Laura Jo Phillips (29 page)

Karma took a deep breath and made her decision.

“I will do this, but I ask that you be there.”

“Of course, if that is your wish,” Lady Anne agreed.   She stopped walking and turned to Karma, placing one hand lightly on the younger woman’s arm.  “Thank you, Karma.”

Karma nodded, pretending not to see the tears in Lady Anne’s eyes.

“I hope you feel that way after we’re done.”

Lady Anne smiled and patted her lightly before starting back down the path, her pace a bit quicker now.  “Don’t worry,” she said.  “I will never be sorry that you tried.”

A little while later, Karma sat tensely on the Dracon’s patio, gazing at the beautiful garden spread out before her without really seeing it.  Lady Anne had gone into the house to get Lariah several minutes earlier, and Karma was beginning to rethink her decision.  What if, after all of this, Ellicia didn’t show up?  What if she did show up, and was angry at Karma for costing her her life?  What if Ellicia said something that made Lariah worse than she already was? 

The door opened behind her so suddenly that Karma jumped.  She forced herself to take a deep breath before turning to see Lady Anne step out onto the patio with a small, delicate woman right behind her.

Lariah was about the same height as Lady Anne, but she was far smaller in spite of her advanced pregnancy.  Her skin was so pale that the red-gold freckles contrasted too sharply with her complexion, as did the dark circles beneath her eyes.  Her long, red-gold hair was unkempt and snarly, her green eyes dull and disinterested as she allowed Lady Anne to guide her to a chair.

A gigantic dog with black and gold stripes followed Lariah out of the house and sat next to her chair, a worried expression in his intelligent eyes as he gazed at his mistress.  Lady Anne patted the dog gently before taking a seat herself.

“Karma, this is the daughter of my heart, Lariah, and her companion, Tiny,” Lady Anne said. 

“Lariah, this is Karma, one of the women that Ellicia rescued.”

Lariah looked up, a spark of interest in her eyes at mention of her sister’s name.  Karma met her gaze, watching as the spark died as quickly as it had come.

Suddenly, Karma felt more anger than pity.  Before she knew it, her mouth opened and she began to speak before checking her words with her brain first.

“Are you kidding me?” she asked.  “This is Lariah? 
Princess
Lariah?  This is the sister of the woman who risked everything to save the lives of women she didn’t even know?”

Lady Anne glanced at Karma in surprise, but she held her tongue.  What would happen, would happen.  It was out of her hands.

“I never got to meet Ellicia,” Karma went on.  “She died before I had the chance.  But I did meet the man she loved, the father of her children.”

Lariah frowned at Karma, a flash of interest in her eyes.  “I thought Harlan died before Ellicia.”

“He did,” Karma replied.  “But he didn’t let that stop him from loving his cousin, Hope, or from giving me warnings that saved her life.  Nor did it prevent him from staying with Ellicia through all of the pain she endured so that he could welcome her soul to the next plane when her body ceased to function.”

 “You spoke with him, though he was dead?” Lariah asked. 

“Yes, I have that ability,” Karma replied without hesitation.  “That’s why I’m here.”

Lariah flinched, which brought Karma up short, her anger fleeing as quickly as it had come.  She recognized fear when she saw it.   

“You have a message for me?” Lariah asked, her voice quavering, but her eyes steady on Karma.  Obviously she expected something horrible, but she would not run from it, whatever it was.

“Not exactly,” Karma said.  She shifted her gaze to the figure that was now standing beside Lariah, watching her younger sister with sad eyes, then back to Lariah.

“Ellicia wants to know why you are doing this to yourself,” she said, gentling her voice.

Lariah shook her head slightly.  “I’m sorry, I do not understand.  Doing what to myself?”

Ellicia and Karma looked at each other in surprise.

“Why have you given up on your life?” Karma asked.

“I have not given up on my life,” Lariah denied.  “Why do you ask such a question?”

“Look at yourself,” Karma said.  “Look around you, at the people who love you.  How long has it been since you’ve eaten a decent meal?  Brushed your hair?  Played with your daughters?  Thought about the babies you are soon to give birth to?  Frankly, you look like you’re at death’s door to me, and to Ellicia as well.”

Lariah’s eyes widened as one hand went to her hair, the other to her stomach.  “I don’t know what you mean,” she said.  “I’m just a little confused about something is all, and I’ve been trying to understand it.  But I’m fine, really.”

“You are not fine, Lariah,” Karma said.  “You are far from fine.”

“Lariah, you are wasting away before our eyes,” Lady Anne said gently.  “We no longer know how to help you.”

“My sister just died,” Lariah said with a frown.  “It’s normal to be unhappy.” 

“Ellicia did not just die,” Lady Anne said.  “It’s been four months now.”

“Four months?” Lariah asked in disbelief.  “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Daughter, I am sure,” Lady Anne said. 

“Lariah,” Karma said, “Ellicia asks that you tell her what you are confused about.”

“Oh, well, its nothing...,” Lariah trailed off.

“You won’t answer her question?” Karma asked.

Lariah hesitated as she began to twist her hands together.  She glanced up at Lady Anne, then back to her lap again.

“Nothing that is said here will ever be repeated, I so swear,” Lady Anne said.

“I swear as well,” Karma added.

Some of the tension left Lariah’s shoulders but it still took her another few moments to say what she needed to say.

“I don’t understand why my sister didn’t trust me to raise her sons,” she whispered.  Once she had those first words out, it was as though a dam had broke.  “She was all the family I had, as I was hers, but she chose to let other people raise them, people who were practically strangers to her,” Lariah continued, speaking more and more rapidly.  “Did she dislike me so much?  Distrust me?  I loved her, and I miss her, and I know that we were very different from one another, but I didn’t think she disliked me.  I’m not complaining about Hope, or the Bearens, they’re wonderful parents and they love the boys so much, but I don’t understand why Ell didn’t trust me.  Why she didn’t want me to raise her sons.  I just don’t understand.”

Lariah fell silent, and looked down at her hands. 

Karma looked at Ellicia’s misty form, watching as she shook her head the same way Lariah had a few moments earlier.  She knelt beside Lariah’s chair and turned to Karma.

“Please, tell her what I say,”
she asked.

Karma nodded.  “Lariah, I am going to repeat to you what Ellicia says to me now, all right?”

Lariah’s head came up and she nodded quickly.  “All right,” she said. 

Karma heard the eagerness in her voice, saw the fear in her eyes, and hoped that Ellicia was careful with whatever she was about to say.  It would be all too easy to say the wrong thing to Lariah without meaning to, and push her all the way over the edge she was teetering on.  Karma’s biggest fear.  But she was committed now.  It was too late to stop.

“Lari,”
Ellicia said and Karma repeated,
“that red hair of yours has fried your brain again.”

Lariah smiled hesitantly at the familiar words her big sister had said to her so many times throughout her childhood. 

“My decision for the children had nothing to do with you,”
Ellicia continued. 
“My sons are the first Owlfen, as you know.  In order for them to survive, the Bearens had to accept the mark of the Sentinel and agree to learn and teach the boys Owlfen ways.  This is not something that the Dracons could ever have done.  It would not have been possible for them because of who and what they are.  Even had that not been so, my sons were on Earth, the Dracons were here on Jasan.  The boys would have perished long before the Dracons could have reached Earth to save them.

“I had not thought of that,” Lariah admitted.

“No, you hadn’t,”
Ellicia agreed. 
“Like I said, fried brain. The truth is, Little Sister, I did not think of, or even know of, those things myself at the time.  I only knew, in those last few moments, that I had to do what I did.  I did not understand the reasons until later.  Lari, the Bearens and Hope were destined to raise my sons.  You are destined to play a very important role in their lives, but as their aunt, not as their mother.”

“Destiny,” Lariah said softly.  “Does nothing we want matter?  Is everything already decided and planned for us?”

“Not exactly, no,”
Ellicia replied. 
“Destiny is the path we are urged to follow with our hearts, minds and souls.  But we always have free will, and the choice to take, or refuse, any path at any time.”

“I see,” Lariah said slowly.  “I think.”

“Little Sister,”
Ellicia said
, “I admit that I often chose paths in my life that I knew were not meant for me.  But I did not do that with my sons.  They are where they are meant to be, and where they need to be.  As I am where I am meant to be.  Lari, if you do not accept these truths and return to the path you are meant to follow, the consequences will haunt you for eternity.”

“I didn’t mean to get so far off track,” Lariah said.  “I think I got lost.  That’s how it feels anyway.”

“I know,”
Ellicia said. 
“But it is now time for you to get back on track.  If you don’t, you will remain lost.”
 

“I will, I promise,” Lariah said.  “Ell, are you okay where you are?  And Mother?  Is she there?”

“Yes, Lari, I’m perfectly fine.  I’m with Harlan, and we’re happy and free of pain and worry.  Mother and Father are here as well, and they, too, are together.  We look in on you from time to time, but you needn’t worry about us.  You have your life to live, and you must return to it.”

“I will, Ell, I promise,” Lariah said.  “I love you.”

“As I love you, Little Sister,”
Ellicia replied.  She turned to face Karma and smiled. 
“Thank you, Karma.”

Karma returned Ellicia’s smile.  “Thank you, Ellicia, for saving all of our lives, and for your beautiful sons.  They are well loved by myself, and Aisling and Berta, all of us that you saved.  We will always make it our business to watch over them, and love them.”

Ellicia’s smile brightened as Harlan slowly appeared next to her. 

“Goodbye, for now,”
Ellicia said as she took Harlan’s hand.  Karma watched as they both faded away.

“They’re gone now,” she said.

“They?” Lariah asked.

“Harlan came to fetch Ellicia at the end,” Karma said.  She studied Lariah’s face, noting that there was a little color in her cheeks, and her eyes were not so dull.

“Lariah, are you going to be all right now?” she asked.

“Yes, I think I am,” Lariah said.  “I feel as though I have been living in a thick fog, and it’s just starting to clear.”

“If a time comes when you need to speak with Ellicia again, please let me know,” Karma said.  “I cannot promise that she will show up, but I do promise that I will try.”

Lariah stood up, walked the few steps to where Karma sat, leaned over and gave the other woman a hug. 

“Thank you, Karma, more than I can say,” she whispered.  “I shall never forget you, or what you have done for myself and my family.”

Karma returned Lariah’s hug, relieved that this had gone so well, and none of her fears had been realized. 

“Yes, Karma, thank you, more than we can say,” Garen Dracon said as he, Trey and Val all stepped out onto the patio.  Lariah turned towards her men and smiled, the first real smile they had seen on her face in months.  Garen hurried to her and scooped her up into his arms, holding her close against his chest as he buried his face in her hair.  Trey and Val crowded close as Lariah reached out for them. 

“Come, Karma,” Lady Anne said as she rose to her feet with a smile.  “I’ll walk you home.”

“Thank you,” Karma said, as eager as Lady Anne to give the Dracons their privacy.

“Karma,” Prince Dracon said as they stepped off the patio.  “We are forever in your debt, and you are forever under our protection.  If there is ever anything you need, or want, we ask that you allow us aid you.”

“Thank you, Prince Garen,” Karma replied.  “I’m just glad I was able to help.”

Garen, Trey and Val all bowed to her before turning as one and entering the house, Lariah still cradled in Prince Garen’s arms.

“I think she’s going to be all right now,” Karma said.

“Oh, I’m certain of it,” Lady Anne said.  “As my sons have said, so do I.  If there is anything you need, ever, only let me know.  I will be more than happy to come to your aid.”

“At the moment the only assistance I need is directions back to the guest house,” Karma said with a smile.  “I’m afraid I can’t remember how we got here.  Direction is not one of my strengths.”