something to herself under breath.
Maklavir froze, unsure for a moment if Joseph had been right or not. Was this really Kara, or had Indigoru somehow remained in the girl’s mind and body? He cleared his throat. “Hello, Kara.”
The beautiful redhead didn’t look up. She kept her gaze focused on the wall. Her hands continued their strange twisting motion.
“So far she has been unresponsive to the nurses,” said Grelda unhelpfully.
Maklavir stared at the girl. He felt sick. There was no trace of the fiery, fiercely independent thief and world-class archer he had once known. It was like looking at a shell of his friend.
“I warned you that she had not yet recovered,” Grelda said in a quiet voice. There was something almost like sympathy in her words. “Kara is still…adjusting.”
Maklavir glanced over his shoulder.
Joseph stood in the doorway, as if afraid to enter the room. His eyes were fastened on Kara.
Kara didn’t look up at him, or at any of them. She kept muttering to herself.
Maklavir cleared his throat. “Kara,” he started to say, struggling to keep his tone steady, “I don’t know if you can hear me, but we are here for you. Joseph is here, and so am I. We—” He paused, momentarily surprised by the surge of emotion that was catching in his throat. “We aren’t going to leave you.”
“Fangs in the east,” Kara said, her voice barely above a whisper. She continued to stare at the wall. Her hands worked furiously.
Maklavir instinctively leaned in, barely catching her soft words. “Beg pardon?”
Grelda gave a dismissive wave. “It’s nonsense. The only thing she’s been saying since she came out of her coma.”
Joseph stared harder at Kara, but still didn’t come into the room. All the color was drained from his face.
“Fangs in the east,” Kara repeated. Her head tilted slightly. She muttered something else again, under her breath.
Maklavir couldn’t make out what it was. He stepped closer. “What is it, Kara? Fangs? What fangs?” He looked back to Joseph and Grelda. “Is she talking about the Despair in Vorten?”
Joseph didn’t respond. He looked as though he were seeing a ghost.
Grelda shrug. “It’s nonsense. Doesn’t mean anything at all.”
Maklavir ignored her. He kneeled down next to Kara, trying to catch her words.
“Fangs in the east,” the redhead said. Her voice was strange, almost in a sing-song or a chant. “Shadow in the south.”
Maklavir felt his flesh crawl. The air in the room seemed to suddenly grow chiller.
Kara still didn’t look at him. “A fire rises in the west,” she murmured.
Maklavir didn’t understand what Kara was saying. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t nonsense.
Grelda took a step forward. “Mr. Maklavir, we need to give Kara some space. I—”
Joseph’s hand shot out and snatched Grelda by the arm.
The old nurse looked back at Joseph in shock. “What? Let go of me at once —”
Maklavir leaned in, desperate to hear Kara’s words. “I’m here, Kara,” he said. He grabbed her cold hands in his own. “Talk to me.”
“Fangs in the east, shadow in the south, a fire rises in the west.” Kara still wouldn’t make eye contact with him, and her voice was still in the strange chant-like cadence. “To find the key, to defeat all three, seek the raven lost in the sea.”
Maklavir stared at her helplessly.
Grelda pulled her arm out of Joseph’s grip. “You see? Nonsense. Now I must ask the two of you to leave. Kara needs her rest.”
Maklavir stared hard at Kara, trying to get the girl to look at him.
Nothing. She repeated the words she had said before in a harsh whisper, her eyes set on the wall of the room.
“ Gentlemen ,” Grelda said impatiently.
“Maklavir,” Joseph said quietly, “she’s gone.”
Maklavir closed his eyes, gripping Kara’s hands tightly for a moment. He had so much to say to her. Now he would never be able to say anything at all. With a sick feeling he
Maklavir froze, unsure for a moment if Joseph had been right or not. Was this really Kara, or had Indigoru somehow remained in the girl’s mind and body? He cleared his throat. “Hello, Kara.”
The beautiful redhead didn’t look up. She kept her gaze focused on the wall. Her hands continued their strange twisting motion.
“So far she has been unresponsive to the nurses,” said Grelda unhelpfully.
Maklavir stared at the girl. He felt sick. There was no trace of the fiery, fiercely independent thief and world-class archer he had once known. It was like looking at a shell of his friend.
“I warned you that she had not yet recovered,” Grelda said in a quiet voice. There was something almost like sympathy in her words. “Kara is still…adjusting.”
Maklavir glanced over his shoulder.
Joseph stood in the doorway, as if afraid to enter the room. His eyes were fastened on Kara.
Kara didn’t look up at him, or at any of them. She kept muttering to herself.
Maklavir cleared his throat. “Kara,” he started to say, struggling to keep his tone steady, “I don’t know if you can hear me, but we are here for you. Joseph is here, and so am I. We—” He paused, momentarily surprised by the surge of emotion that was catching in his throat. “We aren’t going to leave you.”
“Fangs in the east,” Kara said, her voice barely above a whisper. She continued to stare at the wall. Her hands worked furiously.
Maklavir instinctively leaned in, barely catching her soft words. “Beg pardon?”
Grelda gave a dismissive wave. “It’s nonsense. The only thing she’s been saying since she came out of her coma.”
Joseph stared harder at Kara, but still didn’t come into the room. All the color was drained from his face.
“Fangs in the east,” Kara repeated. Her head tilted slightly. She muttered something else again, under her breath.
Maklavir couldn’t make out what it was. He stepped closer. “What is it, Kara? Fangs? What fangs?” He looked back to Joseph and Grelda. “Is she talking about the Despair in Vorten?”
Joseph didn’t respond. He looked as though he were seeing a ghost.
Grelda shrug. “It’s nonsense. Doesn’t mean anything at all.”
Maklavir ignored her. He kneeled down next to Kara, trying to catch her words.
“Fangs in the east,” the redhead said. Her voice was strange, almost in a sing-song or a chant. “Shadow in the south.”
Maklavir felt his flesh crawl. The air in the room seemed to suddenly grow chiller.
Kara still didn’t look at him. “A fire rises in the west,” she murmured.
Maklavir didn’t understand what Kara was saying. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t nonsense.
Grelda took a step forward. “Mr. Maklavir, we need to give Kara some space. I—”
Joseph’s hand shot out and snatched Grelda by the arm.
The old nurse looked back at Joseph in shock. “What? Let go of me at once —”
Maklavir leaned in, desperate to hear Kara’s words. “I’m here, Kara,” he said. He grabbed her cold hands in his own. “Talk to me.”
“Fangs in the east, shadow in the south, a fire rises in the west.” Kara still wouldn’t make eye contact with him, and her voice was still in the strange chant-like cadence. “To find the key, to defeat all three, seek the raven lost in the sea.”
Maklavir stared at her helplessly.
Grelda pulled her arm out of Joseph’s grip. “You see? Nonsense. Now I must ask the two of you to leave. Kara needs her rest.”
Maklavir stared hard at Kara, trying to get the girl to look at him.
Nothing. She repeated the words she had said before in a harsh whisper, her eyes set on the wall of the room.
“ Gentlemen ,” Grelda said impatiently.
“Maklavir,” Joseph said quietly, “she’s gone.”
Maklavir closed his eyes, gripping Kara’s hands tightly for a moment. He had so much to say to her. Now he would never be able to say anything at all. With a sick feeling he
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