Strange Attractors - Kim Falconer [121]
‘Yes, Sword Master.’
An’ Lawrence disappeared down the hall only to come shooting back. He kissed Rosette’s forehead and her belly and turned to Nell, kissing her deeply. ‘We’ll change the course of those rivers again, if we have to,’ he said, and was gone.
Teg embraced Nell, kissing each cheek and her lips. He did the same to Rosette.
‘There’s only one thing that worries me,’ Teg said as he followed An’ Lawrence out.
‘What’s that, Teg?’
‘Temple Dumarka fell. It’s in the history books.’
‘And?’
‘And no one survived.’
Rosette turned to Nell. ‘No one survived, did they?’
Not ‘no one’, Maudi. I’m here. I am of that line.
‘The temple cats endured, Rosette, but Makee is playing at something well beyond her knowledge.’
Rosette eyed her mother. ‘You have that look.’
‘What look?’
‘You’re going to chat with the Watcher, aren’t you?’
‘I am, just as soon as I have you settled. I can’t say when that baby’s coming, Rosette, but it’s time you nested.’
‘I feel that too.’
‘Really?’
Really, Maudi?
‘Why are you both so surprised? Did you think I would resist this pregnancy forever?’
‘It was looking that way,’ Nell said. She smiled. ‘Come. To Dumarka, our time, our cottage. I’ll see you there and then pay a visit to the Watcher. Have you thought of a name?’
‘For her?’ Rosette patted her belly. ‘Not yet.’
‘All the more reason to nest.’ She stood. ‘To the cottage.’
Shaea startled when the Entity called. She nearly lost her footing on the mossy rocks. ‘Entity?’
Who else would it be?
She shrugged. It sounded like the Entity. Besides, there was no one else around. The bards certainly didn’t have the trick of mind speech.
Stop nattering and get back to the portal, girl. We have work to do.
‘What work?’
I want you to report to Rall. She’s your mentor now.
‘My mentor?’ Shaea tapped her walking stick on the ground. The breeze turned cold. ‘I have no mentor.’
If you want to travel the corridors, you need to learn the witches’ ways. Did you think I would let you run loose in the halls of the many-worlds like a child in her parents’ manor? I’m not. To the portal with you. To Rall. You will do as she says.
Shaea threw the stick in the stream and crossed her arms. ‘What if I say no? I could live here, in these beautiful woods. I don’t need to ever go another step.’ She planted her feet wide, staring in the direction of the portal. The sun disappeared behind clouds and her damp hair whipped about her face. Thunder rumbled on the horizon.
Are you prepared to go the way of your brother?
‘How do you know about him?’ she asked, shivering.
How do I not?
Lightning zipped overhead, followed by a crackling boom. A sudden squall dumped buckets of rain, soaking her to the skin. Shaea sprinted up the path, climbing the steps to the portal. She grabbed her coat and pack, looking for the bards. There was no sign of them as she scurried into the corridors, rushing past the plasma Entity and turning around. She pressed her back against the wall.
‘There you are,’ Rall said. She pushed wet curls from her face. ‘I’ve been looking for you.’ Her cloak was saturated but she brushed her shoulders as if there was only a light dew.
‘Well you found me,’ Shaea said, frowning. ‘And I’m guessing you had help?’
‘Why, darling girl, what do you mean? Come with me, will you? I’ve a place near Treeon Temple where we can get dry and share a meal.’
‘Treeon Temple?’
‘You don’t know your way around these parts, do you? I can help with that too.’
‘I know the names of the temples. I know that one anyway.’
‘Of course you do.’ Rall passed her hand over the plasma Entity, jerking it back as if it stung. A whirl of lights raced across the entrance. Shaea closed her eyes, rubbing her head. She wondered about Clay and Shane but felt it best not to ask where they had gone. Wherever it was, they hadn’t waited for her. When the portal cleared, she followed Rall, glancing at the glowing purple strands of the Entity. ‘You’ve gone silent?’ she whispered.
‘What’s that, child?’
Shaea cleared her throat. ‘It’s dark here, I said. How can it be