"Mina, what-"
"An hour," she interrupted. "The hourglass is running. You promised. If you're not back, I leave."
He gave her a warning look, but took off. He had to do what he'd come to do. The longer he took, the more she'd begin mulling on why he was here. And she was too clever to accept his thin explanation for long.
THE Full Submission angels were usually found at Araboth, the Seventh Heaven. Raphael was his first stop. Since he had duties other than that as a healer, including guarding the Tree of Life and overseeing Raquia, the Second Heaven, David knew he was fortunate to find him. He was in one of the gardens, stretched out beneath a tree heavy in bloom with blue flowers and hung with smooth white fruits that reminded David of the texture of Mina's unmarked skin. Pale with just a touch of pink, silky enough to tempt touch.
Raphael had his fingers crossed over his chest and appeared to be sleeping or meditating, his spill of golden hair spread out on the grass, glittering among the blades. At David's approach, he opened his eyes and turned his head, his dark eyes narrowing on either side of the sharp-bladed nose, the firm, unsmiling lips.
"Why, it's our young lieutenant. Since you're on your feet, I assume it's not a grievous injury." His gaze lingered on the scratches Mina had left at David's neck. David tried not to squirm as Raphael rose, passed behind him and let his fingers linger over the marks, bringing not only a touch of healing power, but laughter.
"I think you've been wrestling with a badger, Lieutenant."
Unlike the warrior class, Raphael wore a full mid-thigh tunic and rich red velvet cloak over it that brushed David's calf as he passed, bringing his unique aroma as well. Raphael's healing power was so much a part of him it emanated out, comforting the heart as well as the body. David took a deep breath of it now, not too proud to let it ease some of the tensions he'd been carrying. Raphael completed his circle around him, a clockwise motion, offering a spiraling sense of well-being.
"You never trouble me needlessly, youngling. It is something I appreciate."
"Even so, I offer an apology for disturbing you."
Raphael shrugged and returned to the tree, his back against the trunk. "It's been quiet. No battles to be fought, a rare thing these days. Only a worried Prime Legion Commander, who had me check his pregnant mermaid wife for any abnormalities. I pronounced her still pregnant." His eyes twinkled. "The only abnormality she is experiencing is a commander who, serving a Goddess, should realize that females have been managing this process quite capably since the beginning of time."
"Well, there is a history there," David pointed out.
Anna had been born under the curse of the daughters of Arianne, which took their lives before they reached their twenty-first year, soon after bearing their firstborn. Anna was twenty-one now, and it was hoped the events of the Canyon Battle would exonerate her from the curse's touch. Jonah had wanted to wait until she was twenty-two to have the child, to perhaps foil the potential of any lingering effect, but Anna hadn't, for exactly the same reason. If she died, she wanted Jonah to have someone to live for and protect.
"I know. I tease him only out of kindness. I would not chastise him for his worry and love. Or remind him that the danger to the mother is not in the pregnancy itself, but the aftermath." Raphael's eyes shadowed. "But we all hope the events of the past months have broken the curse. I suspect it is so, but the Lady sees fit that we make decisions based on love and faith. At least decisions of the heart and soul."
At David's pensive look, he raised an elegant golden brow. "So what is it you seek of me?"
"You healed Mina. After the Canyon Battle."
"Anna did most of it. I did minor things only. Neither I nor my healers can heal the wounds of a Dark One."
"She's not a Dark One."
"I meant no offense," Raphael said mildly. "We are fortunate she has enough merperson in her that I was able to restore her energy and heal her recent injuries. But old wounds... they integrate too closely with the Dark One blood she carries. You understand?"
"Yes." David cleared his throat beneath the angel's sharpened gaze. "When you try to heal someone, you told me you can feel what they feel. What their body feels." When Raphael inclined his head, he continued. "I'm trying to understand what she feels, every day, based on the injuries she has. Can you tell me that?"
"Why don't you ask her? She seems the type to talk your ear off, given the chance. Or is that chew your ear off?"
"I am charged to protect her," David persisted. "If she has physical limitations, I need to know."
"I'd heard that you'd become her sole protector. At first I assumed you'd drawn the short straw. Then I found out you volunteered. Your fixation with the witch may be unhealthy, David." Raphael's gaze gleamed, but there was a trace of seriousness there. "I may need to give you a tonic."
"That's not the question I asked," David snapped.
Silence. Gods, what was he doing? David dropped to one knee without thought, bowing his head. "My lord, my apologies. I cannot..." He squeezed his eyes shut. "It has been a difficult day. I feel an anxiety I can't seem to shake, being here. And I never feel anxious here. I never have, not from the very first."
"I know. Rise." Raphael touched his shoulder, but David remained on the one knee.
"I think I better stay this way another moment. It helps me to remember who I am."
"That may be about to change. And that may be part of it." When David lifted his head, surprised, Raphael nodded. "There you are. Tell me what causes you to speak this way to me, Lieutenant."
"I mean you no disrespect, my lord. But I gave an oath to protect her, and that's what I'll do."
"I don't think Jonah is going to hold you to it, if you-"
"I didn't make the oath to Jonah."
Raphael studied him for a long moment. "Do you truly know what you're doing?"
David gave him a tight smile. "Proceeding on love and faith, I think."
"Clever. And honest. You are ever honest, youngling."
David rose now, paced around the tree. "No one seems to think it's wise for me to protect her. And it's the first time since I've been here that-"
"You have not been in perfect accord with your angel brethren," Raphael finished. "I suspect you are quite sick of hearing this, but you are very young by our standards, David. One day, I will tell you about the first fight that Uriel had with Lucifer. What a fireworks show that was. Or how Jonah took my spear and pinned my foot to a root of the Tree of Life. A tomato plant sprouted through my foot, twined up the spear and put on several quite healthy, heavy fruits, in less than a blink. I gave him boils in return."
David started. "What?"
"Oh, no. You get no more than that." Raphael chuckled. "Some information must be earned by time and great sacrifice. Needless to say, change is a constant, Lieutenant, even in the Heavens. And positive change often comes through conflict. So, be silent and think on that, while I tell you what you need to know."
Raphael closed his eyes then. And stayed that way. David waited as the moments passed. As remarkable as the golden angel's revelations were, it was difficult to focus on that instead of the passage of time. He had one more stop after this, with the Powers. Perhaps he could hurry them along more easily than he could Raphael. One didn't prod a Seraphim, a Full Submission angel, one of the highest echelon who were in close, constant contact with the Lady's mind.
"Frequent muscle spasms, cramps and joint pain." Raphael spoke at last, and David let out a relieved breath before he could stop himself. The healer gave him an arch look, but continued. "As would be expected for such extensive injuries. It is my suspicion that the Dark One blood hampers the healing on the wounds that should have occurred years ago. Phantom pain from the missing fingers and flesh on the one side of her torso still exists. She's susceptible to painful external skin infections, as well as mouth ulcers, the result of deep cuts from a shell, I think. She's an able apothecary. She treats herself.
"She carries the physical problems
equally between merperson and human forms, though the damage relocates accordingly. Shifting is probably quite painful for her, but from what I could tell when treating her, she is excellent at mastering her reaction to pain, at astoundingly high levels. There would be little visible evidence of her disfigurement in the dragon form," he added, "for the damage would be beneath the scales, with the exception of the three talons she has on the one front leg."
He leaned back against the tree. "The joint pain is the effect not only of those injuries, but of environment. I think she chooses the colder water, using the pain and discomfort for some purpose of her own. All in all, she'd do far better in a warm, dry climate, and there's no reason she couldn't live in one."
At David's questioning look, Raphael nodded. "She's not dependent on her merperson form the way Jonah's mate is. Mina is a true shapeshifter. She can assume any of her shapes-human, Dark One, dragon or mercreature-and maintain them as long as she wishes. There's no apparent effort to it for her."
"So she has no primary form?"
"Not as I can tell. It's intriguing and unusual, to say the least. Of course, she doesn't leave her Dark One blood behind, no matter her form." He gave David a level look. "So her true face may be that of a Dark One. The other forms just give her a foothold in our world. As you know, Dark Ones can't live here. They can fight and reconnoiter, but after a certain amount of time, they must go back into the rifts to their own world. Even though she's never lived in a Dark One world, as far as we know, that craving is strong in her. But the desire is precariously balanced by other parts of her."
"When I first met her," David ventured, "I was able to heal one of her older scars, but she wouldn't let me do anything else for her. If it's beyond your skill, if angels can't heal old scars that are integrated with Dark One blood, how did I do that?"
Raphael's brows drew together. Another long silence, such that David almost regretted asking. Then the angel spoke.
"That is incredibly interesting, and unfortunately, I have no sure answer. There have been cases, when there was an unusual bond between beings, where equally unusual healings occurred." Raphael stared into space thoughtfully. "She is an anomaly, a creature created out of many different creatures. A Frankenstein's monster, if you will."
He gave a faint smile. "One of my favorite books inspired by our Muses. Imagine that monster, implanted with a murderer's heart and a wise man's brain, while the soul remains a question mark between the two. All I know for certain is that she is an enigma, David. That is what I can tell you."
David nodded. Executed a short bow. "I don't wish to leave in haste, but I promised Jonah I would be back shortly, and I must visit Zebul as well. Thank you for your time, my lord. I am grateful, as always."
"Lieutenant?" Raphael held him with a hand on his shoulder, but instead of comfort, this time the touch and his dark eyes held a piercing warning. "Her way is not set. Walking inside her soul was like walking the abandoned, fallow fields of Hell, where battles have been fought over and over. There is only carnage, and no clear winner. Be cautious."
Twelve
NEXT stop.
Every soul had a Memory Keeper, who cataloged and maintained all the memories of that soul and archived them, for recall later when the soul reincarnated, or reached the final resting place as an enlightened being. Memory Keepers were typically Powers. When he made his inquiry at the Hall of Souls, David was surprised to find that Pericles was Mina's Memory Keeper.
Pericles consistently served as a Memory Keeper for souls that might have a significant impact on whatever world they inhabited. Considering Mina was the only Dark Spawn known who hadn't surrendered to the blood within her, it made some sense.
He found Pericles in Zebul, the Sixth Heaven, immersed in discussion with several Thrones about the wisdom of having ever given Michelangelo a brush. The Sixth Heaven was dedicated to study, and he was sure the text Jonah was reading had been borrowed from here. The iridescent, cylindrical Thrones hovered in the mist of a fountain, their many eyes turning toward David as he approached. Pericles sat on the fountain wall, wearing a long, sleeveless robe and sandals, making David feel he'd stepped through a time portal. But then, Pericles had been born during the time of the ancient Greeks.
"May I have a moment of your time, Memory Keeper?" David bowed, giving indication of the nature of his business with the title. Pericles glanced toward David from under a thick fall of raven black hair held off his forehead with a simple gold circlet.
While the Thrones drifted away, David felt their warm touch in his mind, though they did not speak. He returned it, offering a simple blessing and thanks for their well-being and courtesy.
As he explained what he wanted, Pericles's wings, a pale blue with silver tips, gleamed as he adjusted them. He lifted, stretched, and then folded them over his back, giving the same impression as a parent folding his arms to reinforce the cool, probing stare he leveled upon David.
"I understand the request. But a Memory Keeper does not typically spill the memories of one of his souls into the mind of an infant lieutenant."
David bit back his impatience. He suspected attorney-client privilege might have been divinely inspired.
"I'm charged to protect her, and think if I know more of her background... experience her worst memory directly, I'll be able to better anticipate her. She's not easy to guard."
"My understanding is that's an understatement," the Memory Keeper said dryly. "You comprehend what her worst memory is?"
"I do."
"Your intent is pure," Pericles said at last. "If ill-advised. Very well, then. Sit here, on the wall a few feet away from me."
David complied, watching as Pericles rummaged in his robes, reminding him of Mina, and came forth with a small fabric pouch. Loosening the strings, he reached in and withdrew one seed. Where a moment before there had been nothing on the fountain wall between them, now there was an elegant clay cup. Picking up an urn that appeared next to it, Pericles poured. The dark liquid, with an aroma reminiscent of green tea, churned into the cup, becoming moist earth that covered the seed. Kicking off his sandals, the Memory Keeper curled his toes in the green grass around the fountain, leaning back on his arms in a waiting posture. On his leanly muscled arms were tattoos of ancient script, praises to the Artemis form of the Goddess.
"You know, many up here think you are simply young and foolish. That you will realize the best thing in the end is to kill the witch."
David studied the earth in the cup, which appeared to be sifting itself. "Jonah isn't hampered by inexperience, and he hasn't come to that conclusion yet. But since everyone feels the need to remind me of my youth, maybe I should have 'young and foolish' tattooed across my chest."
"Hmm." Pericles pursed his lips. "Wasn't there a dwarf in that Disney movie? Dopey? That one word covered it, and will save you extra lettering."
David snorted. "That it will. I thank you for your suggestion."
"I am sure." Pericles gave him a smile and glanced down at the cup as well. "The memories I carry can be amusing. Unfortunately, this is not one of them. This is not done lightly, Lieutenant. While all memories are scripted, once I've given you a memory, it will fade from my mind. But I will not miss this particular one."
"I'm sworn to protect her, no matter what type of protection she needs."
"Somehow, I believe your interpretation of her protection is a bit beyond the scope of what Jonah envisioned."
"Yet you've never spoken in favor of her death." David recalled the meeting several months before, when all those involved with the seawitch had been called together for discussion. "You said you preferred less biased minds to make the decision."
"That is because I honestly do not know what is the best course for the witch."
The earth tumbled in the cup and a stem poked through. As David watched, it extended and spread, took on needles. The bonsai grew swiftly, taking the shape of a small dragon, with one small, spherical white fruit where the eye might have been. r />
Pericles plucked it, extended it to David. "The memory is in the fruit. You need to anchor yourself. Stay aware of who you are. That's very important. A mind is often disoriented after experiencing a strong memory not its own. It can permanently change you."
David thought of Raphael's words. "If I feared change, Pericles, it would do me little good, for it is the only inevitable thing in the universe. A promise."
"And a curse," the Power observed dourly. "I will watch over you." He motioned downward and David, respecting his wisdom, slid to the ground, using the fountain wall as a brace to his back. He brought the fruit to his lips.
"You do not hesitate," Pericles observed. "Definitely a sign of foolishness. Most would meditate a bit before experiencing a memory this strong."
"I don't have that kind of time. Is it entirely necessary?"
"No, but it will be far more unpleasant. You will have more difficulty remembering you are in her memory, not your own reality."
HE didn't remember the taste, or even the texture. In the time it took to take the bite, all that was swept away.
Like most, he'd heard a secondhand account of what had happened to Mina when she was nine, but there was a vast difference between knowing what had happened and experiencing it. As the memory thrust into his mind like the growth of the bonsai, the heavy silence of the water closed in.
His arms were bound. No. A child's were. A nine-year-old child. For a blink, a sliver of his mind struggled to remain separate, clinging to the fading words of a distant Power. But as the emotions flooded him, the first wave of what he was about to see and feel her endure, David knew he couldn't do it. He let the memory rip away who he was, so that he became his seawitch.
Chain pulled her arms back at an excruciating angle. Her wrists were bound tightly to her tentacles with pronged restraints that sunk into her serpentine appendages so the cuffs would not slip. If they dropped her, she would sink and roll like an unbalanced jellyfish, her vulnerable stomach ripped open by contact with the coral reefs of the Abyss, and predators would close in to feed on the tender young flesh.