The Song of Eloh Saga (55 page)

“That’s what you’re here for, dear sister. You can bear us more babies and hopefully most of them will have the gift without the spark. Doesn’t it make you feel good to be useful?”

A chair scraped across the hard wooden floor. That would leave a gouge, I was sure.

“You don’t own my body!” Jada screamed. “What if I refuse to cooperate?”

A hand slammed on the table, sending something clattering to the floor.

“If you refuse to cooperate,” Alia hissed, “then you will join the other women on the farm. Is that the life you want Jada? To live in close quarters with those breeders?”

A sigh. “No. It’s not. But I am more to you than just a breeder, aren’t I?”

“Most of the time,” Alia answered. “Now sit down.”

I couldn’t understand how Jada could put up with her. And breeder? Were they holding women captive and forcing them to breed gifted babies without the spark? Alia’s treachery ran deeper than I’d ever guessed.

“So it’s settled, then? The emperor stays in the dungeon until the time comes.” The unfamiliar voice spoke again. Her high-pitched tone should be enough for me to recognize her if I ever saw her in person. Other than that, I couldn’t pull anything unique from her speech patterns. “We’ll kill the emperor, kill Reychel, and take over everything?”

“Yes,” Alia said.

Another sighed followed. Jada said, “Yes, Mother. It’s agreed.”

Chapter Eighteen

Three painful, held-back sneezes later, Alia, Jada, their mother, and Zuri finally left. I knew there had been no guarantee they’d leave quickly, but my cramped back and sore calves were relieved. I pushed the wardrobe door open a bit further and paused. If anyone was still in the room, I’d rather find out before crawling out of the wardrobe.

No one screamed or pulled the door open further. I stepped out, slowly, letting my back muscles stretch to their normal state. I rubbed the top of my hip, and the sore muscles sang in relief.

I glanced at the table they’d sat at. Only four chairs had been disturbed. Either that, or one of them was particularly conscientious about putting hers back perfectly and had been totally silent during the conversation. I’d easily recognized Alia, Zuri, and Jada’s voices. It was their mother’s voice that I hadn’t known.

Now I was curious how the three of them came to power, and I was dying to know how they’d managed to capture the emperor and toss him in the dungeon. I knew my next destination. If he could give me the rest of the answers I needed, then I could finish early and get back to Krissin.

I wanted Alia and her people out of here. Other than Johna’s cottage, this was my home and I suddenly felt a strong desire to save it. With my father gone, I knew I had to do something. I was probably the only person who cared.

I looked around the table, but didn’t see anything there that hadn’t been lying there when I first ported in. I flicked my fingers and stepped through a portal back to my chambers.

Ivy still sat against the door, but her index finger rested over her lips. I tiptoed over to her and slid down on the floor.

She pointed with her free hand and mouthed
Alia.

I stood up and scuttled back over to the bed as the door opened. Alia entered the room, ignored Ivy on the floor, and strode to my side of the bed.

“Do you think I don’t know?” She stuck a finger in my face, her nail dangerously close to my eyes. I didn’t flinch and willed my heart to slow down.

“If it weren’t for you and your stupid prophecy this would have all been so much easier,” she continued. “I wouldn’t have to kowtow to anyone. But no, you make my life more difficult than it should be Reychel.”

I wanted to let out a sigh of relief, but I held back and slowly let the air release through my nose. For a half-second I feared she’d figured out I’d been spying on her, but she hadn’t. She was here just to make me suffer because she was miserable.

Luckily she didn’t know it wouldn’t work. I had hoped we would win and nothing she could say or do would upset me.

Alia glared at me, her eyes attempting to shoot spears through my heart.

“You’ve made my life a living hell. Obviously the thought of knowing you’ll be decapitated isn’t enough.”

She grabbed my chin and squeezed, looking deeper into my eyes.

“I want you to suffer, Reychel. I will find a way to do it. What if I capture and torture someone you love?”

Not Mark. Not Mark. Not Mark.
As if repeating it in my head would make a difference.

“I wish I had your boyfriend, Mark.”

I wanted to scream that he was my husband, so much more than a boyfriend, but I didn’t. Telling Alia would only make things worse. Mark was my secret, my heart.

“Bring her in!” Alia screamed and squeezed my chin harder.

Zuri’s arms were wrapped around a squirming, kicking slave and my heart dropped into my stomach. I didn’t need to see her face to know who it was.

Alia chuckled. “This is an old friend of yours. Ella. Do you remember her, Reychel?”

I shook my head, carrying on with the facade that I had lost my memory, while every part of me was screaming out to help Ella. She had been a friend back when I was a slave. She’d stood by me and helped me escape from the dungeon. Now, she’d pay for her association with me. Zuri dumped Ella on the floor next to Ivy. Ella kicked and her heel landed solidly on Zuri’s calf.

Zuri grunted and fell to the ground, like a giant tree felled in the forest. I raised an eyebrow. Obviously Ella had learned something while I was gone. She’d never been so scrappy. Ella grabbed Zuri by the ears and tugged, hard, while Zuri screamed and thrashed.

Alia reached out her hand toward Ella, who released Zuri’s ears and fell back against the wall.

“I told you,” Alia snarled, “not to do that again.”

Her hand shook as she pointed it at Ella. Ella’s mouth opened in a grimace, her teeth bared.

“Stop it!” I yelled. “What are you doing to her?” Despite my better judgment, I jumped out of bed and grabbed Alia’s shoulders. Just because I had to pretend I didn’t remember Ella, it didn’t mean I’d lost my heart too.

Alia shook free of my grasp, turned around, and pointed her hand at me. I stumbled backward on the bed, my chest feeling like a ton of bricks had been laid on it. I gasped for air as my throat constricted. Ivy’s eyes pleaded at me, but I didn’t use my gift to defend myself. Alia needed me intact. I had no fear that she would kill me, and showing my only trump card would ruin everything.

Instead, I closed my eyes and pretended to faint on the bed.

“For Eloh’s sake,” Alia said. “She’s such an infant. Look at her curled up on the bed. Why was this girl chosen to be an all-powerful prophet? What a joke! If only her people could see her now.”

A splash of water landed on my face, forcing my eyes open. Alia laughed, her hand covered in water.

“Shut your mouth.” Ella’s protests turned to mumbles. Her lips were sealed tight, but her jaw fought to open. It didn’t do any good, Alia was keeping it held shut with her gift.

“I have suffered my whole life because of you,” Alia said. “It’s time I get to see some of that horror in your eyes.” She looked back at Ella, still struggling to talk, and glanced at me again. “I don’t think this is enough, though.”

Alia snapped her fingers and Ella’s head cracked against the stone wall, blood pouring from her scalp. Bile rose in my throat. I jumped out of bed and scurried to Ella’s side. I cradled her body in my arms and her head lay in the crook of my arm. I didn’t care about the blood on my clothes. I had to hold her.

“I’ll leave you three now,” Alia said. “Hopefully Ivy’s gift is strong enough to save Ella from a long, drawn-out death.”

Alia motioned to Zuri, who dragged herself off the floor without even a grunt. Zuri glanced back at Ella, but I couldn’t read her expression. Ella was all that mattered.

The door closed behind them and I carefully slid Ella down to the floor, resting her head on my lap.

“I don’t know anything about healing,” I said to Ivy. “I read a bit about it, but I’ve never tried. Do you think we can save her?”

Ella’s eyelids remained closed. I gathered a wad of my skirt in my hand and pressed it to the wound to stop the bleeding. I couldn’t let her die. Not because of something this stupid.

“I only know a little.” Ivy placed her hands on Ella’s temples and closed her eyes. I laid my free hand on top of one of Ivy’s. Maybe if she knew what to do, I could amplify it with my gift. Maybe between the two of us we could save Ella.

Ivy’s gift radiated in my hand and the warmth spread up my arm. It had to work. I couldn’t let Ella be a casualty of my uncontrollable life. At least now I had some way to contribute to her healing. I tore my eyes away from Ella’s still face and focused, instead, on Ivy.

Her eyebrows were drawn together in concentration and sweat trickled down her cheeks. She’d used her gift plenty of times in my presence and not once did she seem so focused. If she could save Ella, bringing back one of my dearest friends, I’d consider believing she had truly changed. What would be the point of such an elaborate game? Alia was that cruel, but was Ivy?

I continued to press my skirt against the wound and pray for Ella’s recovery. I’d seen wounds like this before as a child. After an uprising in a nearby village, some of the soldiers were brought back to the castle for treatment. I’d been dispatched to the sick rooms to assist the healers. There were too many wounded and not enough slaves to help.

Spending three days in the presence of men whose lives were only hanging on by a thread was a humbling experience. Most lived. A few did not. I saw men recover from massive wounds and saw some die from the tiniest, infected scratch.

One man fell into a coma and did not recover. He simply slept day and night, never opening his eyes. I didn’t understand how someone could be alive, but so cut off from the world at the same time. Eventually he died in his sleep. Only the lack of movement in his chest had changed. To me, he’d already been dead.

He looked like Ella, who rested on my lap and couldn’t wake up.

The sweat on Ivy’s face mixed with the tears that spilled from her eyes.

“Reychel, it’s not working. I don’t know if I have enough power to save her. I don’t even know if I’m directing it properly. This is so far beyond anything I’ve ever done.”

Her hand trembled under mine. It wasn’t from the power coursing through her. I was sure it came from frustration. Ivy never handled failure well. It seemed that part of her hadn’t changed. I removed my hand from Ivy’s and ripped a strip of cloth from my skirt, pressing it against Ella’s wound.

“Then we have to take her to Johna,” I said. “We don’t have any other choice.”

“You can’t do that! If Alia comes back and Ella’s gone, she’ll know that I’ve been helping you. She might even guess that you’ve finally harnessed the power of your gift. You can’t risk everything for Ella.”

I tilted Ivy’s chin up, so I could look in her eyes. “Everything I’m fighting for is lying in my lap right now. Life, Ivy. Nothing is more important.”

“Your judgment is clouded because Ella was your friend. Will you really put her before the rest of Serenia? I put my life on the line for you Reychel. I could have easily done what Alia asked of me. I could have told her that you gained power over your gift. I didn’t. I chose to fight for everyone. I sacrificed myself for them.”

I tried not to get frustrated with her. Ivy didn’t know everything I’d been through either. I couldn’t expect her to. “I’ve spent the last year doing what everyone told me just so we could set Serenia free. But, Ivy, I can’t let Ella die for that cause, not when I know I can save her. She didn’t ask for this.”

I took a deep breath and let go of Ivy’s hand. The power had already drained from her. She’d given up, or given all she had. I wasn’t sure which.

“I’ll send both of you away, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’m not going to leave you behind.” That’s when the tears burst from Ivy. So she thought I was going to abandon her to Alia’s whims.

“Thank you,” Ivy whispered.

I reached my hand out and flicked my fingers into the air. The portal shimmered in the room, pulsating with the power of my gift. I let go of the portion of my skirt that staunched Ella’s wound and eased her into my arms. She was still tiny, probably always would be, and I was grateful. Instead of helping me, Ivy took a step backward.

“Does it hurt?” She pointed to the portal. I nearly laughed until I remembered my first trip through a portal. It did hurt the first time, but now I felt nothing. It was just as easy as walking through a doorway.

I shook my head. “Just help me with Ella. You’ll be fine. I promise.”

Ivy reached out and helped balance Ella in my arms.

“On the count of three,” I said. “One, two, three.”

Chapter Nineteen

I held Ella tightly, knowing Ivy would probably collapse when we stepped through the other side of the portal. Just as I’d thought, Ivy fell to the ground. She grabbed her stomach, moaned, and then threw up all over Krissin’s rug. I winced, seeing how close she had been to the tile floor, which would have been much easier to clean. I pulled my fingers together and closed the portal.

“What in the name of Eloh? Who is that and why is she vomiting on my rug?” Krissin squealed. Then she looked up and saw me holding Ella in my arms. Her wound continued to soak through the piece of my skirt that now hung from her head, partially stuck to it by the gooey blood. Her voice fell to a whisper. “And who is this?”

“Ella,” I said. “You have to get Johna to help her. I have to leave.”

I hurried to Krissin’s bed and laid Ella down, knowing the vomit on the rug would now be the least of Krissin’s cleanliness worries.

Krissin stuck her head out of her chamber door and screamed for someone to find Johna. Feet pounded down the stone hall. No one moved slowly when Krissin screamed.

“Don’t leave just yet,” Krissin said. “Who are these girls? You can’t just bring them here and leave without an explanation.”

I sighed. “The girl on the bed is Ella.”