by Joy Nash
He poled the canoe through the thickening quagmire until the craft dragged in the mud. Abandoning the paddle, he jumped out and slogged to drier ground. Gina followed close behind with the torch.
Dead branches reached from the body of an ancient tree like the broken arms of a corpse. Tangled roots bubbled to the surface. Derrin scanned the scene, his hope fading. How could he hope to find Ariek in this wasteland?
“There,” Gina said suddenly, pointing.
Movement flashed at the periphery of his vision. He leaped in its direction, toward a man sprawled in the muck. Ariek. He reached for his friend’s throat, praying he would find a pulse.
The unexpected force of Danat’s small body knocked him into the mud. Gina cried out. Danat screeched and dug her fingernails into Derrin’s face.
He twisted and caught the girl’s arms against her side. She struggled like a madwoman, screaming in a language he didn’t understand. Bruises mottled one cheek and her green eyes burned with rage and grief. She drew a long breath and spat in his face.
“Don’t touch him,” she shrieked in Galenan. “He will die without the dirty hands of a bastard priest defiling him.”
He gave her a violent shake. “Danat, stop! I’m not a swiving Servant of Lotark, I’m Derrin. I’ve come to help.”
Her eyes widened and she stilled. “Derrin? Ariek’s friend?”
He released her cautiously. “Yes.”
“Ariek…tried to contact you, but you didn’t answer. How did you find us?”
“I’ll explain later.” He turned back to Ariek. Gina moved closer, raising the torch. He felt under Ariek’s jaw and caught a faint pulse. Relief crashed through him. His friend still lived—for now.
He drew his knife and cut away Ariek’s blood-soaked shirt, then hacked at the bandage. Red, swollen skin bordered the ragged gash. He groped about, searching in the dark for Ariek’s pouch of crystals.
“Can you save him?” Danat’s voice shook.
“I don’t know.” He dumped Ariek’s crystals into his palm and probed each one in turn. If only one was strong enough…
Behind him, Danat let out a low keening moan. His nerves, already stretched taut, began to fray. Turning, he saw Gina had thrust the torch into the mud and knelt with her arms around the hysterical girl.
“Please,” he whispered, meeting Gina’s gaze. “I need to concentrate.” She nodded and pulled Danat away. Danat pressed her head against Gina’s breast, muffling her sobs.
He chose one of Ariek’s stones and returned the rest to the pouch. It held minor healing power. Not enough for Ariek’s wound, but he had little choice. He sank his mind into its center, pushing away a surge of sickening doubt.
He slammed the door of his will on every trace of emotion. A core of calm, the fruit of many long hours of discipline, filled his consciousness. A sharp red light sprang into the center of the crystal.
The dead forest faded from Derrin’s awareness. He descended into the perfect symmetry of the stone, drawing what he needed from its logic, its perfection. Power flowed into his mind, then poured into Ariek’s body, where the dimmest flicker of life remained. He gathered his friend’s remaining strength and linked it to the crystal.
Ariek’s life force flared, but the power of the stone was not great enough to sustain it. The red light faded. With grim determination, Derrin sank further into the crystal, running along the lines of its lattice, seeking its essence. The crystal flickered.
Derrin drove forward, commanding the last drop of its potency. The stone flashed in response. Ariek’s life force surged.
A shock of intoxicating power shot through Derrin’s body. He dove into the void and anchored his mind to Ariek’s. Slowly, he pulled his friend from the grip of death, knowing with icy certainty he would not fail.
Then, unbidden, a thin, sharp knife of revelation pierced his concentration.
The power is not yours to command.
His mind reeled as if from a blow. The truth beat down on him. The crystal power he wielded—the power that would save Ariek’s life—was the same power Balek used to create the webstone. The same force that had torn open the web and loosed the plagues of Blight and Madness. The fundamental tools of wizardry were force of will and absolute control—qualities that violated the very essence of life. Derrin’s power as a wizard aided the land’s destruction.
Truly, he was no better than Balek.
The wall separating his mind from his emotions crumbled. He recoiled from the crystal’s power, dropping the thread that held his friend’s life.
Ariek’s life force shuddered and slid toward the void.
Derrin stared at the still, gray face of the only true friend he had found in Galena. Danat’s quiet weeping curled around him and Gina’s fear brushed against his mind. Derrin possessed the power to save Ariek. But could he use it knowing the harm it would bring to the land?
The choice beckoned and he made it. Reclaiming the center of the crystal’s power, Derrin bound his mind to Ariek’s life force and wrenched his friend from death’s shadow.
Derrin’s triumph blazed, then sputtered and died. Nauseating shame washed over him. He tried to stand, but the ground lurched to one side. His legs refused the weight of his body.
Gina’s arms broke his fall as darkness rushed in. He closed his eyes and surrendered to it.
* * * * *
Gina cradled Derrin’s head in her lap and stroked her fingers across his forehead. Heat flushed his skin. He stirred, caught in a nightmare. She cupped his cheek. It had been hours since he’d collapsed.
“Derrin, can you hear me?”
He didn’t answer.
The cobwebs of a gray dawn covered the sky. Gina glanced at Ariek, sleeping a short distance away with Danat sprawled beside him. Fatigue stung Gina’s eyes, but she’d been unable to rest.
Dark clouds hung low, blanketing the dead forest with silence. A wave of stench rose from the greasy mud. She shifted, stifling a prickle of fear. Her nerves hummed. Every minute she spent in the Blighted forest bit into the thin shroud of her sanity. She would go mad if she stayed much longer.
“Derrin,” she said, giving him a shake. The dry pallor of his skin frightened her. He’d saved Ariek’s life, but at what cost? “Wake up. Please, wake up! We’ve got to get out of here.”
His eyes opened, but stayed blank for a long moment. Finally, recognition sparked, along with something Gina wished she could erase.
“Gina.” He winced and pushed himself up on his elbows.
“I’m here. Are you all right?”
“I will be in a few minutes.”
Beside her, Danat stirred. The girl pushed a long strand of hair from her face and smiled at Derrin.
“Thank you. You saved his life. We’ve never met, but I feel as though I know you. Ariek speaks of you often.”
An answering smile flickered on Derrin’s lips. “I can imagine what he says.”
“He says your talent is remarkable, perhaps stronger than any wizard of the Hierarchy.”
Gina glanced at Derrin and caught the shadow of pain on his face.
“Ariek exaggerates,” he said.
They fell silent. The stillness of the Blighted forest grew unbearable. Gina thought she would choke on it. She caught Derrin’s gaze and tried to keep the panic from her voice. “I can’t stay here much longer.”
Derrin expression told her he understood how close she was to breaking. “We’ll leave this cursed place as soon as we can.” He pushed himself to his feet and crossed the short distance to Ariek. “He won’t be able to walk, but we should be able to move him in the canoe.” He bent and called his friend’s name.
* * * * *
Ariek forced his eyes open, wondering why someone had poured sand into them. His throat burned. An unholy stench assaulted his nostrils.
A face came into focus. It looked like…
“Tarol’s blood, Derrin. It is you.” With an effort, he hoisted himself on his uninjured arm. “How did you fin
d us?”
“Don’t worry about that now. We have to move on.”
Ariek’s gaze swung to the dark-haired woman at Derrin’s side. “You’re the woman from the web.”
She nodded. “I’m Gina.”
“Can you stand?” Derrin offered him an arm. Ariek gripped it and managed to rise, despite a stab of pain. His shoulder throbbed and his head spun, but his legs held out for the short walk to a boat mired in the mud.
He climbed into the odd craft. Derrin helped Danat settle in front of him. Ariek leaned forward and kissed her, then touched the angry welt under her eye. “I’m sorry I didn’t arrive in time to prevent this.”
She offered him a tremulous smile, her eyes shimmering with tears. “It could have been much worse.”
Derrin handed him a full waterskin. Ariek offered it to Danat, then tipped his head back and drank as Derrin shoved the boat into deeper water. The craft accommodated only two passengers. Derrin and Gina waded alongside, guiding it through the oily water.
The swamp gave way to an abandoned farm field covered by a sparse scattering of weeds. A hedgerow of yellow-leaved trees lined the far side.
The boat ran aground. They abandoned it and set off across the barren land. Sharp pain stabbed Ariek’s chest, but he gritted his teeth and ignored it. Even so, he was thankful when they reached the relative shelter of the trees. He sank to the ground, his breathing rough.
Danat and Gina halted a short distance away. Gina rummaged through a sack of provisions she’d carried from the boat.
Derrin sat down beside him. “Tell me what happened.”
Ariek recounted the details of Solk’s attacks, then stopped Derrin’s questions with his raised palm. “What of you, Derrin? Where in Tarol’s Inferno have you been? You didn’t answer my calls.” He gestured at his friend’s odd clothing. “What are you wearing?”
Derrin shifted and looked away. “I took Gina to a place where I knew she would be safe,” he said, then fell silent.
Ariek’s gaze narrowed. “You can trust me,” he muttered.
“I know that.”
But nothing could have prepared Ariek for the tale Derrin told. Hidden people living in the Northern Waste? It was a fantastic story from his childhood sprung to life.
He shook his head. “I often wondered where you came from, Derrin. I thought you a runaway slave. I never imagined you were one of the faerie folk!”
A glimmer of amusement crept into Derrin’s eyes and the corners of his mouth twitched. “Have a care you don’t cross me. You might find yourself put to sleep for a hundred years or deluded into thinking you’re a dog.” He sobered. “I must have your word you’ll tell no one of my mother’s people.”
“You have it. It’s a small price to pay for my life.” Ariek rubbed his temple, frowning. “Much has changed since you left Katrinth. The Blight worsens. Most of this year’s crops have failed, even on the Eastern Plains. The news has been kept from the commoners. The Lords fear a riot.”
“And Balek?”
“You were right about him. I saw the obscene stone he wields. What’s more, I’ve discovered its pattern hidden in the crystal antidote to the Madness. Half the Upper City wears it, and the Lower City is demanding it as well. I fear Balek is able to control a man’s mind through it, much the same way he attempted to control Gina’s.”
He glanced at the dark-haired woman. She caught his gaze and moved closer, drawing Danat with her. They sat down facing him.
“Balek wants you,” he told Gina. “You seem to figure prominently in his plans. He’s incensed by your disappearance.” He turned to Derrin. “When he finds her, he intends to kill you because of what you know.”
Derrin shrugged. “I expected as much. The ironic thing is I know very little.”
“I suspect he wants to become the sole leader of the Hierarchy,” said Ariek.
“He already controls the High Council and hold influence with the Lords. It must be more than that. Perhaps he wishes to command the True Believers as well.”
“That’s not likely to happen.”
“It could. When the Lower City is starving, the threat of Tarol’s Inferno will mean little. The people will trade loyalty for bread. Does Balek know you suspect him?”
“I couldn’t say for sure, but I don’t think he regards me as much of a threat. He’s been too busy looking for you. Why didn’t you answer the signal I sent to the twin crystal?”
“I never saw it. I left all my crystals—except the shadow—at my grandmother’s village.”
“You left them!” Ariek head snapped up. A wizard didn’t leave his crystals.
Derrin said nothing. Ariek frowned. “I lost a huge amount of blood. I was nearly dead when you found me, yet here I am, alive. How could that be, if you have no crystals?”
The question fell unanswered.
“He used one of yours,” Gina interjected.
“One of mine? How? I have no healing stone.” He fumbled at his belt, but found his crystals gone.
Gina retrieved the small leather bag from the pouch of provisions and handed it to him.
He dumped the stones into his palm. “Which one?”
She pointed to a red crystal. Ariek shook his head. “You must be mistaken. This crystal couldn’t cure a toothache.”
“She’s not mistaken.” Derrin met his gaze. “That stone holds more power than you think. Forget it.”
Ariek puzzled at the sharp edge in his friend’s voice, but didn’t question further.
“Let’s return to your predicament,” Derrin continued. “Are you sure Solk is dead?”
Ariek mouth tightened. “Yes, I’m sure.”
Danat drew a sharp breath. Before he could reach for her, she jumped up and hurried away. Gina sprang to her feet and followed. Ariek watched the two women walk a short distance into the stand of trees. Worry gnawed at his stomach. Danat’s strength was nearly gone, but at the moment he had little of his own to offer her.
With an effort, he turned his attention back to Derrin. “The priests of Lotark won’t publicize the blasphemy of their Temple,” his friend was saying. “The faith of the True Believers has been weakening for years, especially among the aristocracy. This misfortune could lay it in ruins for good.”
“The Servants of Lotark will seek revenge.”
“Perhaps, but there’s nothing the Temple can do openly, and little they can attempt in secret against a wizard on his guard.” Derrin gave Ariek a pointed look. “I can’t say the same about Danat. She’s marked, and the unusual color of her hair will be hard to hide.”
“I won’t leave her, Derrin, if that’s what you think.”
“I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to. I’m a pampered aristocrat. It’s true I’ve never possessed your discipline or strength of will, but I’d cut off my right arm before I’d abandon her.” He spiked his fingers through his hair. “She deserves far better than me. Another man would have freed her from those bastard priests long ago. I know the whole thing started as a game, but now…” He met his friend’s gaze. “I’d give my life for her. I know that’s hard for you to understand, but—”
“No,” said Derrin sharply, “it’s not.”
Ariek gaze followed Derrin’s to the woman from beyond the web. Gina stood at Danat’s side, just out of earshot. As he watched, she turned, almost as if she’d felt Derrin’s attention upon her.
All at once, Ariek understood. He looked back at his friend with new interest.
“I see,” he said.
* * * * *
Gina put her arm around Danat’s shoulders and drew her into the shade of a tree, out of sight of the men. The girl had lost the battle with her emotions. Tears streaked her face and her slender frame shook.
“Do you know,” she said between sobs, “You are the first woman I have spoken with since…” Her voice cracked and she buried her face in her hands.
Gina could think of nothing to say, couldn’t imagine the horrors of Danat’s c
aptivity. She wished she could ease the girl’s pain…
A wave of vertigo spun around her, leaving her with a sensation of buoyancy, as if she were floating above the ground. Her vision blurred. An aura of light appeared, surrounding Danat’s body, a glow fringed with pain.
Instinctively, she reached out to Danat with her mind, sensed her agony, sharp and suffocating. Gina flinched, but didn’t draw back. She grasped Danat’s hand and pulled her pain into her own mind. A raw stream of burning loneliness and humiliation poured through Gina.
The intensity of Danat’s emotions threatened to shatter Gina, but she held fast. She gathered the girl’s trauma in a fleeting embrace, then released it to the sky. It vanished beyond the clouds.
Gina released Danat’s hand and lowered her gaze. The girl was staring at her. “Thank you,” she whispered, her hand shaking as she shoved a tangled red curl out of her eyes. “I don’t know what you did, but thank you. It doesn’t seem so…overwhelming now.”
Gina’s mind spun. What had she done, and how? “I’m glad I could help,” she murmured, dazed.
At that moment Ariek called to Danat. The girl gave Gina a parting smile and went to him.
Gina gave herself a mental shake and looked about for Derrin. She spotted him some distance away, inspecting a scraggly tree. She made her way to his side. “Danat is much calmer now,” she said.
“Good.” He pulled one of the tree’s branches closer and scrutinized it.
“What is it?”
“It suffers from the Blight. It hasn’t set fruit.” His voice sounded odd.
Something troubled him. She suspected it concerned Ariek’s healing, but couldn’t imagine why that should be. Her mind reached out and brushed against his. She felt a glimpse of his consciousness, enough for her to feel his turmoil before he jerked his mind away.
She caught his gaze. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me, Derrin.”
He stiffened. Gina waited.
“It was wrong for me to save Ariek’s life,” he said finally.
