Quest for the Moon Orb: Orbs of Rathira (31 page)

“Yes, we are,” Zakiel said.  “Another two weeks of desert, then a week through the mountains to the Kytherian Sea.  From there, a few days to the Sirelina.” 

“Oh,” Karma said, disappointed.  “I did not realize we still had that far to go.” 

“Just over three more weeks,” Zakiel said.  “The journey to the sea has never been made in less than five weeks, and the usual time is six weeks.  We are doing very well.”

 “I am glad we’re making better time than expected,” she said, reminding herself again that this was Rathira.  There was no reason to share her worries about time when there was nothing to be done about it.

“Is that all you wanted to ask me about?” Zakiel asked, sensing there was more to her request for his attention than a time line.  She could have asked for that in front of the Hunters.

“I wanted to discuss Tomas’s comments,” she said.

“You heard him?” Zakiel asked.

“No, I didn’t, but Nikura did.  He told me what Tomas said.”

Karma’s eyes widened and she froze, staring at something over his shoulder.  He spun around, drawing his swords as his eyes searched for danger. 

“No, Highness, there is no threat,” Karma said in a shaky voice.

Zakiel turned to look at her, frowning at her pale face and tense posture.  “Something has startled you.”

“Yes, that’s true,” she said, attempting to smile with trembling lips.  Her eyes shifted to something beside him and he followed her gaze, but there was nothing there.

“Yes, I am Lady Techu,” she said, bowing slightly at the empty space.  “May I ask your name?”

Suddenly, Zakiel understood.  He returned his swords to the scabbards at his waist and moved so that he was standing beside, and slightly behind Karma as she stood quietly, listening to whomever was speaking to her.  He was not surprised when Nikura trotted toward them out of the firelight and sat down on Karma’s other side, his head at her hip.

“How will we know when to turn west?” Karma asked.  After listening for another few moments, she said, “I ask that you remain while I speak with Prince Zakiel about this.”

Evidently the entity she was speaking to agreed as she turned to look at Zakiel, one hand going to Nikura’s head, her fingers sinking into his fur as though for comfort. 

“Highness, I am speaking with a woman called Zabeth, the Cadusar, or shaman, of the Chya people from ancient times,” she said.  “First I need to know if you want me to use the Ti-Ank so that you can speak with her yourself.”

Zakiel knew that what she really meant was would he believe she was talking to the dead without proving it.  “That is not necessary, Lady Techu,” he said.  “Please preserve your strength.  I will not doubt you.”

“Thank you,” Karma said, the corner of her mouth turning up in a tiny smile.  “Zabeth says that if we continue on our present route we will arrive at our destination far too late.  She says there is another route across an inland sea that will cut more than three weeks from our journey.”

“I have heard of this sea,” Zakiel said, frowning.  “Unfortunately, the people who live there do not welcome strangers.  Even if we were able to avoid them, we have no means of crossing the sea once we reach it.”

Karma turned back to face the woman he could not see and listened for another moment.  She nodded and bowed. 

“We thank you, Cadusar Zabeth, for your assistance,” she said. 

A moment later she sighed, and Zakiel knew that the apparition was gone. 

“Zabeth said that her people, the Chya, will take us across Savu,” Karma said.  Zakiel caught the hint of uncertainty and raised his brows in question.  He was pleased when she didn’t pretend not to notice.  Karma was always straight forward and unpretentious, one of the many things he loved about her. 

His heart skipped a beat and he swallowed hard.  Love? he wondered.  That he cared about her, admired, respected and greatly desired her he had finally admitted to himself.  But love? 

“She said that the Chya will test me to be sure I am truly Lady Techu,” Karma continued, unaware of Zakiel’s distraction.  “Once they are assured, they will take us across Savu.  From there, it is only one day to the Sirelina.”

“Do you believe her?” Zakiel asked, forcing himself back to the subject at hand.

“Yes, I do,” Karma said. 

Zakiel looked at Nikura, who met his gaze unblinkingly for a long moment. He bowed his head in a slow nod. 

Zakiel turned and led the way back toward his tent, gesturing to Bredon as they walked.  By the time they reached the main camp fire, Bredon, Garundel, Tomas and several other Hunters awaited them.  “Lady Techu has been given information from the Beyond,” he said abruptly, shocking the men as he intended.  All eyes went to her, making her uncomfortable, but she met them calmly.

“What information, Highness?” Sir Bredon asked.

“We are to go to the inland sea called Savu, and petition the people who live there to ferry us across,” Zakiel said.  “This will save three weeks from our journey, a period of time that is, evidently, critical to our success.”

“No one who has gone to that sea has ever returned, Highness,” Garundel pointed out, not as an argument, but as simple information.

“I know,” Zakiel replied.  “The Chya will test Lady Techu.  Then they will assist us.”

“What if she fails?” Tomas demanded.

“If I fail, we all fail,” Karma said, meeting Tomas’s belligerent gaze without flinching.  “However, if we continue on our current path, we will arrive at our destination too late, and so will fail anyway.  There is no choice.”

“We might arrive too late, but at least we will still be alive,” Tomas retorted.

“This is not my decision to make,” Karma said.  “Please excuse me.” 

She turned and walked away from the group without a backward glance, the men watching her until she faded into the darkness.  Zakiel realized that she still wanted to talk to him further, otherwise she would have returned to her tent.  He turned back to his men and addressed Bredon.

“If we arrive too late, our world as we know it will die.  We will change our course,” he said. 

“It will be done, Highness,” Bredon replied with a bow. 

Zakiel met Tomas’s angry gaze. “Anyone who disagrees is free to turn back.  He will take enough water for himself and one mount to return to the oasis.  From there they are on their own.  I make this offer only because you are all here by choice.  Anyone who does not take this chance to leave in peace will earn much harsher measures should they argue with my decisions from this moment on.”

Zakiel turned and followed after Karma, very afraid that if he had to listen to Tomas say one more word he would kill the man and be done with him.  Cousin or not.

Chapter
15

Zakiel caught up with Karma just beyond the edge of the flickering light thrown by the torches in front of his tent.  She stood with her face tilted toward the stars, Nikura by her side, her back to him.  He suddenly realized how small she was.  Her personality was so bright and bold that, for some reason, he had never really thought about her physical size. 

He’d held her in his arms, more than once, and knew that she was almost petite with slender limbs and delicate bones.  She was strong, though, and fast.  He had sparred with her several times now, and greatly respected her skill and battle instincts.  But why had he not realized before how finely built she was?

“I apologize for Tomas,” Zakiel said gently as he stepped around her.  “I assure you, his thoughts are his own, and are not shared by anyone else as far as I am aware.”

“I know that, Highness,” she said.  “But I think that what he said to you earlier today may have some merit.”

Zakiel frowned, wondering if she were teasing him as she so often did.  But no, her expression was serious.  “Please explain.”

“The demons are after the Ti-Ank.  There is no reason for so many men to risk their lives to protect the Ti-Ank when I am capable of using it to protect both myself, and it.”

Zakiel bit back the words that instantly rose to his lips, and forced himself to think before speaking.  Karma was not a fool.  So why would she say such a thing?  He studied her face for a long moment, realizing with some surprise that she meant exactly what she’d said.  She was worried for the men.  

“Lady Techu,” he said, choosing his words carefully as he spoke, “Have you considered your importance to Rathira?”

“
My
importance?” Karma asked in surprise. 

“Yes,
your
importance,” Zakiel said.  “Without you, we have no hope of saving our world.  You are the single most important person on all of Rathira right now.”

“I don’t like the thought of anyone dying because of me,” Karma said.  “I am not sure I could live with that.”  Suddenly Karma gasped in shock, a wave of horror racing through her with such force that she fell to her knees in the sand.

“What is it?” Zakiel exclaimed, his eyes searching for the cause of her sudden distress.  Seeing nothing, he wondered if another apparition had appeared.  But Karma’s head was bent, her eyes on the ground before her, not an empty space as before.

As he watched, she began rocking back and forth, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, gasping as though she couldn’t breathe.  He went to his knees in front of her.

“Karma, please,” he said, not realizing he was using her name.  “Tell me what is wrong.”

“You died,” she whispered hoarsely.  “That was what I couldn’t remember today.  You died.  I was there, and I tried to stop it, but I was too late.  You
died
.”

Zakiel placed his hands on her shoulders and shifted closer to her, then pulled her body against his own.  She leaned her forehead against his chest and sobbed, her entire body shaking with the intensity of her grief, her tears soaking his vest.

“I am fine,
valia
,” he said softly as he held her, stroking her back soothingly.  “Do not cry so, you will make yourself ill.  I am not dead, I am right here, holding you.”

He repeated himself over and over, keeping his voice gentle though her tears made his heart ache.  He had not imagined she could care so much for him as this, and a part of him rejoiced in that knowledge, which in turn made him angry with himself for feeling joy in her pain.

Eventually her sobs subsided, her trembling eased, and she seemed to be breathing more normally.  She raised her head to look at him, but did not pull away from him as he expected her to.  “I know it was not a dream,” she said fervently.  “It happened, I am sure of it.”

“Yes, it happened,” he agreed in a whisper.

“How is it that you are here?  I don’t understand.”

“My father told you of the Vatra, didn’t he?” he asked, keeping his voice low and gentle.  He had long since decided to ignore the possibility of them being seen.  It was full dark now, but even if it weren’t, it would take more Hunters than were here to pull him away from her now when she needed him so much.

“Yes, he told me the story of the Fire Bird and the Tigren,” Karma replied slowly. 

Zakiel waited, giving her time to work through it.  It did not take her very long.

“So you will become the Fire Bird now,” she said. 

“Yes,” he said.  “I do not know much of what will happen, other than the fact that I will eventually be able to shift into the Vatra.  Does that disturb you?”

“Not at all,” she said.  “I care only that you are here, now, alive.  I hate that you had to die for it to happen.”

“I am sorry you had to see that,” he said.

Karma sighed softly and lowered her head to his chest once more. “I am sorry that you died, Prince Zakiel, but I am happier than I can express that you returned.”

Zakiel held her close for another few moments, then leaned back and placed one finger beneath her chin, urging her to look up at him.  When she did, he wiped the tears from her checks with gentle fingers.

“I would be most honored, Lady Techu, if you would agree to call me Zakiel,” he said.

“Only if you will agree to call me Karma,” she replied with a watery smile.

“Agreed,” Zakiel said, brushing a stray lock of hair from her cheek.  “I know that this is entirely improper of me, but having died once without ever having kissed you, I find the possibility of repeating the experience haunting.”

Karma’s heart skipped a beat, then began racing.  “I’m afraid I might not be very good at it.”

“Why not?” he asked, his eyes glued to her lips, the tiny dent in the center of her bottom lip so enticing he almost forgot himself and kissed her without her permission.

“I have never done it before,” she whispered.  “I am willing to learn, but only if you are willing to teach me.”

Zakiel smiled then lowered his head the brief distance between them and brushed his lips lightly against hers, back and forth, before using the tip of his tongue to stroke that tiny, deliciously intriguing dent in the center of her bottom lip at long last.  He groaned softly, then held himself still for several heartbeats to etch the moment into his memory forever; the warm, velvety softness of her lips against his, the sweet, first taste of her on his tongue, the soft sound of the breath catching in her throat as his mouth touched hers, the gentle scent of lavender on her skin, the shining stars in her soft gray eyes as they fluttered closed, the long dark lashes lying against her cheeks, the thrill of excitement that raced through his body, followed by a wave of heat that caused him to harden so quickly and so intensely that it caused an exquisite pain unlike anything he’d ever felt, and never wanted to forget.