Understanding dawned on the fellow and his lip almost twitched into a smile. He nodded curtly. “And what do I get in return for this?”
“You get to keep breathing,” Nathair answered with a menacing undertone, “and possibly if you do a good job, I think I may let you in on a little project that involves your lady-friend that I think you'd quite enjoy.”
Devon wisely nodded his assent and Nathair called the guards to show him out, telling him that he would be receiving orders soon. “Oh, and Devon,” he said calmly as the man was walking out, “don't try and disappear on me. Your resources may be quite extensive, but mine are as vast as the entire kingdom. I will find you.”
Devon paused and turned back to him, nodding his head in a bow and raising an eyebrow, enough to tell Nathair that he was smart enough not to try. His admission that Jezebel was alive and the bait of being able to see her if he did as he was told should be enough to ensure Devon’s cooperation for the moment.
Once Devon had left, Nathair set to work preparing his list for him to implant into the mind of Karl to make it seem as though he had come up with the idea himself. It shouldn't be too hard, the man was getting quite on in years and he wasn't as sharp as he used to be. Not to mention the fact that he seemed to run on anger, it was the passion behind his life, a trait that Jezebel seemed to have inherited. Convince him that these were the people that were causing him hardship and he wouldn't care that they were all council members...
CHAPTER 3
“So,” Layna started, drawing out the word, “we're going to take down a border which has been standing for hundreds of years that no one else has ever been able to figure out.”
Aileen nodded at her, nonplused.
“And how, exactly, are we planning on doing that?”
“Very carefully,” answered Aileen. “It basically is a big dam of magical energy. When it was made, several rivers of power, if you will, were diverted so that they dumped all of their flow into this one spell. This is what kept it intact for so long. If nothing changes, it could potentially hold steady for as long as the magic is in the world. However, all we have to do is change the flow and it will lose stability and the dam will break, causing this build-up of energy to surge back into the natural order.”
Gryffon cleared his throat. “When you say surge back in, won't that cause problems?”
Aileen smiled sadly. “Of course, there may be some backlash, yes, but it is our only possible course of action. The world will recover, and the power will settle back into its natural flow on its own once the dam is gone. The damage would be far greater were we to allow it to stay standing.”
Layna stared at her wide-eyed. “Are you sure it's not dangerous to mess with a spell like that?”
“It'll be easy as pie.”
“If it's so easy to do, how come no one else has ever done it before?” Layna asked.
“In order to divert them you need to know which power flows you are looking for. The builders were very careful not to let that information get out. Luckily, I happen to have a very good memory.” Aileen laughed at some personal joke as Gryffon and Layna exchanged another look as she became serious once more and went on. “With the Bloodstone missing, there leaves little choice. The barrier failed in its purpose and it will now do us more good to have it removed than as a further division between those who could help us. We will need their help. It may not be ideal, but it is necessary, trust me. We don’t want you falling into the wrong hands either. I believe you are sincere in your desire not to give in to the temptation, but nevertheless I will feel better having you far away from the King and his kind.” Aileen clapped her hands together in decision. “Well, we may as well get started first thing in the morning.”
Layna wasn't convinced, but she let it drop. Aileen gathered up the dishes and Charles joined her in the kitchen where they started talking animatedly with one another.
“What do you think about all of that?” Layna asked Gryffon as she moved her chair closer to his to speak more privately.
“I don't really know,” Gryffon answered honestly.
“Yeah,” agreed Layna. “I think she’s perhaps exaggerating a bit about how large-scale this problem is. I hardly see the Sleeping God waking during our life-time or that he is really some ancient slumbering evil. I’m also quite sure,” she emphasized this point, “that I am not some powerful world-changing mage.”
“Well, I think you're pretty world changing myself.” He winked at her, and she obliged him with a smile. “Seriously though, there is a lot more going on here than I think anyone has realized. While I think that you're right, her story is a little hard to believe, we still have to do our part and perform our small act, even if it's just getting the message to the officials in Treymayne who have the resources to do something about it. I don't know exactly what Aileen here is all about, but it may be worth giving her plan a try. She certainly seems sure of herself. And look at the way Charles and Weylyn both reacted to her.”
Layna glanced up at Charles and Aileen who had just burst into laughter in the kitchen, and as if to make a point, Weylyn trotted over and sat down near them, letting out a short bark which sounded suspiciously like a laugh itself.
“Both of them have been extremely wary of everyone, and yet both seem completely at ease with her, that says something.” Layna nodded noncommittally. He had a point but she wasn't totally ready to believe everything that Aileen had said just yet.
“Well,” she answered, “like you said, maybe it is worth a try. Hopefully it will be safer in Treymayne, and maybe we can get some real answers. If it doesn't kill us when we poke around the barrier spell.”
Gryffon wiggled his eyebrows at her ominously. “Gloom and doom. Cheer up. Chances are, if the spell does backfire, it'll be a strong enough backlash of power that we won't care anymore. We'll be happily frolicking about in Gamoland.”
Layna rewarded him with a friendly mock punch, and made a face.
“Besides, weren’t we just talking about how it’s been too long for us to be holding a grudge? If Aileen really does know how to take the barrier down, I for one think it will be high time that we start trying to patch things up.”
“Yeah, welcome to Gelendan, we’ve just started using blood-magic again and our King is a crazy descendant of the Dark King who you fled in the first place. And oh, by the way, so am I.” Layna gave him a meaningful look.
“Well, we don’t need to announce that to them. And besides, like you said, you didn’t do any of that. And you’re certainly not doing it now, in fact, you are doing everything you can to stop it. Most of Gelendan has no involvement in the events taking place, we just need Treymayne’s organization to help the people see what’s going on in your government.”
Aileen made up beds for them all and they retired to their own thoughts. Despite Layna's effort to get a good night's rest, she found that her racing mind denied her it. She could hear Gryffon tossing and turning as well. He was unable to sleep on his stomach due to his wound. A few times Layna heard the rustling of his blankets as he turned over in sleep and was woken by his own moan of pain.
Layna was getting increasingly worried about him. The injury should have healed by now, and definitely should not be causing the kind of pain that he was experiencing. Perhaps tomorrow she would have to ask Aileen if she could help. Despite her strangeness, she did seem to be very knowledgeable and Layna did feel the same sort of odd trust in her that Charles and Weylyn seemed to. Sleep finally came to her and she drifted restlessly through it, plagued once more by the dreams.
In the morning, Layna dragged herself out of bed, bleary-eyed and yawning. Aileen was already awake and she was making breakfast in the kitchen. Layna blinked away her sleepiness and picked up an egg to crack it into the waiting frying pan.
“Ah, thank you, my dear.” Aileen turned at the sound. “And good morning to you.”
“Good morning,” Layna mumbled back, mustering up a smile.
“You've got some m
ean circles under those pretty eyes of yours,” Aileen commented.
“I couldn't sleep.” Layna punctuated this statement with a yawn.
“Bad dreams?”
Layna watched the woman warily, but before she could reply Gryffon made his entrance.
“I thought I smelled food.” He trudged in, looking as tired as Layna felt.
“My my. I didn't realize that my beds were so uncomfortable, you both look like you didn't sleep a wink!”
“Oh, no,” both started politely, but Aileen cut them short.
“Oh I know. It's not easy to sleep with so much going on. Come, have some breakfast.” She scooped generous portions of the bacon she had been preparing onto the waiting plates. Layna added some of the eggs she had been making to each, and they sat and had a quiet breakfast.
“Where's Charles this morning?” Layna asked after a bit.
“Oh, he's more of a morning person than you two, so he's out hunting. I told him I hadn't had rabbit in quite some time, and he seems to have gotten it into his head that I meant for him to get me one. Pleasant fellow, that Charles.”
Aileen got up from the table and went over to stir the contents of the pot over the fire, which had just started boiling. She took a ladle and poured the steaming liquid into several mugs, handing one to each of them. “Spiced tea,” she told them. “It will help wake you up for our project today.”
They took the mugs gratefully, and Layna took a cautious sip, careful not to burn her tongue. The smooth tea slid down her throat and warmed her belly.
“What exactly will you be expecting us to do with the border?” Gryffon asked her. “I have some training, but though Layna has talent she has very little training so far.”
“You haven't trained her?” Aileen snapped, then seemed to catch herself and she rephrased. “She's a rather high talent to go untrained isn't she?”
“Well, unless you wanted her to be forced into a life of servitude with the priests there wasn't an option of formal training for her. We’ve done what we can, but between avoiding detection and all that’s happened, we haven't had much free time, what with being chased and all.”
“No, I suppose not. We'll have to remedy that.” She shook her head. “No matter. I will be doing the controlling of the power for this spell, I only need you two to channel the power to me. It should require only a little concentration.”
After they had washed and fully woken up, they traveled back to the border where the shimmering field of energy could be seen like a giant curtain across the landscape. Aileen instructed them to stand one on each side of her and funnel the energy from the rivers of power around them into her. Layna wasn't so sure that she understood what was being expected of her, but Aileen assured her that it would just come naturally.
They arranged themselves into a line, and Layna took Aileen's hand as she had been told that it would help her to stay connected physically while she was in the fields of power.
At Aileen's signal, they started the spell. Layna opened her mind as Gryffon had been teaching her and dipped her mindself's hand into the power, drawing out a small amount which she then passed on to Aileen.
“Good, good. Now a little more.” Aileen's voice sounded hollow and distant. Layna felt the rush of the power tugging at her, and she focused on the feel of Aileen's hand in her own. She used it as her physical anchor as she reached for more of the swirling energy.
As she worked, she grew more confident and her hold over the energies stabilized. She was able to extend a small part of her consciousness towards Aileen, and she watched with rapt attention as the older woman manipulated the powers with ease. Her form was blurry, but Layna thought she could make out two giant wings sprouting from the woman's back, which beat the air and forced the torrent of energies swirling around her at bay.
“Almost got it.” Aileen's voice cut through Layna's consciousness.
She felt a gut-wrenching *pop* and she was thrown backwards upon the ground. A wave of pure energy flowed over her, and her breath caught in her throat as she was overwhelmed by its presence.
And then it was over. She pulled herself to her feet and saw that Gryffon was doing the same, though Aileen was still standing.
“Whoa,” said Layna, and she glanced out over the landscape. Where moments ago the massive curtain had hung, was now an open horizon. She lifted a tentative hand towards the place where the barrier had been, and encountered no resistance. “We did it!” She exclaimed incredulously.
“Indeed,” Aileen concurred, a touch of smugness in her voice.
Gryffon opened his mouth to say something, a smile on his lips, when suddenly he clutched his chest and choked on the words.
“Gryffon!” Layna gasped and rushed to his side where he had collapsed on the ground, convulsing with pain. She clasped his hand and tried to hold him still while he writhed, not knowing what else to do.
“What's the matter with him?” she asked desperately.
Aileen held a hand over him and closed her eyes. “He's got a life-sucker,” she said gravely. She bent over to open his shirt, revealing that the mark Jezebel had left on him was glowing dully like a hot iron pulled from a forge.
Layna gasped again, this time in horror. “What can we do?” she whispered as Gryffon's tortured body calmed and he fell into unconsciousness. Layna carefully felt for the beating of his heart, and satisfied that it was strong, turned her attention to Aileen. “What is a life-sucker, and what do we do?”
Aileen had that far-away look again and Layna watched her impatiently.
“Aileen, what do we do!?” she asked again and the woman seemed to return to the present.
“There's nothing we can do,” she said listlessly, then shook herself and her demeanor strengthened, “at least not right now. The bond has to be severed but first you must seek out the one who made it. Luckily, this sort of seizure is not likely to happen again. It was probably caused by the magical upset as a result of the border being released. The drain seems to have stabilized now and will still be an annoyance, but not life-threatening.”
“But what is it?” Layna asked.
“A life-sucker is a magical bond, a blood-magic bond,” she clarified with distaste in her voice, “that allows the one that placed it to suck out the life-energy of another. Usually the drain is at will, mages could attach themselves to others so that if a large spell had to be cast they could draw upon several energies to perform it without completely depleting their own powers. However, obviously whoever cast this particular life-sucker is unpracticed and probably had no idea that they were doing it. Unfortunately though, the spell has a mind of its own and will start the drain if it thinks the caster is in need. Like, for instance, when all of us magic users were blasted from the border draining. It apparently felt as though there was danger to the caster and it needed to replenish them. It may have even been a jump start that the spell needed to begin itself.”
“Gods,” Layna said in horror. “What would happen if the person got sick or mortally wounded?”
“The spell would drain Gryffon until all his strength was used up.”
“You mean until he died,” Layna bit her lip. “Who is doing this to him?”
“Well, where did he get this wound from? It seems to be a likely candidate for the physical element of the spell, seeing how it reacted as it did.”
“Lady Jezebel,” Layna answered. “But she's dead.”
*
Katya was once again in the garden when a terrible wave of power flowed over her in a tumultuous maelstrom, causing her to lose all sense of being. She fell to the ground where she convulsed uncontrollably for how long she didn't know. Colors swam before her eyes and her very bones felt as though they were being wracked with wave after wave of aftershocks.
In an instant and an eternity it was over, and Katya was left panting on the ground. She groggily opened her eyes and forced her throbbing body to sit up so that she could assess her surroundings. She hated to not be completely aware o
f everything around her and right now she was sadly unaware of anything past her aches.
She dragged herself to a sitting position, propped against the fountain. She allowed herself a moment with her eyes closed while she took a deep breath before forcing her sight into action. Something cold was spreading across her back and she looked over her shoulder to see what it was.
Apparently the quake had been physical as well as magical. The fountain had toppled over; the grand statue of the woman pouring from a jug was now lying undignified and half-submerged. The water was quickly draining out through numerous cracks along the walls, including the one that she was propped against.
Katya pulled herself to her feet and surveyed the rest of the destruction around her. The vegetation was unaffected, save one unearthed tree, but the walls were all looking worse for wear. She assessed the strength of the wall, her heightened senses quickly returning, and she deftly climbed up once determining that it would indeed still hold her.
From this vantage she could see across much of the city and she let out a low whistle. Buildings were crumbled as far as she could see, and there was a huge crack in the ground running along the cobblestone road. The corner of a house was sliding into the void. People milled about in shock, and some simply stood in front of ruined homes, unsure of what to do. Others began gathering up items, and Katya snorted her disbelief as one man started looting from the houses of his neighbors who tried to shoo him away.
Then suddenly a piercing wailing filled the air and Katya swung her head around to identify the source. A woman was frantically clawing at a pile of debris that must have once been a house and now that Katya focused on her she could make out what it was that the woman was screaming.
“My baby! My baby was inside! Please help me!”
Those Who Fear the Darkness (BloodRunes: Book 2) Page 5
