Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 87731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Bria smiled, took her hand and settled beside her. “There is so much I want to know.”
Wynn smiled, though sadness touched her eyes. “There is so much for you to learn, and I fear there is little time to teach you.”
The words struck Bria harder than she expected.
Little time.
She had only just found her. She had believed she had no family left. Her parents were gone and now, suddenly, she had discovered a great-grandmother she never knew existed. The thought of losing her before she truly knew her tightened painfully in her chest. And another fear quickly followed.
Her parents had sacrificed much for her. Would Wynn do the same? Would she willingly place herself in danger to protect Bria?
The thought unsettled her.
“You speak as though you are leaving,” Bria said, not hiding her worry.
“Nay.” Wynn squeezed her hand gently. “I speak as one who has lived long enough to know that fate rarely asks permission before changing a life.”
Before Bria could argue, Wynn continued.
“The Wise are among the oldest tribes in Driochmor. In truth, we are among the oldest people in all of Scotara. We were here long before kings claimed the land as their own. Much like those from Venngraith.”
“The Hunters?”
Wynn nodded. “They lost their way as have some in Driochmor, but the council has hope with Dar regaining his heritage with the land. As for the Wise, our gift begins with sight. Not merely seeing what was but understanding it. The past leaves echoes. Those echoes help guide us toward where the future is going.”
Bria thought of the visions Wynn had spoken of. “Is that why the king fears the Wise?”
Wynn smiled faintly. “People often fear what they do not understand or believe tales they are told when they would be wise to learn more.” Wynn continued. “As our wisdom grows, so too does our ability to sense those around us. Eventually a Wise no longer needs touch to feel what others feel.”
Bria frowned. “You mean emotions?”
“Aye.”
The thought alone sounded exhausting.
Wynn nodded as if reading her mind. “It can be overwhelming if you are not prepared for it. Joy. Fear. Anger. Grief. The emotions of others can crash over you like a storm. As a comfort healer you know how to quell some of those emotions, but you must touch a person to do that, seek their permission. And that is not possible with strangers.”
Bria immediately thought of the heartache she had felt through the woman from the mist and shivered.
“Then how do you endure it?”
“We learn to shield ourselves. A barrier of the mind.” Wynn tapped a finger lightly against her temple. “Without it, the emotions of others can consume your own. You must learn how to protect yourself from that.”
Bria glanced toward the council still deep in discussion. Her eyes landed on Elara, and they both smiled.
“There is another who understands what it is to have her life changed by forces she never expected,” Wynn said and waved Elara over.
Elara remained smiling as she approached. “I hope I am not intruding.”
“Nay,” Wynn said. “I was just telling Bria she should get to know you.”
Bria stood. “I am pleased to meet you, Elara. I know of your skills as an herb-scribe.”
“You are so brave to come to Driochmor. Most would have turned and run the other way,” Elara said, just before giving her a hug.
The moment Bria’s arms closed around her, the room vanished. A rush of emotion struck her: fear, grief, love, desperation, then darkness.
Elara lay motionless. Dar’s voice echoed with agony.
An ethereal woman hovered over Elara. Long golden hair shimmered around her like sunlight. Her beauty seemed almost unreal, her presence filled with both immense power and profound sorrow.
Bria knew her.
The woman placed a hand over Elara’s heart. Light flared and life returned.
Bria gasped. The vision vanished and she found herself staring at Elara.
Concern filled Elara’s eyes. “Bria?”
But Bria barely heard her, her thoughts on the woman from the mist. The woman who had wept with such heartbreaking sorrow. The woman who had appeared because of the pendant.
She had saved Elara. She had returned her from death.
Chapter Thirty
Time for Decisions
Where No Choice Comes Easy
Kaelan saw the change in Bria immediately. One moment she stood embracing Elara. The next, all color drained from her face. Her eyes widened, though whatever she looked at, it was not the room around her.
Fear struck him. Not the wild fear of battle and not the fear of an unseen enemy. It was the fear of seeing the woman he loved in distress and not knowing why.
He reached her before anyone else. “Bria.”
His arm went firmly around her waist.
She gasped.
The sound alone told him he was right. She had seen something.
Concern filled Elara’s face. “Is she not well?”
Wynn was already rising from her chair.
Kaelan eased her against him. “Nay.”
Neither looked convinced and, truthfully, neither was he.