Jean Lorrah - Empress Unborn

A moan escaped her as the agony cut like a knife. “My baby!” she gasped. “Lenardo’s child-oh-don’t let me lose her!”

Gratefully, Julia Read the letter from Wulfston with Aradia, sharing her disappointment at how old the news was, and that it contained no information as to Lenardo’s whereabouts. If she could get her hands on it, though…

Before she could suggest it, pain stabbed Aradia. Julia gasped, but refused to break the rapport. Aradia stopped Reading as she attempted to invoke Adept healing, and Julia stopped feeling her pain.

She shifted her Reading to join Master Clement’s mind. He tried to reassure her even as he focused on Aradia. Still Reading, Julia left her room and ran to the study. Her stepmother gasped in pain despite all the Readers could do. The double focus on the scene in the study and her own movement was no longer strange to Julia; she neither lost contact nor stumbled.

She burst in just as Pyrrhus was saying, “Tell me what’s wrong with her! Damn you, Clement-you know I can’t use this new healing power unless you tell me where to focus!”

Julia caught Decius’ shock at the way Pyrrhus dared address the Master of Masters, and the young Reader’s own unsuccessful attempt to ease Aradia’s pain.

The four men had laid Aradia on one of the lounges, and were gathered around her, perplexed.

“Direct healing heat into this area,” Master Clement said to Pyrrhus. Then, “Aradia, the baby is unharmed, and the pain is not a contraction. You are not miscarrying! Do you hear me?’

Sweating, teeth clenched, Aradia managed to nod. She struggled to breathe.

“It’s a muscle spasm,” said Master Clement, “below your diaphragm. It’s pressing on a nerve, causing the pain. Can you Read with me?”

Julia felt Aradia try to open to Reading, but she could not sustain it. All her life’s training made her instinctively brace her Adept powers against pain. Feeling helpless, Julia knelt beside Aradia and took her hand.

“We’ll ease the spasm,” said Master Clement, Reading for Decius exactly where it was. To Pyrrhus he gave the name of the muscle that had contracted and refused to release. Julia watched and Read as the two concentrated. Healing warmth focused in the recalcitrant muscle until, finally, it relaxed, and Aradia began to breathe normally again.

Trembling, Aradia looked up at Master Clement. “Thank you. But what caused that? It’s not normal.”

“Aradia,” said Master Clement, “it was painful, but it did no lasting harm. Any Reader my age has consulted on enough pregnancies to know that each is unique. There is no such thing as a ‘normal’

pregnancy in every detail.”

“I couldn’t control the pain!” Aradia said fearfully.

“It’s all right,” Julia tried to reassure her. “You’ll get all your powers back after the baby is born.”

“My mother didn’t,” Aradia said grimly, and Julia felt a shock. It was the first time Aradia had ever mentioned her mother.

“Your mother did not have both Adepts and Readers to help her through her pregnancy, and her recovery afterward,” said Master Clement. “Worry won’t help you or your child. I will contact Lilith. You need her here now, and we may have need of her powers. “

“The border-” Aradia protested.

“Lilith’s people are completely loyal, and she reports that her son Ivorn is making rapid progress. She has an excellent system of Readers and Adepts to protect her lands in her absence. Aradia, none of the attacks against Lilith’s border have succeeded-you’ve heard the reports. It is just possible that they are intended to keep her from coming here.”

“Divide and conquer,” suggested Pyrrhus.

Aradia tried to sit up, but Julia put her hands on her shoulders. “Stay there and rest.”

“Not when I’m being attacked!”

“No one said you were being attacked,” said Julia. “Did you Read something?” She looked up to include Master Clement in the question.

“No, Aradia,” said Master Clement. “I did not mean to imply that your pain came from Adept attack.

However, your pregnancy is no secret. Neither is the absence of Lenardo and Wulfston. Torio and Melissa have been gone for some time. We are vulnerable; we must prepare for attack.”

“Better,” said Aradia grimly, “to be prepared and not be attacked, than to be attacked when unprepared.

I will-”

“You will sleep now,” said Master Clement.

“Sleep! There’s no time-”

“Aradia!” Master Clement said in warning tones. “You must rest. Put yourself into healing sleep, or Pyrrhus will do it for you.”

“Pyrrhus? He’s only-”

“My Adept powers are stronger than yours at this moment,” Pyrrhus interrupted her. “Do you wish to put it to the test?” he challenged. “This time I will win.”

Julia saw the struggle in Aradia’s eyes, but then she said, “Very well. But first-”

“First you rest,” said Master Clement. “Decius will stay with you until Master Selina and Vestor arrive.

From now on you will be attended by both a Reader and an Adept healer at all times, Aradia, until your daughter is safely born.”

“That’s not necessary,” Aradia said.

“Humor me,” replied the Master of Masters. “Remember, when Lenardo returns, I will have to answer to him for your safety and that of his child.”

He knew the one argument that would always persuade Aradia. Or me , Julia admitted to herself.

But she was greatly concerned about Aradia. Her nightmares still occurred, although since Master Clement was trying to help her it was not every night. But she still woke screaming, with the conviction that her child was stealing her powers and trying to kill her.

Aradia’s mother went mad and tried to murder her own child.

Julia forced the thought away. It was easy enough to do in daytime, with Master Clement nearby. But at night, as she Read Devasin soothing Aradia back to sleep after one of her dreams, Julia could not help wondering if Aradia would also go mad. What if Lenardo returned to find his wife powerless and crazed?

And the child she carried-if Aradia had inherited her mother’s madness, would her daughter also inherit it?

Born of Lenardo’s own blood, that child would displace his adopted daughter as heir to the empire they had all worked so hard to create. That Julia had fought and nearly died for.

Aradia lapsed into healing sleep. Decius sat down on the other lounge, to wait for his replacements. Julia went to the desk for Wulfston’s letter, and Master Clement started for the door.

“One moment, Master Reader,” said Pyrrhus. “Don’t forget to take him with you. ‘ He gestured at Wicket, who stared back at him in confusion.

“Why?” asked Master Clement.

“Take him to the Academy and assign him some tutors. Train him as fast as you can. 7 want him to Read for me .”

Master Clement looked from Pyrrhus’ determined face to Wicket’s, which evolved from bewilderment to pleased anticipation. “Oh, yes!” he said. “We’ve always made a good team, Pyrrhus an’ me. If he wants me to Read for him, I’ll learn-I promise! I’ll be the best pupil you’ve ever had!”

To her intense disappointment, Julia got nothing from Wulfston’s letter to tell her where Sukuru might have taken Lenardo. She did learn, as she held it and Read the impressions of her uncle’s feelings as he wrote it, that what he had described as an “Adept conflict” had been an all-out battle, in which he had come out the loser.

Wulfston must have relived the battle in his mind as he decided how to phrase the description for his sister, for Julia found the memory sharp and clear as she clutched the worn paper. In the midst of the battle Julia realized, as Wulfston must have, that his opponents could as easily have sunk his ship as disabled it. They didn’t want to kill him. But they didn’t want him to rescue Lenardo without going all the way to Africa.