Sanctuary by Rowena Cory Daniells Read Free Book Online Page B

Imoshen knew she should explain herself, but she was so tired. All she could manage was a weary smile. ‘Come along.’
    Head buzzing with exhaustion, Imoshen entered the ship’s main cabin to find her inner circle trying to maintain standards while packed into the cramped space. A Malaunje servant was working on Ysattori’s floor-length hair, creating the elaborate hairstyles that were a sign of high stature in T’En society. Ysattori’s shield-sister waited her turn.
    Short of the deep-bond Imoshen shared with Ardonyx, the shield-sister bond was the closest relationship two T’En could share. Unlike the bond between T’En and their devotee, it was an equal pairing of gifts; but if one died, the other often died as well.
    The cabin was all bustle as the other sisters and Malaunje saw to the needs of the sisterhood’s T’En children. Imoshen’s infant daughter had turned one last midsummer. Now Umaleni ran to her.
    She was the only sacrare child of the sisterhood. Born of two T’En parents, she would one day be an asset to the sisterhood. But Umaleni was not pampered; Imoshen had seen to that. If her daughter was to grow into a self-disciplined woman who could master her powerful gifts, then she must develop strength of character. Hers would not be an easy path. Iraayel had suffered because of his association with Imoshen, and he was only a man.
    Imoshen knelt, scooped her daughter up and hugged her, then smiled at her devotee. ‘Have you been good for Frayvia, Uma?’
    At the sound of her voice, the other baby girl began to wail and Imoshen’s breasts ached. She collected the infant and settled on the bunk under the window to feed her. Umaleni climbed up beside them.
    Imoshen noticed a five-year-old boy watching them. He had saved the baby girl’s life and carried her across Chalcedonia. Now he drifted over, looking lonely. He was the son of free Malaunje and couldn’t speak the T’En language. Imoshen held out her arms and he also climbed up next to her.
    Egrayne surveyed the cabin. ‘Take the bigger children up on deck to play. The little ones need to sleep.’
    As the cabin emptied, she sat on the end of the bunk. ‘You can’t just make these two children your choice-son and daughter, Imoshen. Their fate should be decided at an all-mother council. The boy will need a brotherhood to go to when he turns seventeen. All the other sisterhood leaders will want the girl. If you take her in without giving them a chance to claim her, they’ll resent you.’
    Egrayne was right. Few T’En babies were carried to term, and more often than not, they were stillborn or horribly deformed. Healthy female babies were the rarest of all. Every other sisterhood would want the little girl, but... Imoshen looked down at the infant suckling at her breast. ‘I’ve fed her, Egrayne. She’s mine now. I’d die for her.’
    Egrayne’s mouth tightened in a grim line, but she didn’t argue.
    ‘Captain Ardonyx tells me it could take four days to sail down the coast to Shifting-sands Bay. We’ll hold the all-council when we get there,’ Imoshen said. But no one would love these children as much as she did.
    ‘That’s another thing, Imoshen. It will be winter’s cusp in twenty-six days. Your choice-son turns seventeen two days before that. Since All-father Chariode’s brotherhood was destroyed, he is without a brotherhood. Kyredeon took in Chariode’s survivors. Have you asked –’
    ‘No, and I won’t. There’s something wrong with Kyredeon. He’s full of fear and hate.’
    ‘Be that as it may, Iraayel has to go to a brotherhood. He’s a gift-warrior, and powerful for a male. The sisters won’t –’
    ‘He’s a good person. He saved your choice-daughter’s life.’
    ‘I know. But we are packed on these ships with no privacy. We can’t have a powerful young T’En man living alongside us.’ She pulled the cover up over the sleeping boy. ‘Imoshen, the rest of the inner circle will vote to turn Iraayel out.