Desert Rising (23 page)

She couldn't picture Kadar as a father. She felt a pang, realizing she was going to be an aunt. An absentee aunt. She thought about her own aunts, so important in her life, like second mothers. She wanted Kadar's baby to have an aunt like that. But Sulis would never be a part of Kadar's new life, never really know his beloved and children and grandchildren. The Temple was her family now.

Sulis suppressed the thought. She had made this choice against all others, and she wasn't going to look back and doubt. This had to be the right choice. She bent her head to the text and knuckled her eyes, banishing the tears that threatened. The Ceremony was in a month. Then she would be an acolyte, and her new life would truly begin.

S
ULIS FINI
SHED THE
last stitch of her tunic with a sigh and tied off the end of her thread. It was a lovely spring day, and she was sitting on a bench in Ivanha's courtyard. Done, and just barely in time. The Ceremony was now two weeks away. She'd finally memorized the prayers and words she would have to say, but she had put off the hated sewing until last-­minute panic set in. There were a ­couple of dark spots on the seams where she'd pricked her fingers, but all in all it wasn't a bad job.

Compared to Joaquil's, of course, it was a disaster. Joaquil had finished a week ago, and her shift had frothy white lace around the hem, the neckline, and the sleeves. She'd fitted a bodice to show her form, and every inch of the fabric was covered with intricate embroidery. Hers was a totally different creature than Sulis's simple shift. While Sulis's robe looked like something a prison inmate would wear, Joaquil's looked like she could wear it to a wedding and not be out of place. Even Alannah and Lasha had fancied theirs up with eyelet lace on the sleeves and subtle embroidery on the neckline and hem.

Sulis held the shift up delightedly to show Lasha, who'd come up the path. “Look, it's finally done!” she exclaimed.

Lasha smiled but seemed distracted. “Great. Listen, I need you to come to the healers with me,” she said.

Sulis grimaced. “I've got a lot to do, finishing stuff up before the ceremony.”

Lasha looked around, and Sulis followed her gaze to find a pink-­cloaked woman standing nonchalantly within earshot of the two pledges. Lasha looked back at Sulis and widened her eyes.

“But I really need to go the healing halls,” she said urgently. “And I think you should come with me.”

Sulis nodded slowly, showing Lasha she understood. “I guess I haven't been there in a while,” she said for their listener. “And I did want to thank them for helping me recover. Let me put this inside, and I'll join you at the entrance.”

Sulis's excitement mounted as she stowed her shift and pulled on her walking boots. The healers must know something about Kadar, she thought, if they wanted her to come. On the road, she practically skipped ahead of Lasha, who hissed at her to slow down and pointed out that there was a soldier following them. Sulis slowed to a more dignified pace.

They reached the healing hall about midafternoon, and it seemed that one of the healers had been waiting for them.

“Ah, Lasha, Sulis, here to help out?” she asked. “Sulis, why don't you help with some of the cleaning? Lasha, come help me with some of the patients.”

Sulis wrinkled her nose at Lasha. Lasha bent close to her while she picked up her mop.

“It's a distraction for our watchers. You'll see. The watchers give up when pledges are doing things like cleaning. Just be patient.”

Sulis began to run out of patience as the afternoon dragged on. The last of the hall was mopped, and her hands were wrinkled from dishwashing. “When?” she demanded of Lasha, as they passed in the hallway.

“Soon,” the other girl answered. “I think our red-­cloak just got bored and left.”

Shortly after, Aryn's Ranger swept into the hall with several acolytes dressed in leathers. “We're here for volunteers to clean the Hasifel stables,” she announced.

Lasha grabbed Sulis's arm, and they walked out to join the small crowd of helpers in the yard. The acolytes and helpers closed around them, and Sulis was surprised to see Joaquil among them.

She nudged Lasha. “What's she doing? I thought she didn't like horses.”

Lasha laughed as they started down the road. “No, but the rumor is that you have many handsome cousins.”

Uncle Tarik stood in front of the stables, talking to the Ranger. Sulis started to go to him, to ask him how Kadar was, but Lasha put a hand on her arm to remind her not to draw attention to herself. As though sensing her gaze, Uncle Tarik looked over. He winked, the sun lines around his eyes crinkling in amusement.

The stables were a series of long, low stalls that opened into the courtyard. In case of fire, each section could be cleared easily. Sulis's cousin Abram handed out shovels and rakes with a gleeful expression on his face. He hesitated when he saw Sulis, suddenly shy. They'd only met once or twice in her life, and the last time had been last spring, when she had run off to the Temple.

“Da says you can clean out the stalls by the house since you can handle the stallions, and that's where they are,” he mumbled to her.

That was interesting, Sulis thought—­Uncle Tarik had known she was coming. Lasha followed her, but Sulis had her wait outside with the wheelbarrow to haul away manure after Sulis shoveled. Stallions could have a tricky disposition, and she didn't want her friend to become even shyer around horses than she already was. Sulis found Aryn's stallions to be uniformly polite, to her happy surprise. More than one looked to be of Aaron's stock. As she finished out the row, the Ranger appeared at her elbow.

“Come,” she ordered quietly, and led Sulis to the mudroom on the house. Sulis quickly washed off the stable dirt at the pump and followed the Ranger quietly through the back storeroom and up the stairs. Sulis glanced around, wishing Djinn had come with her. She hadn't seen him all morning. She wasn't sure what she could do for Kadar without Djinn's help and strength, but she supposed he would have stood out too much in the crowd.

There was a small family reunion at the top of the stairs as Aunt Raella gave her a peck on the cheek, and Uncle Tarik slapped her on the back as though she were one of his boys.

“He's in here,” her aunt said, motioning to the guest room. “He still hasn't woken up. We're able to feed him enough to survive, but he's getting thinner and shows no understanding that we are here. Farrah believes he squeezed her hand this morning,” she said, and sighed. “But that might be just wishful thinking.”

Sulis looked past her aunt, but all she could see from the door was a blonde sitting very stiffly in a chair. She pushed through the doorway and realized the reason for the girl's stiffness.

“Would you get off?” she growled at Djinn. The great cat was sprawled across the bed, taking up every bit of space that Kadar didn't. He lifted his large head at Sulis's words and flicked his tail.

“He showed up here this morning,” the woman said shakily. “We fed him some stew when he tried to steal Kadar's, but other than that, we've left him alone.”

Sulis grinned at her. “Great, you fed him. Now you'll never get rid of him.”

The woman looked rueful at the thought.

“You must be Farrah,” Sulis prompted. “I'm Sulis. Thanks for taking care of Kadar.”

“I'd know you anywhere,” Farrah said, as Sulis sat on the bed, pushing Djinn to make him step to the floor. “You have his nose.”

“Sadly, not his curls, his cheekbones, or his handsomeness,” Sulis said as she touched her brother's wrist.

“Oh, but I think you look very dignified,” Farrah said.

“Dignified. Great. Story of my life,” Sulis muttered. She splayed her hand wide on Kadar's chest. Djinn laid his head on her knee, lending her strength.

She searched for her brother where she knew she would find him, but he wasn't there. She frowned. There didn't seem to be anything physically wrong; he just wasn't where he was supposed to be. She looked in herself for the twin connection she had with him and began following it. It intersected with the connection to his child and strengthened, giving Sulis a clearer path to Kadar.

“Should I leave?” she heard Farrah ask.

“No,” Sulis said, still focused on the connections. “I'm following his child's link to him, and it's easier if you're in the room. Could you touch him, please? On top of my hand.”

The room behind her was suddenly silent, and she heard shocked whispers. With chagrin, Sulis realized her aunt and uncle must not have known about Farrah and Kadar. Farrah gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

She followed the thread down into darkness. There it was—­the barrier she'd felt from a distance. It was the cage she'd made to hold him to his body while the Herald healed him. But it had strengthened somehow, and now he was trapped by his own mind. There were some weak spots, and she battered them with her will. She could feel his presence on the other side. She tugged at the bond between them, and he responded with weak force, pressing as she pulled. She felt herself getting weaker, but she felt some give as her strength began to wane. She called for help with her mind and grasped onto a new source of strength, using it to pry open the cage enough for her twin to slip out. Suddenly, his life force filled his body, pushing her out with an almost audible thump.

Sulis shook her head, which was ringing, and regretted the movement as pain shot through her. She looked around. She was sitting on the floor, with Lasha and the Ranger kneeling beside her.

She grasped the side of the bed and pulled herself up, back onto the bed. Kadar was attempting to sit up. Farrah was alternately pushing him down and kissing him, tears streaming down her face.

“Farrah, Farrah, stop,” Kadar grated, his voice rough from disuse. Farrah settled for putting pillows behind his shoulders, so he could sit up slightly. Aunt Raella brought in water so he could drink.

Sulis just drank in the sight of her beloved twin, relief from weeks of worrying making her mute. A weight had been lifted from her heart, and she felt almost giddy.

“What happened?” Uncle Tarik asked from the doorway. “Why was she able to heal him?”

The Ranger answered for Sulis. “We've seen this occasionally in twins. Sulis was able to draw on the strength of her
feli
to make the twin bond into a cage, holding Kadar's soul in his body while our Herald healed him enough that he could live. But they were separated before Sulis could untwist that bond, make it right again. Even now, it is a little twisted, very sensitive.” She patted Sulis on the back. “For the next few months, the two of you will probably feel any strong emotion the other feels, so be warned. It can be a little uncomfortable at times.”

“How long?” Kadar asked, still trying to get his bearings. “How long have I been out?”

“Almost six sevendays, young man, which means your muscles will be weak. You still have healing bones, so that should slow you down some, but I want you to take it easy for the next sevenday.”

“We should get back to the Temple before the evening meal,” the Ranger told Sulis and Lasha. “Otherwise, ­people will get suspicious. Excellent work, Lasha, lending your strength to Sulis. You will be a credit to any deity who takes you although I must confess I hope it will be Aryn.”

Lasha turned pink with delight and followed the Ranger out the door, leaving Sulis with her family.

Sulis didn't want to leave. She was finally back with the ­people who had raised her, who wanted nothing from her except for her to be herself.

She could abandon the Temple, she realized, as her mother had before her. Uncle Aaron would smuggle her to the desert, and she could live in Shpeth with her grandmother and aunt and learn to take care of her ­people. None of her ­people would blame her for the choice; indeed, they would think it was the most sensible decision she'd made since before she pledged. She met her twin's eyes. She could be a part of his life again, of his new family. They stared at each other mutely.

Djinn plunged his big head onto her lap, and she looked down, caressing him behind the ears and under the chin. His purr practically shook her whole body. She looked up at her twin again and saw resignation in his eyes.

She gave him a hug and pecked him on the cheek. “Miss you every day,” she whispered in his ears. She turned and hugged Farrah.

“It is good to have a sister,” she told the surprised woman.

She hugged her aunt and uncle. Uncle Tarik held her close for a long moment before letting her push away from him.

“The initiation is in two weeks,” she told all of them. “After a few months of training, we're allowed days off to visit, so you'll be seeing more of me soon.”

Uncle Tarik grinned at her. “I'll let Ashraf know,” he teased her.

Sulis blushed and growled at Uncle Tarik, who laughed and pushed her on the shoulder. “Get on with you, girl,” he said kindly. “They're waiting for you.”

More than just Lasha and the Ranger were waiting for her downstairs. The Ranger was giving Joaquil a tongue-­lashing when Sulis stepped into the salesroom.

“What happened?” Sulis muttered to Lasha.

“Joaquil was flirting with your cousin and didn't go back with the others. Then she mouthed off to the Ranger when she scolded her. There's no way she'll be coming back to the stables.”

The group was quiet as they walked back to the Temple: the Ranger and Joaquil were obviously still fuming, and Sulis and Lasha didn't want to draw attention to themselves. Joaquil broke off to go to the dining room between the temples of Ivanha and Voras. Sulis and Lasha continued on, intending to go to the dining hall between the temples of Aryn and Parasu to see if any of their friends were there. The Ranger stopped them at Aryn's altar.

“I'm counting on you girls not to mention this trip to anyone—­not to any of the pledges. Things are shaky right now, and though we did nothing wrong today, others could misunderstand.”