Stone of Tears

She whispered the words back to him as tears streamed down her cheeks. She had never been so afraid and so happy in all her life. She shook with the need of him. When they finished the words, they kissed. It was the most tender, loving kiss he had ever given her. Tears continued to run down her face as she pressed against him, against his lips. Her hands clutched the back of his broad shoulders, holding him to her. His arms around her made her feel safer and more loved than she had ever felt. At last, they parted.

She struggled to catch her breath. “I love you, my husband.”

“I love you, my wife, always and forever.”

She smiled. Even though she couldn’t see it in the dark, she knew he was smiling, too. “Let’s go see if we can get some proof. Let’s see if we can put a stop to the Sisters of the Dark. Let’s make the Creator proud of the Sisters of the Light, and a wizard-to-be.”

He squeezed her hand. “Promise me you won’t do anything foolish. Promise me you won’t try to do anything that might get you killed. I want to spend some time with you in bed, not the woods.”

“I need to see what they are up to. See if I can find a way to prove all this to the Prelate. But they are more powerful than I am, to say nothing of the fact that there are at least eleven of them. On top of that, if they truly are Sisters of the Dark, they have the use of Subtractive Magic. We have no defense against that.

“I don’t know how we are to get the quillion away from them. Maybe we will see something else that will help us. If we just keep our eyes open, and let the Creator guide us, maybe He will reveal what it is we can do. But I don’t want either of us taking any more of a chance than we have to. We must not be discovered.”

He nodded. “Good. That’s the way I want it too.”

“But Jedidiah, I’m a Sister of the Light. That means I have responsibilities, responsibilities to the Creator, and all his children. Though we are now husband and wife, it’s still my job to guide you. In this, we are not equals. I’m in charge, and I will only allow you to go with me if you promise to abide by that. You are not yet a full wizard. If I tell you something, you must obey. I’m still better with my Han than you are with yours.”

“I know, Margaret. One reason I wanted to be your husband is because I respect you. I wouldn’t want a weak wife. You have always guided me, and that will not change now. You’ve given me everything I have. I will follow you always.”

With a smile, she shook her head. “You are a marvel, my husband. A marvel of the best kind. You will make a remarkable wizard. Truly remarkable. I’ve never told you, because I always feared you would let the knowledge swell your head, but some of the Sisters say that they think you may prove to be the most powerful wizard in a thousand years.”

He didn’t speak, and she couldn’t see his face, but she was sure he was blushing. “Margaret, your eyes are the only ones I need to see filled with pride.”

She kissed his cheek, and then took his hand. “Let’s go see how we can put a stop to this.”

“How do you know where they went? How can we follow them? It’s dark as pitch in these woods. The trees hide the moon.”

She pinched his cheek. “A trick my mother taught me. I’ve never shown it to anyone. When I saw them leaving the palace, I cast a pool of my Han at their feet. They stepped through it. It leaves tracks of my own Han. Only I can see them. Their footprints are as bright as the sun on a pond to me, but to no other.”

“You must teach me this trick.”

“Someday, I promise. Come on.”

She led him by the hand as she followed the glow of the Sisters” footprints through the dense woods. Distant night birds called in haunting voices, owls hooted, and other creatures made low screams and clicks. The ground was uneven, tangled with roots and brush, but the glowing footprints helped her to see the way.

The damp heat made her sweat, causing her dress to cling to her wet skin. When she got home, she would shield her room and she would have a bath. A long bath. With Jedidiah. Then she would let him use his magic on her, and she would use hers on him.

They went deeper into the Hagen Woods, deeper than she had ever gone before. Vapor drifting from boggy areas carried the pervasive stench of rotting vegetation. They passed through dark gullies veiled with hanging roots and moss that brushed against her face and arms, making her flinch at the unexpected contact. The footprints led up and over sparsely wooded, rocky ridges.

At the top of one, standing in the still, damp air, she looked back, out across the somber landscape. In the far distance, she could see the flickering lights of Tanimura, and set among the lights, rising up in the silvery moonlight, the Palace of the Prophets, its dark shape blocking out the lights of the city beyond.