Bridge of Dreams

Chapter 32

Using the island, Lee brought Glorianna, Sebastian, Yoshani, and Michael back to Aurora. He shifted the island so that it rested near his mother’s walled garden.

“I’ll have a quick word with Jeb and see when he can come back with you,” Michael said.

“I need to have a quick chat with Teaser and Philo,” Sebastian said. “Make sure nothing in the Den needs my attention.”

“Go home, Sebastian,” Glorianna said. “Go see your wife and make funny faces at her tummy.”

Sebastian snorted, but Lee noticed his cousin didn’t deny making funny faces.

The rest of them left the island, but when Lee tried to leave, Glorianna stepped in front of him.

“No,” she said quietly.

“I just want—”

“No, Lee. Not until Zhahar is gone.”

“I just want a minute.” Just want to tell her about the place in Vision.

“You urged Zhahar to ask for Heart’s Justice instead of accepting the penalties her own people would have demanded.”

“Harsh and unfair penalties,” he snapped.

“And Heart’s Justice may end up being just as harsh,” she snapped back. “You have to let her go, Lee. You can’t have anything to do with where her heart takes her.”

“Why not? Lynnea was there when Sebastian needed her. You were fine with that.”

“Lynnea’s heart. Sebastian’s heart.”

“My heart. Zhahar’s heart.”

“Sholeh’s heart. Zeela’s heart. What about them? Did you consider how dangerous this will be for a Tryad?”

He rocked back on his heels.

Glorianna made a growling squeal that perfectly conveyed angry frustration. “Zhahar loves you. You love Zhahar. What about Sholeh and Zeela? Are you going to be three women’s lover? Do they want you as their lover? Isn’t that what the punishment of merging is designed to prevent? Jealousy between sisters caused by wanting the same man?”

“Daylight, Glorianna! It’s not like that.” It wasn’t like that, but Glorianna’s words reminded him of why he had to walk away from Zhahar—and the Guide shouldn’t have needed to remind him.

“Zhahar wanting to love you is what put her in this position,” Glorianna said gently. “Her sisters are at risk because of it. When I release Heart’s Justice, Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar’s hearts have to be united. Maybe they’ll each want a different aspect of something, but they all have to want the same thing. If they don’t…”

“They would run the same risk as if they’d crossed a resonating bridge while quarreling with each other,” he finished.

“If one of them is split from the other two, will she have a body? Or will she die?”

Lee sagged against a tree. “Guardians of the Light and Guides of the Heart. This isn’t any better than what Medusah would have done to her.”

“If her aspects are in conflict when Heart’s Justice is released, it won’t be any better,” Glorianna agreed. “In fact, it might be worse, because if the sisters get divided, they’ll never know if the others are dead or are surviving in some way in other landscapes.”

He’d said he would let Zhahar go, would get out of her life. But some part of him must have hoped that he wouldn’t have to mean it. Now…

“How did Michael let you go?” he asked.

“You would have to ask him,” she replied.

“What should I do?”

She kissed his cheek. “Go back to Vision. Start setting up that school with Danyal. Help him deal with the playground and make up a list of rules.”

Lee made a face. “Like ‘Don’t move the temple when someone is inside it’?”

“That’s a good rule. Make sure the two of you enforce it.”

He wasn’t sure how they were supposed to do that, but Glorianna wouldn’t be interested in excuses. “I suppose I should see about making a stationary bridge or two, since you’ll be traveling to the school a couple of times a week.”

She hesitated. “For now, let’s plan to meet in Sanctuary. We can use the island to travel back to Vision.”

“Yeah. Okay.” He tried to resist the words, but they wouldn’t be held back. “I guess I was ready to love someone, and it felt right with Zhahar. Maybe I couldn’t have handled the intimate details of living with someone as unique as her, but I wish we’d had a chance to try.”

“I know.” She kissed his cheek again. “Travel lightly, Lee.”

“Travel lightly, Glorianna Belladonna.”

He waited a few minutes after she left, telling himself it was to be sure Michael wasn’t coming back with a message, or his mother didn’t want to have a quick chat.

When he finally admitted that he wasn’t going to get a glimpse of any aspect of Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar, he sighed, hoping to ease the ache in his chest. Then he shifted the island to the city of Vision and the new life waiting for him there.