Threading the Needle (55 page)

“I can monitor them while they work—”

“You can't. Lecrucius will sense you. He's a Prime. He'll think you're attempting to interfere.” Okata drew in a breath, his knotted Gorrani
beard jutting up. “I'll watch for us. He may sense me on the ley, but as long as I remain far enough back he won't say anything.”

“What about the rest of us? We just wait?”

The stone beneath their feet shivered.

Okata, eyes closed, had already sunk into the ley. “They're pulling in ley from the other cities. They've changed the configuration of the Nexus.”

“How? What's the new alignment?”

“I can't tell, not without snagging Lecrucius' attention. But it's drawing the ley here.”

Another rumble shook the chamber, and all of them turned to the pit as ley streamed upward, reaching for the ceiling. It rose in controlled spurts, unlike what had happened when Sanderson had been killed, but Marcus watched it with growing trepidation.

Kara sidled closer to him. “He's strengthening it using the Nexus, preparing to use it.”

“The Gorrani have attacked the walls.”

“So you still want to annihilate them with the ley?”

“We have no choice! We can't hold them off forever. They have to be stopped.”

“You'll kill thousands!”

He was saved from answering by a jolt, the earth heaving. Some of the White Cloaks at the pit cried out, two of them falling to the stone floor near Lecrucius. “Hold on to the ley! Contain it until we hear the signal from Commander Ty! Iscivius, keep the crystals in alignment or we're all dead.”

The quake continued, dust sifting down onto them from the cracked wall overhead.

“Their hold on the ley wavered during the initial jolt.”

Kara snatched Marcus' arm at Okata's report, her fingers digging in as the rumble of the quake intensified. “He's drawing too much ley from the outer nodes. The system is trying to compensate, but it's already unstable. We have to stop him.”

“You just want to stop him from using the ley on the Gorrani!”

“This isn't about the Gorrani! This is about the ley, about the nodes and the system. If he draws too much of the ley here, it will destabilize whatever fragile framework the ley has left!”

The chamber shuddered around them, more than just dust falling
down from above now. Marcus knew she was right. He wanted to believe in Father and his vision, in Dierdre and the Kormanley, but using the ley against the Gorrani in such a way—

It was wrong.

He dropped his head in defeat, then raised it again with new purpose, catching Hartman's gaze, then Jenner's. “She's right. We have to stop him, before he brings the entire ley network crashing down around us.”

But before anyone could do anything, the bellow of a massive horn cut through the low growl of the quake and Okata said grimly, “We're too late.”

On the ridge overlooking the Needle, Allan hauled on the reins of the horse as the ground shuddered beneath them. The animal tossed its head, its eyes white in fear as it tried to dance away from him, but he held it in check.

“Keep him calm, Allan!” Glenn and the rest of the group from the Hollow were arrayed protectively around the wagon, Hernande on the seat beside Allan, Cory, Jason, and Jerrain huddled in the back with Artras, Mareane, and Jude. Mareane and Jude were clutching each other as the wagon bed juddered, the rest gripping handholds on the sides. The supplies had been removed. Outside the circle of Hollowers, Aurek's men were standing with swords readied, everyone watching Bryce and Aurek at the front, both keeping an eye on the battle at the Needle's walls.

“What does he think I'm trying to do?”

Hernande, hands white-knuckled on the boards before them, didn't answer. Allan had originally planned on simply charging the walls once an opening appeared, but Artras had pointed out that neither she, nor Jerrain nor Hernande, would be able to keep up with the rest of the men in an all-out run. So they'd hastily flung the supplies from the wagon and brought it about. They'd move slower—would probably crack a wheel before they reached the walls—but it was the only feasible option.

They hadn't counted on the quake.

“It's not quieting,” Hernande said.

“No. It's growing stronger.”

And then Aurek raised his hand and shouted something Allan couldn't hear over the steady growl of the earth. It didn't matter. The shout from the raiders and their sudden surge forward told him everything he needed to know. With a snap of the reins and a “Heeyaw!” that he doubted the horse heard, he let the animal loose.

They leaped forward, the wagon clattering over the rough ground. Allan flew upward, his ass landing with a bone-jarring thud, and then he was hanging onto the bench with one hand, reins fisted in the other. Someone cried out from the wagon bed behind him, but he didn't dare look.

Ahead, the men who'd been in front of the wagon glanced over their shoulders, then cut away to either side to let them through. Allan yanked on the reins to slow the horse down, but it was no use. They were pulling out ahead of those on foot, only Aurek and the few men on horseback keeping ahead of them. The ragged battle cry from the raiders had died out as they ran for the nearest wall. Allan could see where Aurek was aiming, a section where the Gorrani had split to either side as the attack on the gate to one side intensified. To the other side, the southern warriors had managed to gain a slight foothold on the top of the walls with the ladders. A section of the wall was now clear.

“There! Are we close enough yet?”

“No!”

Allan wasn't surprised. The ridge they'd hidden behind to prepare was at least a mile distant. They hadn't even covered a quarter of that yet.

The wagon jumped—Allan couldn't tell if it was the quake or they'd hit a bump—but it landed hard, his teeth clacking together, nipping the side of his tongue. He tasted blood, swirled it around his mouth and spat to one side, while ahead the Gorrani had finally taken notice of them. A group of at least a hundred broke off from the back of those holding the ladders to the right, forming a line to meet them. They were close enough now to hear the battle even over the wagon, to make out individual faces. Their line was skewed, and Allan realized the Gorrani hadn't figured out they didn't intend to attack their flank.

He glanced back to see where the rest of their men were. Too far behind. The wagon and Aurek's horses would reach the Gorrani before anyone caught up to them.

He spun back around and hauled at the reins of their horse, no longer trying to slow him, simply trying to make him turn. A horn sounded from the walls far to the left, near the main gates. He bellowed “Aurek!” as loud as he could, saw the lord twitch, but he didn't slow. Allan heaved on the reins again and the horse began to angle left and slow. “Aurek!”

Someone's hand slapped onto the wagon bench beside him and he twisted, startled. Artras clung to the wooden headboard between the bed and the bench. “Stay back from the walls! Something's happening with the ley!”

Allan snapped around, the wagon now slowed enough he could stand. “Aurek! Fall back!”

The Baron twisted in the saddle, his expression dark with fury, but he pulled up short when he saw the wagon off course. Devin and the others with him all halted in confusion, horses milling about. Beyond them, the Gorrani looked bewildered.

And then white ley billowed up from the ground all around the walls like flames, starting at the base and rising higher and higher as it spread outward. As it grew in intensity, screams erupted from within and Allan flinched in horror. Aurek's horse reared up in terror, even though the flames were still distant, the Baron's face reflecting his own fear as he fought to keep his seat. The Gorrani who'd turned to face them glanced back over their shoulders, arms raised as if to shield themselves, and then they broke and ran. Those on the ladders to the right were smothered by the flames within a breath. Those on the ground below turned to flee, but only those farthest from the walls escaped the surging flames as they ran. Half of the men with Aurek kicked their mounts into motion, heading away from the walls, back toward Allan's wagon. A moment later, Aurek and the rest did the same.

Within the space of five heartbeats, the walls of the Needle in both directions were completely hidden by the eerily silent flames.

The sounds of battle almost completely died out.

The wagon drew to a halt, and Allan collapsed back onto the bench, his body numb as he stared at the sheets of ley. Even though they'd stopped, the wagon still shook from the quake. Those in the bed clambered forward to see.

“Gods,” Artras muttered at his side.

Aurek reached them, cantering his horse in a sharp turn as Devin ordered the others who'd ridden beyond them back with harsh words
and curses. The first of those on foot who'd been left behind formed up around the wagon, heaving and gasping.

“What is it?” Aurek asked.

“What do you think? It's a wall of ley.”

“The damned White Cloaks.”

The Gorrani beneath the wall who'd escaped the fire were no longer interested in their little group of three hundred men and a wagon. Those that were left were regrouping, well back from the still-burning white fire, maybe three or four hundred in all on this side of the Needle.

Aurek spun toward Artras. “Can you get us through it?”

“I doubt anything that was caught in the ley after the first few seconds still exists. The concentration of the ley is strong enough that anything organic that passes through it now will be destroyed. I could possibly shield some of us from the ley for a while, but I wouldn't bet my life on it, let alone others'.”

“What about the Gorrani who were caught in it?” Hernande's tone indicated he already knew the answer.

“Gone. Dead and gone. Not even Baron Arent thought to use the ley in such a manner. It's an abomination.”

Aurek barked laughter. The lord turned to face them, his horse pawing the ground. “This is why we hunt the White Cloaks.” He drew his sword, and suddenly the entire group tensed—Hollowers and raiders alike. They were all mixed in with each other, stragglers from the charge still filtering in, but as more and more blades were drawn, the Hollowers stepped toward the wagon protectively, Bryce taking up a position at the rear.

Allan didn't move, his eyes fixed on Aurek. “Not all of the Wielders are like the White Cloaks.”

“So you've claimed before. I'd rather not risk it.”

Artras climbed to her feet, using the wagon's headboard for support. The ground still trembled, although Allan didn't think anyone was paying any attention to that. “Don't you think if we were like the White Cloaks, with this much power, we'd have used it already? Why would we have let you raid the Hollow? Why wouldn't we have simply burned you out before you got there?”

“Because you
don't
have this much power!”

“Fool! It's because we choose not to use it!” She leaned forward over
the headboard, her voice dropping. “We could have burned you at the Hollow. We could have destroyed you at any point on our travels here. And we could fry you where you stand right now if we wanted to.”

More ley leaped from the ground, only this time it came up in front of Aurek's mount. Aurek shouted as his horse shied away from it, the rest of the raiders jumping back in fear. The Hollowers closed in tighter about the wagon, a few of them with looks as wild with terror as the raiders.

Aurek seized control of his horse again, but refused to back off. “You're bluffing.”

The white tendril of ley rose higher, began to spread to either side. “Don't tempt me.”

Allan glanced back and noticed Mareane and Jude both had their eyes closed, Cory supporting Mareane's limp body while Jasom held Jude.

Aurek's men fidgeted. Even Devin, his second, appeared wary. He didn't lower his sword, but as the ley grew and flicked closer to his position, he stepped back.

Aurek held Artras' gaze, eyes narrowing as he weighed the truth of her words—

Then his lips curled into a smile. “You're lying. Kill them. Kill them all!”

Allan spat a curse, dropping the reins of the wagon as he stood and drew his sword.

At the same moment, a thunderous growl rolled out from the direction of the Needle and the earth lurched—once, twice—and then pitched upward with enough force that Allan was flung from the wagon. He slammed into the ground, one arm going numb, his sword slipping from his fingers. His vision swam and he groaned as he attempted to haul himself to his feet, but the earth rolled beneath him, no longer solid. Stone cracked and split, the sound shocking, felt as a thud in his chest that sucked the breath from him. A horse screamed. The air suddenly filled with dust. Choking, Allan crawled forward toward a body lying on the trampled grass—Hernande—and almost got caught beneath the wheels of the wagon as the horse panicked and bolted. Mareane rolled from the bed with a shriek, landing two steps distant, but he could see Cory, Artras, and a few others still huddled flat in the back as it passed.