Journey to Queyon: The Innocence Cycle, Book 3 Read online

She nodded. “The night before last, I awoke horrified because I’d seen the vision of your deaths.” A deep sob shook her. “Then you return, and I find you were injured as I foresaw, but ...but you didn’t die.” Elena bit her lip as her chin quivered. “I-I thought I had lost both of you.” She held her shuddering chest as her gaze slid back and forth between Elbrion and him. She pointed to his arm again. “I-is it badly hurt?”

  “It’s painful. The blade broke through the mail and went an inch or so into my flesh. The jagged edges of the metal did more actual damage than his blade, but I’m fortunate to have a functioning arm.”

  Elena suddenly jumped from the bed, placed herself between Elbrion and him, and embraced them fiercely. “While I was unconscious, I heard Domar saying he wasn’t gone, just less visible, and he’d never allow me to have another father.” She stepped back and looked at them. “Can you tell me with certainty that he’s dead? That this voice lies?”

  Celdorn cupped her cheek. “He is dead, and we burned his body. He’ll trouble you no more.”

  “El-Elena,” Braiden interrupted, “you n-need to lie down.” He pointed to the puddle of blood developing beneath her feet. “W-we need to bandage your other w-wounds.”

  When Elena saw the blood, her knees gave way. Elbrion caught her and helped her back onto the bed. Braiden and Celdorn finished the bandaging, while Elbrion stroked her face and chanted softly.

  “Are you in p-pain?” Braiden asked.

  Elena focused her attention inward. “The wounds feel hot, but my stomach isn’t reacting, so the pain must not be severe.”

  Braiden shook his head. “Y-your response to p-pain is truly unique.” He turned to Celdorn. “L-let’s focus on y-your arm then.” Braiden gingerly traced his finger around the edges of the bandages. Even that light touch felt like a knife. “Th-these are b-badly in need of-of attention.”

  “I had no time to do anything more than wrap them.” Then to Elena he said, “We’ll tell you more about what happened later. You need to rest, and I need to have my arm repaired.”

  “Please stay here with me.” She looked from Celdorn to Elbrion. “I can’t bear to be parted again.”

  Both men smiled. “We’ll stay,” Celdorn answered for them. He nodded to Braiden as he sat on the edge of the bed. “The separation has been difficult for us as well. I’m not accustomed to worrying about a child while I’m away.”

  “I hope I didn’t distract you.” Elena was focused on Celdorn’s upper arm as Braiden unwrapped it, exposing the inflamed wound, deep and jagged. It looked redder than it had been.

  “You aren’t to blame for this injury, if that’s what you’re implying. Your fath—Domar alone bears that responsibility.” He clasped Elena’s hand. “Now I want you to rest.”

  Elena pressed her face against Celdorn’s open hand and closed her eyes, sobbing softly.

  “Shh, little one,” Celdorn whispered. “All is well.”

  Just then, Celdorn cursed and his whole body tensed as Braiden sprinkled a powder on his wound.

  Elena’s eyes popped open, and she stared at Celdorn in surprise.

  “This n-needs to be stitched,” Braiden informed Celdorn. “D-do you need s-something for the pain?”

  Celdorn glanced at Elena. “I wish I had your ability to withstand pain, little one.” Then to Braiden. “Yes, of course, I require cordial.” He decided to move into the chair at the side of the bed, so as not to disturb Elena further. Even with the elixir, he knew he would still feel a great deal.

  Elbrion knelt next to the bed and put his hand on Elena’s forehead again, chanting a soothing melody. She drifted into a peaceful sleep, in spite of occasional bouts of cursing from Celdorn.

  ~

  When Braiden was finished with Celdorn’s arm, he checked Elena again. “Her b-bandages are s-soaking through.”

  “She is feverish as well,” Elbrion pointed out.

  Braiden felt her forehead. “N-no doubt from the p-poison. Hopefully, it will p-pass quickly.”

  Haldor approached.

  “How are the others?” Celdorn asked.

  “They are in pain. Silvandir is burning with fever. He was struck six times. Most of them are not deep, but they apparently dispensed a great deal of poison. I suggested he lie down to prevent it from moving as quickly through his body. He is on Elbrion’s bed.

  “Mikaelin is in far worse shape. He was hit in the abdomen and chest. Dalgo can’t control the bleeding.”

  At the mention of Mikaelin’s name, Elena’s eyes opened. “Will he be all right?”

  “His condition is grave,” Haldor replied. “I do not know.”

  Elena grabbed Braiden’s arm. “Can’t you heal Mikaelin’s wounds?”

  “N-no, the Jhadhela c-can’t reverse the effects of the p-poison.”

  “But can’t you stop the bleeding with your powers?”

  “I-I’m afraid my gift isn’t w-working against this force. M-my abilities aren’t strong enough.” Braiden’s eyes welled with tears. Then he tipped his head and gazed at Elena, his face awakening with possibility. “B-but p-perhaps yours are.”

  Elena startled. “I’m not a healer.”

  “Y-yes, you are. Y-you healed Silvandir and-and the others in the G-great Hall,” Braiden reminded her.

  “But I wasn’t myself. I don’t know how I did it.”

  “The g-gift is inside you s-somewhere,” Braiden persisted.

  Elena turned to Elbrion. “Can you help me to find it?”

  Elbrion considered for a moment. “Perhaps if you were to go inside and look for the little girl, she might be able to assist you.” He glanced at Celdorn. “But Yaelmargon warned us not to allow you to do so. We do not know what kind of trouble you might unleash if you do.”

  “It’s worth the risk in order to save Mikaelin’s life. If you remember, he was willing to jeopardize his to save mine.”

  Elbrion deferred to Celdorn, who studied Elena with conflicting emotions. Mikaelin’s life did indeed hang in the balance, and it was likely Elena could heal him with the help of Gia, but the master’s warning had been firm: to enter Elena’s inner world was to endanger her life and the future of Qabara.

  Elena’s eyes met Celdorn’s. “Take me to Mikaelin.”

  Her determination was resolute, and he knew she would not easily be dissuaded. “Yaelmargon’s warning was clear, little one. It could be disastrous—not just for you, but for all of Qabara. Besides, you are also bleeding and feverish. I don’t think it’s wise for us to move you.”

  “After all Mikaelin has done for me, I must go.” When Celdorn hesitated, she added, “Ada, he took my wounds. He carries my scars, shares my pain. I have to find a way to help him. I can’t bear the thought of losing him. Please don’t prevent me from going to him. I’d never be able to forgive myself if I didn’t at least try.”

  Celdorn scrubbed at his beard, certain he would regret this. “All right, but if it becomes too difficult, I’ll insist you stop. I won’t endanger your life.” She bit her lip and nodded. “Let’s do this, then.”

  Elbrion quickly wrapped Elena in a blanket and headed to the antechamber with the others following.

  Chapter 18

  When Elbrion carried Elena into the antechamber, she gasped at the sight of Mikaelin’s naked, bloodied body and covered her nose at the rancid odor that wafted up from him. He looked—and smelled—as if he were already dead. All color had fled from his skin.

  Dalgo glanced up. “I could use your help, Braiden.” There were blood-soaked cloths scattered around Mikaelin. “I can’t find the source of the bleeding. I’ve stitched many places, but it continues.”

  Dalgo had pushed the bed away from the wall so he could freely move on both sides. When Braiden knelt opposite him and plunged his hands into the mess, Elena cringed.

  Celdorn scooted a chair next to the head of the bed, and Elbrion set Elena in it.

  Dalgo looked across at Braiden, his eyes filled with weariness and sorrow. “The arrows appear to h
ave torn through both his stomach and bowels.”

  Braiden’s face paled, and Elena felt the clutch of fear that gripped his chest. She gaped at the two yawning holes in Mikaelin’s torso: one near the center of his chest between the halves of his ribcage and the other just above his left hip. Dalgo had been careful to cover up the deformity Elena knew lay beneath the loincloth.

  She caressed Mikaelin’s forehead. “Oh, my friend, once again you are in pain because of me. I begged them to kill me and here you lie,” she sobbed. “Those arrows were meant for me.”

  Mikaelin’s eyes fluttered open. “Elena?” His voice was a hoarse whisper. “Y-you’re all right?”

  “I’ll be fine,” she assured him as she wiped the blood that dripped from the side of his mouth. She traced the scar he still carried by his lips. Tears slid from her eyes as she touched his drooping eyelid and counted the scars on his face that belonged to her.

  Mikaelin groaned as Dalgo and Braiden probed around in his abdomen to find the source of the continued blood flow.

  “Elena ...don’t ...much time,” he rasped, reaching toward her.

  She grasped his hand and cradled it in both of hers. “Shh, Mikaelin, don’t talk like that.”

  “Please ...listen ...me.” He squeezed her hand. “I ...I love you,” he said, working with all his strength to force the words through his lips. “I am sorry I could not say it sooner.” He gasped in a breath. “If I were a whole man, if I were a better man, I would have been the one to ask for your hand. I would have done things differently. How I wish I had more to offer you.”

  “Oh, Mikaelin, how can you say that?” Elena cried, confused by his words. “I wouldn’t want you to be anyone other than who you are. I don’t feel alone when I’m with you. I’m free around you. I love you exactly as you are. You’ve been such a gift to my life. You’ve sacrificed freely for so many of us. You should be proud; you’re a great man.”

  Mikaelin’s eyelids drooped shut, and his hand suddenly hung lifeless.

  “No, Mikaelin. Don’t die on me. Please.” She hugged his hand to her chest. “I can’t live without you; don’t leave me,” she begged, but his eyes remained closed.

  “Elena,” Elbrion said gently, “you must go inside and find the little girl before it is too late.”

  Elena nodded and looked up at him with desperation. “Help me, Ada, I don’t know what I’m doing. I can’t lose him.” She sniffled loudly as she tried to regain control.

  Worry flashed across her ada’s face, but he quickly mastered it. After taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on her head. “Close your eyes, Sheya. Envision your inner world, but be on guard at all times,” he warned. “When you are in the entry hall, go to the door on your left. Do you see it?”

  “I do.” Elena looked at the three doors before her; all were closed. She glanced at the door on the right. A shiver ran through her as she recalled the horrible things she’d experienced there. The sense of evil behind it had intensified.

  “Go into the corridor and call for the little girl,” Elbrion said.

  Elena walked toward the left and opened the door. Hesitantly, she moved through it, hearing the distant sounds of children crying. The corridor seemed more dank and dimly lit than she remembered it. A chill climbed slowly up her spine as she recalled the other times she’d been here.

  Pulling herself back to the present, Elena swatted at the cobwebs that wrapped themselves around her as she moved forward.

  “Hello, is anyone here?”

  No response.

  “Gia,” she called to the little girl, using the name her brothers had given her when she was small. A door opened halfway down the hall on the right. A familiar face peeked out. “Gia, I need your help.” Elena held out a hand toward the girl. “Please do not be afraid of me.”

  In truth, Elena was the one who was frightened. Her legs wobbled from the tremors running through her. She didn’t like being in this place. It felt as if her mind slowly slipped into madness whenever she entered here.

  The girl stepped into the hall and stood looking up at Elena.

  “Are you the one who has the gift?”

  Gia nodded then cocked her head and stared at Elena with her huge eyes. The girl moved forward and signaled for Elena to bend down like she had a secret to share. Elena knelt, and Gia laid her hand on Elena’s heart. A sharp jolt shot through her chest.

  Elena gasped. “No. I’m not the one who needs healing. It’s my friend, Mikaelin. He’s dying, and I can’t help him without you. Please come with me.”

  The little girl gripped Elena’s outstretched hand and walked with her toward the entry hall, but when they were about to pass through the outer doors, she pulled away.

  “I can’t go out there with you. Only one of us can go through that door at a time.”

  “But if you don’t go with me, I can’t help Mikaelin. You were outside with me before when Yaelmargon was here, weren’t you?”

  “I was outside, but you were in here, watching.”

  “I don’t understand, and I don’t have time to learn,” Elena said. “Mikaelin needs us. Now!”

  “You help him,” Gia told her.

  “I can’t. I don’t have the power you do.” Elena stopped and considered. “You go then, and I’ll wait here and watch.”

  “I haven’t been summoned. I can’t pass through the door.”

  “Summoned? By whom?” Elena asked, frustrated and puzzled by her words. “I am summoning you. I need you. Gia, please.”

  “It’s not my rule. I just know I can’t go out there now. I’m sorry.” Her lip pulled down in a quivering pout. “It’s not what I want.”

  “What do we do then? If you stay here, he’ll die; my friend will die. Gia, I love him. Can’t you help me?”

  “Maybe if you hold my hand, you can do it.” The look of tenderness in the child’s eyes nearly undid Elena.

  “But how can I do that and go outside?” It made no sense to Elena, and she didn’t have time for this. Mikaelin was dying.

  “I don’t know. Things have been changing so maybe we can now. I’ll tell you what to say, so you have to listen to me, all right?”

  “I-I’ll try.” Elena gripped Gia’s hand and pushed the door open. She held on as she opened her eyes to the outside world.

  Put your hand on his heart.

  Elena shook as she did so. She repeated the words that sounded to her like Elnar. “Dia ...dia ab..abrialono chiana ...abriano tov ata ti karan ...so ...sodoni silohano.” She studied Mikaelin, watching for any change. “Gia, it’s not working. Oh no, he stopped breathing!”

  The other men watched her, brows furrowed, hearing only half of the dialogue.

  Say it again. Gia repeated the words faster. Elena felt the girl’s desperation rising along with her own. Gia leaned farther outside the door and put her hand on Elena’s chest. Energy surged from her tiny palm, jolting Elena’s body again and sending the Jhadhela coursing throughout her entire being until she felt ablaze with pulsating power.

  On the outside, light radiated from Elena’s chest, not only within the bounds of her body but emanating outward until the entire room was illuminated. The burning sensation flowed down her arm and into the hand that lay on Mikaelin’s chest. His body spasmed, and his whole frame was set ablaze.

  Dalgo and Braiden pulled their hands back as shafts of light shot out from the places where his flesh was torn open. Mikaelin’s skin folded inward, enclosing the brilliance, and knitted itself back together until no sign of the injuries remained.

  As the light withdrew into Elena, she leaned back, exhausted. A movement in Elbrion’s room caught her eye. She watched a Guardian cover someone’s body with a linen sheet. “Who is that?” Elena asked Elbrion.

  Her ada exchanged a glance with Celdorn before answering. A chill of foreboding slithered up Elena’s back. Elbrion’s warm hand covered hers. “That is Sasha.”

  “Does she need my help too? Why didn’t you tell me?” Elena rose slowly. Mikae
lin’s healing had required too much of her, and her knees wobbled like a newborn foal’s.

  Celdorn’s hand gripped her shoulder and gently pushed her back into the chair. “It’s too late, little one. There’s nothing you can do.”

  Elena stared at the white mass. “No, that can’t be. It’s not true.” She gathered her strength and forced herself to her feet. Sasha needed her. Celdorn grabbed her shoulder, but Elena shook off his hand. “Don’t stop me,” she snapped as her anger surged. She stumbled toward her friend and faithful guardian. When she reached the door, she clutched at the frame to steady herself and catch her breath.

  “You are so stubborn,” Celdorn said with a tenderness that belied his words as he swept her into his arms. “We do not deceive you; we just do not want you to expend energy in impossible tasks.” Nonetheless, he carried her to the side of the table where crimson-streaked linens covered Sasha.

  From the shelter of Celdorn’s arms, Elena tugged the sheet back to reveal Sasha’s still face. No breath rose in her chest. No thump awakened her tail. No tongue reached out to greet her. Elena gazed up at Celdorn. The tears cutting tracks down his cheeks told her that what she saw was real, not some dream or odd vision.

  “From the arrows?” she asked. She didn’t really want the answer, didn’t really want to know that she was to blame. He nodded, and the truth pierced her heart: the arrows meant for her had killed this gentle, loyal creature. Another life gone because of her.

  Maybe it was not too late. Maybe she could restore life to her yet. If Gia could heal Mikaelin, then surely she could heal Sasha. Elena laid her hand on Sasha’s shoulder, closed her eyes, and ran inside looking for Gia.

  ~

  Dazed and disoriented, Mikaelin felt like he’d just awakened from a long, convoluted dream. A commotion in Elbrion’s room drew his attention, but his eyes wouldn’t focus. When he noticed Dalgo and Braiden standing nearby, he asked, “What’s going on?”

  Just then, Celdorn rushed through the antechamber toward his own room, carrying Elena’s limp body, with Elbrion on his heels, brow furrowed with concern.