“She’s keeping you from getting adhesions. It’s like scar tissue on the inside of your body that sticks everything together.” Charles hid his amusement. Graely clearly despised the loss of control associated with being confined to the hospital.
“Well, she doesn’t have to enjoy it so much. And she stole my clothes. And she makes me wear this thing without a back.” Graely tugged on his hospital gown. “It isn’t decent.”
“We’ll find your normal clothes for you. You’ll get to wear them when they check you out of the hospital today. The plan is to drive you and Jireo out to the ranch. I think you won’t mind staying at my house… no evil nurses.”
“Father, I never thought I’d say this, but I’m glad to find you irritable and grouchy again—back to normal.”
Kaevin and Alora had come to help him bring Graely and Jireo home from the hospital. As always, they were together, but Charles was beginning to get used to it. At least they weren’t kissing all the time.
“What about you, Son?” Graely’s eyebrow
s scrunched together. “Will you be able to use your hands again?”
Kaevin shrugged, staring at his wrapped hands. “I hope so. They’re not so painful anymore. They told me I’d need... what was it they said?”
“They said you’d need physical therapy—lots of it. That’s to retrain your muscles so your fingers will work. So you’ll just have to stay here in Montana for a while.” Alora smiled, humming a little tune.
“I need to speak with Charles alone for a moment, if I may.” Graely caught his eyes.
“That’s fine, Father. We plan to visit Jireo now.” Kaevin waved a bandaged hand at his father as the two departed.
Charles pulled up a chair beside the bed, waiting in awkward silence while Graely drummed his fingers together.
“What are we going to do about them?” asked Graely. “Will you allow Alora to live in Laegenshire? You would certainly be invited to live there as well. We would find a home for you.”
Charles shook his head. “I have too much responsibility here. I can’t simply abandon everything. Perhaps Kaevin could stay here until we find a way to fix the soulmate bond.”
Graely pressed his lips together. “We don’t even know whether it can be broken without killing them. Raelene and Nordamen have been reviewing the recorded histories, but our resources are limited. Raelene wishes to study the scrolls at the Craedenza in Glaenshire, where all our people’s writings are stored. And though we believe there is one other soulmate couple alive who might be able to answer the question, we’ve no idea where to find them.”
“I’d be willing to help search for this couple, but I don’t want Alora’s life to be interrupted. She’s only fifteen. She has two and a half years before she even finishes high school. Maybe we could both come to Laegenshire in the summer, when she has almost three months off from school.”
“I’m not quite clear on the details of your offer, but I think I understand you’d be willing to pursue finding a way to remove the soulmate bond in the summer moons. Am I correct?”
“Yes. But I’m worried about something. If Alora didn’t kill Abaddon when she transported him, that means she didn’t kill Vindrake, either?”
The lines on Graely’s face deepened. “I did not observe that part of the battle, but that is how Raelene explained it to me.”
“Then isn’t it really dangerous for Alora to return to Laegenshire at all?”
“I would like to say there’s no danger, but I cannot lie to you. Our home will always be a perilous place to live until Vindrake is defeated and killed.” He clenched his jaws tight, and the muscles flexed on his face. “But my place as Stone Clan leader and Kaevin’s place as my heir makes us obligated to protect the innocent people who live in the shires and countryside of Stone Clan and all of Tenavae. We feel called of God to our service, and He’s provided the gifting we need to accomplish our work. Increasingly, I believe Vindrake has fallen under the influence of great evil, perhaps even demons. I will not run from the duty to fight Vindrake’s evil, even if my life must be sacrificed. Likewise, Kaevin would never shirk his responsibility.”
Charles sighed. “I understand duty. I’m a Marine. I know that doesn’t mean anything to you, but a Marine is willing to fight or die for his country.”
“So what shall we do? To be truthful, even after we find a way to dissolve their soulmate bond, I hope Alora will choose to stay in Laegenshire. Her gifts are greatly needed in the fight against the Water Clan warriors. And I know her grandmother longs to be with her.”
“I honestly don’t know what to do,” said Charles. “I keep feeling like this is some huge dream, or maybe a nightmare. I’m hoping I’ll wake up and laugh and everything will be back to normal.” He hung his head. “It’s times like these that I really miss Lena.”
“Your wife?”
“Yes. She died just over a year ago.”
“I understand. I lost my wife as well. Denalae died giving birth to Kaevin.”
“I’m so sorry. But you’re still young. Do you think you’ll ever marry again?”
“No one would put up with me.” Graely stifled a laugh. “Ow! That hurts. Don’t make me laugh any more.”
“Perhaps you might marry that nurse you were complaining about earlier. I bet she could handle you just fine.”