The Emerald Dagger Read online

  Peter had at last deciphered all the writings in the book and had closed six of the seven rifts. The only one that remained open was at the Mountain of the Devil. For the past seven years, Dirkk and Thomas had not been seen. She hoped Peter was wrong and they'd accepted their defeat.

  She heard the click of nails against stone and looked toward the door as a white-freckled nose pushed it open. Maggie trotted toward her.

  Regan marveled the basset hound did not age. She looked the same as when she, Maggie, and Ben entered the rift seven years before. When she mentioned it to Peter, he laughed and told her to look in a mirror.

  With surprise, she noted she hadn't aged either. A little rounder in some places, but still as youthful as she'd been all those years ago. It was the magic of the Power, Peter said. Those with the Power in them, and any they touched, remained young looking even into advanced years. In a sudden panic, she asked Peter about their son, would he not age?

  Peter had assured her the Power had no effect on children. It was only those who had already grown to adulthood.

  Maggie nosed Regan's hand that rested on the curve of the chair's cushioned seat.

  "We walk?" The question came into Regan's mind.

  "You mean waddle," Regan said and scratched behind Maggie's floppy brown ears.

  The basset hound butted Regan's leg with her head.

  "Okay. A walk would do me good. That is if Peter will permit it."

  She stood and moved toward the door.

  A piercing shriek blasted into her mind. She moaned and pressed her palms against the sides of her head. The room tilted, and she reached for something to hold her upright. Her fingers grasped a tapestry, and it ripped from the wall as she dropped to her knees.

  The shrieking intensified. She felt as if it would split her apart, and she shook her head back and forth. Inside her womb, her daughter kicked in distress and she felt the Power awaken inside her.

  "Zara, calm yourself, or I will break our link," she cried.

  Gradually, the shrieks faded, but the remnants of pain and outrage made Regan's stomach twist and churn. Bile rose into her throat and she vomited on the floor.

  Maggie whined, the hairs along the back of her neck standing at attention.

  Trembling, Regan sat back on her heels and wiped her streaming eyes. The smell of her own vomit threatened to send her into another bout of retching. She crawled back to the bed and, using it for leverage, climbed shakily to her feet. As she gripped the bed's post, the room spun around her again. Gasping, she sent serene thoughts toward the dragon.

  "Dampen. Dampen. You must control. You are ripping me apart."

  The response was another shriek, making Regan scream in protest. Inside her womb her daughter kicked violently. "I will block you totally," she shot the thought out to Zara.

  Zara's words ripped into her mind. "They have killed my child."

  Chapter Four

  Kelsey paused for a breath at the top of the last rise. The rift lay ahead among the trees and it was open; she could feel its pull from here. A choking sound came from behind her and she whipped around. A dark shape separated from the shadows of an oak tree and moved toward her. Thoughts of Ru'taha and Black Vipers flashed through her mind. She cursed herself for not bringing some kind of a weapon with her.

  The form neared and she saw that, although it walked upright, it was hump-backed.

  "Stop," she ordered. Taking deep, even breaths, she willed her heart to calm its galloping pace.

  "Commander."

  Kelsey shook her head, unsure she'd heard the word.

  Arms reached toward her. She blinked and stepped back.

  "By the horned god," the guttural voice said. "Standing in the middle of a field with no thought to any who could surround you. You've gone soft, girl. "

  "Angus?" Kelsey took a step forward.

  "Who else?"

  Now she could see what she'd taken for a hump on his back was a sheathed sword. With a cry, she sprang forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  "Easy, girl. Let me breathe," he said, patting her back.

  Kelsey stepped away. Her gaze swept over him. He looked no different. He still wore shades of brown, with a belt of linked silver circling his ample waist. His beard was white, except for dark splotches of wetness. Tear tracks? No, Angus didn't cry.

  "What are you doing here?"

  "I've come to meet you."

  "You look great."

  Angus grunted. "I can't say the same for you." He walked around her. "You are too skinny and pale. I doubt you could even lift a blade, let alone parry with it."

  He unsheathed the sword upon his back, held it with both hands and swung it before him. "A beauty, is it not?"

  Tears filled her eyes. She tried to speak, but a lump clogged her throat.

  "This blade used to belong to a great warrior," Angus said. He held the sword so the sun glinted across its honed edge. "Queen Tessa added it to her collection when the warrior left us. She decreed no other hand would wield it."

  Tears trailed down her cheeks.

  Angus presented the sword to her hilt first. "Welcome home, Queen's-Commander."

  Still unable to speak, she took the sword from him. It was heavier than she remembered. Maybe Angus was right; maybe she had grown too weak to do it justice. Then the memory of the movements flowed from pockets in her mind. She cut, thrust and parried. A muffled sound made her glance at Angus. He turned away, but not before she saw his glistening eyes. Don't worry old friend. I will never reveal your moment of weakness to another.

  Her arm quivered as she lowered the sword. She opened her mouth to speak, and had to swallow before she could get the words out. "I never thought I'd see you without your battle axe."

  "I could carry only the sword or Xuya upon my back."

  More tears threatened. What an honor she had been paid, for Angus to choose her sword above his beloved battle axe. She cleared her throat. "Why didn't Regan come?"

  "Your sister is big with child."

  Her eyes widened. "When's she due?"

  "Helena says any time now. Regan had trouble birthing Daniel, so Peter forbade her to come."

  Daniel? Sounded like she had a nephew, and Regan was pregnant again. So much had changed. A fierce impatience rolled over her. How could four days ever be enough time? "You have horses?"

  Angus motioned her to follow him into the rift. "Jax and Freya. They are almost as impatient to see you as I was. The word is..."

  "No. Wait," a voice called and the two of them whipped around.

  A figure moved toward them. As it neared, Kelsey groaned. "Delilah. What are you doing here?"

  The girl tightened her lips. "I followed you this morning. I've waited at the hospital every day."

  Kelsey frowned.

  Delilah tossed her head, the crystal beads at each braid's end slapping together. "And don't you tell me to go back. I won't. Not until I see my father."

  Angus stepped nearer to the girl. "Who's this?"

  "Ben's daughter." Kelsey saw that, in spite of her brave front, Delilah's lips trembled.

  "Ben has a daughter?" Angus said.

  "You're a dwarf," Delilah said.

  "Aye."

  Kelsey turned to glare at Delilah. "Go home."

  Angus walked toward Delilah. "We can kill her," he said.

  Angus's grim face caused the girl to take a step toward Kelsey.

  "What about Ben?" Kelsey said, fingering the edge of her sword. "Although I don't think he knows about her." She looked down so the girl could not see her grin.

  Delilah backed away from both of them. "I just want to see my father and I will, one way or another. You owe me, Kelsey. If I hadn't followed, you would have died in that car."

  A startled look passed over Kelsey's face, then she swore beneath her breath. "We'll take her to Raya. Then she's Ben's problem."

  "You are sure, Queens-Commander?"

  For way of an answer, Kelsey pivoted and moved toward the tr
ees.

  "The word is Timothias," Angus said. "Hold it firmly in your mind as we enter."

  "Enter what?" Delilah demanded.

  "Just do it," Kelsey ordered, and entered the rift.

  One moment she existed in cold dark nothingness and the next she stepped out into a field flooded with sunlight.

  She turned in a slow circle. Daradawn was the same, the sky a crystalline blue, and the air sweet with wildflowers.

  "Where are we?" Delilah asked from behind Kelsey, a tremor in her voice.

  Kelsey shot her a quick glance. "You're going to see your dad. Isn't that what you wanted?"

  "Yes, but—"

  "Well, then, follow, and don't fall behind."

  Freya nickered at spotting her mistress. Kelsey walked to the mare and patted her nose. Angus's Jax waited next to the Freya. Kelsey moved to him and scratched behind his left ear.

  "Jax says he will accept two," Angus said.

  "That's great. Her walking would slow us down," Kelsey said. She looked at Delilah. "Can you ride?"

  The girl nodded.

  "Then up behind Angus."

  Delilah walked to the gelding. "How?"

  Angus grabbed a handful of Jax's mane and swung up onto the horse's back. He reached a hand down toward Delilah.

  "I—"

  "You can go back," Kelsey said.

  She glared at Kelsey, then grabbed Angus's hand and he swung her up behind him.

  Delilah locked her arms around the dwarf's middle.

  "Release your stranglehold," Angus said. "You claimed you had ridden before." He turned his head to glare at her.

  "I have, just not bareback. And you've no bridle or anything," Delilah said.

  "There is no need. I requested Jax take us to Raya."

  "How did you do that?" Delilah asked.

  Angus shrugged. "I mind-speak Jax."

  "Oh," Delilah said. "Like telepathy."

  "I know not telepathy," Angus said. "I speak and Jax answers if he deems to."

  Delilah glanced across at Kelsey. "Can you do that, too?"

  "There are only a few with the gift. Now let's ride."

  They came to the edge of a field. A narrow path angled downward and Angus took the lead.

  The path opened onto another field with thigh-high red grass. Dotted among the grass were pale-pink tika flowers.

  Kelsey heard Delilah gasp.

  "It's—"

  "Aye," Angus said, riding Jax into it. A breeze picked up and ruffled the grass.

  "It looks like a red sea," Delilah said.

  Angus laughed. "Tis what your father said when first he saw it."

  "He did?" The girl sounded pleased.

  Delilah looked back at Kelsey, started to say something, but then turned around once more. Five minutes passed, and the girl looked back again.

  "What?" Kelsey asked.

  "Why did my father come here?"

  "He and his basset hound, Maggie, came with my sister Regan to rescue me."

  Delilah frowned. "But they didn't go back, and you did."

  "Regan and Ben found reasons to stay," Angus said. "The Queen's-Commander did not."

  "Queen's-Commander. That's the third time you've called her that."

  "Aye. Kelsey is Tessa's Queen's-Commander."

  "When the war with Dirkk ended, I went home," Kelsey said. "Regan fell in love with Peter and Ben had Margeaux. I wasn't needed anymore."

  Kelsey heard Angus grunt in disgust. She threw him a warning look. There was nothing else to say. She needn't have worried; Delilah had pounced upon a different interest.

  "Who's Margeaux? What does she have to do with my father?"

  "Margeaux is an elven healer," Angus said. "She and Ben travel Daradawn and heal the ailing. Without her aid, Regan would not have survived the birthing of her son."

  Chill bumps formed on Kelsey's arms. Her sister might have died and she wouldn't have known for years. "What went wrong?"

  "Daniel was a large babe and the birthing drawn out," Angus said. "There was much blood loss."

  "Couldn't Peter help? What about the Power?" Kelsey said.

  "Daniel came early," Angus said. "Peter and I had just returned from closing the sixth rift. He was drained of power, and Regan's ordeal left her void of control."

  Kelsey nodded. Use of the Power demanded control. The first time an untrained Regan had used the Power, she almost incinerated those who traveled with her.

  Kelsey saw Delilah open her mouth to speak and waved the girl to silence. "What about this birth?"

  "All are different, so Helena says, but she will not allow Regan too far from her."

  The downward path ended.

  "My God," Delilah said. Kelsey looked to see what had brought such fearful awe to the girl's voice. Delilah stared at the towering peak before them.

  "Are we going up that?"

  "Only halfway," Kelsey said.

  She glanced skyward. What would Delilah say when she saw Zara? Should she warn the girl?

  She rode up beside Angus and motioned upward with her head. Angus grinned and shook his. She shrugged, and they began the climb.

  "What's the Power?" Delilah asked.

  Kelsey smiled. She'd wondered how long it would be before the next round of questions.

  "It's a force inside the Chosen. When controlled and summoned it can do great magic," Angus said. "But uncontrolled it can kill the summoners and any around them."

  "How are they chosen?"

  "You are born with the mark of the blue flame," Angus said.

  Delilah glanced back at Kelsey. "Your sister was marked?"

  Kelsey nodded. "And Peter, too."

  "How many others?"

  Damn, the girl was persistent. "Just the two of them." Kelsey glanced at Angus. "So far."

  "Daniel has not the mark," Angus said. "Who knows about the other babe?"

  "But your sister was born in our world."

  "The Power helped her there, too," Kelsey said. "We just didn't know it for what it was."

  "We should be quiet now," Angus said, glancing upward.

  Kelsey frowned. "I thought that was all behind us, with Regan and Zara mind-linked and all."

  "Zara is troublesome still at times," Angus said. "We do not raise her ire when not needed."

  "Who's Zara," Delilah asked.

  "I said no more words." The dwarf glared a warning.

  Delilah pressed her lips tightly together, but turned and faced Angus's back. Kelsey sighed. Delilah's attitude could mean trouble; it was clear she wasn't used to taking orders. Ahead, the path curved around a huge boulder. If she remembered correctly, the area opened up and Zara's cave was to the right.

  A shadow moved across them and a roar vibrated the air. Kelsey jerked her head up. A dragon flew between them and the sun. But this wasn't Zara. The dragon was bronze and smaller. The dragon snarled again, tucked its wings and dove. As it neared them, it stretched its forelegs. Sun glinted off extended talons.

  Freya quivered beneath her, but the mare was elven-bred and stood her ground, waiting for a command. Kelsey bounded from Freya and whipped her sword from its sheath.

  The bronze dragon screamed.

  Another shrill cry filled the air, this one from behind them, but Kelsey kept her gaze on the diving bronze figure before her.

  The cry came from behind them again and the bronze dragon bellowed in response. Out of the corner of her eye, Kelsey saw a golden blur. Zara. The larger dragon flew between them and the descending bronze streak. A cyclone of dirt and leaves exploded upward around them. With tearing eyes, Kelsey watched the smaller dragon back-wing, still screaming defiance.

  She watched the bronze struggle to halt its death plunge toward the gold. Oh, my God. They're going to hit. At the last moment, Zara darted from the path of the bronze. She circled above it, still trumpeting her command. The bronze dragon's stomach brushed the tops of the pine trees as it leveled off. The needles, ripped from the branches, showered Kelsey, and added to t
he choking maelstrom.

  With powerful sweeps of its wings, the bronze ascended. It flew straight at Zara, trumpeting its rage. Zara waited until the smaller dragon was almost upon her, then slapped the bronze's wing with her own as it sailed by, much as a mother would warn a child in the throes of a tantrum. The bronze dragon dipped and rolled, before it regained its balance. With downward strokes, it flew up and away.

  As it reached the side of the mountain, it turned its sinuous neck and screamed out a last rebellious cry before disappearing into the clouds.

  Kelsey's eyes burned, but she feared to lower her sword. Why would one of Zara's children try to kill them?

  Zara glided downward. The gold dragon leveled off and with a soft cry flew across them and beyond, toward her cave.

  Only when Zara was out of sight did Kelsey lower her blade. Mopping her streaming eyes with her shirtsleeve, she turned to Angus. "What the hell just happened?"

  "I don't know."

  Kelsey's hands trembled as she sheathed the sword.

  Delilah, whose face had blanched to the color of milk-drenched coffee, slumped forward over Angus' shoulders. The dwarf grunted as Kelsey leapt to catch the girl before she tumbled from Jax's back. She laid Delilah on the ground. Angus slid from Jax, then reached into his tunic and pulled out a silver flask.

  Her eyebrows rose as he uncorked the flask.

  "Yes. 'Tis Fire and Ice, but a drop will not harm her."

  Kelsey had tried the dwarven liquor only once, and that single sip had set her racing for water for her scorched throat.

  Angus propped Delilah's head up with his arm and held the flask to the girl's lips. Delilah moaned and then gasped. Her eyes flew open. Coughing, she struggled to get to her feet. Kelsey grabbed the girl's flailing hands and hauled her upward.

  "Breathe through your mouth," she said, glaring at Angus.

  Delilah's face was cherry-wood red with the force of her coughing.

  "Water," Kelsey ordered.

  The dwarf withdrew another flask, unscrewed the lid, and handed it to Kelsey. She grabbed it from his hand and held it to Delilah's lips. "Only a little at first or you will choke."