I was breathing hard and finally nodded. The shadows stayed in place, but the Gorgon walked around me. ‘I smell Bilac in you. You still wear her armor under the Silver Maw? I owe you pain for her death.’
‘Yes, you do,’ I whispered. ‘Thak ripped her apart. The tattooed bitch cried as he ate her.’ I had not seen it, but I hoped she had.
‘Pain, Shannon, later,’ she said with a cold voice.
‘You have been around me all—’
She slapped her foot on the floor, and I went quiet. ‘No, remember? I was in the tower with Euryale when you escaped,’ she said. ‘I said one of us took Cherry’s place. I cast the spell on her. Just like the elven bitch, Hannea; I can do that. You knew about it. You saw how I disguised myself when we visited Trad.’
‘When Euryale showed me to Almheir,’ I hissed.
‘That is what she told you,’ Cosia said. ‘But really, we showed you to Asfalon here. He was there, remember?’
He had been. ‘Yes.’
‘We needed him, you see. He had to see you were real. And Euryale did bite Aloise there as well.’ Hate made me hiss aloud, and I fought to stay still.
‘Someone else slept on my lap for two years?’ I asked her, trying to keep my voice under control. ‘Poor Cherry.’
‘Your Cherry,’ Cosia said with a smile as she crouched before me, ‘died the first night you arrived. We ate her. It is our hunt, our sport to have one of you for the pot, and we enjoyed her. Of course, we made sure she was not the Hand, but she was not. Oh, she feared. You remember, don’t you? She was the first one you saw, and she was terrified as she sprinted in the old under-caverns of the Twisted Tower.’
She had been, I remembered. Poor girl. Then I had lost sight of her.
She smiled wickedly. ‘Then one of us took her place. She was to keep an eye on you. Granted, your escape plan was a surprise. We knew something was about when you sneaked out with Anja to talk, but as the weeks went on and you just studied with the mistress, we thought you had lost your nerve. Dana was your first concern, and you had the Rot. But no, you rebelled. She was surprised, your guard.’
‘She pretended love for me,’ I hissed.
Cosia shook her head. ‘I think not. She grew fond of you. She grew relaxed. Perhaps she didn’t want to betray you? Perhaps she was unwilling to tell us of your plans? You kept it well to yourself; that was well done, but I doubt you could truly fool her as she had Gorgon’s hearing. She didn’t even find out your special skills, the ability to hear and see spells, to see the dead? No, she failed us. Betrayed, even, at least some of the time.’
‘Where is she now?’ I asked and tried to get up.
‘Easy, Hand. Shannon. You don’t want to get hurt. Mistress Euryale would be upset.’ She laughed.
‘Euryale survived?’ I asked while drawing long breaths, trying to calm myself. I looked up at her.
Her eyes grew huge, and she stammered. ‘Survived? Why, yes! She did! Of course, she did! We lost half the sisters to your strange powers and skills, and to Dana’s, but she did. Of course, she did. She is First Born, and while you are a dangerous, uncomfortable nuisance, she is in no danger from you.’
‘Let me up,’ I said darkly. I tried to get up, and she shook her head and again rammed my face to the floor.
‘Not before I know you will behave.’
‘I had best stay down here for a bit then, snake-face,’ I said, my mind whirling.
‘Like a dizzy fly into a spider’s nest, you came.’ She smiled. ‘I’m happy you helped us do this.’
‘Euryale never intended to give me to Almheir Bardagoon,’ I said.
She shook her head and smiled, her fangs showing. ‘No, human girl, no. The Regent would have to be pretty desperate to let any Hand try to bring back the gods. He would never obey us, no matter what we did to Aloise. In Aldheim, a sick daughter goes to her father’s household to heal. And this particular father is the key to Himingborg.’ She laid a hand over the dead elven head and stroked it affectionately. ‘Talien was the mightiest elf of the time. At least that we know of. Now he is gone.’
‘What now?’ I asked her, wondering if they were done with me.
‘Now?’ she said. ‘Now we have business with our Almheir.’
‘He has not arrived—’
‘Of course, he has. The Fates is waiting for House Vautan, who are delayed thanks to Daxamma troops currently burning his rich lands. The Feast of Fates, Hands of Life? Perfect opportunity for the brazen to take down the northern leadership. Talien here was ever careful, but not so much after Aloise was healed. You had your part to play; I had mine. Both performed beautifully.’
‘All this for robbery? For power?’
‘Why, yes, for power, girl,’ she whispered. ‘You have not been told many truths about past events, but do not worry about the details. We are only at the beginning. We have our goals and Danar Coinar is out to change the world. Take Himingborg, and you can piss on the Feast and marriages and alliances and all the damned houses. Danar will take it with Marxam, and Asfalon there,’ she nodded at shadows where the Bardagoon whelp was standing next to Aloise, holding his bruised face, ‘will surrender the Bardagoon lands to Danar after the Regent dies and shall rule something suitable and rich under the Coinar banner.’ She eyed the Bardagoon noble shrewdly and gave him a small bow, and I knew the fool Asfalon would die at some point. ‘Power will come to all of us. We all want the gods back, and there is no way this could take place if Talien and Almheir rule this city.’
Lying bitch. I laughed. ‘Return the gods? You damned liar.’
She rapped my helmet. ‘Stop that now. We will need the Eye, indeed. You will fetch it.’
‘Cherry … you never reached Trad?’ I asked.
‘No.’ She smiled, ‘I told you it was someone else. It was Ittisana, another fury whip, and she is now in the Gray Downs. She was your companion for years, and when you sent her on the mission to reach us, I took her place. I came to the fort.’
‘To Lowpass?’
‘Yes, Shannon.’ She smiled.
‘Why?’
‘Ittisana told Tiria Coinar about you. She tried to guide the road to the right direction, though very half-heartedly. Tiria died. Ittisana poisoned the weak Hannea and failed there as well. She was to help give you to Danar Coinar, but no. You reached Lowpass. And there was a siege. People die in sieges. She had to be removed from the game. I think she was very confused. She tried to make everyone happy.’
‘She told Tiria about me,’ I spat. ‘But she did not kill Ompar?’
‘No.’ She smiled. ‘She should have. She failed. She had to be rid of the very bothersome elf. But when I came to Lowpass, things began to move.’
‘You poisoned Ompar,’ I stated. ‘You did that.’
‘Technically, you gave him the wine,’ she said smiling.
‘You—’
‘Yes, Ittisana failed to poison Hannea, and she didn’t manage to raise anyone to try to kill Ompar. They all hated him for his heritage, but she failed. I think she didn’t even try. Liked you so much she wanted to treasure your love.’
‘Ittisana is dead?’
‘No, in Gray Downs.’ She frowned. ‘I told you. I took the time to be rid of the elf that never left your side. I sneaked to the keep—Danar let me—and took a male, masked face. Human maa’dark had a much easier time to find a willing servant for murder. They had lost many of their relatives as well by then. It was very easy to command his death as one of the Tears. I gave her the bottle. Then I went to fetch the ships.’
‘Why did you attack the Coinar navy?’ I demanded. ‘If you were allied, then—’
She smiled. ‘Well, it occurred to us you might be noble and take your own life if there was no hope at all. Killing Ompar made you dark and cold, and we had to make it look good. Danar Coinar will forgive us,’ she said.
I closed my eyes as rage demanded I kill her. They had Dana, again.
‘What does Euryale get from this, really?’ I asked her.
‘The nations won’t just fall over to Danar Coinar, no matter what. There will be stiff resistance, I’m sure, and most nobles would rather fight for decades than give up. Shinna is dead, but Safiroon’s will—’
‘Shinna,’ she said grinning, ‘and Aloise here are prisoners. I’ll have them share the same ship with the Tears. The Safiroons have a hundred other family members; our friend here,’ she tapped the dead elf’s head, ‘was very fertile. He bred like a rat. And yes, while the city will face invasion and treachery, there will be a terrible war fought across the north. But the north will lose, bereft of its leaders.’
‘Almheir Bardagoon—’
‘Will be very surprised today,’ she said with a laugh. ‘He is living in the Lion’s Stump, the tower to the west edge of the White Court. All ready for the Feast. All are here, save for Vautans, and they won’t come. Almheir will see his son, happily he will. He will hear his wife is healed. He will rush to us. And you will rip apart his defenses. You will strip him of his spells as he raises them, and you will do this in a bit. War will be fought for years. Danar Coinar and the Daxamma will take over the land, though slowly. You will marry Danar Coinar, the King of Aldheim, and finally go and do what Euryale wanted you to do. You are the awkward fool of the prophecy, and you will go there and bring back the Eye.’
‘I will have your head one day,’ I hissed. ‘For Ompar.’
‘You will not,’ she said with a fanged smile. ‘Why should you? You have read too many stories.’
‘What did you get out of this? Truly?’ I asked Asfalon. ‘You will serve Coinar until he tires of you. It will be soon.’
He smiled in the shadows. Aloise did not move as the lord held a dagger to her throat. ‘I am no fool. Did I not tell you of elves and their long lineage? This is my chance. And no, I do not trust Coinar and Euryale,’ he said and gave a stiff bow to Cosia, ‘but the gods will be grateful if you regain the Eye. I will survive, and in the chaos of what will happen, Hand, many things can happen. I’ll be careful.’
‘Your father … ’ I began, but he waved his hand.
‘I will rise higher than he ever did. This is the only way to achieve anything in this world of ours. Break it, rebuild it. We will slay him before the palace, in the open as he rushes here to see Aloise. Coinar troops will do it. Even Safiroon troops now, since Talien Safiroon will be with us.’
‘Bastards,’ I breathed, and Cosia snickered. She would take Talien’s form and rip apart House Safiroon into confused masses of enemies and allies.
‘Now,’ Cosia said, ‘you will meet your future husband. I will take us to meet the southern lord first. Danar Coinar. He arrived this morning just before us. He longs to see you. Will you obey? You know what is at stake?’
‘That is right, you bitch,’ I said. ‘I know. My sister again. And the others.’
Cosia regarded me and tapped her foot before my face. ‘She will survive this. We will win the war quickly or slowly, matters not. Then—with Danar’s grace—you will travel with Asfalon and me to the north. You will retrieve the Eye. And you will die of the Rot or the Dragon’s Pact. We know about that Pact, yes. Of course, it asked you to kill Euryale. But you will not survive to try it. Dana will. Will you be able to accept this? Or shall you fight us futilely? Dana is on that ship, and you will never take it.’
‘And I will never know if you held your word,’ I said with misery. ‘I can only dream of it.’
‘Dreams can come true,’ she answered, and ran her fingers across Talien’s back. ‘See? I always dreamed of killing this one.’
‘Yes, I will do it,’ I spat, hoping beyond hope things would go differently. Aloise began to complain but was silenced by Cosia’s dead-eyed look. I wanted to throttle both villains in the room but dared not move. Then Cosia braided a spell together. Her face changed, melted and glowed, and there stood Talien Safiroon.
‘Get up then,’ Cosia disguised as the great lord told me, and I did, eyeing the ring of Talien in her hand. She smiled and turned it around in her fingers. ‘Must still study it. It’s called Hearthfire. Some ancient elf made it once. Perhaps Cerunnos. I don’t know how it works, but I will. Shall we go, young Hand? Do disguise yourself.’
I picked up the robe and covered my armor.
‘Take her to the ship, Asfalon, and you shall be richly rewarded,’ Cosia said with a wry smile and nodded at Aloise.
‘Yes, mistress,’ Asfalon said with a bow.
We left the room. I felt helpless. I mulled over my options and dragged myself after the regal disguise of Cosia. She had been there all this time. No, another of her ilk. Cherry, the scared Cherry had died before we even knew her. And she had not spoken so that Albine would not know her a liar. A mute. A liar.
But she had spoken to me that last day. Perhaps she had been different. Undecided. Perhaps she had thought about betraying Euryale. She had not, though.
Euryale was out to change the whole elven world, and perhaps she did not really care about the Eye of Hel at all. Asfalon and Danar, Marxam Daxamma. So many others were trying to rip it apart, and she stayed on the sideline, prodding the plan on, helping where help was needed, and she waited to get the Eye as her reward. For what? The world was sick to its core. Hopelessly cold, impossible to reason with, the bastards seemed enamored by power and deceit as they whispered lies and promises to each other. I cursed softly and wiped tears off my eyes. We walked through hallways filled with murals and pristine paintings full of detail, and ended up in a shadowy alcove leading to a stairway. Cosia stepped in. ‘Are you here?’ she asked slowly, her eyes darting around the well-furnished, luxurious room.
‘I am,’ said a rasping voice, and another ancient elf stepped forward. It was Danar Coinar, and he wore silver and black robes, guarding himself with the strange shield Charm Breaker, which was glowing and full of power, an artifact of ancient origins. He had recovered it. Its astonished face made of bright metal reminded me of Ompar, and I stood there, nearly forgetting about Dana. ‘Ah, my old nemesis. At least the likeness of one,’ Danar told Cosia dryly. ‘Bow to me, lord of Himingborg’
I heard Cosia chuckle. ‘Yes, oh lord of the north and the south,’ she said with a laugh.
Then Talien’s likeness bowed deep to the Coinar lord. Cosia bowed at the old elf, whose sharp eyes turned my way. ‘See, Hand? An ancient enemy is finally showing me the respect that I am due. No, do not presume to think I did not respect him. I did. He was just an … enemy.’
‘Like your son was,’ I said with spite. ‘Like I am.’
He nodded carefully. ‘Indeed. Like you are. Like he was.’ Like Talien, Danar was old, wrinkled and strangely glowing from all the powers of the Glory that had passed through him before in his life. ‘Is it done?’
‘Yes, my lord Danar,’ Cosia said. ‘King Danar Coinar.’
He smiled greedily. ‘And our dear Regent is not aware of this act, this unfortunate situation? I assume this is so, since you are here and not quarrelsome Bardagoon supporters?’
‘Asfalon has his wife, Lord Coinar. There is no going back for him, and our Regent is shortly going to be very surprised.’
Danar eyed Cosia. ‘A fine disguise. Rather reminds me of Hannea’s skills. What became of her, Hand?’
‘She died in the Lowpass, in the battle. Fell screaming to the chasm after I killed Strife,’ I said brutally, lying.
His eyes flickered, and I think he actually felt remorse. ‘All my children dead, Hand. By your life-giving, loving hands.’ He smiled ironically. ‘I will have more. I will marry you, but I will not touch you; do not worry. We will just pretend. And it need not last long. As soon as Himingborg is mine, I’ll rule the lands.’
‘The gods are sure to reward you well for the heaps of the dead,’ I said. He eyed Cosia, who shrugged.
‘We will see if the gods can be returned by a human,’ he said with a dry laugh. ‘I doubt it. When I rule, I will recover the Eye.’
‘How, you will need the Hand—’
He waved his hand.
‘I will not speak of it. I’ll be the king, Hand, and one day, I’ll return the gods. But my ally Euryale is welcome to try and should you succeed? You will find the gods very forgiving and understanding for those who are strong. They are no less cruel than an elf or a man. I’ll be the King of Aldheim. They will not refuse me, or Euryale anything, no matter how high the heaps of rotting cadavers are.’
‘How many troops do you have here, my lord?’ Cosia asked. Her spell was better than Hannae’s.
‘I have a thousand,’ Danar said. ‘What is allowed in the city for the Feast. A pittance. But so do the Bardagoons.’
‘I will command the guard to prepare,’ Cosia said. ‘He will not survive this ambush. We outnumber him four to one.’
‘And you,’ Danar growled at me. ‘You will rip his shields apart. Like you did with so many of the nobles in the Black Ring.’
‘For Dana I will, not Danar,’ I said coldly.
‘I am not happy by the wound your kin gave me,’ Danar told Cosia dangerously. ‘Nor for the loss of my fleet.’
Cosia shrugged, not giving an inch. ‘You had made a mess of it, my lord. She was to be quietly returned to the north, but instead you were in a war against your own son, burning your own people to hide the fact humans can See the Shades. She had to be saved. It had to look authentic. And so it did.’
‘Have Aloise Bardagoon moved to my ship immediately,’ Danar said. ‘Let her join her sister,’ he nodded at me, ‘and the others.’
‘Done already.’
‘They are my prisoners, and I will benefit from them, should something go wrong,’ he stated. ‘I, after all, have much to lose here.’
‘Much will be risked, by all parties,’ Cosia said.
‘Shall we?’ Danar asked.
Cosia nodded. ‘At the gates, in thirty minutes.’ She pulled me, but Danar smiled wickedly. ‘She also stays with me for now.’
Cosia’s eyes, those of Talien flashed as she fought the idea. Finally, she relented, bowed stiffly. ‘Do not lose her, lord king to be.’ She walked away to give orders.
Eye of Hel: Stories of the Nine Worlds (Ten Tears Chronicles - a dark fantasy action adventure Book 2) Page 23
