Read Dark Dreams for Free Online Page B

temples. ‘Alive, yes... but her life force flickers like a candle drowning in its own wax.’ She frowned at the father. ‘Didn’t the midwife deal with the afterbirth?’
    ‘She did, but... You must call on the Parakletos to escort Larassa’s soul through death’s shadow. I have heard how mothers who die in childbirth refuse to be parted –’
    Imoshen hissed, pressing the baby closer.
    ‘T’Imoshen. I beg you.’ The cooper fell on one knee. Taking her left hand, he kissed her sixth finger. ‘You are pure T’En. The Parakletos will listen to your voice above all others. You must do this. Please.’
    Imoshen closed her eyes. For an instant Tulkhan thought she would refuse. Then she took a deep breath and looked down at the man. ‘Prepare Larassa. Place her on your bonding bed while I watch over your daughter.’
    Tulkhan would have helped the man, but Imoshen drew him aside.
    ‘None but a blood relative or bond-partner must touch the dead one’s body. Come.’ She studied the baby. ‘We are lucky the babe still lives. The mother has been dead long enough for her skin to go cold.’ She sniffed the air, her eyes narrowing. ‘But her soul still lingers.’
    Tulkhan shuddered. ‘I don’t understand. How could the dead mother take the baby? Who are the Parakletos?’
    ‘Guides between this world and death’s realm. When the priest says the words for the dead, the Parakletos answer her summons, escorting the soul through death’s shadow. I have never sensed the Parakletos myself, but the danger to this baby is very real. New life is always fragile.’ She frowned on the silent infant. ‘Considering how the mother died, this little one would be vulnerable even with the proper words over the afterbirth.’
    ‘I still don’t understand.’
    ‘How could you? As a trained midwife I learned how the soul of the baby is formed in the afterbirth, just as the babe’s life force is housed in the growing body. At birth the soul transfers to the baby’s body, animating the life force. The proper words must be said and the afterbirth disposed of safely to ensure the baby’s soul is securely bound.’
    ‘But my people don’t...’ Tulkhan hesitated. A Ghebite man avoided his wives when they were due to give birth.
    ‘How often are Ghebite babies born dead or die unexpectedly? The new soul can drift, leaving the baby alive but its mind unformed. Sometimes this does not happen until the person is grown. Have you seen people whose minds wander, people who kill and have no memory of it? This is what happens if the soul is not properly fixed in the body. This little girl is barely one day old. The bond is fragile and the mother –’
    ‘I am ready. Come quickly.’ The cooper beckoned.
    They ducked their heads to avoid the lintel. Wrapped in a rich cloth, the woman was laid out on the bed. Candles glimmered in the four corners of the room. The single mirror had been covered and the window was opened so as not to impede her soul’s passage.
    ‘My daughter?’ The cooper peered anxiously at the pale little face.
    ‘We must move quickly.’ Imoshen put the baby in his arms. ‘Hold tight to your daughter, fasten her soul and life force with your will. I’m sure Larassa would not wish to kill her baby, but the time immediately after death is very confusing. A soul that has been parted from its body by violent death often lingers for a day or more before beginning its journey through death’s shadow, and this is a tragic death. Larassa will not want to leave you and the child.’ Imoshen gave him a compassionate smile. ‘Remember there is an honoured place in death’s realm for women and babies who die in childbirth, a place alongside warriors who die defending their loved ones.’
    Tulkhan frowned. In Gheeaba fallen warriors had the honour of riding with the great Akha Khan. Priests taught that women did not possess true souls. Once dead, their life force dissipated. They were mourned just as one might mourn the