Druidess Found (Druidess Trilogy Book 1) Machelle Hanleigh (best ebook reader under 100 .TXT) 📖

She felt glad she decided to remain on Ki as her dark warrior requested, as Moto requested. She smiled at the promise of seeing him later that night.

Chapter Thirteen

 

Moto made it to his hut without incident. He considered going back to Sari's village where he spent the past three days, if for no other reason than to avoid the Queen. Kaily pulling a talisman from Crystal Lake changed things. Despite Kesho's earlier examination and confirmation to the Queen that Kaily could not touch the energy of Ki, she now could or at least, Moto suspected she could. It was the only explanation for her being able to see the talismans in the first place, let alone obtain one. He didn't know what changed to make that possible. Whatever happened, he needed to stay as close to Kaily as possible without raising the Queen's suspicion. Now, that Kaily possessed a talisman, it was only a matter of time before her abilities manifested. He didn't know what those abilities would look like. The talisman she obtained looked like nothing the Kahoali possessed, and yet she pulled it from Crystal Lake. It held all the hues and more than he ever saw before or heard of existing. He didn't know what to make of the silver and gold threads running through it. The intensity of the hues indicated an abundance of power. Not even the Queen's talisman held so much potential of power, and it scared him.

Moto paced back and forth in the confines of his hut. He never felt so conflicted in the whole of his life. The ceremony between Sari and himself was set for the following evening repast. He knew he should have stayed at Crystal Lake and talked to Kaily about what was to come, but he didn't, he couldn't. How could he make Kaily understand? He should have told her. He should have tried to explain it to her. She deserved that much. Now, that Kaily pulled a talisman, how could he continue the charade with Sari? How could he make Kaily understand the complexity of the bonding between Kahoali? He felt pulled between his connection and desire for Kaily, and his duty to his people. He continued to pace.

He knew there was a chance Kaily would hear about the ceremony from someone else, although he was not surprised, she didn't hear about it. The villagers kept to themselves and Shimani wouldn't dare tell her. Not when he knew Moto wanted to be the one to tell her. Moto should be the one to tell her. He promised to talk to her after this evening repast. Even if he couldn't make Kaily understand, he would try. He just hoped she wouldn't hear about the ceremony from someone else. There was a distinct possibility that she would hear talk about it at this evening's repast before he could talk to her. He knew the ceremony had been announced to the Shanees and it wouldn't be long before the villagers would hear about it, which meant the ceremony would dominate many conversations at this evening's repast.

Kaily had a far better understanding of the Kahoali language than he would have liked. The blame for that was the Queen's. He understood why she commanded Kesho to open Kaily's mind so she could understand them, but it would have been better, for him, if she hadn't done that. Still, he should have told Kaily. He wasn't ready. He didn't want in-depth conversations with Kaily, not yet. He didn't want to explain the Kahoali bonding and what it meant. He didn't want to explain what it meant for Sari to pretend to bond with him, and what could happen if they were discovered. He didn't talk to her about the connection they shared and what it meant to both their lives. He didn't want to tell her about talismans and what it meant to pull one from Crystal Lake. He didn't want to have conversations about things he didn't understand.

Moto didn't understand how he could be connected to Kaily when she wasn't Kahoali. Kahoali bonded with Kahoali. There was no other way. There couldn't be a true bonding if both were not Kahoali, and yet there existed an undeniable connection between Kaily and himself. If there had been any doubt in his mind about a connection, it dissolved the moment he realized they could communicate telepathically. Telepathy was rare. It could exist with Kahoali bonded mates, but seldom happened. Then there was the talisman.

He didn't understand how Kaily could pull a talisman from Crystal Lake. Kahoali were the only ones who could see and pull talismans. How did Kaily pull a talisman? How did she see it in the first place? He didn't have answers. He needed answers to understand. It didn't make sense.

Moto cursed. How much easier it would all be if Kaily were Kahoali! Of course, if she were Kahoali and raised in their ways she wouldn't be his Kaily. His Kaily who pulled a talisman like nothing seen before from Crystal Lake. He smiled and shook his head in disbelief. Leave it to his Kaily to do the impossible.

Her world contained virtually no energy flowing through it. None on her world possessed abilities of any kind. The Inhabitants there seemed oblivious to such things from what little he observed. She was from the least likely of all the worlds he visited to possess the ability to pull a talisman.

Moto stopped pacing and closed his eyes. He rubbed his temples with his fingertips as his conversation with the Queen came to the forefront of his thoughts. Moto shook his head in denial. There was no way his Kaily was one of them. Druid, Moto thought with disgust. He refused to even entertain the remote possibility that she could be one of them. He couldn't accept that explanation. There must be another answer. Druids might possess similar abilities to the Kahoali, but none of them would be able to pull a