Thalaena’s gaze shifted to Arista and back so quickly, Arista thought she might have imagined it. Her ire rose at the veiled accusation.
She opened her mouth to object, but Nordamen’s soothing voice interjected, “I believe we are all suffering from short tempers... no doubt due to the news of this unwelcome portal in Laegenshire, in addition to Darielle’s distressing conversation with Jireo.”
“What distressing conversation?” Arista moved to face Darielle, her throat constricting as the chief of farsight regarded her with sadness in her eyes.
“Markaeus awoke yesterday to find a portal in his sleeping room, much as you did today. However, he made the mistake of exploring the portal on his own.”
“No!” Arista gasped.
“The immediate crisis is over,” Darielle hastened to explain. “The portal, which led to a hut housing Markaeus’ grandfather, has been sealed. And Alora managed to transport Markaeus, Kaevin, and Jireo to safety, though not without injuries.”
“So we’re even more certain that Vindrake is responsible for these new portals, are we not?”
Arista directed her question to Nordamen, but it was Chaleah who answered. “Some believe as you speak, but others are not convinced Vindrake has acquired such a power.” She paused, her brows furrowed. “However Darielle hasn’t disclosed all of her conversation with Jireo.”
Darielle lowered her gaze, as she fidgeted with an azure blue stone, hanging from a leather string about her neck.
Something cold settled in the pit of Arista’s gut. “What else did my brother say?” Her voice was barely above a whisper. But it was loud enough to be heard, because the room had fallen silent.
“Alora has fallen unconscious, without obvious cause. The healer from Montana is confident she will wake soon, however...”
Arista waited, holding her breath.
“The defender bond increases its warning with each passing moment. Jireo believes Alora will not survive the seven-day unless something changes.”
She didn’t have to look at G
raely to know he, like the other council members, was struggling to control his emotions. Darielle’s unspoken words hung in the air.
If Alora dies, Kaevin dies with her. And I will never see my brother Jireo again.
Laethan didn’t reinstate his angry rant. Rather, he remained slumped in his chair with his eyes closed, rubbing his temples as if he could push the depressing thoughts from his mind.
Arista saw but two choices: to wallow in an anxious, muddy mire or to do something. Her muscles pulsed with tension as her fingers slid to the hilt of her sword, itching to fight. She’d already made her decision.
~5~
Markaeus awoke with a start, thinking he was back in Tenavae. But the white walls reminded him he was at the healing house in Montana, a place they called hospital. He squirmed, attempting to get comfortable in the padded chair on which he’d fallen asleep. Only sheer exhaustion had forced his eyes to close after keeping watch in Alora’s room all night. It certainly wasn’t that he didn’t care that Alora lay, motionless on the bed, with strange clear ropes attached to her arms. On the contrary, he cared a great deal. She was no closer to waking than when she collapsed at Beth’s home.
And it’s all my fault.
Early in the morning, Markaeus had overheard Jireo’s private conversation with Stone Clan’s chief of farsight, Darielle. Jireo explained how Alora had followed Markaeus to Portshire and then passed out after transporting all of them back to Montana. And how the following day she’d passed out again after burning herself, and had yet to wake up.
Markaeus knew what Jireo was thinking, though he never made a direct accusation—Alora would be perfectly fine if she hadn’t encountered her father in Portshire, which only happened because she’d had to rescue Markaeus.
So Markaeus would be responsible for Alora’s death, and with it, Kaevin’s death as well. He would lose his family again. And everyone would hate him.
They should. I hate myself.
Kaevin and Jireo had spent the night, as well, and Markaeus could hear them speaking quietly. But other voices joined in—Beth, Wesley, and Daegreth—who must’ve arrived while he was sleeping
Shifting slightly to relieve his cramped neck, stiff from the awkward sleeping position, Markaeus kept his eyes closed, maintaining a pretense of sleep. A soft feminine voice came from his right. Beth.
“So Jireo... Since you were having a weird one-way conversation with yourself and ignoring all of us, we’re guessing you just heard from Darielle again. Good news, I hope.”
Jireo’s voice sounded like someone was squeezing his neck. “Darielle contacted me with a warning. It seems my sister has spotted another portal. This one was inside her sleeping room in Laegenshire.”
“Oh no!” Beth cried. “Does this one go to Vindrake, too? To Markaeus’ grandfather?”