Ashes And Spirit (Book 3) (68 page)

Maleena stood before the translucent veil that separated her from Maiadar. On the other side stood a woman with white hair that fell to her ankles. Her kind eyes gleamed out of an age-worn face.

“Hello, Maleena.”

“Who are you?”

The woman’s face crinkled into a smile. “I am called Serendipity. Will you walk with me?”

Maleena nodded, confusion filling her. “Yes.”

“Come.” Serendipity held her hand out toward the veil.

Maleena reached to take it. Their hands touched, the veil widening and bright light obscuring her vision. When it dimmed and she could see again, Maleena took in the wide, glowing silver band under her feet and the surrounding blackness that filled everything else. Where was this?

“Is this…Maiadar?” She looked over at the woman who stood illuminated in the bright silver glow.

“No. We are inside the veil, which separates your world, Maiadar, and every other world.”

Maleena motioned to the glowing silver band beneath their feet. “What is this?”

“This is the strand. All worlds with magic are connected to the strand like pearls on a necklace,” Serendipity said as she let go of Maleena and folded her hands inside the wide sleeves of her white robes.

“Why are we here? Shouldn’t I be in Maiadar?” Sadness threatened to rise up and choke her, and in her heart, she couldn’t wait to find the peace that was supposed to lay deep within the world of the dead. Even knowing she was going to die, even knowing it had saved those she loved, it didn’t stop the longing to be with them or the ache in her heart at the idea of never seeing them again.

“You are not in Maiadar,” Serendipity said as she began to walk along the strand. “You are not dead, my child. The gates have rejected your claim on death.”

“You mean…I will live?” Hope sprang in her breast.

“Your healers are trying to revive you now. They will be successful soon.” Serendipity glanced sidelong at her. “What you did took bravery. It is good you took the assistance of Azurynn. It divided the power. Without her help, you would have died and in the process created such an upset with so much concentrated power that you would have immediately unleashed the Imbalance on your world.”

Maleena heard the emphasis that made the words a name. “The Imbalance?”

“When the balance of power gets tipped well out of proportion, it creates portals between worlds and the strand. The Imbalance is able to jump the strand and slip through these portals. Once it infects a world, the world is often lost. It is what destroyed the world your dragons came from. It infects a world on the strand now—they call it the Horde.”

“Because I accepted Azurynn’s help, I saved my world not only from Shadow Riders but from this Imbalance too?”

“I did not say that,” Serendipity said with a sad smile. “Only that you avoided it for now.” She pointed to tiny threads of darkness that slithered ever so slowly through the silver of the strand they walked on. “As it is, the amount of power you used, even divided, has drawn them. It slowly tears open a portal between the strand and your world.”

Maleena started at the filaments of darkness, barely visible against the glowing silver. “So my world is doomed anyway.”

“Not necessarily so. There is always a way if you can find it. The world dealing with the Imbalance now, if the proper choices are made by those who can bring about change, will find a way to drive it out. If not, there is nothing more we can do. The choices are always theirs alone.” She paused and looked directly at Maleena. “If you had not accepted, you would be dead and the Imbalance would be flowing like a raging river toward your world. Now, at least, you have some time. Time to find a way.

“When you face the Imbalance, do not discount the sacrifice of the shadow. Accept that you will find an ally in your enemy. Do not search for her. Let the shadow be,” Serendipity said.

Another confusing message that Maleena didn’t understand. “How much time?”

“I have no way of knowing. It could be decades or more. It could be less. Or, if by some stroke of luck, not at all. I would not, however, base the future of my world on the last if I were you.” She beamed a smile as if there were nothing wrong. As if she hadn’t told Maleena that another deeper darkness possibly lay in Galdrilene’s future. She reached out and touched a finger to Maleena’s forehead. “Time to go back.”

“Wha—” Maleena tried to finish but Serendipity shoved her.

Darkness enveloped her. She tumbled through it. Somewhere in the distance, a bright silver spot gleamed like a star. It grew closer and closer until Maleena realized it was Nydara’s spirit, plummeting the other way through the darkness toward Maiadar. Reaching out with her mind, she threw a net around the brightness that was her greatest friend and drew it back with her.

Relief nearly weakened Mckale when Maleena gasped in a long breath. Nira rocked back on her heels and wiped sweat from her brow. He looked quickly at Nydara. Her scales began to brighten to silver again. Maleena coughed a few times and opened her eyes.

Serena frowned. “I have no idea if what I did helped or if it was Nira simply keeping your body going that did it. I have to say whichever it was, I’m glad to see you still with the living.”

Maleena raised a shaky hand to her brow. “I feel so wrung out I can barely move.”

“It isn’t surprising given what you did here today.” Serena shook her head. “Get her back to Galdrilene, Mckale. And make sure they are ready for inbound injured. There are more than enough to spread around.”

Mckale nodded, unable to speak around the tightness in his throat as he gathered Maleena into his arms. He stood and looked at Serena and Nira, trying to form a thank you.

Nira gave him a tired smile and said, “You are welcome.”

Taela rolled Kellinar to his side, her shaking hands trying to steady him as a cough wracked his body, bright-red blood spraying from his lips.

“Flaming shadows, it hurts,” he groaned.

“Kellinar?” The ache in her heart eased at the sound of his voice.

“You sound scared.” His eyelids slowly opened, and he looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

She slumped with relief. “I am scared. Don’t you dare die on me.”

He gave her a comforting smile, though with the blood dribbling out of his mouth, she found no comfort in it. “If I die from this, Serena will kill me. As it is, I’m sure she will be here soon to kick my rear for getting hurt.”

“Of course I’m going to kick your rear for getting hurt but not until after I heal you,” Serena said as she walked up to them.

Taela sat back in the muck of the field and sighed. It would be all right. She wouldn’t lose Kellinar too.

Kellinar’s chuckle quickly changed to a howl as Serena snapped the feathered end of the shaft off and quickly pulled the rest through. His eyes were clamped shut and his breath came in sharp pants. “I can’t breathe right,” he gasped through clenched teeth.

“That would be because you just had an arrow through your lung and you have a broken rib to go with it. Now shut up and let me get to work.” Serena laid her hands on him.

He cracked an eyelid and glanced at Taela. “Don’t let her kill me with her healing.”

Taela couldn’t help the soft laugh that bubbled up. He smiled in response then closed his eyes again with a sigh. It didn’t take as long as she thought it would. It seemed Serena had barely begun when she was pulling back.

Fear raced through Taela. “Is he all right?”

“He is healed.” Serena stood and wiped her hands on a piece of cloth she pulled from her belt. “The injury was pretty straight forward and the break in his rib clean. Get him back to Galdrilene to rest. His other injuries are minor and there are far too many seriously wounded for me to address anything that isn’t life threatening right now.

Taela smiled down at the now sleeping face of her bondmate. He would live. It became the bright spot in the sadness that was everything else.

Jocelynn stood with tears rolling down her face as she stared at the three pyres on the battlefield that marked the fallen Guardian Riders. Though it was a miracle more hadn’t been killed, Nolan, Nordhas, Toren and their dragons were forever lost to them now. Nordhas and Toren had barely had any time at all with them. Just long enough to learn to Slide only to die in their first battle.

She leaned into Varnen who stood with his arm around her waist. Kirynn, Marcaius, Nira, Serena, and Loki ranged to either side of them. Even Mckale and Taela had returned after everyone else had been moved to Galdrilene. The dragons raised their voices in keening sorrow for the lost while around them on the battlefield the dead of Galdrilene’s allies were gathered, including two of the Nagas. The Shadow Riders were gone. The war was over but the scars left behind by both would be a long time in healing.

Jocelynn glanced at Adirynn. Though healed, the dragon would need time to rest and regain strength. Soon, they and the other Guardians would clean the Kormai of every Shadow mage and every black egg.

Maleena woke slowly in the dim light of early dawn. Almost too warm, she shifted slightly. Mckale tightened his arm around her waist from behind while Emmaleen rolled over, her little hand swinging out and flopping against Maleena’s face.

With a soft laugh, she reached and took it in her own, reveling in the softness of the skin and at being alive to feel it.

“You’re awake,” Mckale whispered.

A smile broke across her face, and she turned to gaze into his eyes. “Yes. You were right to hope.”

“Never lose hope, my love.” He leaned over and kissed her gently.