Strange Attractors - Kim Falconer [195]
‘Rall?’
‘A witch. Xane didn’t know much about it. I’ll see if I can access his earlier memories.’
‘It’s bizarre, Jarrod. You’ve appropriated this young man’s life.’
‘Believe me, it’s bizarre for me too.’ He smiled. ‘But even without knowing myself, when I saw you I loved you.’ He whispered the last part.
You were leading a black mare. I was in a coach. You caught my eye, I’ll admit it.
I wanted to follow you forever.
And now? She opened her palm, his fingers staying laced.
All the more so.
I’m glad we have that worked out, Maudi. It still doesn’t solve the mystery of why Shaea’s blood is the same as yours and Nell’s. Drayco yawned like a cavern.
It doesn’t. Rosette scratched her familiar’s head, her eyes drifting over to An’ Lawrence. He stood with the palomino gelding. The horse’s head was down, eyes hooded. The bards were slumped against each other in the saddle, tied securely. She pointed her finger at him. ‘Sword Master, I have a question for you.’
‘What is that, daughter?’
‘In your crusades through Corsanon and surrounding lands, did you happen to have any other kinds of adventures? Any offspring that I would be related to? Can you recall?’
‘No,’ he said, snapping off any further comment. ‘I didn’t and I don’t so take your search elsewhere.’
She shrugged. ‘Testy…I was only asking.’
‘You were accusing, as if fathering children was an unworthy pursuit.’
‘Nothing wrong with fathering. It’s the raising part, or lack thereof, that concerns me.’
This is an old debate, Maudi? Besides, it’s Nell’s blood, Richter blood, not his.
She laughed, rubbing Drayco behind the ear. Right. ‘My apologies, Sword Master.’
He gave a half smile. ‘Jarrod, can you remember more of Xane’s life?’
Jarrod opened his eyes. ‘Plenty. His memories go back to his birth. I can still see many images, though he didn’t understand them very well.’
‘Can you see his mother?’ Rosette asked.
‘Or his father?’ An’ Lawrence cut in.
Jarrod concentrated. ‘I can hear jungle sounds.’
‘Jungle sounds? Like roaring beasts?’
‘More like rain on banana leaves, parrots in the canopy, a waterfall.’
‘Anything else?’
‘Voices, warmth, shouting…running.’ He squeezed his eyes tight. ‘A face. I recognise her, but I don’t think he did. He didn’t know the face.’
Rosette squeezed his hand. ‘Whose face, Jarrod? Who do you recognise?’
‘La Makee.’ His eyes popped open. ‘She was running with us!’
‘Makee! Were they her children?’ Rosette asked.
An’ Lawrence shook her head. ‘She had none.’
‘What then?’
‘I think she took the babies away to Corsanon.’ Jarrod straightened. ‘They weren’t born there, that’s for sure. There isn’t a jungle within a week’s distance of that city. I think she stole them.’
‘Whatever for?’
He shook his head. ‘Xane didn’t know. Maybe Shaea does.’
Rosette re-tied the leather thong on her sword hilt. ‘And the blood link? How’s that fit in?’
He shrugged. ‘Grayson can help us there perhaps.’
She exhaled. ‘I hope so, because I sure don’t understand.’
The portal flashed and swirled, myriad colours racing around a whirlpool until it slowed, the view clearing—if clear you could call it. Rosette and Drayco stepped outside the corridors into smoke and ash; the ground was shaking, the wind tossing her hair. Red dust stuck to her damp clothes. The apple trees at the entrance to Temple Los Loma were bare, swaying violently in the gusts. Three ravens perched in the top branches—wings spread as they struggled to keep a grip, like riding a bucking bronco. They cawed and scolded, clicking their beaks. She waved to them and they took flight, arrowing away at high speed. Drayco lashed his tail. Scylla hissed beside him. ‘This isn’t giving me much confidence, Sword Master,’ she said as he led the horse from the portal.
Jarrod followed, supporting Teg. ‘What’s happened here?’ he asked, scanning the smoking mountains.
‘The protection spell’s gone?’ An’ Lawrence asked Rosette.
She felt the air with her fingertips but before anyone could answer, a black falcon shot towards them,