Tears of War (31 page)

As they started toward the door, Taela came dashing through it. “Maleena, Paki said you came. I hope you have more success with this than I did.” She glanced briefly at her father. “I’m sorry you were interrupted. I can take Maleena to Sehlas.”

Bahar nodded, the exhaustion plain on his face. “Yes, unfortunately this nation seems determined to tear itself apart.” He bowed his head a fraction toward Maleena. “If you will excuse me.”

She offered him a small smile. “Of course.”

He left with brisk steps and disappeared through the door. Taela looked at Nydara and then around the garden. “Mckale didn’t come with you?”

Maleena shook her head as they started walking. “We were just getting ready to meet with the Council of Nine about Galdrilene and the Shadow Dragons. They have already been visited by Shadow Riders. Several people were killed and another bears many scars like mine. Mckale stayed to talk to them.”

“You might be thankful the Shadow Riders got there first,” Taela said.

Maleena felt a heavy worry in her Spirit sister. “What would make you say that?”

Taela looked at her with sadness in her eyes. “There is no common enemy to pull them together. The people of Haraban are turning on each other because of their grief and anger over those persecuted for magic. It’s a mess.”

Maleena glanced down at the scars on her arm and tried to imagine feeling thankful for Shadow Riders. She shook her head. No, nothing would ever make her thankful for that. Nothing was worth that.

Taela led her through several halls and into a small room. Serena sat on stool next to a man in a chair. He stared out the window, his face blank. Maleena stared into his eyes. The emptiness within the dark brown depths sent a shiver through her.

Serena smiled slightly. “It’s good to see you, Maleena. Hopefully you can help him.”

Maleena sat down on the bed, her eyes still on Sehlas. “I hope so. I will try to retrieve his soul. As soon as I tell you I have him back, you need to close the break. I will have to provide the shield while you work, and it will be very taxing.”

Taela sat next to her on the bed. “How do you know about this?”

“Emallya told me. It’s how I knew you would break his mind if you continued to push like you were.”

“So Emallya has done this before? That is a relief. At least now we know it will work," Taela said with a relieved sigh.

Maleena shook her head. “It’s been tried before, but never successfully. No one has ever recovered the soul.”

Serena looked at her sharply. “Then why did you bother to come if this has never been successful?”

Should she mention the connection Angeni seemed to think she had with Maiadar? No, they didn’t even know who or what Angeni was. Maleena kept her eyes on Sehlas. “I have to try.”

She closed her eyes, cutting off the sight of the broken man though she still saw him in her mind. Maleena built her power and sent it seeking deep within Sehlas’ mind. Many thought the mind and the brain were the same thing. They weren’t. A brain was a highly sophisticated organ of the body, a physical aspect. It was a vessel that held conscious thoughts, assimilated information, and kept muscles and the other organs working together.

The mind, on the other hand, was a vessel for unconscious thoughts. It was the vessel of the soul, an ethereal thing, insubstantial yet everything. The mind was where Maleena needed to go, deep into the recesses where the last attachment for Sehlas’ soul still held.

The vast emptiness inside was unnerving. There should have been a myriad of emotions, thoughts, dreams and the building blocks of his personality. Everything that was Sehlas should be here instead this vacant darkness. She continued searching and found what was left of him tucked into a corner of his mind. A huddled piece of translucent silver clung tenuously to its holdout. The break was slowly tearing away the last of his grip.

Maleena bypassed the last of the spirit and followed the thread of trailing silver. The pull from the break made it easy to flow along the stretched and worn spirit. She reached the break, the gap feeling enormous as she passed through. Maleena floated in a void for a long time, following the spirit as it waved slowly as if blown by a soft, otherworldly breeze she couldn’t feel.

Then she came up against a transparent wall in the dark. Sehlas’ spirit thread passed through it. On the other side there was the shifting, formless cloud that was him. Around her, Maleena sensed a thousand whispers brushing through her mind. Inquisitive, they circled her, gently probing her magic. Something silent yet familiar moved among the voices. It was joined by more sensations, some familiar and some not, although still somehow they were known to her. A single whisper arose from the gathering, echoing quietly through her mind as if from many mouths as once.
“Welcome, child. Collect what you came for and leave quickly. This is not for you yet. Your thread has much weaving left to do. The connection is strong, but the blood shield can only protect you for so long.”

The barrier keeping her from Sehlas disappeared. She moved forward, surrounded him, and pushed him back along his thread. The closer she got to the break, the harder it became to move. The break was only supposed to go one way. Time stretched as she fought to bring Sehlas back. It was like trying to drag a water-soaked log up a quick moving stream.

Maleena poured her strength into it, refusing to give up, refusing to leave him. She could see the break now. Like a river being pushed through a narrow gorge, the outflowing energy rushed at her, threatening to pull her under its current. Maleena pushed back, everything in her focused on moving forward.

Then they were through and back inside Sehlas’ mind. Somewhere, in another place, she sensed her body wave its hand. More voices flowed around her. These weren’t spirit voices though. Taela was telling Serena to close the break. Maleena didn’t have time to worry or think about it. The break fought her. It wanted to send the spirit on. She placed herself between Sehlas’ soul and the gap, and held there with every ounce of strength she had.

Bit by bit, the pressure from the break lessened until finally it was gone. Someone shook Maleena’s shoulders. “The break is healed. Maleena, you can come back.”

As Maleena flowed back from Sehlas, she paused. Her soul was mostly out of her body that lay on its back upon the bed, only a fraction left to run basic functions and very basic movements. So why did she still see a whole and complete soul in her body? She moved back slowly, examining the strangeness. It seemed very familiar, but it wasn’t exactly hers. Suddenly, she understood.

Maleena jumped back into her body and opened her eyes. She looked up at the ceiling in wonder as tears welled in her eyes and laughter bubbled up. How in the name of the Fates had she missed that?

Nydara’s surprised sending rushed into her mind.
“Oh, Maleena! I should have guessed, but it’s so different from what I experienced.”

“Please, keep this between us for now. I want to be able to tell Mckale myself,”
she sent back.

“Of course.”
Happiness and warmth flowed from her dragon.

“Maleena? You’re crying. What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

Maleena turned her head to see saw Serena’s concerned face. Exhaustion from the task of bringing Sehlas back made her body feel like lead. With some effort, she pushed herself up and tucked her feet under her. It was amazing how heavy her body felt after the weightlessness of her spirit form.

She opened her mouth to say something, but the joy was so overwhelming all she could do was laugh and cry at the same time. Finally, she gained control of her emotions and looked at her friends, glancing once at Sehlas. He looked completely confused.

“Paki says Nydara claims Maleena is perfectly fine.” Taela stood twisting her hands, the look on her face saying she didn’t believe it.

Serena leaned down to look her in the eye. “Talk to me right now. What is wrong?”

Maleena took a deep shuddering breath and smiled at them. “Nothing is wrong. In fact, it’s great. I’m pregnant, Serena.”

Taela’s hands flew to her mouth. “Oh Fates, that is wonderful!”

Serena’s face grew serious. “How do you know for sure?”

“On my way back to my body I saw the baby’s soul inside it. It was…so beautiful, so sweet and pure.”

Serena laid a hand on her arm and Maleena felt the warmth of a weave spread through her body. “There is nothing to heal, Serena. I know what I saw.”

“Hush a moment,” her friend said quietly, concentration on her face.

After a moment the warmth faded and Serena stood up. “You are almost four months along. How did you miss it for so long? Maleena, you’re going to have a baby!”

“Four months?” She looked down at her perfectly flat stomach. “But there isn’t anything showing.”

Serena smiled. “It’s your first baby, honey. As tiny as you are, it will likely be another month or so before the pregnancy starts to show itself.”

Sehlas cleared his throat. “I am truly happy for whoever you are, but can someone please explain to me what is going on?”

They turned to him. His eyes roamed around the room and Maleena sensed him trying to understand where he was. He looked at Taela for a long moment before rubbing his forehead with the fingertips of one hand. “Something happened in the garden of your father’s palace. I was supposed to marry you and then my head hurt.”

Serena sat on the edge of the bed, her hands folded in her lap. “Do you remember anything else?”

Sehlas’ eyes searched the room again as if the answers lay somewhere on the walls. “I remember my brother came to see me but I could not really get any words out. And Bahar said Taela had disappeared into thin air after he heard her scream in her room. It is all very fuzzy. And then nothing. Just darkness. What happened? Was I injured in some way?” He glanced at Taela again. “Is the wedding still on? How long has it been?”

Taela shook her head. “I’m sorry, but no, the wedding isn’t still on.”

Serena leaned forward and placed a hand on his knee. “You were in a coma. It’s been a year and a half since your head hurt in the garden. A lot has happened since then.”

“A year and a half?” A bewildered expression filled his face. Maleena’s heart went out to him. He seemed so lost. “Where am I? What happened? Please tell me.” He picked aimlessly at the robe he wore is if trying to figure out where it came from.

Taela sat on the stool next to him and bowed her head. “I’m so sorry. I did this to you.” Maleena felt the deep sorrow and guilt in her friend.

Sehlas’ eyes widened. “You? I don’t remember you in the garden. Why would you do something like that?”

“I didn’t mean to,” she whispered.

“Sehlas,” Serena interrupted. “You are still in Bahar’s palace. There is a lot of information you need to know. Bahar has been anxious for your recovery and wants to speak with you as soon as possible.” She stood and smoothed her skirt. “Why don’t I have the servants bring some soap and water so you can clean up? I will also have them find some of your clothes.”

He nodded, his eyes still on Taela. Serena plucked Taela’s dress to get her attention and beckoned to Maleena. “We will give you some privacy.”

Maleena stood, although a nap in the bed sounded better, and looked at Sehlas. “I know you are confused, but it will be alright.”

He gazed at her a furrow appearing between his brows. “Do I know you? Your eyes, your face, they seem so familiar. Almost like I dreamed of them. They were a shining, silver light in a dark place.”

She smiled. “No, you don’t know me. But I’m glad I managed to bring light to the dark place of your dreams.” She walked passed him and followed Taela into the hall where Serena spoke briskly with a servant.