Harvest of Dreams (The Gods' Dream Trilogy) (28 page)

He’s lost so much. That othersense dream must have been like ripping the stitches out of an unhealed wound.

Sadie rolled to a sitting position, hesitated, still expecting to feel stiff and sore when she moved. When no pain hit her, she stood. Feeling amazed, she walked over to Tharon, sat next to him, and touched his arm. “I’m sorry for your losses. I know those are inadequate words for such deep grief.”

Tharon tried to smile, but the tiny turn of his lips failed to lighten his expression. “It’s kind of you to offer comfort.” He closed his eyes and moved his head as if shaking off his feelings. “The sword’s important, Sadie. We need to travel to Seagem to obtain it.”

The longing for her sword intensified. “Do you think it’s still there?”

“That weapons room was hidden, although it wasn’t secret. It’s possible the reavers overlooked it. The soldiers from Ocean’s Glory might have taken the weapons for themselves. I—” he caught himself. “The King didn’t stop his men from looting the city and bringing their treasures back to Ocean’s Glory. But if the sword’s there, then we can get it back. Counselor Ogan—he’s the one in charge of Ocean’s Glory now, is planning to surrender the ill-gotten spoils of war as soon as it’s safe for people to return to Seagem.”

As he talked, Sadie couldn’t help comparing Tharon to the younger self she’d just spent time with. He’d changed so much…white hair and a thinner face, the lines around his mouth and eyes, his haunted expression. And his energy…his personality seemed so different—so subdued.

Sadie’s heart went out to him, and she couldn’t hold back the wish that she could help him feel better—make his eyes light up like when they’d been together in Seagem in the othersense dream. She grasped his hand, curled her fingers under his palm, and gently squeezed, trying to show her support.

Tharon gazed into her eyes, brought her hand to his mouth, and dropped a kiss on the back. “Thank you.”

The touch of his lips tingled over her skin, sending warmth throughout her body. Even her cheeks heated.
I have such strong chemistry with this man.
But is he too damaged? Is it even right to think of pursuing a relationship when we are on the eve of war?

Sadie thought of Bubby and the brief time her grandmother had with her beloved husband.
Bubby would wholeheartedly tell me,
yes!

Breaking eye contact with Sadie, Tharon stared up at the statue of Guinheld. “We can go to Seagem through the temple window?”

Guinheld gave a stately nod but didn’t speak.

Sadie took Tharon’s hand, rose, and pulled him to his feet. “Let’s get ready for our expedition,” she said, trying to infuse him with her energy. “I’m eager to claim my sword. After sparring with Micfal, I think I can hold my own with you.”

This time his smile turned real. “We shall see.”

Her heart skipped to see it. “When can we go?”

“We’ve worked hard, even though it was in an othersense dream. Time has passed while we’ve been away. We need to eat and rest. We’ll go first thing in the morning.”

Sadie put a little bounce in her step. “That dream was amazing.
So
real. And considering the workout Micfal gave me, I should be exhausted. But I feel great! How about you? You and Indaran pounded on each other hard enough.”

“Guinheld has given us energy. But we still need to fuel ourselves and rest because of the intensity and amount of our workouts.” He slanted her a wry glance. “Once we get your sword, I’ll certainly put you through your paces.”

Sadie gave a mock groan. “A double workout!”

“Perhaps triple. Guinheld may send you back to Micfal when you dream tonight. Or have us practice here. Or whatever She plans to do to accelerate your training.”

This time Sadie’s groan was real. But, she realized,
maybe Guinheld will continue to soothe away my sore muscles and give me energy. Then triple workouts wouldn’t be so bad.
She’d be training harder than she ever had for the Olympics.
Oh, what I could have done before with a Goddess on my side.
A vision of the gold medal dangled in front of her eyes.

For the first time, the thought of her lost hopes didn’t sting. Sadie shrugged the image out of her mind, put it in the past where it belonged, and focused on the present.

I have the sword of the Warrior Queen to recover.

~ ~ ~

Tharon had a hard time shaking off the images from the othersense dream. To be in Seagem again. To interact with Indaran and Micfal…with Daria…. The little princess had always adored him. For the first time, he wondered what would have happened between them if he hadn’t sailed into Ontarem’s clutches. Would she have grown up to love the man he would have been? Surely the princess refused his proposal because she sensed the taint of evil binding him.

Thank the Goddess she turned me down.
Daria would have been bound over to the Evil God to serve His purpose, and Ontarem would still have forced Thaddis to destroy Seagem.

Tharon knew if he had experienced the othersense dream a few days before, he’d be much more conflicted about his feelings for Daria. But now—he glanced at Sadie, who walked beside him, a sense of energy and purpose radiating from her, her brown eyes still holding a trace of awe from the othersense dream—things had changed.
I’ve changed
.

This beautiful Outworlder had traveled into his life, and all his senses had awakened. She wasn’t immune to him, either. He could feel that. But he also knew her attraction would die as soon as she learned Tharon was really
Thaddis the Destroyer
. The soft brown eyes that gazed at him with warmth would change to disgust, maybe anger or even hatred.

Tharon knew he should distance himself from Sadie—spare both of them the inevitable hurt that would come when she knew the truth. And, if the circumstances
were
different—their lives, their world wasn’t at stake—he’d find a way to walk away from her. But by coming to Kimtair, she’d chosen a dangerous path, and he was her best hope of receiving the training she needed to survive the coming battle.

I have to tell her the truth.
The decision weighed heavily on him, but Tharon knew it was right.
As soon as we return from Seagem, we’ll talk.

~ ~ ~

That night as she slept in her bedroom, Sadie let an othersense dream take her.

She stood in a moonlit garden, clad in her nightie. A nearby bush laden with tiny white flowers sent out a fragrance that reminded her of jasmine. She looked up at the diamond stars glittering in the black velvet sky. The moon, fat and silver, and definitely not the one from Earth, cast a shimmering glow around her, bathing the garden in milky light and dancing off a round reflecting pool about twenty feet in front of her.

She walked to the water, her bare feet cushioned by a mossy ground-covering. She wondered why no image of a God or Goddess rose from the empty pedestal in the center, and realized how quickly she’d come to accept the Gods and Goddesses of this world as real.

Sadie scanned the pool, searching for a fallen statue, but the shallow depths showed only glass pebbles that gleamed like tiny moons.

A curved bench beckoned her to sit. On either end, a type of lily plant grew shoulder high, the flowers as large as her hand. They added their perfume to the scent of the night.

A movement brought her gaze to the other side of the pool. With a tingle of awareness, she sensed him before she saw him.
Tharon
. He appeared under a trellised archway overgrown with vines and pale blossoms. He sauntered down a walkway between blooming trees whose flowers reminded her of magnolias.

Tharon’s white hair gleamed in the moonlight, making her realize he was his current age in this dream. He walked around the pool toward her.

Her heartbeat quickened in anticipation.

“Well met, Sadie.”

“Well met, Tharon.”

He extended a hand to help her to her feet.

When she clasped his hand and rose, he would have released her, but she curled her fingers around his, a wave of warmth whirling through her center. “This is a beautiful place. Where are we?”

He looked around, a pensive expression on his face. “The night garden at the palace in Ocean’s Glory. Since we’re in Ocean’s Glory, Withea must be involved.”

“Ocean’s Glory? Why are we here?”

Tharon gave her an ironic smile. “Who can claim to know the mind of a Goddess?” he said with a touch of sarcasm. “Certainly not I.” He nodded toward the empty pedestal in the pool. “They’ve taken down the statue of Besolet.”

“I wonder what they did with Her. Do you think there’s some room in the palace filled with statues of the deposed Goddess?”

“No. I would guess the temple holds them.”

“That’s sad really. Lonely.”

“She deserves it,” Tharon said harshly. “She aligned with the Evil One. Betrayed us. Doomed Seagem.”

Sadie turned to face him, laying her free hand on his arm. “I can’t even imagine that kind of betrayal. I’m only familiar with the human kind. A friend stealing my high school boyfriend doesn’t come close.”

“I’m glad you’ve been spared what we’ve suffered.”

He was so serious, this man she was growing to care for. So troubled. She reached up to touch his hair. “Why did you bleach it?”

“I didn’t. Withea did.”

“Oh.” She waited for him to tell her the story. But Tharon didn’t elaborate. His silence made her uncomfortable, and she babbled some words to fill in the emptiness. “I’m glad she didn’t do that to me. Blond might have been nice though.” She paused. “I like that you’re growing the natural color back.”

“Sadie,” he said, frowning, tugging both her hands. “We should leave this othersense dream.”

Puzzled, she studied his face, saw the concern in his eyes. “Why?”

“Because it’s too hard for me to resist temptation.”

The need in his tone made her shiver. “Perhaps that’s why the Goddess sent us here.” Sadie kept her voice light. “She didn’t want us to resist.”

“You don’t understand.” He lifted their joined hands, gathering them to his chest. His heartbeat matched hers, racing with the intimacy. “There’s too much you don’t know about me, Sadie. Too much I’ve done.”

“That was war, Tharon. And right now, I don’t care about your past.”

He ran a gentle finger down her nose. “But later you will.”

“This is a dream, Tharon. Just a dream. Whatever happens in a dream, stays in a dream,” she teased.

Tharon leaned over and dropped a soft kiss on her lips. He started to straighten.

Sadie pressed her mouth to his, sliding her arm behind his neck, and pulling him closer.

He groaned against her lips, tightening his fingers around hers and wrapping his free arm around her. “I want you,” he whispered, taking a long breath and setting his forehead to hers.

Warmth simmered inside her.

They stayed close for a minute before Sadie looked up at him, and they kissed again, longer, deeper, getting to know the feel of each other’s lips and tongue.

Finally, Tharon pulled back slightly. He pressed his lips to Sadie’s nose, her forehead before turning her to face the pool, keeping his arms around her middle.

Sadie nestled back against him, liking his strength and how safe he made her feel.

Tharon leaned to her ear. “Wait,” he whispered. “And you’ll see one of the wonders of Ocean’s Glory.” He rested his chin on the top of her head.

A second moon appeared on the horizon, about a third the size of the first one and glowing golden.

Sadie gasped, the reality that she was in a different world sinking deeper into her awareness. “I’m not in Kansas anymore.”

“Kansas?”

“A state…a land. I didn’t live in Kansas or even near there. But it’s a saying we use that comes from…” Trying to explain movies or the Wizard of Oz stumped her. Plus she didn’t want to break the spell of the night with talking. “Never mind.”

Time passed as, half in awe, half uneasy, she watched the second moon rise, its orbit faster than the stately silver moon.

“Watch. Reescue rushes to the arms of Mornaue.”

Little by little the small moon sped toward the larger one, until they seemed to orbit side-by-side in a blaze of light.

“The lovers embrace,” Tharon said. “The sacred hour of couples.”

The garden reflected the glory of the heavens, the double moonglow gilding the flowers golden. The perfume scent grew stronger, making Sadie almost dizzy. She leaned her head back on Tharon’s shoulder. “Mmmm,”she gazed dreamily around her. “So romantic.”

“Years have passed since I visited this garden at night and watched the moons mate.” He turned her to face him and pressed a kiss on her lips. “And now, my dearling, we must follow the path of the moons as they part.”

“Tharon,” Sadie protested, not wanting this magical time to end.

“Go,” he said gently. “I’ll see you in the morning.”