Protector of the Flight (35 page)

“They
should not adopt such a child, not when Calli’s first duty lies with defending
Lladrana.”

“Who
else will take the little girl?” demanded Calli.

Thealia’s
face set. “I will find someone.”

“No,
you won’t,” said Marrec, holding the clean toddler dressed in a linen shift and
dark brown romper with buttons on a padded behind. At least the baby clothes
looked like something Calli could handle.

“I
don’t want you distracted! We can’t afford to lose you,” Thealia said.

“Thealia,”
Jaquar said. “Look at the three of them. The child is bonding with Marrec as we
speak.”

Everyone
fell silent, listening as Calli was, to the little girl’s Song, harmonically
weaving with Marrec’s. Even last night the child’s personal melody hadn’t been
like this—today it was stronger, more Powerful, as if being with Marrec,
hearing him, taught her…something. Whatever fathers taught children, Calli
thought, then winced inwardly as that led to her own father’s lack of emotional
support for her.

Every
couple of bars, the child’s Song included notes of Calli and Marrec’s PairSong,
and a little bit later, spiraled out to pick up a beat of Calli’s own tune.

Thealia
sighed. “You’re right. But I am not pleased.” She turned on her heel and went
to the end of the stables where her husband and their flying steeds awaited.

“I
think we should stay at the Castle for a while,” Jaquar mused. He smiled at
Calli. “Calli can teach us to properly partner with a volaran…more zhiv for her
coffers.” He nodded to Marrec. “Better formally bond with the little one as
soon as possible.”

Marrec
inclined his torso, his large hand spread across the infant’s back since she
lay against his chest. “The ceremony will be this afternoon in the Temple.
Luthan Vauxveau, as representative of the Singer and Song, will officiate.”

Marian
hummed approval. “That will be interesting to watch.”

Calli
glanced over to her. “Something new for you, too?”

“Oh,
something new every day.” She grinned.

“I
was afraid of that.”

T
hat afternoon,
after a ritual cleansing in the shower, Marrec carried the little girl to the
Temple for the Bonding ceremony. Calli’s heart pounded in anticipation as they
walked slowly through the courtyards. She held hands with Marrec, and the
infant turned her head away from Calli. People lingered to watch them, this new
event having caused as much gossip as anything else that had happened since
Calli had arrived.

Both
she, Marrec and the toddler wore black robes edged with silver. From the Song
that Sang between her and Marrec, she knew he was pleased and excited, too,
though he was expressionless.

Luthan
Vauxveau, Bastien’s brother and the representative of the Singer, was already
in the Temple. The ceremony would give the little girl a name and bloodbind the
child to them in a simple manner. They’d all contribute a couple of drops of
blood to a potion, then all would drink. Calli understood that this was the
best way to bond with a baby.

Their
squires opened the door for them and they entered the dim coolness of the
Temple, redolent with incense rising from censers—an oddly fresh scent that
seemed like new clover, fresh-mown grass and a mountain breeze. The little girl
took her thumb from her mouth and raised her head, sniffing. Then she craned to
look at the large space and smiled. She leaned back in Marrec’s arms to clap
her hands…and hum.

Everyone
stared at her as her small voice matched one of the background tones of Power
stored in the rafter crystals.

Luthan
stood by an altar in the center of a shining golden star, and the rest of
Calli’s friends waited just outside a circle of the same color. He nodded to a
wooden screen partitioning a portion of the room. “You may disrobe over there.”

Calli
tensed, she hadn’t realized that this was going to be a nude ritual. She
glanced at Marrec, but he only raised an eyebrow. But she was all too aware
that this very first instruction tested her desire to adopt the baby. Marrec
set the child on a padded leather table and she promptly stuck her thumb back
in her mouth and watched as they undressed. Calli folded their good robes as
Marrec freed the baby from her diaper and dress. Once again he lifted her and
held out a hand for Calli. She linked fingers with him and breathed deeply. He
looked aside from her, the trickle of his personal Song suppressed, his face
stern.

“Marrec?”
she whispered.

I
do not want to display any…desire…for you.

Well,
something about nudity they finally agreed upon, though the coolness of the
Temple had already tightened her nipples. The first thing that sprang to
Calli’s mind was the simple “I love you.” But she didn’t know how he’d react
and this was so not the time or place to say that. She scrambled for the phrase
that had become the basic resonance between them. “We will do this together.”

His
gaze softened, then his mouth firmed and he jerked a nod, squeezed her hand and
they left the privacy behind the screen with measured, matching steps.

Luthan
beckoned them to enter the pentagram along one point of the star and they did.
To Calli, their footfalls accompanied their bond Song.

“Place
the baby on the altar,” Luthan said. His voice boomed through the Temple,
magically amplified.

Marrec
had to pry the little girl’s arms from around his neck, but soothed her…and
Calli saw how he slid his mind against hers. Once on the altar the infant
hunched into herself, watching everything with wide eyes, hands curled in front
of her mouth. She’d stopped singing and that was a real pity.

“What
are your intentions toward this child?” Luthan asked.

“To
adopt this baby and make her part of our family,” Marrec said.

Luthan
turned to Calli. “You agree?”

“Yes.”

He
narrowed his eyes. “You are both fighting Chevaliers.”

Marrec
nodded. Calli thought everyone needed more explanations. “I am the Volaran
Chevalier, and I will finish whatever the specific task I have been Summoned
for, but I consider my true goals in life to be teaching volaran partnering to
volarans and people.” She inhaled, continued firmly, “My personal goals have
always been to have a husband and family.” She licked her lips. “The Song would
not have Summoned me here if my priorities weren’t…um…acceptable to…it.”

A
huge volaran Song comprising of all the winged horses in the Castle swept the
room.
She is the Volaran Exotique. She is the Protector of the Flight. She
will teach all what it means to fly with us.

Luthan’s
well-formed lips lifted in a slight smile. “The Singer agrees and has blessed
this adoption.”

Calli
shifted from foot to foot. That was quick. The Singer lived far to the south in
an abbey. Had she sent instructions or was this an instance of one of her
prophecies being fulfilled?

“Very
well.” Luthan sent a glance around the circle. Then held the naked baby high,
spotlighted by a shaft of bright sunlight. She tensed, then eased, lifted her
face to the sunshine, waved her hands and kicked, gurgling. “I charge everyone
in the circle to examine this child. If anyone knows her and objects to her
adoption by Callista and Marrec Gardpont, may they speak now or be denied
forever!”

Stomach
clenched, Calli kept sweeping her gaze around the group. She saw Bastien
flinch, surprise come to his eyes, frown—and she knew he was in contact with
someone. Then his expression hardened. He cleared his throat.

Luthan,
his brother, stared at him.

Bastien
said, “I have had…have touched the mind of the woman who birthed the child. She
has no objection. Now or ever.” His face turned grim.

Alexa
scowled at him.

Luthan
stiffened, cocked his head, as if he, too, listened to someone. “The sire of
this child gives her up. Now and ever after.”

A
murmur went around the group. Calli mostly sensed anger in the room, especially
now the bright light showed the bruises on the infant—little dark ones from
pinching fingers, the fading one on her cheek. But other emotions were
resignation and sheer haughtiness. She didn’t know who radiated the last and
felt spellbound in the ritual, so she couldn’t search.

“It’s
done,” Luthan said harshly. “The previous ties to the child are cut.”

Now
the baby was struggling, whimpering, stretching her arms out to Marrec. Calli’s
heart squeezed. In the quick, efficient actions of a prime warrior, Luthan
nicked a vein in the little girl’s arm and let a couple of droplets of blood
fall into a silver goblet. Then he kissed the arm and she squealed surprise.
The wound was healed…all her bruises healed.

“Nice,”
Calli heard Marian mutter. “Must be the ritual…”

Calli
swallowed and stepped forward with Marrec, holding out her right wrist over the
edge of the altar as he held out his left.

With
equal swiftness and barely any pain, Luthan had three drops of her blood mixed
into the liquid in the cup. Marrec dripped two.

Rustling
came and she saw everyone link hands. A low hum, almost below her hearing,
filled the room, reverberated.

Two
big red birds flew
through
the small dome at the top of the Temple and
alighted on the altar. They took turns stirring the potion with their beaks.
Calli blinked, but the golden sparkles rising from the cup remained.

A
wet beak touched her arm—Tuckerinal—and healed the small cut. Sinafinal had
done the same for Marrec. The birds flew from the altar to sit on Marian’s and
Alexa’s shoulders.

Luthan
handed the brew to Marrec. “Drink, three swallows.”

Nodding,
Marrec did.

Calli
felt
bubbles slide through him, making him light-headed. His Song
reached for hers, she let it settle into her. They weren’t quite as close as
they’d been when their blood had run in each other’s veins, but she welcomed
the feeling, and him.

“Pass
the cup to Callista,” Luthan said.

Calli
took the goblet from Marrec. Her fingers brushed his, they were warm and
steady. She smiled at him and he smiled back.

“Three
swallows,” said Luthan.

She
tipped the cool silver cup against her mouth, swallowed. Not a mimosa this
time, more like effervescent mint water. When she was done, she gave the goblet
back to Luthan. Pure joy spread throughout her. She grinned at Marrec, reached
for him as he slid his arm around her waist. They stood together. She didn’t
think she’d ever felt Marrec so happy.

Luthan
had set the baby down and she sat, black hair ruffled in all directions,
holding her feet, watching…and listening. Slowly Luthan put the cup against her
lips. She opened her mouth. He angled the cup. Her mouth formed a little “o,”
her tongue came out, she smiled and opened wide. Her hands went around Luthan’s
and she sipped once.

Marrec
trembled, Calli, feeling dizzier, held on tighter to him. The baby’s
Song—mostly cheerful but with a lower tone of darkness—rippled through her,
through them.

With
blurred vision, she saw the little girl rock onto her back, wriggle around
until she was sideways and stared at them with big serious eyes. She sucked on
her fist.

Luthan
propped her up in his arm, brought the cup to her mouth again. She made a face,
but opened her lips. He poured a small amount into her mouth. She hummed.
Grinned.

Love
swirled from Calli to Marrec, to the child. Love. Yearning. Determination to
nurture, to protect.

Marrec
matched, exceeded, every emotion.

The
little girl slithered out of Luthan’s grasp, rolled onto her hands and knees,
headed for them. Luthan caught her as she fell. Marrec and Calli jumped closer.

“One
more time,” Luthan said, putting the cup against the toddler’s mouth.

She
slurped loudly.

Marrec
and Calli laughed. The Songs, the auras, of all three of them flared, merged.

The
child sat, held out her arms.

They
swooped on her together. Marrec held her to his chest with one arm, Calli
sandwiched her between them.

“It
is done,” Luthan intoned. “The child is of the mind and heart and soul of
Marrec and Callista Gardpont.”

Music
rose to the top of the room, a Song that Calli had never heard before but that
spoke of love and belonging and spoke of the secrets of her heart.

Marrec
kissed the top of the baby’s head, pressed a kiss on Calli’s lips. “We’ll call
her Diaminta,” he said. “It was my grandmother’s name. It means ‘bright finch.’
And we will teach her to Sing.” His voice was husky, unsteady.

Calli
twined her fingers with his. “We already are.”

C
alli immediately
added a class in Lladranan child care, and began learning teaching Songs. Her
voice was good but thin and she’d never trained it before. She and Marrec were
always there in the morning to supervise the new nanny as she dressed Diaminta,
and they took their breakfast together as a small family. It was the best part
of the day for Calli. She spent an hour a day in the afternoon—between training
her horses and giving classes on volaran partnership—sitting in the room while
Marrec played with Diaminta. And every day he withdrew to sit behind Calli as
she rolled a ball to Diaminta. Most of the time the little girl ignored her,
and Calli would be forced to Sing the ball back into her hands, and roll it
again. But the intimate Song weaving between them, making them into a family,
strengthened.