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Authors: Thomas M. Reid
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managed to close the wound with his unusual healing power. The half-drow seemed stable, but Aliisza refused to leave his side until she was certain he wasn’t going to succumb to his injuries. From time to time, the priest would place a hand upon
one or another chest, close his eyes, and murmur something Aliisza couldn’t quite make out. He had been at his vigil for quite some time, and Aliisza marveled at how he kept it up. Her own body ached with fatigue.
“Is he ever going to waken?” Kaanyr asked, standing in the middle of the chamber and staring at Zasian.
The man cringed and shook his head. “I don’t know,” he answered. “I’m trying. This one”he pointed at the planetar”is badly hurt and I can’t seem to heal him. But those other two are much better. They should be awake by now, but for some reason, they just aren’t. I don’t understand.”
Kaanyr’s sigh echoed through the room. “This is ridiculous! We’re getting nowhere!”
When Aliisza didn’t answer him, he returned to pacing. Aliisza glanced over at Zasian. He was watching Kaanyr with a mixture of fear and curiosity, his eyes wide. The strange childlike innocence that the priest exhibited continued to intrigue Aliisza. Beyond her distrust of the man, the youthful attitude belied the maturity of his face. If it was a hoax, he was carrying it off perfectly.
“I just wish I could remember,” Zasian said as he returned to monitoring Kael. “I must have done something very bad to make him so angry at me.”
Aliisza just watched the man next to her. Finally, when he looked up, she said, “Be glad that you can’t.”
She turned her attention back to Kaanyr. He returned her stare, but his mind seemed far away. Aliisza rose to her feet and crossed the floor.
“Hey,” she said, taking Kaanyr’s hand in her own. The preternatural warmth of his skin felt good. She had forgotten how much she used to seek out his touch. “What is it?”
Kaanyr shook his head. “It seems like we’ve been out here for days. Who knows? Maybe we have.”
“And?” she prompted, pulling the cambion around to face her squarely. “What of it? We already agreed that waiting for Tauran to wake up was the best choice. Perhaps Tyr will have seen fit to grant his blessings to Tauran once more. But even if he hasn’t, we won’t be any worse off. Just be patient.”
“I’m just so tired of feeling… helpless.”
Welcome to my world, Aliisza thought, but she resisted the urge to snort in derision. Standing close to him, sharing that moment, felt familiar and comfortable, and she didn’t want to lose it. Instead, she just watched him. Her mind flashed through a series of memories, of a happier time for the two of them, back in Amarindar, when they were master and mistress of their world. A lifetime ago, Aliisza mused. Several lifetimes, perhaps.
When she turned her attention back to Kaanyr, she was surprised to find him smiling at her. She could tell by the twinkle in his eye that he was thinking lascivious thoughts.
Aliisza returned the grin, though she felt slightly embarrassed. Must have been thinking the same things I was, she thought. “What?” she asked him.
“I was just remembering when you used to come find me in the throne room,” Kaanyr said. “How you used to sit on my lap and squirm, trying to distract me, and I’d pretend not to notice just to aggravate you.”
Aliisza chuckled and punched Kaanyr gently in the arm. “Infuriate me, is more like it,” she said. “I should have known.” She rolled her eyes playfully, then stepped into his embrace and snuggled there. “Mmm,” she purred.
“Let’s go,” Kaanyr said abruptly, that old mischievous
tone in his voice. “Just you and me, right now. Let’s just take off into that silver void and find our old lives again. What do you say?”
Aliisza felt her smile turn sad as she pulled back to look him in the eye again. “You know I can’t do that,” she said, “and
one or another chest, close his eyes, and murmur something Aliisza couldn’t quite make out. He had been at his vigil for quite some time, and Aliisza marveled at how he kept it up. Her own body ached with fatigue.
“Is he ever going to waken?” Kaanyr asked, standing in the middle of the chamber and staring at Zasian.
The man cringed and shook his head. “I don’t know,” he answered. “I’m trying. This one”he pointed at the planetar”is badly hurt and I can’t seem to heal him. But those other two are much better. They should be awake by now, but for some reason, they just aren’t. I don’t understand.”
Kaanyr’s sigh echoed through the room. “This is ridiculous! We’re getting nowhere!”
When Aliisza didn’t answer him, he returned to pacing. Aliisza glanced over at Zasian. He was watching Kaanyr with a mixture of fear and curiosity, his eyes wide. The strange childlike innocence that the priest exhibited continued to intrigue Aliisza. Beyond her distrust of the man, the youthful attitude belied the maturity of his face. If it was a hoax, he was carrying it off perfectly.
“I just wish I could remember,” Zasian said as he returned to monitoring Kael. “I must have done something very bad to make him so angry at me.”
Aliisza just watched the man next to her. Finally, when he looked up, she said, “Be glad that you can’t.”
She turned her attention back to Kaanyr. He returned her stare, but his mind seemed far away. Aliisza rose to her feet and crossed the floor.
“Hey,” she said, taking Kaanyr’s hand in her own. The preternatural warmth of his skin felt good. She had forgotten how much she used to seek out his touch. “What is it?”
Kaanyr shook his head. “It seems like we’ve been out here for days. Who knows? Maybe we have.”
“And?” she prompted, pulling the cambion around to face her squarely. “What of it? We already agreed that waiting for Tauran to wake up was the best choice. Perhaps Tyr will have seen fit to grant his blessings to Tauran once more. But even if he hasn’t, we won’t be any worse off. Just be patient.”
“I’m just so tired of feeling… helpless.”
Welcome to my world, Aliisza thought, but she resisted the urge to snort in derision. Standing close to him, sharing that moment, felt familiar and comfortable, and she didn’t want to lose it. Instead, she just watched him. Her mind flashed through a series of memories, of a happier time for the two of them, back in Amarindar, when they were master and mistress of their world. A lifetime ago, Aliisza mused. Several lifetimes, perhaps.
When she turned her attention back to Kaanyr, she was surprised to find him smiling at her. She could tell by the twinkle in his eye that he was thinking lascivious thoughts.
Aliisza returned the grin, though she felt slightly embarrassed. Must have been thinking the same things I was, she thought. “What?” she asked him.
“I was just remembering when you used to come find me in the throne room,” Kaanyr said. “How you used to sit on my lap and squirm, trying to distract me, and I’d pretend not to notice just to aggravate you.”
Aliisza chuckled and punched Kaanyr gently in the arm. “Infuriate me, is more like it,” she said. “I should have known.” She rolled her eyes playfully, then stepped into his embrace and snuggled there. “Mmm,” she purred.
“Let’s go,” Kaanyr said abruptly, that old mischievous
tone in his voice. “Just you and me, right now. Let’s just take off into that silver void and find our old lives again. What do you say?”
Aliisza felt her smile turn sad as she pulled back to look him in the eye again. “You know I can’t do that,” she said, “and
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