Worlds Without End s-18

by Caroline Spector

  "Now we get down to it," crowed Alachia. "All this time going on about how much more pure and noble you are than us. You just don't want anyone using the power. What's the matter, Aina, scared someone will tread on your magical toes?"

  I glanced over at Caimbeui, but he was busy try- ing to annoy Ehran. "No," I said. "But these magical spikes seem to be attracting the Enemy. As long as people capriciously use blood magic, the risk will grow."

  "You would know about blood magic," said Aithne.

  "Yes, and you should be smart enough to lay aside your hatred of me to see the larger issue at hand. We must stop this one and prevent the rest from coming through."

  "I think you're overestimating the danger," inter- jected Alachia. "Perhaps your experience is tinting / your perspective."

  "Besides, we have plans," said Laverty. "Now is not a good time to reveal such secrets."

  "Have I been shut up with a bunch of lunatics?" I shouted. "You don't pick when the Enemy comes. They will come when the circumstances are right. The best we can do is slow that event down. Which means we must act now."

  I stopped then, realizing they weren't listening to me. They were staring gape-mouthed at something behind me. Slowly, I turned.

  A vortex of smoke was whirling up out of the floor in front of the fireplace. A shape uncoiled from inside the smoke and stepped forward. Ysrthgrathe. Hanging limply in his arms was Glasgian Oakforest.

  "I do so love to make an entrance," he said as he dropped Glasgian on the floor. "But I know bet- ter than to overstay my welcome. Aina, it is so good to see you again. See, I've brought you a little present. I shall see you soon, my dear. 'Til we meet again."

  Then he disappeared.

  Lances of arcane fire cut through the space where he'd been a moment before. Aithne rushed to Glasgian's side. Surehand called for his Paladins. Sean and Jenna hovered behind Aithne asking if they could help. Ehran and Caimbeui had that odd, distracted look in their eyes, the faintest traces of energy crackling around them.

  I turned away from the sight of Aithne holding Glasgian's limp body. It was then that I saw Alachia's face. She had a small, knowing smirk on her face. And a notion so terrible filled my mind that I immediately pushed it away. I couldn't think such a thing. Not even of her.

  I spun away from the sight of her. Now Glasgian seemed to be coming around. When he saw that he, was in his father's arms, his face crumpled and he I began to cry. Aithne cooed and cradled Glasgian in his arms until his sobs diminished into irregular hic- cups. At last, Glasgian seemed to fall into another kind of stupor.

  Surehand suggested that Aithne have Glasgian carried up to a room, but Aithne refused and hugged Glasgian tightly to him.

  "This is all your doing," he hissed at me. "This sort of thing follows wherever you go. I knew we shouldn't ever have anything to do with you

  again."

  "For heaven's sake, Aithne," said Lofwyr. "She didn't bring it here."

  "Yes, she did," he said. "That creature has fol- lowed her through space and time. It will destroy anyone around her. This isn't the Enemy. It's her en- emy. It has come for her and I say we let it have her. She seeks to divert the issue. But we must see it for what it is. This is Aina's battle. Not ours. Let her deal with it."

  "I must agree with Aithne," said Alachia. "Obvi- ously, Aina wants us to become involved with this personal matter. We don't know that she didn't con- jure it up herself. After all, that was a specialty of hers, as I recall. This isn't about the world-it's abom her.

  She has turned her back on us. I say we let her shift for herself."

  I had my back to her, but I knew she had plastered a noble, righteously dignified expression on her face.

  Now they all would agree with her.

  "This is a terrible mistake," I said. "If I cannot stop him, he will bring.them all across. He has the power to do so."

  "Get her out of here," snarled Aithne. "If she says one more word I think I'll…"

  Caimbeui came and wrapped his jacket around me. I hadn't realized I'd been shivering.

  "Let's go," he said. "But…"

  "You've done all you could," he said. I let him lead me from the room. Our footsteps. echoed down the long hallway as we left.

  25

  "What am I going to do?" I asked.

  I was huddled in the back of the limo. Caimbeui gave the driver instructions to take us straight to the airport.

  "We'd best get out of here as quickly as possi- ble," he said.

  "What about our things at the hotel?" I asked.

  "Leave them," he replied. "It's just clothes."

  "Where are we going?"

  "I don't know. The next possible flight out. I don't want Aithne or Alachia thinking they might want to have us arrested."

  "Arrested? What could they possibly arrest us for?"

  "You name it. All they have to do is convince Lugh to send out the order. They could lock us up and'keep us locked up for a long time. Have you for- gotten when Alachia kept you imprisoned before? They would be able to justify it."

  I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jacket. I'd failed, I thought. They'd rejected me and my warnings. Now I would have to face Ysrthgrathe by myself. I didn't know if I had the strength to fight him again.

  The limo's headlights illuminated row after row of dormant rose bushes.

  Thorns.

  So many thorns.

  The first flight we could book passage on was a small tour plane. They were doing a hop from Port- land to Eugene, then on to a small airstrip near Crater Lake. After refueling there, the next leg was to Eureka.

  I hated small planes even more than large ones. So many things to go wrong, none of which I had any control over. How loathsome.

  Luckily, the leg from Portland to Eugene was quiet. While Caimbeui and I stretched our legs, they took on more passengers. Lots of back-to-nature types. A couple of humans who said they were going to Crater Lake to perform research. The rest were elves. Judging from their totems and tattoos, they all appeared to be involved with some kind of shamanistic magic.

  This annoyed me. These shamans^

  "Do you see?" I asked Caimbeui in a low whisper. "They just don't see the large way of things. With | them it's all power conferred through something else. They don't see that the power is in them."

  "You can't make them other than what they are," Caimbeui said. "They were shaped by a world where magic didn't exist. Their understanding of it will always be limited. Maybe the next genera- tion…"

  I frowned. "If we don't stop Ysrthgrathe, there might not be another generation."

  The plane circled over Crater Lake before landing on the small airstrip about five miles away. The sha- mans and the humans all filed off with their back- packs. I knew that Crater Lake had been sealed off for some time by the military. It amazed me that anyone would try to get close to it without some sort of clearance.

  Then it occurred to me-how stupid I was-that they just might have clearance. If what Dunkelzahn had told me about Crater Lake was true, then the Tir could very well be pulling in magicians here and there to help them.

  Caimbeui and I also got out at this stop. There was a two-hour layover. We followed the others into the tiny terminal. It was just one large room with a few benches. Through the plate glass window I saw two army jeeps with soldiers waiting outside. The shamans and the humans went immediately to them, gave some papers to the soldiers, then piled into the Jeeps.

  "How much do you know about what's happening down there at Crater Lake?" I asked Caimbeui.

  "Enough to know it would only upset you," he replied. "Are you hungry?"

  I nodded. "Starved," I said. "But it looks like there are only those vending machines over there.

  Stale, dried miso soup, dehydrated beans and rice, maybe an old candy bar."

  "Have no fear, madam," he said. "We have two hours, and I happen to know of a place nearby that has fabulous food and a hell of a view."

  He led me outside and hailed wha
t had to be the only taxi for five counties. The driver actually agreed to let us hire him for the next two hours. Caimbeui gave him the name of the restaurant, and we were off.

  He hadn't lied about the view. We were at the top of one of the higher peaks in the area. From this vantage we could see the surrounding countryside. Off in the distance was a blue glow that made me very nervous.

  "Is that what I think it is?" I asked Caimbeui.

  "Shhh, no questions now," he said. "Just have something to eat and think about getting out of here after dinner. We'll talk later."

  It annoyed me, but perhaps he was right. No mat- ter what was happening, I couldn't stop it. Not now, at any rate.

  Slowly, I began to relax. There were mostly mil- itary types in the restaurant. Some civilians, but they looked to be locals. It was an old-fashioned Mom and Pop kind of place. Mostly vegan dishes, with one or two meat entrees for the non-elven types. Given the makeup of the/trowd, I suspected they didn't do a lot of business with the beef.

  No one gave us much of a second glance. A little odd, unless they were used to seeing strangers.

  Caimbeui ordered some wine, but I declined. I wanted to be as sharp as possible until we made it out of the Tir. We lingered a bit over dessert, but then it was time to head back to the airstrip.

  Our driver had apparently gotten something from the kitchen, because the cab smelled of eggplant ratatouille.

  I shut my eyes as the cab headed away from the restaurant and down the hill. I must have dozed off for a moment, because the next thing I remember was being thrown to the floor. Caimbeui was curs- ing; the driver was screaming.

  "What's happening?" I yelled as I pushed myself off the floor.

  "Keep going!" shouted Caimbeui.

  The driver didn't answer but continued to scream. I poked my head up, trying to see what was going on. The driver reached forward and pulled some- thing from under the seat. A gun. Still yelling, he began to fire it through the window. Just as he shot, I looked.

  There, illuminated by the cab's headlights, was Ysrthgrathe standing in the middle of the road. Then the glass shattered, and he was broken into a million fragmented images.

  I grabbed the door handle and yanked. It flew open and I fell out after it, sprawling on the rough asphalt of the road on my hands and knees.

  "Ah, Aina," Ysrthgrathe said. "Don't you remem- ber? You don't have to kneel to me."

  I pushed myself off the ground. There were scrapes on my hands. The blood welled out of them and stung. In the distance I could hear something. I thought it sounded like a baby's cry. Then I realized it was the driver.

  "Most annoying, that noise," said Ysrthgrathe. In a flash, he slid across the small distance between him and the driver's door. Ripping the door off its hinges, he then pulled the driver out by his neck. Slowly, he began to squeeze.

  The driver's face turned red, then purple. His eyes began to bulge, and he grabbed frantically at his neck. His feet began to spasm and became entangled in Ysrthgrathe's robe.

  "This is certainly sweet," said Ysrthgrathe. "But it really isn't up to my usual. Of course, I have only the faintest memories of that, now. You have deprived me for so long. And you're not nearly as fond of this one as you might be. Perhaps the other…"

  He closed his hand then, and I heard the bones in the driver's neck snap and pop like firecrackers. Then Ysrtbgrathe tossed him away like a used-up toy.

  Caimbeui emerged from the back of the passenger side of the cab then. He had a black eye and a nasty cut on his lip. It was beginning to swell, making his mouth look lopsided. It looked like he hadn't fully recovered his senses.

  "Go," I said. "He wants me."

  Caimbeui shook his head. "He can't possibly deal with both of us. Not now."

  "You should listen to her," said Ysrthgrathe. "But then, I wouldn't have as much fun if you leave. I can taste how she cares for you. Her fear for your safety is so sweet, but really, I must have more."

  With that, he pushed his arms forward. A solid beam of black energy shot out from them. It hit Caimbeui full in the chest, sending him flying back- wards. I heard him cry out in pain and could smell the odor of burning clothes and skin.

  "No!" I shouted.

  His eyes glowed and he smiled. Another lash of energy cracked like whip and I heard the bones of

  Caimbeul's legs snap. "No!" I screamed again. Was he going to break

  Caimbeui bone by bone?

  Then there was a roaring in my ears, like the sound of jet engines. The blood was warm in my hands. It tickled me. Calling to me. Asking me to come and play again. To use it as I once had.

  I dug my nails into my palms, wincing slightly, and then I spoke the words. A language long dead to this modern world. My mother tongue, that had never left me and that would always be my secret heart.

  Ribbons of blood danced from my fingertips and wove themselves around Ysrthgrathe. He roared in anger at this, but I laughed. Oh, I had been careful for so long. It felt wonderful to let the power out. To revel in it again. I let it take hold of me. Slide through me. Pill me. Fill the void inside.

  Soon, Ysrthgrathe was encased in a blood-cocoon. Using one hand to control the cocoon, with the other I began to cast another spell. But Ysrthgrathe wasn't so easily controlled. He shot into the air, dragging me along. We flew above the trees, and the upper branches scratched and scraped at my legs.

  I grabbed at the blood ribbons with both hands to steady myself. What is he up to? I wondered. I looked about and saw that he was flying us straight toward Crater Lake.

  If we went much further, we'd be shot down by the Tir military for certain. Cursing, I let go of the blood ribbons. Ysrthgrathe shot ahead, and I fell. I was battered and bruised by tree limbs. It took me a moment before I could cast a flying spell.

  I flew up to the top of the trees and peered around.

  "Looking for me?" came Ysrthgrathe's voice above me.

  I looked up. His head was free from the cocoon, but the rest of his body was still encased. He spat out some words, and the cocoon shattered. It sent drops of blood flying everywhere. My face and clothes were spattered with it.

  "What's that old saying?" Ysrthgrathe asked. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me?"

  I didn't reply, just furiously tore at my wrist with my teeth. How I yearned for a knife at that mo- ment. Oh, for the power I'd lost. For the power to come.

  "This is most annoying," Ysrthgrathe said. "You've changed. You're not at all like you were be- fore.

  "Where is your fear? It was so sweet and deli- cious. Your pain? Your agony? Have you forgotten the dark years of your torment already? I remember them as if they were yesterday.

  "Your pain, my pleasure. Think of what I can offer you. Don't you recall? The power. Imagine what you could be here with that power now. They would be forced to listen to you. You could make them bend to your will. They would have to do your bidding."

  And I was tempted.

  It had been so many years since I'd felt anything close to the sensation of the power. Such a unity of self and soul. Body and mind. Maybe only the absinthe had come close. But even that joy was fleeting.

  My blood sang to be used. To be taken again.

  From Crater Lake I could feel the pull of even greater power. It sang to me.

  Take me.

  Use me.

  "Yes," he said. "Think of it. This world can't even imagine what the power is. They play at magic like a game. They don't understand. But you do, Aina. You've always understood the true nature of the gift. It's in your blood. Take my gift."

  Foolish mistake.

  I hadn't thought him so clumsy. So obvious. To go over old ground again.

  "Oh, dear," I said. "What was it you said? Fool

  me once…"

  The blood had been running into my palms. It writhed, then began to whirl. It bubbled over my fingertips and began to slide toward the ground. It wanted me to use it.

  It craved that.

  I crave
d that.

  So I let us have what we wanted.

  From over the horizon, the blue glow from Crater Lake became brighter. The power surged into me. And this time, this time, I didn't refuse it.

  The spell burst out of me. It sang and jumped from my lips. Insects flew into the sky in a great cloud. The bones of long-dead animals rose up and began to circle about Ysrthgrathe. The insects joined them, and soon the blood danced out of my hands and mingled with the bones and insects.

  Surrounding Ysrthgrathe. Encasing him.

  "Aina," he said. His voice was a soft whisper, but somehow I could hear it above the buzzing of the wasps. It was inside me. In my mind, like someone lurking at a window. "Aina, don't turn me away. I shan't forgive you this time. This time I will take everything away."

  "Go ahead and try," I said. I released the spell then. Let it surge out of me. Out of my soul. Out of the centuries of solitude and loneliness. From the pain of my loss and sadness.

  And, oh, it made such a lovely sight.

  Ysrthgrathe became darker and darker, until I felt as if the very light was being drawn into him. Then, in the matter of a nanosecond, there was an immense radiance that blinded me.

  When I could see again, there was nothing left of the insects, or the bones, or the blood, or of

  Ysrthgrathe. In the sky there was the faint azure glow from Crater Lake, dimmer this time.

  Then, there was only the faint twinkling of the stars.

  "Where will you go now?" asked Caimbeul.

  We were standing in the Orly airport. It was some three weeks after I'd faced Ysrthgrathe for the last time.

  I had found Caimbeul unconscious from the blow Ysrthgrathe had given him. I'd healed him, and then we'd gone looking for the authorities to notify them about the cab driver's death. The tale Caimbeul had spun was impressive, even by his usual standards.

  We finally got out of Tir Taimgire the next day.

  I contacted Dunkelzahn and told him about what had happened. In dragon-like fashion, he merely nodded and accepted what I said. If he had any other opinions, he kept them to himself. Though he did in- vite me to stay and visit.