Empress Unborn se-7

by Jean Lorrah

  Unconscious, her face utterly serene, her dark hair framing her pale features as smoothly as ever, Lilith was a powerful source of Adept energy.

  And the terrible, life-draining, soul-freezing cold was emanating from here-

  — created by the Adept energies of the Lady Lilith.

  Chapter Eight

  “What’s wrong with her?” Wicket asked.

  “Wicket, what have you found?” Pyrrhus demanded.

  “Lady Lilith. Master Clement’s Reading her.”

  “Why can’t you talk to her through her Readers?”

  “They’re unconscious. Let me concentrate! I’ll tell you as soon as I know anything.”

  “Her energy is draining away!” Aradia recognized.

  Master Clement said. “She must be stopped!”

  “If only someone could wake her,” Aradia fumed.

  “Everyone is asleep. Some are dead. Aradia, could Lilith drain away to death?” Master Clement asked.

  “A Lady Adept should not to be able to. Oh, Clement, what can we do against a Lord Adept powerful enough to use Lilith this way?”

  “Surely not only one,” the Master Reader reassured. “It has to be a circle, and they have gone to great pains to prevent us from completing our own. Once we have Lilith here, we can combat them. We have done it before.”

  Master Clement searched for Readers among Lilith’s entourage. He recognized two, both frozen to death. Adepts he knew by healing sleep, their bodies warm despite the hideous cold. There were five, but no way to contact them. Besides… “Aradia?”

  ” I agree-it’s not merely healing sleep to survive. It’s restorative sleep, as if they’ve used their powers to the limit. In that cold, with a continued drain on their energies, they may never wake.II Wicket continued reporting to Pyrrhus, his soft voice tense with fear of things he didn’t understand.

  “We must waken Lilith,” said Master Clement, and turned his attention to the nearest Watcher’s post.

  There were two men in it, a Dark Moon Reader and a minor Adept.

  The Adept was not certain he had the strength to keep them both warm-alive-on a five-mile walk, but the moment he learned it was to waken Lady Lilith from a life-draining trance, he said, “We’ll wake her-or die trying!”

  It took them nearly two hours to reach the blue pavilions. Once they found Lilith, all that was necessary was a finger touched to her forehead.

  She woke, frowned, and asked, “Who are you? Where are my people?” She tried to sit up, and fell back in exhaustion, putting a hand to her head. “Why am I so weak?”

  “Master Clement sent us to wake you,” the Reader explained. “The cold…”

  Even as he spoke, the cold was beginning to dissipate, the spell broken with Lilith’s waking.

  But what had the spell been?

  Awkwardly, they communicated with Lilith through the Reader, then sent a message along the Watchers’

  route for more of Lilith’s people to protect her, and others to care for the dead. “The attacks in Zendi stopped,” Master Clement noted, “as soon as our Readers began watching for them, our Adepts ready to counter.”

  Lilith had no choice except recovery sleep, but with the cold gone it would restore instead of draining her. Once she was safe, they broke the rapport.

  Losing touch with Master Clement’s powerful mind-and the incredible experience of being beyond one’s body-was always disorienting.

  Aradia glanced at Wicket, who started as if a support had gone out from under him. Although they were seated, Pyrrhus put a hand under his elbow as if he had stumbled. “Your body feels cumbersome when you return.”

  ” I wasn’t out of my body,” Wicket said.

  “If I know Clement,” Pyrrhus told him, “he made you feel as if you were.”

  “Yeah,” Wicket whispered with a soft smile.

  Not allowing Wicket time to spoil his experience by remembering that Pyrrhus could not share it, the ex-Reader turned to Aradia. “And you, Lady Aradia?’

  She smiled. “I’ve experienced it before, with both Master Clement and my husband.” She took a deep breath, stretching, and then frowned. “But it’s never been so long. I didn’t think to ask Master Clement if it was safe for him to leave his body for that long.” She couldn’t help remembering the time they had almost lost him forever.

  “It was,” the Master Reader’s mental voice told her. “I am back and quite well. The city will warm quickly now. We must do as you instructed Lilith: gather as many Readers and Adepts as possible. We know what can be done with large numbers in cooperation.”

  They all knew: topple a nation.

  It was three days before Lilith arrived in Zendi. The dark circles about her eyes testified that although she had perforce succumbed to recovery sleep, she had had little ordinary rest.

  Aradia welcomed her, but without the relief she had anticipated in having Lilith’s strength to rely on. That evening they met with their circle-so few people to combat… what?

  Julia sat in her room, Portia’s scrolls on her lap, feeling left out. Aradia no longer needed her, a Reader.

  Now she had Lilith, an Adept.

  But then Aradia had never wanted Julia. She wanted her own daughter, Lenardo’s daughter. When Lenardo returned, Aradia would turn him against Julia. Aradia’s child would be his heir, to rule lands Julia had risked death to conquer.

  Portia was right. People were stupid, selfish, and easily led-even by poor leaders. Merely being the eldest son of the Emperor made an Emperor. Portia’s grandnephew followed his father on the throne in Tiberium, less lecherous, but no less foolish.

  The previous Emperor had died in the battle for

  Zendi, when the tide of victory had turned. Under the power of Drakonius, the walls of the Empire were driven back and back once more, and Portia’s advice was given less and less credence. More was demanded of Readers, while they were accorded less respect. Portia began again to rely on bribery and extortion.

  She discovered an Adept secretly living within the Empire. Vortius the Gambler. There was little wonder that he was successful at his profession, and it was not difficult to persuade him to work for her rather than risk exposure. Especially when she could throw lucrative deals his way, make him feel that they were partners.

  When age touched Portia, Vortius’ healing powers kept her body from deteriorating. It gave him a hold over her, and she wove her threads of power throughout Tiberium to be sure she could squeeze him from many directions, should it become necessary. She dared not be dependent. She could not need anyone.

  Other people were simply to be used.

  She yearned for Adept powers of her own. If she had been born with those powers instead of Reading, she would have made herself Empress by now! But the only effective powers she could command were money and influence, and she sought voraciously after both.

  And then one day she discovered-

  “Julia!”

  Master Clement’s mental voice was angry. Julia dropped the scroll.

  “Oh-I’m late,” she realized. “I’m coming, Master.”

  “Bring those scrolls with you. Why did you take them from my office without permission?”

  “What? But you told me to Read Portia’s scrolls.”

  “I gave you a selection-I did not tell you to immerse yourself in Portia! I am sorry I ever gave you that assignment.” But his anger was gone; he accepted that she had misunderstood, and now he blamed himself.

  Closing her mind to Reading, Julia smiled. She had fooled the Master of Masters. She knew he had not meant her to Read beyond the first set of scrolls, but once introduced to Portia’s inner feelings, Julia had felt compelled to know everything about her.

  She had learned much. Now she could protect herself from Aradia, from Aradia’s child, and if necessary from Lenardo as well. She tieiup the small bundle of scrolls, and went to join Zendi’s inner circle.

  What a feeble group they were. Master Clement, growing old, so trusting that she c
ould fool him without even trying. Aradia, pregnant and half mad. Lilith, once proud and strong, now frightened of the force that had used her own powers against her. Decius, crippled in body by Drakonius and in mind by Master Clement’s naive teaching. Wicket, half clown, half simpleton, unable to stand without someone to lean upon-and Pyrrhus, Wicket’s crutch. Julia understood Pyrrhus least of all. When he first came to Zendi he had seemed strong, using his powers to fight and kill. Now he was no better than the rest-weaker, for he actually allowed himself to be used by Readers, by Wicket of all people.

  Julia hid her contempt, handing the scrolls meekly to Master Clement as she took her place with a sweet smile.

  Lilith began, unable to conceal her fear. “Why didn’t you warn me?” she demanded. “You left me helpless!”

  “We did not know” Master Clement explained. “How could we anticipate a Lady Adept’s being used that way? We told you everything that had happened here.”

  “It is forming a pattern only now,” added Pyrrhus. “Our attacker uses Adepts who cannot Read. First people with small powers, like the weather controllers. Lords Adept have strong shields against such influence.”

  “The attacker is learning to get around them,” said Master Clement. “It must be implanted commands again, for surely no one can control an Adept exercising power.”

  Lilith studied them. “You are saying that at some time when I was not using my powers… someone put in my mind a command such as ‘When you make camp near your border, you will fall asleep and cause cold weather’?”

  Aradia nodded. “I fear that that is what happened.”

  “But I live surrounded by Readers!”

  “Either it was done by an Adept, unReadable while using his powers,” said Master Clement, “or else by a Reader out of his body. Then he could not be Read unless he touched another Reader’s mind.”

  “I feel better,” Aradia said. “This is all within our own scope of power-simply unthinkable to us to use Adepts so. For a time I felt as if we were dealing with the Ghost King!”

  “But who’s doing it, and where’s he hiding?” asked Wicket. “Every Reader’s been alert for weeks, and we still haven’t a clue.”

  “Perhaps,” Master Clement said softly, “Aradia just gave us one.”

  “I did? What?”

  “The unthinkable. Aradia, may I have permission to Read your library?” asked the Master Reader.

  “Of course. What do you expect to find there that isn’t in the Academy library?”

  “Let me pursue it first,” he replied. “I am hoping to prove my suspicions wrong.”

  “What if they prove right?” asked Pyrrhus, the hard edge back in his voice.

  “Then,” replied Master Clement, “we will rely on what has always been our best skill: dealing with new situations in new ways.”

  Wicket looked at Pyrrhus with a grin. “I guess we fit right in then, don’t we?”

  Julia remained silent, disdainful of the pitiful camaraderie. Whistling against the darkness.

  “Since I am not an Adept,” Master Clement continued, “I would like a Lord Adept with me until we resolve this situation. Aradia, you also need protection. Lilith, stay with her. Pyrrhus- “

  “I’m not a Lord Adept.”

  “We don’t have tests, as Readers do,” said Aradia. “You will prove yourself in action soon, Pyrrhus. I have no doubt of it. Master Clement will be safe with you. Wicket-”

  “I know. Pyrrhus doesn’t need me when he has Master Clement, so I’ll keep up our regular duties.”

  A few days later, Julia found Pyrrhus alone in Master Clement’s outer office. He still went fully armed, she noticed, although Adepts did not normally wear even a sword.

  “I’m afraid it’s Master Juna for you again,” Pyrrhus told her. “Clement is treating a child they brought in an hour ago, suffering from hallucinations. None of the other Masters could help him.”

  It was the third day in a row that some emergency had kept Master Clement from his appointments with Julia, and it seemed recently that most lessons they did begin were interrupted. Master Juna would be ready for Julia in a few minutes. So she sat down and asked, “Pyrrhus, why did you first become partners with Wicket?”

  “What?”

  “After you saved his life, why did you team up with him? He couldn’t even read-I mean, he was illiterate.”

  “Wicket’s a survivor,” Pyrrhus replied, as if that were sufficient explanation.

  When he did not elaborate, Julia asked, “What do you mean?”

  He studied her face, an odd look in his eyes. Then, with a smile that was more a grimace, he said, “Let me tell you something about revenge, Julia. It gives you a reason to stay alive, to stay healthy, to gain skills. But if that is all you live for, once you achieve it there is nothing left.

  “After the fall of Tiberium-after Portia’s death-I had nothing left. I wasn’t a Reader anymore. I had no plans, and only one skill that did not depend on Reading. ” The smile became self-deprecating. “I had learned a hundred ways to kill someone with my hands, and then helped kill my target with my mind.

  “When it was over, I had no idea what to do with myself, until I rescued Wicket. When you save someone’s life, you take responsibility for him. Did you know that?”

  “It’s an Adept law,” Julia replied.

  “Yes,” Pyrrhus murmured. “It doesn’t have to be taught, like the Readers’ Code. It just happens. So there I was, suddenly responsible for Wicket.” He grinned sardonically. “Until you gave him the confidence of his powers, Julia, that was a heavy responsibility. Wicket tends to attract trouble. Like it or not, I had something to live for again. Eventually we developed some plans together, and you know the rest.”

  “Why do you stay partners with him now, though?” she asked. “He’s got a good job, and money. He doesn’t need you to take care of him anymore. And you’re a Lord Adept. “

  His eyes narrowed. “Why do you stay with your friends?”

  Julia shrugged. “Maybe I won’t, after I outgrow them.” Just then, Master Juna called her to her lesson, so she left with the feel of Pyrrhus’ eyes trying to pierce through to her meaning. But she was safe with Pyrrhus; he couldn’t Read.

  Aradia hated her clumsiness, her constant fatigue, in the last days of her pregnancy. Lilith spent hours just sitting with her, talking of her own pregnancy, and of Ivorn as a baby, happy memories of a doting mother.

  Aradia clung to hope. Although her powers were severely diminished, she was still able to Read-especially through a stronger Reader-and perform minor Adept functions. Her mother, she had been told, had lost everything.

  No. She would not think about her mother, her madness. Aradia was not mad. Master Clement reassured her that strange dreams were nothing to fear.

  Devasin came to tell Aradia and Lilith that Master Clement and Pyrrhus were there to see them. It was spring now; they met in the courtyard amid soft warm breezes and the fragrance of first blossoms.

  “Aradia,” said Pyrrhus, “I had a very strange conversation with Julia today. It seemed almost as if she were trying to drive a wedge between Wicket and me.”

  Aradia frowned. “I don’t understand. She’s been so… good, so caring, since Galerio died. As if with Lenardo and Wulfston missing, and then losing her friend, she had learned the value of close ties.”

  Master Clement said, “I wonder if she is developing an unflattering snobbishness. Possibly because her association with minor Adepts got her into such a frightening situation.”

  “I will talk to her,” said Aradia. “Now, have you turned up anything in your research, Master Clement?”

  “I am not certain. We both have copies of Torio’s and Melissa’s reports of events in Madura.”

  Aradia smiled. ‘“We all had the same thought. Lilith and I have studied them-but the cold we experienced could not be the cold white fire they told of. That was a life-devouring energy from the planes of existence, and uncontrolled it threatened to consum
e all life in Madura.”

  “The cold created through me,” Lilith took it up, “simply disappeared the moment I stopped generating it.

  It could not have been the same thing.”

  “No,” said Master Clement. “And yet somehow what happened to Torio and Melissa seems to hold a clue, if I could only see it.”

  “Torio and Melissa?” Pyrrhus asked.

  “Four of our friends, Torio, Melissa, Zanos, and Astra, traveled north to Madura to look for Zanos’

  family,” Aradia explained. “They found the land in possession of a sorcerer who tapped a source of destructive power.” She went on to tell how the sorcerer Maldek had allowed Melissa to die forcing that power back onto its own plane, and Torio had gone to rescue her from the plane of the dead.

  “Melissa stayed in Madura,” she finished, “to… contain Maldek, as it were. We don’t know where Torio went; he was a Reader, but his Adept powers wakened in Madura.”

  “What happened to Zanos and Astra?” Pyrrhus asked.

  “They went with Wulfston, to rescue Lenardo,” Aradia replied.

  “So… everyone who might help you is spread all over the world,” Pyrrhus mused. “Divide and conquer.”

  Aradia stared at him. “Pyrrhus, surely events in

  Madura and Africa could not all be part of one gigantic plan.”

  “You are carrying the heir to the Savage Empire,” he replied. “Your husband is gone, your brother is gone, your best friend’s powers are used against you, a Reader/ Adept mysteriously disappears, other Readers and Adepts who have worked with you before are flung to the four winds. Coincidence?”

  “When you put it that way…” Aradia admitted.

  Pyrrhus smiled kindly. “There are times,” he said, “when paranoia is a survival trait.”

  “You are the target, Aradia-or your child,” said Lilith. “We must protect you.”

  “Lilith is right,” said Master Clement. “Can you provide me with a room here, Aradia?”