It remained eerily quiet in the village after Tasia's song. Everyone only slowly began going back about their daily lives. They had known that there was a sorceress in their midst, but they had not known that her power could be that potent. All of the villagers felt shaken, their emotions overwhelmed from the song, and their silence was the only way they could deal with it.
The Cultivators were even more shaken, especially those who had known Tasia longest. Her oldest friends had heard her sing before and seen her do impossible things, yet they had never seen her do what she just had. She had torn out the deepest powers of their souls and now they all felt the majik inside. It burned inside their blood.
Beth got hit the hardest thanks to the nature of her gift. Her empathic abilities had expanded again and now she got a heart full of the entire village's emotions all at the same time. Her range had expanded to beyond her immediate vicinity to upward of a mile. It was more than she could handle on top of her own emotional upheaval. She needed help controlling it, and she knew exactly who to ask. Once Theo left the hut, she hurried over and knocked on the door.
"It's open, Beth."
Really, having Tasia become a sorceress made sense of so many things, considering how she had always had the propensity to know things she shouldn't. She clearly had an in with the literal forces of the universe. She eased the door open and slipped inside. Her friend was sitting on the floor and surrounded by a softly glowing ring of blue-white majikal flame. She didn't want to disturb it and so just shut the door and didn't enter.
"Go ahead, Beth," Tasia offered. She rested her chin on her up-drawn knees. "It's not made to block anything but bad forces. Good forces can enter as needed."
Beth pulled off her shoes to put them aside and then walked forward to enter the circle. The emotions roaring inside her heart and mind blessedly calmed and dimmed to a subconscious level. She let out a soft breath and sat down across from her friend. "Thank you. I needed that."
"Local prophet glad to help."
It made her laugh. She tucked her legs under herself and felt tension melt away. It was not the first circle they had sat in together. They had been friends with each longer than they had been friends with anyone else, even Theo and Raine. Neither Tasia nor Beth remembered a time they had not known each other; their mothers claimed they had met at around a year old and had been inseparable since. "How long has it been since we last did this?"
"About three months."
"Feels so much longer. Then again, that might not be my emotions I'm feeling. I felt echoes of my ancestor well up inside my genes, so perhaps it's her feelings that are giving me that sensation."
"Yeah, good luck getting rid of those again. It's par for empathic course." Tasia winced. "Probably should warn Ryan about that."
"I'll do it. You're more than a quart low right now." She shook her head. "It never ceases to fascinate me how you pour your soul into something and don't just pass out afterward from the low. Your songs do it, but so does your writing. Those massive epics just drain you dry for a while."
"It's coming from my soul and not my body, hon. Pouring out my soul is an endorphin release not unlike a massive crying jag. Even if I'm not doing it because I'm hurt, it has the same effect."
"I don't see you cry," she murmured. "I'll see tears, yes, but you never actually cry. Is that why?"
"Partially. Crying is the soul's way of healing. My soul heals through the release of music. The tears I shed are the salve needed to aid the process, or sometimes all my soul needs. Sort of a pressure valve." Tasia sat up and tucked her legs underneath herself as well. "Full on crying like you imply is what happens when someone has reached their breaking point and needs to mend their soul. Tears flow, clot, and solidify over the wounds to heal them away. I have a really, really, really long breaking point on top of being a Mystic and a spiritual healer capable of healing herself." She cocked her head. "I think the last time I really cried in that way was when my father left."
"So people who cry a lot have a lower breaking point?" Beth asked curiously.
"Eh, sketchy. Some people who cry a lot have a longer breaking point as well, but they deal with the pains by releasing pressure along the way. Saves them a massive crying jag at the end. Rhya's like that. Girl's got a hell of a long point because she's a Defender Cultivator—it's par for our course—but being a Light core means she expresses emotions so much easier than others and therefore she tears up with relative ease, thus saving herself from the sort of hangover I am now dealing with."
She pursed her lips. "So where Physical Healing power replaces the act of blood clotting to heal, Spiritual Healing power replaces the act of tears clotting to heal."
"You get an A!"
She laughed. "I need to know this stuff as an empath, 'cause it'll help me figure out who to nudge before they explode and who to let simmer."
"Quick way to figure it out: the easy criers can simmer, and the relative non-criers are more likely to need a nudge. If someone feels like an overfull water balloon, nudge hard." Tasia rested back on her hands. "On a related note, how are you feeling?"
"Better now. My brain is functioning again." She snapped her fingers. "Ah! Yes, it is definitely working again. Now that I've got you alone, I'd like to pass on some reconnaissance, oh fearless leader."
"What have you got for me, warden?"
"You know how I and Leslie were chatting the night before the river incident? Well, I was getting her to tell me more about Captain Chance of the Royal Knights, since he might be her soul mate and we really ought to know more about him." She cleared her throat. "His full name is Rubeo Chance though he only answers to his last name. There's no puppy love haze on our princess' eyes. She was quite happily blunt about all of his flaws—which, by the way, appear to only be flaws because they make it possible for him to keep up with her and not let her get away with murder—and when she got to talking about his good points . . . Wow." She sighed gustily. "That girl is in love. She said she wanted to wait until she was an adult to be sure, but holy goddess she really doesn't need to wait if she didn't want. He's absolutely her soul mate."
"Any idea what she meant by him being a pain to catch if he is?"
"Well, I got the tiniest suspicion that Captain Chance is a bit oblivious where the concept of soul mates is, and that he might kinda be scared of romance entirely."
"Huh-oh." Tasia winced. "Oh this will be fun." She began to grin. "And also funny. She really will have to chase him down, and it will be spectacular. Obviously, I'll have to help." She widened her eyes innocently. "After all, she is my beloved princess. If she wants something, I help her get it."
Beth muffled giggles and got up to her feet before reaching down to help Tasia stand as well. The circle dissipated as soon as they were both standing, and Beth almost immediately groaned and covered her ears with her hands. "Okay, there has to be a way to turn this off!"
"Empathic earmuffs."
"Pardon?" She paused in the process of putting her shoes on. "Empathic what?"
"Empathic earmuffs," Tasia repeated. "It's a little trick where you learn to adjust the volume on the emotions you feel. It can't be taught, but it's not hard to pick up. I've started using a similar thing for my Telepathy so I'm not listening to you noisy people all the time. Just . . . immerse yourself in the emotions until you figure out what your switch is. You've done a lot more training than the others, so it should be easier."
"I guess there is a bright side about this," Beth decided as she opened the door to the hut. "You can have a bit of a rest now. Rachel will be the one to train Storm in Telekinesis since she's got more experience; you rarely ever use it personally. And considering how things have gone, Emily and Ryan won't need help until after Stormy."
That was true, Tasia thought as she watched Beth leave the cabin. With any luck, she had already done everything she needed to do to help her brother. She actually felt tired enough for a nap for once, which was highly unusual. She figured on just lying down for a bit, but when she walked over to her bed, she found a black poppy waiting on her pillow. She trailed her fingers over it on a smile and then laid down beside it. Peaceful sleep came almost immediately. Evolution had removed the specific visions of darkness, of course, but it had not solved her insomnia issues because it had of course not changed her Sight as a whole or her brain's high function. Strangely, she did not mind so much anymore. She believed in a happy ending.
Beth wandered around behind the cabin almost absently. It had a simple garden with lots of trees and pretty bushes that marked the exit into the actual forest. She ambled a bit before stopping underneath a tree whose high branches offered plenty of concealment while also offering a view into the cabin's back window right at the bed where Tasia now slept. "You know," she said conversationally, "I thought for a bit you were an idiot, but now I think you're just ridiculously blind. You think I haven't felt you on our trail? That Tasia hasn't?"
She linked her hands behind her back and turned toward the forest. "You're one of us. You know what the duty of a Caretaker is. It's even more critical for a Caretaker to a Defender to be there to comfort and shelter when a Defender needs it most. Her song asked only for that, and it seems so simple a request." She glanced back up over her shoulder. "Don't disappoint me, Your Highness."
A red poppy fell out of the tree, and she smiled at the acknowledgment. She then wandered deeper into the trees and pressed her fingers to her throbbing forehead. She could not find a volume switch, and as the villagers recovered, their emotions just got louder and more overwhelming.
A new presence suddenly surrounded her and sent a chill down her back as every emotion just . . . disappeared. The absolute silence felt horrifying. Her heart lodged in her throat as she looked around sharply. This was not the peaceful respite of the circle. This was nothing. Just . . . nothing. The edge of madness that sought to erase life.
Shadows writhed as a large figure walked out of the trees. He was three feet taller than Beth and covered in head to toe gray armor. She dropped back into a defensive stance without conscious thought, yet she knew she was in trouble. The man moved with absolute quiet despite the heavy armor. He drew a bloodstained sword from the sheath at his side and held the tip under her chin. "You will die." Not even his voice carried any emotion.
The battering of nothing was perhaps even more painful than the battering of overwhelming emotion. She could not move or breathe or even think to grab her Mask as the sword lifted. The blow never landed, however, as a shield of fire shot in front of her protectively even as a blast of ice shards drove the knight back several steps. Her knees buckled, and she fell into Theo's armored arms as her friend ran forward. "Nothing," she whispered. "Nothing."
Tasia stepped in front of them and her face looked calm beneath her Mask. Her eyes, sharper now than ever, evaluated the enemy. He could not be any normal being for she could see the shadow he cast had been made of not one but dozens of smaller shadows. Considering the Flower Element of the world, she did not assume it to be a fluke. "Who are you?" she asked softly.
"I hope he isn't one of Armand's creatures!" Theo shot him an infuriated look. "I'm getting tired of that guy!" He gave Beth a quick shake. "Come on, Bethany! Turn it off and help us! Tasia's not at full strength yet!"
Beth closed her eyes and struggled to shut out the horrible nothingness looming over her. She fiercely poured her will into turning it off. She felt her powers rising inside . . . and the nothingness went away. She slumped over in Theo's arms as the throbbing in her head faded to a dull roar and then faded away entirely. She could see it now. There was a door inside her heart. The full force and fury could not get in if the door was shut. She could still feel around it, but it was once more at the bearable level she had felt before the door had blown open.
She slowly got to her feet and walked on trembling legs over to Tasia's side. "I reiterate both questions. Who are you, and do you work for Armand?"
"Armand is the False King. I will purge Aria of its impurities."
Beth and the other Defenders, being in possession of Seeds not born of Aria, could have easily been mistaken for an 'impurity' or 'invader', which would explain why this creature had tried to attack her. Tasia started to speak, and then stopped as a bright glow began to emanate from her pendant. She covered it with a hand and felt it pulsing wildly as it echoed the distant presence of her ancestor. She could see the elaborate spell Liena had woven so carefully and powerfully. The pattern unraveled in her mind and she lifted her chin. "Arian Draconis!"
The knight turned toward her and the massive helm lowered as if to stare at the brightly glowing pendant. And then, slowly, the knight sank down onto one knee in a gesture of fealty. "I answer your call, my Mystic Sorceress."
"Whoa," Beth breathed. "What's going on?"
Tasia let out a long breath. "There are things I will explain later. But . . . Liena knew that I would be here one day. She knew that this world would need to be saved, and so she created the Arian Draconis. This necklace . . . it is the keystone to an immensely powerful spell that only a sorceress of her blood could use. My song . . . awoke the Arian Draconis. By invoking the name now, he knows who I am."
"So what is this Arian Draconis?" Theo asked warily.
"The Dragon of Aria, so to speak. The combined force of all those who have wrongfully died on the world." She slowly lowered her hands to her side but the pendant still pulsed softly. "One could say that he is the ultimate of weapons against the king for he is made of pure majik—nearly infinite majik that only a sorceress could control." She held up her arm and Striker landed gracefully before climbing onto her shoulder. He had been protecting the perimeter of the village as long as she resided within.
The other Defenders hurried into the area moments later. "What the heck's going on?" Storm demanded. "Who's the guy in the armor?"
"I'll explain later." Tasia walked toward the knight and placed her hands on top of his head. "Don't be afraid," she said softly. "I'm here. Soon you will have rest." In an even softer voice, so soft only he heard, she added, "I will make the right choice in the end. It was made for me even before I was born."
Beth very cautiously edged the door open and tears sprang instantly to her eyes. There was no lack of emotion in the Arian Draconis now. The wellspring of all those souls was deep and true. Every last one, without question, radiated the purest of love for the sorceress they had vowed to follow.
The knight slowly stood and moved past Tasia to stand before Beth. "I apologize."
She found a smile. "In a way, it was a good thing. You forced me to find a control I did not have before. You didn't hurt me, so no worries at all. There's nothing to forgive." She lifted her hands to pat his arm, but to her surprise, a weapon materialized in her grip. "Hey, where'd this come from?" She shook it out curiously and discovered she held a rather powerful looking whip.
"That weapon should serve you well," the knight told her. "It is a weapon for an empath; your emotions as much as your hand will control how it acts, and it can reach as far as you need it to. It is all I can offer to one who aids my sorceress."
"I . . . well, thank you." She studied the whip curiously. She had actually been training with one all of her life since it fascinated her, and she could even connect it back to her ancestor who had used one as a warden. A better weapon for her probably didn't exist.
"My lady." The knight turned to Tasia. "Call on me when you have need of me." His body began to dissolve and simply reformed into a thick mass of shadows. The shadows flowed toward Tasia, swirled around her body, and then flowed into her pendant and disappeared. The pendant glowed one last time and then stopped.
"Well." It was all Rachel could think to say. "That was interesting."
"How did you know?" Raine asked Tasia quietly.
"More than one person called my necklace by name. It was clear everyone knew what it was and what it meant. They knew I would be here." She sighed deeply as she pulled off her Mask and returned it to her bracelet. "But that's par for the course lately. Everyone else knows more about me than I do. And that sucks. There's no telling what I've done with that song I sang."
You will awaken the sleeping majik.
I know, she thought to the voice in her head, one she knew did not belong to Aria. It belonged to some other possible female entirely. But precisely what majik do you mean?
You will awaken the sleeping power.
Great, she sighed as she followed her friends back toward the village. Now the enigmatic voice in my brain giving me guidance is getting obscure. That's all I need.
Even before they entered the village, they knew something had gone wrong. The people were too damn quiet. Cara and Romalia stood together with their hands clasped, and their faces looked drawn with worry. When they saw the Defenders, they turned toward them slightly, started to speak, and then changed their minds.
"Fear," Beth muttered. "It's suffocating me through the door. What the hell? They were becoming cheerful again only half an hour ago after the song."
"There're some new people here," Theo added in a low voice. "I feel them nearby, and they're not on our side either. This aura is evil."
Tasia and Raine grabbed their princesses and pulled them back to be surrounded by the rest of the Defenders. Neither princess argued though they made faces. They all moved as a group through the village, and as they reached the center, they saw the mayor speaking with five soldiers and a man in an unfamiliar uniform.
The mayor turned toward them, opened his mouth, and then changed his mind as well. He silently stepped aside and made a slight gesture toward the Defender Cultivators. The soldiers turned with bows lifted, and the man in the uniform took several steps forward. He knew that they were all dangerous, but he watched the one in front the closest. He knew she was the Lead. "So. You're the Defender Cultivators from Blossom Field."
Leslie ducked under Tasia's arm, and Tasia tried to pull her back. "Stay back, Leslie Ann," her twin warned.
The princess ignored her as she studied the uniform the man wore. She was no stranger to the rather unappealing outfits that evil minions wore, and she found herself intensely disliking this one purely on principle because it had probably once been a perfectly nice uniform worn by real Arian knights of the kingdom. "Tch. Your king has no taste whatsoever. He's also a bloated jackass who thinks he owns the world. Not even close."
The man grabbed her by her collar and jerked her off her feet. "You will speak with respect for King Armand!" He tossed her aside with a casual flick of his wrist.
He had entirely chosen the wrong reaction to her sass. The rest of the Defenders reacted instantly. Storm and Rachel telekinetically jerked the bows from the soldiers' hands and sent them flying away. Beth's whip shot around the soldiers themselves and swung them through the air until they slammed into the side of a brick building. They slumped to the ground in a dazed heap. The man in charge tried to scramble back but he was far too late. Hands closed around his collar to yank him off his feet in a karmic echo to how he had treated Leslie personally. He, however, found himself dangling and staring up into caramel eyes that burned.
"Never," Tasia said in a viciously soft voice, "touch my princess. Ever."
He couldn't look away. He couldn't break free. The swirl in her eyes looked hypnotic, and her voice demanded obedience. When she released him from her gaze, his eyes dropped away only to discover her necklace softly glowing. Terror rose and choked him. His eyes widened, and his skin went white.
"Armand is going to have to come after us directly," she warned. "You can tell him that. You can also tell him that the Arian Draconis has been awakened." She gave him a shove so hard that he tumbled backward across the ground. "And you can also tell him that if this village is harmed, I will personally flay his blackened soul from his body and burn everything that is left in his putrid shell."
"By the way," Theo whispered loudly to an astonished Emily and Ryan, "that is why you don't piss her off. She means what she says. We sort of think she might be Karma itself, you know?"
The man scrambled to his feet and stumbled in his mad haste to get out of the area. He hadn't even realized that the Iris Defender was the twin soul mate to the Protea Defender, or that she had been claimed by Aria and may just as accurately be called an Aria Defender. It might very well be the most important piece of knowledge he took back with him. As he was rushing out of the village, however, a blast of silvery majik hit him square in the back. When his head cleared, he saw instantly what had been done to him. He howled in fury.
Tasia blinked at the sight and then snorted out a laugh. "Leslie Ann! I should have guessed you might do that." She caught Leslie in a headlock. "I almost forgive you for putting yourself in danger."
Leslie smiled up at her. "It was just there, like you said. Your song opened it up in my mind, and all I had to do was concentrate. Those biology classes really did pay off! Especially since they liked dissecting those poor things in all the basics." When she was released, she brushed at her denims where excess dirt was clinging on and then stood patiently while Raine healed the monster sized bruise forming on her hip. "It was so wonderful how we all just . . . knew what to do together. We really are a team. Rachel, I, and Rhya . . . this is what we've always wanted."
"And it's great," Rachel agreed. She grinned at Storm. "Not bad, newbie! Telekinesis is not easy to learn. You picked it up pretty fast. I could tell horror stories about my first attempts." She laughed. "Hell, Shanae could tell horror stories! She saw half of them."
"Teamwork is great, but we need to get going as soon as possible," Tasia decided. "We endanger the people by staying here. Some of you take the soldiers to the prison while some of you come with me to pack some supplies." She turned toward Rachel. "Why don't you take a quick break with Storm to make sure he has it truly down pat?"
They all split up, and Storm wandered off with Rachel into the woods where no one could overhear. Hands linked behind his back, he said, "I've heard Tasia sing before, you know. I always knew there was something else her voice was meant to be or do, but this was the first time it actually came out. She sounds so much more . . . natural as a contralto. I like it."
"It was amazing." Rachel looked at her hands. "I hadn't understood until then that what was inside me had a name." She sensed Storm's curious look and smiled wryly. "I've always felt odd, you know? I had Telekinesis and Telepathy without being a witch—so I thought—and I had All Sight as a Memory Dual Cultivator. I honestly never stopped to question anything, or to wonder why I didn't necessarily . . . act or react like the Elder Cultivators. There was something that happened once that in hindsight should have been a clue, because I and Leslie and Jean all had the same reaction to an event that no one else did."
"Well, of course you didn't know," Storm said reasonably. "You weren't supposed to know yet, and it's not like you guys have the same ability that Tasi and I do. To be fair, looking at your history, I'm a little amazed that your Telekinesis or Telepathy managed to get out of your lockdown at all. We'll call that one a deliberate ploy by Destiny. Also, in case you wondered, the skill you unconsciously picked was Sensing, which is a very logical and appropriate choice for you as Apprentice. Wait until you start practicing with it, and learning divination and casting real spells with your Memory or Ice majik."
She smiled. "You're almost as good as Tasia at knowing things people didn't say."
"Hey, I can read my friends pretty good even without Pattern Mastery. And on a related note," he continued calmly, "how about we go over what your aforementioned Sight saw that Tasia thinks you need to tell me about?"
She opened her mouth and then closed it. "That will never not be creepy," she decided. "I still don't want to know how she knew I had a premonition."
"We were not kidding when we said she knows everything."
"Seriously, she and Shanae are way too much alike." She took a long breath and sought for where to begin. "Okay, something to know about me. I have All Sight, of course, as future Librarian. But my visions have never been straight-forward or easy to understand, and all too often they have crazy metaphors that I have to decipher. My premonitions, on the other hand, sometimes come more straight-forward but never with detailed information. I've always felt as if I am being told more than I think I am, but I'm being told in a language I don't speak. Mom and Shanae alike have always had to help me muddle through, but even they admit that they're probably not picking up all the possibilities."
Storm smiled. "Convenient, then, that you now have two pattern masters as part of your team, one of whom is a High Priestess in possession of her own All Sight. Tell me what you saw, and let me see if I can decipher it."
"Okay, but first answer a question. Do you have any weaponry skills?"
"Archery," he responded promptly. "I got my first trophy when I was five. I've got a range of up to five hundred meters—I hold the galactic record for not just my age but for all archers. Raine is currently designing a bow for me to be made with her Metal magic."
"Well that sort of helps right there. A bit." She raked a hand through her hair. "It was a short, brief, premonition of the future. A bright, horrible, glow of some sickly hue and you and Raine armed with weapons as you—as you attacked Tasia. You . . . you wanted to kill her, I think. Your Flower Marks looked . . . terrible. Marred and blurred and just . . . corrupted. I saw it so fast. And it was so clear cut. And yet it makes no sense to me."
"It does to me." He cocked his head. "Sounds like Armand is going to make another attempt to go after our Seeds, and rather than freeze us, he will try to corrupt us to make us do evil."
"Storm, Cultivators can't do evil. Ever. Our Seeds have to be so thoroughly corrupted to steal our entire will for that to happen. It has only ever happened once in history."
"A relative of Tasia's," he said calmly. "Jean's sister-in-law, a Ruler Cultivator of Ranunculus from the Rebirth Era. I'm aware of that one. And I see now why Tasia sent you to me, because now that you've told me, I bet I can use my Pattern Mastery to sort out the whys of it as well as maybe how to prevent it. Please hold while I process." He linked his hands behind his neck and tilted back to look up at the sky. He remained silent for a long time, and Rachel let him be. His pupils flickered rapidly as if he read something as quickly as a computational machine processed. Rachel had never seen the eyes of pattern master actively searching for answers and thought now that it was both fascinating and beautiful all at once.
She now knew what Pattern Mastery was, thanks to Beth's explanation for how Storm and Tasia seemed to pull knowledge out of nowhere. It wasn't technically from out of nowhere. Well, Tasia might be debatable. She definitely seemed to have an in with the forces of the universe. A pattern master actually had the ability to evaluate hundreds of thousands of possibilities and find the single one that was true. They could not only unravel patterns, but also weave some of the most complex plans anyone would ever find. Little wonder they would make perfect partners for a poor Librarian prone to terribly confusing and metaphorical visions.
She could all but see Storm's mind moving at the speed of light. Telepathically, his mind was nothing but a buzz of static which indicated his thought process moved so fast and heavy that nobody else would be able to understand it. That was why Tasia had given Rachel a telepathic headache the first day; the harder a pattern unraveled, the louder the mind of the master.
"Armand is after Tasia." Storm's gaze lowered again. Knowledge moved across his eyes and made him look older than even his adult friends. "It just makes sense." He drummed his fingers on his arm. "Everything about this journey has revolved around Aria, the sorceress, and the True Born of the world. Armand planned carefully for his coup across twenty years yet made a critical miscalculation in not realizing that the Lead Defender of the Resurrection Cultivators was, in fact, Liena's descendant. He may well have noticed Tasia could be a sorceress, but without realizing what that meant."
He shook his head. "He just keeps playing into Destiny's hand. He brought us here thinking we'd be weak and vulnerable, but he only succeeded in dropping Tasia all but literally in Rodi's lap, and their struggle was utterly critical to her evolution into a sorceress. Armand is up against Destiny herself in this game. She has controlled so much more than he knows. Her machinations ensured all of this would happen. He's another player in the game, not the game master. Of course we survived and Activated our powers. And . . . of course Tasia would be willing to shatter her own soul and force herself to evolve. There is something great in her future, of that we can be sure. Her birth . . . I don't think there's ever been one more deliberately made. Ten thousand years' worth of effort has gone into ensuring she would be here. Maybe more. I think Armand knows that now, knows who she is."
"And now . . .?"
"I'm going to hazard the guess that he's no longer going to want to kill her. Not only has that already proven impossible before she evolved let alone after, but she is far more valuable to him alive. He wants to be the Ruler Cultivator of Aria and Activate his Seed. Well, to do that, he has to kill the True Born, right? He's got no chance in thundery hells of ever killing Rodi unless he has Tasia. If he could somehow convince Tasia to choose him instead of the True Born, he would immensely weaken Rodi directly through Aria by way of using Tasia's majik as a sorceress and her literal role as Aria's chosen Defender Cultivator."
It began to connect for Rachel as well. "But he can't turn her evil even if he tried to corrupt her Seed because she is literally the embodiment of everything good in existence, so his next best hope is to use us against her so he can use her against Rodi."
"There's something of a flaw in his actions, however," Storm added. "Other than some of the other obvious ones. You're not really corruptible either because of your powerful ties to the Ephemeral Plane, so whatever he tries won't work on you. Rhya and Leslie will also be missed because the moment something terrible tries to happen, Tasia and Raine will remove them posthaste from the scene. And since you've told me about what you saw, I'll know the instant I see something happening and can do my best for Raine and me to avoid it. We may not be able to save the others before the corruption, but we should be able to save them after. If the odds are in our favor, we will make it out fine."
"If?"
"Nothing is foolproof, Rachel. Destiny may not have told you everything happening in that moment."
She huffed out a little breath. "Pattern Mastery is a bit unnerving." She shook it off. "I think you're less scary when you're using Finding to find things and people."
"You left your favorite earrings in Allister's left jacket pocket." He grinned briefly as Rachel stared at him. "And you thought it wasn't a scary gift." He grew more serious suddenly and added softer, "Tasi once told me if I was used to being lost, I'd never get lost. It made no sense until now. I find things by becoming the lost thing and locating it. I can never be lost as long as I am able to find my true self."
"Good, we could use a walking compass." Grinning when Storm snorted at her, she tilted her head back toward the village. "Let's go make our goodbyes so we can all get on the road. And Stormy, if the pattern changes, tell me as soon as possible."
"You got it." Even saying it, he kept his mouth shut on something else he had realized. A pattern had actually shifted. It had already moved from the moment Tasia released her song. Storm knew for a fact that no soul mate of a Mystic could ever not respond to her call, especially if it had been directed right at him. Rodi would make one last appearance to Tasia before the final battle, and a different sort of fight would occur. Something had given on Tasia's side. Now it had to give on Rodi's. If that did not break down the last wall between them, then everything that had already happened would be for naught.
They got back to the village and found everyone standing together. Romalia was hugging Tasia tightly with tears in her eyes, and the younger woman looked visibly a bit emotional as well. When they broke apart, Storm hurried over to hug Romalia tightly and smiled at her. "Don't worry about us, okay?"
"I can't help it," Romalia told him. "You're going directly into Armand's territory soon, and I know what he is capable of doing."
"But he doesn't know what we're capable of, and that'll make the difference." He released her on a smile and ran over to his friends. He picked up the bag Emily dropped near his feet and rolled his eyes at the not subtle hint. With all of them ready for the road ahead, they turned and waved at the people of the village before heading out onto the path that would lead toward the palace no longer so far in the distance.
They walked as far as they could until night fell, and then they camped. Emily and Raine took the first guard shift, and at the twenty-fourth hour, they switched out for Tasia and Striker. Tasia sat beside the fire with a pen and paper she had conjured and absently scribbled ideas and thoughts down. She felt semi-tempted to write the story of Blossom Field, yet she hesitated if only because she did not yet know how the story would conclude.
Dawn had begun to creep up after hours of peace and quiet. Tasia had not bothered with an actual perimeter check since she had cast a majik circle around the entire camp that only permitted those with good intentions or passive natures to enter. A wolf had already wandered through without any issues and now slept on Leslie's feet; not uncommon, actually, as she'd had fauna following her the entire time. Tasia did still notice if someone entered since it rippled the circle, but if it didn't break and set off alarms, she let it be.
When she felt the circle entered by another power, and there was no reaction, she knew that what she had suspected would happen had in fact happened. Only one allied person with magic would be sneaking around their campsite. She got to her feet and ordered softly, "Striker, stay here."
He saluted with his tail and then flew over to land beside Raine's head as Tasia left the camp. The Daffodil Cultivator opened her eyes and smiled at him, and he smiled back. They needed no words to know they both understood what was happening. They just wished they wouldn't miss the fight.
Tasia contemplated the shadows and then leaned an elbow against a tree. "What is this thing with my soul mates always climbing trees? You're worse than Leslie for the inclination, though I guess you're better for not yet needing to be rescued."
Silence met her for a moment. Then, with a low laugh, Rodi leapt down out of the tree and landed lithely in front of her. He hadn't intended to alert her to his presence but the minute he had felt himself cross the circle, he had decided he didn't care if he was found. He needed to see her. Touch her. Needed to feel her alive and in his arms. "It gives me a nice view," he teased.
He staggered a step as she suddenly leapt into his arms and clung onto him with all of her considerable strength. His arms closed around her just as tightly and he pressed his face against her neck to catch that wonderful scent of irises and majik. Too close. He had come too damned close to losing her. Letting her go was one thing; losing her entirely was another. He could live with anything except her death. "Tasi."
She tilted her head back to look at him, and her lowered lashes created an invitation he could not resist. His lips were just a breath from hers when her hands suddenly came up and shoved him with just enough force to knock him back onto the dirt. He stared up at her in shock. "What the shadowy hells was that for?" he demanded in a low voice.
"You have a nerve," she told him a voice that while quiet was still sharp. "Are you attached to me by a rubber band? You pull so far away from me before you come flying back!" Her hands clenched into fists. "I bared my soul to you and you kissed me as if I was all you had ever wanted, and then you left! You stayed only steps behind me on the road. You chased me down a poisoned river and helped save my life by telling Leslie where to find the antidote. Yes," she cut in before he could speak, "I know about that. Leslie is incapable of keeping secrets from me." Her chocolate eyes narrowed more. "You then showed up to pretend to be a dream, and after I begged you again to stay, you left anew! Now here you are again, and you think you have the right to kiss me and go once more? When the icy hells melt, husband. You're going to have to prove you're worthy of my time."
He flipped to his feet on a reluctant sigh. He saw her point, and he knew she was in the right. His lips curved with humor. For a first martial spat, it wasn't that bad. He would prove himself to her again and then things would be normal once more.
Just try it, she shot at him. I'm not going to fall at your feet in an adoring swoon every time you show up, Rodi Aria! I have proven myself worthy of being your Caretaker—Aria herself accepts that. Can you prove yourself worthy again of being mine?
Challenge accepted. He deliberately leaned his sword against the tree and then turned toward her once more. "No weapons, no majik, and no magic. Hands and feet only, Anastasia."
"Oh, I don't think that's a problem." Her body shifted fluidly, beautifully, into an offensive stance. "You'll find I just keep getting better as time passes. If you win, it will only be because I let you. Can you last long enough to make me want to surrender?"
He rolled up his sleeves. "Try me."
Her lips curved into a blatantly sensual smile. "If only."
The fight was fast and deadly. They barely moved out of the small area they had started in. The attacks and counters came so close together that there was no time to move far. It took every bit of his effort to match her; a blend of awe and pride filled him as he realized how truly damned talented she was. She was unrivaled. She had to be. A powerful sense of safety swamped him in a way he had never felt before. No one else could have been his Caretaker but this Defender.
His ability to push her where no one else had was all she had needed to know for sure. She had needed to know he could keep her happy in her need to be constantly physical as much as magical or majikal. No one else could be her Caretaker but this person. She let her guard drop, and he saw it. He shot forward and caught her in his arms to take her down to the ground. A bed of thick grass blossomed before they hit and cushioned the impact so that they barely felt it.
"Damn." He lifted his head and stared down at the smiling woman in his arms. "You're incredible." He freed one hand to tenderly smooth her hair out of her face. "My beautiful sorceress." He sighed. "I have to be too heavy for you. I weigh more than I look as well."
"I don't notice it at all." She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on fiercely. "Hold me now. Even if you have to leave again, just hold me right now. Please." Her breath unraveled as he settled back down and she could feel his wonderful body against hers. They fit perfectly together. The feel of his arms was glorious. "Why did you come back this time?"
"I had to see you. I was so damned scared, Tasi. I just needed to touch you, to feel you alive and well."
She studied his face. There was something wonderful about lying in his arms in their bed of grass and leaves. She would have preferred they be skyclad as well, but it was one step at a time with her stubborn mate. "I'm here. And I am always here. You are the one who keeps trying to walk away."
"Not anymore."
Her heart skipped a beat in hope. "Are you saying you think you know how we don't have to part at the end?"
He slowly released her as the dawn began to climb in the distance. He rolled to his feet and then gently pulled her up as well. He skimmed a knuckle tenderly under her all-seeing eyes. "Your song . . . it stirred something inside me. I am Gray, True Shadow, but I was unwittingly leaning too far to the Dark and had blinded myself to the obvious. Your song shoved me back into the middle when it asked me to bring Light. I think I know now what Destiny has planned all along. What Aria has planned." He cupped her cheek in his hand. "I have to confirm to be sure, but . . . I will find a way. All of my life . . . you were always there. I don't want a future life where you're not there anymore."
Her hands softly pressed to his heart. "Our souls are entwined. They've been entwined for millennia. We two were meant to stand here. I've given up my pride, Rodi. I will beg you again and again to be with me until you do. To be truthful, I never ask for anything from anyone. But from you . . . I will take anything you give."
His lips trembled on a wave of powerful emotion. "You certainly aren't making it easy to leave right now," he managed to say huskily.
"I never said I would. But, if you must go, best kiss me now and then do so." She slid her arms around his neck and tilted her face up to his as naturally as if they had been lovers for millennia. In some ways, they had. They belonged together. Nothing could change that simple fact.
The kiss was tender though by no means light. They sank into it and each other until their majik rose and sparked together with gray color. The desire, as much emotional as physical, shook them both. When he finally forced himself to lift his head, he said thickly, "We'd better stop."
Huskily, her mystical voice revealing her every emotion, she said, "Might be a good idea. It might embarrass the others."
He slowly released her without another word and picked up his sword. He sheathed it at his side, briefly brushed his fingers across her cheek, and walked away.
Trembling, she leaned against the closest tree. It would seem that her ability to regulate her temperature had no ability to cool her down if her soul mate got his hands on her. She sighed and closed her eyes. It wasn't a goodbye. Not yet. That pain still loomed in the distance, but she was beginning to believe there might just be a way to keep it a short pain.
He had let go of his stubborn blindness. They still had a chance.
©Stacy J. Garrett. Do not reprint or redistribute without permission.
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