The Drifting (17 page)

“Why?  Why would you allow that to happen?”

Sema finally looks up and juts her chin at me, “We had no choice.  We had to protect Lilianethia at all costs.  By letting Harlu take Lucas, it gave us some time to work out details to keep Lily alive until the Seating.  Not only that, but she was too attached to Lucas.  At fourteen, she should have been able to make her own decisions about who she wanted to be.  Instead, everything she did or said she first sought out Lucas’ approval.  She would be queen and we needed her to stand on her own and not be dependent on him.” 

Sema gets up and paces before me.  While trying to explain herself, she wring her hands, a frown wrinkles her otherwise smooth forehead.  “What did you expect us to do, Tharin?  As soon as the Willow Clan throne rejected Lucas, they put all their focus on Lily.”  She stops mid-track and faces me, “It was only because of the shield your father placed on her and the additional shield from myself that kept her safe.  They had no clue about the social worker.  All they knew was that Lily was lost in the system.  After she turned eighteen, I did what I could with the diseased trees that surrounded her at that time.  And they would have found her too, no thanks to you.”

I shift my shoulders back.  I’ve already been reprimanded by her husband – I won’t be reprimanded by her.  She notices the change in my stance and waves at me impatiently, “Oh, enough of your pride, boy.  I grow tired of your arrogance.”

I wait until she returns to the bench and takes a seat.  “Does Lily know about this?  About you letting Harlu take Lucas?”

“No,” she answers.  She looks up at me, “And she won’t ever know.”  The threat is there. 

I nod my head slowly and say, “I’ll keep your secret, old woman…for now.  But I won’t lie to Lily.  If she asks, I will tell her the truth.”

She stares at me challengingly, but then sighs and relaxes in her seat saying, “So be it.”

“Okay, but just for the record, that guy’s kinda creepy,” says Lily as she and Ziri enter the room.  Lily walks in, but Ziri remains at the doorway, stopping short when he sees me.  Lily limps toward the bench area looking like a drowned kitten, her clothes soaked.  She shrugs off the blanket around her shoulders.  “As for you,” she glares mockingly at Sema, “once I learn how to do whatever it was you did to me in the air, I’m going to do it to you – only I’ll drop you into a lake.”

Sema smiles fondly at Lily’s words, not looking threatened in the least.  Lily sits, lifting her foot to her knee in order to take off her wet boot.  Sema waves her hand at Lily, drying her off completely.  Lily sits back looking at her dry clothes, touching her hair and grimacing, “My hair must be a mess.”  She sighs as she unties the hair knot at her back and quickly runs her hands through her loose locks. 

As she tries to untangle the knots with her fingers, the urge to reach out and run my own hands through the black mass overwhelms me.  The chill seems to have gone from her and her eyes seem to have a warm glow to their amber color.  The paleness of her skin stands out in contrast to her dark hair and features, and I find that all I want to do is take her in my arms and kiss her. 

Sema clears her throat and gives me a brief scolding look.  I give her a cocky grin in return.  So, the old woman can read minds.  I think back to when Ka interrupted my conversation with Tolan, a feat that’s never been done before.  I’ll have to find a way to shield my private thoughts from the two later, but for now I’m going to love keeping
her
on her toes. 

I slowly conjure an image of Lily and me in an intimate embrace.  I meant to do this for Sema’s benefit but find myself getting lost in my vision of a passionate Lily in my arms. 
Whap!
I don’t know how she did it, but Sema just mental slapped me.  I turn to her laughing. She’s standing and fully facing me now with her hands on her hips, a furious frown on her face and a scolding ready on her lips.

Lily turns to the doorway, calling out to Ziri.  “Well, I guess I’m ready for the next lesson.”  She lifts her hands up showing him that she’s dried and ready.  Ziri ignores her and keeps his eyes on me.  Confused, Lily turns to the direction of his focus and then looks over at Sema, staring like an angry schoolteacher at the same location as Ziri.  Lily looks back and forth between Sema and Ziri.  And after a moment, she stands staring in my direction. 

“Who’s here?”

~ * ~

Chapter
Twelve

~
Lily
~

I knew what Sema would say before answering, “Tharin is here, Lily.  He came to see how you were doing.”

For a moment, the room is quiet.  I hear Ziri leave from behind me and I turn in time to see his receding back.   I guess he’ll keep to himself whatever issues he has with Tharin.  I wanted to ask him during our lessons what he meant by his remark during dinner last night.  It’ll have to wait.

I turn to see Sema composing herself.  She seems distracted and irritated by something Tharin said to her.  She looks at me and gives me a small smile.  “You can speak with Tharin, Lily, but you need to be in the
drift
state.  Or, if you like” she offers with a bit of insistence in her voice, “I can stay and give you his responses.”

Not wanting to offend Sema, I gently say, “Thank you, but you’ve done so much for me already.  I think I can handle this on my own and…” I look away from her stare, “I would like to speak with Tharin privately, please.”  I know it’s not the answer she’s looking for, but it’s the only one I’m giving her.  I don’t want her to hear our conversation.  Besides, it looks like she’s easily irritated by Tharin.

“Very well,” she finally consents.  “I will stay until you’re in the
drift
state.  I will help you through the process.”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary, Sema,” I say rising and walking toward her.  I take her by the arm, hugging it to me while leading her to the door.  “I’ve been in the
drift
state before.  Tharin taught me.”  She sighs resignedly and removes my hand from her arm.  Looking behind me, she gives Tharin an evil eye. 

“I’ll be outside if you need me,” she says giving me a warm smile.  Once she’s out of the room, I turn slowly toward the bed.  I think for a moment on whether I should repeat my speech before I go through the
drift
state or face him when I do it.  Resigned to my fate, I walk to the bed and climb on.  I want to be comfortable, but in reality, I’m only delaying seeing Tharin again.  Nervously, I lie back onto the pillows and close my eyes and wait.

“You have to open your eyes and come to me, Lily,” whispers Tharin close to my ear.

I like the feel of his nearness.  A subtle thrill starts at my toes and makes its way up to my head and I try to keep my breathing normal.  I remain within myself, although I know my body has already anchored itself to the bed. 

“Lily,” he calls his voice a bit louder than a whisper now.  I smile again, but I keep my eyes closed.  “
Lily,
” he calls once more, this time his voice is stern, impatient and annoyed.  My eyes fly open to find irritated green eyes peering at me.  Déjà vu hits me.  It’s like the first time we met all over again.

“Why are you always yelling at me?” I ask casually, still within my body.

“Why do you insist on playing with my emotions, woman?” he counters.

Woman?  I don’t believe I’ve ever been called that by any guy I know, at least not in that manner.  I like it, especially coming from him.  I take his remark in stride and lay staring up at him.  When I remain quiet, he gives me a perplexed look, “What?” 

Not waiting for an answer, his eyes roam down my body sending the earlier subtle thrill into a chaotic break dance of unfamiliar emotions.  I blush and quickly get up.  I really don’t understand how he does that to me with just a look. 

I move toward the middle of the room and glance back at myself on the bed.  I look so peaceful and it’s almost like looking at someone else.  I lie with my hands clasped on my stomach looking like Sleeping Beauty…that is until I notice my hair. Oh God, I look like crap.  Subconsciously, my hands reach for my hair.  Tharin straightens from his kneeling position to stand with his feet planted apart, arms crossed.  He gives me a crooked grin and his eyes watch closely as I try to re-knot my hair.  It’s impossible to do so in this state.  I sigh, giving up on the tangled mass, and stare back at him, no longer in a good mood.

“You should’ve called before you came,” I say awkwardly, only to realize the ridiculousness of my question.  Call on what, my cell?  I don’t have one.  I left mine at home in my rush to leave because he bullied me that first night we met.  I take a breath to control my nervousness at being with him again.  I give him a steady stare, waiting.

‘Why do the women in this thela feel they are able to question the actions of their future king?”  I can’t be sure if he’s kidding or not, but I feel my irritation taking over my nervousness.

“And why does the future king feel he has any right to show up whenever he feels like it?  We’re not married yet, Tharin and until then, you don’t have any right to be in my room.  In fact, even after we’re married you don’t have any rights to my room.”

“After we’re married there will be only
one
room.”

“Oh, really?  And what would Kalis think about that, huh?”

“Kalis knows her place,” he answers shrugging a shoulder at me.

I stare at him in disbelief at the enormity of his arrogance.  I take a step toward him feeling my anger rise, “Oh my God, Tharin.  Do you even hear yourself?  What is it with you?  Is this realm so backward that it’s stuck in medieval times?  And you along with it?  If you think I’m going to be like every chick in this realm who supposedly has ‘fallen head over heals’ for you, think again buddy…it ain’t happening.  In my world, we
women
have rights to who we want in our bedroom.”

He drops his arms and the playful grin on his face disappears.  He takes a step toward me, anger flickering in his eyes.  “You listen to me, betrothed – you are not in your world.  In fact, this realm is now your world, and you will obey what I say.  And there better damn well be no other but me in that supposed room of yours.  You got that?” 

I stare at the finger he’s pointing at my face and glare up at him, “
B
ul
lsh
i
–”

Suddenly, Tharin cries out and falls to his knees, his hands grabbing at his head thrown back in obvious pain.  I rush to him, my hands grabbing at his chest and shoulder.  “Tharin, what’s wrong?”  He lets out a gasp of pain before falling forward on me.  He drops one of his arms around my shoulder, his hand at his temple.  His eyes are shut tightly and his lips pulled back in a painful grimace.

“Look,” I say still angry, but at the same time fighting the panic rising in me.  “You’re supposed to fall to your knees after I kick your ass for being an arrogant son-of-a-biscuit-eater.” 

After a moment, Tharin seems to get himself under control.  He looks at me breathing hard and nodding, “I…I’ll remember that next time.”  He must’ve seen the worry on my face despite my efforts to stay mad at him because he starts to rub my shoulder.  “My body, Lily.  I need to get back to my body.  Someone is attacking the thela…the oak I’m in.” 

I nod, trying to help him up, “Okay, okay…we can call Sema to help us.”

“No,” he says holding me back.  I allow him to put his weight on me as I try to steady the both of us.  “I don’t trust her,” he whispers as I look up at him confused.  He captures my gaze saying, “Lily, you’re not suppose to be able to do this, you know that right?”

“Do what?”

“When we’re in the
drift
state you’re not suppose to be able to touch me, nor me you; not to mention you being able to support me like this.”

I shake my head at him even more confused.  “Tharin, just tell me how to get you back.”

“You’re going to have to travel back with me.  I don’t think I have enough strength or will to get back on my own.  I’m already weakened by the distance and now with the oak under attack, its torment is weakening me as well.”