Erland had sailed through the fray without a scratch, although he now sat on the floor, breathing heavily from exhaustion. If the battle had lasted any longer, he would have drained every bit of his reserves.
The meeting hall was roofless and crumbling with only three walls standing. The rest of Nemizan looked much the same. At least a sun's light was shining down—even if it wasn't the sun Nemizan recognized. "She should be back by now," Grant whispered. He'd come to stand next to Garde and blatantly stared at Lissa's body in fear. Garde blinked in alarm at Lissa's vampire assistant.
* * *
So many things went through my consciousness as I flew through the universe. All the things that troubled me in my corporeal form weren't so troubling while I was energy. In fact, they weren't troubling at all. All my cares and worries, left behind to trouble small lives on tiny planets. My body remained on a world the inhabitants named Nemizan. I barely gave it a thought as I flew free. I was of the Nameless Ones, after all.
Yes, I knew our name, but it wasn't something any of us could repeat, except to one another. I felt good as energy. Better than I'd ever felt before. I had no pain. No price on my head or stolen child. No father who'd betrayed me, time and again. No loved ones dying or deserting me. No beatings, deaths or near-deaths. The universe was feeding me as I raced through it. I realized, then, that I didn't have to search them out. As energy, I could call them to me. The tether broke and five Ra'Ak died with barely a flick of my power.
* * *
"I was afraid of this." Kifirin reached out to touch Lissa's cheek, stroking it lightly. "She has discovered her true identity and is now flying unfettered through the universes, merely for the pleasure of it."
"But she's still breathing," Erland growled softly. Reemagar held Lissa's body in his arms, and even the power of the Larentii, great as it was, couldn't bring Lissa's spirit back to it. They all stood inside the meeting hall as members of the Alliance stole back inside. Few realized how closely they'd come to annihilation. Many had died, but many more survived. Lissa had done that for them. Now, Lissa no longer inhabited her body.
"She has a decision to make, now," Kifirin replied. "To return to her body or stay as she is. I warn you, if she does not come back to her body voluntarily within four weeks, I will allow this body to die. If she does not return within that time, she will not return. You may keep her body alive until then." Kifirin folded away.
* * *
"Rigo, Heathe and Grant stayed at the Conclave, but Rigo won't have a voice, he can only take notes," Erland paced inside Lissa's library at the palace. "Kifirin says he'll let Lissa's body die if she doesn't come back within four weeks."
Dragon and Devin had come to be with Drake and Drew, who were having difficulty understanding any of it. "She just flexed her power and suddenly forgot about us?" Drew was extremely upset.
"That isn't how things happen, young one," Belen appeared in a flash of light. "We have many cares and we hear and see many things. I have to place a
Focus
upon the Saa Thalarr and their doings, similar to placing a bookmark inside a book, so I can find that place easily when it is needed. Lissa has not placed any
Focus
, yet. She will, in all probability, but that could happen tomorrow or in a thousand years. Time has no meaning to my kind, when we are in our natural state."
"We have no way of getting a message to her—to ask her to come back?" Gavin sat beside Aurelius. Aurelius had an unobtrusive grip on Gavin's arm.
"Send out mindspeech, she may pick it up," Belen answered and disappeared.
"May pick it up? What the hell does that mean?" Tony almost exploded.
"You do not understand," Kifirin appeared in Belen's place. "As she is now, she has no pain. Think of what that means. She has had pain all her life and now she is free of it. I beg you not to be angry with her. If anything brings her back, it will be your love for her and nothing else." Kifirin also disappeared.
Roff, who sat next to Flavio, began to weep.
* * *
"Withdraw the reward on the Queen of Le-Ath Veronis," Viregruz, the creator and head of Black Mist demanded of his underlings. He glared at them angrily, toying with the idea of killing a few of them. His brothers—all six of them, had died somehow at the Queen's hand. This had become personal for him. He wanted her death for himself, and intended to bring about that death as swiftly as possible. "I am declaring war—on the Queen of Le-Ath Veronis," he breathed. His minions cowered in alarm.
-The end-
About the Author:
Connie Suttle lives in Oklahoma with her husband and three cats.
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For information on upcoming titles, visit Connie's website: subtledemon.com, her Facebook page: Connie Suttle Author, her blog: subtledemon.blogspot.com or follow her on twitter: @subtledemon.