Chapter Eight

Kangee glared at her grandmother. The tiny wooded glen was silent. “We are taught not to show ourselves to outsiders. You shocked him on purpose.” She loved her family but at that moment, she wanted nothing to do with them.

She was tempted to take Night Warrior by the arm and leave. “Was one demonstration of our abilities not enough? This is unacceptable, Unci.”

Her grandmother smiled with satisfaction. “Your young warrior is brave.”

“That was never in question.” Kangee turned to Night Warrior. “I am sorry. My family is not normally rude and inconsiderate of others.”

Beside her, Night Warrior’s heart beat louder and faster than normal. She didn’t blame him for being shocked, upset, and angry. Some of that anger was directed at her for not revealing the true nature of her people earlier, and she accepted her failure, but she’d never imagined him finding out in this manner.

In front of them, her grandmother remained unrepentant. She waved her staff. “Sit, children,” Grandmother ordered, very much in charge.

Neither Kangee nor Night Warrior moved.

The old woman sighed. “There is much you do not understand, child.” Her voice softened. “It is time for the boy to accept his destiny.” She glanced around. “Let us begin.”

Kangee, after several long moments, sat, the anger leaving her. The grass beneath her was soft and springy, the air moist from the nearby creek on one side of the glen and the lake on its other. She drew in a deep, calming breath as Night Warrior joined her.

“It is not our place to interfere,” she said, her voice low. “I am sorry you were upset.” Grandmother never did anything without reason, and for her to have revealed the true nature of her people meant there was more going on than Kangee thought and that didn’t sit well with her.

“Startled,” corrected the old woman, proving age had not dimmed her hearing. She leaned forward, resting her weight on the carved handle of her walking stick. “Is this not correct, Warrior?”

Night Warrior inclined his head. “It is fair to say that I was not expecting to see the impossible.”

The tiny woman’s stare was intent, then she gave a slight nod. “Good. You have begun to accept the truth of your future.” She held up a hand, stopping Night Warrior from speaking. “What saved you, Warrior?”

“A SpiritWalker,” he answered.

Grandmother shook her head. “No. Love saved you.” She looked from one to the other. “Now, enough of this. There is much for us to discuss.”

Love. Kangee had a feeling she was well on her way to falling in love with Night Warrior. Remembering how he’d felt against her in that pond with the waterfall, she closed her eyes. She couldn’t think about that now. Or the future. Too much change, too many unanswered questions. She was so afraid of what it meant—the dreams, her mother, and yes, the warrior’s involvement in her life, for she sensed he was connected to her and to her mother.

Feeling eyes upon her, she gave her grandmother her undivided attention.

“I once told you what your future held.”

Kangee frowned at her grandmother. “What does that have to do with—”

One stern look silenced her. Frustrated, confused, angry, and close to tears, Kangee dug her fingers into the soft carpet of grass. She didn’t want to talk about her future, not now.

“Repeat what I once said to you,” the woman ordered gently.

Kangee cleared her throat. “You once told me I would marry a man of great power,” she admitted as she plucked a long, thin blade of grass.

Her grandmother nodded. “What else?”

“I would someday bring twin boys into the world.” The thought of birthing twins had always thrilled her. To be blessed with more than one child was a special gift of the gods.

The old woman shook her head. “No, I said you would be responsible for giving life to twin boys who would one day become powerful SpiritWalkers.”

Confused, Kangee frowned. “I don’t understand.

“There is much at stake for both you and the warrior you defend. The boys I spoke of grow inside your mother.”

Kangee’s jaw dropped. Behind her, Kangee’s father cried out.

“My wife is with child.” He handed Skye to Kangee and jumped to his feet. “Where is she?”

Voices rose around them. The full ramifications of her grandmother’s words hit Kangee hard. She was going to have to save her mother in order to save her brothers. Hugging herself, she tried to fight off the chill of despair.

“How?” Kangee’s question was swallowed by the raised voices of her family

A shot of light blasted into the air. Immediately, everyone fell silent. Grandmother pointed her stick first at Conrad. “Sit.” When all was quiet, she turned back to Kangee. “Your dreams. Tell me of them.”

Kangee didn’t need to ask how her grandmother knew of her dreams for the wise elder was blessed with many gifts, more than any other SpiritWalker in her tribe. Visions were amongst her strongest of her abilities.

Taking several deep breaths, Kangee organized her thoughts. When she was ready to speak, she opened her eyes and focused on her grandmother.

First, she told everyone what happened with Skye, how the little girl had had been trapped in her vision. “Night Warrior took us to her. He was able to find her through me and he saved her, brought us both out of the darkness.” She also told them of her dream, and how the warrior had entered her dream to bring her and Skye back out. She didn’t mention that he’d taken them into one of his dreams.

Night Warrior shifted, bringing his thigh close enough to touch hers and lend her warmth and strength to continue. “I saw her. I saw Ina trapped in a dark place with an evil spirit.”

Kangee touched her fingers to her lips to still the trembling. Everyone was silent, as though they all held their breaths. She drew in a deep and shaky breath. “I don’t understand. The evil spirit kept telling Ina to go. He wanted me to take her and I tried, but Ina wouldn’t come with me. She told me to leave and never return.”

Her throat tightened, her lungs hurt and tears threatened. “Why did she do this?” She pleaded with her grandmother. “Why? Why won’t she come back to us?” Squeezing her eyes shut, she brought back the chilling sound of laughter, her mother’s frightened cry, the absolute sense of danger, not just to her and her mother, but to all who lived.

Night Warrior rested a hand on her shoulder. Breathe. The word whispered in her head.

“I am afraid.” She shoved strands of blue-black hair back, then swiped the tears from her face as she struggled to make sense of everything that was happening.

“You should be, child, as we all should be.” Grandmother bowed her head, resting her forehead on the backs of her gnarled hands that gripped her walking stick. “My daughter is trapped with Ardong, son of Dragon.”

Low murmurs followed the old woman’s announcement. Kangee lifted her head. She tried to speak, but her mouth was dry. “Ardong. That is what the monster called himself, but how can that be? He was banished from this world in the time the world came to be.” She struggled to breathe. Everyone knew the story of how the son of Dragon had been condemned to death by the gods and how he’d escaped death by shattering his soul. Furious, the gods trapped each piece of his soul throughout the world where they’d fled.

“That is a legend. A story. It isn’t true,” Conrad said, his voice harsh and choked with emotion. “It can’t be real.”

Grandmother tipped her head back. “It is very true, my son. My daughter is trapped with the father of all that is evil in this world. I’d hoped my visions were wrong, but after listening to my granddaughter…” She shook her head and sighed. “This is so.”

“We have to find her and free her,” he said, staring at his wife’s family. His heart thudded painfully when he saw utter despair and grief on their faces. “It’s not too late.” He held up his soul stone. “She is alive.”

Bright Star stood. “If my sister has found Ardong, or a piece of Ardong’s soul, then she is trapped. The son of dragon can only be freed if invited back into the world. If she leaves his prison, she gives him permission to leave as well. Once free, Ardong’s immortal soul will roam the earth, searching out each piece of himself. He is evil and cannot be allowed freedom.”

Conrad frowned. He knew the legend, had heard his wife tell the story many times to their children, but he’d never believed it. He went to the old woman, knelt, and held her hands. “There has to be a way to save my wife.”

Grandmother looked sad. “There might be. But the danger is great. I fear the sacrifice too much to ask.”

“I will go to her and take her place.”

Grandmother rested her frail hand against the side of his face. “It is not you who can save her, my son. There is one person who might be able to save your wife and your unborn sons.” She pointed to Kangee. “Your daughter is our only hope.”

Night Warrior stood. “She almost lost her life to that evil spirit. You will not ask this of her.”

Kangee stood as well, her legs shaking. Night Warrior steadied her with his hand on her arm. She took a step toward her grandmother. “What must I do?”

“No.” Night Warrior got between Kangee and her grandmother.

Kangee smiled weakly. “You cannot stop me, warrior of the night.” She addressed her grandmother. “How can I save her? What do I do?”

Grandmother motioned with her hand, and two warriors stood and helped her to her feet. Her shoulders were hunched as though she bore a great weight. “I do not know, child. The darkness hides many evils, but none is more dangerous than the darkness that lives in each of us. I’ve said what I can for now. It falls to you to find a way to save your mother and your twin brothers, without freeing evil.” She sounded weary and sad.

Kangee couldn’t stop the tears of fear and helplessness. “And if I cannot?”

“Then I fear for our future. Our people and this world we have been entrusted to protect are in your hands, my child.”

The two warriors picked up the old woman and walked away.

Kangee watched in stunned disbelief as her family began bedding down. How could they act as though nothing was wrong when her whole world had shattered, when she was so afraid, she couldn’t move? She couldn’t stay here, not with them, not with her nerves raw and fear clawing her insides to shreds.

At her side, Night Warrior waited. When her father approached, she shook her head. She’d wanted him to come back and he had, but he couldn’t put things right. That burden had fallen onto her unprepared shoulders. “I’m returning to the lodge with Night Warrior.”

A small hand slipped into hers. “Story, Kangee.” Staring into Skye’s sleepy gaze, Kangee picked up her sister.

Conrad sighed. “We will return. He took his twin daughters by the hand and led the way through the trees. Silently, Night Warrior fell in step with her. Thankful that he remained silent, Kangee tried to block her fear, but how was she going to face that evil creature again?

“Ina. Dream.” Skye’s sleepy voice pulled Kangee’s mind away from her thoughts and fears.

Kangee sighed and rubbed her cheek over her sister’s head. “Yes. I dreamed of our mother.” How could she free her mother and save her brothers without setting evil free? Questions whirled like a tornado through her mind.

Skye wrapped her arms around Kangee’s neck. “Story. Tell story.”

As she walked, Kangee spun a short light-hearted tale for Skye, but all the while, despair and grief tore her heart into shreds.

****

High above, Moon surveyed the land below from her throne in the heavens. Soft as a caress, her ray of light illuminated a lone warrior in the forest. Darkness, blacker than the night and more viscous than the sap running in trees filled him. It ate at him from the inside and formed a thick aura of despair that engulfed the warrior’s body and soul.

“He returns to his family.” She sighed as the old warrior made his way through the forest using her beams of light to find his way. When he neared the sleeping village, he stopped and stood in the shadows listening.

“We knew this day would come.” Earth rumbled her displeasure from deep in her domain. Once, this man had been filled with light, with good. Now his soul was all but dead.

Air spoke. “What has been set into motion cannot be stopped.

Moon dimmed her light as she and the rest of the gods and spirits watched the warrior lift his hands and whisper a chant in a low, harsh, and gravelly voice. His body shimmered, growing smaller until only a large, luminous moth remained. The moth fluttered high into the protective canopy of leaves, and then dipped down over the darkened villages.

“Can his child do this?” Moon asked the questions of not just Earth, but all the gods and spirits.

“She has no choice.” Air’s voice echoed around them all, for she was everywhere. “She has no choice,” she repeated, sighing.

“She is too young,” Moon mused when her light fell onto Kangee sleeping in the lodge. Her heart tore a bit when the woman shifted and moaned ever so softly. She loved these humans and felt their sorrows and their joys.

“It is her time.” The low, harsh rumble came from Earth. The ground shook slightly. “She is the only one who can free her mother and save the precious babies.”

“But at what cost?” Moon asked.

“That will be up to her,” Air said. She too loved the humans called SpiritWalkers, for she and her sisters had created them to keep balance in the world.

“If only there was something we could do,” the soft-hearted Moon said.

“Free will. We cannot interfere.” Deep inside her domain, Earth felt the continuous struggle between evil and the young woman’s mother.

“Mother and daughter carry gifts each of us has given to our children. We can only watch and wait.”

Reaching the longhouses, the moth hesitated over the roof of each before moving on. As though finding what it sought, it dropped down the smoke hole of the largest lodge.

In the thin ray of moonlight, Kangee’s blue-black hair shone like a bright, molten light. As though drawn to that gleaming light, the large moth hovered inches over Kangee, its wings beating a breath of air across a face streaked with tears. Fluttering away, the moth shimmered. In the blink of an eye, it became once more a warrior kneeling beside his daughter.

Kangee shifted and moaned softly as though she sensed his presence. Silent tears shed in sleep slipped from her eyes, then she groaned and flung her arms out.

The warrior quickly murmured a chant. His form blurred until there was only a softly glowing moth hovering over Kangee before it flitted up and out the smoke hole in the roof of the lodge.

Once the moth was back in the shadows of the forest, it once again shimmered and fluttered to the ground, becoming an aged warrior cloaked in despair from the choices he’d made, condemned to a life of bleakness.

His daughter was the key to gaining power. He’d use her if needed. Deep inside, a small part of him mourned the loss of his family, but his thirst for power kept it buried. He walked deep into the forest and once again shifted, this time into a mangy wolf that raced through the forest.