Wolf considered the suggestion. That approach would avoid the whole mouthpiece concern, which was Aiden’s blind spot. He’d tell Aiden it was simple psychology and sleep mechanics—leave the spiritual aspect out completely.
He nodded decisively. “This suggestion had best come from me. He will not listen if it comes from you.”
Nor would hisjavaaneebe pleased that Wolf had told an adversary about his lack of sleep. His brother still considered O’Neill an adversary.
Wolf walked forward and O’Neill fell into step beside him. The sound of their boots rang against the stone floor. Torches flickered ahead and behind, casting them in shadows. It felt...odd...to walk shoulder to shoulder with no animosity seething between them. Samuel’s injury and Benioko’s death had forged a bond between them. One he’d never expected. One he’d never wanted. Yet here they walked, side by side.
“Was there anything else Benioko told you before he died, that would prove useful during the coming battle?”
Wolf grimaced. It was a constant regret that he’d left the Old One’s chambers before finding out all the shaman knew. Had Benioko known the purpose behind the buzzing in the nanobot tank? And what of the zombified SEALs? TheTaounaha’s comments from a month earlier about a new people—dead yet undead—indicated he’d known the bots would resuscitate the dead. But how many had been resurrected so far? The entire village of Karaveht had fallen to the bots. Had those victims been revived as well?
Aiden claimed Karaveht’s inhabitants were gone when the CDC entered the town. Where had they been taken? The memory of metallic wasps attacking the window were constantly on his mind. It didn’t matter where the victims of Karaveht were stored. Without Faith’s shield, the risk of infection remained high. And those behind the testing in Karaveht did not have the necessary protection.
If the resurrected could infect new hosts, thenHokalitaand all the people who called her home were running out of time.
Chapter ten
Day 26
Shadow Mountain Base, Alaska
O’Neill tamped down his surprise at Wolf’s sitrep. This was the first time since he’d arrived at Shadow Mountain a cycle ago that Wolf had spoken so freely with him. But nothing theBetaneerevealed surprised him. Of course the Old One had known the apocalypse had started. Of course he’d known the bot weapon zombified its victims. As the mouthpiece to the Shadow Warrior, theTaounahaknew many things unknown to the waking world.
The real question was what information he hadn’t known. What knowledge were they missing? How long had it been since the Old One had the strength to cross into theTabenethaandcommunicate with the Shadow Warrior? If the Old One hadn’t crossed over in a while, they could have missed key information. At this stage in the war, every scrap of intel was crucial.
“When was the last time Benioko shadow walked,” O’Neill asked, his voice quiet, yet echoing along the stone walls enclosing them.
It took great strength to cross into theTabenetha,and then back into the waking world. The Old One’s death proved his strength had failed him. When had his life force weakened?
Wolf was silent for several boot steps before offering a weary sigh. “I am unsure...many moon cycles... perhaps. A moon cycle ago, he spoke of the Shadow Warrior walking his dreams.”
O’Neill’s steps faltered. “He was not summoned? The elder god came to him?”
This was unheard of—the mouthpiece went to the Shadow Warrior, not the other way around...unless the mouthpiece could not cross over and the information was critical.
His pace picked up again at Wolf’s nod. If the elder god had visited Benioko a full moon ago, that would put the timing about when the Thunderbird left for Karaveht to rescue Winchester and save the future mouthpiece.
It irritated him that the squid had been chosen as the nextTaounaha.While Winchester obviously had great spiritual strength to unwittingly cross into theTabenethaand mingle with the elder gods, he was still aWoohanta.One who looked down on the Kalikoia culture. One who refused to walk theHee'woo'neepath. For Shadow’s sake, there had to be someone more appropriate, someone just as spirit strong, but more flexible.
“Thinking back...” Wolf’s footsteps paused, as though he couldn’t think and walk at the same time. “The last time I aided the Old One in crossing to theTabenethawas five moon cycles ago.”
Five months ago?
O’Neill froze. Benioko had been too weak to shadow walk for five months and he hadn’t noticed?
His breathing hitched as guilt splintered through him. His footsteps halted as well. How had he missed the death signs? Sure, he’d noticed Benioko looked frail, even weak, but he’d thought he’d have more time with his old friend...his only friend. He’d thought the Shadow Warrior would leave hisTaounahain the waking world until a new mouthpiece was trained. He’d been wrong. Obviously.
Sorrow knotted with guilt. Loneliness joined in, until the three emotions were indistinguishable—just a jumbled knot inside his gut and chest. He’d spent his entire life in the shadows—both on theBrenahiiloand off. Benioko was the only light in that darkness. The only person to see him and recognize his potential.
Yet he’d let his old friend, the only person in his life who’d offered unhesitating support...he’d let him die...alone...on a cold stone floor.
Perhaps Winchester wasn’t the only one being punished by the elder gods. Perhaps they were punishing him too, for his apathy towards Benioko’s welfare. Why else would they give him a son only to take him again in the same breath?
He’d lost Daniel before even knowing him. A terrible punishment, far worse than the nightmares Winchester was enduring. The squid’s nightmares would end...eventually. But O’Neill? His punishment was eternal.
O’Neill would never know his son...his only child. Would never hear him speak, share his dreams, or show him the warrior ways. He didn’t even know what spirit gift Daniel was given. The only thing he knew for sure was that the youngling was claimed by the raven, like hisAnisbeccoand Muriel’sanestoo.Raven claimingswere common in the Ravensblood family. But each claiming came with a different gift...and different responsibility.
What had been Daniel’s?
