Alora: The Portal (25 page)

“Okay. I guess we’re ready to go.” Charles tucked his notepad away.

Jireo grabbed Kaevin’s arm. “Wait. If Arista seals the portal…”

“You can still come through from the inside out.” Kaevin finished his sentence.

“You’re absolutely certain?” He posed the question to Arista.

“According to Nordamen, who’s never been wrong about anything.” Arista struggled to braid her tangled blond masses as she spoke.

“That’s not quite true,” said Alora. “Nordamen was wrong when he said Kaevin and I couldn’t be soulmates.”

“If one of us went out through the opening after Arista closed it, would it be unsealed?” Jireo’s earnest expression made Alora wonder if he was planning to do just that.

“Yes, of course.” Arista’s frowned up at her brother. “That’s the only method by which the portal can be reopened. So don’t pass through the portal after I’ve closed it.”

“I’d never undo your hard work, Arista.” Jireo exchanged a strange look with Kaevin. “Unless I was
forced
to.”

“Charles and I sure won’t force you to open it, Jireo. And no one else is in here, so I think we can safely say the portal will remain sealed.” Wesley scratched his head, lifting his brows in question.

“Very well.” Jireo held Kaevin’s steady gaze. “As long as we
understand
one another.”

“We
do
,” Kaevin returned.

It was Alora’s turn to roll her eyes. “And they say
girls
are dramatic!”

Arista pulled the door open a crack, peeked outside, and closed it again. “There’s no one about, but the portal opens above a pool of water.”

“That makes sense,” Charles remarked. “Alora was wrapped in a sopping wet blanket when we got her.”

Wesley pulled out his cell phone and snapped a picture of the portal door.

“What are you doing, Wesley?” Alora eyed the cell phone with suspicion. “You can’t get a signal, can you?”

“I was just checking to see if the camera on my cell phone works in here, and it does.” Wesley dropped the phone in his shirt pocket.

Alora gave her uncle one last hug, refusing to look in his eyes.

“Don’t forget your promise.” His voice whispered in her ear.

“I won’t. I mean, I will. I mean, I’ll remember.”

With one last squeeze, he released her, turning gruffly to rifle through one of the backpacks.

Kaevin motioned her over to the side where he stood.

“Hey Kaevin. What’s up?”

“I wanted a chance to speak to you alone before we go through the portal.” He lowered his voice to a volume for her ears alone.

“Okay.”

“I may never have another opportunity to speak to you of my love.”

“Wait, Kaevin. You know I get awkward when we talk about our feelings.”

“Alora, I really need to tell you something while I have the chance.” He took her hands in his and lifted them to his lips. “Everything I understand of myself loves all of you I’ve come to know. And exactly what you need from me is everything I want to be.”

Her heart felt warm and yummy as he drew her into his arms.

“If the worst happens today… if our lives are lost… the memory of your kiss will preserve my spirit until we’re together in paradise.”

A band tightened around her chest until she thought her heart might stop beating. Instead, it raced like an ocean wave crashing to the shore. His warm hands cupped either side of her face as he bent his head toward hers with the tenderest expression she’d ever seen. His lips pressed against hers, spurring another pounding wave. She closed her eyes, savoring the sweetness of the moment, and the thrill of his touch. He pulled his lips away, resting his forehead against hers.

“I promise to lay my life down for yours while we live, though we must lie together in death.”

“Stop it, Kaevin.” She sniffed, brushing an errant tear from her cheek. “You’re making my nose run. And I’m not good at saying mushy stuff, like you are.”

“It’s not your words I desire… it’s your heart.” He straightened, spearing her with his intense green eyes.

“Well, you’ve got it.” She dabbed at her eyes with her sleeve. “If you didn’t have it before, you’ve definitely got it now. Do you really mean that stuff? Or are you just saying it to make me feel better? To give me courage before we go through the portal?”

“You need no courage from me. You’re the bravest soul I know. And because of you, I’m a better man.”

“I’m not brave, like Arista. I’m scared to death.”

“Yet you’ve made up your mind to go anyway. To face Vindrake if you must. That’s bravery. Not lacking fears, but confronting them. If Arista’s truly fearless, then she’s foolish as well. I suspect she merely hides her dread with false bravado to bolster her courage.”

He smiled over his shoulder as Arista said her goodbyes to Jireo and Wesley. “And courage, she doesn’t lack. Let’s pray she also retains a certain measure of common sense.”

“Amen to that!”

Bardamen didn’t seem nearly as irritating on the return trip to Laegenshire as he had on the journey to the Craedenza in Glaenshire. He’d been silent and contemplative, apparently lost in thought. Raelene had been enjoying the opportunity to mull over the wealth of information she’d discovered concerning soulmates, trying to make sense of Kaevin’s and Alora’s situation. Some things the soulmated couple had experienced didn’t align with the facts as she now knew them. Perhaps Bardamen could help her solve the puzzle.

“You’re rather quiet.”
I must be insane. Why am I asking him to talk? Once he begins, he may never stop.

Bardamen lifted his shoulders. “Simply tired I suppose.”

“Would you mind if I asked for your aid? I can’t quite understand some of the problems Kaevin and Alora have experienced. I read detailed histories of hundreds of soulmated couples, but Kaevin and Alora have some symptoms I can’t explain… symptoms I once believed were a result of the soulmate bond, yet were not recorded with any other couple.”

His brows lifted. “You no longer believe they are soulmates?”

“No, they’re soulmates… of that much, I’m sure. Certain characteristics of their bond are the same as every other soulmate couple. For instance, all their gifts are enhanced beyond the level of a normal gift. They are able to sense each other and communicate with emotion, if not words. But there are some other aspects that don’t fit the pattern.”

“Now my curiosity is piqued.”

“I hope your curious mind is better at solving this riddle than mine has been. Here’s the first discrepancy. A soulmate couple should only need contact once per day to renew the soulmate bond. They should not feel weak or experience any symptoms from separation until they have been separated for at least a full sun’s cycle. Yet Kaevin and Alora often experienced headache and weakness after being separated for only a few fingers.”

Bardamen twisted his lips. “I thought their symptoms only developed when they were utilizing their gifts. Alora’s transports seem to draw a lot from the soulmate bond. Of course, there is the fact they are not married, so their physical contact is less intimate.”

“This is what we originally believed. However, the other couples were able to use their gifts repeatedly without drawing energy from the soulmate bond. In fact, only time and separation should deplete the bond.”

“It still seems possible the lack of physical intimacy is the issue. Perhaps this problem would disappear if they were married. Were any of the other soulmate couples unmarried?”

“No, that much is true. All of the other couples were married. All of them were much older, as well. In the past, the soulmate bond developed when the youngest had twenty-two years. None of the couples were separated in age by more than three years. During the period when soulmate couples were abundant throughout Tenavae, it was common to delay marriage until one acquired twenty-five years, lest a soulmate bond develop with someone other than one’s mate.”

“What is the youngest soulmate you discovered in your readings?”

“None as young as Alora and Kaevin.” Raelene chewed her lip, trying to recollect the stories she’d read. “I found two examples of soulmate bonds developing with one of the pair having twenty-one years. Perhaps there were some who were younger, but none were recorded.”

“Could their age be a factor in the draw of power on the soulmate bond?”

“I suppose it’s possible, but that wouldn’t explain the other discrepancy. Kaevin and Alora can feel each other’s pain. If one is wounded, the other weakens from that injury.”

“Is this not true of all soulmates?”

“Not a single story was written regarding shared pain or weakness. It’s a complete mystery. I simply can’t fathom the reason for it.”

“Fascinating. It almost seems like an example of an extreme gift in empathy. But that makes no sense; neither Kaevin nor Alora is gifted in empathy.”

“Great mountains! You may have it… Alora could be gifted in empathy.” Raelene’s mind churned with the ramifications of this possibility.

“But empathy is a minor gift. She would have known years ago if this were one of her gifts. It’s not a very common gift, at that.”

“Alora grew up in Montana with no knowledge of gifts. We never thought to ascertain the identity of her minor gifts because we were so concerned with her major ones. A gifting in empathy might not be noticeable as anything out of the ordinary unless it were enhanced…”

“And becoming a soulmate with Kaevin would certainly have enhanced the gift.”

“She must be open to Kaevin almost constantly… sharing her pain with him and sharing his, as well. She has no idea she’s using the gift and, by now, it’s second nature to her.” Exhilarated with this discovery, Raelene considered how to best teach Alora to control her gift.

“That could explain the shared pain and weakness, but how do you explain the power drawn from the soulmate bond? Especially in light of the fact they are sometimes weakened almost to the point of death.”

“I have no idea.” Raelene’s elation slipped away like sand through her fingers. “Why is their soulmate bond so susceptible to this draw of power? What’s different about Kaevin and Alora? How is their soulmate bond unlike every other pair with the bond?”

“Let’s consider all of the differences of which we’re aware. They are young. They aren’t married. Alora grew up in a different realm. She developed her major gifts before she had sixteen years, and she’s extraordinarily gifted. Without being conscious of it, she’s using her minor gift of empathy with Kaevin…”

“Wait… from where does Alora draw power when she uses her gifts?”

“From stone. Also from water, since her father is Vindrake. And from forest, since your husband—her grandfather—was from Forest Clan.”

“How do we know she draws her power from these sources?” A dawning knot formed in Raelene’s stomach.

“She must. Where else could she find the power to use her gifts? Did you not teach her how to draw her power when you were training her?”

“She seemed to already draw her power naturally. I assumed she was drawing from the elements so readily available around her; I never actually taught her to seek a source.”

“Obviously she learned without being taught. She’s very powerful.”

“But she never practiced drawing power from water, stone, and forest as a child. All the rest of us use the elements without a second thought by the time we develop our major gifts. What if she never learned to draw from the elements? What if instead, she drew from a different source? What if every time she uses her gifting—major or minor—she draws from a finite source rather than an infinite one?”

With each question, the expression of wide-eyed horror grew on Bardamen’s face. “The soulmate bond?”

“The soulmate bond.”

The room outside the portal
appeared to be a cave comprised of dark rock with crystals sparkling in the rounded walls. A number of torches shed wavering lights and shadows from their wall mounts across the smooth stone of the shore to dance across the surface of the water. From her perch inside the open portal door, Alora observed the water from the pool. Though the level was a few inches above the opening at her feet, the water was somehow suspended from entering the portal. A prevailing sense of doom made her slightly queasy, but nothing felt particularly close by.

“So Daegreth was right,” Wesley remarked, peering over Alora’s shoulder. “It does open right into Vindrake’s caverns. That’s not good.”

“I wonder how deep the water is?” Alora mused aloud.

“I should go first, as I’m the tallest.” Kaevin spoke behind her. “If it’s deep, it’s a short distance to swim.”

“Vindrake probably has his lair warded against transporting,” remarked Jireo. “This entire expedition may be futile.”

“You may be correct,” Kaevin agreed, “but Nordamen believes Vindrake’s wards may defend only against incoming transports. Vindrake’s protections may prevent Alora from transporting into his lair with Stone Clan warriors. Vindrake may rely on his iron belt to prevent Alora from snatching him away, rather than warding his entire lair.”

“We won’t know until you try, Alora. Your next move should be to test a short transport,” Uncle Charles urged.

“Great idea. I’ll test it by transporting from here to the shore, since I don’t mind leaving my metal knife behind.”

Kaevin nodded. “Arista and I will wait here inside the portal door. If your transport works, I’ll slide out into the water first and test the depth. Hopefully, I’ll be able to stand and support Arista when she comes out into the water. Then she can seal the portal.”

“That’s right.” With her knees already wobbling from trepidation, Alora urged, “Arista, you need to work fast, because I’ll be waiting on shore by myself. As soon as you’re done, I can transport you both to me, right?”

Arista drew her knife, the polished metal flashing in the eerie portal light. “No, don’t transport us. Kaevin and I want to keep our blades until we transport to Laegenshire. We’ll swim or wade to you.”

“We’ll be fast,” said Kaevin.

Alora smothered the fear in her gut.
I have to be brave like Arista and Kaevin.

“And we’re left hauling all the gear back by ourselves,” Wesley complained in a light-hearted voice. “You’ve got the easy part.”

A nervous chuckle escaped Alora’s throat. “Yeah, anything but hauling a heavy pack on cross country skis again. I’d rather be tortured by Vindrake.”

Her unfortunate attempt at a joke fell flat, and the group slipped into a sober silence.

Arista was the first to recover. “No use in delaying. Guards could be coming this way at any moment.”

“Okay. Wish me luck.” Alora’s armpits felt damp, though the air inside the portal was cool. Blood pounded in her ears as she took a deep breath, steeling her nerves. In an instant she stood on the shore. Whirling around, she panicked when she couldn’t see her friends.
Of course I can’t see them—they’re inside the portal.

Alora’s eyes strained to peer across the dark waters. At the back of the pool, the flickering torchlight revealed a disturbance on the water’s surface, movement, and then Kaevin’s head. He appeared to be standing rather than swimming, so perhaps the water wasn’t too deep. Still, it would be over Arista’s head. Alora felt a general nausea like she was carsick.
Hurry, hurry. There’s a terrible darkness in this place.

Arista appeared all at once, sitting on Kaevin’s shoulders. Kaevin turned until they were sideways to her. Arista waved her hands in the air a bit—or at least that’s how it seemed to Alora.

That’s all it takes to seal a portal? This is easier than I thought.
Within ten seconds, Kaevin was wading toward the shore with Arista on his shoulders. Bending to set her down in the shallow water, they splashed to Alora.

“It’s done. Take us to Laegenshire.”

Alora linked arms with Kaevin and Arista, breathing a prayer of thanks as she performed the transport to Laegenshire.

But they didn’t move.

“Now what?” Wesley stared at the weathered wood door as if waiting for their friends to return. “They’re probably already in Laegenshire by now, right?”

“I hope so,” Charles stood beside him, his eyes likewise glued to the portal door.

“They’re not in Laegenshire yet.” Jireo felt a headache forming behind his eyes.

“You should go out the other end and talk to Darielle. Let them know they’ve sealed the portal, and they should be coming any time.” Wesley stooped to gather the backpacks for conveyance back to the Yellowstone end of the portal.

Jireo nodded, but a low steady throb settled in his temples. “I’ll go out and speak to Darielle, but don’t bother to move our supplies. I can assure you, Kaevin and Alora are by no means safe, and I may have to follow them into Vindrake’s lair.”

“What are you saying, Jireo? How can you know that?” Charles’ expression clouded like a looming storm.

“It’s no matter how I know, but suffice it to say I grow more certain with each passing moment. I’ll speak to Darielle at once. And then I must return to await my moment of compulsion. I don’t wish to reopen the portal, rescinding our efforts, but I can’t let Kaevin die without attempting to intervene.”

“Are you saying they’re all going to die?” Backing up until he hit the wall, Wesley deflated to the floor.

“They know the layout of the lair from Daegreth’s drawings. At least we have that to our advantage.” Jireo tried to cheer himself as well as Charles and Wesley. “For whatever reason, they haven’t transported to safety, but perhaps they can find their way outside.”

“Are you getting all of this from that blood-brother thing Alora was talking about?” Charles squinted his eyes.

“Blood-brother thing?”

“Yeah. That thing you did when you were kids and you did some kind of blood ceremony.”

“Yes. I’m afraid Kaevin and I are bound, though the oath was a childish prank.”

The muscles flexed on Charles’ jaw. “If you ask me, you people in Tenavae get bound together all too easily. If you’re ever bleeding around me, I’m gonna back a long way off, or we might end up married.”

“It’s not working! It’s not working!” Alora’s breaths came rapid and shallow, and her head swam.

“Be calm, Alora.” Kaevin craned his head to inspect their surroundings. “Vindrake must have specific wards to prevent transporting to the outside of the caverns.”

“What now? Where do we go?” asked Alora.

“If only Jireo were here to lead us. With his gift in direction, we’d find our way without a single wrong turn.” Kaevin stooped to squeeze the excess water from his pants.

“You’re like every other fellow, Kaevin, believing only men are gifted in direction.” Arista grinned with a nod of her chin.

“You? You have the gift as well?” Kaevin’s voice held more joy than incredulity.

“I have the gift,
and
I’ve seen Daegreth’s map. But from here, the only exit is guarded, unless we escape through Vindrake’s chamber.”

“Nothing else to be done, then. We’ll follow you into the viper’s pit.” Kaevin kept his tone light and steady, but Alora could sense dread building in the depths of his stomach, almost as great as her own.

Arista led them to a dark alcove, pressed her ear to a heavy wooden door and whispered, “Vindrake’s quarters are beyond this door.”

“I’m certain I’d feel his presence if he were that close,” Alora whispered.

With a nod, Arista opened the door, which moved without resistance to her touch. Slipping inside, Arista closed the weighty door behind them while Kaevin set out quickly toward an ornately painted door on the opposite side of the room.

Alora shivered at the vile essence in the stark, cold room. Though the walls appeared to have been hewn from granite and polished to an impervious gleam, she felt malevolence as if it oozed from pores in the rock. The walls and ceiling were covered with intricate paintings in vivid colors, scenes of strange creatures sporting massive horns and sharp claws. On the far end of the cavernous chamber, the ceiling arched as high as a three-story building, and a single demonic horned image dominated the wall space. Centered beneath the arched dome sat a huge table with a stone top so massive she wondered how it had been moved into the room. Perhaps it was simply carved in place from a piece of granite wall.

“Ah! The chest… the one Daegreth mentioned…” Arista fell to her knees behind the sturdy iron bed, sliding the lock off and lifting the lid, water puddling on the stone floor around her.

“Come, Arista!” Kaevin hissed, pressing his ear to the painted door. “Don’t be foolish—time is of the essence.”

“But look, here’s a fancy jeweled sword, and a carved wooden box filled with some kind of powder, and a scroll with weird lettering.”

“Put those things back the way you found them, Arista. We may need to hide in the caverns. We don’t want him to know we were here.” Alora tugged at her arm, but Arista jerked it away.

“Won’t he be suspicious at the puddles of water we’re leaving behind?”

Alora cringed at the truth of her words. The puddles were like a homing beacon. Vindrake could easily follow their trail. She pulled off her coat and fell to the floor, in a mad attempt to sop up the watery tracks.

With stubborn persistence, Arista inspected the chest’s contents. “I’m almost done. I only want to take one thing. He’ll never miss it.”

Alora cried out as a wave of nausea struck, bringing bile to her throat. “Kaevin, it’s Vindrake! I think he’s coming!”

Kaevin drew his short sword, jumping back from the door as it swung open. The face that appeared wasn’t Vindrake’s, but instead that of a gigantic hulking warrior, fully seven feet tall. With a single stride he crossed to Kaevin, who backed away, the reach of his blade no match for the huge spiked club in the giant’s hand.

The hulk hefted his club overhead, bringing it down in a deadly arc aimed at Kaevin’s head. But as the club descended, Alora transported Kaevin to her side, and the club continued its path to crack against the stone floor. Lifting the massive club to attack again, the giant trained his eyes on Alora. Kaevin moved toward him, crying out to draw his attention.

I hope he’s not wearing an iron belt…
Alora attempted to transport the warrior to the ceiling above the table. At his scream of terror, she knew she’d been successful. She watched him fall, a surreal flailing image that reminded her of a low-budget movie, but she squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away before he thudded against the stone table, silencing the shriek.

“Alora! Look out!”

A steely grip closed on her wrist. Cold blue eyes. Sleek black hair. The reek of evil. Vindrake.

“
Alora
, how nice of you to come. Thank you for killing Barggae. I would’ve done so myself, as a punishment for attempting to kill Kaevin when I’d specified I wanted both of you alive, but now you’ve saved me the trouble.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Or perhaps you’ve robbed me of the pleasure.”

Her gaze darted to Kaevin, whose eyes mirrored her own horror, as three warriors bound his hands behind him.
And Arista? She must still be crouching behind the bed.
Ignoring her father’s droning voice, Alora concentrated on Arista, transporting her to the middle of the bathing pool.
At least it was a soft landing if it worked. The portal is sealed, but she might have a chance of escaping if they don’t know she’s here.

Vindrake’s voice was louder, emphasizing his words with a jerk to her wrist.

“Do not disregard me! I asked you a question!”

Alora was surprised as a deep calm settled over her, slowing her racing heart.
Yes, Uncle Charles, I’m going to fight.
She locked eyes with the man who was her genetic father, lifting her chin, but she found no kinship in his icy gaze. “I’m sorry, I must have been daydreaming. Could you repeat the question?”

His eyes narrowed, and he spoke through tight lips. “I know you came through the portal. I want to know how you found it. Is gresses your minor gift?”

Alora shrugged, buying time as she worked out a way to speak around the truth. “You shouldn’t be so surprised. It was my mother’s minor gift.”

“I’m not surprised… I’m delighted. Just another talent at my disposal.”

“My gifts will do you no good once I’m dead.”

“Oh, you will not die, my dear.” His lips pulled back in a sneer.

“I’ll never take your oath of fealty if that’s what you think.”

“Oh, no. I’ve already learned from my past mistakes. The bloodbond destroys the bearer’s gift, rendering him or her powerless. Useless. You won’t take the bond…”

He leaned close to her ear, his putrid breath assaulting her nostrils, a stark contrast to the terrible beauty of his handsome face. “But rest assured, Kaevin will.”