Read Online Darkness Risen (The Ava'Lonan Herstories Book 4) by Ako Emanuel - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ako Emanuel
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plunged
grimly, only meeting Luyon’s formidable gaze again after she had said it. *:The
link is strong. Very strong. And very advanced.:* Something in her mind’s voice
set his hair to standing. She was not telling everything.
“ How strong?” he asked quietly, urgently.
“ Very - strong.” *:The channel is so deep
that I’d swear she had come to the verge of -:* the rest of the words were
bitten back, and the healer made a sign against impropriety toward her betters
and sovereign. Alarmed, Luyon grabbed her arms, demanding, “ What?!”
*:Solu’san,:* and even her mind’s voice was a
whisper. Again she made the sign, coupled with one against the anger of the Goddesses.
*:It is more advanced than any death-defiance bond I know of, though there are
hints of that, too. And more advanced than any Goddess-bond I have ever seen.
What she has is - it is almost like she is not just one single personality
anymore. And yet, I do not sense the lost echoes of another in her. I do not -
I am out of my element in this.:* The admission was shameless.
“Is it -” *:Is it like the Zehj’Ba?:* he asked,
holding the terror of her answer inside. But she shook her head vigorously.
*:No, that is the first thing I checked for when I
found this bond. It seems to be a full sharing, not a drain. I - am pretty sure
of that. And - she seems to cherish it. She tried to hide it, but a bond that
strong cannot be fully hidden. I - cannot tell any more with any certainty
beyond that.:*
“Tell me this,” he said, leaning close, his eyes
transfixing her. *:Can you sever it?:*
D’rad’ni blinked. *:My first answer would be no. She
is too integrated into this other soul to separate them without killing both. But
I am no expert in this area. You need one who is fully trained in the arts of chi’ol’bey.
I only have an intermediate level of training in such matters of the mind and
soul. I could be wrong, though I think not.:*
Luyon nodded. “Thank you, D’rad’ni. I will need you
to take an oath of total silence on this, right now. None may know of this,
save the High Queen and whomever she chooses to tell. And I will tell her.”
D’rad’ni gave her oath, looking relieved that it did
not fall to her to tell the High Queen. She took her leave of the First
Voice/Prince Consort presumptive and hurried away.
Luyon continued to walk slowly through the halls
rather than av’tun directly into Audola’s lains - only he and the High Heir had
that privilege, and only he into all lains, including the bath and sleeping
lains. He sifted through the little that D’rad’ni could tell him of the Heir’s
condition and how best to break it to Audola.
He still had not come up with anything original when
he reached the High Queen’s laire. She turned and impatience practically radiated
from her, though her movements and demeanor were calm. Only he could see her
expectancy. He paused, at a loss about how to begin.
The look on Luyon’s face turned Audola’s heart to
ice and her breath to bitter lead. She prepared herself for the worst.
“How does she fare?” she asked in a whisper, not
choked, but then it did not have to be.
“She fares well physically,” he said, hedging.
“And otherwise?” Her eyes were wide in a face that
felt rigid with fear. He came forward and took her hands. “What is it? What did
D’rad’ni say?”
“She is - Jur’Av’chi’n,” he said.
Relief bubbled like laughter in Audola’s chest. In
fact, she wanted to laugh. Was that all? But Audola had expected that,
considering that she had felt her daughter come so close to the hand of the
Beloved. But as she continued to stare at him, the laughter died away. There
was more to it.
“Tell me,” she said, her voice as flat as a glass
mirror and as opaque.
You won’t like it, his eyes said. Then he
straightened his back and squared his shoulders. Audola did the same, her face
becoming calm, relaxed. She could handle the grim news better as High
grimly, only meeting Luyon’s formidable gaze again after she had said it. *:The
link is strong. Very strong. And very advanced.:* Something in her mind’s voice
set his hair to standing. She was not telling everything.
“ How strong?” he asked quietly, urgently.
“ Very - strong.” *:The channel is so deep
that I’d swear she had come to the verge of -:* the rest of the words were
bitten back, and the healer made a sign against impropriety toward her betters
and sovereign. Alarmed, Luyon grabbed her arms, demanding, “ What?!”
*:Solu’san,:* and even her mind’s voice was a
whisper. Again she made the sign, coupled with one against the anger of the Goddesses.
*:It is more advanced than any death-defiance bond I know of, though there are
hints of that, too. And more advanced than any Goddess-bond I have ever seen.
What she has is - it is almost like she is not just one single personality
anymore. And yet, I do not sense the lost echoes of another in her. I do not -
I am out of my element in this.:* The admission was shameless.
“Is it -” *:Is it like the Zehj’Ba?:* he asked,
holding the terror of her answer inside. But she shook her head vigorously.
*:No, that is the first thing I checked for when I
found this bond. It seems to be a full sharing, not a drain. I - am pretty sure
of that. And - she seems to cherish it. She tried to hide it, but a bond that
strong cannot be fully hidden. I - cannot tell any more with any certainty
beyond that.:*
“Tell me this,” he said, leaning close, his eyes
transfixing her. *:Can you sever it?:*
D’rad’ni blinked. *:My first answer would be no. She
is too integrated into this other soul to separate them without killing both. But
I am no expert in this area. You need one who is fully trained in the arts of chi’ol’bey.
I only have an intermediate level of training in such matters of the mind and
soul. I could be wrong, though I think not.:*
Luyon nodded. “Thank you, D’rad’ni. I will need you
to take an oath of total silence on this, right now. None may know of this,
save the High Queen and whomever she chooses to tell. And I will tell her.”
D’rad’ni gave her oath, looking relieved that it did
not fall to her to tell the High Queen. She took her leave of the First
Voice/Prince Consort presumptive and hurried away.
Luyon continued to walk slowly through the halls
rather than av’tun directly into Audola’s lains - only he and the High Heir had
that privilege, and only he into all lains, including the bath and sleeping
lains. He sifted through the little that D’rad’ni could tell him of the Heir’s
condition and how best to break it to Audola.
He still had not come up with anything original when
he reached the High Queen’s laire. She turned and impatience practically radiated
from her, though her movements and demeanor were calm. Only he could see her
expectancy. He paused, at a loss about how to begin.
The look on Luyon’s face turned Audola’s heart to
ice and her breath to bitter lead. She prepared herself for the worst.
“How does she fare?” she asked in a whisper, not
choked, but then it did not have to be.
“She fares well physically,” he said, hedging.
“And otherwise?” Her eyes were wide in a face that
felt rigid with fear. He came forward and took her hands. “What is it? What did
D’rad’ni say?”
“She is - Jur’Av’chi’n,” he said.
Relief bubbled like laughter in Audola’s chest. In
fact, she wanted to laugh. Was that all? But Audola had expected that,
considering that she had felt her daughter come so close to the hand of the
Beloved. But as she continued to stare at him, the laughter died away. There
was more to it.
“Tell me,” she said, her voice as flat as a glass
mirror and as opaque.
You won’t like it, his eyes said. Then he
straightened his back and squared his shoulders. Audola did the same, her face
becoming calm, relaxed. She could handle the grim news better as High
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