Destiny's Rift (Broken Well Trilogy) (25 page)

The Mireform managed to look uncertain for a moment, and Bel wondered if his argument, made in near-hysteria, had actually worked.

‘Good try,’ the creature said, and once again its maw descended.

‘Stop,’ said Gellan.

‘
Stop?
’ one of the others chuckled wetly. ‘No, little mage. We think not.’

Gellan sighed. ‘I guess I can’t let this go on any longer.’

•

Losara dropped his disguise. The mage Gellan, whose real body lay buried many weeks behind them, disappeared. Everyone but Fazel stared at him in shock. Eldew paused on the brink of decapitating Jaya, his spittle dripping on her as his massive open mouth took on an expression of surprise.

‘Lord Shadowdreamer!’

‘I am disappointed in you, Eldew,’ said Losara. ‘This,’ he waved around at the village, ‘was not part of your orders.’

‘We did not deviate from the course you gave us,’ said Eldew. ‘Why not dispatch enemies of Fenvarrow if we find them in our way?’

‘Peasants,’ said Losara. ‘Farmers. We had no cause to fear them.’

‘But they could be made to pick up swords, pitchforks, stand against us in the coming battles.’

‘We killed the dragon,’ added Ectid, almost whining.

‘True,’ said Losara. ‘In that you did well.’

He turned to his counterpart, and was taken aback by the cold, livid hatred he saw in Bel’s eyes.

•

He’s here
, thought Bel.
He’s been with us for . . . since when? Was he Gellan from the start?

‘How long?’ he said, his voice tense.

‘Remember when you awoke to Gellan’s cry in the night?’ said Losara.

Bel glowered darkly in answer. So there had been a real Gellan, but that man had not been with them for some time. Murdered on the trail, back near the beginning. They had only known him for a few days.

‘But . . .’ he said. ‘You cast a light spell, in the wood . . .’ It seemed a strange thing to focus on, and even as he said the words, he wished he could take them back. He had been tricked many times in these last days, that was plain enough, and the details seemed less important than the act itself. His greatest enemy had been in their midst for weeks, and he had not realised.

Fazel
, came a thought. Yes – Fazel had been under Losara’s command for most of this time. Now springing into his mind came Fazel’s explanation of why they had journeyed towards Valdurn the long way, through Crystalweb. All lies, all artifice. Tactics of the shadow.

‘Let Jaya go,’ he said. ‘Let them all go.’

Losara smiled wanly at him, then nodded at the Mireforms. ‘Do as he says.’

‘But Shadowdreamer –’ began Eldew.

‘You have sworn to serve me,’ said Losara, ‘so do what I command.’

Uncertainly, reluctantly, the tendrils that held Jaya to Eldew wound away, receding into him. Unrestrained, she collapsed from his chest to the ground, shaking. Bel came forward to grab her by the shoulders, and dragged her away from the hulking monster. The Mireforms holding M’Meska and Hiza seemed equally unsure, but Eldew gurgled at them and they obeyed. Hiza half-crawled, half-stumbled away, while M’Meska sprang snarling to her feet, with apparently little injured but her pride.

Bel realised he was holding Jaya more tightly than was comfortable for her and forced himself to ease his grip. He was disgusted with himself for having let her come so close to harm. He tried to wipe some of the slime off her face, but his hand was too unsteady. What was he shaking with? Rage? Losara may have saved Jaya, but he had also been the one who put her in danger.

Bel stood, bristling to do something, ready to lash out. He noticed M’Meska raising a bow towards his counterpart and shook his head at her, though it galled him. Confused, she lowered her weapon.

Losara, for the moment, seemed to be ignoring him.

‘Off you go,’ he was telling the Mireforms. ‘Back to Fenvarrow, please.’

‘Lord Shadowhand,’ said Eldew, ‘do you not wish us to complete our task? We can take the Stone!’

‘I don’t need your help for that,’ said Losara.

Bel felt his hand creep into his pocket and close around the chain and the Stone.

‘I thank you for certain facets of your expedition,’ Losara continued, ‘though I should have been clearer about your parameters. It was a mistake to use agents I could not find when I needed to. Thus I declare, on your way home, kill no innocents.’

‘What are innocents?’ said Eldew, his tone sounding as though he was genuinely asking. Losara thought about the question but seemed to struggle finding an answer.

‘Anyone who isn’t a soldier,’ he sighed. ‘Or a mage.’

Eldew nodded. ‘And the other dragon?’

‘Behind us now,’ said Losara. ‘Besides, I do not think Bel will accept you as allies should it arrive. Would you, my friend?’

Bel stared at the Mireforms, itching to attack – but he still had his companions to think of.

‘Get out of my sight before I chop you all to pieces,’ he said. ‘And,’ he added to Losara, ‘we are not friends.’

Losara sighed again. ‘I suppose not. Something
other
than that, perhaps. Mireforms – depart.’

The Mireforms loped away, dispirited, disappearing amongst the huts. As Eldew turned to leave he paused. ‘You are lucky to be obeyed by the Mireform, Shadowhand,’ he said, not facing Losara. ‘There are none before you we would tolerate speaking to us as you have.’

‘Why do you then?’ shouted Bel suddenly, looking for any outlet for his fury.

Eldew chuckled. ‘Have you not seen his eyes, boy?’

The Mireform moved on.

Maybe one day we will meet again
, thought Bel. Certainly, at that moment, he hoped so. He wanted to make them pay, but now was not the time. Instead he returned his gaze to Losara, who was considering him curiously.

‘Why?’ Bel spat. ‘Why did you come with us?’

‘To learn,’ said Losara calmly.

‘Why did you save her? You knew they wouldn’t harm me.’

‘I do not wish you ill, Bel,’ Losara said. ‘I do not enjoy causing suffering. Besides,’ and again that fleeting smile crossed his face, ‘if, one day, one of us does indeed become the other, I would not rob him of his great love. I would have to live with that misery too, should you succeed. But,’ he finished, the smile gone, ‘you will not. Now give me the Stone.’

‘Never,’ Bel said, but inside he felt sick. What hope did he have, path or no, against a shadow mage of Losara’s power? He would lose the Stone, and all hope of ever defeating his counterpart.

•

Losara reached out a hand towards Bel, readying his power to grasp the Stone. Now was the time, he supposed, for a rather definitive choice. He stood at destiny’s crossroads – if he took the Stone, he was almost certain he would never be able to use it himself, for no mage of the light would aid his cause. Bel and he would forever stand apart, but what of it? He was doing well on his own, he felt, as a leader, as a lover, as a man. There were the gaps, of course, but he was used to those, for they had been with him as long as he could remember. The fact that parts of him were missing had
become a part of him.

Making up his mind, he channelled power towards Bel. Bel stood waiting, hand in his pocket, where Losara knew he was clasping the Stone. Losara tried to seize it and pull it to him. Bel tensed, his face a mask of frustration and scorn.

Nothing happened.

Losara blinked, surprised. Doubling his output, he sent forth even more grasping force, but as he targeted the Stone it was as if his power was pouring down a hole.

‘You do realise the futility of what you’re attempting?’ said Fazel.

Losara glanced at him.

‘This was how it happened in Whisperwood,’ the mage continued. ‘The Stone absorbed our spells, taking them into itself to combine them to a single purpose.’ He snickered. ‘It’s doing that now, consuming your power, my lord, but without a light mage adding anything to the mix, there is nothing for it to expel.’

Losara frowned – could it be true? Did Bel possess an object that negated his magic?

He brought up his other hand to target Bel himself, to see if he could at least make his counterpart move towards him . . . but the Stone caught up that spell as well, sucked it in, and Bel did not budge.

•

Bel looked between Losara and Fazel, taking in the undead mage’s words . . . and broke into a smile.

‘What’s this?’ he said. ‘Of course!’

He drew the pendant out slowly, savouring the consternation on Losara’s face.

‘This is swallowing up your magic, isn’t it? You can’t cast spells against me, can you?’

A wild joy flared in his heart.

‘I suppose,’ he said, ‘there are still things that
neither
of us has thought of. Something comforting in that, don’t you think?’ He laughed harshly. ‘Seems fair, doesn’t it, shadow worm? I mean, there you are zipping all over the place, going wherever you choose in the blink of an eye, murdering Thrones and being home for breakfast . . . while I have to tramp my every step slowly across the land . . . it was all seeming a little
unbalanced
, wasn’t it? But now,’ he held the Stone out in triumph, dangling it mockingly, ‘I have this.’

Losara dropped his hands, at a loss.

‘You arrogant bastard,’ said Bel. ‘Can’t believe it, can you? Used to things going your way, eh?’ He took a step forward. ‘Want to call back your mud monsters? I will most happily disappoint them also.’

He drew his sword and gave it a swing.

Losara held up a hand again, but this time it was directed towards Jaya, who still slumped, dazed, on the ground.

‘The Stone protects only you,’ he said. ‘Give it to me or Jaya will suffer the consequences.’

‘Consequences?’ Bel almost shouted, startling Losara. ‘What are you talking about, you fool? Do you think I have the memory of an insect? I just saw you save her, and heard your explanation why.’

‘That was before . . .’ began Losara uncertainly.

‘Before you thought you might
actually
have to live with the pain of losing her? Didn’t much like my chances of success, eh? Ha! Your threats grow more meaningless with every word you speak.’

Losara moved his hand towards Hiza, blue ribbons of energy playing through his fingers. ‘Hiza, then,
we
could afford to lose.’

‘How right you are!’ said Bel. ‘Sacrifices must be made if the light is to be victorious. I am sure Hiza would give up his life if it meant averting disaster for all his people. Wouldn’t you, Hiza?’

He twisted around to look at his friend and found Hiza regarding him strangely. Slowly, Hiza nodded.

‘I would.’

I will apologise for my callousness later, my friend
, Bel thought.

‘Of course he would,’ he said aloud. ‘Hiza is but
one man.
You think I’d hand this over,’ he swung the pendant almost in Losara’s face, ‘because of
one man
?’

Losara simply stared at him.

Bel scowled. ‘No? Not going to blast him away for no reason? You are weak, Losara. Look at you, saving your enemies, befriending them for your own amusement –’

‘Not for amusement,’ protested Losara.

‘Only to lose the very thing you came for!’ Bel pointed the sword at him. ‘Look at you – you can’t do anything to me, can you? What’s to stop me . . .’ And he made a stabbing motion.

‘You know you cannot do that,’ said Losara quietly.

‘Oh yes,’ said Bel. ‘But what about your hand? You look like you’ve lost a finger.’

Losara’s eyebrows creased. ‘What of it?’

Bel drew his sword up against himself, ran the tips of his fingers along the blade. He admired the sparkle at the very top, where the sun was catching.

‘I didn’t feel anything when you lost it,’ he said.

And he drove the sword through Losara’s shoulder.

•

Losara stumbled backwards with a cry, caught completely off guard. The sword slid free, leaving behind a rent in his pale flesh. Shadows curled from severed veins.

‘Look at you,’ snarled Bel. ‘To think I ever doubted which of us was the lesser, when you are not even real enough to bleed.’

Losara stared at him, clutching his throbbing shoulder. He was astounded that Bel would do something so petty and spiteful, without purpose other than to inflict pain for the sake of it. He slumped, letting his wounded side fall to shadow, then drew it back to himself. Outwardly he appeared healed, though the wound still ached, tender inside.

‘Ha,’ said Bel. ‘Not even substantial enough to injure. Arkus, you can’t even wear a human wound gracefully for more than a moment.’

‘You have an interesting way of looking at things,’ winced Losara.

He decided there was nothing to gain from remaining. It was time to depart.

‘Fine,’ he said. ‘Keep the Stone, for the moment. You will never be able to use it.’

‘We have Battu,’ said Bel.

‘You have one piece of an enormous puzzle,’ said Losara. ‘So forgive me if I offer no congratulations just yet. Fazel?’

‘Yes,’ said Fazel.

‘Head at once to join the army.’

‘I don’t suppose,’ Bel said to the undead mage, ‘there’s any point me ordering you to stay?’

Fazel shook his head. ‘I wish you could. In my mind, where I am still able to be myself, I will pray for your victory. Yet what hope of that, when the light’s fate rests on the shoulders of such dolts? You were fooled so long, so easily – a man’s entire demeanour changes, yet you suspect nothing. You are so focused on your aims, Blade Bel, you would not see a cart coming to run you down from the side.’

Bel looked stung by Fazel’s bitter tone, from which Losara took small comfort. It could even be that in the undead mage’s words was some good advice.

‘I said at once, Fazel.’

Fazel bowed his head, then turned and sped away, green cloak flaring from his shoulders.

‘You should free him,’ said Bel, despite the mage’s insults. ‘You would, had you any compassion.’

‘Compassion,’ said Losara, raising an eyebrow. ‘A strange quality for one who enjoys his killing so much to advocate. As for now, I’ll take my leave. It has been good to travel with you all, though likely you’ll not say the same of me. Stay safe.’ He eyed Bel. ‘And you especially. Farewell, for now.’