The High Lord (64 page)

No,
he told himself.
Don’t even consider it. Not until you see it for yourself.

The thought that he might see Tayend’s body only made it harder to think clearly. He had to concentrate, to decide where they should go. They had three choices: stay at the mansion and hope Tayend would eventually return, search the city for him, or give up and leave the city.

I’m not leaving the city until I know.

So that left the mansion or the search. Neither were very fair to Farand.

“I’m going to look for Tayend,” Dannyl said. “I’ll try the surrounding streets, and come back to check the house from time to time. You should leave the city. There’s no point in us both risking our lives.”

“No,” Farand replied. “I’ll stay here in case he comes back.”

Dannyl regarded Farand in surprise. “Are you sure?”

The young magician nodded. “I don’t know Imardin, Dannyl. I don’t know if I’d find my way out. And you need someone to stay here in case Tayend comes back.” He shrugged, then took a few steps backward. “I’ll see you when you return.”

Dannyl watched Farand until he had entered the house, then moved back to the end of the alley and scanned the street beyond. All was still. He stepped out and hurried to the next alley.

At first Dannyl found only a few wooden crates in the alleys and streets. Then he began to encounter the bodies of magicians. Fear for Tayend’s safety grew stronger.

He took a circular route, and had almost made his way back to the mansion again when a man stepped out in front of him. His heart jumped and began to pound, but it was only a rough-looking servant or crafter.

“In here,” the man said, pointing to an open garbage hatch in the wall. “Safer for you magicians down there.”

Dannyl shook his head. “No, thank you.” As he walked past, the man caught his arm.

“Sachakan was close, not long ago. You be safer out of sight.”

Dannyl pulled away. “I’m looking for someone.”

The man shrugged and stepped back.

Continuing on, Dannyl reached the end of the alley. The street beyond was empty. He stepped out and hurried across the road toward the alley on the other side.

When he had nearly reached it, he heard a door close behind him. He turned, and felt his blood turn to ice.

“Ah, now that’s better.” The woman striding toward him smiled slyly. “I was beginning to think there were no other pretty magicians in Kyralia.”

He bolted for the alley, but slammed into an invisible barrier. Stunned, he staggered backward, heart pounding.

“Not that way,” the woman said. “Come here. I won’t kill you.”

Dannyl took several deep breaths and turned to face her. As she drew closer he backed down the street. There was a malicious gleam in her eyes. He realized he had seen it before. She was the Ichani who had wanted to “keep” Lord Fergun for herself.

“Kariko won’t let you keep me alive,” he said.

She tossed her head. “He might, now that we’re here and most of your Guild is dead.”

“Why would you want to keep me, anyway?” he said, still backing away.

She shrugged. “My slaves are dead. I need new ones.”

He must be getting close to the next alley. Perhaps, if he kept talking, she would not remember to block it.

“It could be very pleasant for you.” She smiled slyly, her eyes roaming from his neck to his feet. “I like to reward my favorite slaves.”

He felt a mad urge to laugh.
What does she think she is?
he thought.
Some sort of irresistible seductress? She sounds ridiculous.

“You’re not my type,” he told her.

Her eyebrows rose. “No? Well, it doesn’t matter. You will do as I say, or—” She stopped and glanced around the street in surprise.

From doors and alleys on all sides, Guild magicians had emerged. Dannyl stared at them. He did not recognize any of the faces. Then a hand grabbed his arm and hauled him sideways.

He stumbled through a door. It closed behind him. Dannyl turned to stare at his rescuer, and felt his heart leap.

“Tayend!”

The scholar grinned up at him. Dannyl gasped with relief, pulled Tayend close and held him tightly.

“You left the house. Why did you leave the house?”

“That woman came in. I thought I’d wait in the alley until she left, but she came out that way. The Thieves saved me. I told them you would come looking for me, but they didn’t reach the house in time.”

Dannyl heard a muffled cough, and froze as he realized they weren’t alone. He turned to find a tall Lonmar regarding him curiously. His face went cold, then hot.

“I see you’re good friends,” the man said. “Now that you’ve caught up, we should—”

The door shuddered from a heavy blow. The man beckoned frantically.

“Quickly! Follow me.”

Tayend grabbed Dannyl’s wrist and dragged him after the stranger. From behind them came a crash. The Lonmar began to run. Taking them down a staircase, he led them into a cellar and bolted the door behind them.

“That won’t stop her,” Dannyl said.

“No,” the stranger replied. “But it’ll slow her down.”

He hurried between racks of wine bottles to a cupboard at the far wall. Opening the door, he tugged at shelves containing jars of preserves. The shelves swivelled forward, revealing another door. The stranger opened the door and stepped aside. Tayend and Dannyl squeezed through into a passage. A boy stood nearby, holding a small lamp.

The Lonmar followed and began pulling the shelves back in place. There was a faint sound beyond the cellar door, then an explosion.

“No time,” the Lonmar muttered. He left the cupboard half assembled and closed the inner door. Taking the lamp from the boy, he started to jog down the passage. Dannyl and Tayend hurried after.

“Not good,” the stranger said to himself. “Let’s hope she—”

From behind came another explosion. Dannyl glanced behind to see a globe light flare into existence where the secret door had been. The Lonmar drew in a sharp breath.

“Run!”

The servant’s dress Sonea had found to replace her bloodied shirt and trousers must have belonged to a taller woman. It covered her robes well, but the sleeves were so long she’d had to roll them up, and the hem kept getting under her feet. She was just catching her balance after stepping on it again when a messenger appeared in the passage before them. He saw them, and quickened his pace.

“I have… bad news,” he panted. “One of… Sachakans… found passages.”

“Where?” Akkarin asked.

“Not far.”

“Take us there.”

The messenger hesitated, then nodded. He started back down the passage, his lamp throwing distorted shadows onto the walls.

—
We’ll try the same deception,
Akkarin told Sonea.
This time, Heal yourself when the Ichani cuts you. Once he begins drawing strength, you will not be able to use your powers.

—
Oh, I won’t be making that mistake again,
she replied.
Not now that I know what it feels like.

The guide continued through passages, stopping briefly now and then to question helpers posted by the exits. They encountered people fleeing, then a dark-skinned figure appeared. Faren.

“You’re here,” he panted. “Good. She’s coming this way.”

So it’s the woman,
Sonea thought.
Avala.

“How far?”

Faren nodded back the way he had come. “Fifty paces, perhaps. Turn left at the intersection.”

He stepped out of the way as Akkarin started down the passage. Sonea took the lamp from the guide and followed, her heart beating faster at every step. They reached the intersection, stopped, and Akkarin peered into the left-hand passage. He stepped out, and Sonea hurried after him. At the next turn, they stopped again.

—
She’s coming. Wait here. Let her think
she
found
you. I
won’t be far away.

Sonea nodded. She watched him stride away to the intersection and disappear into a side passage. From behind her came the faint sound of footsteps.

Slowly the footsteps grew louder. A faint light began to reflect around the turn. It brightened rapidly, and Sonea backed away. A globe light appeared. She blocked the brightness with a hand, then gasped in feigned horror.

The Ichani woman stared at her, then smiled.

“So it’s you. Kariko will be pleased.”

Sonea turned to run, but as she did her foot caught the hem of her dress and she fell to her hands and knees. Avala laughed.

That would have been an impressive bit of acting, if I’d meant it,
Sonea thought wryly as she struggled to stand up. She heard footsteps come closer, then a hand caught her arm. It took all her self-control not to blast the woman away.

The Ichani pulled Sonea around to face her. A hand reached toward Sonea’s head. Grabbing the Ichani’s wrists, Sonea tried to send her mind out into the woman’s body, but encountered a resistance.

Avala was shielding.

The barrier lay at the surface of the woman’s skin. Sonea felt a moment’s admiration for Avala’s skill, but it was soon replaced by panic.

She would not be able to use her Healing powers on the woman.

—
Fight her,
Akkarin instructed.
Bring her down past the intersection. We must get her between us so she cannot escape.

Sonea sent out a wave of force. Avala’s eyes widened as she staggered backward. Sonea lifted her skirt, spun around, and ran down the passage.

A barrier flashed into existence before her. She smashed it down with forcestrike. A few steps later she passed the intersection. Another barrier appeared. She stopped and turned to face the Ichani.

The woman smiled triumphantly.

—
Kariko. Look what I’ve found.

Sonea saw an image of herself looking thin and small in the long dress.

—
What a pathetic-looking creature she is!

—
Ah! Akkarin’s apprentice,
Kariko replied.
Search her mind. If one is here, the other might be close by
—
but don’t kill her. Bring her to me.

Sonea shook her head.

—
I’ll decide when and where we meet, Kariko,
she sent.

—I
look forward to it,
Kariko replied,
as does your former mentor. Rothen, isn ‘t it? I have a blood stone of his. He will watch you die.

Sonea gasped.
Rothen?
But Rothen was dead. Why would Kariko bother making a gem of Rothen’s blood?

—
Does this mean Rothen is alive?

—
Probably, if he does have a blood gem,
Akkarin’s mental voice whispered through her ring.
But he may be lying in order to upset and distract you.

Avala was drawing closer. As she passed the intersection of passages, Sonea felt a mingled relief and anxiety. The woman was between her and Akkarin now. Once Akkarin stepped out, however, Avala would recognize him.

—
Kariko can’t be completely sure you’re here until he or another Ichani sees you,
she told Akkarin.
We could trick him into thinking I’m here alone. So if I fight Avala alone
...

—
Yes,
Akkarin agreed.
If you grow weak, I will take over. Just keep out of her reach.

As the Ichani attacked, Sonea threw up a strong shield then retaliated with powerful strikes of her own. There was no strategy or trickery in Avala’s attack and, as with the fight with Parika, Sonea realized she could use little of her own training to gain an advantage. It was, she decided, a brutal race to see who ran out of strength first.

The air grew hot in the passage, then the walls began to glow faintly. The woman took one step away, then suddenly everything turned a bright white. Sonea blinked, but she was too dazzled to see anything.

She’s blinded me!

Sonea almost laughed aloud as she realized that Avala had used the same trick she had used to escape Regin’s gang years before. Except the novices hadn’t learned enough about Healing to…

Her sight returned slowly but steadily. She made out two figures in the passage before her. Avala was closest. Behind her was Akkarin. He was attacking the Ichani with relentless savagery. Avala glanced back at Sonea, her expression fearful. Her shield abruptly disappeared, her strength gone, then Akkarin’s last strike threw her against Sonea’s shield. There was a sickening crack, then the woman slumped to the ground.

Sonea watched, heart still racing, as Akkarin slowly approached the woman. Avala’s eyes opened. Her expression changed from pain and anger to a satisfied smile, then her gaze slid to somewhere beyond the walls and she let out a long, final breath.

“Is it just me,” Sonea said, “or did she look a little too happy to be dying?”

Akkarin dropped into a crouch. He ran a finger under the collar of the woman’s jacket. As he continued examining her clothes, Sonea saw that one of Avala’s hands was slowly relaxing. As the fingers uncurled, a small red globe fell onto the floor.

“A blood gem,” Sonea hissed.

Akkarin sighed and looked up at Sonea. “Yes. Whose it is, we can only guess, but I think we should assume the worst: Kariko knows I’m here.”

Rothen blinked in surprise as an image of a woman flashed into his mind. As he recognized her, he felt a fierce joy.
She’s alive!

“Sonea!” Balkan exclaimed. “She’s here!”

—
Ah! Akkarin’s apprentice. Search her mind. If one is here, the other might be close by—but don’t kill her. Bring her to me.

—
I’ll decide when and where we meet, Kariko.

Sonea’s reply was defiant and fearless. Rothen felt a surge of both fear and pride.

—I
look forward to it,
Kariko replied,
as does your former mentor. Rothen, isn’t it? I have a blood stone of his. He will watch you die.

Suddenly Rothen couldn’t breathe. The image had been sent by the Ichani woman. Who must be trying to capture Sonea right now. And if she did…

“Rothen?”

He looked at Balkan and Dorrien, and found them staring at him.

“You made a blood stone?” Balkan asked in a low voice.