Heir of Shandara (Book 4) (38 page)

“He deserves death,” Thraw said.

“You’re right, he does. But if you fulfill your imprint and take his life, then
your
life is forfeit. You cannot return to Hytharia, and whoever did this to you is gone. The one thing that you can do is let him go. We will take him into custody,” Aaron said.

FNA soldiers surrounded the group of them, and Sarah came to his side.

Aaron knelt down to be eye level with Thraw. The maul-cat gave him a warning growl.

“Please. Trust that justice will be served to him. You have my word. You saved my life when you brought me back to this world. Let me do the same for you.”

Thraw’s wild eyes looked uncertain for a moment, and then he backed off Halcylon.

“I am a patient hunter. I can wait to kill him,” Thraw said.

Aaron thanked him. The maul-cat’s gaze was fixed on Halcylon, who came to his feet. Hythariam soldiers removed his armor and took him away.

“You pleaded for his life?” Sarah asked.

Aaron looked into her eyes. “I kept a promise to someone else,” he said.

Verona joined them. He carried Bayen’s halberd and bracers. “There was nothing else left.”

Aaron glanced toward the sky where the Eldarin had been. “Everything that counts is where it should be.”
 

C
HAPTER
29

CHANCE

The remains of the Zekaran army were disarmed and taken prisoner. Without their technology, they had no hope of defeating the FNA. Ring leaders were separated from the others, and Halcylon was kept isolated. There were pockets of resistance from the genetically enhanced soldiers that had been conditioned only for battle. They were hunted down. Iranus and the other Hythariam scientist analyzed the Nanites used in the Zekara and soon discovered the root of the unwavering loyalty to Halcylon. Protocols embedded into the Nanites exerted their influence when behaviors were exhibited that opposed his wishes. Roselyn surmised that the influence wasn’t instantaneous, but over time those under the influence would be more agreeable. It was a form of mind control on a grand scale that rivaled any propaganda machine throughout history. Aaron ordered the Nanite protocols in the Zekara be overwritten with the only functionality being those that dealt with sickness. Most Zekara denied the mind control claims even when presented with irrefutable evidence. Stopping the Nanites from enforcing Halcylon’s influence wasn’t nearly enough to reverse what had been done to them. Their brains had been trained, and such conditioning could only be reversed over time, if ever. The few thousand Zekara left would be allowed to live out their lives peacefully if they chose. Aaron strongly urged them to seize this second chance at life and let the ghosts of their home world finally come to rest. Some would choose a peaceful life, and others would require a watchful eye.

The leaders of the Zekara were another story. Rulership over the Zekara had been consolidated into a powerful few. They were several hundred years old and believed themselves to be immortal. Aaron supposed with the Nanites they were pretty close. But if immortality came at the expense of one’s soul, then that was something he could pass on. Life without end was a violation of the natural order of all things and was the road to stagnation and destruction. Beings were meant to live, grow old, and die. Hopefully, Aaron and his kind would leave something of themselves behind and the world in a better state than which they found it.

Thraw remained vigilant in his watch over Halcylon. They had found little information on the process used to imprint a target upon the maul-cat’s consciousness. In the days that followed, Aaron urged Thraw to join him on hikes through the forest. Each day, Thraw would accompany him, Sarah, and sometimes Verona. They would venture farther from Shandara with each trip. Several times, Tanneth joined them, but there was an inherent distrust of all Hythariam from the maul-cat. Sarah was Thraw’s favorite. They had met after the battle, and there was an instant understanding that passed between the two. Since then, Thraw had become quite protective of Sarah, and Aaron believed it was because she was pregnant. Not even an imprint could override paternal instinct.

Aaron stood outside Halcylon’s cell. The Zekaran general smoldered as he sat upon the floor. The chair and bed looked unused as if the Hythariam couldn’t stand the thought of touching them. The general had been given simple Hythariam clothing that covered his large frame.
 

“Have you come to gloat, human?”

Aaron shook his head.

“I’m eager to get to my execution. Have you come to escort me?”

“If I wanted you dead, then you wouldn’t be here. I will keep you here for as long as I choose to,” Aaron replied. He had to be sure there weren’t any hidden traps or protocols that would be set in motion should the Zekaran general meet with his demise.

“What did you do to my Nanites? They’re different,” Halcylon said. He shifted as if he couldn’t get comfortable and continued to fidget.
 

Aaron stepped closer, knowing that the cell’s force field would keep Halcylon from doing anything. “We uploaded them with the same protocols that are used for the rest of the Zekara. Only the health protocols for sickness are engaged. This will help speed the acclimation of your species to the climate here. Then they will be turned off. You will age normally and grow old.”
 

A look a fear flashed across Halcylon’s face, and he narrowed his eyes. “Do you expect me to be appreciative of this mercy?”

“I don’t care whether you appreciate it or not. The rest of your people, the ones not completely brainwashed, have been given a new lease on life. You’d be surprised at just how many people will leap at the opportunity for a second chance. A life without war. A life without you,” Aaron said.

“You will never hold me here,” Halcylon said.

“It won’t be just me,” Aaron said, and gestured to the side. Thraw’s eyes flashed as he detached himself from the wall. “But I figured, besides Thraw, the remaining guards would be enough to contain one lowly Hythariam unarmed prisoner.”

Aaron walked away, with Thraw staying next to him.

“I still say we should kill him,” Thraw said.

“In time perhaps, but not yet.”
 

Truth be told, he was sick of killing. It wasn’t just the Zekara that were getting a second chance. They all were. Shortly after the battle, Roselyn had caught up with him with the results of her test of Bayen’s blood. She confirmed what Aaron already knew. Bayen wasn’t a clone. Initially, Aaron had avoided explaining who Bayen was to Sarah, but she had sensed something in him in the brief time they were together. How did one explain that their child who hadn’t been born yet traveled back in time to prevent the end of the world?
 

“I didn’t believe him. When he told us who he was, I had him taken prisoner,” Aaron said.

“You were right to be suspicious. Given everything that Halcylon has done, this wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility,” Sarah said.

Bayen had only been among them for a few days, but Aaron felt his loss. There had been an understanding between them at the end. Sarah took his hand in hers, and they sat under the stars on the palace grounds at Shandara. Verona had a small campfire going and sat with Roselyn in the crook of his arm. They were soon joined by Gavril and Tanneth. Aaron sensed Thraw’s presence behind them and smiled inwardly. He had left Halcylon of his own accord, which gave Aaron hope that Thraw would break free of his imprint. All of them here knew of Bayen and were sworn to secrecy.

“So Bayen is now with the Eldarin?” Verona asked.

“Part of him is,” Aaron said. “His soul became one with the Eldarin. The rebirth of the Eldarin cured it of the Ryakul virus.”

“I’m not sure I understand,” Verona said.

“It took me a while to get it straight in my head. The Eldarin are both physical beings and beings of energy. They can traverse among realms. I think of them as guardians,” Aaron said.

“But they won’t come here unless summoned by you or another Ferasdiam marked,” Verona said.

Aaron nodded. “There is an ancient pact that binds the two together. I’m hoping there is more information in the palace archives on it. Bayen came here knowing that he would die whether he was successful or not.”

Roselyn leaned forward. “This is what you asked me about. The possibility of time travel. We only have theories, but given that the keystone accelerators allow us to move through space, why not time as well? The strange thing is that it wasn’t permanent. It’s like part of him still existed in the world he came from, which means someone had to maintain the connection.”

Verona frowned. “But Bayen said they were attacked right before he came—” Verona stopped and looked at Aaron.

“It was you, my love,” Sarah said. “You were his link.”

Aaron tried to imagine what it must have been like. The virus had spread to every living thing, including the Eldarin, and was attacking them. He must have maintained a barrier around a modified keystone accelerator that was Bayen’s link to the future.
 

Aaron glanced at Tanneth. “Does the AI still work?”

Tanneth shook his head. “Not since the battle. We copied the data, but after going through it I noticed that the only information it contained was pertinent to the mission. It didn’t contain a historical account of the alternate time line.”

“You think that was intentional?” Aaron asked.

Tanneth nodded.

“It’s smart actually,” Gavril said. “The AI gave us the keys to unlock the Zekaran systems and allowed us in, but it was actually healing the Eldarin that saved us all. Do you think he knew, uh, the future you, that is?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t think so because why would Bayen be given so little information then? We can go ‘round and ‘round about this,” Aaron said.

“Why were the Forsaken and the infected Eldarin so keen on you?” Roselyn asked.

Aaron took a swallow from his tankard. The dark ale had been a gift from Tolvar’s people. “It’s because I’m Ferasdiam marked. The virus seeks to spread itself through the strongest host it can find. When it infected the Eldarin, it found a being that could allow it to spread to all living creatures. My connection to the energy is stronger than most.”

Verona chuckled. “All, my friend,” he said, and held up his hands. “I know, you’re the possibility of what’s possible.”

“What I think happened in that alternate time line is that I killed the Eldarin, and the virus spread. Between that and the war with the Zekara, it all led to an ongoing war of attrition.” Aaron stopped. They got the idea.

“So what will we do with Halcylon?” Verona asked.

“We’ll keep him alive,” Aaron said.

“You can put him on trial, and he will be found guilty. What then?” Gavril asked.

“We should put him on trial. But he can’t be executed until we finish going through the Zekaran systems to be sure there isn’t anything else in there that is a threat,” Aaron said.

There was grim acknowledgement around the small group. The conversation turned to more mundane matters. They were later joined by many others, including Admiral Morgan, who delighted in torturing Verona by speaking with Roselyn about Verona’s love of children. Apparently, Verona had taken it upon himself to make sure the orphanages in Rexel were run by good people.

Aaron slapped Verona on the shoulder. “You know, I think Morgan might be right. You
are
going to be next.”

Roselyn turned to them as if she sensed their conversation and smiled.

“Well, at least we won’t be having twins. After the wedding, that is. One baby at a time is quite enough,” Verona said.

Twins?
Aaron nearly spilled his drink. He turned toward Sarah and felt the strong lifebeat blaze within her… two lifebeats. His mouth fell open, and Sarah smiled at him. Verona took his leave and joined Roselyn.
 

“What is it?” Sarah asked.

Aaron slipped his arms around her. “Something Bayen said, but I couldn’t see it at the time. He knew we would meet again.”

Sarah smiled. “Oh, yes. We have a boy and a girl on the way.”

Aaron kissed her and knew that wherever they were, from a hidden lake shore to the palace looming behind them, was home. The danger was past them. There would be challenges they would face in the future, but they had each other and their friends. Safanar was his home now, and there was still so much of the world he had yet to see. By the grace of the Goddess, or perhaps just luck, they would have time to explore it all.