Mistress of the Night (34 page)

The man's eyes were wide. Keph realized what he must look like—but then again, he'd come home more than once looking much worse. He forced back a grimace and feigned a lazy, drunken sneer.

"I was asleep in the parlor until all the racket happened." He strutted across the hall and turned up the staircase. "If anyone asks, do me a favor and tell them you haven't seen me."

The underbutler swallowed and said, "Sir, your father did leave instructions for all of us—the next time we saw you, we were to tell you that he would like to have a word with you at your convenience."

"Did he?" Keph turned to look back at the servant. An angry retort started to roll off his lips out of pure habit. "Well, you can tell the old man that—" he caught himself and bit his tongue—"you can tell him that I send him my respect."

"Sir?"

"You heard me," Keph growled. "Now don't you have something to do? Be about your duties!"

Keph leaped up the stairs two at a time without looking back. It would look strange if he were to turn down the north hall toward Strasus's study. At the top of the stairs, he turned south instead, toward the family quarters. As soon as he was out of sight of the stairs, however, he stopped and sagged against the wall. Too close, he thought. That was all too close. He closed his eyes for a moment. His limbs were shaking and weak after his run, but he couldn't stop yet.

Forcing his eyes open, he creeped back out to the end of the corridor and looked down over the entrance hall. The underbutler was gone. Keph darted across to the north corridor. Once again, wards brushed against him like spiderwebs as he passed under the archway. He shuddered at their touch.

The floor outside Roderio's laboratory was still stained. Keph looked away and hurried on down the corridor's length, passing other doors: Malia's laboratory, shared with Krin; Dagnalla's workroom; the arcane library shared by all of the wizards; and at the end of the hall, Strasus's study. Keph stopped in front of the study door. When was the last time he'd entered the study? Years ago. Had he ever tried to enter when Strasus wasn't there? He couldn't recall. He didn't think so. But Roderio and Malia did it all the time. Taking a deep breath, he reached down and squeezed the door's ornate latch.

It was locked by a plain mechanical lock. He could feel

the metal bolt clicking and pulling with each squeeze of the latch. Keph's lips twitched. So much panic, only to be stopped by a humble lock? He groaned and slapped at the wood of the door in frustration.

Something seemed to crawl across his hand. The latch appeared to shift slightly.

Keph started, pulling his hand away. The crawling sensation vanished and the latch stiffened once more. He frowned at the wood, then slowly pressed his hand back against it. The strange sensation returned, playing over his hand like a dog snuffling at his scent. Keph's breath hissed. He kept his hand in place. Another ward? The answer came in a heartbeat as the latch gave way to his grasp. The crawling sensation disappeared.

It couldn't be that easy, could it? Cautious, Keph pushed open the door.

On a perch just inside the study, a strange bird croaked and stirred, turning its head to look at him.

He froze. It was no bird. Its feathers were burnished copper, its head and wings cast to resemble a stylized hawk. Its eyes were fashioned from chips of sapphire— exactly the same glittering blue as the sapphire that decorated Quick's hilt.

The copper hawk had something else in common with Quick, too. Still staring at Keph, it rattled its wings. Sparks flashed between the thin metal plates of its feathers.

"Oh, Beshaba's ivory arms," Keph cursed.

-Ž- -&

The stone, mortar, and wood of Moonshadow Hall tickled at Feena as she rose slowly up through the temple's structure. For a long moment, it seemed as if she were everywhere within the old walls all at once. She stood among frightened novices as elderly priestesses tried to calm them in spite of being terrified themselves. She stood within the gates as younger priestesses and priests gripped maces in preparation for battle. She stood above

the gates as acolytes rang alarm bells to alert the city guard to danger. She passed through the infirmary where Chandri spoke desperate prayers of healing over Mifano. She passed through the archives, through dusty storerooms, and through the cold vaults and crypts that lay beneath the temple.

And as soon as she wondered at the wash of impressions and the miraculous vision, she realized what was happening.

Moonmaiden's grace, she cursed, I'm dead!

"Feena! Feena!"

Julith's voice. Where was she? Feena tried to call out, to turn around and find the younger priestess. There wasn't time. Suddenly, irresistibly, she was outside of Moonshadow Hall and gazing down upon it.

Clergy crawled around the ring of the temple roof. Moonshadow Hall had known nothing but peace for generations, but abruptly Feena could see that it had once been intended as a solidly defensible building. The walkway that circled the roof was protected by parapets. Above the false, decorative gates that marked the outer walls, guardhouses stood out, additional protection for defenders. The temple's original windows faced only inward—attackers would have to storm the main gates or climb the high, smooth walls to gain entrance.

At least they would have centuries ago. Generations of alterations had weakened Selune's temple. The wall of the kitchen garden looped away from the temple like a bubble. The slope of the winter chapel's roof was a ramp reaching almost to the top of the walls. A bold attacker could cross the gap with a leap. Here and there, windows had been forced through the outer wall. Guardhouses and parapets crumbled in disrepair. Mifano and Velsinore had been the only leaders of Moonshadow Hall to dismiss the Sharran threat, it seemed!

To the west of the temple, she could see the lingering cloud of dark mist that screams had described as she had struggled with Velsinore. A few of Selune's clerics still looked out that way, but more were racing around the

roofs to take positions on the east and south as figures broke from shadows to surge around the temple walls. Feena drew a sharp breath. The mist had been a trick to draw attention from the real attack. On the east the figures had grappling hooks to attack the walls. On the south, outside the gates, they had an easier target: the mob of poor who had gathered to demand a share of the New Moon Beneficence were fleeing or falling before the screaming Sharrans. Selune's priestesses had tried to get some of the poor inside the protection of the temple. Now they struggled to close the gates against the rush of Sharrans!

There were more than just humans among the cultists, too. Feena could see some kind of beasts loping alongside them. Wolves? No, huge dogs—but not natural animals at all. Creatures summoned by dark magic. Feena growled under her breath. Cyrume, the cultist in the Stiltways— had his body been ravaged by one of those beasts in order to frame her? She struggled to turn her head, trying to see more.

Shadows crawled up the roof of the winter chapel toward the top of the walls. The Sharrans had found Moonshadow Hall's weakness. Feena tried to call out a warning to Selune's defenders.

Nothing happened. She couldn't speak. She couldn't move. She just kept rising, higher and higher above Moonshadow Hall, up toward a full moon that hung bigger, brighter, and more beautiful than any she had ever seen in her life.

A blue-haired woman stood in the air before her, soft wings beating slowly at her back, arms outstretched in welcome though her eyes seemed to hold immeasurable sorrow. Feena recognized her from legends and from the tall relief that stood against Moonshadow Hall's pale walls—one of the seven Shards, Selune's greatest servants. The Shard smiled softly, sadly, and beckoned to her.

Fear sharper than pain stabbed through Feena.

No, she whimpered silently. No, I can't. I won't. I'm needed!

"Feena! Feena!" Julith's voice called again, growing distant.

Closer—much closer—there was a growl. A chorus of growls, like a pack of wolves at her back.

No, like a Pact. Feena was aware of Niree Swifthands's lean gray form to one side of her and Rade's black bulk to the other. More animal voices rose behind her. Tyver Thorndrove's human voice rang out in triumph above them all.

"She denies death, Shard! There is still hope. She denies death!"

The Shard's beckoning gestured slowed, then stopped. Her arm fell back to her side and her eyes... her eyes shone with joy.

She faded from the sky and the glorious full moon faded along with her. Darkness fell.

A darkness that surged with whispers. Feena stared into it. Selune's warning? That couldn't be right. The New Moon Heresy was dead once more, killed along with Velsinore. The New Moon Pact had been rediscovered. What more was there?

She found her voice and called, "Tyver!"

The Peacemaker was crouched in front of her. "Feena! Feena, listen to me! The Pact—"

"The darkness, Tyver!" Feena screamed at him "What is it? I still don't understand what Selune wants of me!"

"There are things that should not be understood. There are things that must not be spoken. When the time comes, you'll know what to do," Tyver said, then he reached down and grasped her shoulders. "Feena, if you would deny death for Selune's service, enter the Pact!"

"Tyver, J don't-"

"The Pact, Feena!" Tyver shook her hard. "Enter the waters of the moon—" "Feena! "shouted Julith.

Feena coughed. Blood sprayed out of her throat and she gulped air. Close by, Julith gasped. Feena groaned and opened her eyes. She was still on the floor of the kitchen, though Julith had her sitting up, her hands on

Feena's shoulders. The young priestess's symbol of Selune dangled around her neck. Feena could feel the fading remnants of healing magic coursing through her body-but too little and very nearly too late. Blood had spread in a pool around her. Her head felt light.

She didn't have long. She could feel it.

"Oh, Feena," Julith said. "What did Velsinore do to you?"

"The attack?" slurred Feena. Speaking hurt. "What's happening?"

"We're holding the Sharrans off," said Julith, "but just barely. They tried to climb the winter chapel and—"

"I know." She shook her head at Julith's look of amazement. "You stopped them?" Julith nodded and Feena grunted. "Good. The book of the New Moon Pact. Where is it?"

"I—" Under smears of blood, Julith's face went pale. "I dropped it in the courtyard!"

Enter the waters of the moon—Selune's sacred pool.

"Take me there." She got a hand onto Julith's shoulder and tried to stand. The effort sent a wave of pain through her. Julith hissed and caught her as she fell backward.

"You need more healing than I can give you," Julith said. "We need to get you to—"

Feena opened her mouth and spat out more blood. "Get me to the courtyard!" she choked.

------ --- -<§>-

"Nice bird," said Keph. "Pretty bird."

The copper falcon cocked its head. Keph stretched out a hand as if the wondrous construct might somehow catch his scent. Why not? It worked for the stone dogs at the door of Fourstaves House. It had seemed to work with the creeping ward on the study door. He held his breath, praying that his luck would hold out and that the falcon would let him pass as well.

The metal bird leaned forward. Keph stepped through

the door and into the study, moving a little closer. "Good bird," he murmured. "Good bird..."

Whether he had moved too close or too fast, he couldn't tell, but the bird pulled back, its wings spread wide. Keph could see the blue sparks that danced along them and his nose caught the sharp smell of lightning. He froze but the bird didn't relax. He stretched his hand out a little farther.

The bird's wings snapped down and its body stiffened as its hooked beak opened and vomited a thin, crackling stream of lightning at him. Keph felt the energy crack into his outstretched fingertips and writhe up his arm. He snatched his burning hand back with a yelp, shaking it against the sudden sharp pain.

"Ow! Beshaba's-"

The copper falcon stiffened again, wings out then down. Keph danced aside just in time as lightning arced down to the floor where he'd been standing. The falcon's head swiveled, following him. Its wings pumped again. Keph stifled a curse and dodged back. Another stream of lightning crackled across the study, then another.

A long arc caught his leg. Keph choked on another yelp and hopped frantically. He needed cover against the metal guardian, but unfortunately there was none. Strasus's study was open, with bookshelves back against the walls and three tall tables too high to hide behind and too solid to consider tipping over—if he'd been able to reach them. The falcon spat its lightning with disturbing efficiency, keeping him boxed in by the door as if to give him the option of retreat.

Except that retreat wasn't an option. At least not yet. He needed the slate tiles. If he could find them, maybe he could get past the falcon, grab them, and get out again. Keph scanned the tables and shelves as more lightning - chased him back across the room. Books, strange figures, talismans, fetishes from distant lands, scrolls, a pile of crumbling leather, a rust-eaten sword, a heap of odd coins...

Coins. The conversation he'd overheard around the

breakfast table came back to him. Krin had described coins that had been found with the tiles. On the same table as the coins, the ancient leather, and the rusty sword, a big piece of gray silk covered something flat and thick.

The tiles?

Keph clenched his teeth and hurled himself toward the table, straight past the copper falcon's perch.

The bird let out a screech and flung its wings wide. Lightning flashed in a crackling burst that seemed to hit Keph from every angle at once, lifting him off his feet even as it knocked him across the floor to crash into tall stools set before one of the other tables. Brilliant flashes lit his vision—for a moment it seemed as if he couldn't close his eyes. His hair stood on end. The sweat that had soaked his clothes puffed away into rank steam.

The falcon's eyes, glowing bright blue, were fixed on him. Keph ground his teeth. He couldn't hide from the bird. He couldn't get past it. How was he supposed to deal with something that was faster than he was?