Shadowlands (40 page)

I knew what it was this time and maybe that, along with the Gravol I’d picked up in the drugstore, helped a little, because I thought I was going to be able to raise my own head. There was a new smell, however, a smell of cold, uncooked meat, and a howling, followed by cursing in a language I didn’t quite catch, and the brightness of
gra’if
weapons flashing in the incredible light of a cool dawn. Another lurching, a CRACK! a FLASH! and all was still and dark.

At first I thought I’d passed out again, but except for the queasiness in my stomach and the feeling that I was off balance, I seemed to be conscious. I’d heard voices in there somewhere, whispering and urgent, but everything was quiet now. I sat up and my head wobbled. I tried holding it still using both hands, with only marginal success. There were stars overhead. More stars than I had ever seen before in my life. I swallowed and brought my eyes down again, blinking. I wasn’t sure whether looking up made my stomach feel better or worse. Still, the Gravol was clearly starting to work. I looked around, trying to move only my eyes, afraid to turn my head. It was another one of those stone rings that reminded me of Stonehenge, or maybe the same one I’d seen before. Great rectangular stones, as big as buildings, set on their ends, with their tops silhouetted against the stars.

Though the temperature was comfortable, the whole place had that kind of sharp beauty that somehow made it feel cold. At least, it would have been beautiful, if only it would hold still, and if I didn’t feel as though I was going to be sick again.

“Is this the sickness you spoke of? You were not bitten?” Wolf was kneeling beside me. The moonlight was strong enough that I could make out the colors of his clothes. Black jeans, dark red shirt, silvery tweed jacket. “Are you certain you do not require a Healer?”

“A Healer’s not going to help. At least—” I paused to inhale, trying to keep my breathing slow, full, and steady. No need to add hyperventilation to everything else. The grumble in my stomach subsided without turning into a muscle spasm. “At least I’m assuming that if the High Prince can’t do anything for me, no one else can. Is there any water?” I normally had a bottle of water in my shoulder bag, but I’d taken it out to refill it, and left it chilling in the fridge. “I’ll have to take more of those motion-sickness pills if I’m going to stave off the worst of it.”

“We will have to leave the Ring for water, but we would need to do that in any case. You say the High Prince did not Heal you?”

I had to let him help me to my feet, even though it meant I would be touching him. There was just no way my balance would be good enough without his help. I was relieved to see that I wasn’t being made worse by the contact, since I had to keep holding on to his arm as we made our way out of the Ring. Either the stones were much closer than they appeared, or whatever it was that bothered me here in the Lands also distorted my sense of spatial dimensions. It seemed that we only took a few steps and we were outside the Ring, standing in brilliant sunshine.

All the while I was getting a running commentary of things from Wolf, almost like the teleprompter that runs along the bottom of the screen on news channels. His feelings were running so hot that I almost couldn’t make sense of anything [rage well pushed down but threatening to erupt; the pleasure the others had felt in killing his Pack mates/the vicious predators]. A Hound had come through the Portal with us and been killed by Wild Riders. [Who had it been? Which one?] It wasn’t Fox, he was sure of that [but someone he could have saved, given the chance; guilt; relief]. The
dra’aj
it had eaten would be returned to the Lands.

Wolf led me to a nearby grouping of rocks and helped me lower myself onto one that was covered with moss. As soon as he let go of me, I could hear the burbling of water and realized the rocks were on the banks of a stream. Or maybe it was a brook, I know the terminology has something to do with size, but that’s all I know. The air was warm, with a light breeze, and this had to be the most peaceful place I’d ever been in. I took a good grip with my left hand on the edge of the rock I was sitting on, and with my right hand on a rock about shoulder height next to me.

“Okay,” I said, swallowing. Was I imagining it, or was I actually feeling better?

Wolf turned away and knelt next to the stream. His human clothes were changed now, and he was wearing what looked like silver suede trousers tucked into black boots that came halfway up his calves. What had been a red shirt had changed into a sleeveless tunic worn over a black shirt, long-sleeved, but with wide cuffs held in place by
gra’if
wristbands. The tunic was belted with a web of black leather, from which hung his sword, a long dagger, and a small pouch about twice the size of those folding coin purses everyone has now.

I couldn’t be sure, but I thought that Wolf was speaking to the water.
A Natural,
I thought. There might be a Sprite or Nymph living in the stream. Wolf dipped both his hands in as if he was scooping up water for himself. I fumbled the pill bottle out of my bag one-handed. I still needed the other to hold on with. Did he have something to bring me water in? The thought of bending over the stream myself brought on an attack of vertigo so strong I had to shut my eyes and hold on to the rocks again.

“Valory?”

I forced my eyes to open and found Wolf standing over me. He appeared to be holding a shallow crystal cup between his two hands—crystal so perfect, and so clear, it was hard to see where glass ended and water began. I reached to take it from him, but he shook his head slightly and I realized he was right, I would probably drop it.

I put about eight more Gravol in my mouth and leaned forward so Wolf could bring the cup to my lips. He somehow managed to hold it so that I could drink from it without awkwardness, exactly as easily as if I were holding the cup myself.
Definitely not human,
I thought. As if I needed any more proof.

I lifted my head and he dropped his hands. I gasped and shot my own hands out, only to have nothing fall. The cup had disappeared.

“That’s handy,” I said, after I was sure the movement wasn’t going to bring the water back up, pills and all. “Will it come back when you need it again?”

“Will what come back?”

“The cup.”

“Oh, there was no cup,” he smiled, and this time I saw the same unearthly beauty I’d seen in the faces of Alejandro, and Cassandra. I knew I should look away, but I couldn’t. “That was just the form the water took for ease of carrying.”

I swallowed again, my mouth dry, and told my eyes to blink. “You could charge a fortune for that trick in the Shadowlands.” I never thought I’d be glad to be nauseated, but it was the only thing keeping me from just sitting there staring at him forever.

“The magic is not mine, but belongs to Mountain Stream.” He gestured at the water.

Mountain Stream, huh?
I would have rolled my eyes if I could. Some parents have
no
imagination.

“Is it appropriate for me to thank her?”

“It is a him in this case, but yes.”

I don’t know where I got the idea that all Water Sprites would be female. After all, I’d only met one, and that doesn’t make for a statistical universe.

“Thank you for the drink,” I said, feeling a little foolish now, since I seemed to be addressing nothing whatsoever. “It was much appreciated.” I gasped and jerked backward when a slap of water formed and dissolved in front of me, but without splashing me at all.

“He acknowledges your thanks, and invites you to drink again should you require it.” Wolf studied my face. “Are you well now? Your color seems to be improving.”

I moved my head slowly from side to side. My stomach stayed still. Though I wouldn’t know anything for sure until I stood up. “Where to now?”

“Across the Moor of Ravens, beyond the Sea of
Ma’arban
. That is where Ice Tor dwells.” His ash-gray eyes narrowed. “Is that not what you said?”

“So that’s the Quartz Ring?” I managed to point toward the standing stones I could still see nearby without lifting my hand.

His perfect sloe-black eyebrows drew together. I blinked and this time managed to look away.

“Were you not still conscious then when we came through the Portal? We brought a Hound and two Riders with us, and while the Portal Guards dealt with them, we came here, and Moon went to her sister to report our plans.”

“Right.” That explained all the noise and commotion I thought I remembered. “We should get moving, then.” I hoped I sounded more resolute than I felt. “I won’t get better, and there’s only so much the drugs will do for me.”

Wolf crouched down on his heels and took my hand. His fingers felt cool, and I wondered if that was his natural temperature or whether I was running a fever. “I will take you back if you wish it. You warned us, but I did not realize how ill you would become.”

I had to wonder just how bad I looked. “This is the only solution we have,” I reminded him. “The only one that helps the Hunt,
and
the Outsiders. The only clean ending for you and your brother.”

Wolf searched my face with his eyes. I tried to smile, decided in the last minute to clench my jaw instead. No telling how ghastly the smile might have been. Finally, Wolf nodded and straightened to his feet, laying my hand back in my lap.

“Mountain Stream tells me that there is a hostel along his upper banks. We should go there first.” He gestured at my linen dress. “We must find you some clothing better suited for a journey, and shoes.”

I looked down at my creased clothing, which closely resembled sheets that had been slept on for a week. And as for my shoes, the less said about their usefulness on this rocky ground, the better. I kicked them off; I was better barefoot, if we didn’t have far to go. I braced myself, taking a good grip on my rocks. Wolf put out his hands, but I shook my head—carefully, so as not to upset my balance.

“Better not,” I said. “In fact, can you ask that tree over there if it would spare me a walking stick?”

I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when he did.

With the disappearance of three of their number through the Portal, the attackers began to draw off, and Alejandro breathed more easily. He and Nighthawk were still outnumbered, but the Portal was near, and
gra’if
was a terrible thing to face. He thought he knew which of these Riders had been the one talking to Wolf when he’d arrived, and when he saw that one taking advantage of the confusion to make his solitary way through the crowd of screaming humans, he gave chase.

He slowed, cursing, as he entered the food court. He saw nothing that could be his quarry, not even any sign of disruption or confusion among the people lining up for food and heading for exits. People who were now looking at him sideways, and giving him plenty of room. Alejandro grimaced and lowered his sword, sliding it back into the body of the cane he carried in his left hand. He smiled and nodded at the people nearest him, and was not at all surprised when many smiled and nodded in return. They likely thought he was part of a movie shoot and had become lost.

Alejandro took two deep, slow breaths. His heart was hammering in a way it had not done in many years—if ever. Perhaps it was just as well the other had escaped. He walked more slowly through the court, searching now not just for the Rider he’d been following, but for any sign of the type of disturbance he’d caused himself.

Had it, after all, been a Rider that he had seen? And had that Rider simply Moved when the opportunity presented itself?

He took a final look around before turning back. There was nothing to see here, and if the immediate threat was over, he had to go after Valory as quickly as he could.

Besides, he had left Hawk alone with the chaos in the departure lounge long enough. Almost before he had completed his turn, there was a SNAP! of displaced air and his arms were pinned at his sides, seized in firm, painful grips, as a Rider materialized on each side of him.

“No noise,” the Sunward one on the right said. “Come quietly and you’ll have nothing to fear. We only want to talk.”

“Any nonsense, and we’ll Fade you right here.”

Alejandro did not even bother to turn his head to see the Ward of the other Rider. “On which end of the leash are you?” he asked, pulling his lips back off his teeth as far as they would go.

“Never you mind. You come with us, and no tricks.”

There was no point in arguing further, nor any to resisting, the grip on his arms was so tight. Even Moving would have bought him very little else but time, since they would all three Move together. He might as well see who, or what, wished to speak with him. It was not as though there could be a Signed room waiting for him. If none of these even bore
gra’if
, they could not have such a thing.

He could always Move later, if it seemed they would like to kill him.

They took him into one of the stairwells in the Go Bus section of the station. This one looked to be under construction, with new boarding blocking it off from the main concourse.

“Your light doesn’t shine very brightly, Old One.” This from a Moonward Rider sitting on an upper step.