Alora glanced at her uncle, who now stood with his shotgun at the ready, listening to her stilted one-sided conversation. Bozeman continued his deep growl with an occasional snarl, his nose toward the apparition.
“Lena.” Vindrake’s face seemed to lean forward, although the disembodied head came no closer. “Where are you? I can bring you here with me to the safety of my kingdom. You will have much to gain by coming to me.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I need to discuss it with my uncle.” She tucked a stray curl behind her ear with trembling fingers.
“A part of you must know you belong with me. Otherwise you would not have contacted me. There is no need for you to travel. Simply tell me where you are, and I will come to you. Give me an opportunity to prove myself to you. Then you can determine for yourself whether you wish to come home.”
“I need some time to think.”
“You need me, Lena. You are obviously very powerful. You were able to call me despite my considerable protective wards. Almost, I was pulled into your transport. But a powerful gift is dangerous without knowledge of how to control it—how to utilize it safely.”
A fog clouded her head. His smooth voice and enticing words drew her into his web. But her heart hammered in her chest and chills rippled up her backbone. She wanted him to go away. No, she needed him to go away. But since her eyes were already open, she had no idea how to dispense with the specter. On impulse she stood up and stepped out of the water, but a glance told her Vindrake remained.
“I see your breath condensing in the air. It is no wonder I was unable to locate you. Your mother took you very far away, indeed. Yet you have enough power to reach me from a great distance. You are truly amazing! Will you not consider my offer? I only want what is best for you—to protect you and train you and pass on your inheritance.”
Alora faced her uncle. “Uncle Charles. Would you mind shooting something? Anything will do.”
He nodded his head, firing a shot in the air. Alora flinched and turned to find the image was gone. Now she stood wet and shivering in the freezing air.
“Do I need to shoot again?”
Alora rushed to throw her dripping form into his arms, almost dislodging the shotgun.
“Whoa! Careful!” He locked the safety on the gun before swinging her up into his arms, and carrying her into the warmth and safety of the house. Bozeman followed, sending one last growl behind him before slipping inside.
*****
Laethan grabbed Kaevin’s shoulders, turning him around to feel his forehead. He seized his hands and turned them over, examining his wrists. “You have no fever and your wrists are clear of rash. The first sign of plague is a strong headache, weakness, and high fever. After about three days, t
he rash will start on the wrists and ankles, moving up to the legs, arms, and body. About one of every four becomes unconscious and unable to drink water, even by reflex. Once they reach this stage, they will usually die.”
“All right,” said Kaevin, unsure what to do with this new, frightening information.
“So, if you find someone with these symptoms, you must keep your distance. If the girl transported you when you were even slightly ill, you might not survive the travel. And, if she had any of those symptoms, she would need to avoid transporting as well.”
“Believe me, I have no desire to be exposed to the plague. Is it spreading into the town?”
“No. At this point it’s primarily out on the farms. I’m concerned it may be spread by animals.” He wiped his brow and squeezed his tired eyes shut. “And I must get back to work. I’ve been called to Waenshire.”
Kaevin jumped when Raelene touched his arm. “Kaevin, can you tell me about the stone? Did you see it clearly?”
“I believe I can imagine it in my mind.”
“Describe it to me, if you will.” Though her question was innocent enough, he could read the doubt in her expression.
He closed his eyes, remembering the beautiful stone. It wasn’t too difficult, since the scene had replayed over and over in his head all night, keeping him awake. “It was about the size of my thumbnail, only rounder. Small facets all around with a circle of inward facets in the middle. It wasn’t quite gold, like I thought it would be. It had something like a red center with gold surrounding it. But when it sparked, it sparked red instead of gold.”
Raelene’s eyes were wide, but her lips trembled. For a moment, she looked as if she couldn’t breathe. “That’s amazing, Kaevin.”
“Amazing good or amazing bad? Does it sound like a real wander-jewel to you?”
“I believe you not only saw a genuine wander-jewel, but you saw one of a rare color. All wander-jewels are gold with a contrasting color in the center, usually white or blue. Red is the strongest color but, as far as I know, only one bearer in several lifetimes has had a red-centered stone, although for many years in the past it was common.” She blinked rapidly, biting her lips. “The only other red-centered wander-jewel in the past two generations was Wendelle’s.”
“I apologize for reminding you about losing your daughter.” Kaevin kept his eyes trained on his hands as the heat rose in his face.
“You can’t help what you observed, Kaevin. I realize that.” She patted his arm, and he looked up, relieved to see she wasn’t crying. “Actually, it feels good to talk about her. My friends try so hard to spare my feelings, they never speak of her. It’s as if she never existed.”
“Can I ask a question,” he ventured, “about what happened?”