There is only us here, my love; I promise you that, Kyanite assured me. Perhaps we are who he sees.
Thanks, Ky.You're probably right.
Then Daha spoke, “There are no disembodied spirits in this zone.”
I let out a relieved breath. “That's one bit of good news. Thank you, Daha, you have been incredibly helpful. Honestly, I expected far less.”
Daha blinked, his eyes immediately beginning to lose their luminescence. “It was my honor, Elaria Tanager. I have never had the pleasure of reading a Goddess and it's a memory I shall treasure.”
“A reborn Goddess,” I reminded him with a grin.
He inclined his head and returned my smile before getting to his feet then waving me forward. We headed for the door, him a step behind me, but as I moved out of the room, Daha suddenly seized my arm. I turned back to him in surprise, and his eyes flared so brightly that I had to close mine against the glare.
In my darkness, I heard him speak in a voice far deeper and more resonant than the one he'd used before.
“I will have my vengeance upon the Gods who wronged me! You will not stop me, Spellsinger. I am already here!”
Chapter Eleven
“Elaria!” Slate came running up the stairs followed closely by his brothers.
I stood, frozen in place, staring at Daha while his hand continued to grip my arm punishingly. His voice had been loud enough to make the house tremble; it didn't surprise me that Slate had come to my defense. But as Slate reached me, Daha's grip went slack and he slid away from me in a faint. Slate had to catch the seer instead of protect me; which, of course, had become unnecessary. Slate looked from the Naga to me in confusion.
“Put him on the floor.” I snapped out of my fear to say—and I was afraid; terribly afraid. Something in that voice had sounded familiar and it had definitely known me. “There, on the pillows.”
Slate took Daha further into the room and laid him down just as Achira pushed past the other men.
“Daha!” Achira cried and dropped to her knees beside him. “Brother?” She stroked his hood gently.
Daha stirred and his snake eyes flickered open. He reached out for his sister and sat up with her help. He looked around the room then back at her, confusion twisting his expression. “Achira?”
Achira declared her relief in another language then hugged her brother tightly.
“What happened? Why is the Zone Lord in our home?” Daha asked.
Achira eased back and looked at her brother in shock. “You don't know? Lord Binx asked you to see his brother but you counseled the Spellsinger, Elaria Tanager, instead.”
Daha looked at me without any sign of recognition. “Oh, dear. I hope I helped you, Spellsinger, because it seems to have cost me the memory of it.”
“Is that common?” I asked warily.
“It's very rare but it has happened before. Usually, when strong magic is involved; magic that seeks to counter my counsel.”
“You gave me very good counsel, Daha. I'm grateful for it,” I assured him. “But as we were leaving the room, you grabbed my arm and spoke in a voice that wasn't yours.”
“Now, that is common,” Daha said as he stood. “Don't fuss, Achira; I am well. I promise you. It's only my mind that has suffered a blow.”
Achira stood back and nodded but she was obviously still distraught. Binx edged up beside her. He reached out hesitantly, barely touching her fingertips. Achira snatched his hand and leaned against his side, all propriety forgotten in her fear.
“You don't understand,” I insisted. “This voice wasn't the one you used to prophesy. It shook the house and it addressed me as if it knew me.”
“Ah,” Daha said softly. “Then that would be the magic that opposes you.”
“You're saying it was magic that spoke through you?” Slate asked. “Not a person or a spirit?”
“Honestly, I don't know for certain. I have no memory of the threat and I've learned to never discount any possibility. But I can say that it's unlikely that a disembodied spirit spoke through me. I have been doing this for a very long time and I know how to protect myself from unwanted invasion. My best guess is that I sensed a gathering energy and connected with it out of curiosity, thus giving it a chance to speak through me.”
“My brother is the strongest seer my people have ever produced,” Achira added. “That's a fact, not a boast.”
“In my reading, Daha told me that there are no disembodied spirits in this zone,” I said to Slate. “So, I think that rules out Gargo's soul as the speaker.”
“Gargo isn't here?” Slate asked as if to be certain.
“It was a straightforward answer, not a riddle,” I confirmed. “There's no way I could have misinterpreted it.”
“That's one bit of good news, I suppose.” Slate still scowled but he did so thoughtfully.
“But the other answer he gave me isn't so good.”
Slate looked from Daha back to me and nodded at my vagueness. If the seer had no memory of what he'd said, we should probably keep the bad bits to ourselves. Slate pulled out his wallet, took out a stack of cash and offered it to Daha.
“No, please, Zone Lord.” Daha held up his hands. “It was my pleasure to help you.”
“Thank you. I won't forget this.” Slate shoved the money and his wallet back into his jacket then shook Daha's hand. “We'll leave you to recover.”
Daha flinched, looked down at their joined hands, then took a step back. “Thank you. It appears that I am wearier than I thought.”
“Daha?” Achira let go of Binx to hurry to her brother.
Binx's hand remained in the space between them a second longer than it should have; hanging there like a lost bird.
“Help me to a chair, Sister,” Daha said. “Then see our guests out. I think I need some tea.”
Achira got her brother comfortable in the same chair
