Anne Bishop - Belladonna

Yoshani looked around, then looked into her eyes. “Perhaps you need an apprentice.”

Something rippled through her when he said the words.

Something is changing, she thought, suddenly feeling a tug from the section of the garden she specifically wanted Yoshani to see—the beds that represented Sanctuary. No. Something has already changed.

“Glorianna?”

She didn’t answer him, just slipped her arm out of his and ran toward that other part of her garden, leaving him to hurry after her.

Was it luck and the restlessness of young women, Merrill wondered, or the Lady of Light’s guiding hand that had brought three of their Sisters into Atwater? The girls had come to town to run errands and do some shopping for the community and—giving in to an impulse—had come down to the wharves to ask for news about Merrill and Shaela just as their ship’s lines were being secured.

Only five of them in total instead of the seven Shaela had wanted, but five experienced in focusing their thoughts in order to connect with the Light were better than seven who would need to be coached.

Foolish to set up on the wharf in front of all the warehouses, Merrill thought as she and Shaela set the pots of heart’s hope and belladonna side by side. Surely they could get away from the waterfront and the smells of seawater and fish? Atwater had a lovely little park. That would be a much more pleasing setting for a prayer circle and would take hardly any time at all to get there. Was this sense of urgency something that came whispering from the Dark so that they would act prematurely and ruin the chance of this “magic” succeeding? If she chose wrong, their failure would be her fault. How—

Her mind ceased its frightened chatter when she looked into Shaela’s eyes—the one clouded and blind, while the other saw the world a bit too sharply.

Believe.

It was as if the word had been breathed on the air between them.

Shifting the pot of heart’s hope, Merrill said quietly, “You take up the chant from the dream. I will lead the refrain.”

Shaela shook her head. “As leader…”

“I can’t believe, Shaela. Not strongly enough. Now that it comes down to it, I can’t do what you can. But I can take up the refrain.” She hesitated, then added, “We won’t get a second chance.”

Shaela looked toward the sea. “I know.”

A crowd formed around them as sailors, merchants, and dockworkers were drawn toward their little gathering and word began to spread that the Sisters of Light were going to do a special circle of protection right there at the wharves.

“Ladies?” The captain of their ship, as well as several of his crew, eased through the crowd. “Is there something we can do to help?”

Before Merrill could refuse, Shaela spoke up. “Take up any part of the chant your heart can believe in without question. The more voices that are raised for this ceremony, the better our chances of having our prayers heard.”

They took their positions, Merrill and Shaela facing each other while the other three Sisters filled in the circle, the heart’s hope and belladonna at its center. Around them, the people formed another circle.

If this doesn’t work… Merrill closed her eyes for a moment, trying to banish doubt, then focused on Shaela.

“Heart’s hope lies within belladonna,” Shaela said, raising her voice enough to be heard by the first few people around the circle.

“Guardian of Light, hear our prayer,” Merrill answered as the refrain.

“Heart’s hope lies within belladonna.” This time, two of their Sisters took up the chant with Shaela.

“Lady of Light, hear our prayer.” The other Sister’s voice joined Merrill’s.

“Heart’s hope lies within belladonna.”

“Guardian of Light, hear our prayer.”

“Heart’s hope lies within belladonna.” Male voices joined the chant, a little hesitant but there.

“Lady of Light, hear our prayer.” More voices.

Merrill felt the Light fill the circle, felt it spill over the crowd, felt it grow stronger with each voice that took up the chant. And for the first time since they had sensed the stain of evil that had followed them from Raven’s Hill, she truly believed they would succeed.

Looking at her friend, Merrill added her voice when Shaela said, “Heart’s hope lies within belladonna.”

It gathered speed as It moved toward the island.

Something had changed. The fear was fading, and It felt the world becoming fluid as Ephemera prepared to manifest the need that was now held in many hearts.

No! It had not found the other Places of Light, so it would not be deprived of this one.

It fed Its rage to the Dark currents in the sea. Then It became the sea—and rose up as a deadly wave that moved toward the island with the speed of a wild storm.

The calling was filled with a desperation that felt like a lash against her skin. The resonance of that landscape grated against her senses.

But she had to answer. Had to.

“Glorianna!”

A hand grabbing her arm, holding her back.

“Something calls to me, Yoshani,” she said, trying to pull free. “I am an ill-fitting piece being wedged into a place I don’t quite belong, but I’m all there is.” She stared at the bowl-shaped stone and the silver cuff bracelet beneath the water, feeling the need that rang in the hearts connected to those objects. Feeling a rhythm in the air.

“This is not a place you know, isn’t that true? If you go there, can you get back? Glorianna!”

Yoshani shook her, and that startled her enough to focus on him. And seeing the look in his eyes startled her enough to hesitate. When she had seen that expression in other men’s eyes, she had called it “warrior’s eyes.” She had never thought to see Yoshani’s dark eyes look that way.

“A summons that powerful may not come from the Light,” Yoshani said.

“I have to answer,” Glorianna said. “If I don’t, something precious will be lost. I know this, Yoshani. I can feel it.”

He nodded, but the wild look in his eyes didn’t fade. “You will not go alone.”

“But—”

“Both of us or neither. I will not compromise, Glorianna.”

There wasn’t time to argue. Snatching the bracelet out of the stone bowl, she tried to ignore the grating dissonance, that conflict of resonances.

Whatever wants me will also reject me.

She closed her hand around the bracelet, then said to Yoshani, “Don’t let go of my arm.” When she felt his grip tighten, she thought, There will be bruises tomorrow. But she didn’t tell him to ease his hold on her. She would rather have bruises than lose a friend while taking that step between here and there. Besides, she suspected that more than her arm would be bruised by the time she completed this journey. “When I tell you, take a step forward.”

She waited, waited, let the resonance build until the rhythm felt like a chant.

“Now,” Glorianna said, and felt Yoshani move with her as they took the step between here and there.

“Heart’s hope lies within belladonna.”

“Guardian of Light, hear our prayer.”

Most of the people ran, trying to escape the destruction that was coming, but some stayed. Maybe they realized they couldn’t get far enough away to save themselves. Maybe they believed their voices would still be able to tip the scale and save the White Isle.

Merrill glanced over her shoulder and shuddered as she saw the wall of black water coming toward them. Shaela, facing the sea and watching the wave come closer with every heartbeat, didn’t falter.

“Heart’s hope lies within belladonna.”

“Lady of Light, hear—”