The Forgotten Way (Champions of the Crystal Book 6)

Chapter 8.1

It was nighttime when she woke again; the infirmary was dimly lit and very quiet. She turned her head slightly to find Ford draped across the armchair by her bed, one foot tapping restlessly on the wall as he scowled at a notepad. She smiled. She had always loved to watch his remarkable mind at work, hoping for a chance to be included in his deliberations and get to stretch her own mind keeping up with him. It was an exhilarating feeling.

Ford let out a dissatisfied huff and leaned his head back against the chair, then turned to look at her, surprised when his gaze met hers. "How long have you been awake?" he asked, sitting upright and putting his feet back on the floor.

"Just a moment," she replied. "I take it not everyone is bending to your will yet?"

He grinned. "Listening to rumors?"

"It's hard not to when everyone is creeping around in terror of the Pirate King."

That made him laugh. "All an act, I assure you. Besides, I notice you show no signs of terror."

"Hey, I've been terrorized by professionals," she said.

Ford made a face. "No more of that."

"Good. I could use a break." She looked at him for a long moment, remembering the other version of him. Something that had been taking shape in the back of her mind occurred to her. "When were you going to tell me about the link?"

Ford sank down in his chair, looking chagrined. "To tell you the truth, I was hoping for never."

"Even after this?"

"I had some idea that your memories were a little confused. Or that you weren't listening to him that closely."

Sabrina took a moment to make sure her voice would be steady. "The man sacrificed his existence so that I might live. I listened to every word he said. It did take me some time to decide that there was only one explanation as to how he could have lived my death—that he wasn't speaking metaphorically. When I thought back, it did explain some things. Your excellent timing in showing up to chat when I have a nightmare, for instance."

"Against all my better judgment, it turns out that I cannot ignore your suffering," he grumbled, folding his arms. He looked like a little boy anticipating a sound and well-deserved scolding, she thought.

"When did you reinitiate it?"

"I didn't."

"Ford."

"No, Sabrina, shard it, I'm not going to lie to you about this. I didn't reinstate the link because it was never broken."

"All that work in Giandrah—"

"I know. And I admit that when I left I thought it had been broken. It wasn't until I saw you again on Meskath that I realized they hadn't been completely successful." He closed his eyes and leaned his head back again. "I can't explain it to you; I don't entirely understand it myself. I remember hanging onto it, not wanting to give you up. But I didn't think it was possible for me to resist the Crystal and the will of the Guardian, at least not to that extent. I wasn't aware that Mother was unsure of how successful she'd been until you told me she had warned you."

"And it didn't occur to you that was a perfect opportunity to fess up?"

Ford's expression twisted angrily. "What possible incentive could I have for doing that? There's obviously nothing to be done about it. Telling you would just have sentenced me to more penance in Giandrah, not to mention you avoiding me for the rest of your life. You've made it quite clear on numerous occasions that the very thought repels you. I thought I could just keep quiet about it and you would never have to know."