Balance Of The Worlds (19 page)

***

Devorha trained her warrior’s hard. Nelciana had never been a warrior, even as a girl.

Especially as a girl.

She had spent most of her time with her tutors learning the arts of diplomacy and state. Her future had been slated to be one of pampered royalty.

Not sweaty dirt witch grappling with an old blade.

That her training partner was a Laquazzeana wasn’t helping matters.

Loren never bruised, never faltered. And she used the blade at her side with a skill a former human girl shouldn’t have possessed.

“Come on, big sister. You cannot afford to leave yourself so defenseless.”

Loren liked to tease and taunt, as well. Much like the Nelanora that she used to be.

“I have never liked swords.”

“Yet you carry Nevva’s,” Loren looked at the sword Nelciana had dropped.

“She gave it to me that day. It was the last moment I had with her.”

“I don’t truly remember her. I remember Eaudne more. I don’t know why.”

“Because you were with Eaudne more, perhaps? Mama was so busy. She often forgot about the rest of us.”

“Except for Nela. She and mother were close.”

Nela had been but ten years older than Nelciana. For a while they had been close as children. But eventually… “Nela was the heir. She had so many responsibilities. Mother was teaching her.”

“And there were nine daughters ahead of me. I do understand that. But Eaudne…”

“Made time for all of the younger children.” And Nelciana had heard the story of what had happened to Eaudne that day. It was hard to miss. The results were so visible on the Dardaptoan woman.

Dardaptoans never scarred. But Eaudne had.

The gruesome mark of the Dark Sorcerer’s hand had been seared into the skin of Eaudne’s arm. Where she’d raised it to protect the child Nelanora had been.

But it hadn’t mattered. Nelanora and Pin, Eaudne’s youngest daughter, had both fallen before the Dark Sorcerer. Eaudne had been fortunate Jushua had escaped the flames of the Three Hells and found his mother.

Had buried his youngest sister. He had been unable to bury Nelanora.

Now he was mated to Nelanora, who had not been dead, but reborn.

It was hard to fathom, wasn’t it?

How did they?

She took the blade back when Loren handed it to her. “The one you use?”

“It is one Deki gave me. He said I would need it. My old sword was kind of destroyed recently. You know, when the seven-foot-tall Dardaptoan god who happened to be my brother-in-law popped out of it.”

They laughed together for a moment. And then Nelciana stopped. To be sharing a joke with one of the sisters she thought lost? Emotion threatened to overwhelm her.

She had her family again.

And the mate who loved her watched her from the hill where he sat holding their son and daughter.

Nothing had ever mattered more.

***

Meanwhile…

She could hear the sounds of the warriors training, working under the guidance of two females that she had brought into this world. Her best friend’s daughters would make wonderful queens, when Evalanedea was returned to them.

Hope. A future.

Nelciana had wounded him, hurt him like he had hurt so many others. She hadn’t always thought that would be possible.

But it had.

He was
just
a Laquazzeana. An old and powerful one, but there were others who were out there, old and powerful now.

She held her own contained deeply within her soul.

When she faced the Dark Sorcerer again—Haliophux, she would call him by his name—
that
was when she would free the power she’d been gathering for five thousand years.
She
was Laquazzeana now, wasn’t she?

Until then, she wound tend the wounded, and tend to her children.

Enjoy the moments she had with them again. She hadn’t always been so blessed, and Eaudne knew it.

He would not take those blessings from her again.

She wet a cloth when the male on the bed next to where she sat started thrashing.

Eaudne made a point to stay with him when she could. She did not
trust
this creature who looked so like Haliophux, who had attached himself to her son’s soul. And what she did not trust, she feared.

Eaudne could admit that to herself when she was alone.

His body was gaining flesh, and rapidly, though they fed him nothing. What did he nourish from?

The creature’s thrashing increased. Eaudne wondered if she’d be able to hold him down if it came to it.

She bathed his forehead and whispered soothing sounds she didn’t actually mean. It did no good.

Eaudne placed her weaker hand—despite what the rumors were, she was missing no limbs, two were just horribly damaged and weak—over his chest. She could feel his heart racing.

At her touch his eyes opened.

He looked right at her.

Eaudne screamed.

He had not wakened before.

The door flew open. Dekimos rushed to the bed. He lifted her and moved her away from the creature.

Eaudne looked up at the son who so greatly resembled his father.

Her eyes met his.

She wanted to scream again.

For the first time, she could see the Dark Sorcerer in her son’s black eyes…

“Mother?”

He turned his head, and it was gone. Whatever she’d seen was just…gone…and it was Dekimos standing before her once more…