The Gathandrian Trilogy 01 - The Gifting

Isabella used to know, a hundred year-cycles away from where she is now. Even so, she leans against him, coughing. Her body trembles out of sight for a moment before reappearing again. As it has done so many times since her death.
    Hartstongue gasps. “Johan?”
    “Yes, I know. I see. Isabella? ”
    She groans, reaches up, touches her brother’s neck. I’m sorry. It was not your fault, not any of it .
    Why did you do it? he asks.
    Isabella coughs again, and Johan holds her tighter, though she can hardly feel his embrace. Her mind is set on the scribe and her words are spoken to him alone.
    Because I hated you, Hartstongue , she whispers. Because of you, Petran died. I couldn’t forgive you that. He was my life and he died. If not for you, this battle would have never begun. The Lost One is the cause of it all. Gelahn promised to bring my love back; how could I not serve him? He promised me that when you were dead, I would see Petran again and the next age of peace and plenty could be brought to our lands. When my brother set out to find you, I saw my chance to kill you, for Gelahn’s and Petran’s sakes. I…
    She cries out, gasping for breath. Johan groans and holds her closer. Isabella .
    But she is too far gone to hear him.

    Johan
    He sees it all then. Can sense it all. Isabella’s grief when Petran was killed. Hadn’t he known that well? The anger that must have overcome her sorrow. The need to see her love again. And all that has led to. He should have been able to help his sister. Instead he has failed her.
    Johan is crying now. Holding Isabella to himself, tears running unchecked down his face. He is vaguely aware of Simon’s arms around him, his murmured words of comfort, but knows he can bear none.
    A darkness ripples through them, and Isabella vanishes for a moment once more before shimmering back into her brother’s arms.
    “She’s dying,” Johan whispers. “ She’s dying , and he’s taking her.”
    The final night that awaits them all is calling his sister, and beyond that the distinctive power of the link with the mind-executioner drawing her back. To the kind of destiny Johan cannot imagine.
    He has no idea what to do.

    Simon
    “No,” Simon whispered. “No. He’s not having her .”
    Letting Johan go, he reached for Isabella’s head with one hand and for the mind-cane with the other. It flew to him, landing in his palm as sure as a falcon flies to its handler on the winter hunts. From an instinct Simon couldn’t fathom, he brought the silver carving downwards and laid it against her neck.
    “What are you doing?” Johan said.
    “I don’t know,” he panted. “Don’t ask me. I just want her to be safe .”
    For a moment, nothing happened. Then the patterning on the cane, the shape of the constellations, began to glow. Isabella’s frame winked almost out of existence, but the glow from the mind-cane held her. Simon could hear the song rising in his thoughts. Then she disappeared and Johan cried out. Hand shaking, the scribe continued to hold the cane in place. He could still feel her, still sense Gelahn’s force pitched against his. Their minds battling in darkness and unbearable light.
    “Simon.”
    “No! Wait. It’s not over yet, it’s…”
    A loud scream interrupted him. Glancing around, he saw that Ralph was sitting upright, eyes wide and arms outstretched towards him. The Lammas Master dragged himself towards them, pain etched across his features. Then he too vanished. Simon cried out, holding his position next to where Isabella had lain, but knowing that his voice pierced the darkness surrounding Gelahn. In a way it had never done before.
    Choose then who you will save.
    Ralph shimmered back into view, but his body wasn’t quite solid. Simon’s cry had brought him here again. Gelahn was not strong enough to hold him if Simon wished him not to.
    But still the memory of Isabella’s form beneath the mind-cane kept the scribe motionless.
    No more deaths. No more. Have I not caused enough of them?
    The cane’s song lilted in Simon’s mind, words sparking from the music. They travelled in a shaft of light out of his darkness, flashing to the sense he had of Gelahn’s presence. Take him then but, whatever you do, you will neither kill nor hurt him.
    Tears burning his eyes, Simon watched Ralph vanish once more. Even though he knew Gelahn could not harm him now, the loss cut deep. Johan cried out but already Simon had turned to Isabella again. Later, he thought. He