Arrows of Time - Kim Falconer [179]
‘Nothing wrong with a little precaution,’ Kali said. She sat down on the bed next to Rosette and took her pulse.
Rosette pulled her hand away and reached for the stewed fruit, tipping it onto the oats before she took another mouthful. ‘I could eat three times this amount.’ She smiled. ‘The apples are very sweet,’ she added as juice trickled down her chin.
‘Thanks to you,’ Grayson said.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Temple Los Loma has the only Gaelean apples on Earth.’
Rosette lifted her face. ‘Demons. Those apples are my trees, aren’t they? How long have I been gone?’
EARTH & TENSAR—TIME: FORWARD
CHAPTER 42 (Continued)
Jarrod awoke to dazzling sunlight. It beamed into his room, filtering through a stained-glass window above his bed. It decorated the walls and floor with half-moon shapes and stars, making cookie-cutter patterns of purple, yellow, red and green. The lower portion of the window was open, giving a clear view of the stables rooftop and the rust-red plains beyond. He stretched, his tulpa body protesting.
He tapped around the orbits of his eyes and under his nose, his chin, his chest, his fingertips stimulating energy meridians to repair the disrupted flow. Kreshkali had come to him again, late in the night, and done more work herself, leaving only minor adjustments to attend to. She’d told him to stay put for at least a day, that there was plenty of time to sort out the threads of their web, though he had already ignored that advice. ‘You know patience wasn’t written into my original program,’ he had said to her.
She’d smiled. ‘I suspect Janis Richter had Aries in mind when she designed you. I wonder who she modelled you after.’
‘A friend of her daughter’s. His name was Damien.’
‘Ruby’s?’
‘Not her. The older daughter, Loni. But can you blame Janis for using the first cardinal sign of the zodiac as reference? She knew I’d need all the initiative I could muster. And courage.’
‘And the spirit of adventure, too. No blame at all.’ She’d put her hand on his heart. ‘Jarrod, do consider that your body just took three million volts per metre of electrical current from the anvi-to-ground lightning strike. Even a tulpa would find that challenging. You might want to have a little rest.’
He’d rubbed his chest. ‘I haven’t forgotten. That was some conjuring, wasn’t it!’
Kreshkali was clearly pleased with it herself, and with all the Temple Los Loma clan. Reviving Rosette had been no small feat. Now it was time to set things in motion for a much more humble act, but miraculous just the same. He needed to ensure his continuation, and he needed Rosette’s cooperation for that. According to the Caller’s theory, he already had it, though he didn’t think Rosette knew. How would she react? The topic had never come up, though he’d tried to broach it a few times.
Jarrod yawned and stretched as he kicked back the covers. When his toes touched the floor, a feeling of warmth rose in him—a rush of wellbeing. He rubbed the stubble on his chin and laughed. At the window he gazed down to the courtyard, spotting Teg near the fountain. The Lupin looked contemplative, one hand playing in the water, slowly swishing back and forth. The young apprentice shivered and turned to Jarrod.
Have you seen her? Teg asked.
The mental message surprised Jarrod. He wasn’t expecting that. Rosette? No, not yet. You?
I thought I’d stay out of the way. Kreshkali’s with her now.
Claustrophobic?
A bit.
Jarrod laughed. If I know Rosette, she’ll be feeling the same, and aching to hunt before the day’s out. Perhaps you’ll join us?
Perhaps. Thank you. Teg shook water from his hand and headed towards the training ground. It would be interesting to see what developed there. Rosette was so unpredictable.
Jarrod’s eyes drifted across the scene below. He marvelled at the lush greenery of the temple grounds. The contrast to the barren red plains was startling. Here the trees were in full bloom, carpeting the courtyard with purple, yellow and red blossoms