He would return after the husk was reduced to ash to collect the earthly remnants. A normal cedarwood fire never got hotenough to reduce a human husk to ash. But theHee'woo'neewere gifted a secret weapon by the elder gods—a mineral and plant combination that, when sprinkled and burned, created such intense heat it melted steel and reduced bone to ash.
Wolf’s progress through the twining corridors came to an abrupt halt as a tall, broad silhouette came into view. O’Neill. Thejie'vanwas casually leaning against the stone wall next to a flickering torch, apparently waiting for him. Wolf waited for the familiar irritation to rise, but nothing pierced the dullness engulfing him.
Maybe he was too empty and weary to summon anything beyond loss and sorrow. Or perhaps it was the lack of smirking on O’Neill’s face. Rather, thejie'vanlooked serious, even tense.
But then, everyone looked tense lately.
As they should.
O’Neill waited for Wolf to reach him before speaking. “Yourjavaaneesaid you boys visited theTaounahathe morning of his death. Did he mention a new mouthpiece? The Shadow Warrior always chooses a replacement before the currentTaounahaleaves the waking world. Did Benioko speak of this?”
Wolf considered the question in silence. Aiden would not appreciate Benioko’s earlier claim becoming open knowledge. The mouthpiece gift was one hisjavaaneerefused to accept. However, Aiden’s wishes could not be considered under such dire circumstances. The welfare of the Hee’woo’nee—indeed the entire world—must come first. And the Kalikoia needed their mouthpiece. Even a reluctant one.
He studied O’Neill’s tense face and sharp eyes, which were glowing like green flares in the dim light. While O'Neill had always been a manipulative asshole, he’d also been born and raised among the Kalikoia. He followed theHee’woo’neeways. Plus, he’d been close to Benioko. Closer than anyone but Wolf.
Perhaps his counsel would be of aid.
Still, after endless animosity, it was difficult to confide in the man. He offered O’Neill a slow, reluctant nod and forced the admission out.
“He did speak of theTaounahagift.” Wolf hesitated, Aiden’s stubborn face flashing through his mind. Hisjavaaneewould be the opposite of pleased when this news got out. Nor would O’Neill sit quietly on the information. Thejie’van understoodhow vital theTaounahawas to the Kalikoia.Maybe O’Neill could persuade Aiden to take the path presented to him. “TheTaounahacurrent recipient refuses the gift.”
The glowing green eyes across from him narrowed. O’Neill’s forehead creased in thought. “Yourjavaanee?”
Wolf simply nodded. O’Neill had certainly connected the dots fast.
“Well, that explains why the Shadow Warrior sent you to Tajikistan to rescue the squid. Sure wouldn’t want the fledglingTaounahato die before his gift manifested.” He paused to shake his head, disgust tightening his face. “Why thehellwould the Shadow Warrior chose aneseneee?One ignorant of theHee’woo’neways and the mouthpiece gift, and refusing to accept either?” Frustration flashed through his eyes. The green glow turned to an angry glitter. “Particularly now, when we need access to theTabenethaand elder gods more than ever?”
Wolf’s eyebrows rose. Interesting…O’Neill had reacted exactly as he had when Benioko had broken the news. “According to the Old One, the Shadow Warrior chose him years ago. Aiden’s been fighting the summons.”
O’Neill’s scoff held disgust. “Figures. Now that Benioko has joined his ancestors, is yourjavaaneereassessing his position?”
Wolf shook his head. “It does not appear so.”
O’Neill frowned, his gaze narrowing. “I doubt your brother is having any luck ignoring the Shadow Warrior’s summons. Helooked pretty shitty yesterday. Lines all over his face. Gray skin. Irritable as hell.”
Wolf had noticed this as well. “You believe he’s getting sick again?”
O’Neill shrugged. “Hell, I don’t know. But from the old stories, the elder gods turn nasty when they don’t get their way. Do the docs know what caused yourjavaanee’sillness? What if the Shadow Warrior was punishing him for refusing theTaounahasummons.”
Wolf had thought of this as well. Uneasiness crept through him at how similar their thoughts were.
“He mentions not sleeping. Benioko claimed the Shadow Warrior has been attempting to communicate with Aiden through nightmares. But Aiden—” He scowled. “—does not accept that his nightmares are a summons from the elder god. He ignores them.”
“Yourjavaaneeis not one to respond to force.” O’Neill pushed off the stone wall. “We must take other measures to ensure he accepts theTaounahagift.”
Wolf’s eyebrows rose. O’Neill was a good judge of character. He’d identified Aiden’s stubbornness easily. Behind all the smirking and needling was an astute mind.
“What do you suggest?” Curiosity cocked Wolf’s head to the left. O’Neill was known for getting rises from everyone, Mackenzie and Samuel in particular. The thought stopped him short.
Samuel would find this new rapport with O’Neill unacceptable. Even more so after he discovered Daniel and Gracie’s parentage. Wolf brushed the concern aside. He’d deal with Samuel’s anger when hisCaetaneeawoke. Right now, he needed to convince Aiden to accept his role among theHee'woo'nee. He could not afford to let old rivalries prevent him from accepting help in this battle with hisjavaanee.
If O’Neill could help convince Aiden to take this step, he’d take O’Neill’s help—and gladly.
“The key here is Aiden’s nightmares,” O’Neill said. “We can use them to connect him to the Shadow Warrior. He doesn’t need to actually accept his gift. We just need him to speak to the elder gods and pass on what he’s told.”
Wolf thought about that. It just might work. “So, I convince him the best way to banish his nightmares is to face them? To reach out to the beings in his dreams and try to communicate with them?”
“Right.” O’Neill paused. “Which would involve lucid dreaming. But that can be taught. If the Shadow Warrior is reaching out to him in dreams, then Aiden can already communicate with him. You just need to convince him to confront his nightmares so he can banish them.” A faint quirk touched his lips. “If he’s having as much trouble sleeping as you think, he’ll jump on the chance to correct the problem.”
