Disclaimers: None. If you’re still reading my stuff at this point, you pretty well know what you’re getting into. If you don’t have an open mind, why exactly are you still reading this far into the series? However, if you do read it and you find something you think needs disclaiming, you are still more than welcome to let me know. It won’t change anything, but it may make you feel better. Ugliness will earn you a smack to the back of your head.
Thanks: To Phil for sticking around to beta read for me. She’s picked up all kinds of dropped letters because Pink and Fluffy tend to leave a trail of them. All errors belong strictly to me.
Special Thanks: To the many of you that have taken the time to send your kind words about the Valiant Series thus far. I greatly appreciate your feedback and your patience in waiting for this installment. I was actually writing this and Brave New World concurrently, and I appreciate both your patience and your indulgence.
Author’s Note: The Storyteller’s Cardinal Rule has been suspended for the telling of this tale!!! That’s right – the ending of this story is not a happy every after... yet. So if you want the happy ever after ending, please wait to read this. It will happen in the next story - A Valiant Option – which is the final story in the Valiant series. For now, though, consider yourself forewarned. This does pick up exactly where A Valiant Mind left off.
A Valiant Nightmare
Prologue
Gwen sat on the bed and looked around the room she had come to despise. She had never liked it here, but now, she truly hated it. It was gaudy and pretentious and so many other things she didn’t want to be or be associated with.
She looked down at the ring that she wore and let her mind travel back to their wedding day, when Randi had slipped it on her finger with promises of forever.
“I’m not good with words. We all know who the bard in this relationship is,” with a smile at Gwen, who smiled back through her tears. “However.” She drew the ceremonial blade carefully from its sheath across the front of her body then knelt before the bard. With sabre drawn, she saluted the bard, then extended it hilt first to the smaller woman. “All that I am, all that I have is yours. And I promise you, in life and in death I will be with you and love you and take care of you. You are my life and my soulmate, and I treasure and cherish you above all things. I will remind you daily of the special place you hold in my heart, my life, and my soul. I love you, Gwenievere Goldman. Forever.”
Gwen looked around again, knowing the time had finally come for her to leave. Knowing is was coming hadn’t prepared her for the rending she felt in her very soul, but the path Randi was on didn’t offer them the option of forever... not together, anyway. Randi needed to be reminded it was her choice.
Gwen rose from the bed and motioned to Tiny who stood patiently waiting with her bag in his hand. “I need to see Randi before I go,” she said quietly. He nodded his acceptance.
“I’ll load your bag onto the shuttle and notify Reed of your coming, My Lady.”
“Tiny, please don’t,” Gwen pleaded. “I hate that title and this place so much.”
He took a breath, finally understanding a little the scope of her feelings. “I’m sorry, Gwen, so sorry... sorry it’s come to this. You both deserve so much better. “
Gwen shrugged, trying to hide the anguish in her soul with a casual nonchalance. “We knew it was gonna happen, Tiny. Not that the knowing makes it any easier,” she added, blowing out a tremulous breath.
“I’ll... I’m going to stay here and, um... look after her. Make sure Sky can get to her as soon as he arrives.”
Gwen patted his arm. “Thank you, Tiny. You have been such a good friend on a very ugly road, and....”
He put his larger hand over hers and squeezed gently. “Shh,” he commanded softly. “You don’t need to say anything. I’m glad I could be here... for both of you. Not that I won’t be glad when it is all over,” he added, scratching through his short hair with his free hand. “Reed’s going to have to give me a hair treatment to hide all the gray I’ve got now,” he said with an attempt at humor.
Gwen smiled faintly, appreciating the effort. “If it’s any comfort,” noting the distinct wings clearly visible in his hair above his ears. “You look very distinguished.”
“Good thing,” he smiled. “I might have to go bald otherwise.”
They chuckled weakly, knowing they could no longer put off the inevitable. “I’ll wait for you by the shuttle,” Tiny said.
She nodded her head and waited for him to close the door behind him before she crossed the room and opened the door into their living area.
Randi sat in front of the fireplace, her eyes glued to the flames. She didn’t look up when the door opened, knowing it could only be one person coming from the direction of the bedchambers. The warrior was a bit surprised when Gwen came around to stand in front of her with an air of resigned determination clear on her face. It was so different from the anger she'd seen the day before when the priest had presented them to the people or the love she had seen mere hours ago.
Now she waited patiently, watching with horrified eyes as Gwen lifted both hands and began removing the ring she had worn in so many lifetimes, but for such a short time in this one.
“I never thought I would do this Randi,” she said, slipping the platinum band from her finger. “What we had together.... It doesn’t seem to mean anything to you anymore.” She held up her hand when Randi opened her lips to speak. “Let me finish. I know what this means to me... what it symbolizes for me, for us. However, I don’t want to hold you to a promise you are no longer capable of keeping.” She took Randi’s hand in her own and placed the ring in the center of her palm, closing it gently and watching as the fist clenched reflexively around it. “You decide what it means to you, if anything, and you let me know.” Gwen kissed the balled fist then slipped from the room without another word.
The door shut with a distinct snick as it closed, and Gwen stood beside it for a long moment regaining her composure. Dead silence was the only sound she heard. She squared her shoulders and walked out to the waiting shuttle, tears sliding easily down her face.
She had done her part. Now it was time to see what path Randi would take.
Chapter I
A rasp of air and the click of a lock in place were the only sounds the door made as it shut then stillness was all that was left in the room, save the occasionally popping from the fireplace. A flick of a wrist and even that comforting sound disappeared, leaving the tense figure alone in the abrupt silence.
For long moments, Randi stood ramrod straight, clenched hands at her side the only testament to the frustration running through her body. Without warning, she brought both fists down on the low table in front of her, watching dispassionately as it splintered. Then her body sagged in defeat, and she slumped into a chair and stared blindly at the silent flames as the coldness in her soul became unbearable.
When the torment grew to be too much, she brought her clenched fist up into her lap and slowly opened her hand, revealing a ring she’d never expected to hold like this again in this lifetime. The Soulmate’s Ring.
The sound of a shuttle preparing for take off interrupted her reverie, and Randi closed her hand protectively over the ring she still held. Then she rose and turned off the fire completely, moving out the door without a backward glance. The door closed with definite purpose and the room was left in cold, dark silence.
The Marine made her way to the bedroom they had shared together for such a brief time here, finally understanding instinctively that there was no happiness in this house... not then and certainly not now. Blue eyes stared out the window, tracking the progress of the small blonde woman towards the shuttle. The grief was almost overwhelming now, and the warrior couldn’t stop the lone tear that slowly, silently rolled down her planed cheek. She leaned her head against the cold glass, wondering what had gone so wrong that they’d come to this place.
The shuttle rose, and the Sabre felt her heart break. Randi couldn’t see the corresponding tears slip from green eyes as Gwen left her behind, and headed for home... alone.
Randi watched the craft fade out of sight, and still stood staring absently into the void into which it had disappeared.
“You promised me forever, Gwen,” she muttered fiercely, pounding her fists on the windowpane. “What happened to forever?”
But there was no answer save the rain as it fell from the heavens and lashed at the window Randi gazed out of sightlessly.
Randi turned from the window to view the room she stood in – alone. She felt her chest begin to crush under the weight of the revelation of what she had held... then lost... forever.
She deliberately turned her back on the room and all it represented. Still clasping Gwen’s ring in her hand, Randi gave an inarticulate cry, and she ran to the door and yanked it open, not even drawing the attention of guards and staff who had quickly grown used to her late-night rants and rages. The Sabre moved swiftly through the massive, ornate hallways until she reached the door that led to the outside. The door opened seemingly of its own volition and the sound of the storm increased dramatically.
Randi stepped outside the fortress into the driving rain, hoping it would purge the pain she felt. Wishing she could go back home where the sound of the rain would be accompanied by the crash of waves on the beach.
She hated it here, she suddenly realized. Hated who she was and what she had so obviously become. And she hated the fact that more than anyone who had been enslaved against their will, she was a prisoner incarcerated by her own choices.
“GWEN!!” she screamed into the darkness, knowing there would be no answer, but falling to her knees anyway when silence was the only reply she received.
Randi dropped her chin to her chest, too tired and drained to cry.
Randi looked up as lightning struck close enough to make her hair stand on end and wondered just how long she had been sitting in the rain getting thoroughly soaked. The rain continued to fall in her face and it forced her eyes closed again.
A hand on her shoulder caused her eyes to open, and she looked up into Tiny’s grim face. Randi understood for the first time just what this had cost not only her and Gwen, but everyone.
The two Sabres looked at one another for a long moment before Tiny extended his hand. “C’mon, Empress. You need to get back inside before you catch your death.”
Randi shuddered at the title and gazed at him with sad blue eyes. “Please don’t call me that,” she whispered before accepting his hand and letting him help her rise to her feet. “I hate that worse than Gwen hates ‘consort’. She paused, looked at the ring still clenched in her fist then asked seriously but just as quietly, “You don’t think me dying would be the best for all concerned, Tiny? It would solve a lot of problems.”
“Oh no,” the Navy man answered unequivocally. “You’re not quitting,” he said, though there appeared to be more he wanted to say. Instead he bit his lips and continued to escort Randi back into the fortress she now called home.
“Say it,” Randi commanded in a low, fierce tone. “C’mon, Tiny. You’ve never held back before. Why start now?” with just a hint of a sneer in her voice, hoping to goad him in doing... something. At least he’d stand a chance of holding his own against her if they went head to head, and right now, she need the release that fighting would allow her.
He gazed at her sadly, knowing her aim and refusing to be baited. Her shoulders sagged in defeat. She knew the words he wouldn’t give voice to, and she knew he was completely correct in his silent assessment. She wouldn’t give up, she wouldn’t quit and one way or another, she would find a way to make things right again. Or at least as right as she could. Randi turned her eyes in the direction Gwen’s shuttle had taken. Some things just couldn’t be undone.
They entered the fortress and dripped a trail all the way to the cavernous bedroom. Without discussion, Randi went right into the bathroom to get out of her wet things, and Tiny picked up a towel and began to dry himself off as best he could.
Randi emerged from the bathroom clad in a robe and toweling out her hair. “Here,” she said briskly, shoving another robe in his direction. “It’ll be a little snug, but at least it’s dry.”
The big man nodded his thanks and moved rapidly towards the bathroom, stripping out of his wet things and into the dry fleece with a sense of relief. Then he hung up his clothes next to Randi’s and made his way back to her room.
She was standing before a now active fireplace, a glass of merlot in her hand as she stared unseeing into the flames. She motioned to the open bottle and the empty glass. “Help yourself.”
Tiny did so, though with much less wine than Randi had. He sipped it slowly, appreciating the warmth it put in his belly, but unwilling to lose his sensibilities. Not now – when they were this close to finishing everything.
Randi continued to watch the fire though she was aware of every movement in the otherwise silent room. Finally she cleared her throat and asked, “Where’s Reed?” realizing she hadn’t seen her in quite some time.
Tiny stared at her back for a long moment before moving over to the window to look out at the expanse of darkness. He could feel and hear the ferocity of the storm as though it was an entity reaching out to him, but he was only allowed to glimpse the lashing rain on the window when the infrequent flash of lightning permitted it.
“She went home,” he replied into the silence, careful to omit exactly which home she’d returned to and when she’d left. They’d cast everything on this one last gamble and if they lost.... He shook his head and took another swallow of wine. They wouldn’t. Too much depended on their success. As long as they could keep Ares out of the loop.... Tiny shuddered. As a warrior, he disdained the war god to the point of loathing. But he only had to maintain the charade of tolerance a little while longer.
He felt Randi’s gaze on the back of his neck and he turned to meet her eyes. They were filled with sorrow, pain and strangely enough, determination. He smiled wanly at her. “She couldn’t stay. The energy – the rift – was killing her.” Not to mention Gwen needed her to guide her spirit quest, he thought but didn’t say aloud. Randi would understand things soon enough.
“They why...?” The warrior motioned around them. He got the hint.
“Because my duty lies here, Empress,” he said bowing his head slightly and her head dropped. Despite everything, Tiny had remained a faithful, loyal friend and confidante.
“Are you sure she doesn’t need you?” remembering the grounding Tiny had always provided for the seer and for the first time in a while, putting someone else’s needs and desires above her own.
“Not like you do, Empress.”
There was no real answer Randi could give to that statement without admitting to something she was unwilling to yet. The silence fell thick between them, and she clenched her hands again
“GODDAMN YOU, GWEN!!! YOU PROMISED ME!!!” Randi flung her nearly full glass of wine into the fire, watching dispassionately as the flames flared, greedily consuming the alcohol they’d been offered. “You promised me,” the warrior whispered as she sank to her knees.
Tiny moved up behind her and reached out, only to stop short when he felt the growl coming from deep in her chest.
“Don’t.”
He let his hands drop, but didn’t leave Randi, knowing sooner or later he was going to be needed. Tiny doubted she would ask for help though, so he just stepped out of her sensory perception and waited.
“You promised me,” so softly it broke Tiny’s heart to hear it.
Her shoulders dropped and Randi covered her face with her hands. This wasn’t how things were supposed to be. The war was over and they had won. So why did it feel like she’d lost everything that had mattered?
Tiny remained silent. He really wasn’t sure what to say to her at this point. She’d done what she thought was right and it had backfired. He wondered if she realized why yet.
As if reading his thoughts, she turned to look at him and he met her stare though the depth of pain made his heart clench. “Why, Tiny? Why did Gwen leave? What did I do that was so wrong?” She turned back to the flames, studying them intently as if they had the answers she sought.
“I brought peace to the world,” she muttered. “The rebel groups who opposed it are gone.” She stood with a muffled groan and moved closer to the fire, drawn to both its warmth and light. “I laid the world at her feet, and she left me.” Torn between hurt and anger, Randi stiffened at the dark tingle that flushed her skin and rose to her feet. She sneered when the god of war became a visible entity in the room. Tiny froze, knowing that what happened next was up to Randi.
“Whine, whine, whine,” Ares complained, crossing his arms over his chest.
“What do you want?” Randi asked coldly, her eyes devoid of life.
“A little respect would be a good start.” Blue eyes held brown with a look of loathing and contempt. “No, huh?” he said with an audible sigh.
“What. Do. You. Want?” Even Tiny felt the temperature drop from the chill in her voice and he shivered in reflex.
“I have come to claim what is mine.”
Nothing could have prepared Randi for Ares' claim, especially given the memories she had been reliving. "I beg your pardon?" Tiny hadn't believed the temperature in the room could drop any farther, but he swore he saw frost form on Ares' facial hair at Randi's disbelieving, whispered words. "I don't know what fucking planet you just dropped in from, but *nothing* and *NO ONE* here belongs to you." The coldness in her voice was countered by the fire in her eyes.
Ares smirked, probably not the best choices of expressions he could have chosen given the circumstances, but this was his final gamble, and he had to project an air of confidence he no longer felt. If he lost now, there would be hell to pay from any number of directions... not that he expected to lose. Even though things had not turned out like he'd hoped... planned, he still had to believe he had every possible factor working in his favor.
"Oh, you don't have to beg, my dear. You need only ask." The war god smiled and waved a hand, taking a sip of the merlot he had filled the glass with and then spitting it out. "How do you drink this shit?" he asked with disdain as he wiped his mouth. "No, never mind," he continued, waving his hand. "It doesn't matter. After tonight, you won't have to suffer with it any longer."
Ares crossed his arms over his chest and gave Randi his most confident smile. "I said, I have come to claim what is mine."
"GET. OUT."
Ares looked amused, going so far as to chuckle lightly. “Excuse me?”
Randi clenched her jaw so tightly the muscles in her face stood out in sharp relief and she stepped right into his personal space. “Are you deaf as well as stupid? Get the fuck out.”
Tiny’s eyes rounded comically as he watched the fearless interplay between Randi and the god of war. He had never thought to see such a display in person, and he remained silent and still now as the drama unfolded before him, not wanting to disturb or influence the scene as it played out – until or unless it became necessary for Randi’s safety.
Ares lost his amused expression; his eyes hardened and flamed, then widened when the warrior neither flinched nor retreated. He walked around her slowly, or tried to, but Randi turned with him, watching his every step, every breath.
“You’ve got some big brass ones on you, don’t you there? I never thought I see you grow them like this again, and any other time they’d be welcome.” Ares shook his head. “But not now. I think you need to learn a little respect.”
He reached for her, but Randi caught his hand. “Respect is something you earn, and I don’t want you in my personal space.” She shoved him back slightly.
He let her, knowing she had to come to him willingly. “I’ll go, for now. You’ll call for me soon enough. But let me leave you with a parting gift.”
Faster than she could stop him, Ares touched her temple. There was no immediate reaction on her part and he stood there perplexed, only coming out of his reverie when she knocked his arm away.
“I am telling you one last time,” she hissed. “LEAVE, or we’ll find out if there are more ways to kill a god than the legends tell us about.”
He continued to look at her another long moment. “I’ll be here when you need me, but until then....” He touched her cheek and laughed wickedly. Then he vanished without a trace in a shower of blue fire.
Quiet reigned for while as Randi pondered Ares’ words and actions. “Tiny,” asked softly, finally breaking the silence. “Do you remember what happened to Russ... with the Sabres? I think that may have been when things started to come apart for me – with Gwen, I mean.”
He met her eyes carefully, not wanting to show his surprise. Up to this point, she had had no cognitive memories of anything she had done in regards to taking control of the unit or destroying the rebels. Even now, knowing that the rebels were gone and that she was the one responsible because of her status as Empress, there was no trace of the memories of what she had done nor how she had accomplished it. According to Reed, they didn’t exist... at least not in a place that could be accessed in a mind walk. Randi had to be willing to walk into her darkest place – one so carefully hidden that no one else, save Gwen could find it.
“What do you remember, Empress?”
She shook her head, though he wasn’t sure if it was at her title or some other reason. “Nothing.” She slammed her fist against the table. “Nothing! Except a few rumors that reached my ears. And the obvious results I can see in front of me.” She looked at him with tears in her eyes – a mixture of fear, sadness and hopelessness etched onto her expressive features. Then she looked back into the fire again as if searching for answers.
Tiny chanced a glance at his watch. If he could manage to hold on for just a few more minutes, Sky should be here to help him.
“Why can’t I remember, Tiny? Why?”
“Randi, do you trust me?”
Her dark head popped up at his use of her name. He had not used her name since they’d come to this place, and it caught her attention now. Tiny extended a hand towards her and waited. She had to meet him on this – it wasn’t something he could force.
Randi gazed at the large hand, palm up and let those memories she had of this man wash over her. Times he had watched her back or eased her pain or wiped her tears or caressed her body. So much water under the bridge between them and yet they had always, *always* had trust and respect between them. She placed her hand in his without further hesitation, knowing this one thing in her life was still right.
“Yes,” came the solid, unequivocal answer.
“Then be patient just a few more minutes, and then we can figure everything out together.”
“Promise?”
“Absolutely. I promise. And I will stay right here beside you every step of the way.”
Randi nodded her head and let it drop disconsolately. “I don’t think I don’t deserve a friend like you anymore, Tiny.”
Tiny patted her hand and held on, but he didn’t say a word. Randi’s eyes grew cold and distant. Without warning, she pulled her hand from his and began to pace, unable to bear the thought of company any longer.
“Tiny, leave me.”
“Empress?” He hoped he had misunderstood. They were so close to ending this... so close to winning. He hated to chance leaving her alone to do something rash. She turned burning blue eyes in his direction, and he flinched at the pain and anger that smoldered in their depths.
“What did you not understand?”
“Empress... Randi, please. I thought you trusted me.”
“This has nothing to do with trust, Tiny, and everything to do with responsibility.” Randi’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “It’s time I took responsibility for what has happened, because obviously, I did something – Gwen wouldn’t have left otherwise. I have to believe that.” She sighed. “Please, Tiny. You’ve done all you can and been a better friend than I have ever deserved, especially lately. Now, leave me and let me finish this. Go to Reed – get married, have a baby. You can enjoy the peace now... at least one of us should.”
“No.”
“Excuse me?” her tone sharpening.
“No. I will not leave you alone. Not now.”
The noise she made would have been considered a sob had she not been a Sabre warrior and Empress of the World. Then she slipped on the mask that had served her well for the better part of her life and she shrugged. “Suit yourself,” she said. “Funny,” she added sardonically, though Tiny could hear the pain behind the words. “Gwen couldn’t wait to leave.”
“That’s not true,” Tiny stated firmly. “And you know it.”
She stiffened at his words and snarled. “I know what I remember.” She let her mind drift back to the moment, an hour earlier, when her world had shattered.
The memory faded once more and Randi became aware of Tiny’s scrutiny. Then she squared her shoulders. “Let’s end this now,” she said with purpose and before he could speak, she did, calling the one name Tiny never wanted to hear her utter.
“Ares....”
The world trembled in anticipation of things to come.
Lacey exited the transport and surveyed the area around the cabin before she turned and nodded, extending her hand to the bard as she emerged. Gwen took a deep breath and closed her eyes against the memories of that last time she’d been to this place – trying to forget they were supposed to have come back to experience summer together. Then she stepped down and squared her shoulders and moved deliberately towards the door.
She raised her hand to the pad, waiting for it to recognize her imprint. She spared a thought of gratitude for the time they had taken from their honeymoon to make this place accessible to her as well, then pushed the door open....
... only to stand frozen at the door as familiar sights and scents assaulted her senses. Gwen couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped or the lone tear that rolled down her cheek. She covered her mouth to keep any other sounds from escaping and slowly stepped into the room.
Lacey stood at the door, not wanting to intrude on this moment, knowing it was intensely private and very painful. At the periphery of her hearing, she heard the transport turn into the lane leading to the cottage. She had already seen movement from several bodies in the trees and grasses surrounding the cabin, but they had indicated their peaceful intentions and she was content to let them be. She suspected they were here for a purpose, much as she herself was.
The Sabre turned her attention back to the solitary figure that now sat forlornly on the bed. The slump of Gwen’s shoulders made Lacey’s heart ache, and she could only hope they had done the right thing in coming here.
Reed and Rosie stepped from the transport before it was completely shut down. “How is she?” addressing her question to Lacey who remained in the open doorway. The Sabre doctor only shook her head and gestured towards the bed. Gwen had removed a pillow from the bed and was now wrapped around it. From the distance, they couldn’t tell anything else though. They quickly emptied the transport of the necessary supplies, then Reed motioned for the watchers to approach.
Lacey could track them only because she knew where to look. Their stealth was impressive, almost equal to the Sabre’s own. When they reached the trio standing in the doorway, Reed nodded her head in approval.
“Excellent,” she commented with a smile. “I am so glad to see you all. Now, you know what to do. Make the perimeter as tight as you can around the cabin. We need to form a barrier capable of keeping a god out.”
“It will be done,” an older man replied somberly. “We owe Ravenhawk our best effort... and the god who caused this and the death of our friend needs to be defeated.”
“Amen to that brother,” Lacey muttered under her breath. “I hear ya.”
The watchers heard her comment as well, apparently, as smiles flashed across their dark faces, causing a brief reflection of moonlight. Then they began to scatter around the small cabin and Rosie, Reed and Lacey made their way inside.
Gwen didn’t notice. She was currently curled around Randi’s pillow, letting the familiar scent engulf her mind and transport her to a different time and place. If someone, anyone, had suggested to her on their wedding day that she would have returned to this place alone less than six months after sharing it with Randi on such a glorious honeymoon, she would have laughed them out of the room and possibly off the planet. Instead she lay still and let happier memories immerse her, hoping they would help shield her for the ordeal she knew lay ahead.
Reed walked over to her, reaching forward and brushing the blonde hair back away from Gwen’s face. She was unprepared for the visible flinch that coursed through Gwen’s slight frame. The seer figured the reaction was purely involuntary and anyone who approached Gwen would have received the same response. Still, it was a little unnerving.
Reed made to remove her hand, then some instinct not understood caused her to drop it to delicately rest on Gwen’s shoulder. She was immediately gratified when the bard lightly covered it with her own for a brief moment before dropping her hand back down to curl around the pillow once more.
“How are you holding up?” Reed asked softly. Not that she was trying to hide anything from her compatriots, but the tone seemed to fit the situation.
Gwen smiled weakly. “Well, I have to admit this hasn’t been one of my better days.”
Reed gave a wry chuckle. “Yeah, I could see how you’d feel that way.” She looked over her shoulder. “Rosie and Lacey are nearly set up, and then we just have to wait for a signal from Tiny and Sky.”
Gwen nodded absently against the pillow and let the scent of her warrior surround her senses for a long moment. Then she turned slightly to face Reed and sat up just a bit.
“Reed, do you honestly think this will work?”
Gray eyes faced her squarely. “Do you honestly believe you are soulmates?” The seer found the answer burning in Gwen’s eyes before her head moved. “Then yes,” she stated firmly. “I honestly believe this will work. But you’ve gotta believe it too, my friend. Now is not the time for a crisis of faith.”
Gwen smiled – the first genuine smile she’d worn in what felt like forever. “Thanks, Reed. I know this has been nearly impossible for you, and I appreciate you sticking around... more than you’ll ever know.”
Reed shrugged deprecatingly. “That’s what friends do, right? Can I tell you a little secret, Gwen?” getting an interested nod in response. “Even if I wasn’t... involved... in this situation, I’d have still stuck around for you – because you were the first person, and have been one of the few outside the Sabre circle who accepted me for what I am and treated me as a normal human being. I’m just glad I get to be a part of what I know will be an incredible story.”
Her watch vibrated and she looked down to see a signal from Tiny coming in. “Excuse me a minute, Gwen. It’s Tiny, so that means it’s about time to get started.”
Gwen nodded and watched her move into a secluded area. Then she slid back into a reclined position and closed her eyes. Already she was completely drained and the hard part hadn’t even started yet. She missed the look of consternation that crossed Reed’s face or the urgency that suddenly became apparent in the three women’s motions. Gwen’s sole focus was on relaxing enough to reach out into Randi’s dreamscape when the time came.
She was never even aware that a crisis had arisen.
Chapter II
“What?” Rosie whispered to Reed after one glance at her tight face. She clasped Reed’s arm and drew her over to where she and Lacey had unpacked the few supplies they had brought with them, and had been waiting quietly for Reed’s signal to begin. The shamaness had noticed Reed’s olive skin drain of color and knew immediately something unwelcome had occurred. The haste with which Reed had summarily joined them only confirmed that suspicion.
Reed swallowed hard and blew out a breath. “I got word from Tiny.”
“Excellent. Let’s get started then. The sooner.... What?” Rosie broke off when Reed grabbed her arm and shook her head emphatically.
“No,” Reed forced herself to calmness. “No, it’s not that easy.”
“Of course not,” Lacey muttered. “Randi and Gwen are involved.”
The other two women smiled wryly at each other acknowledging the truth of that statement. Then the seriousness returned to Reed’s face.
“Randi has summoned Ares.”
Blank shock dropped two sets of jaws. Rosie and Lacey exchanged looks before turning their attention back to Reed. Rosie closed her eyes and drew a deep breath.
“We have no time to waste then. Let’s get to work.”
Reed blinked, then realized Rosie was right. They were only defeated if they allowed themselves to be. She nodded, her determination obvious in her face and her now very deliberate actions.
“Let’s do it.”
“Well now,” the god of war growled. “This was rather unexpected.” He rubbed his beard thoughtfully. “I mean after that nasty little dismissal a while ago, I didn’t expect to hear from you quite so soon.”
Randi kicked a chair in his direction and pushed him backwards. “Siddown,” she invited, before dropping into her own chair. Ares stumbled a step before catching himself. Then he threw a glare in Randi’s direction and sat.
Minutes passed in silence as they looked at one another. Tiny watched it all from his post near the door. He was outwardly dispassionate while mentally he mustered his intestinal fortitude for the final battle. He’d been notified of Sky’s arrival and knew it would be soon. Finally, Ares began to grin diabolically and then chuckle to himself. Randi’s expression never changed. When his chuckles wound down to nothing, Ares spoke.
“You know, you really had me going there for a while... sending me away like that. No wonder I chose you. You’re perfect, just like she was.” Ares grinned at the memory of Randi’s long-lost ancestor and stretched luxuriously. “No one would have guessed it was all for show. Only one other has ever had the gonads to stand up to me like that. To tell you the truth, I’ve missed it... the fire, the passion, the backbone – it’s so... so....” He noticed the bored expression on her face. “What?” a little discombobulated by her lack of enthusiasm.
“Do you ever shut up or do you get off listening to yourself?”
He lost his humor. “Excuse me?” He rose from his seat and glared down at her. “Look, I don’t know who you think you are or who you think you’re dealing with, but you are nothing, NOTHING without me. You got that? I am the GOD of WAR and I made you. You belong to me!”
The fire that blazed from her blue eyes should have rendered him ash and cinder, and Ares actually had to resist the urge to check himself for burn marks. He raised his hands for immediate retaliation, then lowered them again, when she didn’t even flinch. “What?” he said again, this time with a slightly plaintive tone.
“Sit. Down.” Randi’s comment was a cold as ice.
He held her gaze for a moment longer before slowly sinking back into his seat, intrigued and not a little turned on by the intense personality across from him. He recognized that she was a force that needed to be reckoned with. She wasn’t afraid of him... or dying... at all, and he wanted to know why.
Ares sat regarding her intently and Randi met his gaze look for look. He was the first to look away, glancing around the room with a smirk. “Nice place. A little too bright for my tastes, but we can fix that. First things first.”
“What do you want?” with no trace of emotion.
Ares stood and turned in a full circle with his arms outspread. “I want everything. And I am finally,” pounding a fist into his hand, “FINALLY going to have it all.” He looked at Randi and the most diabolical smile creased his face. “After millennia of waiting and careful planning and manipulation,” approaching her slowly and clenching his fist closed. “YOU belong to ME. Body, heart and soul are mine as it should have been from the beginning and I am ready to claim my due.”
Ares reached for her, expecting... well, certainly not what he got and it was for that reason alone he was caught unawares by what happened. He fully expected Randi to be excited by the prospect of joining with him, to allow him to lay claim to the treasure he found her to be. That was why she summoned him after all, right? Instead, he felt the very real and unfortunate pain of her boot connecting with his family jewels. He gasped in agony, trying to process the fact that this woman had the ability to hurt him even as he covered himself and slumped to the ground hoping to catch his breath.
Tiny observed the action from the doorway and winced in automatic sympathy, unconsciously crossing his legs. He saw rapid movement headed his direction and allowed Sky’s approach to take his mind off the agony he knew Ares was experiencing. The situation needed to be explained as quickly and thoroughly as possible so they could form a plan of action.
Meanwhile, Ares was now far less turned on by her attitude and he raised his hand. The fireball brushed by her head so closely that she felt her skin singe. Yet Randi never even flinched. She was simply beyond caring, and he recognized that at her lack of reaction. He couldn’t do worse to her than had already been done.
Ares wheezed and stood up, though not completely straight, and slid his body back into his chair. “Please,” he said when he managed to get his voice into its normal octave. “Tell me you are not going to let that little nothing of a bard take away everything we have worked so hard for.”
She considered him carefully, then answered him with more passion than he had heard from her to date. “*WE* did not work for anything and this....” gesturing around them. “I’d give it all up in a heartbeat, everything, to know what I did that caused Gwen to leave. Maybe then I’d have a chance to fix it and get her back.”
“Perhaps I can help?” Sky spoke quietly, but it was enough to carry his words to Randi’s ears.
“Stay out of this, old man!” Ares snarled, using a look to throw the chieftain back against the wall of the hallway and slamming the door shut with a flick of his wrist when Tiny scrambled out after Sky.
The warrior glared. “Can’t handle the competition, Ares?” daring him to do his worst. When he failed to react, Randi stood and went to stand in front of the fire, deliberately keeping her back to him. “Now,” with her voice and intonation cold and dead once more, “I’m going to ask you one more time. What do you want from me? Why are you here?”
“I am here because you called for me,” he replied in an equally cold voice. “And you know what I want from you – I explained that already. Even your little blonde friend is bright enough to have gotten it already. Or she would have if she’d stuck around for explanations,” he dug. “But she didn’t, did she? She LEFT!!!” He walked closer, reaching out but not quite touching and calming his voice to a soothing sound. “She’s gone, Randi. It’s time for you to reclaim your destiny. And with you at my side, we will be unstoppable!”
Randi turned, her face an impassive mask. Only her eyes showed any trace of emotion, but as focused as Ares was on his victory, he completely misread them. “You just don’t get it, do you?” asked with derision in her tone. “She OWNS me – body, heart and soul. You can’t claim something from me that I don’t have to give.”
Confusion flitted across Ares’ face before it hardened into anger. “You summoned me... you WILL be mine!” In his fury, he didn’t hear the bedroom door open or Tiny and Sky cross the threshold into the living room. “Let me show you why!”
This time when he reached for her, he struck first - forcefully projecting every dark, hidden memory she was missing since her return from the dead. They were nothing more than flashes of images in her mind, but it was disturbing enough for Randi to push Ares away from her with serious intent.
“Now what do you think, hmm?” he snarled. “I. *OWN*. YOU. Not *HER*. ME.” Randi slumped to her knees cradling her head in her hands. Ares looked at her in disgust, waiting impatiently for her to figure it out. Then he dropped into the chair and drummed his fingers on the arm.
Nothing was clear – everything was a flash, a feeling. But Randi didn’t like the feelings those images produced in her and she continued to kneel on the floor as she pushed away the pain receiving Ares’ visuals had caused to lance through her head.
Tiny moved to go to her, but was held back by Sky’s hand on his arm. He looked at the chieftain and cocked an eyebrow in question. Sky shook his head.
“She knows we are here, Tiny. She will call us when she is ready.”
When the pain reached a tolerable level, Randi dropped her arms to her sides and stood, stoic mask firmly in place. Then she turned to Ares with a smirk.
“Leave.”
His jaw fell in disbelief and he blinked at her. “What?”
“God, you really are stupid, aren’t you? Leave. Go away. Get outta here.”
“You can’t....”
“Oh, but I can. Ya see, I figured something out,” resisting the urge to hold her head as another blinding ache pierced her awareness. “You can’t stay here without an invitation. I have to give myself to you freely – you can’t take. Otherwise, you would have staked your claim already... taken me for whatever purpose you wanted. I have to want you here for you to win. Well, guess what, war god... I don’t want you here. I had you come here so I could get some answers, and I got what I needed from you. Now LEAVE.”
Ares sat studying her for a very long moment, scratching his beard thoughtfully. “All right. You need some time to um... digest those memories. I’ve waited this long - a little longer won’t hurt. You’ll call for me again soon enough, and it will just make my victory all the sweeter. However, I am a god so allow me to give you something to remember me by.”
He tossed a bolt her way and she read his intention clearly. But in her effort to evade it, she twisted the wrong way and wound up directly in its path. It caught her squarely in the chest and Randi collapsed to the floor twitching.
“Think about it,” he muttered before deliberately stepping over her and disappearing out of sight.
Tiny didn’t even wait for the sparkle to hit the floor before he was crossing the room and kneeling by her side. Randi’s breathing was fast and shallow and he gently lifted her into his arms and walked swiftly into the bedroom.
Sky had anticipated his actions and had turned the bed down. Now Tiny placed her carefully on the mattress and moved the robe aside to see a large, ugly burn mark running the length of Randi’s torso.
“Stay with her,” he instructed Sky brusquely, then he padded rapidly to the bathroom to obtain the first aid kit and the regen unit. They needed her conscious before they could start the spirit walk because she had to make the choice to take that step.
He dropped the load in his arms onto the bed then looked as Sky. “Can you set up the regen unit, or you wanna take care of that burn?”
Sky cocked his head a moment. He’d thought the regen unit was for the burn, and wondered why Tiny felt the need to medicate something that could be handled without creams and bandages. Then his eyes widened in understanding. The medicine was to *speed* the process as they were working in a very limited time frame. He would have hit himself for his shortsightedness, but Tiny was getting impatient waiting for an answer.
“I’ll start on the burn. I have a feeling you are much more familiar with the regen unit than I am. Then you need to contact Reed and find out where they are... in the process, I mean. With any luck we can still coordinate this together to make it easier for Gwen.”
Tiny had started setting up the regen unit before Sky finished speaking. He checked Randi’s vitals, pleased to know that her responses where still intact, even if her conscious mind didn’t appear to be available at the moment. Tiny watched for a moment as Sky cleaned the wound and began smearing analgesic cream on Randi’s upper body before he heeded the chieftain’s advice and put in a call to Reed.
Tiny didn’t waste time with Sabre encryptions and codes, though the line he used was secure enough. He figured time was important and putting it on the screen where Sky could see and hear as well would help speed matters on immensely.
Sky was in the process of applying the syn skin when Lacey answered the portable vid phone she’d brought along for their use. They had no way to utilize the one in the caverns and it wasn’t practical for their current situation regardless.
“Lace, it’s Tiny. Let me talk to Reed.”
“Can’t do it, Tiny. Things are a little hairy here right now. What’s up?”
Tiny’s face immediately grew concerned. “What’s happened? What’s wrong?”
Lacey shook her head. “We don’t know that anything is wrong yet. When we got your message earlier, we went right to work to get everything set. We didn’t even notice that Gwen fell asleep on her own. Reed and Rosie are setting up a safe place in Gwen’s mind
so that Reed can go in and lead Gwen there until they can start their walk together.”
“Why didn’t they just wake her up?”
“We tried. She didn’t respond, so we decided to work from where she was. She’s riding an edge right now, Tiny, and we’re trying to keep from pushing her over.” Lacey saw the shadow that crossed his features and it immediately set the hair on the back of her neck standing upright. She shivered in response. “What?”
“Randi is unconscious,” he answered plainly, holding up a hand to keep her from interrupting. “When she called for Ares, she goaded him – to the point that he did something... sent a jolt of power through her body and knocked her unconscious.”
“When did this happen?”
Tiny looked at his watch. “About ten minutes ago, maybe. We got the regen unit set up and I called ya’ll right after. Sky is just finishing up with the syn skin, so it hasn’t been very long at all.”
“If I understood Reed correctly, though, that is more than long enough for them to reach out to each other. God,” she cursed softly. “Let me go see if I can interrupt or at least get this information to them without doing any damage. Keep the channel open, and I’ll face the screen so you can see what is going on here. I’ll crank the volume up for you as well.”
Tiny nodded and turned to look at Sky with bleak eyes as Lacey moved away from the monitor. “What do we do now?”
“Now we wait. Anything else jeopardizes their soul.”
Randi looked around conspicuously. She knew this place all too well, but this time, something was different. Actually, everything was different, and she examined that idea carefully. This was her hideaway, and yet it wasn’t. The feel was completely wrong. Was it what Ares had done to her or...?
She paused and listened carefully. Only one other had ever been able to find this place; only one could stand her darkness and survive it. Or better yet, help her to survive the darkness Ares had tried to force into her mind.
Randi held her breath, diligently scanning for the sounds of other inhabitants in the darkness. Slowly, she heard another set of breathing in complete synchronicity with her own. She wished for a light but nothing happened – not immediately anyway. When the light finally came, it came from an unexpected person in an unexpected place.
In the far distance, from the same direction she had detected the breathing, a small light shone as though a candle lit at the end of a very long tunnel. Not seeing any other appropriate recourse, Randi focused her energies on reaching the light that beckoned her.
She walked slowly in deference to the ache in her chest. That in itself was odd as she couldn’t remember feeling physical pain in this place before. Emotional or psychological pain was something else again, but that was not what this felt like. This felt real, as though some serious damage had been done to her person. Still she made progress as the light never wavered and she grew closer to it.
When she reached the light, she hesitated and looked around. It was, as she had imagined, a candle. The flame never flickered, even when she picked it up from the slab it rested on. Prudently, she examined the area around her with a judicious eye.
It was *her* space – the place in her mind where all her dark memories were stored. But she’d never been forced to walk here before... never had to search for light if she wanted it, though she rarely did. Stranger, it was neat and clean. Not just orderly as her mind tended to be anyway, but squeaky clean like someone had been housekeeping.
“I have been,” came a voice from behind her. Randi whirled, only to find she was looking at... herself. She stared for a moment, slack-jawed, before allowing her knees to give way. Her butt met the hard marble slab and she was happy to take a seat.
“Who... what... how...?” the Empress Randi fumbled with her words as the former Sabre watched with amusement.
“I know there is a whole question in there somewhere just dying to get out. Slide over,” she said, nudging her counterpart. “I think it’s time we had a talk.”
The Empress clutched her chest and nodded her head dumbly. Randi smiled and took a seat beside, but not touching herself. This was weird enough without physical contact between them.
“What do you know?” Randi asked.
“In relation to...?” the Empress returned impatiently. “I know that this has got to be the single most surreal experience of my life. I know this place, although it is nothing like it is supposed to be. And I know Ares has got a hell of a wicked right hook. Other than that, I am pretty much flying blind here.”
Randi nodded in complete sympathy. “It took me a while to figure it out. Let me give you the cliff’s notes version of what I know and you can fill in any blanks, all right? Then maybe between us we can figure out a way to fix this mess.”
Unpredictably, tears formed in the Empress’ eyes. She had done more crying in the past hour than she had since her wedding day. It was disturbing and disconcerting and completely wonderful. It was as though she could feel again... with her whole heart.
“Whatever it takes, if it gets me Gwen back... I’m willing to do anything.”
“Anything?” spoke a third voice from the darkness. Both Sabre and Empress turned instinctively towards it – one smiling in genuine warmth, the other more tremulously. But both clearly showed the love they felt for the woman who stepped into the circle of light.
“Gwen?” spoken simultaneously.
“Anything, Randi?” not batting an eye over the fact that there were in fact two distinct Randi’s sitting in front her. Time for that explanation later. First she wanted a commitment from her... them... whatever. Warrior to bard - Gwen wanted a promise.
Randi turned to face herself, feeling the oddness of the sensation tingle through her body down to her toes. Whatever Ares had done to her, it was going to be up to her, both parts of her, to work together to defeat him. And with Gwen beside them, there was no way they could lose. They had too much at stake.
“Anything,” they answered simultaneously.
“Good,” Gwen nodded in satisfaction. “Then clasp hands. It is time to make you whole once more.”
“I can’t be whole without you, Gwen, and you left me. Why did you leave me, Gwen?”
The anguish in the Empress’ voice brought tears to Gwen’s eyes though she refused to let them fall. Now was not the time or place. If... *when* they survived their spirit walk together, that would be the time to fall apart, because then they could do it jointly.
Gwen stepped forward and reached out a hand to cup the Empress’ face. She was suddenly struck by the uniqueness of their appearances. While both were sleek and well-defined, the Empress tended towards sharp lines and hard planes. The ex-Sabre, on the other hand, had a smoother, softer look. Startled by the revelation, she blinked in rapid succession, then smiled tremulously at both of them.
“I left because it was time – time for you to find your own truth and make up your own mind. But I never really went away. I promised you I would always be here when you needed me, and here I am.”
“I hurt.”
“I know, love. We all do. They question is, do you want to fix it?”
“Yes,” came the stark reply.
“Then the first step is to bring you back together again. The woman who loves and feels guilt and pain and sadness is part of the warrior, and the warrior is a part of her. They cannot continue to exist and function separately.”
“Wait – you think I need her??” the Empress snarled, clutching her chest. “She is weak. That’s why she’s here!”
Randi sat quietly, knowing the truth and knowing Gwen would defend both it and her.
“You’re wrong, Randi. The part of you that loves, that feels things so deeply – that is the part that makes you strong. That is why Ares poisoned you... to separate the part he couldn’t control from the part he could manipulate. He could only try to lay claim to the warrior part of you. The rest belongs to me unequivocally.”
“You love her more!” the Empress said petulantly.
“Randi,” taking the Empress’ face in both hands and making those eyes the sole focus of her world for the moment. “You are the same, and I love all of you – the warrior and the lover, the darkness and the light – everything. It is all, ALL part and parcel of the woman who holds my heart and owns my soul. Don’t discount your worth to me – not any part of it!”
The Empress gazed into Gwen’s eyes and read the truth there. The truth of her words, the truth of her needs, and the truth behind her leaving. She leaned forward and brushed their lips together.
“Forgive me my lack of faith, beloved. I know better than to underestimate your capacity for love and understanding.”
“Don’t underestimate yourself there either, Stud.”
The Empress saw faith and love reflected back to her from those green eyes, and she nodded and turned to face her other self. “All right. Let’s do this,” reaching for her counterpart’s hand.
“Wait,” Randi said to herself. “The parts of me that are here – we’re separated in my mind, but not literally physically. Lay down.” The Empress looked at her askance. “We can share the same physical space – we have to. We’re the same person. C’mon.”
Randi lay down on the slab and waited. The Empress hesitated, then stepped onto the platform and lay down as well. She felt herself sinking into and merging with the rest of her being and felt a moment’s unreasoning panic. Gwen took her hand and held it to her lips, and suddenly, everything was all right.
Randi lay still, eyes closed, absorbing the sensation of being whole again. It was so different than what she’d grown accustomed to feeling over the last few months that she could hardly stand the phenomenon of completeness within herself. She’d learned a new appreciation for the facets of her being and the balance of her life, and she hoped to never experience such a rending again. Only being separated from Gwen had been worse, and she had a feeling that might change when she knew the truth of everything she’d seen and done in the last few months. She was overjoyed that Gwen was here and would be here to share it with.
She felt Gwen’s grip on her hand and the touch of her lips, and Randi pulled their intertwined hands to her own lips for a kiss. She opened her eyes and smiled at Gwen.
“I love you,” she whispered... words spoken for the first time in far too long.
Now Gwen’s tears fell, but this time, they were tears of joy. “I love you too, Stud, so very much. Welcome back.” And they took a brief respite to savor the moment together, knowing the worst was yet to come.
“WHAT?!?” Artemis whispered furiously as she clutched at Athena’s arm. The wisdom goddess flinched at the force of the huntress’ hold on her and glared at her.
“Artemis, do you mind?” prying the fingers loose. “That hurts and you’re not a mortal... you can leave marks.”
Artemis released Athena’s arm only to grip her fingers. “The, they can’t do that! Do you know what this means??”
“Art, they already have, and yes, I do. It means that we have to adapt and overcome. Come on, if mortals can and have been doing this for thousands of years, surely we can manage it just this once.”
Artemis shook her head. “One Hades of a time to decide to try.”
Athena gave her a wry smile. “Yes, well, it’s not like we have a choice.”
“I don’t think I like this whole human experience. And what are we going to tell Dite?”
“The truth. This isn’t a time to hold anything back. She needs to know and we need to figure out what we’re going to do.”
“I need to know what, babe?” Dite questioned as her eyes slowly opened and focused on her sisters. “Guys, Randi and Gwen have apparently already found one another in the dreamscape without either Reed or Sky to guide them on their spirit quest. Their bond is still strong, but it’s... weird. Totally, bizarrely, off-the-scale weird.”
Two set of godly brows hiked into equally godly hairlines and they glanced at each other in confusion. “Um, Dite,” Artemis said after delicately clearing her throat. “I think we get the whole ‘weird’ concept you’ve got going on here, but do you think you could, uh... be a little more specific on what brought you to that conclusion?”
Athena handed the love goddess a cup of ambrosia, which in her case was hot chocolate with miniature marshmallows. Dite smiled and received Athena’s offering with grateful thanks. It looked easy – monitoring the soulmates’ bond, but this was draining in a way that could only be felt in the depths of her own being. As thankful as she was for her sisters’ love and support, even they didn’t understand the stress and strain this put her under.
Dite sipped her beverage, feeling it warm and strengthen her from the inside out. Its added strength allowed her to keep an eye on Randi and Gwen, while focusing on sharing her knowledge with Athena and Artemis. She motioned for them to have a seat, and Artemis set down a tray of Dite’s favorite snacks before sitting. Then they gazed at her expectantly. With any luck, this would be the final piece in their puzzle to understanding everything.
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