The Reawakened (20 page)

Their compatibility contrasted with Kara and Dravek’s disharmony. One moment the Wolf displayed an ingratiating sweetness toward her husband; the next her barbs turned as sharp as her arrows. But Sura couldn’t feel too sorry for Dravek; he’d built an emotional wall of ice that deflected his wife’s insults and affection. One day Sura realized she couldn’t dredge up a memory of his smile.

As they came within a week’s walk of Tiros, the terrain grew rockier and the trees sparser and stubbier. The few flat places for camping lay along the cliffs now. After weeks in Kalindos and its heavily forested surroundings, it felt strange to come out of their tents in the morning and see the sky.

One evening during dinner, Kara seemed unusually quiet and inward-looking.

“Can’t wait to sleep in a real bed again.” Etarek screwed the top onto the meloxa flask and winged it across the campsite.

Dravek deftly snatched it from the air. “And have a long bath,” he said before taking a swig.

Etarek shook his head. “Not in Tiros. I hear they barely have enough water for drinking. Right, Kara?”

The Wolf gave a guarded glance at their surroundings, apparently ignoring the conversation.

“Why would anyone live where there’s no river?” Dravek tossed the flask back to Etarek. “How do they survive?”

“They have wells,” Sura said. “My mother told me there’s a reservoir that fills in the springtime. And the Tiron River is only a few hours’ walk away.”

Kara stood suddenly, spilling her uneaten food to the ground. Dravek leaped to take her hand.

“What’s wrong?” He followed her gaze to the west. “Someone coming?”

She shook him off and walked to the edge of the ridge. The Wolf stared at the sun as it touched the flat horizon of the Tiron Plain. Flaming red, it seemed to bulge and shimmer.

Kara gasped, then took several sharp, quick breaths.

Dravek hurried to her side. “What is it?”

“No, don’t touch—” She dropped to her haunches, holding out a hand to ward him off. Her head tilted to the side as if she were listening to a faraway voice. Then she lifted her face to the setting sun. The red rays reflected off her dark golden hair and in the depths of her blue eyes.

She disappeared.

Dravek stepped back and whispered his wife’s name. She shimmered into view again.

“Did you see that?” Her eyes overflowed with tears. “Invisible. Second phase. Dravek, I’m pregnant.”

He whooped and swept her into his arms. They spun in a circle, Kara’s legs kicking the air. Etarek applauded, and Sura followed his lead, even as her gut twisted so sharply she almost doubled over in pain.

Dravek put Kara down and kissed her with a passion equal to that of their wedding. Kara beamed up at him, and whispered, “We’re going to have a baby.”

He gazed down into her eyes. “He’ll be as beautiful as you.” He pulled her close again. “I’m sorry we’ve been fighting. I’ve been so rotten.”

“No, I’m sorry. I was scared and took it out on you.” She pulled back and smiled. “But that’s all gone now.”

Sura focused on the remains of her meal. They looked as if the last eight days of bickering had never occurred. How could a baby make things simpler instead of more complicated?

Kara stared at her hands. “Let’s see if I can do it on purpose.” Her outline shimmered, then dissipated as she vanished. “I did it!” A short silence fell, then her voice came from the other side of the ridge. “And my stealth is better, too. I can’t wait to hunt tomorrow morning.”

“You’re not hunting when you’re pregnant,” Dravek said. “You could fall.”

“When do I ever fall?” Her voice was teasing but held an uneasy edge.

“Yesterday.”

“That was just a skid. Barely scratched my knees.”

Sura looked between Dravek and nothing. Here was the defensive tone she had come to expect from them.

“You’re not used to this terrain,” Dravek told Kara. “You should try out your new powers somewhere safer.”

“If I don’t hunt, what’ll we eat?”

“There’s plenty of roots and berries in our packs.”

Etarek spoke up. “Only a few days to Tiros. We can go without meat that long.”

“Stay out of it, Etarek.” Kara reappeared and advanced on her husband. “Why can’t you be happy for me? Why do you have to ruin everything?” Her eyes brimmed with tears.

His face fell. “Kara, I’m just worried about the baby.”

“And I’m not?” she shrilled. “I’m such a horrible mother that I won’t take care of myself?”

“I didn’t say that. Look, just forget I said anything.” He turned away, clenching his fists. “Do what you want. I trust you.”

“No, you don’t.” She followed him to the campfire. “You have no faith in me.”

“I do. I’m sorry for what I said.” Sura saw his eyes flash as he passed her, but he had his back to Kara so she couldn’t see his pained expression. “I take it back.”

“You can’t take it back this time.” She caught up to him, but he didn’t turn around. “I’m tired of you bossing me.”

His mouth twisted. “
Me
bossing
you?
” he muttered. “Now she’s delusional.”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing.” He rubbed his face hard with his knuckles. “Just forget it.” He tried to move away again.

“No.” She grabbed his arm. “Look at me when you speak.”

“Stop it.” He jerked out of her grasp. “I’m not a child.”

“Then don’t act like one. You always do this, say mean things and then squirm out of the conversation.”

Sura put her plate aside, her stomach too tight to take anymore. Though her father had left before she was too young to make memories, she imagined her parents having fights like this every night.

“This isn’t a conversation.” Dravek moved away from Kara again, this time toward the edge of the cliff. “This is you haranguing me. Again.” His teeth gritted around the last word.

Etarek cleared his throat. “Uh, maybe we should—”

“It’s the only kind of conversation we have,” Kara told Dravek, “so that’s what I’m calling it.”

“Please stop it.” Dravek uttered the plea to the sky, as if Raven Herself would swoop down and rescue him.

Kara stalked over to him, hands on her hips. He made a move to avoid her, and his feet came close to the cliff’s edge. Sura stood up.

“Be careful,” she said, but her words were overrun by Kara’s voice.

“You can’t run away from me, Dravek. I’m your wife.”

She reached for his arm, and he turned on her.

“I said, stop!”

Her head jerked back as if he’d struck her. Then her eyes went blank and her jaw slack. She stared past Dravek at the orange horizon.

In the shocked silence, Sura realized that the excitement of Kara’s invisibility had made them forget one important fact: Dravek now had second-phase powers, too. He could erase a person’s memory.

“Kara?” he whispered. “Kara, look at me.”

She squinted at his face as if she were trying to recall his name. Finally her eyes sparked with recognition. “Dravek.”

“Yes. Yes, it’s me, love.” He went to embrace her, and she stepped back.

“What are you doing?”

He lowered his arms. “You know me, right?”

“Of course. You’re Daria’s little brother.” She took another step back, eyes darting. Her face lit up when she saw Etarek, then clouded again as she examined their surroundings. “We’re near Tiros. Why?”

Sura’s heart froze.

“Oh, no,” Etarek whispered.

“So I can train with Vara.” Dravek’s voice shook. “So we can deliver the Kalindon pigeons. You don’t remember?”

“I delivered pigeons before. With Daria and her father.”

“Yes, last year. You remember, that’s good. What else do you—”

“Hello,” Kara said to Sura with a tentative smile. She turned to Dravek. “Who’s she?”

Carefully he grasped her shoulders. She gave his hands a curious look but didn’t shrug them off.

“Listen to me,” he said, “and know that I’m not lying or playing a joke.” His gaze bored into hers. “I’m your husband.”

“My husband?” She broke away from him and gave a nervous laugh. “Why would I marry you?” Her hands flew to her mouth as soon as the words were out. “Oh, no, that sounded awful. It’s not that I don’t like you. But you’re not exactly the marrying type. I can’t imagine anyone—” She stopped and twisted her hands together. “This is a joke.” She looked at Etarek. “Right?”

“No…” Dravek clutched his hair. “Spirits, no. Kara, I’m so sorry.” He reached out for her. “Let me explain.”

“No.” She backed away, then turned to Etarek. “You tell me.”

He looked at Dravek, who nodded. Etarek motioned for her to sit beside him. As he explained what had happened, Dravek paced the edge of the ridge.

Sura dreaded her own entry into the second phase. Would she herself someday cause the same harm in a moment of anger? If only they’d reached Vara a few days sooner, Dravek could have learned to control this treacherous power.

“I’m
pregnant?
” Kara’s eyes filled with tears, and she clutched Etarek’s wrist. “Am I sure it’s his?”

“That’s why you’re in this state,” Etarek said. “He entered his second phase the same time you did. You argued, and he—” His glance shifted to Dravek, then back again. “I’m sure it was an accident.”

Sura wondered if Etarek had heard something in Dravek’s voice that cast doubt on that statement.

“We’ll get your memory back when we get to Tiros,” she told Kara. “Vara will help us.”

Kara looked at her. “Who
are
you?”

“This is Sura,” Dravek said, “my Spirit-sister.”

Etarek kept his voice level. “Her mother Mali is in prison for leading the Asermon resistance.”

“Oh.” Kara’s eyes went soft and round as she looked at Sura. “I’m sorry.”

Dravek took her hand. “Let’s go talk this over, just the two of us.”

“The two of us?” She yanked her hand out of his grip. “You stole months of life from my mind, and now you expect to cuddle up? Make love?”

“No, I just want to talk. Maybe I can help you remember.”

She scoffed. “Think your famous tongue can bring back my memories? Or maybe just make new ones?” She turned away from him again. “We’ll talk tomorrow, Dravek.”

He stood slowly, his face twisted with dread. “I’ll get my things and sleep with Etarek. We’ll switch tents tonight.”

“I can’t sleep with her.” Kara looked at Sura. “I don’t even know her.”

“Then I’ll sleep outside.” Dravek went to his tent and yanked out a blanket. “You can be alone.”

“I’m a Wolf. I can’t sleep if I’m alone.” Kara turned to Etarek. “Can I share your tent?”

Etarek shook his head. “I’m with Sura.”

“It’s only a few nights. We’re almost to Tiros.”

Sura took a step toward them. “You can’t sleep with my mate.”

Kara clucked her tongue. “We won’t do anything. And this way, Dravek won’t have to sleep outside.”

“You want me to sleep with your husband?”

“I don’t care what you do with him.” She met Dravek’s eyes, which filled with pain, then softened her voice. “You’re his Spirit-sister. I sleep with my Wolf-brothers on long hunts. To keep warm, plus it bonds us.”

Sura gritted her teeth. The last thing she and Dravek needed was more bonding.

“I’ll sleep outside.” Dravek threw the blanket over his shoulder and stalked up a narrow trail.

Sura turned to the others, intending to stake her territory. Kara looked up at her, and behind the Wolf’s defiant bluster, Sura saw confusion and despair.

“We’ll take turns sleeping alone,” Sura said. “I’ll go first tonight. You stay with Etarek.”

Kara’s shoulders relaxed. “Thank you. That’s very kind.” She rubbed her arms. “I’m sorry for being unreasonable.”

Sura bent to pick up the dirty dishes. “I’m sorry you lost your memory. It must be terrible.”

“It feels like I woke up from a long, cloudy dream. The worst part is, everyone sees a different me than I do. And I’m the one who’s wrong.” She chewed her fingernail and looked at the place where Dravek had disappeared. “Am I in love with him?”

Sura wondered. “Enough to marry him.”

She looked at Etarek. “It must have happened fast.”

“You’ve been together about six months,” he said. “And since then you haven’t been seen with another man.”

Surprise crossed her face. “Not even you?”

Sura blinked. “Were you and Etarek mates?”

He gave Sura a warm smile. “A long time ago.”

Kara made a
hmph
noise, then turned toward the west and the sky’s fading light. She lifted her hands before her face and scrunched up her forehead. She shimmered from view, then reappeared.