Warrior of the Ages (Warriors of the Ages) (44 page)

Asher nodded, understanding. “Me too, at least we lived to have ‘em, eh?”

IN THE KITCHEN Kahtar dug out the last box of brack tea and wandered down to the pond by the hammock. Leaning against a big willow he slid to the ground and sat quietly.

After awhile he lifted the box of tea to his nose, he breathed the scent in, it was rich and dark. Of all the earthly pleasures one could consume, this was the one he’d most enjoyed. In the centuries since it had vanished, he’d remembered it with longing. Beth had brought it back into his life. It would vanish now just like she had, it seemed appropriate, brief interludes of wonderful here and then gone. Lifting the lid off the thin cardboard he saw a note she’d scrawled inside the box. ‘Gross Man Tea.’ Laughter rose in his throat and died there. Unfolding the wax bag inside, he lifted out the dried, black leaves and crumbled them into the grass—a little at a time. The scent filled his nostrils as he worked, emptying the box.

“Old Guard?” His voice echoed across the pond in a summons. Kahtar didn’t look up until he sensed one of them appear solidly in front of him. When he did look up he was certain that the man was staring at the pile of leaves in the grass between his knees, the tilt of his head almost sad. It made him angry.

“Yet you ended her though you found her blameless.”

The Old Guard paused, shimmered and affirmed, “Yes.”

Even in his grief Kahtar sensed something off in the Old Guard’s response. The silent pause of a lie, the kind of tone that Beth had seen through before a word was completely spoken. “You hesitated, what aren’t you telling me?”

“Much, Ancient One. Time is not constant.”

“What does that mean?”

“She’s on Orthrus—time moves slower there.”

“Did you end my wife?”

The Old Guard shimmered and replied, “She is not your wife.”

“Don’t you dare!” Kahtar stood up in one fluid movement and jammed his finger into the Old Guard’s chest. His hand passed straight through the man as he continued to shimmer, barely there. The contact felt like burning ice against his arm and he pulled it back instinctively. “Don’t give me your cryptic answers! Either she is alive or she’s not. You have pledged to me, can you not give me that much? Do I need to ask for her body for proof?”

The Old Guard shimmered, vanishing completely several times before taking a solid form again. “If it is your desire we will return her body when the trial ends.”

“When—are you telling me that the trial hasn’t ended?”

“Time moves differently on Orthrus, Ancient One. The outcome is inevitable. Your declared perceives it as mere moments. There was no reason for you to suffer this knowledge.”

The pieces of Kahtar’s heart seemed to snap back together in a split second, hope springing from nowhere, Beth was alive. At this very moment she was still alive.

“Take me to her.”

“That is not possible.”

“End me with her then, release me from this cycle—I can serve no further purpose! I’m done.”

Black eyes stared at him, impossible to read. No mercy shone through, no hostility either. Whatever rules Old Guard lived by did not allow his request, and after a silent moment he simply vanished.

Kahtar shouted in protest, in pain, a wordless howl of agony tearing through him. Helpless fury coursed through his veins. Standing at the edge of the pond, screaming with no hope, roaring until his voice was gone he slid to the ground and put his head on his knees, too exhausted to even cry.

NIGHT HAD COME, when he woke the moon already high in the hazy sky. Shouting had left his throat raw. Wolves came to him, slinking through the grass on his belly, he nosed his big shaggy head onto Kahtar’s lap, the familiar foul stench almost comforting. Kahtar dropped a hand onto the dog’s body and forced his fingers through tangled fur. Wolves burrowed closer in response, his nails snagging the fabric of the police uniform. The dog’s shoulder rested against Kahtar’s holster, shoving his gun into his hip. For a split second Kahtar had thoughts that no Warrior of ilu was allowed. Immediately his hand went to that gun, he flipped the holster open, grabbed the gun and threw it into the pond where it plunked and sank. The temptation to be finished was horribly strong.

Not that way, I won’t go that way, not by my own hand.
Watching the moonlight reflect off the pond he decided when the Old Guard brought her body, he’d bring Carole here. The shieldmaiden could finish him in this place. He could end too, at least for a brief respite. Then—he couldn’t think of that now. He’d lose his mind.

Emotionally exhausted, at some point Kahtar fell deeply asleep again and dreamed. Beth came to him then, straddled his lap with long tan legs and held his head against her shoulder. She smelled like tangerines and he cried into her neck, tears wetting her silky hair until it hung stringy and messy, and the reek of Wolves consumed her own fresh scent. Her own tears soaked his shirt and in his dream he asked her why she was crying.

“Because you are and because it scares me now—that I didn’t want to come back. I wanted to die there. And because Wolves is chewing on my leg hard, and it really hurts.”

Clutching a handful of her soft hair he kept his eyes squeezed tight, willing the dream to last, but she kept leaning away, trying to escape and he knew when he opened his eyes she’d be gone.

“I wish you smelled right.” He whispered against her skin, the smell of Wolves was overtaking the dream, bringing reality too close. Beth slipped further away.

“I wish you’d get him off me, I’m bleeding! Kahtar! Why’s he biting me?” There was fear in her voice and unable to ignore it, he opened his eyes. There in the moonlight dappling through the draping willow branches, Beth’s eyes glowed silvery, and she struggled to slide off the far side of his lap away from the dog. Wolves excitedly gnawed on her left thigh, pinching again and again with his front teeth, his tail wagging furiously. Blood seeped from dozens of tiny puncture marks, and the sound of dog’s teeth chattering mingled with Beth’s whimpered protests. It was so real.

With one shove Kahtar knocked the dog off, he yelped but made another lunge for Beth. Kahtar grabbed his muzzle and ordered him away in the ancient tongue. Wolves started to howl in protest, crawling on his belly in circles, quivering with joy. Wide-eyed Kahtar ran a hand over Beth’s thigh, flesh and blood beneath his hand, healing flowed from his hand and closed the bites instantly. Pulling his hand away he brought it to his eyes, it was covered in blood. He scanned the blood and the woman sitting beside him with one long leg still draped over his lap. Grabbing a handful of her hair he rudely yanked her towards a patch of moonlight, staring in disbelief, unable to believe what his senses were telling him.

“You’re real. You’re alive?”

“Yes.” A soft hand cupped his face, tracing stubble on his chin.

“How?” A whisper was all he could manage.

“I don’t know. I just don’t know. They really are angels, Kahtar, really terrifying ones.”

Reverently he took her face between his hands and stared hard, scanning again, running fingers over her features, trying to be certain this was real. She was exactly as she’d been weeks ago when they’d snatched her off the front porch, even her flowered little sundress looked as fresh as it had that day, marred only by flecks of blood from Wolves’ uncontrolled greeting. The dog continued to grovel nearby, his teeth clacking together as he shivered with excitement. It was the stupid reaction of the dog that convinced Kahtar that this was no dream.

Crushing her to his chest he put his face against the top of her head and cried like a little boy. For whatever reason the Old Guard had decided not to end her, this was real. Great heaving sobs shook his chest, his voice growing hoarser and hoarser. For the first time as an adult he completely lost control of his emotions, crying until he was spent.

When Kahtar finally quieted, his voice was completely gone and he was exhausted and weak. Slumped against the tree trunk he simply sat with his arms wrapped around Beth. She moved tighter against his chest, pressing her thin body against his. The air was humid. Frogs and insects had again taken up their chorus along the edges of the pond, and the stench of Wolves intruded, confirming reality. Then Beth’s heart pressed against his, and his breath caught and he froze, knowing that this was their moment. She found the mark she’d left there, her heart pressed into it, filling it and erasing the pain of the past weeks. The sensation as her heart slid fully into his was like swallowing her. It seemed impossible to hold all of her dancing exuberance within his unyielding heart, but painlessly his own heart conformed to hers and the sensation was that of expanding, growing, becoming more than he’d been, he knew he would hold her like this forever. Even when he did die, this would go with him into the next repeat. This was now his heart. Several more tears came from somewhere and slid down his already soaked face.

Beth reached up and wiped them away and whispered, “I love you, and now they can’t separate us ever again.”

His gasp of joy sounded like a sob even to his own ears, but he was far too happy to care if every warrior he’d ever known had been there to bear witness. Together they tumbled onto their sides to rest in the damp grass, Beth stayed wrapped between his arms and legs and he closed his eyes, held tightly to a handful of her hair, and knew no more that night.

A REPULSIVE REEK threatened to gag her even in her sleep, but Beth fought to stay asleep, so tired she ached with it. When the stench grew stronger, and brushed wet against her cheek she ignored it, tried not to allow her consciousness to speculate on what could be so disgusting, but then a clicking sound grew louder and something began to pinch at her cheek, hard. She was so tired this made her cry. Then she heard Kahtar shout and Wolves yelp. Reaching up to wipe blood off her cheek she found the wound already healed by his expert skill. Forcing her eyes open she met Kahtar’s face, tears in his steely eyes as he gazed at her and then she remembered.