“Adept power? I’m not-” And then a shout, “Blessed godsl” and it was as if someone grasped Aradia’s arms, pulling them up and away as she tried to plunge the knife into her womb.
“No!” she wailed, struggling. “I must kill her! She’ll kill us all!”
But Pyrrhus and Wicket were on either side of her, prying the knife from her hands.
“She’s been poisoned!” exclaimed Master Clement. “Lilith! Pyrrhus! Decius!”
Healing fire flowed through Aradia’s body, purging her blood. Pyrrhus and Wicket caught her as she collapsed, and laid her on her bed. She fought to remain conscious.
“The baby?” Lilith asked anxiously.
“Unharmed,” said Master Clement. “Someone protected the child while the poison worked on Aradia.
Thank the gods you saw her, Pyrrhus!”
“If Wicket hadn’t said I-“Pyrrhus went pale, and put his hands over his face. “I was protecting the child!” He lowered his hands, eyes burning. “Someone used me. Clement-”
“Portia,” Aradia and Master Clement said with the same voice.
“In Aradia’s baby?” exclaimed Lilith.
“Yes!” said Aradia. “Kill her, Lilith! Use your powers- kill her now!”
“No, Lilith!” Master Clement ordered.
“Why?” Pyrrhus’ voice grated with fury as he stepped forward.
“Pyrrhus, please,” begged Aradia. “Kill her!”
“No!” Master Clement said again.
Wicket threw an arm across Pyrrhus’ chest to pull him back, as if his physical strength could affect Adept power.
“Portia is not in the child!” the Master Reader continued. “Wicket-Read with me. Tell Pyrrhus Aradia is wrong!”
“She’s there!” Aradia insisted, tears of weakness sliding down her cheeks. “She’s killing me-can’t you see? Does she control you all?”
“It’s just a baby,” said Wicket. “Pyrrhus, it’s an innocent little girl. Please trust Master Clement. Don’t harm a child!”
“They’re lying!” said Aradia. “She’s fooled them.”
“No!” said Master Clement. “I know Portia. She is here… but she is not in Aradia’s baby.” Suddenly he demanded, “Who poisoned Aradia?” Glancing at the abandoned tray on the chest, he said, “The tea-there is poison in-”
He whirled, scarlet cloak flaring, and Aradia saw Julia behind him.
Lenardo’s daughter had not joined the circle around Aradia’s bed. She looked up at the Master of Masters in round-eyed innocence-but there was something about those eyes.
“Oh, blessed gods!” the girl cried. “She used me, too. She made me poison Aradia!” But there was not a single note of sincerity in the performance.
“That’s not Julia!” Wicket said in a horrified whisper. Why would Portia poison Aradia?” Pyrrhus flung off Wicket’s arm and stalked Julia, who did not back off. “Why did you? I can see you, Portia, even if I can’t Read.” He smiled-the smile Aradia had not seen since he had first come to Zendi, colder than the freeze Portia had brought upon their lands.
Julia’s young face responded with an equally cold smile, her eyes empty of warmth and humanity. “Go ahead, Pyrrhus-kill the daughter of the Lord of the Land. Lenardo is on his way home now. When he arrives, you can explain why you killed me!”
Pyrrhus raised his hands, clenching them into fists- but the gesture was one of frustration, not threat.
“No,” he said. “Not because of what might happen to me, but because of Julia. You almost made me harm one child- but I will not. You will never use me again, Portia!”
He put his hands on her shoulders, staring into those cold, dead eyes. “Julia! Julia-fight her! Master Clement, help Julia.”
“He is,” said Wicket. “So are you, Pyrrhus-Julia’s there! She’s afraid. Come on, Julia:-you can do it!
Fight her off! Portia’s got no right to take over your life! Fight her-”
Cowering in a shadowed corner of her own mind, Julia huddled in terror as Portia controlled her body.
She could hear Pyrrhus and Wicket, but could not respond.
I don’t deserve to live. I got Galerio killed! I tried to kill Aradia and her baby!
“No, Julia-you were used,” Master Clement told her. “Portia played on your strengths and weaknesses, turned your courage against you. Don’t let her do it now, Julia. Fight her-drive her out.”
I cant. I’m evil. I don’t deserve to live.
“Die, Julia!” said Portia, pushing at Julia’s presence.
“Julia!” It was Wicket. “Don’t let that evil woman have your body-remember what she did to people.
To Pyrrhus. She’ll hurt more people if you let her live!”
I can’t fight her- I don’t have the strength.
“Use my strength,” said Master Clement.
“And mine,” said Wicket.
“Mine, too,” added Decius.
Julia rallied, focusing on Portia’s evil. She must not live again! But despite the support from the Readers, she didn’t know how to fight.
Evil laughter mocked her. “You are weak, Julia, lost! Let go now-before I must kill even your consciousness!”
Portia’s poisonous mind pushed blackness at her from all sides. She struggled desperately, but each attempt to push back the void allowed it in from another direction. She was being squeezed into nothingness!
A ray of warmth pierced the void. Like a spring sunbeam, it offered life and hope. She followed, feeling now that it was… love. Master Clement, Lilith, Decius, even Pyrrhus and Wicket were pouring love for her into that void, and buoyed by it she struggled, resisted until she finally felt-
“Father? Father?!”
Her mind leaped eagerly, training on that communion of family, strong and whole and determined.
Before the combined power, Portia fled. Julia’s knees gave way, and Pyrrhus caught her. She opened her eyes. “Where is Father?” she asked.
“On his way,” replied Master Clement. He smiled at her. “Julia, Lenardo is too far away to Read us, even with his great powers. What you felt was not your father’s love. It was your mother’s.”
Tears leaped to Julia’s eyes. She pushed away Pyrrhus’ support, and went to kneel beside the bed, taking Aradia’s hand. “I tried to kill you, and yet you…”
Aradia managed a weak smile. “It wasn’t you, Julia, any more than it was me trying to kill my baby. As soon as I understood what Portia had done, how could I help lending what strength I have?”
“Sleep now, Aradia,” said Lilith.
“Yes,” Aradia agreed, drifting off.
Julia stayed where she was, Reading turmoil among the other Readers.
Pyrrhus said, “Portia won’t give up that easily. Now that she has escaped from the plane of lost souls…”
Master Clement said, “We must find her, prevent her from taking over someone else.”
“I don’t think you’ll have to look very far,” said Wicket.
“What?” asked Master Clement. Then, “She might…”
Pyrrhus stared at Aradia. “Wicket,” he demanded, “Read the baby!”
Julia raised her head with a start. “That’s why she made you protect the baby until she thought she had me! She would have had power right away, because I’m almost grown up. In a baby she would have to wait for her powers to manifest.”
“But an infant has no will to fight her,” said Master Clement.
They Read the baby again, finding nothing but a normal, healthy child almost ready to be born. She slept peacefully in her private ocean, emblem of innocence.
“Too obvious,” observed Master Clement.
The hand Julia held tightened almost imperceptibly, and she perceived a thrill of wicked glee.
Leaping up, she said, “Portia’s in Aradia! She knew we’d Read the baby, so when Aradia went to sleep she entered her mind.”
“She’s been in all our minds,” said Pyrrhus.
“While we slept,” said Lilith. “That is when she implanted her commands-and caused Aradia’s dreams.”