Legacy of the Blood (The Threshold Trilogy) (39 page)

“We
will not be training with you today, Kendan.”

The
former Shimat looked at the Rashad in surprise. “Oh?”

Ravi
shook his head. “We have a different sort of training that must be done.”

Adesina
felt a flash of apprehension, but she was immediately calmed by Ravi’s
reassurance.

It
is time. We are stronger now than we were before, and it is time to master the
last element of our Joining.

It
was true that Adesina felt different than before. The past week had opened up a
world of possibilities, and she was certain that she and Ravi were only
touching the surface of their combined potential.

They
left the bemused instructor and made their way back to the abandoned lower
levels of the Henka settlement, where they would be completely alone.

Ravi
sat back on his haunches, facing the young woman he had sworn to protect.

“We
have come far in exploring our Joining and learning to use its gifts. A deep
mutual knowledge of each other has been the key. We must know each other’s
strengths and weaknesses in order to accomplish all that we wish to do.”

Adesina
indicated her agreement.

“In
that regard, I have an advantage over you.”

She
tilted her head to the side. “Is that so?”

“Yes,”
he responded. “I have a comprehensive understanding of L’avan
vyala
, and
I have had the opportunity to work closely with it throughout my life. You, on
the other hand, know little about Rashad
vyala
.”

Adesina
felt slightly embarrassed. “I assumed that all
vyala
was the same.”

“In
a way,” Ravi acknowledged. “
Vyala
is the life force of the universe, but
it is uniquely manifest in everything. One cannot expect a rock and a horse to
be identical in
vyala
.”

“Of
course,” she readily agreed.

“Do
you remember the exercise that L’iam gave you when you first began to use your
vyala
?
He taught you how to connect to the world of the spirit and to observe the
hearts and souls of those around you.”

Adesina
nodded.

“Since
then, you have learned how to use that skill in a deeper manner. Your
connection to that type of
vyala
is more functional than simple
observation. However, I would like you to repeat that exercise now. Use only a
thin stream of your power and use your gifts to observe only.”

The
young queen complied. She was aware of the torrent of power that lay just
beneath the surface of her being, and once again it chilled her with fear.
Ravi’s mind was an anchor of reassurance that all would be well, and she was
grateful for her steady guardian.

When
Adesina had first taken part in this exercise, she had noticed that Ravi was
not like the L’avan. His soul was a kaleidoscope of shifting color that dazzled
Adesina’s
vyala
-enhanced vision. L’iam had told her not to concern
herself with the mysteries of the Rashad, and said that no mortal truly
understood.

“He
was correct, in a way,” said Ravi in answer to her thoughts. “Even the Rashad
have lost much knowledge throughout the generations since we set aside
immortality. We keep no written records, obviously, and oral tradition is not
perfect.”

“You
do not understand your own powers?” Adesina asked in disbelief.

“We
know how to use our powers,” explained Ravi, “but we do not understand why they
are so different from our fellow creations. You see, everything that bears
vyala
has a recognizable tone to it. When you are viewing the world through your
powers, you are able to identify everything around you even if you cannot see
it, correct?”

“Yes.”

“You
know the location of trees and streams and birds, even though they are out of
sight.”

Adesina
nodded again. “Yes.”

“How
do you know this?” questioned Ravi. “How can you tell a stone from a log?”

She
had never been asked to explain it before. She struggled to find the right
words. “They…they are just different. My mind can tell them apart.”

The
Rashad smiled. “That is because part of you can differentiate between the
different kinds of
vyala
by instinct. Living creatures have a unique
tone as well, and if you were to spend enough time studying a person, you would
be able to identify them by their
vyala
alone.”

“Is
that how you always know where I am?”

Ravi
chuckled. “I do not always have a perfect knowledge of your location, but yes.
I am able to find you because I know your
vyala
.”

Adesina’s
eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “Is that how Maizah is able to track magic-users?”

Ravi
inclined his head. “Yes.”

“Interesting,”
she mused.

The
various tones of
vyala
were interpreted by Adesina’s eyes as a myriad of
colors. She had always taken note that the world seemed more vibrant when she
was connected to her
vyala
, but it wasn’t until now that she realized
what that meant.

Her
gaze was drawn back to her guardian, whose ever-shifting colors seemed
strangely out of place.

“Why
are the Rashad different? You do not seem to have a set type of
vyala
.”

“We
do not,” confirmed Ravi. “Our
vyala
is changeable, according to our
needs. It means that there are more possibilities for what we can accomplish,
but it also means that we will never be as powerful as those who are solidly
attached to a specific type of
vyala
.”

“Why
is that?”

He
paused, and Adesina could feel him searching for a simple way to explain
. “Think of it this way: if you
were to plant a garden every spring and then clear the earth every fall, you
would have a large number of possibilities of what your garden could produce
each year. On the other hand, if you were to plant a tree in that same patch of
earth, you would not see much variation, but the tree would continue to grow
taller and stronger with each passing year.”

Adesina
rested her chin in the palm of her hand. “So, why not simply focus on a type of
vyala
and develop it?”

Ravi’s
deep laugh rumbled in his chest. “Why not simply grow a different color of
hair, Ma’eve? Why not sprout a set of wings? It sounds like an easy change, but
it is not. While there are legends of the great power of the immortal Rashad,
none of my people have ever been able to discover how to end the shifting of
our
vyala
.”

“How
will this help me to control my own power?” asked Adesina.

“I
can change my
vyala
to be whatever you need,” asserted her guardian.
“You have learned to combine certain threads of power to create specific
effects, and now you have at your disposal an infinite variety of
vyala
.
Together we can discover how to accomplish anything.”

Adesina
felt a rush of excitement. She had always been limited in what she could do
with her magic. Granted, she was able to do much more than other L’avan, but
her creativity was still restrained by her ability. What would it be like to
have all limitations removed?

“For
now,” continued Ravi, “I will act as a steadying force. We must tame your
vyala
back into submission, and I can anchor you while you do that.”

The
L’avan felt her guardian’s
vyala
swirl for a moment before it changed to
a slightly brownish tone. He felt strong and solid in her mind, and she had the
impression that she could withstand almost anything while connected to him.

Even
with that sense of reassurance, Adesina felt a tremor of trepidation. She had
grown accustomed to keeping her
vyala
tightly in check, and she did not
know what would happen if she simply let it flow.

Ravi
sent her waves of encouragement and support through their Joining, and Adesina
took a deep breath.

She
reached within herself and unleashed her power.

It
coursed through her like a torrential wind, and Adesina was so overcome that
she fell to her knees. L’iam had once said that
vyala
was a living thing
and must be treated as such. Adesina never believed that more than now. The
power was like an angry behemoth that was finally free of its chains.

Ravi’s
feline face tightened with concentration, and Adesina could sense him acting as
a shield to protect her mind from the buffeting of the wild magic.

You
are the master of your soul, Ma’eve. You must claim control.

She
closed her eyes and imagined the struggle taking place in her mind. She
visualized herself standing in an open field with Ravi by her side, and the
vyala
was a fiery silhouette standing across from her.

She
drew her Blood Sword from the sheath across her back.

Part
of her knew that this was all in her imagination, but it felt vivid and real.
She drew comfort from the feel of the hilt in her hand, and she raised the
weapon in a stance that bespoke of her readiness to fight. The emblem of the
falcon shone brightly, and the slender blade seemed to glow with power.

The
fiery silhouette suddenly seemed uncertain. Ravi was like a stone foundation,
giving her sure and steady footing. Her Blood Sword blazed in her hands,
becoming a symbol of her power and authority.

“Kneel,”
she commanded the silhouette.

The
vyala
creature flared in anger, and its fists clenched at its side.

“I
am your master! You
will
obey!”

Leach
its fury, Ma’eve. Cleanse it of the poison.

Adesina
was surprised by Ravi’s instruction. Leach its fury? How could she possibly
accomplish that?

She
studied the creature before her, trying to understand why it had changed so
drastically from when she first began her training with magic.

Foremost,
she could sense its rage. It bore a blackening hatred that tainted its entire
being. Beyond that, Adesina could feel its fear and desperation. She could feel
its doubt and its sorrow.

The
emotions were radiating tendrils from the silhouette, and Adesina began to
trace them back to their source. If she was going to rid the
vyala
creature of the poison—as Ravi had called it—then she needed to find the core.

The
trail of negative emotion led downward to a shadowy line on the ground. Adesina
followed it backwards and discovered that it led directly to herself.

She
was the source of the poison.

For
several moments Adesina stood dumbfounded.

What
did this mean? Was she the creator of the monster before her? Was she the only
cause for her loss of control?

Adesina
looked down at Ravi, and his luminous eyes stared back in compassion.

I
see now. I finally understand.

The
young queen studied her own heart. Yes, she was angry. How could she be
otherwise? The Shimat were truly a plague on the earth, and they had taken
everything she loved. Yes, she was afraid. Time was running out and L’iam’s
life hung in the balance. She could not help but feel doubt at her own ability
to save him. How many lives had been lost because she had been unable to do
more? Because she had not been a stronger warrior?

A
figure appeared before her, standing between herself and the fiery silhouette.
He had curly brown hair and a sunny smile, with wry brown eyes that were open
with affection. Adesina felt her chest constrict and she found it difficult to
breathe.

It
was Aleron, her friend who had been dead for five years.

“How
long are you going to punish yourself?” asked Aleron with a hint of
exasperation.

Adesina
stared at her friend. “How…?” she gasped.

His
smile widened to a jaunty grin. “You of all people should know that the dead
are not gone.”

Another
figure appeared next to Aleron. Again, Adesina immediately recognized the
twinkling eyes and heart-shaped face. The newcomer brushed her golden hair off
of her shoulders.

“I
always thought you were so smart, but maybe I was overestimating you,” said
L’era. “How could you possibly think that you are to blame for our deaths?”

“Because
I am,” whispered Adesina hoarsely.

The
two figures exchanged glances with exaggerated patience.

“You
cannot control everything,” pointed out Aleron.

“Besides,”
added L’era, “we were the ones that insisted on coming with you. You did
everything you could to keep us safe.”

“You
thought of our well-being before your own,” reminded Aleron with a loving
smile. “You always think of others before yourself.”

Adesina
felt tears streaming down her cheeks, but she did nothing to stop them. “I am
so sorry, my dear friends.”