“I am not their puppet,” Jala objected, wishing she could put more confidence into the words.
Kali laughed again. “Not even you believe that, Puppet. You have been dancing for them since the day you were conceived and we both know it. Anthe showed you how quickly the Fionaveir saved your mother.” She leaned forward a bit in her seat and smiled sweetly. “Let me ask you, Puppet. How many slave farms do you think the Fionaveir raided in Merro? Or a better question might be, how many raped slaves do you think married Fionaveir? Then of course there is the matter of the gods. The infallible luck you possess. The healing ability you have. With the genetics you have, child, you should barely be able to bind a wound properly, and here you are repairing lost eyes. Then, of course, there is the matter of your soul bond with the Sovaesh boy.” She paused in her words, watching Jala’s expression closely. “Oh my, you thought he truly loved you didn’t you?” she asked.
Jala held her arm up before her showing the woman the Firym tattoo. “He did truly love me or I wouldn’t have this,” she snapped. Kali’s words were cutting too close to the surface. Part of her wanted to flee while the other part wanted to kill the woman, just to end the conversation.
“He truly loved you because the Aspect of love enchanted him. You know I speak the truth. Your mind is already recalling every instance when someone commented on how odd it was the Finn fell in love with you so quickly,” Kali said quietly.
“It’s said that my father defeated you in combat. Keep speaking, witch and we will see how much I truly learned from my father,” Valor warned, leveling his sword toward her chair.
Kali grinned and shivered slightly. “Oh, scary. If I were you I would pray you didn’t learn much from that bastard. He truly is obnoxious and quite full of himself,” she said with another, too chipper smile. “I speak the truth to you, Puppet, and your comrade wants to kill me for it. How odd, don’t you think, Puppet. Perhaps he is afraid I’ll speak a bit of truth about him?”
“There hasn’t been a word of truth that has poured from your mouth. You are spewing poison,” Valor snapped.
Jala shook her head and took a step back. “Finn truly loved me as much as I did him. I am not enchanted. You are lying,” she said, her voice faint.
“N, you aren’t enchanted child. You were so desperately lonely when you came to this cesspool of a city that had you not been attracted to Shade you probably would have fallen in love with poor Madren. They didn’t need to enchant you, Jala. At the first hint of offered love, you seized it willingly and fell right into their hands again.” Kali’s voice was almost gentle as she spoke and the expression on her face seemed genuinely sad.
“Do not listen to her, Jala,” Valor hissed as he pulled his helm off. He tucked it under his arm quickly and seized her arm with the marriage tattoos holding it up in front of her face. “Look at this. Look at the color of those marks. He loved you. I don’t know what she is playing at, but I knew him better than anyone.”
Jala nodded slowly, her eyes locking on her arm and then nodded again with more confidence. Raising her other hand she wiped at her eyes and looked back at Kali. “I’m not sure what you have to gain from this, but I’ve heard enough.”
“Oh, have you now, Puppet?” Kali asked. “Well it seems to me that you broke into my house and you will leave when I permit it.”
“I warn you witch,” Valor began and moved forward a step, his sword still lowered.
“Your father won a fight against me in the great outdoors where he had full access to the elements. He wasn’t fool enough to attack me in my own home where I have the advantage. If you truly want to join your friend in death, by all means proceed,” Kali cut in, her voice going as hard as stone.
Jala pressed a hand against Valor’s arm and shook her head slightly. She knew all too well from her lessons with Neph and Sovann what a mage could do to protect his home. “Say what you want, then and let us go,” she said quietly.
Kali let out a long breath and frowned. “Well, you just took all of the fun out of that,” she said with a bit of a pout to her full red lips. Waving a hand lightly she rolled her eyes and tilted her head back and forth. “Where was I …,” she murmured quietly. With another wave of her hand she motioned to Jala. “Well, bugger it then, ta ta,” she said with another sigh and darkness enveloped Jala’s vision.
*
There was a moment of vertigo and then the world snapped back into focus. Sunlight dappled down on her from a bright blue sky above. She sat in deep grass under the shade of a tree. Marrow stood and stretched beside her, his yellow eyes scanning their surroundings with a predator’s caution. Jala looked around frantically and then back to the Bendazzi.
“Where is Valor? Is Emily with us?” she gasped, still not quite sure where they were themselves.
Emily is not here. I suppose they are still with the Creator, Marrow answered, his voice sounding much calmer than she herself was at the moment.
“We have to go back for them!” Jala said, her voice rising with panic. Staggering to her feet she looked around again trying to get her bearings, and then paused as the bubbling of water drew her attention. Turning slowly she walked to the far side of the tree and gazed down at the small brook. Her eyes rose from the water to the tree above her and she studied the leaves. It was a Jimpa tree. Her eyes widened as recognition set in. Turning quickly she looked back to where the farmhouse had once stood. “I’m home,” she whispered, wondering if this was some kind of trick of Kali’s. “Is this real Marrow?” she asked quietly as she stared in wonder at the thick stand of trees in the distance.
It is, as far as I can tell. I do not think this is a mind trick or a dream, Marrow replied, pacing forward to stand beside her.