat next to the tub as Ja` Sair worked on healing her. He had me link with his so that he could use my energy as well. Even with both of us working and her Kier nature it took well over two hours to fix the damage I had done.
When we finished he turned and glared at me, “There is no reason ever for this to have happened. If it were my decision I would have you expelled from the Order and stripped of your Name and Clan. I don’t want to hear your reasoning for it either. If that is all the control you have over yourself I will personally seal your other side so that you will never be able to get to her again. This may be your house, but you are going to find another room to sleep in tonight. Get out of here before I throw you out.”
The abyss filled his eyes and black lightning crackled in the air around him as he shouted, “OUT!!!”
The air rippled around him in the time distortion he was creating. I slowly backed out of the room then ran down the hall. I passed Skyler, who was coming up to see what was going on.
He saw me go past and said, “Yari? What’s the matter?”
I kept running until I got to one of the spare rooms. I slammed the door shut behind me a threw myself on the bed. Tears of fear, anger, regret, and sorrow flowed freely. I felt Skyler come into the room and sit on the bed.
I was shaking when I said, “Go away before I hurt you too.”
He gathered me in his arms and held me without saying a word. I cried even harder and curled up in his lap. In between my tears I told him what had happened. He stroked my hair and encouraged me to cry it out. I cried until I finally drifted to sleep.
I woke up the next day feeling like I had played chicken with a freight train and lost. Skyler was still holding me and I had no desire to let him go. He gently kissed the top of my head and said, “I really don’t want to wet the bed. Especially with you in my lap.”
I looked up at him, “I guess that means that you need to get up?”
He smiled, “Yeah. I don’t want to, but…”
“Yeah. I know.”
I got off of his lap and curled up on the other side of the bed. He kissed my cheek and said, “I’ll be right back.”
I nodded and he got up. A few minuets later I heard Ja` Sair’s voice in my head say, “Yarianna. Come here.”
I let him know I was coming and slowly got up. Skyler was walking back into the room as I was walking out. He looked at me and asked, “Want me to come with you?”
I shook my head, “As much as I would prefer you to be there, I need to talk to him on my own.”
He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me. He smiled, “It will be ok, Yari. I’ll be waiting here for you when you are done.”
I looked up at him and said, “I don’t deserve you.”
His eyes narrowed, “Yes you do. Don’t put yourself down. Hell, I think you showed remarkable restraint by her still being alive.”
I shook my head, “I shouldn’t have attacked in the first place. Don’t argue it right now. I have to see what my father needs.”
He kissed me again, “Ok. See you when you get back.”
I walked down the hall to my bedroom and walked in. Anna Marie was laying on my bed asleep. I could see a red patch on her neck in the shape of my hand. I flinched when I saw it. Ja Sair was sitting next to the bed holding her hand with his back to the door.
Without looking up Ja` Sair said, “Sit down. We need to have a talk. Rather, I am going to talk and you will listen.” He turned and faced me then continued, “I need to explain to you why I got so mad. Why we both got so mad.
“Yari, as you know we are a violent race. There is a place I need to show you. I will be able to explain things a lot better afterward.”
He offered me his hand and showed me where he was going to go. I didn’t recognize it but I took his hand anyway. We apperated to the edge of a cliff over looking a forest that seemed to go on forever. The trees were huge and old with enough space between them that flying would be no problem at all. He shifted to his Kier form so I followed suit. I felt kind of silly standing in my bathrobe so I called in a light gown.
A few minutes later a Kier flew out of the trees and landed on the edge of the cliff. I know that she was Kier, no other race I had ever seen looks like we do. There were a few slight differences though. First she wasn’t wearing anything and didn’t seem to notice. She seemed to be more animalistic. The way she stood and moved. The way she was built seemed to scream ‘predator.’ I felt about like a street cat that had met a lion. I thought I was all that until I met one who truly was.
She looked me up and down as if she were trying to decided if she was going to eat me then looked at Ja` Sair. When she spoke it sounded about like a snake would if it suddenly decided to talk. “Ya` Ssair, we have not ssent for you. Why do you sstand at the edge of our landss and who iss thiss that you have brought with you?”
Ja` Sair smiled, “Alana, This is my daughter, Yarianna. She is why I have come here.”
“What iss thiss word, daughter?”
“She is the blood child of me and my mate.”
“What iss that to uss? Iss she sso young that she sstill needss to use her ssire as a mate? I remember that your kind do not do that sso tell me why have you brought her here? Iss it that your men are not sstrong enough for her? She will sstruggle to find a mate here. The sstench of your civilization ssurroundss her.”
“I have brought her because she needs to understand what we truly are. She has already chosen her mate so you should not think of her as competition. I request that she be allowed to spread her wings over your lands as a visitor only with no rights to claim.”
“For how long?”
“When the sun has mover two finger widths by my hand.”
She looked at me then said, “If she sstayss a moment longer she iss prey.” She dropped off the edge of the cliff and vanished into the trees.
I looked at Ja` Sair, “Do I have to go?”
“Yes. But make sure you are back here within a half an hour. She was serious when she said that you would be prey.”
I sighed then dropped over the edge of the cliff. I drifted over the trees for little while and only caught a glimpse of the Kier that were there. Even when I went into the trees they made themselves rather scarce. The ones that I did see all moved with a grace only found in animals that were at the top of the food chain and knew it. They would use the claws on their hands and feet to climb out of sight. Most of them even had claws on their wings they would use.
I was on my way back when I heard a scream of pain, fear, and anger. I drifted that direction and saw a young girl cornered by three larger males. I could tell that she was trying to fight them off, but just wasn’t strong enough. I saw bloody scratches down her back and a place that looked like one of them had tried to bite her. I didn’t have very much time until I would be the one hunted but I couldn’t just leave her.
What really made up my mind was the force of her mental cry for help. One of the men pinned her and the only thing that saved her was her clawed foot catching a sensitive place.
I dropped on them with blades swinging. They were stronger and faster then I had thought they would be. It wasn’t until I resorted to channeling fire that I was able to drive them off. I checked the girl, who was sitting with her back to one of the trees. At first I had a hard time seeing her because she had blended in perfectly with the tree.
I slowly reached my hand toward her and was surprised when she tried to bite it as she flew away.
My half hour was long overdue and when I got back in the air I was met by Alana. She smiled, “Hello, prey. I ssee that you ignored your ssire. I will make it easier on you and just kill you now. Although I prefer the tasste of the meat of one that iss tired.”
I rolled my eyes, “Piss off Alana. I was helping one of the girls.”
“Oh? How were you helping her?”
“She was about to be raped and eaten.”
Alana shrugged, “If she had been it would be less competition for me. You are sstill late and I happen to be hungry.”
“If you touch me I will have your claws for a necklace. Trust me when I tell you I am looking for a fight and at least you would give me a reason to kill.”
She smiled, “Sso the prey hass teeth. Thiss should be fun.”
She came at me hard and fast. I smiled extended my claws rather then call in my blades. I used every trick I could think of and a few I made up on the spot to keep her from touching me. I guessed that she could channel all six elements because none of my spells would stick to her. She came at me again. By this time I was getting tired and a little bit pissed off so I solidified the air under my, planted my feet, and called on Inok.
My eyes flared and blue flames licked my claws. I extended my arm as if I was holding a bladed staff and pushed with my energy like I would it I really were holding a staff. I felt the flame race down and solidify. Ashen worked it’s way up and encased Inok in a clear crystal bladed staff. Ethas worked into it to make it light and Ociana balanced it. Usina seeped in to mix with Inok and give it a life of it’s own and Yenia enveloped it so that it would move as though time didn’t exist. The staff started glowing the same color as my eyes.
I screamed and rushed at her with the blade. She pulled up short and I swung. I just managed to pull the blade before it removed her head. As it was the edge touched her neck and sizzled. She yelped and pushed further back.
She looked at me in almost wonder, “You sseem to be one of uss, yet you pull one of the Dr` Agon bladess from the air. Who are you, Yarianna?”
I sighed, “I wish I knew. The more I learn about myself the more I learn what I thought I knew was a lie.”
She nodded, “Thiss life iss a lie. It iss only when we die and join Kier that we know the truth. Go back to your ssire. I grant you leave to travel my landss when you wish to.”
She dropped back into the trees. I tried to release the staff like I usually do, but it just came right back. I missed catching it the first time an it fell into the trees, but reappeared in front of me again. This time I grabbed it and called in a sheath over my back for so that I could at least fly. I landed on the cliff and saw Ja` Sair flying back to it from the forest.
He didn’t say anything, just landed next to me and offered me his arm. I took it and we apperated back to my bedroom. I shifted back to my human form and leaned against my writing desk. He checked on Anna Marie, who was still sleeping and motioned for me to follow him to the front room.
We sat down and the staff moved from my back to leaning against the chair. Ja` Sair looked at the staff and asked, “Where did you get that?”
I looked at it and shrugged, “I made her when I was fighting Alana.”
“You made her?”
“Well, yeah. I figure since I was the maker that the staff would be a girl.”
“Ok, but that isn’t exactly what I was asking.”
“Yes. I made her. I pulled the elements together and gave them the general idea. They did the rest on their own.”
“What I would like to know is how you managed to create a weapon I’ve only see carried by the Children of Dr` Agon.”
A quiet voice behind me answered the question, “Her great-grandfather is Sy` Khan. His blood still flows strong in her veins.”
I turned and saw Anna Marie leaning against the doorframe. I got up and helped her to the couch where I was sitting. She sat down and gave me a smile. Ja` Sair looked at her, “How do you know that?”
“Because the bastard was my grandfather. Because Yari is my daughter.” The room went deathly quiet. Ja` Sair and I both looked at her. She looked at him then at me and sighed. She looked back at me and said, “Because you are my daughter. If you need proof Lady Ca` Fain will do the test. She owes us both that much.”
“How?”
“When I was murdered the Order got together and forced my spirit into this body. They had made it as a test run to see if it was possible and they were waiting for one of the Order to die so they could find out. It took me years to get it so that it would work like it was supposed to. My spirit kept trying to leave and go where I knew I was supposed to go.
“They told me that my mother had died and that you had vanished. Since they couldn’t sense you they assumed that you had died. I now know that it was Valora preventing them from finding you. I didn’t know that you were alive until I did the genealogy test for you and Ja` Sair.
“Lady Ca` Fain said that if I let either of you know in any way that I was your mother before the testing was complete I would be removed from this body and my spirit would be sent where it should have gone. By the time the testing was over with you had so much going on that I didn’t want to burden you with any more so I kept quiet. Now I wish that I hadn’t.”
I looked at both of them then stood up. Anna Marie started to say something but I held up a finger to stop her. I looked at her and said, “Not right now. I am going to curl up with my boyfriend and let this sink in. You two figure out what you need to between yourselves and I will see you when I wake up. Too much has happened and I need to go brain dead for a while.”
I walked out of the room and found Skyler where I had left him. He started to get up but I grabbed his hand and took him back to the bed. He laid down next to me and held me. My staff appeared in the corner on the room. He looked at it and shrugged.
He leaned down and whispered in my ear, “For the record, I hope they both turn out to be just like you.”
I turned so that I was facing him, “Bite your tongue, Sky. I was a hellion. What am I talking about, I still am. I would prefer they turn out more like you.”
He laughed, “Are you kidding? I was a terror.”
“Come on, do you really want them to pick a fight with the Empire? That was like Sasha picking a fight with my whole city. Well, maybe not Sasha, but you get the point.”
“True. Now that I think about it maybe I would rather they turn out more like Mary Ann… No, she’s too crabby. Valora, too suspicious.”
“Ha! Le` Than, too full of himself. Don’t really know much about Ja` Sair or Anna Marie. Oh, speaking of which. Anna is apparently my mom. Yeah, that bomb just dropped earlier.”
He kissed me and said, “You will handle it the same way you have handled the rest of the crap.”
“Freak out and cry in my room when it gets to be too much?”
“I was going to say get pissed of and beat the crap out of something, but if you really want to cry you can.”
“Hmm. How about just make out with my boyfriend until I can’t think anymore?”
“I like the sound of that better as I am usually that something you decide to beat the crap out of.”
I said, “Oh shut up,” and kissed him before he could say anything else.
We didn’t leave the room for the rest of the day. That night I just stayed in the room with him and let the world go away. The next few weeks were spent getting used to the fact that Anna Marie was my mom, getting Ja` Lynn ready to take over Stewardship, and teaching Mary Ann the Forms of the Inokahn. When it was finally time to leave for training at the Order I was more then ready. I was fairly sure that absolutely everything that could possibly go wrong already had. I didn’t know how wrong I was.
Epilogue
The Queen sat on her throne after a hard won battle to claim her rightful place. She watched as the Emperor’s Steward reread the contract that would see him and the rest of those still loyal only to the Emperor out of her Kingdom. The Emperor’s steward got to the bottom and started reading it again.
She sighed, “I promise that not a word of the contract has changed since the last time you read it. Must you do so again?”
The steward looked up from the contract and said, “Just so you know what you are doing by forcing me to sign this contract I am going to be a blunt as I can, Valora.”
The Queen held up a finger and said, “Queen Valora. Please try to remember that when you address me.”
The steward got a look on his face more commonly caused by eating too many lemons and continued, “Queen Valora. When I stand before the Emperor and tell him that I lost the Solstice Province…”
“Kingdom, steward. The Kingdom of Solstice. I do love the way it sounds. Try to remember that when referring to my lands.”
The steward got the lemon look on his face again and continued, “When I stand before the Emperor and tell him I lost the Kingdom of Solstice to a rebel army he is going to remove my head and put it on a pike at the main gate of the Capital. He will then put preservation spells on it so that future generations will know what happens to those who incur the wrath of the Empire. Afterward my name shall go down in the histories of the Empire as a traitor and my family will be sold into slavery. Pardon me for trying to buy myself a few extra moments of existence.”
Queen Valora smiled a very unpleasant smile and said, “I once said something similar to a representative of the Empire. As I recall it didn’t turn out so well for me either. In fact not only did I lose my throne, I was abandoned by my love, exiled from my kingdom, and forced to fake my own death and live in hiding until my throne was returned to me. Believe me when I tell you that I have no sympathy for you.”
The steward sat quietly for a few moments then set the papers down. He looked at Queen Valora, “I don’t think I will sign it after all. In fact, I think I will just kill you where you sit and go on about my business.”
Queen Valora looked him up and down, “Where are you hiding this army you are going to need to kill me?”
The steward laughed and said, “I don’t need an army. I have all I need to kill you right here.”
For the next few moments it was nearly chaos. The steward launched himself toward Queen Valora and called in a hand crossbow. He pulled the trigger in the bow just as a winged man appeared seemingly out of thin air and sliced down on the bow with one scimitar and toward the neck of the steward with the other scimitar. The bow and the bolt snapped under the force it was hit with and the winged man had his blades back in their sheathes before the steward’s body hit the floor.
Queen Valora watched the steward’s head roll off of the body and stop at the foot of her throne with the eyes staring up at her. She sighed and looked at the winged man, “Le` Than, if you would be so kind at to clean up your mess so I can have the next one brought in I would be grateful.”
Le` Than shrugged then picked up the steward and carried it to the corner or the room where a hand cart was sitting in the shadows. He pulled back the canvas that was covering it and set the body in the cart. He walked back and put the head in the cart with the body. While he was taking care of the body several young girls cleaned up the blood and tossed the rags in the cart with the body.
Le` Than nodded to Queen Valora then vanished from sight. She waved for her herald to let the next one in and a few moments later the steward’s second in command was sitting in front of her, reading the contract.
The second in command finished reading the contract then looked up at Queen Valora. He looked around the room and asked, “Where is the Steward? He should be the one reviewing this document.”
Queen Valora looked down at the man and said, “Your steward did read it. He chose to end his own life rather then sign it. Very tragic the way it happened.”
“And exactly how did it happen?”
“He attacked me and his body misplaced his head. Very tragic. I took the liberty of reuniting the head and the body in that cart over in the corner. You may take the cart with you when you leave.”
The steward’s second in command raised an eyebrow and said, “I can see how that would be a tragedy. Do you have a pen so I can sign this?’
Queen Valora handed the man a pen. The man signed the document, grabbed the handles of the hand cart, and left the throne room with the steward’s body. Le` Than dropped the invisibility as soon as the steward’s second was out of the throne room.
He looked up to Queen Valora and asked, “May I speak with you privately?”
She looked down at him and said, “The last time we spoke in this room you broke our engagement then left me and our child to our fate. Why should I grant you a private audience?”
Le` Than smiled, “Shall I name the reasons for you? Very well. First, the last time we both stood in this room I was in the haze of Blood Lust. Breaking our engagement and leaving was a remarkable display of restraint. Second, I and my people helped you win back your throne from Imperial Loyalists misled by an insignificant steward. Third, my blades prevented said insignificant steward from assassinating you not even three hours ago. Shall I continue or do those reasons suffice?”
Queen Valora leaned back in her throne and smiled, “First, I have helped you get through your Blood Lust more times then I care to remember. I believe you stated at one time that I was the only person you have ever met that could calm your Blood Lust, so that excuse won’t work. Second, most of those who are here, including you, are here due to our great-great-great-great-granddaughter. Had it been up to you, your people would have never left that blasted crater. Third, that bolt would have never struck me.” The image of Queen Valora shimmered and vanished then a section of the far wall opened. She stepped out, closed it, and continued as she walked to her throne, “Because I wasn’t sitting on my throne for that very reason.” She sat down and looked at Le` Than, “Also, before you ask what I think you are going to ask I will have you know that I will not have my Kingdom seen as nothing more then an extension of your Clan Holdings. Never again will any Clan Head be tied to the Throne of the Kingdom of Solstice. I will not have me people see the next conquers as liberators, freeing them from the Clans.”
Le` Than slowly spread his wings and slid his twin scimitars out of their sheathes. He held them so that they were pointing behind him and knelt on the floor. He gently laid the blades hilt first on the floor at the bottom of the first step to the throne. He placed his right fist over his heart and bowed before Queen Valora, touching the tips of his to the floor. With his head bowed he said, “My Queen. I request an audience.”
Queen Valora stared disbelievingly at Le` Than. She looked up at those still in the Throne Room and said, “Leave us. All of you. Le` Than is granted a private audience.”
The room cleared in a rush of quiet whispers. Queen Valora looked down at Le` Than and asked in a quiet voice, “What is important enough that the Clan Head of the Kier Sona Clan Sa` Tain would give his fealty and his soul to one of the Kier Tan?”
Without looking up Le` Than said, “I, Lemuel Nathan Sa` Tain, do revoke my claim to Clan Head of the Kier Sona Clan Sa` Tain and relinquish all authority, rights, privileges, and responsibilities to my Heir, Yarianna Nicole Sorensen Sa` Tain. I revoke all claim as a Warrior of Clan Sa` Tain. I revoke all claim to Clan Sa` Tain and declare myself Clanless. I, Lemuel Nathan, the Clanless, ask you, my Queen, if I may be your Husband and take your House Name.”
Queen Valora wasn’t able to stop the tears of joy that sprang to her eyes. She stepped down from her throne and pulled Lemuel to his feet and up to where she was. She kissed him and said, “Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes.”
He kissed her back and pulled her as close to him as he could. He held on to her as if she were his entire existence. With their lips locked to each other neither of them ever saw the arrow that pierced through the base of Lemuel’s skull, went through their mouths and out the base or Queen Valora’s skull. They collapsed on the steps of the throne bound together by their love and the assassin’s arrow.
On a small island far off the southern coast of the northern continent a young woman suddenly sits up in her bed shouting, “NOOOO!!!!!”
Her roommate, and high school friend Mary Ann, sat up and asked, “Yarianna, What’s wrong?”
Yarianna slowly looked toward her friend and, with tears starting to run down her cheeks, said, “It’s Valora and Le` Than.”
Mary Ann got up and sat on Yarianna’s bed. She wrapped her arms around he friend and asked, “What happened?”
Yarianna whispered, “They are dead.”
The End of Book One
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