The Drifting (59 page)

“Tharin is right, you do look beautiful,”
offers Alorn.

I watch Lily’s face, but she looks calm. 
“
Aw, thank you
,
Alorn.”

“Wait, I say you look beautiful
and
you don’t respond.  But Alorn tells you you’re beautiful and he gets a thank you?”
I state somewhat put off.

I see one side of Lily’s lips twitch into a smile, but she stops herself.  It’s working.  We all knew Lily would be nervous and decided to get her
to
focus on us and not so much on the oath.  I can see her shoulder
s
relaxing and her mind seems to be more at ease.

“She likes me better, cousin,”
responds Alorn.  I glance over at him and he gives me a crooked smile. 

Lily’s eyes flicker over to me, giving me a hard look.  To rile her further, I wink
at her
, which cause
s
the color to rise from her expose
d
chest and neck area.  I stare at her smooth skin and notice that Sema raised the neckline of the dress.  I can see part of the cut, but
Sema
covered it nicely.  I can’t help but
continue to
stare at her neckline and for
all
the wrong reasons.  There’s something there…or not there.  The Manui stone is missing.  She took off the stone?  My stomach turns.  Perhaps she left it off for the coronation; maybe she thought it didn’t go with the dress.  The dress…yes, the stone has something to do with what’s wrong with this picture, but there’s something else. 

When I went to her earlier, the dress was torn at the shoulders, at the waist and I believe, at the back.  Think
,
Tharin, think.  My eyes go to the bottom of the dress…the hem was torn, I remember moving it with my foot when I sat down.   Something’s not right.  My eyes go back to the neckline…the tear.  In my vision during our Binding, the neckline had a tear and there was no tear earlier.  But the vision was a choice, not what would actually happen…and the children?  Does that mean they weren’t real either?  No…they were real and they will exist, which means the tear in the vision was real.

“Alorn, Mellis…something’s not right.”

“What do you see, Tharin?”

“It’s not what I’m seeing, it’s what I saw.  There’s an assassin in the room.”

Alorn doesn’t move, but I know he’s alert and ready.  Mellis leans forward as if trying to get a better view around Sema who remains by Lily’s side.  I glance over at Ka and notice the
old elf
’s head lifting slightly as if sniffing the air, his ear twitching.  Who is he?  I look over at Sema and think back again to the p
ath remembering how she went to her husband’s side when he needed her.  They’re powerful alone, but together…I can’t even complete the thought at what they could do together.   

My father places his hand just above Lily’s head. 

“Sa le ∂ pe Cidoei i Elokum fa ∂ Voleci le’o Foci.”

I hold my breath as Lily says the oath in response.

“
Te ue i Weliw, tine’I ue i Cidhe mist’e Senestra li ue i me-an John Michaels qis i Facet
i Cidhe, ies te lom’tli.”

Mili rises from her place with the Ancients and moves forwar
d carrying the crown that will be placed on Lily’s head.  I glance back at Lily and instead of feeling proud of her moment, I anxiously scan the room. 
The
feeling that something is definitely wrong fills me with dread.  I glance back to where Alorn is sitting only to find him gone.  He must have disappeared when all eyes were on Lily.  Mellis
is
now standing at the back near the doors and instead of being by his father’s side, Phoris has moved next to Ka.  I reach out to Kalis and she discreetly signals Cili
and Dalim,
and they take
position
near the throne area.  Kalis may not like the situation between Lily and me, but she’s still the captain of the guard; and she takes her position seriously, even if it means protecting Lily.

Ka moves his head suddenly focusing on Mili, eyes sharp.  I shift my focus on the healer as well, watching her carefully.  She’s wearing her ceremonial gown, her long white hair tied up in a topknot
that
hangs down her back.  She has a customary Nolok band symbolizing her people and heritage.  Her face is unreadable, but that’s a natural state for the Ancient.  She continues to move
t
oward my father and Lily.  My hand reaches inside my own ceremonial coat
,
instinctively seeking Tazo’s handle.  When she reaches my father’s side, she bows as she offers the crown to him.  My hand
is
now on Tazo but I hold.  Once my father takes the crown from Mili, she straightens and takes a step back. 

I watch my father say the words, but it’s only background noise as I look at Lily, watching her remain as still as one of the many
statues
in
this great hall.  And then
slowly she opens her eyes and moves her head slightly until they catch my own.  We lock gazes and I can feel her nervousness, her breathing and I feel her fears of being here alone.  My heart sinks at the thought, but it’s true.  No matter what I say or do now, I will never be able to erase this very moment where something significant is happening to her and the people she loves, truly loves
,
are not here.  Lucas, Marilyn and Julia.  Julia? 

“Alorn, were you able to find Julia?”

“No, Tharin.  She’s nowhere in the city,”
he answers.  A memory nags at me from last night, before I was drugged.  It was of Julia with Sema and two men and they were on their way to the docks.  Damn it.  More than ever I’m sure that Julia is gone.

When
F
ather is done with his ceremonial speech, he lowers the crown gently on Lily’s head, and I release the breath I didn’t realize I was holding.  Only one more step and this will all be over.  The sense of danger is now palpable and when
F
ather moves to take Lily’s hand to help her to the
Willow
throne, I step in.  Father looks at me
for a moment
and
then
gives me a knowing smile.  I offer my hand to Lily.  She looks at it and then slowly places her hand in mine, shifting her gaze to the
Willow
throne.  I walk her the few steps it takes, feeling more at ease to have her next to me. 

I can feel Lily shaking.  Her death grip on my hand belies her cool exterior.  Once she takes
the
seat, all eyes are focused on her and all breaths
are
held as we wait to see if the throne will accept her.  Lily places her hands along the
seat’s
arms and instantly
the throne
begins to hum; quietly at first, then slowly the humming fills the room. 

A soft melody spreads across the floor, the walls and along the ceiling, seeming to trap all within the hall. 
The
enchanting song touches
every inch.  Sprigs
of white gardenias begin to bud and bloom.  The throne has found Lily’s essence in the form of her favorite flower and using it as its acceptance of the woman sitting on its seat.  Along the walls shoots of willow and oak sprin
g to life, intertwining and meld
ing together, the drooping of delicate willow branches shoots leaves of both the oak and willow. 

The kings and queens along with their heirs find themselves standing and walking toward the center of the hall.   Without word and the ability to resist their movements, they allow the spirit of the Mother to use them.  They reach the center
of the room
and all chairs and benches move away from them as they gather in a circle holding hands.  Among the circled is my father.  The Ancients and the only Summoner allowed move to stand at equal distance from one another to encircle the rulers.  I turn to Kalis and give her a signal.  She and Dalim move along with their men to encircle all of the royals and Ancients,
facing out,
weapons at ready.  I know Mellis, Phoris and Alorn are standing next to Lily.

Once it seems that everyone is in place
,
I turn to Lily and take a step back.  My cousins have also stepped away from her…frozen.  Lily
is standing
in front of the throne facing the circled group before her.  Her eyes are swamp green
in color
and completely filled…the eyes of the Earth Spirit. 

With a thousand voices she speaks, “Lilianethia Senestra Michaels has been chosen and accepted as queen of the Willow Clan.”  The Spirit’s eyes turns to me, “Tharin, son of Thilthen, heir of Kalinest
,
shall marry the
v
irgin
q
ueen and together you will save Velesi.  Beware future king, death will take his own and you will need to choose between two of those you love before the doorway of Eirrell.” 

I step to her, “Who
?  T
ell me.”  She doesn’t answer and I rush to catch Lily when the Spirit leaves her.

The room feels like a vacuum as air rushes back into the hall.  Alorn, Mellis and Phoris instantly go into fighting stances.  I turn to face the center of the hall to find the royal court had let go of each other’s hands
.  With their
palms
facing
down
,
they continue
with
their humming of the throne’s melody.  Unlike the trees and plants before, the shoot extending upward from the floor is coming
through
the floor and I recognize the shoo
t as willow.  It becomes a full-
grown tree
,
but unlike the smaller versions growing and twisting along the wall, this one bears the trunk and overhanging branches of the willow, the leaves are that of the oak.  I’ve been to several of these coronations and have never witnessed what I just witness
ed
. 

Everyone in the room is
at
the center of the hall with the exception of Lily, my cousins
and me
.  Somewhere within the circle is the traitor. 

“Phoris, Mellis…protect the king,”
I order. 
They don’t need to ask which king as they move to my f
ather’s side facing the Ancient
s. 

As if in a film moving in slow motion, I watch Sema speed toward my uncle Madeas and from behind take a blade to his throat, killing him instantly.  Phoris roar
s
with rage and
shock
before rushing to his father, but he doesn’t make it.  Mili, who is closest to him, whips past him, placing a blade in my cousin’s throat.  Mellis matches the Nolok’s speed
,
letting his blades fly about her furiously.  Mili has her shields up but Mellis’ fury cuts through, cutting the Ancient deeply.  But the
Mili
doesn’t go down.  She pushes off to land beside Sema,
putting distance between her and Mellis.  Mili stands with her hands up beside Sema,
a
dead look in both their eyes.