Shaxoa's Gift by DelSheree Gladden Page B

fine. She had just been stunned or fell
unconscious. She was asleep for a few hours before she woke up
screaming. It took me another few hours to calm her down. She
wasn’t actually hurt, thank goodness, but it scared Samantha and
me. Samantha has been very leery of meeting with anyone ever
since.”
    “When did this happen?” I asked.
    “About two weeks ago. Needless to say, the
three of us haven’t spoken of it to anyone,” Kaya said.
    I was amazed that Kaya was so willing to
believe that the Shaxoa hadn’t meant to harm the girl. Zarafen and
other Shaxoas had a reputation for being just as likely to harm
those seeking their aid as they were to fulfill their patrons’
requests. “You seem to trust this Shaxoa quite a bit. Just how well
do you know Samantha?” I asked, lifting a glass of water to my
lips.

“Pretty well,” Kaya said. “She’s my
sister.”
    The water I had just taken a drink of went
somewhere it should not have. Choking down the rest of the liquid
in my mouth, I burst into a fit of coughing. Kaya jumped up and
started patting my back hard enough to make me wince.
    “Are you okay?” she asked when I was finally
able to breathe again.
    “She’s your sister?”
    Kaya’s head dropped, though not in shame. I
suspected she had faced the same question many times before. “Yes,
Samantha is my sister.”
    “How the hell did that happen?” I asked.
    Kaya’s eyes snapped up at my language. The
curse was mild, but her deep frown told me it was not
appreciated.
    “Sorry,” I said quickly. “It’s kind of
bizarre, though.”
    “Yeah,” Kaya said. Her voice had an accusing
tone to it, and her folded arms challenged me to comment on her
sister further.
    I refused to back down. Claire’s future
depended on this woman. I would not put my trust in her without
being sure she was worthy of it. “How does one family produce a
shaman and a Shaxoa?”
    “It’s not that unbelievable. Power has long
been believed to follow family lines. That’s why leadership was
usually passed from parent to child,” Kaya said.
    “Sure, I guess that makes sense, but how did
you end up having a Shaxoa for a sister?” I asked.
    Kaya stiffened slightly, but kept her face
composed.
    “I’m sorry, Kaya, that was rude. It’s just
that Quaile and Zarafen hate, and I mean hate, each other, for
obvious reasons. You still care about Samantha, though, don’t you?”
It was a stupid question. Of course Kaya still cared about her
sister.
    “Yes I still care, Uriah, wouldn’t you?” Kaya
said.
    I nodded even though I had no experience with
siblings, evil or not. I could never turn my back on family
either.
    “She…she’s a good person. She studies what
she does because she wants to understand it, not so she can hurt
people. She has never given anyone anything that could be used to
harm someone, never, and she never will. The incident with Raina
practically put her into seclusion. She hasn’t touched her work
since.”
    “Does she know why I want to see her?” I
asked.
    Kaya shook her head hesitantly. “It will take
a lot of convincing to get her to help you. She may not understand
why you want what you want, but I think I’ll be able to make her
believe that you aren’t trying to harm Claire.”
    “Why do you believe me?” I asked. I was
grateful that she did, since Claire was relying on her help, but I
couldn’t really understand it. I don’t know that I would have
believed my story if I hadn’t experienced it myself. A slight shift
in Talon’s body drew my attention. “Is it because of Talon?”
    Kaya smiled. “Talon is amazing, something I
had never thought to see in my lifetime, but it’s more than that.
The moment I touched you I could feel your sincerity.”
    I must have looked confused. Quaile displayed
no such talent. Kaya smiled. “Not every shaman is blessed with the
same gifts. Some have none at all, but are chosen as shaman for
their wisdom and ability to lead the tribe spiritually,” Kaya