strongholdrising (28 page)

same night, Zhal-Ghyakulla, 19th / 20th day (June)
RHYASHA'S talk had brought to light several issues that Kaid needed to consider seriously. With his Link day due to start in a few hours, he knew the only place he could do that was the Shrine.
Ghyan was not surprised to see him. "It's good to see you again, Kaid," he said, getting up from behind his desk to greet him.
Kaid glanced around the book lined office that was the priest's personal sanctuary. "Good to see you, too, Ghyan." Strangely, it was. They hadn't always seen eye to eye, but whatever his faults, Ghyan was first and foremost Kusac's friend. "I see nothing's changed here. I've come to pay my respects to Vartra, and spend the night meditating."
"You're always welcome here, Kaid," the priest said, holding his hand out in the telepath's greeting. "Actually, I've acquired a few more books. Human ones, courtesy of Brynne. Can I offer you a drink?"
"No, thank you," said Kaid, returning the gesture. "I've just come from the Aldatans."
"I heard Carrie's father was due today. Did the visit go well?" he asked, ushering Kaid to an easy chair.
"Very. He's staying on another two days. He spent most of the time with Kashini."
"Carrie will be relieved. Her father had problems accepting her relationship with Kusac, so she was particularly concerned about how he'd see their daughter. How is Kusac by the way? He hasn't yet come to see me."
"Give it time, Ghyan," said Kaid, sitting down. "He's not been doing much of anything, but I think he's finally beginning to improve."
Ghyan's mouth dropped open in a smile. "You don't know how relieved I am to hear that. Perhaps I should go and see him."
"You should. That Valtegan priest took him to the edge and he's only just beginning to back away from it. It's going to be a slow journey. He needs all the friends he has."
"I heard he'd had a particularly bad time. Brynne has been keeping me up to date."
"Brynne surprised me. Your work?"
Ghyan flicked his ears in a negative. "Not mine. Father Lijou's, mainly. And Vartra, of course. He's another visionary, Kaid. You two should get together. He's finding it difficult to cope with at times. The visions have stopped since you all returned."
"I sympathize with him," murmured Kaid. "Being singled out by Vartra is not the easiest of paths. I see he also found a life-mate."
"Keeza?" Ghyan settled back in his chair. "Now there's an interesting female."
"I seem to know her face," said Kaid cautiously.
"Perhaps you do, but take my word for it, she's an asset to your clan, Kaid. Such determination and loyalty is refreshing."
"I must be missing part of the story." Dzaka had updated him concerning her past and her involvement in the Shanagi Project, but loyalty?
"It only came to light when Father Lijou spoke to L'Seuli about her. When he went to the correction facility, he realized she was a latent telepath. Her mind was still undeveloped enough then for him to pick up why she'd killed the Pack Lord."
"I thought L'Seuli was only able to receive, not initiate a mental contact."
"It was at the forefront of her mind, Kaid. Not surprising since he went only hours before she was due to be executed."
Kaid looked quizzically at Ghyan. "Well, out with it," he said. "Why did she do it?"
"Her father. The Pack Lord had him framed for embezzlement. His case didn't go to trial because her father committed suicide rather than put his family through the public humiliation. The Court telepath had only given Keeza a cursory scan— she was caught with the murder weapon on her during a shoot-out with the Pack, after all— so she'd been able to hide her latent Talent, and her motive, from him. Brynne knew, but she refused to let him tell anyone. Had it not been for L'Seuli, she'd still have that hanging over her head. Lijou had Sorli instigate a further investigation and her story was confirmed only today."
"I see what you mean by determination and loyalty," he said. "How does it help her clear her name publicly, though? Officially she was executed."
Ghyan smiled. "She doesn't need that, Kaid. We know she was collecting a blood debt, that's what matters to her, and their cub."
"Our clan increases," said Kaid dryly. "Soon you won't be able to walk the main street without being deafened by the mewling of berrans!"
"Yours among them," said Ghyan quietly. "How are you coping with your new role? And Carrie. This can't be easy for either of you."
"We manage," he said, getting abruptly to his feet. He wasn't prepared to talk about himself and Carrie. Those nerves were too raw after his conversation with Rhyasha. "Carrie's helping Kitra prepare for her wedding to my son."
Ghyan nodded as he rose. "A busy time. Has a date been set yet?"
"Not yet. As you know, Kha'Qwa's not recovering as well as was hoped. Father Lijou obviously has her on his mind at this time."
"Very true. I won't delay you any longer, Kaid. The Shrine is empty now, and your room is as you left it."
"Thank you, Ghyan," he said, inclining his head to the priest as he made for the door.

* * *

The click of his clawed feet on the stone floor seemed to echo around him as he walked down the corridor that led to the Shrine room. It made him feel vaguely claustrophobic. Reaching the door, he put his hand on the knob and was about to open it when his surroundings seemed to fade and he was returned to an earlier visit.
He shivered, feeling the air cold against his unclothed pelt and the half-healed wounds on his back.
It lasted only a moment, then the world righted itself and he was back in his own time once more.
He hesitated, afraid now to open the door, unsure what waited for him on the other side. He could turn and walk away right now, go back to the villa and no one would be the wiser, save for himself. Resolutely, he turned the handle, pushed the door open, and stepped inside. He had a purpose in coming here and it wouldn't be served by turning back.
Flanked by braziers, the small statue of Vartra sat on its dais facing him. There was a familiarity about everything that was slightly unnerving and he was once more reminded of that visit.
In the flickering shadows at the base of the dais he could almost see a seated figure, the cowl of her hood concealing her face.
He inhaled sharply in fear. The scent of nung flower incense filled the air, bringing back even more memories of the night he'd suddenly found himself here while still a captive of Ghezu's at Stronghold. He rubbed his eyes, looking again, but there was nothing, only shadows. Cautiously, he moved farther into the room, eyes still fixed on Vartra's statue. Whatever— or whoever— he thought he'd seen, it was gone now.
He stopped to pick up a piece of incense from the bowl near the left-hand brazier, holding it above the glowing coals and crumbling it into the heart of the flames. Scented smoke billowed up, spreading out a few feet above his head before drifting toward the ceiling. He closed his eyes, letting it surround him, finding in it the comfort and familiarity that was lacking in his present life.
A chill draft carrying the scents of night ruffled the guard hairs on his arms, making him shiver again. He froze, knowing instantly that it was no draft. Mentally, he reached out, searching for the presence he knew was there. He found it behind him, about five feet away, a null zone where there should be a person. The faint sound of laughter filled the Shrine. Opening his eyes, he spun around.
"You're always so surprised," said Vartra. "You should be used to it by now. I expected you sooner."
It was only Vartra. Kaid relaxed, feeling the dampness of the earth seeping up around his toes. "Why dusk?" he asked, looking around at the shadowy shapes of the trees, following their trunks upward toward the darkening sky. Faintly, in the distance, he could hear a night hunter calling to the rest of its pack.
"Because night is coming to Shola."
He looked back at the Entity. "Why? Because there are Valtegans on Shola again?" he asked, afraid once more. "We had no option but to make peace."
"You've merely bought time, Tallinu. The darkness still gathers around our world, and the Entities are retreating from it."
He moved closer, trying to see Vartra's face through the deepening shadows. "Why are the Entities retreating? What does it mean to us?"
"The pledge has been broken, Tallinu. The Entities have set it aside so they may be sure of surviving if Shola falls."
"What pledge? You're not making sense, Vartra."
"The pledge is an agreement between the Entities and the Guardians of Shola to restrict access to our realms. Once, most Sholans could, and did, dream-walk, but the less scrupulous used this to advance themselves, wreaking havoc on the world and for the Entities. So the realms were created, places where each Entity could watch over his or her aspect of life, where those faithful to them might enter if permission was sought. Guardians were needed to watch the entrances, to guide those who were suitable and keep out those who were not. Like the Derwents of the Human world, or the Fyaks of ours."
He'd heard the word Guardian before, but in what context? "Noni!"
Vartra nodded. "She's one, one chosen by the Entities themselves. The others are chosen by their suitability to lead their faithful. They represent law and order. Noni represents chaos, the old wild magic of the time before the Guardians were needed. It is with her kind the pledge is renewed in each generation. Noni acts among you for the Entities."
Stunned, he sucked in a breath. "She said You owed her a favor, that You brought us home safe."
"Whoever breaks the pledge— be it Noni or Entity— must pay the forfeit. She chose to have you returned safely."
"I thought Your influence was restricted to Shola."
"It is. Only Kuushoi can travel beyond the bounds of Shola, and then only with those who sleep and dream in cryo."
"Like Carrie," he said, a shiver running down his spine as he remembered the whisper both of them had heard on the Prime ship.
Remember Winter's kiss.
"Like Carrie," Vartra agreed. "I made it possible for Brynne to dream-walk so he could reach Kusac on the Prime ship and warn you of the danger he saw."
With difficulty, he pulled his thoughts back to the reasons he'd come to the Shrine. "I had a vision, Vartra. In it I was a prisoner, taken to watch Carrie when she paired to form a Leska Link with a Sholan."
Vartra's eyes glowed in the darkness at about waist height. "You're her Leska now. I warned you what the cost of this mission would be."
"I know," he said, peering through the shadows. He still couldn't see Vartra properly, even though he knew now that He was sitting down. "You once gave me Your oath that You'd not call me back in time. I'm asking You to revoke it and take me back to make the vision come true," he said, taking yet another step. "It should have been me, not Kusac, who was the watcher. Take me back, Vartra. Make it happen the way I saw it."
Vartra stirred. "No. Don't ask it of Me. It's impossible."
"I could cope without my Talent. I didn't even know I was a telepath until a few months ago. Kusac can't. This is tearing him— us— apart!"
The eyes glowed brighter, and His voice this time held the trace of a growl. "Had it been you, events would not have worked out the way they did. To change what is would cause untold damage, even if it were possible. You must rebuild your Triad."
"How, dammit?" he demanded. "Tell me how when he's no longer a telepath! It isn't a Triad any longer!"
"That's for you to discover, Tallinu. You built it between you. If you forged the links between you properly, your Triad will survive."
"I never wanted her as a Leska! Only as my lover!" he said angrily. "This closeness, the dependence,
I
can't cope with it!"
"Then learn, and rebuild what you seem bent on destroying by neglect!"
"I can't! It isn't up to me alone, dammit!"
Vartra rose to His feet in one fluid movement, startling Kaid, making him stumble backward. Moonlight illuminated Him clearly now, letting Kaid see His ears folded sideways in anger amid the halo of bushed out hair.
"Look up there, Tallinu," thundered Vartra, pointing to the sky above them. "See the darkness? That's what you must fight! If the Entities withdraw, Shola herself will suffer. The land will wither and dry, there will be droughts and famines! I have told them this but they will not listen to me, the youngest among them! And you waste what little time I have left in arguing with me over something that you know in your heart is impossible!"
His hand snaked out, grasping hold of Kaid by the front of his tunic. "You forget
I
called you here! You three are Shola's best hope! Alone of the Entities, I could remain, had I the means! I have the will and the power to fight, they have not! Find Me a way to remain, to stop the Entities retreating, to fight the darkness! Now get you back to the Shrine and pray that you can before I, too, am beyond reaching by any Sholan!"
Kaid found himself flying backward till he crashed against something solid. Shaking, he painfully pushed himself into a sitting position only to find he was back in the Shrine. He got to his feet as around him clouds of incense swirled and dark shadows, cast by the violent flickering of the braziers, danced on the walls. Keeping his face to them, he limped toward the door. Never before had he faced such anger from Vartra.
Stopping only long enough to tell the night porter he was leaving, he made his way hurriedly back to the villa. Like Kusac, he'd tried to do what he thought right and faced the God's wrath. Now he had to think again about what Rhyasha had said. Right now, all he wanted was to be somewhere bright, where there were no shadows.

* * *

The front of the villa was in darkness by the time he reached it. He checked his wrist comm, discovering he'd been gone longer than he thought.
As he passed Carrie's room, he saw a chink of light and stopped. The prospect of spending the night alone with the possibility that Vartra would return, did not appeal to him at all. He needed someone to talk to.
He knocked on the door and, getting no answer, reached mentally for her.
I thought you were spending the night at the Shrine,
she replied.
Preoccupied, he didn't pay much attention to the note of panic in her mental voice.
I changed my mind. Can I come in? I need someone to talk to.
Wait a minute.
He leaned against the wall, wondering what she was doing. The door was suddenly flung open and he found himself almost nose to nose with T'Chebbi. A smiling T'Chebbi.
"G'night," she said over her shoulder before stepping past him. "Night, Kaid."
He watched her saunter down the corridor, tail held up at a jaunty angle, the tip swaying slightly. Her long plait was damp and bobbed gently against the small of her back as she walked.
Curious now, he went in. Carrie, swathed in her large toweling robe, was in the lounge closing her bedroom door. He could feel her nervousness from where he stood. Like T'Chebbi, her hair was still damp.
"What happened to you?" she asked, coming into the room. "You look like you went hunting!"
He looked down at himself, seeing the dirt and pieces of twigs and dead leaves stuck to his jacket and feet, and felt a tingle of fear. He'd almost convinced himself that the experience had been in his mind. He realized then he couldn't tell her all that had happened.
"Sort of," he said lamely, looking back at her.
"You need a shower," she said, bustling over to him. "I'll come with you and get it ready."
He caught hold of her arm as she went past him. He didn't want to use his room tonight. "No need. I'll shower here if I may."
"Um. Yes. Right. I'll go get you a towel, then," she said, taking a couple of steps back from him before turning and fleeing from the rom.
Puzzled, he followed her, thankful for something to divert his mind. In the bathroom, he found her picking up several towels from the floor.
"These are wet," she said, dumping them in the bath. "T'Chebbi and I shared a shower." She opened the small closet where the towels were kept and hauled one out for him, thrusting it against his chest. "There. I'll leave you to it," she said, then vanished, leaving him to grab for the towel before it fell.
All this fuss just because she and T'Chebbi had shared a shower? He shook his head wonderingly as he slung the towel over the side of the bath and began to strip.
He was about to step into the shower when the noises from the other room got the better of his curiosity.
Opening the bathroom door, he peered into the bedroom. Carrie was digging frantically in the chest at the end of the bed. Around the room, all the other chests and cupboards were lying open, their contents rumpled and sticking out untidily. It looked like the room had been hit by a whirlwind.
"Carrie, what's going on?" he asked, pushing the door open and surveying the mess.
She spun around, backing up against the chest till she lost her footing and began to fall.
He didn't make it in time to stop her from banging the back of her head, but he did catch her before she hit the ground. Picking her up, he carried her around the bed and laid her down. She moaned, putting her hand to her head as he began to check to make sure she was all right.
"You need to be more careful," he said, sitting back. "That could have been a nasty fall. Whatever it is you're after can surely wait till tomorrow when you've got one of the house attendants to help you." He reached out to pat her leg.
Her eyes opened and she looked up at him, taking in where she was and where he was sitting before closing them again with another moan.
"What's wrong?" he asked, face creasing in concern. "You didn't hurt yourself anywhere else, did you?" He slid his hand higher, trying to check her ribs through the robe.
"No, I'm fine," she said, her voice faint. "I didn't hurt myself anywhere else."
He reached for her tie belt. "I should check you properly."
Her hand was there first, covering the knot as she sat up. "I'm fine, really. You go and have your shower," she said.
"In a minute. What were you looking for?"
"Nothing. It isn't important," she said, giving him a gentle push. "Go get your shower."
The shower was becoming less appealing than the prospect of remaining with her. "I'm in no rush," he said, reaching out to flick her hair back from her face. "Did you enjoy your shower with T'Chebbi?" he asked, letting his fingers linger on her cheek.
"Yes, I always do. We used to do it a lot when Kusac was at Stronghold with you."
"That's good. Your skin's incredibly soft tonight." It was soft, softer than he remembered. His subconscious began to prickle, warning him that all was not as it seemed.
"I know," she said, taking hold of his hand and putting it firmly on his lap. "Sashti's oils, remember? I really think you should have that shower, Tallinu."
He could smell the oil now, enhancing her own gentle musk. The warning grew louder but he chose to ignore it. Lifting her hand, he held the inside of her wrist to his lips, running the tip of his tongue across the sensitive skin, watching her reaction. She tasted as good as she smelled.
"I'll have the shower later," he said, his voice deepening as he started to purr. "You don't really want me to go now, do you?" It had been a long time since he'd felt like this about her outside their Link days.
His brown eyes were wide and soft in a way she'd never seen before. His tongue flicked across her wrist again, first the gentle tip then the rougher midsection. It sent tingles through her whole body, making her close her eyes in pleasure. She tried to remember what T'Chebbi had said the perfume spray did, but Kaid's other hand was touching her face, his fingertips drawing patterns across her cheek, evaporating all serious thoughts. Shuddering, she turned her face till her mouth touched his hand.
As her tongue touched his sensitive palm, he spread his hand wide for her, his purr briefly rising in pitch till it seemed to vibrate right through her.
Releasing her wrist, he leaned closer, teeth gently closing on her throat. She could smell his scent changing, strengthening as he became more aroused. There was a depth to it she hadn't noticed before, something that woke a matching response in her. Suddenly light-headed with desire, she had no will to stop him when he eased her robe off her shoulders, his tongue moving lower.
As his fingers touched her breast, she moaned gently, almost dropping his hand.
He lifted his head, lips brushing hers. "What is it?" he whispered. "One of T'Chebbi's perfumes?"
"A spray. She put it on the bed," she said, clenching her hand round his. "I told her not to."
He laughed gently, twisting his hand free and placing both of hers against his chest, pushing her fingers through his long fur until they touched his nipples. "It's sensitizing us, enhancing what we feel." He sucked his breath in sharply as her fingers teased him to hardness.
"Slowly, Dzinae," he whispered, kissing her while his free hand unfastened the tie belt and pushed it aside. T'Chebbi's potion was more powerful than he'd anticipated. Making sure he stayed on her robe, he urged her to lie down on the covers. "We should take our time."
And take his time he did, stroking her, licking her, teasing her with every trick he'd learned from T'Chebbi, into shuddering paroxysms of pleasure while denying her what she wanted most.
At length he let her catch her breath. Making sure her robe was still under him, he lay on his side, watching her. Her responses combined with the contact aphrodisiac he'd absorbed from her skin had aroused him to the point where he could delay his own pleasure only a little longer.
Carrie reached out for him, running her fingers across his chest and belly. This time, he didn't stop her.
"My turn," she whispered, her voice husky with desire. She pulled him closer, her hand sliding firmly over the smoothness of his groin till he felt the familiar tightening of his muscles.
He held his breath, tensing as her fingers moved lower, pushing through the long fur that concealed his genital cavity. She stopped just short, daring him to lose his control before she went farther.
Against his chest, their crystal grew warm, pulsing in time with his heart. He arched his body toward her hand, losing his balance and collapsing onto the bedcovers but now he didn't care. "Don't stop," he groaned, clutching her wrist, trying to urge her hand lower, shuddering with the effort of holding himself back. She'd never been this bold before, but then, he'd always been ready for her till now.
Her fingers moved, touching his sensitive flesh, sending his groin and belly muscles into spasms. He moaned, a mixture of pleasure and relief as finally his genitals descended. Then her hand closed round his nakedness, holding him tightly as he began to swell. He gasped, reaching for her, but she batted his hand away with a warning sound not unlike a growl.
She teased him just as he'd teased her, almost shocking him with her knowledge of how far she could take him without triggering his secondary erection. Twice she did this, leaving him so highly strung the second time that he did lose his self-control and grabbed her, flipping her onto her back and pinning her to the bed by her hands.
"No more! By all the Gods, you really are a Dzinae," he growled, taking his weight on his forearms and matching his body to hers. As her warmth surrounded him, he shuddered, so sensitized now that every slight movement sent waves of pleasure rippling through him. As he swelled inside her, it was almost enough to finish him. The crystal flared hot, its pulse changing pace, beating faster, vibrating through him till his heartbeat matched hers.
Slowly, he began to withdraw, his mouth searching frantically for hers, their fingers lacing, his clenching as he stopped then pushed forward again. Their minds reached for each other, becoming as entwined as their bodies.