Shade and Sorceress (24 page)

“He’s
nay
dead,” said Nell, taking Eliza’s hand. “You’ve
got
to help us.”

“I willnay just give up on him,” added Eliza once she had regained control of her voice. “I cannay. I’m begging you to just summon the Triumvira and let me ask them myself.”

Swarn stood up. “I will not go to the Hall of the Ancients with you. I will not summon the Triumvira. I will not do any Magic whatsoever to help you. I will take you clear of this Marsh. That is all.”

After a brief internal struggle, Eliza nodded. She could see Swarn was not persuadable. Even if she just took them partway, it was still better than where they’d been yesterday.

“I will be asking payment too,” said Swarn. “One of your treasures. Your choice.”

“The barrier star,” said Eliza immediately. It had served its purpose already.

“Well, then,” said Swarn. “It seems we’ve come to an agreement, little Sorceress.”

“What about Charlie?” said Eliza.

Swarn frowned. “No good comes of trusting those things,” she said. “This is not the first time I have met a Shade, and once you have been betrayed, you learn the way of them. It is best that he perish.”

“He’s our friend,” Eliza insisted, and Nell added, “Kind of.”

“He works for her,” said Swarn sharply. “I am sure of it.”

Eliza shook her head. “I know he does. I cannay explain, but I trust him.”

Swarn gave her a long look and then said, “I do not kill for pleasure. If you wish his company, you may have it.”

“Thank you,” said Eliza gratefully.

“Do not thank me,” said Swarn, with a sudden flash of anger. Then she shrugged and said, “There is a bucket of water and some rags by the door. Your bag is with them. Wash yourselves and change.”

The water in the bucket was cold, but they were both grateful to get clean and change out of their muddy things into the clean clothes Eliza had packed. Eliza wadded their dirty things into the satchel, as it seemed impolite to leave them behind. When they were ready, Swarn looked them over.

“You look even younger clean,” she said grimly. Then she handed Eliza a long, curved dragon claw on a chain. “I will honour one part of that promise I made your mother. This is from the dragon she slew. If you wear it, dragons will obey you. A dragon claw can never be stolen, it can only be given, and only if the desire to give it is pure and true. It cannot be tricked or coerced or enchanted from you. Because it is from a cliff dragon, it will cut through anything, material or mystical.”

Eliza took the claw from the witch with trembling hands and hung it around her neck. It was very heavy and extended from her collarbone to her waist. Swarn tossed Eliza her staff and she caught it awkwardly.

“What about the Book of Barriers?” she asked.

Swarn hesitated and then gave it to her. “I am not a thief,” she said. Eliza put it into her satchel.

Swarn bent and untied the string around Charlie the bird’s ankle, letting him flutter in a fright to Eliza’s shoulder.

“He will stay a bird until you clear the marsh,” Swarn said. “I want no trouble from that sort. If ever he comes back here, I’ll grind his very bones to powder. Now come, before I change my mind.”

Swarn caught up one of the red spears and strode out of the house, tilting her head back and crying out in the terrible language of the dragons. Soon three dark shapes were soaring through the sky towards them. The dragons were as rust-red as the spear, monstrous, with black leathery wings. They stank of sulfur and marsh. The largest of the three bowed his head before Swarn. She took hold of the great black spikes on his neck and, bracing one foot against the dark scales, swung herself over effortlessly so she sat astride his upper back, in front of the vast wings.

Trying not to show their trepidation, Nell and Eliza followed suit, each taking one of the smaller dragons. Eliza saw the dragon’s bright eyes flit to the claw around her neck. They did not manage to climb up as easily as Swarn had, but as soon as they were seated and hanging on tightly the dragons took to the air. The little bird had hidden itself in Eliza’s satchel. It would never have been able to keep up with the speed of the dragons, who pounded their great wings and soared over the marsh. Swarn sat erect, white hair streaming out behind her, gripping her red spear and looking very splendid. Eliza and Nell hunched low on their dragon-steeds, holding on tight and praying to the Ancients not to let them fall. They did not fly directly north, to the Irahok mountains, but rather northwest. The land became green and speckled with live trees and the craggy snow-capped mountains loomed just beyond the rolling foothills. The dragons set them down on a hill not far from the marsh. In the valley below was a gated, shining city, all white and gold.

“Do you see that city?” Swarn asked.

“Aye,” said Eliza, sliding awkwardly to the ground. Nell had just landed with an ungainly grunt.

“Good.” Swarn nodded firmly. “Go there.”

Eliza began to say thank you but Swarn stopped her with a glare and took firm hold of the dragon’s neck spikes again, readying to depart.

“Wait!” cried Eliza. This strange witch, if she was to be believed, had delivered Eliza as a baby, had offered to raise her, had been a friend and mentor to the mother she never knew. She was a link to the part of Eliza’s life that was a mystery and now she was about to disappear without providing any answers. Swarn sucked in her cheeks impatiently and scowled down at Eliza.

“Why did my ma want to hide me from the Mancers?” Eliza asked. “What was she so afraid of?”

Swarn’s face darkened slightly. “She had her reasons,” she said. Then she made an alarming screeching sound between her teeth and the dragons were aloft, veering back towards the marsh. Eliza felt a wave of sadness watching her go.

“More close calls than I like in my day,” said Charlie shakily, suddenly standing beside them. He was rather pale. “Thanks for nay leaving me behind.”

“Lah, we’d nay get far without you,” said Eliza. “Do you know where we are?”

“Better off than where we were, aye,” he said. “Praps a day from the Hall of the Ancients, now. Less, even.”

“Swarn said to go down to that city,” said Nell.

“I’m nay keen on following her directions,” said Charlie dryly. “Besides, I’ve nary seen a city like this. I dinnay know what we’ll find living there.”

“Eliza?” Nell looked at her hopefully. She was longing to see a Tian Xia city. “What do you think?”

“We’ll have a look,” decided Eliza. “Just be ready to make a quick escape if we need to, aye.”

“Suits me,” said Charlie. “Come on. We might as well enter the city in style.”

He became a beautiful white horse with a flowing mane. The girls couldn’t help laughing and climbed onto his back. They rode down the hill towards the city.

“What’s that
smell?”
asked Nell, wrinkling her nose as they approached the shining gates. “It
stinks.”

“It really does,” Eliza agreed, feeling suddenly light-headed. Then the stench was replaced by another smell, something sweet and familiar, like honey and sea-water, and the harbour of her beloved Holburg came into view. She was standing on the deck of the boat that came every week from Murda, a neighbouring island, with supplies. She could see her father and Nell and Charlie waiting for her on the shore. The disorientation lasted only a moment. Of course, she was coming home. She couldn’t remember from where, and this bothered her somewhat, but it didn’t matter really. All that mattered was that she would never have to leave again.

~ Chapter 14 ~

As soon as Eliza disembarked
she ran straight into her father’s open arms.

“How wonderful to have you back, Eliza!” he said, kissing her.

“Just in time for the summer holidays, aye,” added her sister, Nell.

“We’ll have a barbecue to celebrate,” suggested Rom Tok. “Will you join us, Charlie?”

“Aye, thanks,” said Charlie, beaming at Eliza. Eliza was pleased and a little flustered at how very happy he seemed to see her. The four of them made their way through the town, past all the old sights and sounds and smells: people chatting outside shops, the odd scooter putt-putting by, the delicious scent of baking bread that wafted out from the bakery, the laughter of children in back gardens. They crossed the town in just a few minutes and took the narrow road that led up the slope towards Rom Tok’s house, which was set apart from the rest of the town because of his beehives. They could hear the buzzing before the break in the trees that opened up onto his land.

“It’s a good year for honey,” Rom Tok said. “And the garden is thriving, as you can see.”

“How long have I been away?” asked Eliza, but none of them seemed to hear her. Nell and Charlie rushed ahead towards the house, calling her after them. Her father grinned and said, “Go change into your swimming things. We don’t want to waste a minute of a day like this!”

They filled baskets with food and bottled homemade cider and carried everything down to the beach. The island was so narrow here that it took only five minutes along the trail to the long waving strip of fine white sand on the opposite side of the island from the harbour. Being so close to town, it was the most popular beach on Holburg, but today it was nearly empty.

Rom set up the barbecue, saying, “Why don’t you three have a swim while I get the food on?”

Needing no further prompting they ran shouting into the sea, which was just the right temperature for a warm day. They swam out to the large, flat rocks that rose up out of the water, clambered onto them and lay sunning themselves for a bit before taking turns diving off them. Charlie suggested a contest to see who could stay underwater the longest. The girls laughed – Charlie was always suggesting contests. Eliza won that one easily, seeing Nell and then Charlie go kicking up to the surface before her lungs had even begun to ache.
I don’t need to breathe,
she realized.
I could stay down here forever if I wanted.
She looked around her at the waving weeds and the bright fish who came to look at her, curious and unafraid. If she looked up, she could see Nell’s legs and Charlie’s waving near the surface. She decided to join them and gave herself a push up with her legs. The surface rippled and brightened as it got closer and then broke over her head. For one dizzying moment she thought she saw a large white animal pacing the beach near her father. But no, there was nothing there. She could smell the food cooking.

They splashed ashore and ran, dripping and happy, up the sand to where Rom Tok was barbecuing chicken wings. Along with the chicken, they had cold potato salad and fresh mangoes. Nell gossiped about school friends, coming up with hilariously apt nicknames for their teachers as the tide came in. Rom had started reading a book after lunch but went to sleep with the book over his face. His snoring caused the book to vibrate, which set Nell and Eliza off into uncontrollable giggles. They stayed at the beach making elaborate sandcastles and peopling them with hermit crabs until the sun began to set, then made their way slowly home. They all cooked spaghetti for supper together, and when they were thoroughly full Eliza and Nell sat on the little porch and watched the stars come out.

“Charlie’s glad to have you back, aye,” Nell said pointedly.

“I’m glad to be back too,” said Eliza. She wanted to ask Nell where she had been, but it seemed such a strange question and somehow she was afraid to ask it. After all, she ought to know. She looked at the dark garden and saw an odd shape in among the beds of radishes.

“What’s that in the garden?” she asked Nell.

“There’s nothing in the garden, silly,” said Nell in a bored voice. “Lah, let’s see how many constellations we can name.”

“It looks like a basket or something,” said Eliza, getting up and walking to the edge of the garden. “We shouldnay leave it out overnight.”

She crouched to peer at the thing between the radish leaves. It was not a basket. She reached for it but saw what it was just before her fingers touched it and recoiled with a gasp. It was a rib cage, white bone gleaming softly in the dark. She felt a hand in hers.

“I spec an animal lost its way and died here,” said Charlie softly. “Poor thing.”

“We should bury it,” said Eliza.

“Come inside,” said Charlie, pulling her back towards the house. “I’ll take care of it later, aye.”

Her father and Nell were waiting for them on the porch. Gratefully, Eliza followed Charlie away from the bones, back to the light and the safety of home.

That night she dreamed that she was riding a white tiger through a cold, barren land. The tiger was telling her something very important but when she woke up she couldn’t remember what it had been saying. She told her father about the dream in the morning, and he laughed and mussed her hair, saying, “What an imagination you have, my daughter!” But later, as they were making pancakes, she thought she caught him looking at her strangely.

~

The day passed in a fluid, sun-drenched half-dream. Rom tended to his garden and his bees, while Charlie, Nell and Eliza set off for the south of the island with tools to build a fort in the Lookout Tree. Rom Tok had even found an old pair of binoculars for them, through which they could easily see the town and all its goings-on. They built a few platforms in the tree and took turns leaping off the cliffs and swimming in the cool, clear water. The day was growing late, the light beginning to fade, and the change, when it came, obliterated in an instant all the joy of her inexplicable return.