James followed her to a few more bunches of animals and to some plants before she finally leaned against a tree to rest. The bandages on her hands were darker and he unwrapped them to look at them. The skin was completely healed and there were no scars. Only bruises remained. Lilly smiled at his look of wonder as he ran his fingers over them. Her eyes closed and she fell asleep. When she woke up, she felt James" arms around her and one hand with its fingers locked in hers. His chin rested on her shoulder."Sleep well?" he asked.
"I did."
"Rosae Lilly, are you okay?" Willow asked, finding them. A b.l.o.o.d.y tear trail could be seen on one of her cheeks.
"Yes Willow."
"What happened to your hands?"
"I made the voices upset. This is how they have decided to teach me the lesson I needed to learn. It shouldn"t hinder my work for long."
Willow caught the change in expression on James" face and glared. "Angry voices? Or broken by Humans?"
"Angry voices, Willow. I understand your loss of Korah, but your anger should not be taken out on others for that reason."
"Yes, Rosae Lilly." Willow bowed slightly and left.
"Lilly, why didn"t you tell her what really happened?"
"I did. Telling her otherwise would only give her a reason to hate you. Adremedians don"t need reasons to hate others. We need to be accepting of all…regardless of how much they hate us."
"The Gerrabellas?"
"For that extreme, yes. There are times when even Humans and other Adremedians get that way,... but life shortens so much for those that let anger rule them." Lilly turned to him.
He kissed her softly at first then a little more pa.s.sionately. "Now what?"
"More healing and we"ll go from there."
"All right." He walked with her, one arm around her waist.
There wasn"t all that much to do that afternoon. Lilly pointed out various bushes and small plants that berries and roots could be collected from. While Lilly worked, he gathered a few things and fed them to her between healing. He ate as well and when everything was finished they sat on a large tree stump. The sun was setting and James felt tired. He laid down. Lilly lay next to him, and rested her right hand on his chest. He pulled her closer and held onto her.
When morning came, James was still asleep. He woke as Lilly walked out into the trees and watched what was going on around her. He stretched then rolled over to join her. He hugged her. They watched for a while before James broke the silence.
"...Lilly, will you tell me more about the lines you reconnected in yourself?"
"The energy lines I healed allow me to use the earth"s energy to heal so I do not have to exhaust my strength. However, it requires undamaged hands to be able to use it properly. Thank you for holding the small animals. It allowed me to use that energy though my hands are hurt." She yawned.
"Are you tired?"
"A little, but..."
"No buts. I want you to rest a little more before you do anything else."
"Okay."
James took her to a shady spot and sat where she could lean against him. It didn"t take her long to fall asleep. While she slept, James held her hands and played with her fingers. It was nearing noon when Lilly stirred.
"Thank you for making me rest."
"Always," he smiled.
She sat up a little more then lay on her hands moaning softly.
"Lilly, what"s wrong?"
She moved her hands out and they were a darker color. "Guess I"m not supposed to use them just yet."
"What happened? They were getting better."
"They"re still healing. Some of the cuts were really deep." She took her knife to cut some cloth off her pants, but James took it and cut off his sleeves. Gently, he wrapped her hands once more before returning her knife to her belt. "Thank you, James."
"You"re welcome, Lilly. I want you to get better, since you"ve decided to continue your work out here."
"I understand. Maybe it"s been too long since I"ve needed a string of long or hard recoveries. I"ve forgotten all the down time that"s required so they can heal quickly."
"Then I guess I"ll have to stick around to remind you."
"I wish you would, my husband."
"Then I will, my sweet wife." James kissed her and held her. "…Lilly, there"s something I want to show you."
"Okay."
He picked her up and carried her to the edge of the forest where Torta waited. After setting her on the horse, he climbed up and Torta moved off to the distant cliffs. They had climbed the ridge and pa.s.sed the river where she had once been laid to break a fever.
"It"s just over this next..." James stopped when Lilly shifted and Torta stopped. "Lilly, what"s...?" He stopped and could hear his inner Gerrabella laughing. "Hehe. The village is gone. Sweet savor, the burning flesh; joyful music, the sound of screams." James broke away he couldn"t stand to listen to more. "Torta, move!"
Torta ran until they were in the castle courtyard. He stopped where Carthago waited.
"James, what"s going on?"
"Abruhi Village has been destroyed! Gerrabellas are here." He climbed off and left Lilly for a moment.
"Gather the Generals! Form up the troops!" Carthago called. He looked at Lilly as her eyes rolled back into her head and she started to fall off Torta. He caught her and James moved to her side.
"Lilly?"
He didn"t hear her, but he felt a ripple of pain as he touched her face. "Thank you, Carthago."
"What"s wrong with her?""
"I don"t know, but she"s in pain. I"ll take her inside."
"Very well. Meet us in the great hall."
"Okay." James took her to his room and laid her on the bed. "Lilly?"
"Help your people...James. You can"t...help me...now."
"What"s wrong?"
"Internal...battle... Go!"
"But..."
"Go, James!" Tears escaped her eyes and he gave her a quick kiss before running out.
His own tears formed, but they never fell. His Gerrabella blood beat in his ears and all plans were laid bare. By the time he reached the great hall he had heard it all. Everyone was there and James left no room for interruption. He revealed everything, sparing no one. Counter offensives were put in place and the army moved out. James offered to help in the fighting, but Carthago commanded him to stay and care for Lilly. He started to argue, but Carthago cut him off and sent him on his way. A little miffed he went back to his room.
When he entered, he found Lilly jerking and shuddering in the center of the mattress. Blood soaked her clothes.
"Lilly!"
"James, I… I need…."
"What do you need?"
One of her bandaged hands grabbed him and pulled him into a kiss. He felt the Adremedian desire rise and he pulled away.
"Are you crazy?! This is no time to be…."
"Please James," she pleaded. "…It"s what… needs…."
He kissed her again and brought the desire back. Then he lay down next to her and let the words be spoken. His arms pulled her closer as he spoke. Lilly cried out in pain, but he forced himself to keep speaking. Her cries became louder as her stomach bulged, but the jerking and shuddering lessened then stopped. Lilly buried her face in his chest as he spoke the last words. She gasped then scrambled off the bed.
"Lilly what...?"
She pointed to the moving blanket and curled up in the corner. James pulled the blanket back and found a growling, wrinkly, red child. When it saw James it grew quiet for a moment then rolled over and saw Lilly all b.l.o.o.d.y in the corner. The growling resumed and sounded more menacing.
"Adremedian sc.u.m, you will never escape the poison that taints your soul."
"What are you?" James asked.
"Why Father, you don"t recognize your own son? Blood of Blood, Flesh of Flesh, a true Gerrabella to the end."
"Enough!" Lilly shouted.
James caught a small flick of her wrist and the child screamed.
"Release!"
The scream increased and the jerking and shuddering captured the small body. Finally it was still, black eyes staring, and Lilly fell forward. James pulled the knife from the body and the body disappeared. He was quick to bury the knife in Lilly"s shoulder.
"Release," he cried. Sitting her up, Lilly"s head rolled forward. "Lilly!"
A shaking hand reached for the knife. "Not...helping..."
He pulled it out and put it away. "What can I do Lilly?" he asked, holding her close.
"Just...let me...rest." Her body relaxed in his arms.
"Lilly!" He held her close until he was almost asleep. He became more awake to a firm grip on his shoulder. "Wha...?"
"James, are you all right?"
He shifted a little, and Carthago saw that Lilly was covered in blood.
"Is she...?"
"I don"t know," he said.
"James?...James, where are you?"
"I"m here Lilly."
"James where are you?"
"I"m right here, Lilly!"
She broke from his grasp and started for the door.
"Lilly where are you going?" Carthago asked.
She stopped at the noise. "Carthago?...What"s Carthago doing here?" She turned slightly towards them then started for the door again.
"Lilly wait!" James got to her feet and moved to her.
"James?" she asked, her voice sounded hopeful. "James, where are you?"
He grabbed her arms and she fought for release.
"James, help me!"
"Lilly, snap out of it!" he yelled and slapped her.
Lilly fell to her hands and knees. "Where am I? Why do I feel like I"m being held prisoner by the Gerrabella? The noises sound like James and Carthago, but dark feelings and anger surround my soul…. Rosae!...Mother! Don"t leave me!...Rosae!" Her shoulders shook and James knelt in front of her.
"Lilly?"
"James?" She looked up. "James! What is going on?"
He held her close. "You"ve been asleep after giving birth to a Gerrabella, but when you woke you couldn"t hear me."
"I was..." Her brow furrowed. "I found myself lost...in a Gerrabella prison...and you were..." She cried silently into his shoulder. The blood was washed out of the grooves on her face and onto his clothes.
"James, is she all right?"
"She should be.… Will you have the servants run a hot bath? I want to get her cleaned up."
"Sure.… And James?"
"Yes, Carthago."
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"Thank you for your help. We have been able to drive the Gerrabellas back… for now."
James nodded then turned his attention back to Lilly.