If these gardens were not what they once had been, Wigg could not even conceive of what they might have looked like in their prime. As it was, their beauty was so great it made his heart ache.
"The floating gardens of the Chambers of Penitence," Faegan breathed, hardly able to contain his joy. "The Tome was right. They really do exist!" But his delight faded as the watchwoman began pushing their boat away from the gardens, rather than toward them.
"Where are you taking us?" he asked anxiously. "What we require is back there, is it not, in the tiered gardens?"
"Indeed," the watchwoman answered quietly, as her macabre hands continued to steer the boat toward the sheer rock wall to their right. "But before I give you what you need, one of you must pay the price. Then, and only then, am I allowed to grant you entrance to the gardens and provide you with what you seek."
Wigg and Faegan looked at each other tentatively, but they said nothing.
Approaching the shore near the far wall, she gently beached the boat and indicated that they should disembark. Then she began walking along the rocky shoreline. The wizards followed.
She soon came to stand before a plain, square doorway carved into the rock wall. There she turned to them. The darkness within the hood of her robe was as impenetrable as ever.
"Only one of you shall be allowed to enter the chamber," she said. She pointed her blanched, bony hand at Wigg. "It shall be you," she added coldly.
"Why?" Wigg asked.
"The herbs you request are among the rarest in existence," she answered. "Therefore the psychic price to be paid is exceedingly high. Of the two of you, the cripple has far less chance of survival. I can sense that his mind is always struggling to control the pain in his legs. The added burdens that await in the Chamber of Penitence shall be more easily borne by you-which is not to guarantee your survival, either. The choice remains yours: Decide."
Wigg looked down at Faegan and nodded slowly. If he died here in this place today, then so be it. But no matter what else might happen, no harm could come to the Paragon.
Faegan looked up at Wigg with wet, guilty eyes. "I'm sorry, my friend," he said, his voice cracking. Then he looked down at the stark wooden chair that was at once both his freedom and his prison. "I have far less to lose," he added sadly.
Wigg placed a hand on Faegan's shoulder. "It's all right," he said softly. "But if I never come back, please do all you can to help Celeste come to terms with her past. I have only just found her, and I would like to know that my oldest, best friend will be looking after her. Just as I know you will also care for Abbey and the Chosen Ones."
Lowering his head slightly, all Faegan could do was nod.
Wigg looked back at the faceless woman. "I am ready," he said.
She turned and walked through the doorway and into the darkness beyond.
Taking a deep breath, the lead wizard followed her inside.
CHAPTER
Thirty-five
"Y ou're insane," Wulfgar breathed softly, incredulously, as he stared at the wizard. "Even you, in the warped, twisted world of this bizarre island you command, cannot believe everything you have just said! And even if you do, such things are not possible! What you propose is monstrous, and I will have none of it, do you hear? None of it!"
Smiling slightly, Krassus stood from his chair and came to stand by Wulfgar's side. Looking out over the nighttime sea, he saw the running lights of several slave ships approaching the underground pier. Counting them, he saw that there were five. He smiled again. With the exception of the ship Janus and Grizelda had just departed in, most of his fleet was now home. And here in the protection of the Citadel was where they would stay, at least for the time being.
With the discovery of Wulfgar, he had no further need for the taking of R'talis slaves. Even before the half sibling of the Chosen Ones had been found, Krassus had already secured more of the endowed captives than he needed to fulfill the other, more esoteric part of Nicholas' plans. Nor did the wizard need more Talis slaves, even though they had been brought here for an entirely different purpose. And so he had told Janus to order all of the slaving activities in Eutracia abandoned. Soon his entire fleet and most of his demonslavers and consuls would be back at the Citadel, awaiting his next orders.
From the moment he had first entered these rooms and looked Wulfgar over, Krassus had been pleased. Tall, broad shouldered, and muscular, Wulfgar had intense hazel eyes that burned brightly with both his innate intelligence and the strength of his uniquely endowed blood. His rugged good looks were not what one might have called classically handsome, but he carried with him a defiant sense of purpose, just as did the other two offspring of the late queen Morganna.
Krassus could barely contain his eagerness to discover just how strong Wulfgar's blood would eventually prove to be.
But first he would need to consult the Scroll of the Vagaries.
For the last two hours Krassus had been explaining his plan in great detail to the unbelieving man seated beside him, telling him why he had been brought here and what was about to happen to all of the other slaves, both Talis and R'talis alike. Some of it, the wizard had said, was already going forward at the hands of the consuls under his control.
As Krassus had gone on talking, the look of extreme horror on Wulfgar's face had turned to one of pure rage. At one point he had actually tried to attack the wizard. But Krassus had, of course, been able to control him, painfully but gently showing him the error of his ways. After that Wulfgar had simply paced, seething, knowing that there was nothing he could do but listen to the impossible-sounding plans of the wizard with the long, white hair and the strange gray-and-blue robe.
Krassus had fully expected Wulfgar to react this way. In fact, he would have been bitterly disappointed if the son of Morganna had not. But he also knew that Wulfgar's feelings would change soon enough. And there would be absolutely nothing Wulfgar would be able to do to prevent it.
When Krassus had explained that Wulfgar was in fact the bastard half sibling of Tristan and Shailiha, the Chosen Ones themselves, Wulfgar had laughed, calling the wizard insane. But after Krassus had explained to him about the wizards' orphanage and the fact that he had been given over to a couple named Jason and Selene of the House of Merrick, his derisive attitude had slowly subsided. And when Krassus had shown Wulfgar the blood signatures of all three of Morganna's offspring, and then gone on to explain how they had been formed by the craft, for a time Wulfgar had become strangely silent.
"Why Serena?" Wulfgar finally asked, his mood quieter now.
"What do you mean?" Krassus responded politely.
"It was painfully obvious that that freak Janus wanted us together, and in a very bad way," Wulfgar answered. "I had never asked for a woman. Yet there she suddenly was. Presented to me on a silver platter, to supposedly do with however I wished. I now partially regret to say that it worked. I care very much for her, as she does for me. But you know that already, don't you? So tell me, why was it so important to you that we meet?"
"I handpicked Serena for you myself, as the dead son of the Chosen One commanded me to do, just before his ill-fated attempt to empower the Gates of Dawn," Krassus answered perfunctorily. "Serena is not only quite beautiful, but also highly intelligent. The assay rating of her endowed blood makes her an excellent match for you. It is in fact a value of three-very high quality, indeed. And her blood signature leans far to the left, just as your does, making her even more suitable. But as of yet, of course, she is completely ignorant of such nuances."
Still confused, Wulfgar scowled at the thought of how easily he and Serena had been manipulated. But his love for her was real. Now he knew why she had been taken away by the demonslavers this morning: so that the wizard called Krassus could come here and speak to him privately. Suddenly more concerned than ever for Serena's well-being, he glared at the wizard sitting so calmly across from him.
"You still haven't answered my question," he demanded. "Why was she presented to me? It couldn'
t have simply been for our sexual gratification."
"No, no, of course not," Krassus answered happily, crossing his legs and taking a sip of the excellent red wine on the table before him. "Although an offspring from your union would certainly be useful, that is not my goal. Other, more pressing matters must take precedence. As I have told you, you will eventually become the ruler of not only this island, but a good deal more, as well. And every king needs a queen. The woman behind the throne, as they say. Serena was the obvious choice, and is also the woman you will no doubt bestow this honor upon when the time comes. When all is said and done, you will eventually find that the two of you are compatible in ways you could never have dreamed."
Wulfgar thought for a moment. "Assuming that all of this insanity is in fact true, how can you be so sure that I will choose Serena?"
"Because even though you don't realize it yet, you are a highly superior specimen of the craft," Krassus said calmly. "At some point even you will finally understand that only the best will do. Your position, the quality of your blood, and the left-leaning nature of your signature will eventually demand it. And Serena is without question the most highly qualified woman here."
"So you plan to do to Serena what you wish to do to me?" Wulfgar asked furiously. Guilt that he had somehow helped Krassus draw Serena into all of this piled on top of his anger, and he stood again and began pacing the balcony.
"Oh, no," Krassus answered. "When the time comes, that shall be your task. You will most assuredly want to do it yourself, to make sure her arrival into your new world is perfect in all respects."
"But if she is so important to you, why did you make her an outcast from the other slaves, feeding her fine food in their presence while they starve?" Wulfgar asked. "What possible purpose could that serve except to reinforce your cruelty?"
"Ah, yes," Krassus answered. "You see, it is time Serena began learning how to handle what will soon be her new station in life. As you will learn, the unendowed are little more than a natural resource for the endowed to exploit. Mere cattle, as it were. And becoming immune to the pleadings of those of lesser blood is an essential part of that realization. What better way to begin teaching her than to force her to watch her friends starve while she thrives? Besides, as I understand it, it was you who insisted that she receive better nourishment. Perhaps you should have been more careful with your words, Wulfgar. You know what they say: Be careful what you ask for, you might just get it."
Seething, Wulfgar stopped pacing for a moment to glare at the imperious, self-confident wizard. "And that freak of nature named Janus," he said angrily, "what rock did you find him under?"
Krassus gave a soft chuckle. "Interesting, isn't he?" he commented. "Nicholas suggested that I select a Eutracian of unendowed blood to help oversee the slaving operations. Far easier to kill, you see, than someone of endowed blood should something sour in the relationship. So I went shopping for an assistant in Bargainer's Square. That section of Tammerland is literally teeming with criminals for hire. Janus seemed an excellent choice." The wizard took another sip of wine.
"But I can sense how much you hate him, Wulfgar," Krassus added conspiratorially. "So once you have attained your potential, if you wish to kill him, then kill him. Frankly, I couldn't care less. Janus is merely a means to an end. Thugs like him are a kisa a dozen, so to speak."
A short smile finally crossed Wulfgar's lips. "If I can eventually kill Janus, then how do you know that I won't also kill you, and all of your demonslavers?" he asked. "I would enjoy that very much."
Krassus calmly took another sip of wine. "Because by then you won't want to," he answered. "As you will eventually see, you will need the slavers. And by that time, killing me would profit you nothing. As I told you, I now have a preordained life span. It came to me compliments of Nicholas, in the form of my rather inconvenient but very effective lung disease. A creative incentive granted to me by my master, designed not only to hurry me in my work but also to grace me with the greatest reward of all: to reside for all of eternity in the embrace of the Heretics of the Guild. So once you can, feel free to kill me. My fate is sealed one way or the other."
Wulfgar's emotions reeled between disbelief and hatred. Could this wizard actually be telling the truth? Or was he simply mad? And if it all really was true, then how could he, a simple blacksmith and livery owner, ever hope to stop it? How could one hope to defeat a madman of the craft?
"Why did you bother to come here to me and tell me all of this?" he asked angrily. "Considering the barbaric, inhumane manner in which we were all brought here, not to mention your horrific plans for the rest of the slaves, drinking wine and engaging in conversation is a bit overcivilized, isn't it? If you're as powerful as you say, then why don't you just get on with it all?"
Krassus only smiled. "If that's how you feel, then tell me, Wulfgar: How would you prefer it be done?" He took another sip of wine.
"You could struggle, of course, and I could have my demonslavers beat and torture you," he went on calmly. "But that would be so pedestrian, don't you think? Besides, I need you healthy. You shall need all of your strength to survive what I am about to do to you. In the end, your struggle would only prove a waste of time and energy for us both-and given my condition, time is the one luxury I do not have. Also, should you be entertaining any heroic notions of trying to kill yourself to thwart me, know that from now on at least two armed demonslavers will be here with you, watching you every moment until my work with you is finished. Then our roles will be reversed, and you shall command me. And I shall gladly obey you for as much time as I may have left. But just now, there is something I must do."
Walking back inside, Krassus beckoned Wulfgar to join him. Realizing he had no choice, Wulfgar reluctantly did as he was asked.
Krassus pointed one hand in the direction of the balcony, and the azure glow of the craft started to appear. As it did, the wizard gracefully moved his hand back and forth, and the glow slowly began to cover the entire expanse of the doorway, creating a thin, transparent wall of blue. Krassus lowered his hand.
"A wizard's warp," he said casually. "Designed to prevent you and Serena from doing anything unpleasantly athletic. Such as a lovers' leap, for example. I have made it transparent, though, so that you might still enjoy the view. Given everything else you are about to endure, it would have been quite heartless of me to have taken that away from you, don't you agree?"
Wulfgar looked through the shimmering azure wall and out into the blackness of the night. "I will fight you; you must know that," he said softly, at the same time wondering how he might ever accomplish such a thing. "So will Serena. Somehow we will reach Tristan and Shailiha, and together we will kill you."
Krassus nodded knowingly. "Yes," he agreed. "You will no doubt struggle against all that is about to happen. At first, your blood will demand it of you. But then the left-leaning nature of your blood signature will take over, turning you toward your true calling. In the end it will not matter how much you struggle, for you cannot win. Nor can Serena. Eventually you will both understand, and thank me for the wondrous world I have lain before you. And then I shall die, leaving the rest of Nicholas' magnificent mission in your very capable hands."
Placing his hands into the opposite sleeves of his robe, he turned to leave, but then stopped. "There is still so much you do not know," he said softly, as if he were speaking to an uneducated child. "Things your unprepared mind and untrained blood are not yet ready to embrace. But they soon will be. In the meantime, I will have Serena sent back to you. Even if you tell her all that we spoke of tonight, in the end it will make no difference. So do with your newfound information what you will, and enjoy your time with her. In a few days we will begin our work together. But first there is research I must complete, and for that I need the R'talis slaves. Then, when I am finished, I will send for you. Be ready."
With that, Krassus called for his demonslavers. The bolt scratched its way across the other side of the door and three of the mo
nsters sauntered in, armed to the teeth. Saying nothing more, Krassus walked from the room with one of them. The twin doors closed behind him with finality, leaving Wulfgar alone with the remaining two slavers.
As Wulfgar turned to look through the bizarre, transparent wall left by the wizard, his thoughts were again drawn to the hideous plans Krassus had for not only the other slaves, but also for the rest of the world.
For the first time since his capture in Farpoint, a single tear overcame the lower lid of one of his hazel eyes and rolled its way down one cheek.
CHAPTER
Thirty-six
S hailiha shifted her weight in the saddle as the bay gelding cantered across the broad, rolling field of barley. The wind created waves in the sea of ripe grain, and the sun, unusually warm for this time in the Season of New Life, lit the tan stalks with sparks of gold and amber. Smiling, she took a deep breath. The field smelled fertile with the promise of a good harvest, and she could hear the rose-colored valley swallows calling out to one another as they swooped through the clear sky, helping to create the seductive but misleading impression that all in the princess' nation was well.
Celeste rode beside her on Pilgrim, Tristan's dappled gray stallion. Since coming to live with them, Celeste had been learning to ride. Now, several months later, she could very nearly hold her own with the best of them.
She had asked Shailiha's permission to use Tristan's horse today, and the princess had gladly agreed, aware that riding Pilgrim made Celeste feel closer to Tristan.
The horrific nightmare Celeste had suffered the night before had clearly been a turning point for her. After her initial terror had passed, an overpowering rage had rushed hotly, suddenly through her veins, and she had hurried to talk with Shailiha. Her feelings-anger, fear, shame-had come pouring out, and at last had finally crumbled away. And for the first time in three centuries, her denial of her past finally departed, as well. In its place had arrived a sense of acceptance. With that newfound acceptance had finally come the freedom and the desire to taste all of the good things available to her in her new life. And the thirst her soul most desperately wished to quench was to tell Tristan how much she truly cared.
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