Beloved (9 page)

Cade rubbed the peach-fuzz stubble on his chin. “It makes sense, but we have had no reports from there—not one.”

“Which is why I think it is worth a look. Every time I have run into Nigel, it has been in that area. I think he has family there and I know of at least one friend who trades in a nearby village. If there are no reports, it could be because they are loyal to him and are either providing him a place to hide or keeping quiet about his location.”

“We should ride,” Altaria blurted.

Luka’s brow furrowed. “That is a long ride. It would take days to get to the village and several more if we continued to Finvarra. And that is without stopping to speak to anyone along the way.”

Altaria had been leaning against the wall, but now moved closer and stood between Luka and Cade, and directly across the table from her brother. “Look . . .” She pointed to Xantara, then to one of the places where they’d gone to speak to someone who’d claimed to see Nigel and Kira. “There’s a three or four days ride between these two spots. If Nigel has lost his ability to travel with his mind and they are on horseback, then how many people do you think may have seen them and have said nothing?”

She moved around the table so she stood next to Octavion. “We need to travel as they are and speak to the people along the way.”

“She may have something there,” Cade said. “It would give me time to look for their trail and maybe the commoners would open up more if we looked like them.”

“Exactly,” Altaria said. “I think fitting in is key. We should dress the part—wear traveling clothes and Octavion should continue to let his facial hair grow so no one recognizes him. I think we would have better luck with people opening up if they did not feel intimidated by royalty.”

Octavion ran his fingers through his hair. “But the time it would take to travel—” He flattened out the creases in the map and took another look at the distance between Xantara and Finvarra. “We are not talking about days, but weeks before finding her.”

Altaria put her hand on his shoulder, turning his focus back on her. “And if we keep searching like we are it could be even longer.”

Luka and Cade both nodded when Octavion gave them a questioning look. “It is settled then. We leave at first light.”

She watched as Octavion gave Luka and Cade a list of duties to prepare for the journey, his cousins left the room. Octavion folded the map and stuffed it in a leather satchel he planned to take with them. He turned to face Altaria. “What is wrong? You have been acting strange all day.”

Altaria plopped down on one of the nearby chairs and leaned back, folding her arms. “Nothing.” How could she tell him she didn’t want to share her body with Lydia anymore? Or give up her freedom?

“I have known you too long for that answer to work. What is it?”

“That is not true,” she snapped, scooting to the edge of the chair. “You have known Lydia, not me. We are different and you do not know how I feel or what I think.” She hadn’t meant for her words to be so harsh, but now that they were out, she realized she had more to say on the subject. “And furthermore, I will not be locked away like some horrible secret again. I want to be free to use my gift and not be told what I can and cannot do.”

She stopped when Octavion’s lips slowly curved into a smile and his eyes took on a spark she hadn’t seen there since before Kira disappeared. “What?” she asked with an edge of sarcasm.

Octavion moved closer and dropped to one knee in front of her. “You feel Lydia. I can see it in your eyes. Twice now they have flickered with green just around the edges.”

She lowered her eyes so he couldn’t see them. “No. I mean . . . not like you think. I sense she is there, but . . .”

He reached for her hand and she drew it away. “Why are you fighting it? I thought you wanted her to return, that you felt empty and alone without her. Have you even tried to reach out to her, or are you holding back?”

“Of course I have tried. Over and over. Every day.” Altaria pushed him away and stood, keeping her back to him. How could he understand what it was like for her? An entire lifetime of watching others live their lives and do things she’d only dreamed of doing on her own. No matter how much she complained or begged, Lydia insisted on having control of their body and made all the choices with little concern for Altaria’s feelings or needs.

Octavion closed in behind her and placed his hand on the small of her back. “I did not mean to upset you.” He gently turned her to face him, warmth radiating from his deep blue eyes. “You and Lydia are equally important to me, but I have always felt you and I shared a special connection. How many hours did we spend together learning to fight? How many times did we hunt and share the reward? It is your face I see in these memories, not Lydia’s. Yet I cannot help but miss her and worry that she is lost and alone.”

Altaria knew he was right. Even though she loved her new-found freedom, she missed having Lydia’s thoughts constantly in her head. And the truth was that she hadn’t tried seeking out Lydia for a couple days and when she’d sensed Lydia trying to find a connection, she’d purposely held back, not reaching for her spirit like she should have.

“What if my kindred spirit is angry with me and keeps me locked up in here forever?” She pressed a hand to her heart. “I would rather die than spend eternity locked up. What I experienced while inside Kira was something I never want to go through again.”

Altaria
.

Her name settled into her mind like a feather drifting on a breeze. She stumbled back away from Octavion and leaned her backside against the table, her hands gripping it for support.

Octavion took a step toward her. “What is it?”

“Lydia. She is trying . . .” Her whole body felt as though a warm breeze had somehow found its way under the surface of her skin and every pore breathed in the air around them. She closed her eyes and tightened her grip, causing the table to creek and groan beneath her palms.

Reach. I am here
.

Octavion’s strong hands gently grasped her biceps. “Do not fight it. Dig deep and bring her home. We will work the rest out. I promise.”

His voice was only a whisper as she focused on her spirit and let it extend to every particle of her being, filling it to capacity and making no room for Lydia. She opened her eyes and felt a tear run down her cheek. “I am afraid.”

“Let her in, Al. Embrace her spirit and let her in.” He moved his hands to hold her face, the intensity in his eyes pierced clean through her. “Please.”

Altaria grabbed his wrists and her whole body began to shake. Whether she liked it or not, their spirits were merging and there was nothing she could do about it. She took one last look into her brother’s eyes before whispering, “Goodbye.” Then wondered if that would be the last time he’d see her face.

Altaria’s eyes shifted from their icy blue to emerald green and back again as she looked into her brother’s eyes. A sorrowful grin crossed her face. “You may regret letting her come back. She is not happy with you.”

Octavion swore and took a step back. She’d blame him for this. As much as he wanted to see Lydia—to know she was all right—he wasn’t nearly prepared enough to take all the anger she’d probably stored up over the past few days. He took in a deep breath and let it out slow while he watched his little sister’s face come into view, Altaria’s grin quickly fading to Lydia’s scowl.

Lydia pushed away from the table and moved forward so her toes met Octavion’s. She looked up into his eyes and drilled a stiff finger into his chest. “How could you let her out of your sight? She trusted you to protect her, we both did.” Her eyes filled with tears before her voice lowered almost to a whisper. “You better find her.”

“I will.”

“Promise . . . me.”

But before he could answer, her chin began to quiver and she threw herself into his arms, clinging to him like she hung on the edge of a cliff and feared falling. He crushed her to his chest, lifting her feet from the ground.

“I promise,” he whispered into her hair, feeling his own emotions well in his eyes.

She mumbled something, then lifted her head and looked up, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I feel her.”

Octavion lowered her to the floor and held her shoulders at arm’s length. “Where is she?”

“I don’t know. It’s different than before. I sense her emotions sometimes, like she’s checking on me or letting her guard down a little to see if I’ve connected with Altaria. It’s hard to explain, but I know she’s alive. I know it, Octavion. In here.” She placed her hand over her heart.

Octavion dropped his hands and paced the floor. “Is she afraid?”

“What?”

He stopped and returned to his place in front of her. “I need to know if she’s being held captive or if she went of her own accord. Perhaps her emotions can tell us.”

“I don’t know. I mean . . . at first, I only sensed confusion, and even then it was more like a mix of several different emotions, like she wasn’t sure how she felt. And she was in a lot of pain.” She put her hand on the back of her head. “Here.”

The image of Kira’s auburn hair tangled in the bark of a tree flashed in his mind. With the amount of blood that saturated her braid and puddled on the forest floor, she’d been injured badly. But why hadn’t she healed herself? Octavion brushed his fingers through his hair. “Draego threw her against a tree and she hit her head. Maybe that is why she is confused.”

Lydia rubbed her wrist. “Well, I don’t think it’s because of the Crystor. I suddenly have this tingling sensation on my right wrist.” She pushed up her sleeve. “And what’s up with this welt?”

Octavion ran his finger over the raised skin. “Does it hurt?”

“No, not really. Maybe Kira’s messing with the Crystor to let me know she’s still alive. It has to be working properly because—”

“You can still feel her.” He finished the sentence for her. He’d thought the same thing, that their connection meant Kira had not only regained her healing powers, but also her strength and enhanced senses. It’s what kept him hopeful, that she was a little better equipped to protect herself.

Lydia walked to the chair and sat, wiping away her tears with her sleeve. “What else do you know about what happened to her?”

Octavion moved closer. “Not much. The only clues are a few foot prints. Cade believes one of them belongs to Nigel.”

Lydia had been looking down picking at her fingernails. Her head shot up when he mentioned the Darkord’s name. “Nigel? But didn’t he and his brother join up with Shandira?”

“Yes, at first. Then Nigel changed. He brought her food and water, and helped her open the portal between our worlds so I could save her.” He shook his head, wondering if he’d made the right decision. “I gave him his freedom in exchange for his help. Now I am not sure that was a good idea.”

“You think he might have kidnapped her? Or maybe helped Draego?”

Octavion sighed deeply. “Honestly, I do not know what to believe. Every fiber of my being says not to trust him, but then Kira insists he is watching over her, that he has a sense of guardianship and wants to protect her.”

Lydia leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. “Well if that’s true, he’s not doing a very good job. Where was he when she fought Shandira and why didn’t he protect her when she was attacked?”

“Good question. I have wondered the same thing myself.” He offered her his hand and pulled her to her feet. “So, are you and your kindred spirit well enough to help me ‘kick some Darkord butt’ as Kira would say?”

A smile spread across Lydia’s face and the spark that had been missing in Altaria’s eyes came to life in Lydia’s. It was good to have her back.

“Do you think Father will still let us go—now that I’m back, I mean?”

Octavion chuckled. “Does he have a choice? Even if he forbade it, you would find a way to sneak out.”

“True.” She rubbed her wrist again. “Maybe now that I’ve reconnected with Altaria, we will be able to sense where she is.”

“It’s what I’ve been hoping for. You’ve kept us waiting for a very long time. You have been missed.”

“Maybe by you and Father, but I have a feeling someone else isn’t happy to see me.” She tapped a finger to the side of her head. “I’m getting an earful, if you know what I mean.”

Octavion sighed. At least they were communicating. “I do know. The two of you have a lot to talk about, the most important of which is that you cannot show your face because everyone thinks you are dead. Remember that when you hear her thoughts and pleas for freedom.”

“Freedom?” Lydia looked away, her face scrunched up in concentration. “Perhaps we do have a lot to discuss.” She turned back to face Octavion. “Can you take me to my room? I’d like to see Father and then my kindred spirit and I need some time alone.”

“Of course.”

As hopeful as he was that the two of them would work things out, he couldn’t help relish in the possibility that they’re connection with Kira would be stronger and that they’d be able to find her. For the first time in days, things were looking up.