Anne Bishop - Bridge of Dreams

“I am the monster that Evil fears,” Belladonna replied softly. “I am the one who can take Tryadnea out of the world. Not just set it adrift. Take it out of the world. Or, worse, I can have Ephemera connect your land to the place that is feeding the Dark currents swelling in your homeland. You think you’re a demon, Tryad? You haven’t yet seen the worst demons that walk in our world.”

Zhahar sat perfectly still, too afraid to move and call attention to herself.

“We will wait for you outside,” Morragen finally said. She left the dining room, closing the door behind her.

“Now,” Glorianna said. “What I told you about Heart’s Justice is true. At least for a person of single aspect.” She reached over and closed a hand around Zhahar’s wrist. “Listen well, Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar. A link will be forged between you and Ephemera, and the world will send you to the darkest landscape you deserve. You may end up in a familiar place—even back in Tryadnea, despite not being able to reach it otherwise—or somewhere unlike anything you’ve seen, where you’ll spend the rest of your life hiding what you are. The heart has no secrets. Take this day to think about who you are and what you truly want.”

Glorianna pushed back her chair.

“What about Lee?” Zhahar asked, feeling her face heat. “Do you know where he is?”

Glorianna looked at her. “Lee is no longer a consideration. Where he is doesn’t matter. What you and your sisters want for yourselves is all that can matter now. Remember, Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar, Ephemera is going to send you to the darkest landscape that resonates with your heart.” She walked to the door, then looked back. “Let your heart travel lightly, because what you bring with you becomes part of the landscape.”

Zhahar sat at the table a long time. No one came in to check on her. No one disturbed her. She knew there were other people around, but she felt alone. So terribly alone.

::She used our full name,:: Sholeh said slowly. ::Twice.::

=So?= Zeela growled.

::So this Heart’s Justice will take us to the darkest landscape that resonates with the heart of Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar.::

Zhahar felt her heartbeat quicken. *Not the one who is three, not the individuals who might be split if considered separately, but the three who are one. She was telling us she can work it so the world considers all three of us together.*

=If we’re united, the darkest landscape that would match Sholeh will balance out the darkest one that would match me,= Zeela said, sounding hopeful.

*Someplace all three of us could survive,* Zhahar agreed. Put aside the rest , she thought as she took the mug out to the kitchen. Let your heart travel lightly.

Lee was gone; she was estranged from her mothers and from her people. All she and her sisters had were each other. She hoped that would be enough.

Glorianna walked out of the kitchen and stood near the door. Sebastian had taken Lynnea home to rest. Her mother was in the keets’ room, taking care of her birds, and Jeb was helping her. She didn’t know where Caitlin and Teaser were, but they wouldn’t have gone far. Neither would Yoshani. Not until they had witnessed the Heart’s Justice that would determine Zhahar’s fate.

That left Michael, who was sitting on a bench, playing a tune that was full of bitter weariness and a few turns of phrase that sounded hopeful.

It was the music he heard in the heart of Morragen Medusah a Zephyra.

She walked over to where Morragen stood, looking at the flowers blooming in Nadia’s garden. Looking but probably not seeing.

She would make no apology for eavesdropping. Zhahar had known she was at the dining room door and had most likely drawn some courage from having someone besides her mothers hear her words. But some things about the Tryad had fallen into place because of those words.

“Whose voice whispers through the Tryad’s dreams?” she asked when she stood beside Morragen. “Is it the voice of Guides who stand for the Light, or do you listen to the voices that were shaped in the Dark?”

“You speak in riddles,” Morragen said harshly.

“Do I? How many generations have your people drifted? How many of the strong were lost when they were exposed to people who were primed to see them as demons or monsters? Tryads have mated outside your race. You have a young man who is a Bridge—at least one of his aspects is. What other talents have been brought into your race?” When Morragen said nothing, Glorianna continued. “Who decides who leads? The a Zhahar Tryad is disgraced, so they won’t follow you when you step down as leader, the way you followed your mothers. Disgraced because one aspect wanted to love a one-face man, not just use him to bring in fresh blood to the race.”

“She may be disgraced, but she doesn’t have to go through with this Heart’s Justice of yours.”

“What kind of life do the disgraced have among your people?” Glorianna countered. “Why are your customs so harsh? I ask you again, Morragen Medusah a Zephyra. Whose voice whispers through the Tryad’s dreams?”

“What does Allone spreading rumors now accomplish? It would have been years before Zhahar would step up and take our place.”

“Adrift and bitter, the Dark currents in Tryadnea grow stronger,” Glorianna said. “A successful union between a Tryad and a man of single aspect might strengthen the bonds between your people and another, might nourish hope that could create other bonds. The Dark Guides and wizards did a similar thing to the Landscapers. Over the years, they persuaded the instructors at the school to view as dangerous the students who were stronger than usual or who had more connection to the Dark currents. And we were dangerous—to the wizards. So they destroyed those among us who were the Guides and destroyed the strongest among the Landscapers under the guise of protecting Ephemera. They whisper in the dark, Morragen, and I think they’ve been whispering in Tryadnea for a long time now.”

She waited while Medusah came into view.

“These wizards are people of single aspect,” Medusah said. “How…?”

“If one aspect of a Tryad can be a Bridge, one aspect can be a wizard,” Glorianna said, feeling the sudden wash of power in the currents of the world. “A betrayal and death long ago, like the one in the story about the sisters, could have tipped the resonance of Tryadnea enough to let the wizards in. Their females couldn’t wear human faces, but mating with another race that might have been spawned in the darker currents could give them offspring that could hide. Change the resonance of Tryadnea and set your land adrift. Become an essential part of what is needed to connect the land to another place, but keep the connection only if there are wizards influencing that place. Those wizards provide shelter in the other lands while they mate with Tryad, especially the Tryad who already have some of their bloodlines. And the power that shaped the Dark Guides and their progeny is reinforced in your people.”

“If any of that is true, then we have been betrayed over and over,” Medusah said. She swallowed hard. “What Zhahar said was true. Every Tryad who goes out to connect our land returns damaged in some way.” She frowned. “You think that’s why we were able to connect to Vision? Because the wizards were already there?”

“Yes, I think that’s why. But there were enough hearts that wanted something different. I think that’s why, even though you were anchored to Vision, Ephemera made me aware of you. The moment Tryadnea began resonating with me, it was no longer within the wizards’ ability to control the currents of Light and Dark. They can influence the currents by influencing people’s hearts, but they can’t easily set you adrift again.”