Alora: The Portal (10 page)

Morvaen nodded. “And the matter is made worse by the taunting cries of the enemy warriors while we are fighting to save their lives. One would almost think they wished to be executed.”

“Yes, that thought has occurred to me as well,” said Laethan.

“What thought?” Graely spotted a look of understanding passing between the two councilmen. 

“That a large number of these Water Clan warriors despise their bloodbond and wish to die.” Morvaen took up his habitual pacing, emphasizing his words with each pounding step. “I have never been attacked by so many warriors of small stature with little skill and no hope of winning as happened tonight. It’s almost as if Vindrake sent them as a distraction, with no intention of defeating us.”

“I think that could’ve been his motivation. His true goal was to kill Alora and Kaevin, and he almost succeeded.” Graely’s stomach tightened at the memory of his son’s distorted face.

“I felt many of the Water Clan warriors were using my sword to end their existence, rushing at me with fear and desperation on their faces, rather than the fury of battle. More than one died with a smile, despite the pain of a fatal injury.” Morvaen closed his eyes as he spoke.

“Surely this can’t be true. I thought the bloodbond changed the Water Clan people. I thought they became as evil as Vindrake when they took the bondmark.”

“I believed the same, Graely. Honestly, I did. Every action and word of every Water Clan citizen, male or female, has been vile and motivated by wickedness. I thought his bond transformed them, mind and soul. But what if it doesn’t? What if it only controls them?”

As the horror of this idea settled in his mind, his mouth went dry. “It can’t be true. It’s… it’s too awful.”

“But I’ve come to believe this as well, Graely.” Laethan’s hand clasped his shoulder. “Yet I can’t conceive how we could separate those who are truly evil from those who are merely controlled by Vindrake’s bondmark. Certainly there must be some of each.”

Morvaen frowned. “What decision, Graely?”

“What to do with the Water Clan prisoners. If they are good people controlled by an evil bond, what would they prefer? What would you want if it were you? Would you rather be imprisoned for the rest of your existence or return to live in Water Clan and serve Vindrake? Of course, we’ve never been able to incorporate them as Stone Clan citizens.”

“I would prefer to die.” Morvaen’s tone was flat.

“But that’s not an option. I can’t have them executed.”

“Perhaps my attempt to save the young Water Clan warrior was not the act of mercy I thought.” The uncertainty in his chief healer’s voice surprised Graely.

“I’ll not decide his fate this moment,” said Graely. “I believe we should have a council meeting on the subject. Fortunately, there are very few Water Clan warriors who’ve not already succumbed to their injuries. For the present, their lives are in your hands, Laethan.”

He grunted in reply before turning to respond to a call from one of his assistants.

“Graely, I’m so sorry about Kaevin.” Morvaen drew his attention. “I feel it’s partly my fault. I should have sent them back the moment I saw them. Instead, I tried to compromise, thinking to keep them safe from Vindrake while using them to aid in the battle. Now I regret my actions.”

“No Morvaen, I’m as guilty as you. I was so gladdened to have Kaevin fighting by my side, I forgot how treacherous Vindrake can be. They came to me when they first transported. I, too, could have sent them to safety, but I didn’t.”

Morvaen picked up the speed of his pacing, a dizzying prospect in the limited space between the beds. “If Kaevin and Alora survive, we must find a way to dissolve the soulmate bond. At least that would eliminate one avenue for Vindrake to kill them. And Alora could remain safe in Montana until she has grown into her powers.”

“But you’re forgetting about the portal,” Graely reminded him.

Morvaen stopped in his tracks. “The portal… truly, I’d forgotten our discussion of a portal between the two realms. If there’s a portal...”

“There
is
a portal. There
must
be. Nordamen says only a portal would explain all of the events that occurred.”

“Very well. I will concede that a portal must exist.”

“Then you must consider the possibility… no, the probability… that Vindrake will locate the portal entrance.”

“Is there not a method to close and seal the portal? After all, we don’t need it; we have Alora to transport us between realms.”

“Closing the portal… an interesting proposition. That’s a question for Nordamen.”

“That’s a question for another time and another place.” At the sound of Laethan’s clipped voice in his ear, Graely turned toward his glowering face. Laethan continued, “If you aren’t going to help, at the very least you can move and stop clogging up my corridors.”

Stifling a grin, Graely backed toward the door. “Sorry, Laethan. I was just leaving. I need to speak to Nordamen and Bardamen right away.”

“Take this tree trunk with you.” Laethan shoved Morvaen, a futile effort against his hulking frame.

“I’ll leave you to your healing.” Morvaen laughed, but then his face sobered.

“Graely, I need to gather our dead. Will you have a departing ceremony for the fallen warriors today?”

Graely felt the weight of yet another decision on his shoulders. “I think we should wait until the morrow. We need time for the families to be told, and those who’ve sacrificed loved ones must know their deaths were not in vain. I feel obligated to bear the tidings myself.” He rubbed his burning eyes. The day would be long, with many grim tasks to complete before he could seek respite for his exhausted body.

“Beth’s mom didn’t seem too upset, but I think Beth really downplayed the danger. And maybe she was pretty safe in the healing house.” Alora tried not to act impatient as her uncle drove them back to the hospital. She wasn’t having any symptoms from her short separation from Kaevin, but she felt uneasy with the distance between them.

“But it
was
dangerous, because if you or Kaevin had been killed, she’d have no way of returning. And that’s only one of the reasons I’m upset with you for going to Laegenshire without discussing it with me first.” Charles never looked away from the road, but it seemed as if his eyes were boring into her.

“I know, Uncle Charles. I know it was wrong, and I’m sorry. But at the time it seemed like the right thing to do.”

“Alora, I’m really frustrated with you. It’s not like driving—I can’t take away your car keys. You can transport at any time and take people with you, and I have absolutely no control over you. At fifteen—”

“I’m almost sixteen now.”

He rolled his eyes. “Even at sixteen, you aren’t mature enough to be making these decisions on your own. That much is obvious from last night’s decision not to talk to me first.”

“But it was an emergency, so we didn’t have time to ask for permission. It was just like that time when Vindrake’s men snatched Arista. If we hadn’t gone when we did, Arista might have died. And this time, we saved Jireo, and probably a lot of other people as well. And think of all the people those wendts would have killed if we hadn’t been there. The people in Laegenshire couldn’t even see them.”

She let out a small gasp, remembering the wendt she’d sent to her uncle’s root cellar. A glance revealed her uncle staring intently at the road, oblivious to her sharp intake.
He hasn’t been down to the cellar in years. The wendt ought to be safe enough in there for a while longer. I’ll have to take Kaevin and Wesley with me to check it out.

Uncle Charles spoke between his teeth with tight lips. “There will always be an emergency in Laegenshire. It’s a dangerous place. And you went against my will and against Graely’s will and against the council’s will. The real reason you didn’t wait to ask for permission was because you knew my answer would be
no
.”

She bit back a retort, recognizing the level of his temper by the flexing muscles in his jaw.
Maybe you’re right, but I still think we did the right thing.

“The point I’m trying to make is I don’t want you making that decision on your own right now.” He paused, blinking rapidly. “Look Alora, this is not about me trying to dominate you or keep you from your
calling
or whatever it is. This is about me doing my job as your father—your real father, the one who loves you. I’m trying to protect you so you’ll live long enough to make a mature decision about all of this. If you aren’t alive, you certainly won’t be able to help Laegenshire fight Vindrake.”

“But Vindrake’s attacking them right now. I can’t afford to wait until I’m older.”

“Alora, I know you feel like a grownup and you’ve had to do some grownup things, but you still have a long way to go before you’re actually an adult. It’s not that I think you aren’t smart or mature, but I want to protect you.” His voice cracked. “I need to protect you, Alora. You’re all I have left. You’re my daughter, and I’ll do anything to protect you.”

He swiped a hand across his cheek.

“I love you. I know you think God has this big huge plan for you, and He arranged for you to have a soulmate and gave you gifts and a destiny… But don’t you think Lena and I were part of that plan as well? Don’t you think we were appointed to be at that particular spot in Yellowstone the day your mother managed to escape from Vindrake? Don’t you see He chose us to be your parents? Don’t you believe He wants me to protect you and help you make wise choices?”

Overcome, she wrung her hands together in her lap. She nodded, struggling to keep her tears inside.

He reached across to squeeze her hand. “Don’t cry, Alora. I love you, and I only want what’s best for you. I never get to talk to you alone anymore, so I felt this was the time to clear the air.”

“Wh—what do you want from me?” she choked out.

“I want you to love me and respect me enough to include me in your decisions for a few more years. I want you to trust me to help you make wise choices. I’ll admit my selfish side would like to sneak off and hide you away on some deserted island to keep you safe. But I’ve accepted the fact you have a bigger destiny. And I realize your life is tied to Kaevin and the people of Laegenshire. Please don’t shut me out.”

“But what if it’s an emergency and you’re not around? Like yesterday, you were gone, and we couldn’t wait until you got home.”

“You could have spoken to me, and you know it. I always wear that steel belt around my waist so you can talk to me without endangering anyone. It’s not too comfortable, but I never leave without it. You’ve used it to ask me about going to Beth’s house. You’ve used it to remind me to buy ice cream from the grocery store. But you couldn’t have spared thirty seconds to mention the emergency you perceived with Jireo before you transported into a dangerous situation?”

Alora felt the heat rise to her cheeks. “I forgot. I really did. When the awful headache came all of a sudden, I couldn’t think straight.”

“You had a headache?” His indignant tone faltered.

“Yes, that’s what started the whole thing. It got better for a while, and then it came back. I felt like my head was going to split open, and so did Kaevin. I really was waiting for you to come home until that happened.”

“We need to figure out why your heads hurt like that. But still—”

“Yes, I admit I should’ve spoken to you before we left. I just forgot. You can punish me. I’ll be grounded if you want. I won’t go to the prom.”

His mouth twitched in a small smile. “Nice try, but it won’t work. I happen to know you don’t want to go to the prom.”

Busted!
“Well what do you want me to say?”

“Just promise me, from now on you’ll ask me before you transport to Laegenshire. Once you’re there, I know you have to make really quick decisions, but let me be your father while you’re here. That’s it—that’s all I ask.”

The road noise was loud in her ears as the old truck rumbled down the desolate highway, lined with muddy snow piled high from the work of the morning snowplows. Dark clouds threatened in the distance, obscuring the mountaintops.

“Alora, if you hadn’t met Kaevin, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I haven’t changed. I’m still the same man who raised you and loved you as my own daughter for almost sixteen years. Can’t you trust me?”

“Okay.”

“Okay? Do I have your promise?”

“Yes, I promise.”

“Good.” He smiled, giving her hand another squeeze, and she felt the tension melt from her shoulders. Things were okay between her and her uncle, and Kaevin was going to live. For a little while, all was right with the world.

“Good morning.”
Kaevin hated that his voice was still a bit raspy, though he’d been off the ventilator for two days. He couldn’t see anything, but Dr. Sanders had told him there was still swelling on the inside.

“Hi.” Alora sat down across the table.

She seemed almost shy. Or maybe she was mad—he really couldn’t tell. Her uncle was out tending the horses while they sat down to breakfast, and it was the first time they’d been alone together since before the fateful trip to Laegenshire. Their conversations had been awkward at best, and her uncle seemed to always be within earshot. She’d held hands with him, but they hadn’t kissed. Not that there had been a need or a private moment. He was acutely aware of the harsh words he’d spoken to her during the battle.
Perhaps she’s forgotten.

“I haven’t actually expressed how grateful I am to you for saving my life—for getting me to Dr. Sanders in time.”

She shrugged. “I guess that’s the one bright side of being
tethered
to me all the time.”

No, she hasn’t forgotten.

“Alora, that wasn’t what I meant.” He reached out to cover her hand with his, but she pulled it away.

“What
did
you mean?”

“I only meant… Sometimes I feel as if… as if I’m not the same person I used to be. It’s not your fault at all. But before we met, I knew I’d someday be clan chief. I’d prepared my whole life for nothing else.”

“So you wish we’d never met? Is that what you’re saying?”

“No, I didn’t say that. You’re my soulmate.”

“Yes, but you wish we weren’t soulmates.”

“That’s not true—I love you.”

“Don’t say it, Kaevin. You don’t even know what that means.”

“So you don’t love me anymore? Because I made a single mistake?”

“Maybe I’m just recognizing that we spoke too fast when we used the L word. We hardly know each other. Your father and my uncle want to dissolve the soulmate bond; they say we’ll be safer from Vindrake. If they find a way to do that, you won’t be
tethered
to me anymore.”

He ground his teeth together, suppressing the urge to yell. “I didn’t mean those words, and I would take them back if I could. I swear to you, I
want
to be your soulmate. I’ll never love another.”

“But I’m holding you back. I’m keeping you from fulfilling your destiny. What if you start resenting me for it?” Her lower lip trembled as she spoke.

He stood and held out his hand toward her. “Please, Alora… come sit beside me and talk to me.”

His heart clenched as she stared at his hand. One breath. Two breaths. Three breaths. He dropped his hand.

“Never mind—”

“Wait… I’ll talk to you. But no kissing, okay? Kissing confuses me, and I can’t think straight.” She reached up with shaking fingers, and he grasped her hand.

“No kissing, then.”

He led her to the couch in the family room. Collapsing onto the couch, he pulled her to sit beside him. But she perched forward, staring straight ahead in awkward silence. When she attempted to withdraw her hand, he held tight.

“Alora, you misunderstood my words. I didn’t say I was
in
love
with you. I said I
love
you. I’m not certain how those words are interpreted in Montana, but in Laegenshire, it’s a commitment. From the moment I knew we were soulmates, I made a commitment to you.”

“Great, so you don’t even care about me? I’m just a commitment.”

“I care about you even more because I’m committed to you. And I want you to know my commitment isn’t dependent on our soulmate bond—not anymore. Even if the council should find a way to dissolve the bond, I want to be with you for the rest of our lives.”

She pulled her hand away. “I’m not ready for that. It makes me nervous to talk about marriage.”

“I realize you’re still immature, but I’m willing to wait for you. And as I’m older, I can provide guidance and—”

“Immature? You think I’m immature?”

“I only meant you’re younger, and I’m older. And being a man, I’m naturally stronger, so I can take care of you.”

Alora’s eyes widened as she stood up, glaring down at him with clenched fists. Her face turned a dark shade of red from her neck to her forehead. Her mouth opened, and she took a breath as if to speak. But she snapped her lips together, pivoted on one foot, marched down the hallway into her bedroom, and shut the door with a resounding clunk.

Did I say something wrong?

Daegreth opened his eyes, blinking at the fuzzy images before his face. His time in this strange place had passed in a fog of agony and dreamless sleep. But he felt more alert than before, and the pain was less intense.

“Do you want a drink?”

A beautiful fair-haired maiden in strange clothing was standing beside him. Her lips spread in a breathtaking smile, displaying even, white teeth. Framing her face were lovely spiral curls that danced about when she moved. She regarded him with almond shaped eyes of an unusual golden brown color. She must be a heavenly creature—there was no other explanation. He’d always heard there was no pain in heaven, yet surely such a magnificent creature could not exist in any other place.

“Hea—” The word stuck in his parched throat.

“Here. Take a drink.”

She placed a strange tube against his lips. He tested it with his teeth, and found it flexible, but tasteless.

She giggled. “Are you too groggy to remember how to use a straw? I think we need to cut back on your morphine. Here, let me sit you up a little bit more, first.”

The bed beneath him began to shake and move, groaning and shifting. He struggled to escape, but found his arms secured to the bed’s frame.

“Sorry about that. I’m not sure why they still have you restrained since you’re not intubated any more. I’ll see if Dr. Sanders will let us take those straps off your arms. There—that should be up enough to help you drink.”

The bed stopped its noisy quaking motion, and she again placed the tube to his lips. “Just close your lips around the straw and suck.”

He obeyed, surprised and delighted when water rushed into his dry mouth. He drank with greedy abandon.

“Woah! Slow down, there. You haven’t had anything in your stomach for a couple of days. Don’t drink too fast.”

He licked his lips and studied her smooth features. “Heaven? Is this heaven? Are you a heavenly creature?”

Her tinkling laugh danced in his ears. “Are you using a line on me? Asking if I’m an angel? I’m going to let it slide since you’re on morphine. Not that you’ll remember this conversation when I come back for my shift tomorrow.”

A young man with dark stringy hair appeared behind her. “Hi, Ellen.”

“Hi, Carson. You need a little blood?”

“Yes, we got orders for some lab work. Oh… he’s restrained? What’s up?”

“I think he was trying to pull the intubation tube out when he was unconscious, and he probably doesn’t need the straps anymore. But I can’t release him until Dr. Sanders clears it.”

“I should be able to work around it.”

Daegreth gave no resistance as the stringy-haired man wrapped a stretchy rope around his arm, but he couldn’t fathom its purpose.

“Make a fist for me.”

He complied, baffled by this odd behavior. The man reached into his box and pulled out a strange object with a tiny pointed extension. Then the man aimed the point at his arm, and Daegreth realized he meant to stab him with the point while his arms were bound. He jerked against his bonds, shaking the bed.

“Don’t be nervous,” he said, with a smile belying his intent. “You’ll just feel a tiny pinch. If you’re afraid of needles, you could close your eyes.”

The woman, distracted by some odd parchment she was holding in her hands, had not noticed the man’s weapon. He had to act quickly. Testing, he discovered his legs were unbound, though some kind of rope or chain secured his middle to the bed. Blessing his flexibility training, he swung his leg up and over the man’s head and down across his arms, scissoring it back, and sending him flailing across the bed. The strange pointed blade flipped through the air and fell to the floor.

The man yelled in protest, and the woman let out a blood-curdling scream. Her beauty diminished in his estimation as she revealed her weakness. He’d always admired the courageous female warriors, especially those who’d seemed undaunted by his own physical prowess.

“Run!” Daegreth demanded. “Find someone to render aid. I’m too weak to hold him longer than a few breaths.”

She disappeared from his view as he strained to secure the assailant, who was yelling and thrashing between his clamped legs. Just as he was reaching the end of his strength, the woman returned with a host of men.
Heaven be praised
.

“Let him go!” A tall man with grey hair spoke the order with the authority born of leadership and respect. Without hesitation, Daegreth obeyed, relieved to relinquish his struggling captive, who stepped back, glaring at him.

“I don’t get paid enough for this,” declared the stringy-haired man. “Someone else can get a blood sample. This guy should be in the psycho ward.” He grabbed his box and fled.

“He’s escaping,” Daegreth told the tall man who stood beside the bed. “Why are you not detaining him?”

The tall man ignored him and began to manipulate a strange clear flexible rope. He spoke over his shoulders to the men waiting in the background. “Let me sedate him, and then you can cuff his legs.”

He regarded Daegreth with narrowed eyes. “You don’t act very grateful that we saved your life. You were practically dead when you arrived. I was told you were dangerous, but I hadn’t expected this kind of behavior. Now we’re going to have to restrain your legs as well.” His anger was palpable.

“I don’t understand. That man was attacking me, and I only defended myself… and the maiden as well.” His tongue thickened, and his eyes grew heavy.

The tall man gave his head a negative shake. “We’re going to have to send you away, now that you’re in stable condition. I can’t afford any more incidents like this.”

Daegreth attempted to make sense of the words in his muddled mind. He was being expelled from heaven… or hell… or whatever place he was in.

Alora’s nose burned from the antiseptic smell in the hospital room. She was tired of arguing, but someone needed to speak up for the young Water Clan warrior who was sleeping soundly after a fresh dose of morphine. “I can’t help feeling sorry for him.”

“He’s not our problem. Graely will decide what happens to him. Doc Sanders wants us to get him out of here before he causes another incident.” Uncle Charles perched on a chair by the hospital bed. “Just remember… You and Kaevin are going to transport him to Laegenshire and come right back. If anything happens to delay you—anything at all—you talk to me immediately. I’m wearing this blasted belt, so I don’t want to be out of the loop.”

Kaevin responded, “We’ll return immediately. Father’s waiting with Laethan at the healing house. They’ll bind him to the bed until the council decides what to do with him and the other Water Clan captives.

“But what will they do? They won’t execute him, will they?” Alora stared at the young man, his face a mask of innocence as he slept.

“It’s doubtful that would happen, but it’s not our decision to make.” With his thick brows knit tightly over his eyes, Kaevin squinted at the sleeping patient. “Why do you care so much about him?”

“I don’t know. It seems like he’s an innocent victim of Vindrake’s evil. He can’t help what he’s done.”

“We can’t know that he’s innocent. He may have been violent and evil even before he took the bondmark.” Emphasized by the dark circles from his injury still lingering under his eyes, Kaevin’s scowl was intimidating.

“Wait! Don’t go anywhere!” Brian Franks rushed into the room, breathless and dripping with sweat. “Thank goodness—I’m not too late. You can’t take this boy to Laegenshire.”

“But we must—my father commanded it.” Kaevin stood tall, blocking Brian’s access to the sleeping warrior.

Rising to his feet, Charles placed a hand on Brian’s shoulder. “The decision’s already made. What’s going on, Brian?”

He shrugged out of Charles’ grasp. “You don’t understand how much he looks like Steven. And he even has the same blood type. What I’m saying is… We’re willing to try keeping him at our house. I sent a picture to Steven, and he’s flying home as soon as he can. He wants to meet him.”

Charles’ face turned red and the muscles flexed in his jaw. “Brian, you can’t let anyone else in on the secret. If people here discover Alora’s past—her power—we don’t know what might happen. You promised never to tell anyone.”

He lifted his chin. “This is different. It’s like a miracle, and we can’t ignore it. Even Karen agrees since she saw his picture. Anyway, it’s too late… Steven’s already heard the whole story, and he swore to keep it to himself.”

“But you can’t take him to your house.” Squeezing his eyes shut, Charles massaged his forehead.