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Emma glanced at Sereh when she named her. But Skaldi hadn’t finished yet.

‘As I flew, I felt him, I saw him. The view was obscured by something, and I now realise what I saw was your dream, Sereh. I don’t understand it. Now I’m here, with you, I can sense nothing from you. Last night, I could see everything. I could see Erann and feel his thoughts. I was torn as to whether I should return to the glacier, or seek you out. I chose you. I know he’s not on the glacier, or near it. He’s calling out for you, and somehow, last night, you heard him and connected with him. Can you explain any of this?’

Sereh followed Skaldi’s explanation, voiced by Emma, carefully, in awe of the creature she’d so underestimated. Not only did he care as much for Erann as she did, he was prepared to sit and wait for his return. That was far more than she’d accomplished within the mountain. She was unsure how to explain it. Her dreams of the last few days were twisted and unpleasant and yet undoubtedly held the answer.

‘Skaldi, something’s happened to me. I don’t know what it is. It’s made me do bizarre things. It pains me, but I’d somehow forgotten about Erann and developed feelings for another.’ She spoke in a dazzling rush, so desperate not to think about Jon. Skaldi stilled from his previous agitation until it was as though he was wrought from stone. She wondered what images Emma was conjuring for him and immediately decided she didn’t want to know. Emma’s harsh looks and words of the last two days suddenly made far too much sense.

‘Somehow, I think my subconscious remembered him. My dreams have been plagued with images of Erann and Jon, and then last night, I woke and felt Erann. I could see him and wanted to touch him. I tried to reach out to him. He didn’t hear me or see me, but he spoke to me. He’s lost and alone. We need to find him.’ As she finished speaking she appreciated the gaps in her narrative. But Emma didn’t question her.

Silence filled the cave. Emma was the one to break it. ‘I cautioned Jon to stay away from you. It would appear I wasn’t successful…’ Whatever else she was going to say was forgotten as Skaldi required her entire attention. His message made her frown. She looked worriedly at Sereh but didn’t immediately speak.

‘What, what did he say?’ Sereh demanded.

Emma’s face was riven with indecision, but she spoke unwillingly, her gaze fixed on Skaldi as she did so. ‘Skaldi’s wondering if your confusion over the two men somehow clears your mind and makes you open to Erann. He thinks you should stay in the cave and see if it happens again. I… I don’t think it’s a good idea.’ Here she looked at Sereh, and then back at Skaldi, her uncertainty easy to see.

‘I believe you should leave here; go to the Librarian, as you planned when you and Erann were together. He might have some ideas as to where Erann is. After all, he has a wealth of our people’s heritage at his fingertips. He knows everything about Biklander.’ Here Emma’s tone warmed.

Sereh glanced between the two. They weren’t disgusted with her, as she was with herself. Skaldi even suggested using her former attraction to Jon, as some means to find Erann. Just thinking it made her shudder.

She needed to find Erann. If that meant enduring as she had, then she would.

‘I’ll stay,’ Sereh announced. ‘If it’s the only way to find Erann, then that’s what I’ll do. Even if I don’t like it.’

PART II

FOUR WEEKS LATER

11

EMMA

In the roomy expanse of the large common room, Emma found herself glaring at the girl before her. She heard Sereh’s gentle laughter, the happy gurgle of Pal. She couldn’t stop the instinct that made her look to see the baby grasping Sereh’s hair in his big chubby hand. Pal was happy and smiling, and more importantly, content. He was always content with Sereh. Why, Emma was unsure, but despite everything, she was grateful for that. It had been too long since she’d had to care for such a small child. It was exhausting.

‘Come, Emma,’ Elen offered at her side, distracting her from the angry perusal of Sereh. ‘What do you think of this,’ and Elen held out a cupful of something that smelled delicious. While Emma swallowed, Elen fixed her with a firm look.

‘I suggest you leave them to it. These things have a habit of sorting themselves out.’ Emma swallowed the spicy concoction, savouring the jolt of heat. She wanted to argue, but now wasn’t the time, and Elen knew that well enough. With an admonishing look, Elen returned to her collection of herbs and bottles.

Emma’s attention immediately snapped back towards Sereh. Emma felt an irrational hatred towards the girl. Its intensity shocked her. She’d known it would be a struggle to welcome someone else into their small community, but she’d not anticipated it would be so hard to be in the same room as Sereh. Emma found herself watching Sereh’s every move, waiting to find fault.

Sereh turned and smiled adoringly at Jon. He returned the smile fully before something made him look her way. His smile froze in place at the sight of Emma’s twisted face. She’d warned him until she was tired of speaking that his feelings for Sereh were unacceptable.

He’d not listened. ‘Emma, all will be well. I assure you. I’ve fallen in love with her. Can you not be happy for me?’ he’d asked in a pleading tone. She’d known her face was implacable.

‘You’re a fool,’ she’d responded heatedly. ‘You will lose all, and you know it.’ Had been her harsh response, but he’d shaken his head, just as furious as her.

If she was angry with Sereh, she was incandescent with rage towards Jon. She struggled to maintain even the charade of their former relationship whenever she saw him. Foolish boy, she thought over and over again. Why could he not appreciate her wisdom on this?

‘You’re jealous,’ he’d flung at her, before stalking from her presence, but Emma knew she wasn’t jealous. Far from it. Why couldn’t he understand her intentions were only to protect him, as she’d done for so many years?

‘It will happen again, soon,’ she’d called to his retreating back, the words ripped from her. ‘You’ll have a broken heart, Jon, and I tell you, it’ll not mend. Not for years.’ Not for the first time, as she glared at Sereh, she wondered why she’d agreed to this foolish plan. It was hurting too many people. It was making her orderly, predictable, routine life unbearable.

Emma had attempted to seek out Skaldi earlier in the day. The words and accompanying images she intended to share with him, hovered on the tip of her tongue, and on the edge of her thoughts. ‘This needs to end,’ she was going to say, showing him an image of Sereh away from run-ketill.

All had come to naught, for he’d not been within his quarters, or within the Archive, or anywhere she knew to look for him.

‘I should have found him yesterday,’ she murmured softly to herself. But yesterday, her feelings had been less clear. Now, it was too late. Events would already have been set in motion.

She recalled the next time she’d come upon Jon. It was as though he’d been having the argument with her already, and she’d merely stepped into it.