Gorinthians Read online

  Selindria looked back and forth at the two of them. "What does that mean?” she asked with a frown. The way they were acting indicated that there was more to it than that.

  "There will be a link between you and your sister after that,” Thistledown said. "You will be able to communicate with each other with thoughts, feel what the other is feeling as well as a few other odd side effects."

  Selindria could tell that they were hiding something, but she was too focused on getting her sister back to worry about it now. "That's fine, as long as it works. It must be morning by now, shouldn't we be leaving?"

  Thistledown laughed. "It's the same time as it was when we left. We are in a passive realm."

  She felt him reach out with his yar and open the doorway back into the cabin. She followed him, arriving in the room just as she had left it only moments before.

  "Let's get some sleep," Terrance said as he closed the door behind him. "We are going to need it.” He walked over to the far bedroom and went in, closing the door softly behind him.

  "Well, I am still hungry,” Thistledown said as his stomach growled loudly, "so let's see what we have for dinner."

  An hour later, the small group was eating around the long dinner table and chatting amiably with each other, trying to enjoy what they knew might be one of their last moments of peace for a long time.

  Chapter 17

  Terrance awoke with a start as he felt the power of a Chasel flash somewhere far to the South. He sat staring at the wall at the foot of his bed, trying to pinpoint exactly where the disturbance had originated. He lay back in his bed and closed his mind of all thought, letting go of the physical realm around him.

  It had taken him years to learn how to release his physical body, a process that had almost killed his body the first time he had tried it. That was before he learned how to leave it in hibernation. Many animals roamed the Spiritual Realms during winter seasons, as their bodies slowed down and waited for warmer weather. Terrance had first learned of the ability to leave his body behind when he had stumbled upon a small tribal community in the old world. Their spirit leader had taught his people that bears were among one of the most revered spirit travelers, and their tribe would dedicate totems and mascots to honor the great creature. The small spirit leader had shown Terrance how to master his reliance on his physical body and let his spirit release its hold on his body and mind.

  Terrance’s spirit rose above his comatose body. The sensations and emotions that were walled off in the physical body flooded his awareness in a rush. It took him a moment to gain control of himself as the bombardment of sensations continued. Soon, he was traveling through the night air swiftly toward the area of disturbance. Forested hills flashed beneath him. The hills were filled with life and energy of which his spirit could detect every particle.

  Within moments, he was over Lake Magnus. He studied the wide swath of destruction that had been caused by an Elemental. He could feel the spiritless hosts of King Fedrin and his soldiers as he searched for the person who had used the Chasel. It was troubling that the King had been controlled by a Gorinthian. That was the only explanation for his body lying in the desolation around him. Terrance had put safe guards in place that should have protected anyone in the royal line.

  To his south, he could sense several people moving toward the village of Laketown. He moved toward them, feeling a familiar resonance as he did so. As he closed in on the trio, he felt a wave of surprise pass through him as he recognized the inventor he had met fifteen years ago. Traveling with her were none other than Prince Ferrich, and Morindessa. Terrance tried to think of what these three could be doing together, but nothing surfaced. He could feel Thistledown's presence closing in on him. Terrance could feel Thistledown's surprise as he also recognized the three that were now making their way into a large house on the outskirts of town.

  What's going on, Terrance? Thistledown thought in puzzlement.

  I wish I knew, Terrance responded with the same puzzlement. Seranova has the Chasel.

  Terrance felt Thistledown's agreement and an added surge of humor pulse through him. Of course, Thistledown would have felt the Chasel as well.

  Let's go back and get some sleep. Terrance sent his thought to Thistledown. We can puzzle out what to make of this in the morning.

  The two of them sped back to the small tear in reality and slipped back into the cottage to their waiting bodies. Terrance’s body was exhausted from the work he and Thistledown had done creating Riah's shell, yet he could not sleep. The feel of Selindria's Core kept pulsing through his mind. It was more pure than anything he had ever felt. He had been unable to duplicate it completely for Riah's shell, because he did not have any elements that were that pure. He would not have thought it possible for a spirit to change so much from the time that they entered a host. Then too, there was the fact that she was half-Zeran and half-Talon, a mix that, to his knowledge, had never occurred before.

  Despite his continuing attempts to clear his mind of thought and fall asleep, Selindria's cat-like gaze kept intruding on his thoughts. It was a gaze that seemed to see much more than he would have liked. When morning finally came, he rose from bed sandy-eyed and grumpy-looking. He tried to plan the day out in his mind, before he met with the others but, once again, Selindria's presence kept surfacing in his thoughts, causing his focus to drift.

  A knock sounded at the door and he beckoned Thistledown to enter. Thistledown sauntered in as relaxed as he ever was, but he appraised Terrance with a shrewd eye. "Would you like to plan the day with me this morning?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. "I can hear your jumbled mess of thoughts all over the cottage."

  Terrance laughed sheepishly and nodded. "There just aren't many secrets in this cottage, are there?"

  "That is a good thing,” Thistledown said prudently. "It's better to get these distractions out in the open when they start, instead of later when we might need you."

  Terrance just nodded again. "I thought that we would try finding Riah on our way to Shalilayo."

  "So you want me to take care of all the arrangements when we arrive at Shalilayo?” Thistledown's face was expressionless as he watched Terrance.

  "Yes," Terrance replied with a breath. "If Jerard is focusing on me, then he won't be interfering with you at Shalilayo. Remember, if we lose Shalilayo, we are lost."

  Thistledown nodded grudgingly. "I still don't like it. You've read the probability spectrum, you saw how many variables exist with this plan."

  "Sometimes you have to take big chances if you want to succeed,” Terrance muttered, half to himself. "Besides, even if I were out of the picture, Jerard still isn't aware that you exist. He will think that he has removed all of his greatest obstacles and will become careless."

  "What about the three that we saw last night?” Thistledown inquired, absently polishing his sharp claws on the end of his fingers against his shirt. "Are we going to look for them as well?"

  "I think that we should keep an eye out for them.” Terrance looked at the door. He could sense the others moving into the sitting room as they awoke.

  "What about Selindria?” Thistledown asked, trying not to smile. "Are you going to settle things before we leave or are you going to go all yellow around the belly?"

  "I don't know,” Terrance muttered, grimacing at Thistledown. "I haven't had to deal with this for half a millennia. I don't even remember how to start it."

  "I'm sure that you'll think of something, oh mighty world-shaker,” Thistledown laughed mockingly.

  Terrance shook his head in disgust, wishing sometimes that there was a way to shield his thoughts from Thistledown. "You can be very irritating sometimes, did you know that?"

  "That's your fault, you know,” Thistledown said pointedly. "I think that this journey is going to be quite interesting with Cha'le along. I don't think that I have ever met anyone quite as mischievous as that young lady."

  Terrance chuckled loudly. "She gets that from her mother. I remember her telling m
e about her wedding night with Ivon. She had dropped a Gazni Bear into the bed the next morning, so that when Ivon awoke he had his arms around the scaly waist of a giant lizard. I don't think that he was ever the same after that morning."

  Thistledown threw back his head and roared with laughter, his eyes leaking with mirth. Terrance felt the focus of attention in the sitting room move to his door as the others heard Thistledown cackling loudly.

  "I think that it's time to have some breakfast and move out,” Terrance suggested dryly, "before the others come in to check on us."

  Thistledown nodded, still wiping at his eyes and chuckling slightly. Terrance spent the next few moments pulling on his long boots and black shirt with small pockets sewn into it that held his star knives. He spent a moment in front of the mirror, making sure that he looked his best, until he heard Thistledown start chuckling again.

  Sighing, he turned back to the door and walked into the sitting room. Everyone was there except Lochnar and Selindria. They all turned to look as he and Thistledown entered the room. Celdic and Li were sitting on a two-person seat, about as close together as it was possible to be, while Celdic stroked his hands through Li's hair. Cha'le and Lendel were also in a two-person seat, Cha'le with a leg draped over Lendel’s leg as she drew designs on his arm. Jalorm looked like a third wheel in a high-backed armchair, seeming relieved that someone else had finally joined the room.

  "Good morning," Terrance greeted them. He sat in a comfortable recliner and Thistledown sprawled in a second one. "Selindria is still asleep, I see."

  Celdic nodded silently, while Li gave him a knowing look. Nothing stays a secret here, he thought wryly. I just barely find out myself, and everyone else already knows. Standing up again, he glared down at Thistledown, who was looking a little too smug. "I think that it is time for breakfast.” With that, he left the room, followed by giggles from Cha'le as Thistledown rolled his eyes toward Selindria's room.

  Opening the cabinet that contained the yellow powder, Terrance poured a small helping on nine different plates, followed by some brown and red powder. Reaching into the far cabinet, he pulled a pitcher out that contained the solution for the dry food. He poured a small measurement of the liquid on each plate, whereupon the powder began changing into fruit, vegetables, and biscuits. He took the plates out, two in his hands, the other seven floating behind him upheld by the force of his yar, and set them on the long table between the sitting room and the kitchen.

  The rest of the group began filing over to the table, idly chatting as they sat down. Thistledown looked at Terrance in surprise as he sat down, then glanced significantly at the plate in front of the empty chair and nodded his head toward Selindria's room. Terrance felt his brows lower in a scowl at Thistledown as he stood up again and took Selindria's meal to her bedroom. He felt the others gaze following him across the room as their conversation quieted and gritted his teeth. Knocking softly on the door, Terrance reached out with his yar probingly into the room to make sure that he was not walking in on her changing. Finding her asleep, he slowly opened the door and walked in, closing it again behind him.

  Selindria lay under her covers with her long black hair fanning out around her. Her face was serenely peaceful as she slept, seeming more beautiful than was humanly possible. Then he remembered that she was not human, so it was possible. Conjuring a chair next to her bed, along with a tray stand, he sat down and placed the tray on the stand next to the bed. He was completely enchanted and just stared at her face, unable to keep his eyes away from her. Without realizing it, he reached out and brushed a lock of hair from her face, noticing how coarse silk felt in comparison.

  Suddenly, he realized that her eyes were open and watching him silently. Jerking his hand back, he began muttering apologies when she reached out and pulled his hand back, kissing it softly. He thought that the skin on his hand where her lips had touched might burn right off his hand. "Good morning, Terrance,” she whispered softly.

  "Good morning, Selindria,” Terrance replied lamely, feeling completely at a loss as for how to proceed. Good morning? What am I thinking?

  "Terrance?” Selindria asked, still whispering as her eyes stared into his soul with no need of her yar.

  "Yes, Selindria?” Terrance replied quietly.

  "Will you kiss me?” she asked, her expression serious. He could see the open, vulnerable look just behind her eyes as she watched him intently. For answer, he moved forward and wrapped her in his arm. His lips met hers and the fire that began in his hand filled his entire face as she clung to him fiercely. He could feel her warm body pulsing quickly beneath him, in time with his own rapidly beating heart, and his desire became almost unbearable. Struggling with himself, he finally made himself pull away, feeling as if he were giving up the greatest treasure in his life. She lay beneath him, a beautiful smile lighting her already beautiful face.

  "That was very nice,” she whispered into his ear. "I think that I may need you to show me how it is done occasionally, in case I forget."

  "I think that I could handle that,” Terrance replied, smiling down at her, his eyes twinkling.

  "Oh good," she said, pulling him back down into an embrace that lasted much longer this time.

  ---

  Lochnar entered the front door of the cottage to find everyone but Selindria and Terrance eating breakfast, though he had already known where everyone was before seeing them with his eyes. Lochnar was glad that his daughter had finally found someone that was a match for her. Though he lacked the emotion of happiness, he felt partly responsible for her inability to find a mate. Her newfound experience of having a relationship allayed his concern. He had loved once in his life, when he had married Riah and Selindria's mother, Sendria. He had been raised among Talons, with the brutal kill-or-be-killed life-style deeply bred into him. The gentle tolerance with which Sendria had viewed the world, however, touched a chord within him he did not think even humans were capable of understanding. Talons did not feel happiness because they did not feel sadness. They did, however, feel hate and rage in extremes that humans would never experience. This enabled them to experience the other end of the spectrum of emotions such as love and passion much more deeply than humans ever could.

  As he walked up to the breakfast table and sat down. He could feel the covert glances of the others as they wondered how he would react to his daughter’s most recent development. Ignoring them, he began thinking about Morindessa and her two companions of the previous evening. Thistledown had known that he had appeared and followed the trio, but as far as Lochnar knew, he had not told Terrance, which was a surprise.

  He wondered how Morindessa had attracted the wrath of the Gorinthians. He had left a small marking in one of her pouches to let her know that he was in the area. During the time that Morindessa had lived with Riah and him, he came to love her almost as much as his own daughters. After what had happened to Riah, he was not willing to leave Selindria or Morindessa completely alone.

  He felt a flash of irritation as he felt Lendel's gaze on him once again. From the time that he had arrived at the cottage, he had felt Lendel studying him as if he were some sort of puzzle to piece together. At first, he had thought that the youth was bitter about his treatment on their journey to the cottage. He never sensed any bitterness, though, only respect and determination. Both were traits that Lochnar valued, but he would have been happier knowing what the determination represented. Once again, Lochnar cursed himself for getting mixed up with humans. They always wanted to complicate things that should be left simple and simplify things that were meant to be complicated.

  At that moment, Selindria and Terrance came out of her room. Terrance was watching Selindria, not seeming to realize that anyone else existed. Selindria glanced around the room and saw Lochnar watching her and smiled, a smile that was so reminiscent of her mother that Lochnar felt himself smiling back. The unused muscles in his cheeks almost squeaked in protest. When she saw him smile, her face grew so radiant that her face seem
ed to glow and he found himself as close to happiness as a Talon ever came, waves of contentment emanating from him.

  The two of them sat down at the other end of the table next to Thistledown, much to Terrance’s obvious displeasure. Lochnar felt a small lump in the seat of his chair begin moving around as if a creature was struggling beneath the lining. Without looking around, he reached out with his yar and dissolved the Protrubent Node. He looked across the table at Cha'le who was studiously looking the other way, as if she were interested in what Li and Celdic were saying, except that they were not saying anything. Lochnar reached into the realm of negatives, where his yar would not be felt. He could sense Thistledown falter in his conversation slightly as he realized what Lochnar was doing. A moment later Cha'le let out a scream that should have brought down the roof and jumped out of her seat. Or tried to jump out of her seat, because it followed her into the air as she beat at it and tried to pry it off of her back side. Everyone at the table had jumped when she screamed. Thistledown reacted first because he already saw what it was that Lochnar had done. He rushed over to where Cha'le was jumping up and down trying to get the chair off her and pulled the chair backward. It came off her as he jerked it away, allowing the others to see the small gaping maws that had replaced the seat of her chair and had been biting at her backside.

  Lochnar continued studying the group as if nothing had happened, while Li looked around in confusion. "What happened?"

  "I forgot to warn you about that,” Thistledown said to Cha'le. "Don't try any of your pranks on Lochnar. He probably doesn't mind them, but where he's from, they have a somewhat morbid sense of humor."

  Selindria was looking down the table at him disapprovingly, while Terrance was trying not to smile. The others looked at him in shock while Cha'le rubbed her backside surreptitiously. "I'll remember that," she said with a sour look in his direction.