Ashes And Spirit (Book 3) (61 page)

Maleena pulled away from his grip. “I can’t tell you every possible future I see. There is a reason I have this power and not you. Do you not remember Emallya’s warnings about this lake? You can’t assume everything is completely concrete, and you can’t run around trying to change the things that are. Sometimes the threads the Fates weave are wonderful and sometimes they are tragic. Either way, we can do no more than follow our thread to where it leads us. Even if it leads us to death. In every possible future I saw, Vaddoc was dead by the final battle of this war, and I knew when he died. He shouldn’t be alive.”

“Vaddoc still lives. That means you have a chance of living as well.”

“Don’t, Mckale.” She started through the knee-deep grass.

He followed her. “Don’t what?”

“Don’t get your hopes up. We will see what the lake offers now. Nydara will send everything I see to both you and Tellnox. This is for us alone. The entire group of Guardians can’t be informed. It will only lead to chaos as people try to change the things they see. Taela and Kellinar are the only ones we can discuss it with.”

“So you told them but not me.”

“I had no choice. They had to go into Maiadar for the weave. I showed it all to Taela. Kellinar discovered it while inside Maiadar.” Maleena knelt on the soft sand next to the water though she left no lasting impression on it.

Mckale crossed his arms. “And Kellinar kept it from me. Looks like I need to have a talk with my
friend
.”

“He
is
your friend, Mckale, and mine as well. Both Taela and I forbade him from speaking to you about it. Would you cross the two of us?”

He shook his head and growled under his breath before finally saying, “I suppose not. Let’s just get on with this.”

Maleena bent over the water and placed a single fingertip on the surface. Threads of silver flowed into the lake, twisting around each other as they reached for the center, and sank into the depths.

In her mind the futures began to play out again. Once again, she watched the heart-wrenching scenes of her friends’ deaths and felt her own. There were minor changes in each scenario but nothing significant until the last. When her future self began the weave, darkness consumed the vision. The shadowy veil prevented her from seeing how it ended.

Maleena pulled her hand away as the sun broke the horizon. It took her several moments to collect her broken emotions. At some point, Mckale had dropped to his knees next to her. He stared at the lake with deep sorrow in his silver eyes.

“So much pain and death, so much…” his voice broke, and he rubbed his hands over his face, wiping away the shimmer of tears that had gathered in his eyes. After several deep breaths she sensed his control return, and he finally looked at her. “How do you see so many terrible futures and not fall apart?”

“I don’t fall apart because I know I can prevent the most painful ones. I have no choice in what I do. No other choices I’m willing to take anyway.” She slowly stood and backed away from the lake.

“Everything happened just as before then. Nothing changed,” he said. Though his emotions were under tight control now, she still sensed the sorrow in him.

“A few things changed. Even so, none of it was large enough to change the events. Except the last one.” She regarded him. “The first time my death was clearly visible. Now the entire end is clouded in shadows, and I can’t see through them. I no longer know what the future holds for me.”

Mckale enfolded her in his arms. “Then we will hold onto hope for the future. Perhaps enough changed that you will survive.”

She nodded. “While we are discussing things we’ve been keeping from each other, why don’t you tell me what you’ve been trying not to think about since before the last attack?”

“Are you sure you want more unpleasant news right now?”

Maleena pulled away and took a step back, folding her arms. “Might as well get it all over with at once.”

“While patrolling well north of the column of Yari, Loki found a group of refugees from Calla. From what they said, Lowden was destroyed in the same manner as Basc and Bandar.”

Maleena turned away and gazed at the lake as she considered the news and how she felt about it. She had grown up in Lowden, knew all of the names and all of the people there. In the end, even in the face of attack by Shadow Riders, they had shunned her as they always had. Refused to listen to her. Finally, she shook her head and looked at Mckale. “I should be upset by this news and yet I’m not. I am saddened for the loss of life, disappointed in the decision by the majority of the people to remain when they were in the path of danger, but nothing more. I’m glad I was able to get Arrah, his family, and those that were willing out. The rest, as horrible as it is, made their choice.”

She walked slowly through the grass toward Nydara. Mckale followed.

K
ellinar walked into Vaddoc’s lair to find him only attended by the healers. Strange, Maleena and Mckale should be there.

“They left a while ago with Nydara and Tellnox,”
came Shryden’s sending.

“At this hour?”
he sent back.

“They went to the Lake of Spirits.”

Why would they go there? Unless Maleena hoped to see something different. Maybe she wasn’t as at peace with her decision as she led him to believe. Taela entered the lair and joined him in leaning against the wall.

He bent his head and whispered, “Maleena is at the Lake of Spirits.”

“Understandable,” she whispered back.

“What’s understandable about it?” He frowned. What did Taela know that he didn’t?

“You saw the same thing I did. You knew what Maleena did in the futures.” She gestured toward Vaddoc and lowered her voice even more. “He was supposed to die. Now, though he may be broken beyond repair, he lives.”

Kellinar jerked his gaze to Vaddoc as he searched his memory. Fates, she was right. “How did it change? I thought she saw every possible future. Does this mean—”

“I know as much as you right now. I’m sure when they return we will know.”

They lapsed into silence. Kellinar watched the four healers work on Vaddoc with growing hope.

Time crawled until Serena and the other three pulled their hands away from Vaddoc. One by one, they slowly rose and then each staggered to a chair to rest. Taela moved to the bed and sat on it next to Vaddoc.

“Were you able to heal him?” Kellinar asked. He pulled the cord, alerting the kitchen to the need of food and drink.

Serena nodded, exhaustion etched upon her face. “His spine has been reconstructed and the nerves repaired.”

“Even with the repairs,” Gideon said while trying to suppress a yawn, “the nerves will have to recover and finish healing on their own. That takes time—a lot of it.”

“What does that mean?” Kellinar glanced over at his friend.

“It means that it will be some time before he can walk again.” Nolan sighed and leaned back in the chair. “His lower spine was far more damaged than the upper. He should regain the use of his arms fairly quickly. However, it will likely be spring before he walks again.”

“
If
he walks again,” Serena said. “There is no guarantee the repairs will be good enough for that. Only time will tell.”

“What about Namir?” Taela asked, her gaze on the large doorway that separated the sleeping chamber from the dragon’s lair.

“He is doing better than we hoped.” Serena yawned and rubbed her eyes. “His injuries were extensive. With a couple more healings, I’m certain we will have his wings repaired, and he will be able to fly again fairly soon afterward.”

Several young women from the kitchen came into the lair with covered trays. Behind them a couple of men carried a small table, which they set in the middle of the large room. “You will have to pardon the lack of options,” said one of the women as they set the trays on the table. “There isn’t much finished yet this time of morning. A full morning meal will be ready in a few hours.”

Serena stood and walked to a tray. “Have no worries, we just need to replenish our energy and rest before we return to work on Loki again.”

Kellinar grabbed Serena’s chair and placed it so she could sit at the table. “How is Loki?” He moved Nira’s chair as well. Both Gideon and Nolan brought their own chairs to the table.

“Better than Vaddoc.” Serena lifted the lid off the tray and grabbed a piece of cheese. “He will bear some scars no matter what we do, and we were unable to save the eye. It was torn completely out. We can’t repair what isn’t there. Overall, he is recovering nicely.”

“When do you think Vaddoc will wake?”

Nira glanced over at him. “Later today, we hope.”

“Then I will go sit with Loki for a while,” Kellinar said. “I doubt he slept well and will wake soon.”

Serena nodded. “I suspect you are right.”

Taela rose, and he followed her into the hall. They walked in silence down to the next level where Merru’s lair was located.

Loki still slept when they arrived. Kellinar moved quietly through the room to a chair near the bed. The healers had done well. The gruesome laceration was now only a thin, white line. It started just below Loki’s cheekbone and ran through the middle of his eyelid before curving off into his hair. His arm and side, however, would forever bear the scars of shadow fire.

As Taela took the chair on the other side of the bed, Loki’s eye slowly opened. The other would never open again. The healers had permanently fused the lid shut. Kellinar leaned forward. “How are you feeling?”

“Like a shadow tried to kill me,” Loki said, his voice cracking with the dregs of sleep. “Did I at least manage to kill its rider?”

“You did.”

“Merru? How is Merru?” Loki looked toward the doorway to the dragon’s lair with an anxious expression.

“He is well,” Taela said in a soothing tone. “The healers have repaired his injuries though he sleeps still.”

Loki visibly relaxed. After a moment he said, “This is so strange.”

“What is?” Kellinar asked.

“Only seeing out of one eye. You don’t realize how much you see with two eyes until you only have the use of one.” He shifted and grimaced. “Fates, it hurts to move.”

“Serena and the others haven’t had a chance to fix your leg.” Kellinar glanced down where Loki’s leg rested under the blankets. Although the leg had been stabilized, it was obvious it wasn’t in the right position. “They’re splitting their energy between you, Vaddoc, and the dragons, healing the worst injuries first.”

Loki nodded. “I remember now. It’s kind of hazy, but I remember Serena explaining about my eye and leg. Feels like it’s still held by whatever contraption she put on it.”

“Maleena and Mckale have returned. Mckale knows now,”
Shryden sent.

It was about time
that
dragon was out of the shell. Kellinar stood. “I have to speak with Maleena and Mckale, but I will come back soon.”

Loki shook his head. “Don’t hang around on my account. Markene still needs to be protected.”

“Toren’s and Nordhas’ dragons can Slide well enough now. He, Varnen, Marcaius, and Belynn are watching over Markene right now,” Taela said as she stood. “The others who were injured are recouping their strength but if need be most of us can Slide there if we are needed. Markene is protected and will continue to be.”