Baris eyed his son in confusion. "No? Why not?"
"Not Mama," Thale replied. "Mama gone."
"What? No, Thale, that"s Mama. She just isn"t feeling very well right now. Come, maybe you can make her feel better."
"No! Not Mama!" Thale repeated, planting his chubby legs.
"Maybe he just means she isn"t acting like normal," Deirdre put in softly. "Children notice these things."
Thale glared up at her. "You go away. Go now. Me no like you! You bad!"
"Thale!" Baris admonished. "That"s not nice. I"m sorry, Deirdre. Anika"s illness must be affecting him, too."
Deirdre shrugged, though her gaze was on the child. "How long will you need to rest, Baris? And just what do you hope that Jaeger will do for Anika?"
"I don"t know," Baris admitted with a sigh. "It"s possible that Jaeger will know what ails Anika the moment he sees her. He knows far more of humans than I do. He knows of their frailties and illnesses. And Rhiannon is a gifted healer. There couldn"t be a better place to take Anika. At least, as a place to begin. If that"s the case, I may not have to go after Vail at all. I would hate to disturb him on his great quest for love." He had meant the words to be light but Deirdre frowned.
"What exactly are you expecting him to solve?" she asked again.
"I don"t know. Not really. It"s just that whatever has happened to Anika seemed to happen so fast. I guess I"m hoping it"s something simple." Baris studied her a moment. "You"re a witch, Deirdre. Can you tell if there is something physically wrong with Anika?"
"No," Deirdre replied. "I"m not that skilled. Rhiannon far out-distances me when it comes to healing and such. I"m sorry."
Baris waved the apology aside, glancing at Anika, who had drifted into restless sleep. He hoped it was something as simple as an illness. That could be fixed. It might take some time and some talent, but it could be fixed. If it was just that she had lost her feelings for him, or perhaps had read through his own uncertainties--he didn"t know if he could accept that.
He looked again at his son, only to find that Thale had once more stuck his hand into the dark hole in the rocks. His cry of warning mixed with Thale"s shriek of pain. Baris darted forward and yanked the little boy away. Blood dripped from two small bites on his tiny finger. Thale"s howls echoed on the rocky slope.
Anika came awake with a startled gasp. She struggled to her feet. "What happened?" she cried, staggering over.
"He"s been bitten," Baris replied. "A snake."
"Oh, by the saints!" Anika grabbed the little boy"s hand and began to squeeze the blood through the wound, at the same time murmuring magical words of healing. Thale screamed and tried to pull free. Baris held him tightly, trying to soothe him with soft words. Thale battled him furiously, finally succeeding in wresting his pudgy little hand away from Anika.
"No!" she cried. "Thale, sweetling, stop!"
"Let me help," Deirdre said. She reached out and snagged the little boy"s arms.
Almost at once, he calmed, staring at her.
"Stop!" Anika hissed. "Not your magic, Deirdre. Not on my son!" She grabbed for Thale"s arm to pull him away from the other woman and their eyes met.
"Ani, stop!" Baris cried, confusion raging through him. "She"s only trying to help. Please, one of you just heal his finger."
Anika shuddered and pulled away. She backed up, her gaze locked on Deirdre. Then, abruptly, she whirled and bolted, disappearing in the rocky terrain. Baris" cry of alarm and disbelief followed her. Thale suddenly howled in agony, and Baris spun back to his son. The little boy tried to shake away the searing pain as the venom from the snake entered his bloodstream. Baris grabbed Thale"s arm, stopping his flailing, knowing the more Thale moved, the quicker the poison would course through his body. Baris looked desperately at Deirdre.
"Can you do anything?"
She shook her head. "I told you, I don"t have much in the way of magic. I was only trying to calm him so Anika could work."
Thale suddenly stopped screaming and the color drained from his face. A light sheen of sweat broke out on his brow, and he went limp. Baris stared at him in terror. Without another moment"s hesitation, he bit into his own wrist, drawing blood. He seized Thale"s finger, forced it to bleed once again, then let his own blood drip into the small wounds.
"What are you doing?" Deirdre whispered, her eyes wide with alarm.
"Healing him. I hope." Baris forced calm into his voice. A calm he didn"t feel. He hadn"t wanted to give the boy his blood, was worried about the possible outcome. Already Thale was a part of him, carried his heritage. Baris didn"t know what would happen now that he also carried his blood. It could push him toward a life neither Anika nor Baris wanted for him. A life that would involve Vector magic, possibly even the need for blood. Baris grimaced, but could think of nothing else to do.
Anger exploded inside him. Why had Anika deserted her own son when he needed her most? How could she abandon the child she claimed to love so much? Baris had no answers. He looked at Thale"s pale face, his half-shut eyelids with the whites showing, and gently stroked the little boy"s cheek, then lay the limp form back on the blanket.
"Will he be all right now?" Deirdre asked.
"I don"t know. I think so. Keep him warm. Give him water if you can get him to drink it. I need to find Anika. She can"t have gotten far. I won"t be gone long." He stepped back, ready to shift into an owl to allow him to better see countryside in the dark.
Thale whimpered and stirred. "Papa," he murmured.
The plea was so heartbreaking Baris paused. His gaze traveled over the rocks.
"Baris," Deirdre suggested softly, "perhaps your place is here, with Thale. He needs you. Anika has made her own choice. And did she not wish that you would leave her alone?"
Baris looked at her in surprise. "Yes, she did, but..."
"Then," Deirdre interrupted, "I think you need to respect her wishes. She"ll be back. She just needs a little time alone." She gestured at the crying child. "Be with the one who wants you now. Your son."
Baris took Thale in his arms. The little boy clung to him weakly, trembling and burying his small face against his father"s neck. Baris hoped he had been swift enough in his decision to give the child some of his Vector blood. He couldn"t bear the thought of losing Thale.
"I have to get him to a healer," he decided. "I have to make sure he"s all right."
She nodded. "But where?"
"I must go into the Lair."
"Have you recovered enough to do that?"
"Yes. I think I can get both Thale and I there. But..."
Deirdre placed one hand on his arm. "Don"t worry over me, Baris. The child comes first. Do what you must. Just promise that you"ll come back for me. I don"t really want to be left out here alone for too long."
"You won"t be alone. As you said, Anika will come back shortly. It"s getting dark and cold. And I will return as soon as I can."
Deirdre nodded, then stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. "G.o.dspeed, Baris. Help Thale. I"ll be here, waiting."
Baris studied her a moment longer, wondering at her understanding and compa.s.sion when even Thale"s own mother had shown so little. Then, holding Thale tightly against his chest, he cast his magic and entered the Vector"s Lair.
CHAPTER 3.
"Will he be all right?" Baris asked. His voice seemed to echo in the large underground cavern. Despite the presence of thick hangings covering the stone walls, and a fire roaring in the ma.s.sive hearth, the room felt cold and clammy. He could not envision how his small son could recover in such surroundings, yet he would not complain. That Darius, Sovereign of the Vectors, had taken Thale into his own home was astounding to Baris. He knew that the little boy could not be in better hands than the most gifted of the Lair"s Vectors.
Now, Darius nodded as he looked down at the pale child lying on the bed. "He will recover. The poison did manage to get into his system, despite what you and Anika did. By the way, where is Anika?"
"I--didn"t think I should bring her inside," Baris said. "She is waiting for me. In fact, I need to get back. Thale, he..."
"He needs to stay put for a while," Darius interrupted. He cast Baris a questioning glance but did not quiz him further. "He"ll be fine here. I"ll watch over him as if he were my own."
Baris drew a deep breath and turned away, once more looking at his son. He seemed so small and frail, lying in the large bed. His skin was the color of the linen sheets surrounding him, his breathing shallow and slow. Baris bent and kissed the small forehead, wincing at the fever consuming the boy.
"I love you, Thale," he whispered. "Be strong for Papa." He straightened. "I need to get back outside," he told Darius "I will return as soon as I can. And thank you, Elder. Thank you very much." Aware of Darius"s puzzled countenance, Baris cast his own magic to return to the rocky slopes where he had left Deirdre.
Night had long since descended, casting the area into darkness. Deirdre was waiting for him. Anika was not. He scanned the immediate surroundings as Deirdre got up from the small campfire she had kindled.
"She didn"t return," Deirdre told him gently. "I even called for her. She didn"t answer. I"m sorry."
Baris could find no words. His heart beat painfully, his breath caught in his throat. "She could be hurt," he murmured. "You saw how weak she was. I have to find her."
"Can you shift again so soon?"
The truth was, he was exhausted but he had to try. He couldn"t forsake his wife, no matter her words or her actions. He nodded in answer to Deirdre"s question.
"Yes, I should be able to. Please, Deirdre, forgive me for leaving you once again. I must find her." He stepped back and quickly shapeshifted into an owl.
Deirdre said nothing as he took flight. His keen eyesight raked over the dark rocks, noticing even the slightest movement, yet nowhere did he see Anika. Still, he circled, widening his search with each pa.s.s, peering into the thick forest that lay on the rocky mountains like a green-and-brown skirt. How could she have gotten so far away? Or was she hiding from him? But why? Why would she first abandon her injured child, then hide from her own husband? It didn"t make any sense. Yet, Baris had to remind himself that Anika was violently ill. Who knew what she might do?
He continued his search as the night skies grew lighter, announcing the arrival of morning. Still there was no sign of Anika. Baris" despair and anger gnawed at his gut, drove him on in desperation. Just as the sun sliced the horizon, a movement caught his eye. He banked toward it.
As he drew closer, he realized what he had seen was nothing more than a large snake, slithering from its cold burrow to lie in the sun. Rage plucked at him, fueled by his fatigue and his heartache. He dove toward the snake, his great wings cupped to slow his descent. He plucked the venomous creature from the dirt with his talons, lifting it high into the air. The snake writhed and twisted in his grasp, seeking to strike. In a fury, Baris let it fall against the rocks. It hit hard, convulsed, then fell in a tangled pile to the ground below, where it lay twitching.
He was about to dive down, finish the animal off, but the fatigue he had been fighting off by sheer force of will finally overtook him. Terrified that he would lose his shift, he swiftly turned and winged back to the encampment. He landed and shapeshifted almost at the same moment, stumbling wearily.
Deirdre was on her feet at once, as if she had known he was coming back. She caught him and supported him so that he sank gently to the ground.
"You didn"t find her?"
Baris shook his head, tears of frustration welling in his eyes. "I can"t see how she could have gotten so far," he muttered. "She was too ill, too weak."
Deirdre was silent for a moment. "Perhaps she did not wish to be found."
"Why wouldn"t she?" Baris demanded, his anger again surfacing. "Why would she hide from me?" He surged to his feet, fists clenched, eyes turned toward the sky.
Deirdre seemed to hesitate before answering, as though she knew what she was about to say might anger him and yet knew also that it must be said. "Baris, she told you to leave. Maybe this is what she wishes, for whatever reason."
He shook his head. "No, she wouldn"t do this. Maybe she would run from me but not from Thale. Never from Thale."
Deirdre shrugged. "I have no answers, Baris. But...Thale? Will he live?"
Baris nodded. "Darius says he will. But he needs time to recover. I must leave him in the Lair for now."
"I see. And will you also return to the Lair to be with him?"
"I need to find Anika," he mumbled. He rubbed at his face, then started when Deirdre laid a hand on his arm.
"I agree," she said softly. "But first you need to rest. You"ll do Anika no good if you are exhausted." She paused a moment, then added, "Maybe you need to feed. Maybe that would ease your fatigue."
He looked at her, surprised and a little annoyed. "No," he stated flatly. "I don"t need to feed. Not yet. I will let you know when I do." He brushed past her to the fire, where he sank down to stare gloomily into the flames.
Deirdre waited a moment, then joined him, though she said nothing more. After a bit, he looked up at her.
"I"m sorry," he said. "I"m not angry at you. I"m just frustrated and upset. I"m also worried about Anika. I managed to bleed her today, but it was the first time in over a week. I don"t know that it was enough. As ill as she is, she might need to be bled more frequently." He got to his feet again, his eyes raking over the lands. "I have to go searching again. I don"t have enough magic to shapeshift right now, so it will be on foot. Are you able to travel?"
"Me?" she asked, surprised. "The question is, are you? You need to rest, Baris, have something to eat."
He shook his head. "No, I can"t rest. The more I delay, the further away Anika gets. I have to keep going."
Deirdre sighed in resignation. "All right, but at least you need something to drink. I"ve made some tea. It"ll give you some energy. And a few bites of bread won"t take that long, will it?"
Baris looked down at her, touched by her concern. He nodded and sat back down.
"Very well, a bit of tea and bread, then we must continue on."
"Agreed." She quickly poured out a cupful of tea, then tore a sizeable chunk of bread from a small loaf.
"Did you bring all of this?" Baris asked, taking a sip of the tea.
Deirdre smiled. "I know how men pack. The bare essentials, with nothing included for basic survival."
Baris couldn"t help but smile. Already the tea was warming his gut, relaxing him, making his eyelids droop with weariness. Deirdre shook him gently.
"Baris? You can"t sleep. I thought we were going to go on?"
Baris rubbed at his eyes, and shook his head to clear it, but his fatigue was too profound. "I fear I have overdone," he told her. "Just a quick nap, then we"ll be going. Wake me in ten minutes."
Deirdre nodded, and settled down beside him.
"Ten minutes," he reminded her, and closed his eyes.
He woke some hours later, groggy and disoriented. Deirdre was sitting beside him, her head resting against his chest. It was obvious by the height of the sun that mid-morning was upon him. With a silent curse, he looked down at Deirdre in anger, and shook her awake.
She opened her eyes slowly, as if unwilling to do so, and Baris suddenly realized she must have been as exhausted as he had been. She gasped at the brilliant daylight surrounding her, and spun to face Baris.
"I"m so sorry!" she cried. "I didn"t mean to fall asleep! Oh, Baris, I"m..."
He shushed her, his anger snuffed out. Perhaps the little rest would do both of them good. "Seems the head is smarter than the heart," Baris said softly. "I feel better for the sleep. You?"
She nodded, but her face reflected her shame. "I do, but I shouldn"t have..."
"Hush," he said, and rose, perusing the mountainous landscape about him. He stared for a long moment, his stomach churning uneasily. If Anika had slipped into the forest, he might never find her. But other things could. Who knew what hungry beasts lived in this rugged land? In her weakened condition, Baris didn"t think she would be able to fend off a predator of any size, even using her magic.