Page 116 of A Conduit of Light
Shewrapped her arms around my neck and nodded. “Fora little while,BaronRevich.Justfor a little while.”
Chapter52
Karus
Ourdays passed us by.
Wehardly noticed time moving at all, making up for the seven years we’d lost.
Wedidn’t leave, really.Once, maybe twice, whenI’dconvinced him to love me in his study.I’dbeen insatiable there, before the massive windows that lit the room in sunlight, looking out into the densest part of the forest.
Ihad wanted to change my memories, shape them into something more than a place whereIhad been told to go each day, to talk to a manIbarely knew or understood.Iwanted to combine my past seven years with whatInow thought of as my future.
I’dmade it out.
I’dfound my way through the fog of my mind, and as more and more memories returned,Ifound myself panicked at times, afraid of falling back into confusion, afraid of drifting through the days like a feather on the wind, never knowing where to land.
Hehad nightmares, too.
He’dwake in our bed, sweating, his heart pounding, andI’dbe there.Finally,Iwas there, whispering to him that he was safe, holding him to my chest, letting him knowI’dfound my way back andIwas never leaving again.
He’dshake, holding me, kissing me as if he’d never get to again.
Yes, he had suffered.
AndIrealized that, in a way,Ihad been protected from my own pain.Ihad been forced into a state whereIcouldn’t feel it.Icouldn’t live, butIcouldn’t succumb to anguish either.
Buthe did.
Sevenyears.
Iwondered how it had changed him.Surely, it had.
Isaw glimpses of it, watching him.Hesmiled less, moved slower.
AndIwondered howIcould return him, if it was possible or even fair to try.
Istayed with him, never leaving his side, never allowing myself to step away more than a few minutes at a time, knowing that he wasn’t ready.
Weeventually left our nest,Pompeiihaving been our caretaker for at least two weeks, but the duties aBaronheld could not be pushed aside any longer, and people were beginning to wonder if he’d given up his title.
Thepoor channelers were confused, allowed to roam free, and thankfully,ClairanniaandFiguerahhad stepped in, letting us take our time together.
Theyhad become conduits.
Theyboth had passed the trials, whichIhad learned fromRevich, had been the first he had ever conducted and he didn’t even remember giving them.
“Iwas just a shell in those days, two years in, unable to do more than whatIwas told to do.”
“Butyou managed to get the trials together?”
“Yes, butIhad help.Lotsof it.Itwasn’t fair forClairanniaandFiguerahto be stuck here.Theyloved you still, but they were ready to move on.Tobegin their lives as conduits.Andso, they did.”
“Amedicus and iumenta conduit.”Igrinned brightly, so very proud of what they had become, what they had made themselves into.
“That’sright.Whenit was time to search for more channelers,Ididn’t know what to do.Therhyzolm was still missing andIrefused to use another.”
“Thenhow did you find them?”
