The Elfmaid's Curse (The Elfmaid Trilogy Book 1) (41 page)

            "He's fighting Talar? Who is he? Where are they fighting?"

            "I...I don't know..."

            "Stay put," Ayesha said. "I'll be right there."

            Within seconds a black whirlpool formed to the right of the pentacle. High Mage Ayesha stepped out of the portal. She was tall and quite striking. Her thick waist length hair was snow white, as were all her clothes. She wore leather breeches stuffed into thigh boots and something that looked vaguely like a cross between a gown and a surcoat. What Tyrians would call a battledress. It was high-collared and long-sleeved, and reached almost to the floor, with deep slits on both sides up over her hips. Indeed, the slits seemed more like cutouts, leaving a long ankle-length flap in front and back. The emblazon on her chest was a circle of intertwined black serpents with an upside down pentacle inside. A sword hung from the wide belt cinching her narrow waist.

            Maeve recognized her outfit as the livery of the ancient Grand Order of The Rose. Ayesha's Order, or so she had heard. It was the long gone Order of knight-mages that had once defended the frontier of the Tyrasillian Empire from the Amazon Empire to its south. Though an Amazon noble by birth, Ayesha had been one of the last great heroes of the Tyrasillian Empire. Only that ancient Order, and those like it all over the world, had been destroyed by the gods three hundred and forty-five years ago or so she had been told.

            Kyras bowed deeply to Ayesha, a fact that startled Maeve. These two should be deadly enemies, not allies.

            Ignoring Kyras, Ayesha stepped before Maeve. She looked the kneeling, enchanted sorceress over. She didn't look impressed.

            "She isn't very powerful. I doubt she has any knowledge I could use or don't already know."

            "She knows where the talisman is," Kyras said.

            Ayesha nodded absently, frowning at Maeve.

            "What is your name, sorceress?"

            "Maeve, mistress."

            "A Tyrian with a Leltic name. Odd. Kind of small for a Tyrian, aren't you?"

            Maeve couldn't hide her anger, or her flushed face. When she spoke, enchantment or not, she had to do it from between tightly clenched teeth.

            "My size means nothing, mistress. Of that I have proven many times over. I am as formidable as they come when it comes to my specialty — fighting and stealing that which catches my attention."

            She lifted her head proudly.

            "You're too full of yourself to be anything but a Tyrian," Ayesha said. "Tell me about the talisman."

            Maeve glowered at her. Kyras moved a little closer, but kept a wary eye on Ayesha.

            "Answer all of her questions," he said.

            She groaned, struggling to shrug off his magical hold on her. It was an embarrassingly short struggle.

            "It is a powerful talisman from the Goddess of Magic. I studied it at length, and found its power almost frightening. In the hands of a mage, it would grant almost unlimited power."

            Ayesha's cold blue eyes flashed at her assessment.

            "Where is it now?"

            "I don't know exactly where it is right now. My friend was taking it to battle a wizard named Talar. Talar stole her true body, the body he now inhabits."

            "Yes, Talar is in truth a sorceress named Taara. I know that, but where does your friend plan to attack him?"

            "At his home."

            "When?"

            "As soon as they can get there."

            Ayesha stared off into space a few minutes, turning over the implications of what she has heard. Maeve watched her, understanding she was torn. Apparently she had cause to dislike Talar, if not desire his defeat and destruction.

            Turning to Kyras. "You have done well, my friend. You will be given suitable rewards for your service."

            "Then you will take the sorceress?" he asked.

            "Yes," Ayesha said, turning malevolent eyes on Maeve. "She will join my cause, and help me destroy my enemies. Starting with Talar and her friend with the talisman."

            All Maeve could do was groan in misery.
Danic, forgive me!

Chapter 22

            Looking at the massive, dark structure made Danica's skin crawl. Somewhere inside that imposing tower was the object of all her endeavors. The cause of all her pain, hardship, and humiliation. Talar.
Taara.

            The tower was one of the newer structures. It squatted before them in the dark, maybe fifty feet high. The only windows were around the top level. The tower's door was hidden by a glamour spell.

            As she recalled, a tenement had stood there before a fire gutted it three years back. It was a perfect location for a mage to build his home, with no other structures abutting it. Either of which would have made security more difficult and bothersome.

            Shifting to Mage Sight, Danica studied the Magicks surrounding the structure. Though no initiate into arcane secrets, the magic looked wrong. Up until then all wards had appeared more solid than what she was seeing. The magic around the mansion looked more like a partly unraveled burlap sack. The door looked shattered, but sheathed in so much magic she wasn't sure. She feared a trap.

            "Looks dark and menacing," Cat whispered.

            The narrow leaded glass windows were dark. That, and the fact that the blood red moon gave little light left the mansion and surrounding streets shrouded in darkness. The streets were eerily deserted, only a distant lone dog's barking breaking the silence. Most everyone was home, locked behind stout doors in fear of the Bloodmoon.

            Bloodmoon. The very thought sent chills up Danica's back. It had been on a Bloodmoon when Fulgar betrayed her. That betrayal and the slavery, the sexual use and abuse, that followed still left a bitter taste in her mouth. Even after all this time she still had dreams of every one of those men atop her, sweating, thrusting, grunting. Her memories of sex with Horse and Faiser made her feel things she didn't want to feel.

            Only, Maag told her to attack on the Bloodmoon. The Goddess of Magic ordered her into magical battle on this night.

            Looking up to the heavens,
I hope you're on my side.

            "What's that?" Cat said, grabbing Danica's arm tightly.

            She heard a low rumble, seemingly coming from underground, then all the windows in the tower above them flashed brightly before another rumble rolled forth.

            Magic. Foul, godless magic.

            "Oh, God of Mercy," Cat exclaimed softly, eyes glued to the dark tower. "Have pity on a poor soul."

            "Gods, Cat. Do you really have to whine like that?" Danica asked, though knowing it was only her friend's way of preparing herself for what was to come. "You're beginning to unnerve me."

            "I sorry," Cat whispered. "I'm fine, really."

            "You don't have to do this," Danica assured her again. Ever since her "accident" with Talar she had been letting Cat know that she had done more than enough for friendship's sake. She didn't have to follow Danica into the tower, but Cat wouldn't listen. She was determined to follow through "to the bitter end," as she put it. What a way with words she had. "You can wait here and cover my back."

            "I’ll go with you."

            She nodded, "It'll be all right. I have a good feeling about this."

            That was as bold a lie as Danica had ever told. Her insides were quivering and she was covered with gooseflesh. She had to fight to keep her breathing steady. The closer she got to Talar, and vengeance, the greater her sense of dread. She silently curse Elise for placing that seed of doubt in her mind.

           
Why did the witch have to question the Goddess's motives?
Danica and Cat were reasonably confident up until then.
Curse all witches, wizards, sorceresses, and anyone else who uses magic! Damn them all to the fiery Pits! And their godsforsaken magic, too!

            With a crack and boom, the door and windows exploded, sending wood splinters and glass into the street. Both women jumped, and ran several steps back into the alley. Then wild-eyed, they chanced a peek back. The street glittered like a starry night with shattered glass, but Talar's home was again quiet as a tomb.

            "I don't like this," Cat said. "I don't like it at all. Let's wait till the next Bloodmoon."

            "I'm not willing to wait," Danica said, trying to control her racing heart and suppress her own desire to run. "We must trust in the Goddess. She insisted we attack on this Bloodmoon, no sooner and no later."

            "God of Mercy, strike this woman down."

            Smiling weakly, "If we fail tonight, I'm sure your wish will be granted."

            Her Mage Sight showed that the explosion had ripped away all of Talar's protective wards. The tower was undefended magically.

            With a deep breath, Danica darted out of the alley and headed straight for the shattered door. Damning caution, she ran straight up and dived through the dark, empty opening. Then rolling to her feet, she ripped her sword out and prepared to meet any demons or otherworld creatures Talar had guarding his home.

            Nothing.

            Within seconds Cat charged into the foyer. She hurried to Danica's side, her sword out and ready.

            "I'm sorry, Danica. I don't really want you struck down."

            Danica was taken aback. She understood that. It was a type banter warriors frequently indulged in. Cat wouldn't be there if she really felt that way, but she had never expected an apology.

            "I've never met anyone like you before," Danica said, shaking her head. Then grabbing Cat's face, Danica planted a kiss on her lips. "When I get my body back, I'm going to make you scream all night. For a week!"

            It's was Cat's turn to be taken aback. Then she grinned. "I'm going to hold you to that promise."

            "A debt of honor I will enjoy repaying, I can assure you," Danica said, winking. "Now that I have a reason to live, let's find that godless body-stealing mage and have done with it."

            A low rumble shook the floor, sending knickknacks rattling on shelf and table alike. Several more of the expensive paintings and tapestries also were dislodged from the wall. The women looked at each other, then around the room warily.

            "I think he's underground somewhere," Danica said. "The door down to the basements are usually in the kitchen or thereabouts."

            Danica proved to be correct. They found the door to the basements shattered, its smoldering fragments scattered about the kitchen. The faint sounds of fighting came up to them.

            After listening carefully, Danica said, "It sounds like two men fighting...No, a man and a woman. I can hear swords clashing." She smiled in the darkness, remembering the magical mirror's prediction of herself entering a battle between Talar and the Allarian High Mage, Ayesha.

            Cat nodded. "Last chance to change your mind," Cat said hopefully. "You make one hell of a woman."

            Danica shook her head and eased into the dark stairwell. She wished Cat would save herself, but knew that she wouldn't. That she understood. She wouldn't desert a friend, either.

            Glancing back, she could see the fear in the big bravo's face. It made Danica proud to be her friend. For a person to face something that terrified them so, that made them want to run off into the darkness screaming took enormous courage. Turning away, she angrily brushed at her eyes and hurried down the stairs.

           
Damned woman's body, almost embarrassed me again
.

            At the bottom of the stairs, Danica sheathed her blade and took out the talisman. To her surprise, it was vibrating slightly. Shifting to Mage Sight, she marveled at the sheer power emanating from the talisman.

            Lightning bolts struck with a thunderous crack to their left, repeatedly. Followed by a woman's scream of rage and impotence.

            Danica looked back at Cat, then slipped into the laboratory. It was dark, with little pools of light at irregular intervals. The furniture was all scattered, and shattered, about the room. Talar's alchemy setup smoldered within the ruin of a splintered oak table.

            Talar's voice cried out to Maag for aid, then a woman's voice screamed something in a language Danica had never heard before. The air suddenly became electrified, filling both women with foreboding. Magicks swirled before Danica's eyes.

            "Watch out!" Danica cried, diving into Cat.

            As they hit the ground the room exploded —
Ka-Boom
— sending furniture whirling about. They scrambled under a heavy table leaning against the wall. Glass, furniture, books, and just about everything else not bolted down flew about the room for several seconds as if in a whirlwind. When everything settled back down, they crawled out.

            "Follow me," Danica whispered, taking off at a run toward the renewed sounds of swordfighting. "I've a feeling we have to do something fast or lose our chance forever."

            They dodged through the debris of sorcerous and mundane battle, towards the fight. The laboratory proved to be a labyrinth-like affair, with twists and turns at unexpected places, steadily dropping deeper and deeper into the granite bedrock. In the better lit parts they could see that the furnishings were of the finest quality, but the whitewashed walls were covered by strange magical symbols, some of which sent chills through them for no known reason. Danica swore that some of those runes even moved when she wasn't looking straight at them.

            Stopping in frustration before another Y-intersection, "Gods! What kind of sick mind would build something like this?" The left passage continued the downward spiral, while the right seemed to be going back up.