"You can't stop me. None of you can." Her arm flexed around Omal's throat as Mora's rant grew wild and shrill. "I know how to rule the magic of the ley-pool. I know how to claim it. I should have done it the first day I got here, when I realized you fools were doing nothing to protect the wellspring. But Hafgan's orders were to keep an eye on things and only make contact if anything changed.
"He didn't to want to tip off anyone of his interest here until they were ready to move. Hafgan intends to claim more than just the spring when he gets here."
Her savage glare fixated on Selena with a contemplative gleam. "I don't understand why. I heard the stories. You were useless as an apprentice. Squeamish and uptight. But Hafgan and Tresk wanted both of you back, so I waited."
Her attention shifted to Arun, her expression twisting into a sick, obsessive smile. "It wasn't a hardship. It gave me a chance to get to know my future husband. I was always meant to be a princess. And Hafgan promised I'd get any reward I wanted if I succeeded here. Arun is going to be my prize."
Arun's fingers flicked in a fast there-and-gone gesture, pointing to a thick leyline next to Selena.
Then he stepped a little closer, face crumpling into a hurt expression as he pulled Mora’s attention.
"And yet you were going to sacrifice me?"
"I didn't have any choice," she whined. "You didn't leave me one. I had to tell my master what was going on but I couldn't get near the spring and the power I needed to send the message. And you survived, so we can be together now."
Arun kept Mora talking, distracting her while Selena sank her awareness into the powerful leyline and grabbed hold of the wild magic there. At the same time, she did her best to push her intention along the bond. When Phelan shifted to give himself a better angle at Mora's exposed side, Selena bit back the sigh of relief and focused on the task at hand.
"And what happens when your force takes over the outpost? I'm sure there's a bounty for me," Arun asked, letting fear creep in but allowed a hint of hope into his voice, as well, to string her along
"Tresk doesn't want you dead. He wants Selena to take her place with Hafgan. To do her duty to him and help them win against those who oppose him. The feeble witches, the inbred Milesan abominations and the barbarians to the north." Her smile was a soft, sweetly promising expression despite the cruel words spilling from her lips. "He wants you to be his heir again. That's why Hafgan gave me the potion, to help you see our true potential. With my guidance, you will be king."
Selena wrapped herself in the leyline, letting her awareness merge with it until she was certain of her control. Then she gave a faint nod in her brother's direction, and he dropped all pretense of leading Mora on.
"What kind of help?" Arun sneered at her, hot with disdain and disgust. "More potions that make lies of my emotions?"
"It wasn't a lie," Mora wheedled, eyes wild and too bright to be completely sane.
"You love me," she insisted, voice cracking as she shifted unconsciously toward him. "I love you. We are meant to be together and to rule Marnak. Once you take possession of the throne, I'll be able to wrest power from Hafgan, and we will rule the whole world."
"I despise you. I don't love you."
The expression flattened out into cold fury, mania edging out any reason that remained.
"You will. You will love me forever and worship me the way I deserve. As soon as I have the power of the spring, you will kneel before me and declare your undying devotion. I will be queen."
"No. You won't. Because I will never bend to my father's will again. And not even your potion could make me love you, now that I know what evil resides in your heart."
"You will," she shrieked again. "I can make it happen. I will make it happen."
Her shrill voice dropped into the ominous chant again, and she dragged Omal closer to the spring, pricking the cook's skin so several drops of blood splashed into the water. The second Mora plunged her own magic into the pool, Selena felt the sinister spark of it. She poured her own power along the line, overloading the sorceress with feedback she wasn't prepared to handle.
Mora screamed, a long, unearthly sound of failure. Her body shook from the unfettered magic, and her hand spasmed, knife dropping to the ground from her numbed fingers.
And the Hound pounced.
*****
Anger burned bright and fierce in the Hound's chest, and the thirst for vengeance swelled in his heart at the reminder of Irana. The pride and amusement in Mora's voice made the tenuous hold he had on his temper fray a little more.
Worse, though, was the suggestion that Hafgan was going to defile his adopted home. The idea of the sorcerer anywhere near Alwyn Isle made his stomach twist with violent revulsion. Made Phelan want to end this now so he could chase after Hafgan and stop him before he even set eyes on the Isles.
Instead, he swallowed it all down. He kept his attention on the knife hand of the enemy and bided his time. His world narrowed down to holding his position and protecting the spring. He knew what Arun was doing, distracting her, but it was a risky strategy. It could just as easily push her over the edge and lead her to a violent outburst. But, for the moment, it was working, giving Selena time to do whatever she was trying to do with the leylines. So Phelan played his part and stayed still and ready to attack when the time came.
The scent of Omal's blood nearly drove him to action, but he held his ground and waited for Selena's move.
The sorceress started chanting again, and Selena's triumph was a bright spark in his mind. Then Mora's words became a scream. The second the knife was no longer threatening Omal, he leapt, and the impact sent all three of them tumbling to the ground.
Prepared for it, Phelan sprang back to his feet first and put his body squarely between Mora and the cook.
The sorceress struggled up, facing Phelan with seething rage. She screamed again, not with pain this time, but a sound filled with fury and madness. Her hand dipped into her ever-present satchel and, when it came out, Phelan barely caught sight of the small sachet curled in her fingers before she tossed it.
The fabric exploded in the air, showering him with fine dust that clogged up his eyes, his nose, his ears.
Light burst in colorful flares that dazzled and blinded him. A thousand discordant instruments thundered in his ears. The dissonant smell of rotting meat and sunflowers filled his nose. Nothing made sense, nothing...
The Hound shook his head, stumbling. His balance was as encumbered as his senses. Mind flitting between thoughts, unable to center, unable to remember...
A sharp crack cut through the chaos invading him. A force he didn't see sent him flying, tumbling then crashing to the ground, perceptions scrambled and confused.
The only thing he knew for certain was that his body hurt, bruised and aching everywhere. And his paw was cold.
Cold. And wet.
The wellspring. He'd landed in the spring. It... there was... if he could just get to its waters. Dragging himself forward, pain shifting and shimmering between the noise and the light and the horrific odor until his nose touched the cool surface of the pool and he plunged his head beneath the surface.
When he lifted his head, the worst of the effects of the powder were gone. He could see and hear and smell again, though everything was blurry and indistinct. Nothing stayed in focus and thoughts refused to settle.
Arun lay a few feet away, shaking his head groggily, Omal leaning over him in a protective crouch.
Like an avenging angel, Selena faced off in front Mora in a silent battle of wills.
Gold and silver light braided itself around her in a halo of magic. It wrapped around her hands like twin suns. And Selena aimed those suns at Mora.
The only thing keeping it from burning through the sorceress was another artifact from the seemingly bottomless satchel. A thin, palm-sized sheet of rune-covered metal she held out in front of her with one hand, like a tiny, unexpectedly effective shield. The light of Selena'
s magic hit and diffused into a harmless mist of metallic sparks.
Mora was still chanting, and Selena stepped inexorably forward, forcing the sorceress away from the spring, Phelan and the others, one step at a time.
With her free hand, Mora pulled a dagger from her belt and sent it spinning toward Phelan in one smooth flick or the wrist. He tried to move, tried to dive out of the way. But his mind and his body were still too sluggish and disconnected to do more than flinch.
Selena pivoted, magic sliding off the shield and slamming into the dagger. The knife stopped in midair, dropping like a stone to the rocky earth.
In the split-second it took to save him, Mora ran, already disappearing out of sight down the path. Arun leapt to his feet, ignoring Omal's attempt to stop him and gave chase, furious determination stamped in his eyes.
Selena took a moment to check on Omal, who vented her irritation and embarrassment before shooing her in Phelan's direction. She staggered tiredly the last few steps necessary to sink down beside the Hound. She closed her eyes, dropped her head against his shoulder and exhaled.
"Are you all right?" Selena murmured the question against his fur, and he dipped his head to snuffle at her hair. The last of the confusion faded away, and mischief took over. He ran his tongue along her jaw from ear to chin.
She squealed and jerked away, laughing as she wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. "I'll take that as a yes."
Unable to answer in Hound form, he shifted, calling for the transformation.
Once he had hands again, he reached for her, pulling her close and wrapping her in his arms. Let the fear for her he'd endured during the fight with Mora fade. Allowed himself to feel the relief of having her safe by his side again.
He pressed a kiss to her temple and murmured. "That's two I owe you."
She leaned into him, and Phelan hugged her close, letting himself sink into the bond and comfort rebounding between them. Absorbed in the knowledge that she was whole and safe and that they'd succeeded. At least for the moment, even if there were more battles to come.
"Don't think I'm not going to collect."
The sound of hoofbeats thundering away jerked them both out of their momentary idyll.
"I think Mora just stole my horse," Selena muttered with irritation.
A few minutes later, Arun limped slowly back into the clearing, fury and failure written clearly on his face and in his posture.
"She got away."
-15-
"SHE got away."
Arun gritted the words out, and Selena heard all the things he wasn't saying. He took a few more steps and sank to his knees, hand pressed to his ribs. She scrambled to kneel next to him but her brother waved off her attempt to heal him.
"Nothing's broken, it can wait. Save your strength. We'll need it. She'll be back, no doubt," he growled.
That he blamed himself was obvious. Not just for Mora's escape today, but for all the chaos and hurt she'd caused before. And for any that might come, because she'd gotten away from him.
That his weakness allowed him to fall for her, to succumb to the potion, in the first place.
Selena hugged Arun, trying to remind him silently that he wasn't alone. And that he wasn't the only one to fail to see Mora for what she was.
But the pain and betrayal settled on his skin like a barrier. The first layer in a wall Selena could see him building around himself and his heart.
It hurt to watch him hurting. And it made her angry.
It also made her worry about her own attachment to Phelan. That she put so much of her trust in him.
The four of them, battered and exhausted, were still gathering themselves and leaning on each other when the sound of a crowd approaching echoed through the trees. Scrambling to their feet and reaching for weapons, Selena, Arun, and Phelan stood shoulder to shoulder and waited.
But it wasn't Marnak's army invading. Instead, Nis and Xahir and a dozen or so of the outpost residents poured down the trail.
For a moment, both parties froze, facing off and ready for battle until the shock wore off. The newcomers cheered with relief and flooded into the clearing.
Grabbing hold of Nis as soon as he got close, Arun demanded, "What's going on? Why aren't you defending the walls?"
"There's no one to defend them from. We all saw Mora fleeing out of the woods and back toward the North Road like her tail was on fire. After seeing our new recruits," Nis grinned and waved his hand toward a group of Tribes warriors in a serious conversation with his brothers, "The commander's nerve was gone. He shouted some face-saving clap-trap about respecting the treaty, but it was obvious his easy invasion just got a lot harder with reinforcements from the Tribes. And without Mora as an inside source. He left a small squad to pack up the camp but took the rest of his men and fled. Since you hadn't come back, though, we weren't sure what we'd find here. After I talked with Xahir and Elnick, I grabbed a handful of volunteers to check on the spring and protect it."
Xahir sauntered over at the mention of his name.
"Elnick kept a small contingent outside to watch over the last of Marnak's retreating forces and defend the perimeter. The rest have come inside to enjoy your hospitality."
Some of the stiffness eased out of Selena's shoulders, but she knew there wasn't time to let her guard down.
"They'll be back, though," Arun said, echoing her thoughts. "With an army, instead of a handful of troops. We may need to consider destroying the wellspring before it falls into a sorcerer's hands. Today was a reminder of how vulnerable it is."
His announcement stirred up questions, and Arun gave a terse, concise report of the details that Selena tuned out.
The idea of obliterating the spring hurt her to even think about. She knew the magic of the area would never be the same. And worried it might have a cascading effect as bad as what Hafgan did by depleting the magic in the heart of the kingdom.
She felt someone staring at her and looked up to find Xahir's eyes boring into her. And remembered their conversation by the fire. She planted herself in front of him, unwilling to settle for shamanic riddles.
"What about a keeper?" Selena demanded, and voices dropped into silence around her. Uncaring, she stared at Xahir "Could a keeper protect the spring?"
"Someone with the gift of the Goddess could connect with the ley-pool and become its guardian and channel, if they chose to. And if the magic accepted them. It would give them a great deal of power. The kind that makes Hafgan afraid to confront the Handmaiden in Hara Dale directly. It will tie them to the region, though. To the land fed by the leylines that flow in and out of its core. Tether them here, so that they cannot go too far from it or stay away too long. Hafgan has done a lot of damage to this kingdom." Xahir paused, eyes dark with warning.
"Whoever claims the spring should be prepared to fight the spreading decay. To fix what the sorceror has broken before it takes over everything. It is a job that may take a lifetime to complete"
It wasn't really a surprise to hear. Somewhere deep inside, Selena had known there was no easy answer. This was the choice, then, that he'd warned her about. Because tying herself to the spring meant giving up the last sliver of possibility with Phelan.
Despite the way her heart tore and twisted at the impossible choice, Selena understood her duty. She'd pledged to fix what her father and Hafgan had done from the moment she'd run away. This was the ultimate resolution of that promise. She couldn't walk away from it, even though, for the first time, there was something else she wanted just as much.
Arun was at her side, saying her name and she knew he'd try to talk her out of it. Knew she couldn't let him.
She just shook her head and turned away, letting disappointment and resolve and grief tighten her throat. Then she lifted her head to find Phelan's eyes on her. Questions and concern and something underneath. Something that looked a lot like how she felt. Torn between two impossible dreams.
She took a step toward Ph
elan, unsure what to say. How to explain.
Before she found the words, another commotion along the trail had the tense crowd bristling with weapons. After a moment of confusion and mayhem, Lilah and her messenger shuffled through the group until they stood in front of Selena and Arun. Her brother went stiff and blank beside her the way he always did when faced with Lilah.
"I, uh, have important news and a message for Finn," the messenger explained, eyes sliding nervously at the clearing packed with prying ears.
"We didn't think it should wait," Lilah added. Her eyes settled on Arun briefly before she turned her focus to Phelan.
Phelan reluctantly stepped away with them, glancing back at Selena, hesitation and worry sharp in his expression.
Arun took hold of Selena's arm and nudged her away in the other direction, away from the nosy group currently pretending not to eavesdrop on Lilah's messenger.
*****
Phelan knew exactly what Selena was considering. Even without the bond pouring her heartache and doubt and resolve into him, he'd have known by the look in her eyes. By the heavy, resolute way she met his gaze head on without flinching.
There was no doubt in his heart that she intended to do it. Not only would bonding herself to the spring help protect it and the outpost from the threat of Hafgan, there was a chance she'd be able to use its magic to heal the rest of the kingdom.
As much as he wanted to talk her out of it, to beg her to go with him instead, he couldn't. Because he'd make the same choice. Make the same sacrifice if the Isles were in trouble. If his brothers were in danger.
Phelan wouldn't ask it of her because her reasons were the same as his. The same reason he couldn't offer to stay.
Because his world, his people were still at risk. And the fight was already moving on. He needed to be able to follow the battle wherever it went. Needed to be free to do the things covertly that Caerwyn could never do openly.
Until they put an end to the danger once and for all.
After they dealt with Hafgan and Tresk. After the world calmed down. Maybe, then, his unique skills wouldn't be necessary anymore.
By Blood Betrayed (The Lost Shrines Book 3) Page 18
