Temple of the Winds

The whole reason the Sisters of the Light took boys born with the gift was to save their lives. Unless schooled, the gift could kill him. The headaches were a manifestation of the fatal nature of the gift going awry. Besides providing the Sisters with control over the young wizards, the most important function of the collar was its magic, which protected the life of the boy until he could learn to control his gift.

Because of all that had happened, Verna had taken Warren's collar off long before it was customary.

"But, Warren, you've studied a long lime. You know how to control your gift. You shouldn't need the Rada'Han for protection any longer."

"If I was an ordinary wizard, that may be true, but my gift is for prophecy. Nathan was the only prophet at the palace in centuries. We don't know how the magic works in a prophet. I only recently had my first prophecy. It signifies a new level of my ability. Now, I'm having the headaches."

Verna was suddenly in a panic. Her eyes were tearing. She threw her arms around him.

"Warren, I'll stay. I won't go. I'll help you. We'll do something. Maybe we could take a collar off one of the boys and you could share it. That might work. We'll try that first."

His arms pulled her tight. "That won't work, Verna."

A sudden thought flashed into her mind, making her gasp with relief. It was so simple.

"Warren, it's all right. It is. I just realized what we can do. Listen to me." "Verna, I know what-"

She shushed him. She held him by the shoulders and looked into his blue eyes. She brushed back his wavy blond hair. "Warren, listen. It's simple. The reason the Sisters were founded was to help boys born with the gift. We were given Rada'Han to protect them while we teach them to control their gift." "Verna, I know all that, but-"

"Listen. We have the collars to help them because we don't have wizards who can do what is needed. In the past, greedy wizards refused to help those born with the gift. An experienced wizard can join with your mind and pass on the protection- show you how to put the gift right. It's simple for a wizard to do, but not a sorceress. We need only to visit a wizard."

Verna pried the journey book from her belt and held it before his eyes. "We have a wizard-Zedd. All we have to do is talk to Ann, and have her and Zedd meet us. Zedd can help you, and then you'll be all right." Warren stared into her eyes. "Verna. it won't work." "Don't say that. You don't know. You don't know. Warren." "Yes I do. I have had another prophecy." Verna sat back on her heels. "You have? What was it?" Warren pressed his fingertips to his temples. She could see that he was in pain. She knew that the pain of the headaches from the gift were excruciating. In the end, if not corrected, they were fatal.

"Verna, now you listen to me for a change. I have had a prophecy. The words aren't important. The meaning is." He; took his hands away from his head and looked her in the eye. In that moment, he looked very old to her. "You must do what you plan, and go after the Sisters. The prophecy didn't say whether you will succeed, but I must go with you. If I do anything else, I will die. It's a forked prophecy-an 'either-or' prophecy."

She cleared her throat. "But. . surely, there must be something. ." "No. If I stay, or if I try to go to Zedd, I will die. The prophecy doesn't say that if I go with you I will live, but it does say that going with you is my only chance. End of discussion. If you make me stay, I will die. If you try to take me to Zedd, I will die. If you want me to have a chance to live, then you must take me with you. Choose, Prelate."

Verna swallowed. As a Sister of the Light, a sorceress, she could tell by the distinctive murky cast to his eyes that he was in the pain of a headache from the gift. She also knew that Warren would not lie to her about a prophecy. He might pull some trick to go with her, but he would not lie about a prophecy. He was a prophet. Prophecy was his life. Maybe his death. She took his hand up in hers. "Get some supplies together. Get two horses. I have to go tell Adie something, and then I must talk to my advisors, let them know what to do while we're gone."

Verna kissed his hand. "I won't let you die. Warren. I love you too much. We'll do this together. I'm not sleepy. Let's not wait till morning. We can be on our way in an hour." Warren drew her to him in a thankful embrace.

CHAPTER 24

From the solace of the shadows, he watched as the middle-aged man closed the door and stood in the dim hall a moment to tuck in his shirt over his potbelly. The man chortled to himself and then thumped off down the hall to disappear as he descended the stairs.