Alliance Forged (33 page)

K
YMORA slid the partitioning curtain across the prayer room archway, needing the privacy contained within the small room. Her hands shook as she threaded the securing tie over the hook set into the wall. No one would disturb her with the curtain shut. She pressed her forehead against the cool stone and concentrated on taking deep breaths.

Beyond the curtain, voices began singing. Usually the sound of the acolytes practicing their devotional hymns brought a smile to her face but not this evening. Eyes closed, she listened to several verses and almost wished for the return of her days as a student. After spending the last several hours in meetings with her senior Servants, her time as an acolyte almost seemed more appealing.

With a sigh, she straightened and made her way to the small offertory set into the wall. A minute later, three Keri-blossom incense sticks burned, their sweet scent filling the room. Remaining on her knees near the shelf, Kymora reached for her amulet and bowed her head.

“
Lady of Light, Mother of Mercy
, I ask humbly that you hear your Servant.” Without warning, her throat closed tight and tears burned behind her eyes. She traced the lines etched into the amulet, trying to return to a meditative state, but the familiar action didn’t help. “I desperately need your guidance and wisdom.”

A soft breeze pushed against her robe, fluttering it against her legs, and a familiar energy pulsed against her mind. Kymora bit her lip to contain her cry of relief and tried to compose herself as the odor of incense was replaced with the lighter, refreshing scent of new-fallen rain.

“HANDMAIDEN, I HEAR YOUR PRAYER.”

“You bless me with your presence,
Lady
.” Her voice was thick with tears. “Thank you.”

“I FEEL YOUR PAIN. YOUR SOUL IS TROUBLED.”

“Forgive me,
Lady
, but I don’t know what to do.” Kymora tried to organize her thoughts, but they just kept chasing each other around in her head, tangling together and eluding any sort of order.

“PEACE, HANDMAIDEN.” The warmth of a hand pressed against her bowed head. “CALM YOURSELF. CLEAR YOUR MIND AND SPEAK WHAT’S IN YOUR HEART.”

Kymora blinked hard, her cheeks flushing with heat.
Merciful Mother
, she was behaving like a first-year acolyte. Tiredness wasn’t an excuse, nor was impatience. She inhaled a slow, deep breath, concentrating on letting the sweet, floral scent of the incense spread through her. Several breaths later, she felt calmer but nowhere near as composed as she should be. It would have to do.

“
Lady
, have I failed you?”

Kymora cringed at the way she blurted the question. Where was the control and maturity fitting of a practiced Servant? One worthy of being in
Her
presence?

“WHY WOULD YOU ASK THAT?”

She took an uneven breath, calling on her strength to speak in a
more modulated tone. “I believe I’ve neglected my responsibilities as
Your Temple Elect
.”

The hand stroking her head stopped. “IN WHAT WAY?”

“Today I met with all my senior Servants. There were several who expressed concerns that my absence from the Temple has affected my service. That my priorities threaten our ministry.” Her chest and voice tightened. “The time I’ve spent and continue to spend with the
Na’Chi
troubles them greatly. There are some who wish to leave the Temple and be posted elsewhere because of this.”

To hear three of her most senior tutors accuse her of putting the
Na’Chi
above the needs of their own people still made her heart ache. Perhaps she shouldn’t have spent so much time away from Sacred Lake living with them.

Ever loyal, Sartor had argued on her behalf, claiming he’d handled the role in her absence, yet Kymora had sensed a general dissatisfaction with her actions from others in her order even though they hadn’t spoken up. If she’d returned once a month to spend a few days dealing with matters, perhaps this problem could have been averted.

“DON’T LET THEIR LACK OF FAITH SOW THE SEED OF DOUBT IN YOURS, HANDMAIDEN.” Reassurance brushed her mind. “YOU SERVE ME WELL.”

The relief lifted a load from her shoulders. Tears forced themselves from between her lashes. “
Your
words comfort me,
Lady
.”

And they did.

Nothing mattered to her more than fulfilling
Her
will. Yet no matter how much she’d reassured the tutors of her intentions, their requests to be stationed elsewhere remained adamant.

The Temple would feel the loss of three experienced Servants. None of the acolytes were ready to take on their full-time responsibilities, and those already serving in that position had discovered their workload doubled since the
Na’Reish
raids on the border. She couldn’t ask them to take on any more.

Nor could she recall any of the Travelers. They were still disseminating information to the Provinces for the Blade Council. But to deny the Servants their requests and keep them on until she could find replacements would only create tension, and at the moment the Temple needed to remain a source of strength and harmony.

“YOUR THOUGHTS REMAIN TROUBLED.”

The soft-spoken words made her heart ache. “I don’t mean to insult the confidence you’ve shown in me,
Lady….”

“DID I NOT SAY YOU WOULD BEGIN YOUR FOURTH JOURNEY?”

“Yes.” She squeezed the amulet in her hand. “The day Varian asked for sanctuary for his people from me. My journey has begun….”

“INDEED IT HAS. YOUR HEART, YOUR FAITH, YOUR DEDICATION HAS MADE YOUR LIFE-JOURNEY… UNIQUE.” Satisfaction reinforced
Her
words. “THE PATH IS CHALLENGING, YET YOUR EFFORTS WILL REAP REWARDS.”

And there lay her dilemma. “But how am I to fulfill
Your
mandate when I’m torn between serving our people and the needs of the
Na’Chi
?”

In the silence that followed, she could hear the thumping of her pulse in her ears. Her heart lurched as the scent of fresh-fallen rain faded and the warmth of the
Lady’s
touch disappeared. Had she been too bold in her questioning?

Kymora grimaced. Did the
Lady
intend that she figure this out on her own? Perhaps that was part of her Journey. Was there someone else
She
wanted her to go to for guidance? But who?

Kalan? He needed time to heal. Causing him to worry would delay that process.

Arek was gone. Her chin trembled.

Candra? Favoring one Councilor above another would likely be
seen as a conflict of interest. More internal bickering would do more harm than good.

Varian? He had his hands full dealing with the promotion to the
Chosen’s
Second. She had barely seen him the last few days.

Shoulders sagging, she reached for her staff. Maybe sleeping on it would provide her with the answer she needed.

A breeze swirled around her; the scent of new-fallen rain once again teased her nostrils. Kymora’s heart lifted. “Forgive my audacity,
Lady
. I didn’t mean for my question to upset you—”

“BE AT EASE. YOUR QUESTION DID NOT OFFEND ME.”

She sensed an aura of deliberation. It reminded her of the time just before the
Na’Chi
had arrived in Sacred Lake, when
She’d
revealed information to her about her Fourth Journey.

Her
aura bled compassion. “KYMORA, YOU SERVE ME WHETHER YOU WEAR THE
TEMPLE ELECT
ROBES OR NOT.”

Kymora froze and the breath rushed from her lungs as the meaning of
Her
words penetrated. Her head snapped up.

“Lady?”
she whispered, her lips numb with shock. “You wish me to—to step down as the
Temple Elect
?”

No
Temple Elect
in the history of the order had ever resigned from the role. All had remained as head of the Temple until their deaths. Again Kymora sensed the
Lady’s
hesitation.

“THE ANSWER LIES IN YOUR HEART.”

Warmth flowed around her, heating her skin, then it sank deep inside her.

“YOUR COURAGE IS YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS.”
Her
scent began to fade. “FINISH YOUR FOURTH JOURNEY, HANDMAIDEN.”

Within one heartbeat and the next,
She
was gone. Kymora remained on her knees, her senses reeling. She replayed every word
spoken, every nuance uttered, every sensation bestowed upon her by the
Lady
in her mind.

“… you serve me whether you wear the
Temple Elect
robes or not.”

Was
She
asking her to abandon the role of
Temple Elect
or give up the Temple entirely? If she were fulfilling her role, why leave? What would it achieve?

Stepping aside yet to remain as a Servant would mean following the directives of the new
Temple Elect.
She could be assigned to another Province. How could she serve the
Na’Chi
if that happened?

To follow
Her
will and continue helping the
Na’Chi
, the only other option available would be to relinquish her status as a Handmaiden. Kymora shook her head as an ache filled her chest. But serving in the Temple was her vocation; she’d spent years studying and training her skills and her Gift. She couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

Without the robes of a priestess, how could she continue to serve
Her
, their people, or the
Na’Chi
? How could it benefit anyone?

“Finish your Fourth Journey.”

Her hands shook so much that it took four strikers to light another stick of incense. Would resigning be the end of her Fourth Journey? What would she do without a vocation? Who would she be?

Kymora shuddered. She couldn’t bring herself to leave the prayer room. Not yet.

Not when so much rode on interpreting the
Lady’s
words correctly, and not when her final decision would impact so many in a time when they could least afford more unrest.

Who would replace her? Finding someone could take months. The Blade Council would be left without a spiritual advisor. And how would this affect the people? They needed the security and strength of strong spiritual leadership.

Kymora wrapped her arms around herself. With war with the
Na’Reish
looming, the rebels threatening civil war, the
Chosen
almost dying, resigning now would only add to the turmoil.

Lady’s Breath
, how could she be responsible for doing that?

NODDING his thanks to the Light Blade holding open the door for him, Varian’s step slowed as he entered the
Chosen’s
apartment. The place appeared to be very similar to his: a main living area with an open archway and two wooden doors, a bathing room, and bedrooms. While his apartment remained spartanly furnished, there were more personal touches added here. A beautifully woven rug in shades of blue patterned with geometric circles lay on the floor while a variety of weapons and shields hung on the walls and several chests sat lined up beneath them.

The great fireplace to his left crackled and popped, and the scent of burning wood permeated the room. Annika crouched in front of it, stoking it with a poker. She smiled a greeting.

“Evening, Varian.” Kalan sat at a large table in the middle of the room looking a lot healthier than the last time he’d seen him in the hospice over a week ago. “Thank you for responding to my message so quickly.”

Master Healer Candra’s influence was evident though in what the human wore—boots, a loose pair of breeches, and an untucked long-sleeved shirt. No belt, no weapon.

“Welcome to our home. Not quite what you were expecting?”

Varian raised an eyebrow, unaware that he’d given away his thoughts.

“When I first arrived here, and after seeing how the
Na’Reishi
lived, I thought the leader of the humans would live in more luxurious surroundings,” Annika commented, dusting her hands on the sides of her dress. She pointed her chin in Kalan’s direction. “He
used to live in the barracks with the Light Blades before we met and claims he never got around to fancying up the
Chosen’s
apartment.”

“If you want to see luxurious, secure a dinner invitation from Councilor Elamm,” Kalan said in a dry tone.

“Pass.” Annika snorted. “That one time was enough, thank you very much.” She motioned him to the table. “We were just about to sit down for a cup of tea. Will you join us?”

As Varian approached, Kalan rose slowly from his chair, one arm supporting his side, the other outstretched in greeting.

Varian wiped his hands on his breeches, grimacing at the dirt and dust staining his clothes before he took his arm. He’d been in the middle of training with Zaune when Kalan’s message had arrived. “How are you?”

“Better.” The warrior shared a look with Annika, a touch of amber fire in his emerald gaze, a grin curving his lips. “Thanks to my personal healer.”

Annika’s answering smile was gentle. Warm. Their gazes held a moment in an unspoken communication, a look that conveyed heat and something deeper.

Nearly six months ago, Varian had watched both of them make unconditional sacrifices to save the other. After being stabbed by Davyn, Annika nearly hadn’t been found in time. Kalan had shared his blood with her, despite believing he’d become her blood-slave, something he’d long abhorred, to save her life.

Given what humans thought of the blood-addiction they suffered when the
Na’Reish
took a slave, Kalan’s ready acceptance had caught Varian by surprise and earned the human a huge chunk of respect. Until he’d revealed that information to Kalan, the warrior hadn’t realized the addiction would be Annika’s, not his.

Then after the formation of the new Blade Council, Annika had walked out with the
Na’Chi
after realizing the humans weren’t ready
for an alliance with them. She’d given up her future with Kalan, deciding it wasn’t fair to make him choose between her or his people.

Love
. The emotion that empowered and sustained both of them. Witnessing it now, the connection sparked a touch of longing and envy in Varian. He glanced away, feeling like he was intruding on a private moment.