Return to Caer Lon (21 page)

Sacha took a tentative breath. The pressure squeezing her heart shifted, the need to vow eternal allegiance vanishing gradually. Breathing exhausted her.

“Are you?”

“Yeah.” Derek paused, perhaps wondering if it was wise to insist when she eluded his question. “It’s gone. I…” He paused again. “What just happened?”

Bile clogged the back of her throat, bringing tears dangerously close to spill
ing
. Her face felt damp with hot sweat, while her extremities burned with cold. Sacha checked in their surroundings, certain she was to heave if she moved more than her eyes.

The trees that confined them to semi-darkness formed a
prison of vegetation
. Elms, hawthorn, and ageless oaks boarded a small river. The gorge ahead was steeply sloped
. T
he dark rock, wet
with
white foam, gleamed in the daylight. The forest breathed age and mystery. A gush of wind played with her cloak to uncover her arms and legs. Goosebumps erupted instantly on her skin.

Oblivious, Derek twitched his nose, his senses alert once more.

“Tell me you hear that
,
too.”

The low roll echoed ahead of them; the grumbling of the waterfall was close.

Derek straightened up and offered his hand, the one that still clutched her comb. The holly wood item looked very small and fragile in a man’s hand. Sacha hesitated, remembering Gisela’s advice. Holly wood guarded its bearer against evil magic or angry Element
al
s.

Her fingers quivered slightly when she closed Derek’s hand over the strange little trinket.

“Keep it, it will protect you.”

He smirked, his good hand landing on his sword, claiming he had all the protection he needed. One delicate brow arched
.
Derek pocketed the comb quickly before he hauled her up to her feet.

Chapter 21

Sacha
followed him into the small gorge formed by the narrowing rock walls. The deeper they ventured into the fault, the more strenuous the path became. They progressed slowly into a roofless tunnel of black granite so smooth it would offer nothing to hold on to if their feet slipped in the potholes time and water had carved within the stone. The foam sprayed the rock face so it gleamed like polished glass.

The forest behind them appeared completely silent, the occasional bird song drowned into the rumble of the river. The water boiled and jumped in its bed, assaulting the overgrown grass on the banks.

Derek helped her up another boulder, then leaned against a rotting root to catch his breath.
The
b
rambles nearby welcomed her with hard thorns
as
thick as her thumb
,
making it impossible to rest against on the
occasional
fallen tree.
Grateful for the break, Sacha inhaled as deep
ly
as she dared, instantly rewarded with a batch of nauseous waves deep in her throat, residue from the rush of magic inside her. Her stomach lurched again when she tried to take another profound breath, her tired lungs cloyed by humidity and putrid smells. The effort and lack of oxygen made her dizzy. Blood hammered so loud
ly
in her ears
that
she nearly missed Derek’s complaint.

“Those damn things grow everywhere.”

He was playing with the bandage around his left hand, scratching and rubbing. She was
about
to advise him to let it be when Derek peeled it off impatiently and threw the ruined cloth in the river
,
where it pinked suspiciously before sailing away. His hand was bruised, the wound raw and stained with dried blood.

“Derek…”

The young man discarded her concern with a
frown
, pulling his cloak off to shove it into the bag. “We’re nearly there. Let’s go.”

Sacha wished he had granted them five more minutes of rest when her head spun
,
forcing her to close her eyes. Then the world went black.

oOo

The night was dark; as dark as it becomes just before dawn. Tomorrow, a new moon would be born, but tonight, even the stars seemed to sleep. The torches and fire pits in the courtyard failed to cast more than a few feet of light around. When the sentinels stirred the brands in passing, the sparks in the pits died as quickly as they appeared. The King turned away from the window to resume his pacing in the empty corridor.

Farther west, a shadow moved deep in the forest, hiking silently along a forgotten path which bordered a ditch in the ground, an ancient river bed. The white hawk on its right shoulder squirmed and spread its wings with a high-pitched cry. The shadow, a woman, calmed it with a stroke.

“Quiet, my winged friend. Listen, the world is changing.”

Silence cloaked the forest again; the woman resumed her climb.

oOo

Sacha jerked upright with a gasp. Derek propped her up, helping the flask to her lips. She tried to swallow some water and coughed.

“This is foul…”

“Only you can be picky in the middle of nowhere. Can you stand up?”

“I think so.”

It was more bravado than real strength that bolstered her legs. Sacha looked around, surprised to realize it was still daylight. The nausea was gone; only a vicious burning sensation remained in the pit of her stomach,
threaten
ing to fold her in two. Her head was pounding so hard even the small splash of water on the banks was painful.

oOo

The lightning bolt ripped the sky apart, leaving a trail of blinding light behind it. Instead of the
odo
u
r of
sulphur which always accompanied the fury of storms, the air sprinkled with freshness. Another fireball shot through the night, then another. The dark velvet was strained by a shower of white and yellow dashes, as if some hero from an ancient era w
ere
fighting his gods, slashing and gashing furiously. The battle raged for several minutes, an eternity, before the
rain
of fire hail ended, darkness taking over its right to the night.

Quiet and shadows prevailed once more, smoothing, cradling the world into oblivion
,
when a gigantic explosion shook the earth. The blast was followed by another, a dozen, a hundred more, each stroke followed by a stronger one. Panicked, the hawk squealed and took off
,
fly
ing
in circles above its mistress, as high as the forest canopy allowed it. The ground
swelled
madly, trees and bushes dancing in a wind that should not have been there.

Finally it was over, though the roll refused to dwindle, growing until thunder roared directly beneath the priestess
's
feet. Far
e
ast, a cry erupted, heartbreaking. The pain traveled through time and space. The woman jumped back from the rim, just a second before water rushed in.

oOo

Cobalt blue eyes welcomed her back. Sacha blinked a few times, trying to focus. She was lying on the ground, her head pro
pp
ed up against their bag. Her hand had fallen into a water
hole and she took it out instinctively, sucking in air heavily.

“We have to move up. Take my hand.”

His hand was warm on her freezing skin, strong and just a little calloused. She gripped it harder, the only solid anchor in the chaos fizzing in her head. Derek hissed in pain. Sacha gasped, easing her grasp instantly.

“I’m sorry, are you hurt? I didn’t mean to…”

He refused to let go of her, urging her up.

“It’s okay. Come on, we’ll find some place
up there for you
to rest.”

Blood dropped from the reopened wound, tainting her fingers. Sacha lost ground again.

oOo

The fire inside her was like nothing she
had
ever felt before. It ravaged her for an agonizing second, tensing her already weakened body to a break
ing
point, her bones crumbling into ashes. Out of breath, confused, she managed to open her eyes. Salty sweat burn
ed
the fragile organ and she mewled. One firm hand pressed on her waist, a move deep in her womb and the heat built again, inescapable, so wonderful and terrifying at the same time. Her hips angled forward to ease the discomfort.

oOo

“Sacha, stay with me. Look at me; no, no, don’t close your eyes. Stay with me.”

oOo

Charitable fingers brushed away wet strands of tangled hair from her face. Her nails clang to the sheets. The pain was too much to take
.
I
t hurt
.
O
h Lord
,
it hurt
...
N
othing could be worth so much pain…

“Another push your Highness. Breathe deeply
...
N
ow push!”

The cramp wrecked her feeble try
at
tak
ing
in air. She screamed to forget the pain
,
and groaned and screamed again when her body split in two.

An angry shout echoed hers, the noise drilling through her exhaustion. She wanted to turn to bring comfort; she
needed
to fight the terror she heard in that small voice calling for life. Her body betrayed her. Her stomach clenched again and the queen felt blood sticking
on
the sheets torn under her thighs. She wanted to cry.

Her arms were too weak to hold anything, yet she found enough strength to cradle a small package, a crinkled red face tugged up in white and gold.

“This is your son, your Highness…”

“
A son...
Derek…”

oOo

Shivering, Sacha inhaled sharply and exhaled a long difficult breath. She felt cold and hot, drained and exhilarated, as if she had given birth herself. Her back and legs were sore. Some muscles
whose very existence she had ignored
ached deep inside her. The twist deep in her stomach was tortur
e
. And yet
,
she had never felt so much love ever before.

Her eyes flustered open, looking for the man who was new
born just a blink ago. Sacha pushed up on her elbows the best she could, surprised
at
being able to move at all. Derek was crouched between her and the river, filling their gourd with fresh water. He turned when she stirred, relief painted on his face
;
t
he emotion quickly passed.

“Here.”

Derek offered the flask and retreated a few feet backward. She took a tentative sip. This time, the water was icy and delicious. Sacha tried to sit, still light-headed.

“Take it easy. Whatever affected me earlier, it’s on you now.”

She pondered over his statement and shook her head, regretting it instantly when rainbows flared in the corner of her eyes.

“No… No, those were normal
,
not…”

The
voice
hadn’t been there this time, only images and feelings…

“Normal?” Derek bursted out straightening to his full height.
His anger boomed over the crashing noise of the water on the rock. He seemed on the verge of hitting something. “
You lost consciousness! You moaned and tossed so hard
,
I thought… Bloody hell, don’t you dare say it’s normal! Christ.”

Worry cracked behind the swearing, sweet as honey. Sacha struggled to get up and approached him. His heart pumped hard under her palm, mesmerizing. Derek covered her hand with his, and she allowed the contact for a few seconds before she swayed back. Her legs wobbled dangerously.

“I am a seer, Derek, you know that… I have a hand on Elemental Air and Fire. Visions are part of it…”

His eyes flashed the dark blue-grey of winter clouds.

“You have dreams; when you are sleeping.”

She couldn’t help but grin a little at the childish retort.

“Yes
,
and sometimes they come when I am awake.”

Daydreams of gold dust brushing his shoulders, or a crown of fire around his head.

“You cannot
not
have them, can you?”

Sacha gave a
tiny
smile. The storm was gone, replaced by a sheepish glint in his stare, a gift when his mouth stayed so serious. She spoke softly
,
“Magic is a part of me, just like the sword is a part of you.”

Derek grumbled, unconvinced
.

“I think I saw your birth
,
” Sacha offered
,
“and how much your mother loves you…”

“Why?”

The question puzzled her. She always saw fragments of the past and the future, pieces related to emotions or fitting in a bigger picture she rarely understood. Nothing she could think about made sense here. Her brain was too weary to really try.

“I don’t know. Maybe it means you are linked to this place. I saw a fight in the sky, and the Earth opened in two. Sometimes the images do not make sense.”

“Most of the time, you mean.”

Sacha pouted and Derek swallowed a chuckle. Having her sulking at him again was reassuring, compared to how cold and pale her cheeks were wh
en
she fought in his arms a few minutes ago.

“I want a closer look at this waterfall. Stay here while I-”

“I am coming with you.”

Derek frowned, but chose to keep his mouth shut, silently allowing her to follow.

The water came down more than seventy feet. The rock had curved with the centuries to allow an almost vertical fall. The stream glittered in the downing light until its striking white hit the pond below at full blast. There, the diamonds dissolved into an aggressive blue-green colour. One side of the pond was inaccessible, the cliff edging directly into it. On their side, the narrow trail continued up to the waterfall to disappear behind the curtain of water.

A ray of light came through the clouds to caress the wet rock; golden spray cascaded on the water like blond hair on a bridal veil.

Sacha clasped her hands in wonder.

“It’s so beautiful…”

Derek ignored her comment, walking upstream until the bank was only two feet wide, a slippery tongue caught between a curtain of gushing water and hard rock. The water crashed upon the rock table, threatening to mill anything falling
in
its way.

“Step back
.
T
he edge is not safe; there are cracks in the bank
.
I am not sure it can take both
of
our weight.”

“What?”

Sacha cupped her ear, signalling she hadn’t gotten his words. So close to the fall, the noise was deafening. He tried to cover the thunder.

“I said, stand back!”