"How much farther, cat?"
"Not much. Harry is waiting."
"Are you sure this is going to work?"
"Yes. We have been over this a dozen times already. It is
the only way to remove it. Not even your mother can get near
the stuff."
"Do you think that they knew the damn shit could kill a
god?"
"I don't think so. I think that they just wanted to kill the
traitor."
"I just wish the shakes would Oh god, it hurts "
"Shh, Raven. It will all be over soon."
I hope that this will do it. Naya and Halea tracked down the
only cure for this damn poison. Whoo, I think that was the worst
yet. I am still worried, and still don't know how they got past us
anyway.
This whole end of the mess started the first day of spring,
little more than three months after Chris was hurt. The dragons
had declared peace between the two realms and were going to
sign the final treaty. Lucian was to be there as a witness. We
didn't know that someone had decided that he would die for his
part in making it happen. We never found the leak as to how they
knew he had turned shortly after the war had started.
The treaty was in the process of the ceremonial signing when
she got a flash. She dove as the dart hit her in the shoulder. No
one saw the assailants and the spell was gone. Naya confirmed
the magic had self destructed, leaving no trail.
At first, we didn't know what was happening. She didn't get
sick till three days later. That was when we found out it was
Black Yural Lotus. I had never heard of it. If Eric and Casey had
not stopped by, we most likely would have lost her. The lotus
grew in the other dimension, an incurable poison that only killed
when there was too little to saturate the blood stream.
We tried every bit of magic that was possible. We found out
later that the damn stuff is immune to magic. The part that really
mad it fun was when we took her to her father. Somehow
Guardian knew that it could kill gods, stopping him before he
took a sample. At least it kept certain beings, like Charley, away.
When it was found that a cure could be obtained but that it
would take time she told them no. So, she started the regimen of
taking the poison to survive. Her reason was simple- that the
family needed her and she was not going to be gone while Chris
was out of the picture. She was strong for them.
It was only at night when she was alone that I saw the other
side of it. At the office or with the family she was the same Raven
they all knew. When we were alone is when all the masks
dropped. She had set aside from ten pm to four am as her time
alone with Chris. The family agreed that she was not to be
disturbed during that time for any reason.
In those hours she would go through a process every night.
First she would sit talking to him that would start her crying or
getting angry. That took over an hour. By then though the last of
the poison would be working its way out of her system, which
brought the convulsions and withdrawal. She couldn't feed
during that time because it made the poison worse on her system.
So, each night she would endure something that was close to the
blood hunger. By two am, she was usually begging to die. That
was when I would give her the injection and place her in the
chair. She usually lost consciousness, but sometimes she was
delirious during those two hours. Her body tried so desperately to
purge the poison. That happened about once a week, on either
Friday or Saturday nights. Those nights it would take more time
or she would sleep long afterwards totally exhausted, mind, body
and soul. She would wake after the treatment, take her shower
and feed. She never lost a day at work. Never lost her temper
with the family. I rarely was able to read her deep thoughts during
that time though. When I tried she would look at me and then
politely shut me out. I realized she was afraid that if I was let in
that she would broadcast to me the constant physical pain she
was in. I am still not sure myself if this will work.
"Salem, it's happening again ."
"Shh. Breathe. It will pass soon enough."
"I can't. No more. He is nearly well Please make it
stop Please....."
"Raven, I want you to listen to me. He is alive and moving
again. The emptiness is no longer there and you can feel him
again "
"I can't... the pain.... make it stop...."
"You have to do this. They need you and he needs you. It
will be over soon."
I hope that Naya gets here soon with the rest of the herbs.
Even she can't take much more of this. She will have to be so
close when we do this or the poison will just go dormant. I have
mixed the other herbs that are in the compound. I am going to
have to drug her. This will not be good. If I don't, she is going to
try for the airlock again and I won't be able to catch her without
Jade. What is taking the two of them so long. Jade and Gideon
left hours ago to get the sand.
"Thomas, I need you to wake up. I know that I promised you
would get a couple of hours, but I can't fight her and prepare the
spells."
"I need to feed then first or I will be no use to you."
"Harper, give him the bottle."
"I have it. She will smell it soon."
"Oh, that was close. Whoo, thanks, kid. Never thought I
would love your spit ball."
"Need.... To FEED!!!!"
"Have you got her?"
"Yeah."
"Stop now sit down. I have her."
"By the way, Salem, that was a fast ball."
There they are. Do you have all the ingredients? Okay now,
inventory time... ahh, screw it. If we aren't ready now we won't
ever be.
"Salem, you will need to do a marionette spell. Sorry,
mother."
"Cover her thoroughly with the ointment. If any part of her
is not covered, then this will kill her."
"Oh, hell, this stinks! Dear god! Naya, what's in this??"
"Jade, honestly, you don't really want to know.."
"Okay, kids, synchronize your watches. Jorden just sent the
twenty four hour mark. Lets do this.
"Naya, she is covered. The marionette spell is holding. Get
the thing ready."
"Salem, wake up! Something is happening!"
"Can't breathe... hold on a minute, Jade. I need to separate
myself from her.
"I blacked out when we closed the casket, didn't I?
The plan was to place Chris, who was in the final stage of his
healing process, in a Grimp stasis field. What we ended up doing
was place him in hibernation. To be more truthful, Guardian and
her father did. Apparantly, his body had been changed some, so
that the tank would be useful. He needed to be changed back.
Guardian was the one to do this, for some reason.
We knew it would take at least nine days to purge the poison.
We set our time table for twelve. Chris knew that he needed to go
into hibernation to finish the healing process. He was for the most
part ready, but he wanted to get back to work. So, we engineered
Raven taking a two week vacation to cover her absence, and they
would return to work together. Two hours after he was safely
snuggled in bed, she got up and we left.
It was going to be a team effort. Thomas was to keep her from
getting too frisky as the withdrawal deepened. Jade was on pilot
duty. Naya was gathering what was needed for the cure. I was to
assist in all three areas. Harry was available for stage two.
The cure consisted of several sections. First was a rather foul
herbal concoction that would protect her from frying like an egg
during stage two. That was when a mixture of rare earths and
other components would be mixed into a concrete like substance.
She was to be covered in the slurry. The part that worried all of
us was that the stuff needed to be fired in the heat of the sun. The
heat of the sun's corona, to be specific. That would draw the
poison out of her and into the clay.
I never realized that Raven is badly claustrophobic at times.
When we placed her in the slurry she blacked out from fear. I
must have too from the link. We all needed to rest though, and
now that the stone is cold, we will bring it aboard.
Through the link we have I felt her die. I know that as long as
we get home in time she will chrysalis, but it still doesn't make
me feel any better. This will be the second time she has done this
in the last decade. They are bringing in the stone. I am afraid to
see what we will find.
Her body is limp and lifeless. The tank is ready. All we need
to do is place her in it for the transformation. Any poison that
may have been left will not survive the Chrysalis process. I know
what she felt with his being gone. The loneliness is nearly
maddening. I see why she shut me out. With them both in that
state, I am alone for the first time in millennia. I can see why her
body chose to want to let go, but her mind still fights. Even her
father was amazed by what the change could fix, but is it all we
hope for. Her body was so addicted to the poison it was as though
she had been on the spice. I don't think she will ever take
anything for granted again. Nor will she take unnecessary risks.
She has had to be without him for too long.
The skin has changed, time to take her out. It looks like a
large cocoon of some strange leather. I have chosen to take
human form, and to be the only other besides Jade to be present
when it is opened. We do not know what we will find.
"Are you ready, Salem?"
"Yes. Cut slowly. I do not know where her body is in this.
Cut first from the top to the bottom, then across both ends like an
'I'."
"Okay, lets get it open. So far, so good. She is still asleep, I
hope?"
"Yes. That is the fluid. Clear her mouth and help me dry
her."
"Where am I? Must find him.. Beloved, don't leave me
again ."
"Hush, Annanaya. He is near and will be fine. You must
sleep. When you wake, you will be well and together with your
beloved. I promise "
We are amazed at the recovery both have made. She
hibernated next to him for three days. Waking first, she bathed
then lay next to him, saying nothing for the two days it took till
he awoke. You would never know that there had been anything
wrong except in those fleeting moments. There is a shadow over
her, a profound sense of sorrow. For the first time she is going to
question what she does in life. She now knows that they need her
as much as she needs them, and that she must be responsible for
herself first and not the universe. Her mother said this lesson
would be a three edged sword.