The Dove (Prophecy Series) (8 page)

“Can we go now?” Tyhen asked.

“Yes. I just need to deliver a message to Singing Bird on the way out.”

She followed him to the kitchen, then out through the back door. “How do you know where she is?”

“The twins told me.”

“Is anything wrong?” she asked.

“No. Nothing is wrong. They wanted to let her know that some of the New Ones who had moved away a few years ago have come back for the festival.”

He stopped to pull a strand of hair out of her eyelashes then smoothed it down into place. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t done before, but to Tyhen, it felt different. He was so close she could see the bead of sweat rolling out of his hairline. The urge to touch him was so strong she physically shuddered and looked away.

Unaware of her thoughts, Yuma held her hand as they walked through the garden, satisfied just to be with her.

“There she is,” Tyhen said, pointing toward the clearing where they grew squash and corn.

Singing Bird heard them, looked up, and waved, then picked up the basket of vegetables she’d just gathered and started back to the palace. Yuma ran to meet her, relieving her of her burden as they walked back together to Tyhen.

Singing Bird took one look at her daughter’s clothing and frowned.

“That is not suitable for the festival.”

“I go to play ball,” Tyhen said.

“You are the daughter of the chief. You should not—”

Tyhen lifted her head; her eyes suddenly blurred with unshed tears.

“No, Mother, I am the Windwalker’s daughter and this will be my last festival. Allow me to pretend one more time that my life is still my own.”

Singing Bird reeled as if she’d been slapped. Her chin quivered as she struggled not to cry, then she gave up and threw her arms around her daughter, too stunned to let go.

Tyhen was shaking from the sudden burst of emotion as she wrapped her arms around her mother’s neck and rested her chin on the top of Singing Bird’s head. It was strange to be a child so tall with a mother so small.

Singing Bird felt Tyhen’s sorrow and looked up, then frowned and wiped the tears from her daughter’s cheeks.

“I am sorry. I did not plan this, or ever dream your life would be this way.”

Tyhen sighed. “It’s not your fault. It is my destiny. I’m sorry I acted so childishly.”

Singing Bird shook her head and then gave Tyhen a gentle push. “Go and play. Run with the wind.”

Tyhen smiled. “Yes, I can do that.”

Yuma’s heart was sad for both mother and daughter, but like Tyhen, his path had been chosen for him as well. He’d just had a longer time to get used to it, and he remembered he still hadn’t delivered his message to Singing Bird.

“Adam and Evan sent me to tell you that Betty Tiger is at the festival. You will find her at her parents’ home.”

Singing Bird’s heart was breaking. She had not expected Tyhen’s journey to begin so soon, but she would not let her know how she felt. Having the excuse of old friends to see was perfect timing.

“This is wonderful news, but I have dirt on my clothing and have to change.” She took the basket from Yuma’s hands. “Go enjoy your time, daughter. I will see you later.” Then she hurried away.

“She’s sad,” Yuma said.

Tyhen shrugged. “So am I.”

Yuma frowned. “What can I do to make this better?”

“Take me down to the city.”

****

Whack!

The impact of the handmade baseball against the bat was music to Tyhen’s ears. It was the pitch she had been waiting for and the ball sailed over the pitcher’s head in a perfect arc. She was already running past first and heading to second when the ball began to descend. She was on her way to third base when the boy in the field dropped the ball.

At that point, her legs were stretched out in a long, rapid stride. Her hair was flying out behind her, her arms churning against her side as her bare feet kicked up dust with every step.

“Run, whirlwind, run!” Yuma yelled, laughing and cheering with the rest of her team as she rounded third and headed for home.

The fielder was scrambling to get a grip on the ball. His throw was strong, but Tyhen’s legs were long. She was almost home before the ball left his hand.

She caught sight of the ball from the corner of her eye as it sailed past the pitcher. She threw herself into a slide. The shift she was wearing rode up her legs as she slid into home in a cloud of dust.

“Safe!” the umpire called.

Tyhen was grinning as she got up dusting off her backside. She looked around for Yuma and saw him laughing and cheering just before her teammates came rushing to congratulate her. Her home run had won the game.

“Tyhen! Tyhen!” they shouted while laughing and clapping her on the back.

The sun was in her eyes and she could taste blood where she’d bitten her lip as she slid home, but this was a feeling she would never forget. Someone thrust a cup of juice in her hand. She drank it thirstily then handed it back for another.

The players began gathering up their belongings, making way for yet another pair of teams to compete. They could have stayed to watch, but Tyhen was hungry and Yuma was waiting.

One of her teammates patted her on the back, still smiling from the victory. “You are so fast! You have to promise be on our team every festival,” she said.

And just like that, the joy was over. Tyhen managed to keep the smile on her face as she nodded in agreement, but that was never going to happen. When Yuma came up behind her and slipped a hand around her waist, she leaned against him.

“I’ll bet you’re tired and I know you’re hungry,” he said. “Let’s go find something to eat.”

Even though she felt hollow inside, she kept a smile on her face as she nodded in agreement.

“That hit was amazing!” Yuma said.

“It made a loud noise,” she said.

“Sounded like a gunshot,” Yuma said, then caught himself. She might not remember what that meant, but when she didn’t comment, he realized where her thoughts had gone and knew there was nothing he could say to make it better.

****

Singing Bird visited with the friends she’d invited to the palace and ate the food she served them without giving herself away. She hid her sorrow as they left and continued to keep it within her all through the evening, until the sun was gone.

She was standing at the window, staring up at the moon, when emotion finally overwhelmed her. She dropped to her knees and began to sob. It was a full-circle moment. She’d lost Niyol in the Arizona canyons, and now she was losing his daughter as well. This wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair. She’d sacrificed herself to change Cayetano’s fate and fallen in love with the spirit he became. Now she was losing the child she’d made with the Windwalker, and it was like losing him all over again. How many times could a heart break before it quit beating?

Cayetano heard her crying before he opened the door, and the sound lent speed to his steps. He raced into their quarters, slamming the door behind him as he scooped her up in his arms.

“My love! My heart! What has happened to make you so sad?”

She just shook her head and covered her face as he carried her to their bed. His voice was gruff, betraying his building anger and concern.

“Has someone harmed you? Did they insult you? I will find them and break their neck.”

“No, no, nothing like that,” she said and began wiping her face, trying to get her emotions under control. The last thing they needed was for Cayetano to go on a rampage. “Tyhen told me this will be her last festival. She will be gone from Naaki Chava within the year and we will never see her again.”

Cayetano closed his eyes against the pain. This was his fault, his penance, his price to pay. The woman he loved more than life had not only sacrificed herself to save his soul and their people, but now she was sacrificing her only child to the quest as well.

“I am sorry.”

Singing Bird heard the devastation in his voice, quickly wiped away her tears, and put her arms around his neck.

“No, it is not your doing any more than mine. It is what it is, and that is all. I’m just sad, but this happens to many parents. Children pick their partner and walk away to a new life. It is how life is meant to be lived. I have you, my love, I have you, and it will always be enough.”

Her sorrow had shredded his soul. He loved her so much it hurt to draw breath. “You are my heart. If you cry, it does not beat.”

She stood up, unwrapped her shift, letting it fall to the floor at her feet.

Cayetano dropped his own clothing and laid her down on their bed. He was already erect and aching as he slid into the warmth between her legs. No matter how many times he made love to his woman, it always felt like their first time, back when they were young and their blood was hot, back when it was magic.

****

Tyhen was dreaming. She knew it was a dream because although the wind was blowing, she could not feel it on her face. Her throat hurt and there was blood all over her fingers, but she couldn’t remember why. She heard people crying and screaming and before she could figure out what had happened, Acat was leaning over her and shaking her shoulder and Yuma was running into the room.

He dropped to his knees beside her bed and laid his hand on her forehead, feeling for a fever.

Tyhen pushed his hand away and frowned at Acat. “What’s the matter with you two?”

“You screamed,” Acat said.

“Like you were being murdered,” Yuma added.

At that point, Cayetano came running with two of his guards behind him. “What happened?” he yelled.

Tyhen sighed. “I am sorry. I am sorry. It was a dream.”

Singing Bird slipped into the room and quickly sent the guards away and sent Acat to the kitchen for a sleeping potion for Tyhen. Once they were alone, she closed the door and turned to face her daughter.

“It has begun,” she said.

Tyhen frowned. “What has begun?”

“You are not dreaming. You are having visions of what will be,” Singing Bird said.

Tyhen sat up. Her voice was shaking, her eyes wide with shock. “The other night I dreamed a mountain exploded and fire ran like water from its mouth. That cannot be.”

“A volcano,” Yuma said.

Singing Bird nodded.

Tyhen covered her face. “You mean that thing is real?”

“I have seen such a thing,” Cayetano said as he smoothed the hair from her face. “But it was a long time ago when I was a child, before we came here to Naaki Chava. Many people died.”

Tyhen shuddered.

“What did you see tonight?” Yuma asked.

“My throat was hurting and there was blood all over my hands. People were standing all around me. Some were crying and some were praying.”

Singing Bird frowned. “Were you hurt?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. I woke up.”

Singing Bird frowned at Yuma.

“I will never be far away,” he said softly.

Singing Bird’s shoulders sagged. At that moment she felt helpless and old. When Acat came back with the sleeping drink, instead of giving it to Tyhen, Singing Bird drank it herself, then excused herself and left.

Tyhen felt broken, helpless to recreate the safety of home.

Yuma saw the pain and fear on her face and couldn’t walk away.

“I will stay with you,” he said.

Acat lay down on her sleeping mat and turned her face to the wall.

“Lie down, little whirlwind,” he said softly.

“I won’t sleep,” Tyhen said as she crawled back onto her bed and rolled over on her side.

“Then neither will I,” he said and got into the bed behind her, put his arm over her body, and pulled her close.

Shocked by the intimacy, Tyhen was trembling so hard she could barely breathe, but when he didn’t move again, she began to relax. She never felt the skip her heart took as it shifted into the rhythm of Yuma’s pulse. All she felt was the wash of comfort roll through her as she closed her eyes.

The last day of the festival was bittersweet for Singing Bird. All of her old friends who’d made the trek to Naaki Chava were packing up to go home, making farewells difficult to face.

Singing Bird sent several packets of new books she’d made down to them and had already said her good-byes. She was putting up a brave front, but her heart was breaking. All too soon she would be waving good-bye to Yuma and Tyhen, too. She didn’t know if the twins were going to go with them, but if all four of her children left at once, she would be lost.

Cayetano was in the throne room settling a dispute that had arisen between three families during the festival. It was too soon for Singing Bird to resume her classes, so she started toward the kitchen. Even though she was the chief’s woman, everyone worked and today she needed to stay busy.

The door to Tyhen’s room was open as she passed. Thinking she might be inside, she stopped and went back, but it was empty. Then she remembered she’d seen her leaving with Yuma and the twins. She started to leave, then stopped and gave the layout of the room a second look.

Tyhen slept in a bed that was not on the floor like the beds the New Ones slept in, while Acat preferred the woven sleeping mats from the old ways. But it was the sight of Acat’s bed that had Singing Bird thinking. Originally she had stayed as a nursemaid and a servant, but Tyhen didn’t need that any longer. Truthfully, the only person Tyhen needed now was Yuma.

Singing Bird knew and accepted sex as a natural way of life, and since she was looking for a job to keep her busy, she decided this was it. It was time to give Tyhen a room of her own.

The first thing she did was roll up Acat’s sleeping mat and then left with it under her arm. She and Acat came back a few minutes later with more bedding and another small shelf and table. After moving the bed from one side of the room to the other, she stood back to look.

“Acat! Bring new candles and torches and send one of the girls with a pitcher of fresh water, and two cups for the table.”

Acat giggled. “You make a place for Tyhen and Yuma.”

Singing Bird shrugged. “It is time.”