Legacy of the Blood (The Threshold Trilogy) (11 page)

Adesina walked among the stalls in the open market, viewing the
wares idly as she considered her options.

They had been in Emerald Harbor for three days now. Ravi assured
her that he had done everything he could to persuade the weather to aid them,
but they would not know for certain until they saw the results. They all tried
to use their time wisely, but it was difficult not to feel restless and
irritable.

Kendan was avoiding the group all together. He excused himself,
saying that there were many people he wanted to see now that he had returned to
the city, but Adesina suspected that there were other motives. He was angry
that they were purposefully keeping information from him, and he could sense
that Adesina was upset that he was keeping secrets from her.

Adesina had tried to speak to him privately, but he slipped away
each time. She was tempted to tie him to a chair in order to get answers. The
only thing that stopped her was an instinct that told her that it was important
to avoid too much notice.

Jahan Lirit, the bard at the inn, spent most of his free time
talking to the L’avan. He wanted to know about their history, their customs,
their goals, their lore. He was fascinated by them, and he never tired of
hearing them talk.

In fact, that was where Than’os and Mar’sal were at this moment.
They had been telling him about the adventures of Ed’mon, one of the sons of
the founder of their race. Faryl and Maizah were with them, equally interested
in the L’avan legends. Adesina had left them to it, deciding that she needed
some fresh air. Ravi had followed her, of course, but had decided to shield
himself from the eyes of others.

She had hoped that seeing more of the city would be a good
distraction from her frustration and impatience, but it wasn’t working. She
didn’t care about ribbons or spices. All she wanted was to find her husband.

Ahead of them she saw a young woman on the ground. She had been
carrying a large basket filled with dirty laundry, and it was spilled all over
the cobblestones. No one stopped to help her, so Adesina hurried forward to
offer assistance.

The woman had dark curly hair that was pulled back in a knot at
the nape of her neck, and a dusky complexion that was smudged with the dust of
the city. She looked up in surprise when Adesina knelt to gather the laundry
with her.

“Oh, you do not need to do that, miss.”

Adesina’s simple reply of reassurance stopped in her throat when
she looked into the young woman’s hazel eyes. She knew this woman.

“Deasa?”

“Adrie,” Deasa gasped, completely dumbfounded.

Before Adesina really thought about her actions, she flung her
arms around her old friend from the High City and hugged her fiercely. Her
heart swelled with joy at the strange chance that had brought them together
again.

“You are alive!”

Deasa laughed, tears streaming down her face. “As are you.”

“Are there others here from the High City?” she asked eagerly,
looking around as if to find them herself.

The dark-haired woman nodded as she made use of her handkerchief.
“Yes, there are quite a few of us here. But, Adrie, what happened to you? Some
people thought…” She trailed off, suddenly looking uncertain.

“You thought that I was responsible for the attack on the High
City,” concluded Adesina in a saddened tone.

The young L’avan had faced those accusations when she first
learned of the destruction of the High City. It had hurt her to realize that
the former citizens—some of which she had known rather well—believed her
capable of such atrocities, but part of her felt she couldn’t blame them for
being suspicious. After all, the circumstances of her arrival at the High City
had been very unusual.

Deasa shook her head adamantly. “No, I would never believe you
capable of such a thing.”

“But perhaps my people were involved?”

The young woman looked uncomfortable. “I thought you were from the
Northern Tribes.”

“I am sure that did not matter in the minds of some of the
people.”

She busied herself with gathering the laundry. “Some said…that it
had
to be magic-users. Nothing else made sense.”

Adesina helped Deasa to her feet and led her to the side of the
road where they could stand and talk. “I swear to you that I had nothing to do
with the attack. Nor did my people, the L’avan. Our enemies did it, to make it
appear that we had.”

Deasa frowned. “Why would they do such a thing?”

The young queen hesitated. “I want to tell you everything I know,
but this is not the place to do it.”

Her friend indicated her agreement. “I will take you back to our
quarter. We can talk there.”

“Your quarter?” inquired Adesina.

Deasa smiled. “We High City refugees have stayed together. There
is a portion of Emerald Harbor where we all live.”

They walked down the streets, away from the main thoroughfare.
Ravi followed close behind, staying invisible and saying nothing. The buildings
became more and more run-down, until it was clear that they were in the slums
of the city. Adesina looked around in amazement.

“Deasa, why do you live in this part of the city?”

It was clear that she was embarrassed, but she tried to keep her
voice calm and natural. “There is a lot of superstition regarding what happened
to the High City. Some say that it was extreme bad luck, others claim that we
were devil-worshippers and we were destroyed by our own gods. Either way, no
one wanted to have anything to do with the refugees. We wandered from town to
town for quite a while, always being driven away. We were finally allowed to
settle here, but we are still treated with distrust.”

“You are outcasts?” Adesina was appalled.

A flush colored Deasa’s cheeks. “Some of us are fortunate enough
to get work here in the city. I am very lucky to be a washwoman. Others travel
out to the quarries or to the mines, where there is a greater need for able
bodies.”

There was a block of buildings that seemed isolated from the rest
of the area, as if even shunned by the other outcasts. Deasa headed directly
for them.

They were spotted by a young teenage girl, who ran up to help
Deasa carry in the laundry. She had the same dark hair and dusky features, and
Adesina recognized her as Deasa’s younger sister.

“How are you, Aletta?” asked Adesina.

Aletta’s eyes grew wide as she saw the L’avan. “Adrie, how did you
find us?”

She smiled. “By accident, actually.”

Their arrival in the complex created quite a stir. Everyone
wondered why Deasa would bring back a guest, let alone a magic-user. Some kept
their distance, regarding them with distrust. Others recognized Adesina and
came forward.

The young queen noted many faces that she had known well during
her time in the High City. She saw Deasa’s older brother, Matias, and her two
youngest siblings, but she didn’t see Matias’ twin brother or their parents.
She saw Nordin, the flirtatious city guard, and Quinlan, the blacksmith. Most
importantly, she saw the three faces she had been hoping to encounter for the
last five years.

Adesina spotted her patrons, the ones who had taken care of her
during her stay in the High City. They had treated her with loving kindness,
showing her what it meant to be a member of a real family.

Tears sprang to Adesina’s eyes, and she fought them back with much
effort. Her heart felt as though it might burst. She longed to run into their
arms, but she wasn’t sure how she would be received.

Hass’s face was worn with much care, and his hair was completely
white. He was missing a leg, and leaned heavily on a wooden crutch. Jelana had
lost a lot of weight, looking frail and sickly. Fia was now a teenager, with
eyes that were ages too old. All three of them stared at her in disbelief, as
if they weren’t certain she was real.

Adesina could not imagine what they had been through over the past
five years. Their suffering was written on their faces, and Adesina read the
traces of pain as if it were her own. She cursed herself for not being there
for them, for not caring for them when they had done so much to care for her.

After what seemed an eternity, Jelana came forward with tears
running down her cheeks. She cupped Adesina’s face in her hands and whispered,
“My dearest Adrie.”

The young queen sobbed in relief and embraced her foster mother.
They didn’t blame her for what happened.

Hass and Fia also came forward, each hugging Adesina fiercely and
expressing their joy at seeing her alive.

“What happened to you, child?” asked Hass. “We thought you lost
forever.”

They sat her down on a stool—one of the few pieces of furniture
available—and crowded around her. Fia knelt at her knee, and Jelana stood
holding her hand. Hass was given another stool, due to his lost leg. Adesina’s
other friends from the High City also gathered, wanting to hear her story.

Adesina paused for a moment, wondering how much she should tell
them. She glanced at Ravi, who was keeping out of the way, hoping that he would
give some sort of indication of what she should say. He kept his expression
impassive, as if to indicate that this decision was hers alone.

She felt they deserved the truth, but what would they think of
her? Would they believe that she had nothing to do with the attack after
admitting that she came to the High City as a spy?

After a painful moment of indecision, she began her tale. She told
them the absolute truth—how she had been raised by the Shimat, and why she had
been sent to the High City. She told them about her role in the capture of her
father, and her own capture by the L’avan. She related her discoveries concerning
the truth of the Shimat order, and her decision to rescue her father.

She described the sorrow she experienced when she learned about
the fate of the High City, and how she had done what she could for the refugees
she encountered. They listened with wide eyes as she told them of the rescue
mission in the Shimat fortress, and they wept when they heard of Aleron’s
death.

“The L’avan are recovering slowly after the attack on their
homeland,” she concluded. “I have been helping them as much as I can. We recently
founded a settlement northwest of here, and that is where I was before
traveling.”

The silence was heavy. She looked at their expressions, wondering
what they thought of what she had said. Some of them appeared too stunned to
speak, Deasa and her foster parents among them.

Fia’s brow was furrowed as she spoke. “So, your name is not
Adrie?”

“No. It is Adesina.”

She reached out to touch Fia’s hair, as she had done when the girl
was a child, but Fia jerked away from her outreached hand.

“How can we know that you are not acting as a spy right now?” the
girl asked in a harsh tone.

“Fia,” reprimanded Jelana.

“It is a valid question,” defended Quinlan in a gentle voice. “The
Adrie we knew and trusted was a lie. We do not know Adesina, and we do not know
her intentions.”

The young queen was silent for several moments, considering what
she had told them. She felt that they were right to be suspicious of her. After
all, her entire time with them had been filled with deception.

“I can understand your distrust,” she replied honestly. “I would
react in the same way. I only wish for you to know that I had nothing to do
with the destruction of the High City, and that my love for each of you has
always been sincere.”

Hass placed a hand on her shoulder. “I would never have doubted
that.”

“Nor I,” added Jelana.

“Nor I,” declared Deasa. “Your history may have been a lie, but I
feel that I still truly knew you as my friend.”

A lump formed in Adesina’s throat, and her eyes became misty.
“Thank you,” she whispered.

“What now?” asked Nordin in a brisk voice. “What has brought you
to Emerald Harbor?”

She glanced at Ravi, and he inclined his head. It was safe to tell
them about her mission.

“I am searching for my husband. He was kidnapped my the Shimat.”

Jelana squeezed her hand in sympathy. “Oh, my dear child.”

“Is he here?” inquired Hass. “If so, we can assist you in finding
him.”

Adesina’s heart was warmed by their immediate desire to help. “He
was taken on a ship from here. We are waiting for another vessel with the same destination.”

“We?” questioned Nordin.

“I am here with friends.”

Deasa leaned forward with interest. “More magic-users?”

“Some,” admitted Adesina. “Along with a Tracker and another former
Shimat.”

Hass frowned. “What can we do to help you?”

She sighed. “That is the most frustrating part of this section of
our journey. We cannot really do anything until the ship arrives.”

Jelana rubbed Adesina’s hand between her own, trying to give a
reassuring smile. “All will come to right in the end, you will see. And if there
is anything that we can do, we will do it in an instant.”