Arrows of Time - Kim Falconer [169]
Jarrod?
Come back, Rosette. Please come back.
I’m right here. Drayco, tell him I’m right here.
Tell him yourself, Maudi. He can hear you if you want him to.
Jarrod! She felt like shaking him. He looked up, towards her, but past her.
Rosette! We’re here to wake your body up, love. We’re all here for you. His voice was faint. Stay close. Stay very close.
The ice crystals were melting from her face. They dripped from her fingertips and eyelashes, down her cheeks and onto the altar, forming little blue-tinged pools, like tiny glacier lakes. She stared into those pools, imagining she could see her reflection. That’s when she noticed the trembling. The water was vibrating as if the world shook beneath them.
They’re here, Maudi. This is good.
Who, Drayco? Who’s here?
Look and see.
Where?
Towards the entrance.
She pulled her attention away from the altar and saw at first only darkness. The doors of the hall were barely perceptible, an outline in the black. It seemed for a moment that the shadows would surround her, engulf her, and then something snapped. It wasn’t shadow after all, not a lack of colour, but a strong, earthy energy with an aura much like the deeper parts of the Dumarkian Woods, or perhaps even Espiro Dell Ray, the old forest of her childhood. She sighed. I see them now. So many! It does feel good. She was amazed at the thrill in her heart.
As the Lupins entered the hall, a few auras shifted, some brightening, some dimming, but most were clear and inspiring. At the altar, the bards were joined by many of them in bipedal form who added percussion and bass to the tunes. It grounded her, and she moved closer still to her corpse. I love that sound—I couldn’t really hear it before.
It is from Los Loma, Gaela.
Under the Prietas?
See. You’re remembering more already. Keep listening.
The hall was filled to capacity and then some, the close quarters enlivening the air with a palpable zing. It felt like a carpet of jonquils in a spring meadow—alive, fresh and full of promise. Everyone’s thoughts were joyful. They poured out of the hearts of those who passed by, each person sharing the things they loved most about life. She wanted to respond.
You can, Maudi.
She wanted to reach out to them and thank them, sharing her own ideas of joy and bliss as well. This is amazing, Dray.
I like it too.
She had to get closer, as close as she could.
‘It’s too late. I’ve already called them in,’ Kreshkali said. ‘They’ll be here any moment.’
She bent her head towards Annadusa, their shoulders touching as they conversed outside the hall. The last thing she wanted to do was argue with the woman, especially when she had a good point. Such a large group of Lupins could throw a few of the Gaeleans out of balance, creating discord and perturbing the spell. ‘Anna, they’re coming to help,’ Kreshkali said. ‘Not threaten.’
‘I know that, but look behind me. What do you see?’
Kali let her eyes drift across the crowd, knowing the woman’s concerns were valid. She was worried herself and doing her best not to show it or focus on it. They’d talked about the importance of keeping the energy up, not letting any negative thoughts penetrate the web they wove around Rosette. The ritual required a powerful dose of peace, appreciation, respect and, most importantly, a heartfelt zest for life. That wasn’t going to be easy to achieve if half the contingent was uncomfortable with the other half.
Annadusa leaned closer, cupping her hand to Kali’s ear, her voice cutting through the music that poured out of the hall. ‘I’m not ruffled by them, two legs or four. You know that. But you’ve enough of your people from Gaela here to cause alarm, and that’s not going to get Rosette back.’ She crossed her arms and cocked her head to the