Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 193

Chapter 193: Knowledge is Powerful
“I can see… I can see everything,” Sanders searched the air around him in the soft glow of the magical tree. “Every magic user in the world, I can see them, now, despite being awake… I see the tree, where it came from…”

He blinked several times, his hands moving to his head. “It’s… so much. So much.”

Anaisa’s eyes widened as she watched the seer flinch at the amount of information he was receiving. She hoped it wouldn’t hurt him.

“I hate being near the tree, too,” Trace grimaced. “It is too much power.”

“I do not hate it.” Sanders clarified. “Where is Emily?”

“Brother!” Emily, having heard the voices, flew from her hiding place behind the hill and charged towards him. “Sanders, are you all right?”

He opened his arms and the siblings embraced for a moment.

“Yes, yes I’m all right,” He told her with a brief smile. “I’m much better than all right. I’m free. Ah, It’s been so long since I was free.”

“Let’s get to the sunlight,” Emily urged. “I’ve been so long in this cave.”

“I want to linger here a moment,” Sanders released her and walked towards the iridescent golden branches of the towering tree. “It’s… it’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“The sunlight is better,” Emily responded automatically.

“Emily,” Anaisa drew the woman’s attention, so relieved to have her voice back even after so short a time without it, “We need to get a message out to the king. Can you reach either one of the soldiers who came down here before?”

“I… I think so,” Emily took a deep breath and concentrated. “Yes, I feel them. What do you want me to say?”

“Oakdown’s dead. Sanders killed him. The king’s son is alive and well. His Majesty can come back and see him, or we can bring the child to him…. Oh, and if it’s not too much trouble, let Seth at the surface know we’re all right? He can guide the king in through the back tunnel to get here more quickly.” Anaisa tacked on that last bit, hoping her brother in law wasn’t overly worried about them.

“Of course, of course. It’s… my powers are not overused down here,” Emily shrugged. “If anything, it is a struggle to keep them contained. The sooner we can leave, the better, but if the king comes… well, I will add that he can send a messenger ahead with instructions.”

“I hope he’s regained consciousness by now,” Anaisa grimaced. She also hoped knocking the king out to get him away from Oakdown’s influence would not come with a hefty punishment.

Surely, the king would see the logic, and appreciate the quick thinking. After all, he’d nodded his consent to it.

Anyway, if he came down here, the doctor would have him fixed up in no time. Speaking of which…

“Can… can we get some medical help, while we wait?” Anaisa called to the far side of the hill.

The doctor came at a jog after handing off Ewan, his lips pressed together. “Oh, yes, I’m so sorry, I wasn’t aware anyone was—What happened to you??”

The man came to a sudden halt before moving much faster than before. “Oh, goodness. Why are you getting hurt so much? There must be a dozen separate injuries on you, did you fall down a well?? No, that wouldn’t explain the…”

The doctor rambling on as he clapped his hands together and closed his eyes for a brief moment. Anaisa offered her hands out, perhaps the only unscathed part of her body, having been tied behind her back when she received the worst of the abuses committed against her.

The medical man took her hands and a tenuous hum filled the air around them. The swelling in her eye diminished, the pain down one leg disappeared, and she could feel her other injuries healing one by one until she was in perfectly fine health.

There were still blood streaks down her face and on her dress, but none of them possessed any cleaning magic, to her chagrin. She decided if she ever wished for a power, it would be that. The power to made everything spotless and tidy with minimal effort.

The doctor moved on to Trace next, and Anaisa noticed he breathed more deeply after the treatment was finished. He smiled at her broadly, his eyes searching for any sign of lingering trauma. The doctor moved away to check on the soldier, whose hands were torn bloody and raw from pulling boulders away from the caved-in room.

“Are you all right?” Trace whispered, reaching to pull Anaisa into a hug.

The way his shoulders and arms draped around her made her feel safe. Loved. She relaxed against him, almost afraid of the relief she felt inside. She supposed she wouldn’t really feel like it was over until they got home.

Home?

“I’ll be all right,” She nuzzled her head against his chest and sighed. “I’m just having a hard time believing it’s over. That he’s really dead. He can’t hurt anyone anymore… though we still have to contend with Denholm.”

“Denholm’s power isn’t nearly so insidious,” Sanders threw out idly.

Anaisa jumped, unaware the man had been listening to their conversation.

“Denholm has power?” Anaisa blinked at the man.

“Of course he does, you’ve experienced it yourself… though, it can be subtle. He changes physical perception in a limited sense. Can make it seem hotter or colder, brighter or darker. He made your ankle hurt badly so that you had to use him for support after your rather memorable tumble at the ball…”

“Oh!” Anaisa blinked, remembering how she shrugged off several sensations fairly easily as being the heat of hatred, when he likely meant it to feel like passion. The pain had dissipated significantly a short time later, which she had attributed to the doctor’s care, but she supposed in retrospect that it was Denholm’s absence.

Sanders spoke again with a frown. “He’s using his power even now, making the real princess feel cold when she’s not with him, and warm and comfortable in his presence. A rather blunt and clumsy attempt at manipulation. I don’t suppose it will work. He may resort to more drastic measures soon.”

Trace and Anaisa exchanged a look. “He has to be stopped as soon as possible.”