The Quest for the Heart Orb (46 page)
Read The Quest for the Heart Orb Online
Authors: Laura Jo Phillips
Tags: #Science Fiction & Fantasy, #Paranormal, #Literature & Fiction, #Fantasy, #Paranormal & Urban, #Romance
“Bredon of the House of Bauron, do you desire to tie your soul for all eternity to the soul of this woman?”
Gathering all of his strength, Bredon looked into Kapia’s eyes and spoke clearly and without hesitation. “I do.”
“Kapia, Princess of Isiben, do you desire to tie your soul for all eternity to the soul of this man?”
“Yes, I do,” she said.
“By my own eyes do I see, by my own ears do I hear, by my own oath do I attest to your solemn vows, one to the other.” Zakiel paused, swallowed hard, then completed the ritual. “According to these precepts do I, Prince Zakiel of Isiben, hereby pronounce you Bound, one to the other, in this life and the next. When your souls meet in the Beyond, you will know each other, remember each other, and be connected to each other, forevermore.”
“Do you feel it, Bredon?” Kapia whispered, her eyes wide. “I feel your soul connected to mine. Do you feel me?” He smiled.
“Yes, little flower, I do,” Bredon whispered. “I will never be alone again. I am content.”
“Thank you, Brother,” Kapia said, her eyes never leaving Bredon’s. Zakiel got to his feet and walked away, leaving them alone in these final moments, unsure whether he’d done the right thing or not. He had a feeling he’d spend the rest of his life pondering that question.
Bredon reached for the knife he’d kept hidden beneath his vest, but lacked the strength to remove it, so Kapia did it for him. “
Mintaka
Til
,” she said in surprise. “But, how?”
“Marene,” he said, his voice so weak she had to lean close to hear his whispered words. “Her magic will soon be null. Will you accept this?”
“Yes, of course,” Kapia replied, taking the knife from him and holding it tightly. “I will pass it to our son or daughter, this I promise.” She paused, then swallowed hard. “Are you sure there isn’t some way…,” she asked, more tears streaming down her face.
“No, my love,” he whispered. “This is the way it was meant to be from the moment Marene chose to make me her
fudaso
.” Using all of the strength he could gather, he raised one hand and caught a tear on his finger tip. “Do not look for Karma to give you messages from me,
surna
. As much as I love you, I will not have you waste your life waiting on words from me. Find something, or someone, who makes you happy and live your life to the fullest. When the time comes for you to cross over to the great Beyond, I will be there, waiting for you.”
“I love you, Bredon,” she whispered, then bent to press her lips to his, her tears wetting his face.
“I will always love you,” he whispered, giving her his last breath.
Five Years Later
Kapia sat on the balcony of her private apartments and gazed down at the garden her mother had created, and her father had tended after her death. She and Karma now shared the joy and responsibility of caring for the garden together, a task they both greatly enjoyed.
She slipped
Mintaka
Til
from its sheath and laid it on the railing. She always felt Bredon now, thanks to the ritual Zakiel had performed for them, but she seemed to feel him more strongly when she touched the blade. Sometimes that was good, but just as often it brought her grief too close, so she was careful not to do it too often.
Today was special though. A day when feeling Bredon was important. This was the fifth anniversary of the end of the
Eschaton
, and, of course, Bredon’s death. She’d done a lot in the past five years, with Zakiel’s and Karma’s help and unending support. She’d worked tirelessly to help the families who’d lost so much when the demons overran Ka-Teru and Ausar. She’d helped rebuild homes and businesses, and created distribution centers stocked with food and clothing for those who’d lost everything. She’d used her own money to build orphanages and personally oversaw each one, making sure that the children had all that they needed from food and clothing, to schooling.
There was little need for her efforts now, though. People had recovered, gotten back on their feet and moved on with their lives, as was right. She just didn’t know what she was supposed to do next, and that left her feeling at a loss.
The sound of little running footsteps had her smiling even before she left the balcony and went inside. “Aunty, Aunty,” little Rhoby called, his black curls bouncing as he trotted toward her. Her own son, Bredon, was just behind Rhoby even though he was seven months younger than his cousin, and a bit shorter in the legs. “We have a visitor!”
“You do?” Kapia asked, kneeling down to pick up both children in her arms and swing them around in circles until they squealed in delight.
“Yes, Mama, we do!” Bredon crowed, pointing back the way he’d come. Kapia set both boys back on their feet, running her fingers through her son’s red curls before looking toward the doorway.
Joanne, Rhobar’s twin sister who was a tiny copy of Karma, just as Rhoby was a tiny copy of Zakiel, entered the room with a girl of about ten or eleven years. She had long black hair and dark blue eyes that seemed to dance with some inner light when she looked from Joanne to Kapia.
“Good morning, Joanie,” Kapia said. “Who’s your friend?”
“Her name’s Nica,” Joanie said. “She asked to meet you, Aunty Pia, so we brought her. She’s very nice.”
“I’m sure she is,” Kapia said, smiling at her niece before turning her attention her guest. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nica. Welcome to Rathira.”
“Thank you, Highness,” Nica said. “I hope you don’t mind, but when I heard that Aisling Gryphon was coming to visit Queen Karma, I asked if I could come too. I wanted to meet you.”
“I don’t mind at all,” Kapia said. “I hope you don’t think I’m rude for asking, but is there a particular reason you wanted to meet me?” Nica glanced down at the smaller children, then back at Kapia uncertainly. “Children,” Kapia said, “I believe you are about to be late for breakfast, and you know how King Zakiel feels about tardiness.”
Rhoby and Bredon looked at her wide-eyed for a moment, then ran from the room, their laughter ringing up and down the halls. Joanie curtsied politely and asked to be excused first, then ran after them, her laughter joining the boys’. Kapia grinned, then turned back to Nica. “Would you like to sit?”
“No, thank you,” Nica said. “May we go out on your balcony? I feel like I can never get enough fresh air again after two weeks on a ship.”
Kapia wrinkled her nose as she led Nica out to the balcony. “I can’t imagine and don’t think I want to.” She watched as Nica gazed up at the sky, then down at the garden, closing her eyes for a moment as she breathed deeply. Kapia waited patiently for the girl to speak in her own time, noting that there was something about her that made her seem much older than her years.
“Aisling told me that you’re familiar with people who have extra…senses,” Nica said carefully.
“Yes, I am,” Kapia replied, wondering why Nica suddenly seemed nervous.
“I have an extra sense myself, and it’s the main reason I wanted to come here, and meet you.” Nica saw Kapia’s face pale and hurried to reassure her. “It’s nothing bad, I promise.”
“Thank you,” Kapia said, relieved.
“I’m sorry for that,” Nica said, and Kapia nodded. “I sometimes see things. Things that will be, or should be, or could be.” She shrugged. “It’s not easy to explain.”
“You saw something about me?” Kapia asked, curious now.
“I did,” Nica said. “I didn’t know who you were at the time. I was visiting the Bearens’ home when Aisling came to visit at the same time, and she spoke of coming to Rathira to check on Queen Karma. That’s when I knew I had to come here, and speak with you. You know you’re part Tigren, as is your brother, and the children, too.” Kapia nodded. “What you might not know, what no one knew until a few years ago, is that the Tigren are Healers. It’s part of who and what they are.”
“You’re right, Nica, I didn’t know that,” Kapia said as a thrill of excitement ran through her. “I’ve felt this need inside of me to heal for years now, but I don’t know how. There are healers here on Rathira, but they are, as Karma says, primitive. I’ve tried talking to many of them, but I’m afraid they have nothing to teach me that I want to learn.”
“You are
meant
to be a true Healer, Princess Kapia,” Nica said earnestly. “It’s up to you to bring the gift of true healing to your people. If you don’t, they will eventually learn on their own, but it will take them centuries to discover what you could learn in a few years.”
“But, how am I to learn?” Kapia asked.
“You’ll have to leave Rathira for a time,” Nica said. “I know that’ll be difficult for you, I can see that. But it’s the only way. The lost clan of the Tigren, the full-blooded Tigren from ancient times, were returned to the Jasani a few years ago. They will teach you all that you need to know, but you will have to go to them. They cannot come here.”
“Can you see what will happen if I go?” Kapia asked.
“I can see that you won’t regret it,” Nica said. Her eyes fell to
Mintaka Til
, still lying on the balcony railing where Kapia had left it. Then she looked back up, meeting Kapia’s gaze solemnly. “I can also see that if you do not go, you will not be unhappy here.”
Kapia relaxed a little, relieved to know that it truly was her choice. “What about my son?”
“The Jasani adore children,” Nica said, her smile returning. “He will be more than welcome, and will learn all about his Tigren heritage. But you do not have to take him if you prefer to leave him here.”
“Oh no, I would never leave Bredon behind,” Kapia said. “He will leave me when he becomes a man, and that is soon enough.”
“Princess Kapia, this is not a decision you must make right now,” Nica said.
Kapia nodded as she reached out with one hand to touch
Mintaka Til
. And felt Bredon more strongly than ever before. She smiled. “I thank you, Nica, for telling me this,” she said. “I would love to go to Jasan and learn whatever the Tigren can teach me, and my son.”
.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Laura Jo lives in the Arizona desert with her loving husband, their two children, one very large dog and two interesting cats. Laura Jo loves to hear from her readers. Visit her website at www.laurajophillips.com to see when the next installment in the Orbs of Rathira series is coming, and sign her guestbook. Or, email her directly at [email protected]
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