Flameseeker (Book 3) (25 page)

Omari’s jaw dropped.

Kaijin pressed the locket close to his heart and
closed his eyes a moment, envisioning the portrait of his mother.
Mother,
you were always so beautiful.

“Kaijin,” Amil continued, “from the moment I first
saw you at the doorway, I knew you were my sister’s son. You look very much
like her. I am overjoyed to give this momento to you.”

Kaijin held back his tears and smiled. “Th—Thank
you, sir.”

Amil shook his head and waved his hand dismissively.
“No need for formalities. You may call me ‘uncle.’

“N—Now just one confounded minute,” Omari interjected.
“Why have you not told me about any of this before now, Father?”

Amil shrugged. “I saw no reason to. Besides, you
were only a baby when Elianee left. She wanted nothing more to do with the
family, and I respected her wishes.”

Omari, looking horrified, scooted away from
Kaijin. “I cannot believe this. I am actually
related
to him?” he
grumbled.

Kaijin frowned at Omari’s disgruntled tone.
The
feeling’s mutual.

“Cousins, to be exact.” Amil turned to Kaijin. “How
is
your mother? I heard rumors of a tragedy happening several months ago
in northern Aransiya, which was where she told me she’d gone to live.”

Kaijin felt his face go cold, and the beautiful
face from the picture was replaced by the memory of her corpse. He clutched the
locket and chewed his bottom lip. “She ... She’s dead ...”

Amil blinked. “What?”

Kaijin closed his eyes and felt a tear fall down
his cheek. He felt too weak to hold them back now. He opened them again, the
vision of his uncle a teary blur.

Amil sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.
“Dearest sister ...” he whispered.

“My parents and younger brother were taken from
me.” Kaijin paused.

Amil’s mouth hung open slightly. “Brother? So she
had another child....” He solemnly lowered his head and sighed.

Kaijin nodded and went on to tell him about
Easthaven’s destruction. “Everything was taken by a power that I’m only
beginning to understand. I am plagued with the memory of their deaths.” He
stared at Omari. “I suppose I can understand your dismay about being related to
me, Omari. I don’t think even
I
would want to be related to me.”

Omari stiffened and gave Kaijin a slightly guilty
look.

Amil straightened. “Nonsense, Kaijin. Why do you
feel this way? I can sense a great power in you. Are you unable to control your
magic? Do you not have a master?”

Kaijin carefully considered the last question. While
Jarial wasn’t really his master anymore like he had once been, the man still
had a special place in Kaijin’s heart. Kaijin sighed. “It’s a little complicated.
I had a master once but ... things changed.”
I outgrew him,
he wanted to
add, but he knew Omari wouldn’t take too kindly to that remark.

“Changed? How so?” Amil raised his eyebrows, intrigued.

Kaijin took a slow, deep breath and withdrew his
fiery necklace from within his robe. The charm steadily pulsed in time with his
heartbeat. “I am not normal, Uncle. I am what is called a Firebrand of Ignis.
However, lately, it has not been Ignis who has been speaking to me. Telling me
to destroy, tormenting my mind with riddling words. I cannot explain this
power. I do not think any mortal can.”

Omari leaned in, scrutinizing Kaijin.

“If it is not Ignis speaking to you, then who?”
Amil asked.

“Someone who once served Ignis but betrayed him.
His name is Za’thaak. Ignis banished him from the Realm of Fire to the mortal
realm. He made his new ‘home’ in a druidic orb that I inadvertently found. He began
speaking to me, posing as the voice of Ignis, and I believed. He persuaded me
to take the orb to the Pyre, though I had no idea why ... until recently.”

Amil’s attention remained fixed on Kaijin, and he
slowly stroked his beard. “What happened?”

“Za’thaak found himself a willing host to do his
bidding. He is trying to turn Ignis’s followers away from the real Firelord by
posing as Him and having them do questionable things. Vargas, his new
sychophant, is a powerful cleric of the Pyre. He almost killed me.”

Amil’s hand dropped, and he scowled. “What a terrible
turn of events.”

Kaijin nodded. “That is why I must find Vargas
before Za’thaak uses him for some other deadly purpose.”

“And you believe he is somewhere here in Ankhram?”

“Yes.” Kaijin thought for a moment. “A Dragon
named Jovi told me about a strange disturbance not far from here. Something
about ‘images in the sands’.”

“Ah yes. A peculiar phenomenon has happened recently.
None of us were able to decipher it, as that area holds divine properties.”

“Have you no priests here at the Harran?” Kaijin
asked.

Amil shook his head. “Our three priests went on a pilgrimage
to the northern province several weeks ago and are not due back for another
month.”

Omari rubbed his chin. “Kaijin, do you think Zarya
might be able to decipher it?”

Kaijin nodded to him. “I was just thinking the
same thing. We should ask her.”

“Wonderful.” Amil clapped his hands together.

“Uncle, do you think you might be able to locate
Vargas with a spell?” Kaijin asked.

Amil picked up his goblet and held it out to one
of the servants. The young man quickly refilled it and went back to standing
beside the boy by the exit. Amil swirled his cup while he thought for a moment.
“I am certain I can.”

“Great,” Kaijin said. He wanted to say something
more—about speaking to Tachus and about Ranaiah—but held his tongue.
I
shouldn’t mention it in front of Omari.

“But we can do all that tomorrow.” Amil downed his
drink and got up from his cushions. “It is getting late. Best you both rejoin
your friends for a while and then get some rest. We shall begin early tomorrow,
after breakfast.”

“Thank you, Father. I shall see you in the
morning, then.” Omari rose, and Percival crawled out from under the table and up
him and settled on Omari’s shoulder.

Kaijin also rose and began following Omari to the
door but stopped and turned. “Uncle, may I speak to you about one last matter?”

Omari spun around. “Kaijin!” he growled. “He dismissed
us. No more questions!”

With a smile, Amil raised his hand, silencing his
son. “It is all right, Omari. We may speak for a few more minutes.” He
dismissed the servants, as well, and beckoned Kaijin closer.

Omari sneered. “Very well,
Father
.”
Sulking, he swept out the door.

Once the doors closed, Kaijin approached Amil and
lowered his head.

“What do you wish to discuss, Kaijin?” Amil asked.

“I ... uh ...” Kaijin swallowed. He fidgeted and
felt the
shak’ha’s
stare bearing down on him. “About Tachus. I wish to
find a way to speak to him, if possible.”

Amil raised his eyebrows. “Whatever for?”

Feeling a lump in his throat, Kaijin swallowed
again. “I must speak to him on the matter of ... his sister.”

“Ranaiah?” Amil tilted his head and thought a moment.
“Ah yes, the poor thing. I always felt sorry for her, getting caught up in all
of this. She was such a beautiful, sweet girl.”

And still is,
Kaijin wanted to add.

“Last I heard, she ran away, left the country. Not
sure where she is now. But what matter in particular are you speaking of?”

“Tachus knows where she is, and he has conspired
to have her forcibly brought back to Ankhram,” Kaijin said. “I want to try to
reason with him, convince him to leave her alone because she is happy where she
is.”

Amil snorted. “Good luck, my boy. Tachus is more
stubborn than a camel. Though I am curious. Why have you interest in these
affairs?”

“Because ...” Kaijin took a deep breath, feeling embarrassed
and nervous. “I love her.”

Amil’s eyes widened, and his smile grew. “Truly?”

Kaijin nodded slowly.

“Why, this ... Aside from my son’s return, this is
the best news I have heard in a long time!”

He patted Kaijin’s shoulder; Kaijin stiffened, startled
by the touch.

“There
is
hope after all!”

Kaijin quirked his eyebrow at the man. “What do
you mean?”

“Do you not see? You, Kaijin Sora—descendant of
the Batsuyou bloodline—in love with Ranaiah Beshara. Your union would be the
very thing to bring peace between our families.”

Kaijin’s jaw dropped.
Union?
“W—Wait a
minute, Uncle. It’s not like that. I mean—”

“Not like what? You said you loved her, did you
not?”

“Yes, but—”

“Then the two of you should marry.”

“But—”

“You are correct in that we will need to discuss
this with Tachus Beshara. I will arrange for us to set out to Zebi in a few
days. And perhaps this will also give us an opening to speak to him concerning
Omari and Saris.”

Kaijin was speechless. He looked down at his feet
with confusion, but Amil took Kaijin’s face in his hands and tilted it back up.
“You have made me proud, Kaijin. Proud to be your uncle.”

Kaijin looked up at his uncle, the man’s soft
hands cold against his cheeks. Thoughts of Ranaiah flooded Kaijin’s mind.

Amil dismissed him, and Kaijin, still shocked
about it all, left the room without another word. Miele followed him outside
the room, just as he shut the marble doors closed and landed on his shoulder. Kaijin
leaned his back against the doors, and rested the back of his head against
them. He exhaled and lifted his right hand, staring at Ranaiah’s ring on his fourth
digit.

Marry ... Ranaiah?
He couldn’t believe what
had just happened, that Amil had suggested
marriage
, of all things. He’d
never considered marriage before, but now the thought of being able to unite
with Ranaiah and be with her forever sounded heavenly. But what if she didn’t feel
the same way about him? What if she hated him for planning such things without
her knowing?

XXVI

After a relaxing bath and a hearty meal, Jarial
lounged in his quarters on his bed, thumbing through his spellbook. Sable was
curled up at his side, purring. Her warm fur soothed some of the aches in his
old body.

She lifted her head, one ear swiveling toward the
door, and she looked toward it. A knock soon startled Jarial from his reading.
Sable meowed softly and conveyed calmness in Jarial’s mind. She seemed to
already know who was beyond the door.

Oh, right. Kaijin.

Jarial bookmarked a page in his spellbook with a
ribbon, slid out of bed, and, as he shuffled to the door, assumed his youthful
disguise. The lingering aches in his old bones disappeared once his body had
taken on the new form, and his slow steps became lively strides. He opened the
door and smiled. “Hello, Kaijin.”

Kaijin smiled back and bowed his head in greeting.
“Hello, Master. I’m sorry for coming so late. I wanted to make sure I had a
chance to see everyone else, first.”

“It’s all right,” Jarial said with a wave of his
hand. He stepped forward to exit the room, and waited for Kaijin to move aside.
“I’m in the mood for a little walk to stretch these legs. And maybe explore
more of this place—or as much of it as we’re permitted. We can talk meanwhile.”

Kaijin nodded and stepped aside. Jarial shut the
door behind him and started down the corridor toward the end, where light from
the main hall had been cast.

“Everyone here seems genuinely nice and hospitable,”
Jarial began in a low tone, admiring the intricate carvings in the corridor’s
gold-colored ceiling baseboard. “I did not expect this sort of treatment, being
a ‘foreigner’ and all.”

“Well it did help that we were friends of Omari,”
Kaijin said. He paused, and Jarial could tell that he wanted to say something
further. There was probably a lot on the young man’s mind that he hadn’t the inclination
to share, and Jarial decided not to probe.

When they reached the main hall, Jarial noticed
two robed attendants—a man and a woman—leaving the library. They traveled down
a short corridor to a door. When they opened the door, Jarial glimpsed what
looked like a courtyard beyond.

Ah, now that looks like a nice place for a
stroll,
Jarial thought, crossing the main hall to the corridor.

The attendants came back through the door, the man
now holding a terracotta pot, in which a miniature desert rose plant was
growing. Its flowers had not yet bloomed. The attendants looked toward Jarial
and nodded in greeting.

“Are you two lost?” the woman asked in a polite
tone.

“Oh, no, m’lady. We were just out for a walk. May
we visit the courtyard?”

The woman smiled. “Of course.”

“But please stay on the path,” the man added.
“There are some plants out there that are toxic if you are pricked by their
thorns or needles.”

“Thank you for the warning,” Jarial said, nodding.
Probably plants used for alchemy.

Jarial waited until the attendants were out of
sight, and then he started for the door.

“Master,” Kaijin mumbled. “There’s something I
must ask you. Something that has been bothering me after that talk with Uncle
Amil.”

Jarial reached for the door handle, then stopped.
Uncle?
He spun around, staring at him in shock. “What?”

Kaijin blinked, perhaps realizing he let a secret
slip. “Ah ...” He swallowed and hung his head.

“Amil?” Jarial persisted. He looked toward the
hall to ensure no one had heard him, and then he turned and headed out the
door, beckoning Kaijin. After Kaijin closed the door behind them, Jarial asked,
“So
Shak’ha
Amil is your
uncle
?”
Maybe my ears are deceiving
me.

Kaijin lifted his head. “He is. My mother’s
brother.” He went on to tell Jarial about his discovery.

When Kaijin finished, Jarial exhaled, mostly in
relief.
It’s good to know that Kaijin found more of his family.
He began
to stroll along a gravel path that snaked through a tangle of trees and flowers,
and Kaijin walked beside him.

It was hard for Jarial to believe that they were
still in a desert, with the magically created environment that enchanted the
Harran inside and out. The fresh scents and cactus blossoms and jasmine overpowered
the courtyard as he walked. Jarial admired this place, which looked like a
botanist’s paradise. Various types of plants, some Jarial had not seen before,
grew freely, some displaying their bright colors and unique shapes.

“Uncle Amil wants to go with me to Zebi and talk
to Tachus Beshara,” Kaijin said, not seeming to pay much attention to the
courtyard’s beauty.

“Does he, now?” Jarial rubbed his chin. “Well, we
should all go. Omari and I are still looking for clues about Na’val’s murder.”

Kaijin stopped walking. “There is something else,
Master.”

“I assume it is what you really wanted to talk to
me about?” Jarial stopped as well, and he admired the perfectly angled fronds
of an exotic palmetto bush.

“Yes, Master. My uncle ... he ... He wants me to
marry Ranaiah.”

Jarial tore his gaze from the frond and gawked at
Kaijin. “The priestess at the Pyre?”

Kaijin nodded. “I don’t know what to do. I thought
you of all people would be able to offer some advice.”

Jarial scoffed. “What makes you think that
I
could offer you advice? I’m not married.”

“Well, no, but you’ve lived a long time. Seen and
experienced many things. Has there never been a time when you considered
marriage?”

Jarial gave him a warm smile and resumed walking
down the path, at a slower pace. “Not really. Most of my time was spent at the
Citadel, as a member of the Nine. After that, I was teaching you and your
brother. Marriage seemed inconsequential for someone like me.”

Kaijin frowned. “You’ve never met someone before?
Never been in love?”

“It was never anything serious.” He looked up at
the stars and sighed. “I caught the interest of quite a few girls, during my
younger years. But one thing led to another, and ... well. Things just never
worked out. But back then, I imagined I’d remain the handsome young buck I was
forever and pick up any girl whenever I wanted. I never thought that I would
actually grow old one day.”

“But you have your illusion spells to keep you
young.”

“Yes, but illusions aren’t real. And I could never
lie to the one I love. As much as I hate it, she would have to know the truth.”
Jarial crossed his arms and pinned Kaijin with a piercing stare. “Kaijin, what
is it you want me to say to you?”

With a sigh, Kaijin slouched his shoulders and lowered
his head. “I don’t know, Master. What would you do if you were given the option
to marry the one you loved?”

Jarial pondered the question. His mind drifted to
the beautiful Zarya, who seemed to accept him, despite what she knew of him.
“Well, Kaijin, if she reciprocated that love, then I would marry her. It’s
something that I would cherish forever, to know that this old man can still
experience true love.”

Kaijin lifted his head. “You’re not old, Master.
You’re just ... very experienced.” He chuckled.

Jarial rolled his eyes. “Cut the flowery hogwash,
Kaijin. I’m older than dirt.” He laughed, too.

“I care for Ranaiah very much,” Kaijin said. “My uncle
believes that if she and I were to marry, then the two families will be at
peace.”

Jarial narrowed his eyes slightly.
He was
persuaded into this?
“So that is why you truly want to marry her? Out of
obligation to stop an age-old family feud?”

“Oh, no, Master! Of course not! I love her very
much, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. She is such a wonderful
and caring woman. She truly understands me. So many others don’t.”

“Well, then. I think you have made your decision.
If you truly love her and she reciprocates that love for you, then there should
not be a problem.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. What if she doesn’t
want to marry me? What if she doesn’t love me?”

Jarial shrugged lightly. “That is the chance one
takes in the name of love. The question is: how far are you willing to go to
find out?” He paused and realized the irony in his own words.

* * *

After his walk with Kaijin, Jarial tossed and
turned in bed. Sable had long since gotten tired of his constant movement and
found a more peaceful spot, on the velvet chaise lounge by the tall window.

He lay on his back and stared up at the shadows of
the ceiling. His mind raced over the conversation he and Kaijin had had earlier
that evening.
I never thought I’d be the one to be giving Kaijin love advice.
What in the hells do I know about love?
With a sigh, Jarial sat up and ran
his hands over his smooth wrinkle-free face. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
Sable meowed from the chaise. Her ears swiveled toward the door, and she turned
her head.

Sensing concern from her, Jarial got out of bed
and approached the door, buttoning his pants as he walked. He opened the door,
but no one was there.
“What’s wrong, Sable? There’s no one there.”
He
closed the door and approached his familiar. He looked out the window, into the
darkness of night with only the stars above twinkling in the desert’s clear
sky.

Sable meowed, leapt off the chaise and padded to
the door.

Frowning, Jarial followed. He opened the door
again and Sable slipped out. She sat in the hallway and looked straight ahead,
in the direction of the main hall. She conveyed another concerned feeling in
his mind.

“Who’s out there? Kaijin? ... Zarya?”

Sable sniffed the air, and then licked her upper
lip and purred.

“Zarya? What is she doing awake this late?” he muttered,
then went back inside his room and grabbed his robe from the back of a chair
and slipped it on.
“Stay here,”
he ordered, ushering Sable back in the
room before closing the door.

Jarial hastened down the hallway, and when he
emerged in the main hall, he spotted a few servants who were up and about,
sweeping and scrubbing the floors and dusting the library. One servant, who had
been polishing a bronze nameplate on the wall, stopped and acknowledged Jarial
with a nod before resuming his work.

Jarial continued to the short, narrow hallway that
led to the courtyard. Opening the door, he was greeted with the cool, dry
desert air, sending a chill down his spine. He stared out into the courtyard
and noticed the silver-edged silhouette of a lone woman, moving along the winding
gravel path amongst the shadows of palm fronds and ivy with a familiar grace.

She stopped before a cluster of what Jarial discerned
was a certain type of primrose. She knelt down and examined one of the
tightly-closed blossoms with the aid of a small ball of light in her hand.

Jarial hurried over to her. “Do be careful,
Zarya,” he said softly. “Some of these plants are toxic.”

Zarya gasped and glanced up at him. “Oh! Jarial!”
She stood.

Jarial smiled warmly at her. “Please forgive me
for startling you, my dear. Sable sensed that you were out here. Are you all
right? What are you doing out here all alone at this hour?”

“I’m okay. I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to go
for a walk.” She half-smiled at him.

Jarial took a moment to admire her features. “I’m sorry
you couldn’t sleep. Is there something on your mind? Care to talk?”

Zarya looked away and sighed. “Since we arrived, I
have sensed a strong divine presence. It’s nothing like Kaijin’s power. This
one is much ... darker.”

Jarial arched an eyebrow. “Darker? Like an evil
god? A fiend?”

“I do not know for certain, but it bothers me. And
Kaijin asked me to investigate a circle of sand not far from here. I fear what
I might discover.” She clasped her hands together under her chin.

“Don’t worry, my dear. You will not go about this
task alone. I will make certain of that.”

She smiled warmly and unclasped her hands.

“You are important to all of us, Zarya,” Jarial
continued.
And to me, especially.
“There is much to do and we will
definitely need your help. A murderer is still on the loose, as is a rogue
priest. Both must be found, and justice must be served.”

She nodded slowly. “I will continue to pray that
we will be successful in our endeavors.”

Jarial lowered his gaze to her hands. Almost unconsciously,
his left hand drifted toward her empty one. “Should we succeed, what do you
intend to do afterward?”

She hesitantly extended her hand to his until
their fingers touched. “I will go out on my own, and perhaps explore more of
this beautiful country. I am seeking a greater understanding of myself, my
kind, and my purpose as a Celestrian priestess.”

Jarial slowly pressed his fingers against hers
until they interlocked. He smiled at their clasped hands.
I will take that
chance.
He gazed into her eyes and gave her hand a soft squeeze. “I wish to
join you, Zarya. I want to see you fulfill your dreams.”

Zarya’s smile brightened, and she inclined her
head slightly. “I would like that very much, Jarial. Thank you.” She let go of
his hand, extinguished the ball of light in her other hand, and embraced him.

Closing his arms around her, he shut his eyes,
feeling a sense of contentment. He nuzzled her snow-white hair and inhaled. He
relished the warmth and softness of her perfect, goddess-like body against his.
She is truly the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.
He took a step back
and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

Blushing, Zarya pulled away from the embrace. She
started for the courtyard entrance.