A Shadow Flame (Book 7) (10 page)

"Your hunger will destroy you," Stavros gasped, from where he hung, trapped upon the glowing crystal.

"My hunger is what sustains me," she said, turning back to look at him. "But I am grateful for your offering, for I did awake feeling particularly hungry this day."

Stavros grimaced as she reached out toward him and he felt his power being pulled from him even faster. She took him to the point of being almost completely drained, empty of all his power, then he felt her release her grip. His magic slowly began to replenish itself, but the crystal leeched it away almost as quickly, and the mage realized that he was trapped. It appeared that she had done the same to Calthas as well, and Calexis took a deep breath and then she laughed at them.

"A small meal, but it will do for now," she said as she turned and walked out of the temple. "I cannot wait until the others come."

"Arrogant creature," Stavros cursed, and he looked down at the black robed mages, who returned to their work, tuning the magic of the crystals in the temple, as though nothing had happened beyond a brief interruption.

"Stavros," Calthas rasped. "Why would you dare to touch the dark power like that?"

"I was desperate, but we failed, Calthas," Stavros said, giving the younger mage a hard look that said he should keep quiet. "There is no point in questioning it, not when there are others who will carry on the fight." He nodded over at the mages and Calthas understood why Stavros had reached for the power of the shadow.

"Yes, let us hope that others will have the courage to do what we could not," Calthas said with a hopeful nod, then he coughed and collapsed against the threads of shadow that bound him to the crystal, his power nearly drained and unable to ward off the pain from the injuries that he had been unable to heal.

"Save your strength," Stavros said.

"That will be difficult, for I have none left," Calthas told him, and a moment later, he slipped into unconsciousness.

*****

Aaron focused on gathering as much power as he could, from the air, from the few torches that flickered in the dark hallways of the palace, and from the stone beneath his feet. Strange, he thought, it seemed as though there were voices whispering somewhere in the palace walls, and he was surprised to find an abundance of energy within the cold stone and marble of such an old structure, though it was as though it was injured in some way. Aaron shook off the strange thoughts that flitted through his mind as he felt the dark fury moving toward him, and he braced himself for the attack he knew would come.

Dark smoke whirled into the bedchamber and Calexis appeared, suddenly taking form and straddling him where he lay upon the bed. Her breathing heavy from the exertion of fighting the two mages and distracted by her anger, she had forgotten to use her power to maintain her appearance. Aaron found himself face to face with a creature of rotting flesh, her skin torn open and bleeding, with gums receding behind the reptilian fangs in her mouth. Her eyes red with blood as she glared at him, panting in anticipation, and Aaron tried not to flinch as she reached back with her clawed hand, as though she intended to strike him. He closed his eyes, but the blow did not come. Instead, he felt a soft hand on his cheek, and the weight upon him shifted and became lighter, as she began to move atop him.

Aaron opened his eyes and was immediately confused and angered, for instead of the foulness of the dark queen, he now saw Ariana instead. A heat rose from deep within him and he was furious that Calexis would tease him in such a way, toying with his thoughts and the confusion he had once felt when he and the princess had spent time together long ago. Aaron realized that Calexis was using her power to look into his thoughts, using his own memories to play tricks on him, to spark him to anger, in an attempt to break him from the passivity that he maintained, which had kept the shadow from grasping his power completely. He struggled to suppress his anger, the outrage that Calexis would make a mockery of him in such a way, and he tried to use what little power he had gathered to push her away from him, but he found that he could not move, for the shadow was wrapped around him more tightly than ever before, holding him in place.

"Is this what you want?" she asked, her voice shifting between her own and Ariana's "Don't you find me pleasing?"

"No," Aaron gasped through gritted teeth.

"Your flesh says otherwise," she said as she leaned forward and kissed him.

"Please stop," he said, closing his eyes, and he was surprised when suddenly she ceased rubbing up against him. Aaron opened his eyes again, and saw Ariana smiling at him, then she hit him in the face, crushing the bone in his cheek and nearly shattering his jaw.

"Is this what you want?" she whispered sweetly as she hit him again and resumed her movement, and he felt her power manipulating him to feel pleasure even while pain throbbed in his head.

"No," Aaron said, his vision swimming as he fought the urge to burn everything to the ground. "Get out of my mind."

"Aaron, don't you love me?" she asked. "I know you have thought about this."

"That was before," he said, his thoughts swimming. "I didn't know, but I somehow knew."

"You knew what you wanted, didn't you?" Ariana leaned in close to his ear. "I wanted it too."

"Please stop," Aaron croaked. "I know this isn't real."

"Oh, but it is," Calexis said, with her ruby red lips smiling upon Ariana's mouth. "Now give me what I know you want."

"No," Aaron growled, and he used the power he had gathered to push back the shadow and stop his body from betraying him.

"No!" Calexis screamed as she felt him lose interest. "You are mine to do with as I please."

"Not yet, I'm not," Aaron said defiantly.

"Then if you do not want pleasure, you can feel pain," she growled and her clawed fingers tore into his chest, ripping deep gashes in his flesh.

Aaron gritted his teeth and looked up at her, controlling his fury and, with Ariana's visage still upon her face, she smiled down at him and smashed her hand into the side of his head. The power he had gathered was barely enough to keep his skull from shattering, and he felt the shadow gathering around him as he knit bone and flesh back together, healing himself. Ariana laughed at him and hit the other side of his head, even harder this time and Aaron thought that he might die.

"Just let go," she said. "I can make it all stop."

She hit him again, and Aaron cried out, his voice reverberating with power and shaking the walls of the palace. Calexis laughed with Ariana's voice, and she struck him yet again.

*****

Sobbing on the floor of the tiny workshop, hidden under the hood of her black robes, Coraline heard the howls and screams as they echoed through the city. Fearful, and sensing the powerful magical blows that preceded every yell, she caught her breath and slowly pushed herself to her feet and stumbled over toward the worktable. While her power was weak, nearly ruined from the ravages of the draining work she had done while under the spell of the dark god, she had still been able to feel the battle that had raged in the city, and she knew how it had ended. As strong as they were, the two mages were no match for the power of the god, and all the work they had done, hoping to free the people of Maramyr had gone to waste. Now Coraline could feel the dark power of the god, reveling as another victim was punished, and she flinched with each rumbling impact and shook with every painful cry as she sat there listening. Feeling empty and helpless, and overcome with sorrow, she sat down in the chair next to Calthas' table, then buried her face in her hands and began to sob once more.

*****

"What now?" Toren hollered loudly over the sound of the whistling wind, up from the deck of his ship, to the goddess who stood atop the mast of her own, smaller vessel.

The fleet had made great speed through the night, making its way across the sea to the mouth of the great river that flowed from the lands to the north. It was the end point of countless tributaries, and two powerful rivers that joined together, one that flowed from the mountains, and one that flowed from the great Lake Mara, which was once, long ago, considered an inland sea. In an ancient time, that sea was named for the goddess of the city and kingdom that also bore her name, and now that same goddess, who had long abandoned her city and the many people of the sea who had once followed her, sought the help of those people that she might return and drive darkness from the land.

From what he had seen thus far, he had no doubt that she might be who she claimed, Toren remained skeptical when she proposed that the fleet should sail all the way to Maramyr, for even at its mouth, the great river was not nearly wide enough nor deep enough for so many ships of the sea. It had been many generations since ships of any size had sailed up the river, and he was curious to see how such a things would become possible. In the dim, morning light, and ignoring the wind that buffeted her and threatened to knock her from her precarious perch, Carly smiled down at the Aghlar king, then she raised her hands and drew upon the vast power that was hers, a power that she had so often wished she could ignore over so many years, a power she had almost forgotten but was now glad to have remembered. At the bidding of the goddess, the mouth of the river began to widen, its waters rising as the ships started to move upstream. The giant wave that had pushed them across the sea moved forward, passing underneath the fleet and, like water let loose by storm, or a dam that had broken, only moving in what seemed like the wrong direction, the mass of water rushed ahead of them, spilling inland.

"'I say 'tis most unnatural to sail without sails," Toren muttered as he grasped the wheel and steered his ship, following the powerful current. "'Tis truly the power of the goddess of the sea." And the Aghlar king did his best to ignore the winds that howled in his ears, a constant reminder that another goddess, one that he and all his people knew and cared about deeply, was out there somewhere, suffering, with her power weakened, yet carrying on the battle.

Ehlena felt the tremors of power behind her, and she heard the laughter of the dark queen, echoing upon the wind as she soared over forested hills that gave way to grasslands and the desert beyond. It had been a hope, a chance that Aaron had taken, in his determined attempt to save those who might be saved. The mages' plan had offered an even better chance, but it had also made Aaron's position that much more difficult, and now seemed that their efforts had failed, thus it would now fall to him to fight Calexis and the dark god that lived within her, a fight he might now face on his own if help did not arrive soon. Ehlena could not shake the growing worry that plagued her, for as much as she believed in him, the darkness that she had seen around him, the way the power of the shadow had him in its grip, made her worry that he might no longer have the strength to fight, that he may have waited too long, and she wondered if Stroma had been right all along.

Perhaps the risk truly was too great, for if Aaron fell to the shadow, and Calexis were to claim his power as her own, then the dark queen would become tremendously powerful, and nearly unstoppable. So many lives hung in the balance, which would be tipped away should Aaron fail, and Ehlena did her best to put her worries aide, for despite the ravages of the poison that remained within her, and the strain upon her power from traveling so much, she could still hear echoes from across the land of those who were determined to fight. As the sun rose high over the desert sands, Ehlena descended toward the Ansari camp and, nearly exhausted, she finally let go of the spell that hid what the shadow had done to her, for she knew that the Ansari would see though it anyway. Perhaps, when they saw the truth of it, they would treat the threat of the shadow with greater concern.

"Ehlena," Ashan said as she appeared before him, breathing heavily as she came down from the air to rest on one knee. His brow furrowed when she looked up at him.

"Ashan," she said. "I must speak with Ansari."

"No," he said, reaching out his old, gnarled hand and helped her to her feet. "You must come with me now, and quickly."

Already, several of the Ansari were looking toward Ehlena, with expressions of suspicion, and Ashan led her toward the tents.

"What is wrong?" Ehlena asked.

"You should not have come here," he said. "You have the shadow all about you."

"It is poison, not the shadow itself," Ehlena told him.

"All things borne of the shadow are the shadow," he said as he opened the flap of a tent and led her inside. "Ansari will see this and will not take another chance as they did with the young man, Aaron. You are in danger here."

"I came for your help," she said. "I fear what may come, for the dark god grows more powerful with every passing moment and though Aaron resists the shadow, it may come to the worst."

"If that is the truth of it, then we will do what must be done," Ashan said.

"It is not yet true," Ehlena said. "But if the shadow claims Aaron, then we will have no choice, and there will little time to act."

"The many threads of possibility still remain unsown," Ashan commented, then he gestured to the cushioned mat by the far wall of the tent. "Rest here a moment. I will return."

Ehlena nodded as the old Ansari turned and left. Tired and weakened, she sat down on the large, cushion, but she could not allow herself to rest, for she could hear the whispers among the Ansari, the questions they were already asking about her, and the tone of their voices that spoke of the danger of her coming. Unable to let go of her worries and tension, and aware that Ashan's warning to her had not been given without reason, she sat up, with her knees against her chest, resting her body, and ready to move, should anything happen.

After a short time, the flap of the tent opened and Ashan entered, followed by Kasha, who no longer appeared to be with child, her stomach hard and flat once more. Ehlena was surprised that there was no sign at all of it, though she knew that Ansari were different from many of the peoples of the world when it came to such things. Kasha was also accompanied by the young girl, Tash, and a clever-looking man, who she noticed wore a jeweled godsword upon his belt. Kasha frowned when she saw Ehlena, and Tash looked worried, her eyes wide when she saw the dark circles under her eyes and the unhealthy pallor that was tinged with darkness, while the man simply smiled at Ehlena as she rose to her feet.

"Well, I never thought I'd meet Lady Luck herself," he said with a bow. "Jax Larian, at your service."

"Ehlena, what has happened?" Kasha asked.

"You look terrible," Tash said, and Ehlena was not sure whether to smile or cry at her childlike honest.

"Thank you, Tash," she said, and the girl realized that she had not meant for her words to sound the way they did.

"I mean, are you all right?" Tash asked. "You look sick."

"I will live," Ehlena told her, trying to sound reassuring, then she turned to Kasha. "The poison of the shadow destroyed much of the elven forest, and an army of Darga and soldiers killed many of the elves. I did what I could to take the poison from the land, but it has had its effect upon me."

"We have had desert storms these past days, far worse than anyone can remember," Kasha said. "The city of Ba'shan is half covered in sand, and much of the land is unrecognizable. Was this your doing?"

"I am sorry for what trouble I may have caused," Ehlena told her. "It was the only way to save the forest and its people from being destroyed."

"Sandstorms in the desert saved a forest half a world away?" Jax scratched the scruff on his chin.

"The winds of the world are connected," Ehlena told him. "A great storm in one place may leave the air motionless elsewhere, or cause yet another great storm."

"You have fallen prey to the shadow," Kasha said, eying her suspiciously.

"No," Ehlena told her. "This is but a poison, and not the shadow itself."

"It is death that whirls within you," Kasha told her, and Ehlena took a deep breath and stared at the Ansari warrior, knowing where her thoughts were taking her, for she knew that, while the Ansari were perceptive in many ways, the reason they abhorred the shadow was that it made it difficult for them to see with their power.

"To know Ansari is to know the truth, to see the truth and to be true, to be the rock beneath the ever changing sands," Ehlena said, quoting ancient words that came from the memories of the goddess. "What is the rock, and what is the sand?"

"You speak as Ansari," Kasha said. "Do you say that we see only the sandstorm and forget the ground beneath our feet?"

"Perhaps you have seen only what you were meant to see," Ehlena suggested. "Or perhaps what you wished to see."

"It is not Ansari to see what we wish, but to seek the truth of things, to find the stone beneath the desert."

"And if you find stone that is merely sand that appears to be stone, what then?" Ehlena asked.

"This does not change the truth that you bring the poison of the shadow, a power that crumbles the very stone itself, turning all to dust."

"And yet, that dust, the sand itself, can be remade to stone with fire, and the shadow burned away with true light." Ehlena felt her strength begin to return a little, along with her hope, as she saw the Ansari woman's expression soften slightly, for it was becoming clear that they were both now speaking about Aaron.

"What would you have us do?" Kasha asked.

"Do what must be done," Ehlena said. "Banish the shadow with your light, and return the dust to stone once more."

"If that is what you wish," Kasha said. "It will be done."

"It is not my wish," Ehlena told her. "In his words, we must not hold back, when the time comes."

"And what of you?" Kasha asked. "Can the shadow that plagues you be burned away?"

"The shadow that afflicts me is but dust, and in time even the wind may scour it clean," Ehlena told her. "I have been weakened by it, that is all."

"And you wish for us to fight in your stead," Kasha said.

"I wish for you to fight for the truth of the world," Ehlena replied, then she decided to speak plainly to the Ansari woman. "Aaron is willing to sacrifice himself if it will bring an end to the shadow and spare the lives of others. That is not his wish, but it is his will. I hope you can see that, for it is his truth."

"It is not Ansari to seek one's end, but it is Ansari to seek truth," Kasha replied, thoughtfully. "It may be that I have seen the sand and believed it to be stone."

"The sands are ever changing," Ehlena said, smiling at her with her darkened eyes. "And the stone may become buried beneath the sand, but stone it remains."

"You are under my domain," Kasha said, glancing over at Ashan. "You may rest here safely. I will discuss this with Ansari."

Ehlena nodded as Kasha turned and left the tent, then she sat back down and leaned on some cushions, exhausted from the strain of talking with the Ansari woman.

"You remember many things," Ashan commented, and Ehlena smiled up at him.

"I do, Ashan," she said. "Things you have said."

"What did you mean about stone and sand?" Tash asked. "Is Aaron going to be all right?"

"I hope so, Tash," Ehlena said. "He is in a dangerous place, and there is nothing we can do to save him."

"Why not?"

"If I understood all that Ansari nonsense you were speaking, it sounds like our friend Aaron must save himself," Jax said.

"You see well," Ashan said. "It is a shame you do not follow your truth."

"Yes, I know," Jax said with a sigh. "Ansari don't like thieves and liars."

"It is not Ansari to deceive," Ashan said, and Jax snorted with disbelief.

"What do you call shifting around, taking different shapes?" he scoffed. "A bigger pack of liars I've never seen before."

"We change our forms like the sands, but we remain true as the stone," Ashan told him.

"Yes, yes, I know," Jax replied. "You tell the truth and live the truth, but that sounds rather boring to me."

"You don't tell the truth?" Tash asked, her eyes wide.

"Sometimes I do," Jax said, with a mischievous grin. "And if you truly know Ansari, you'll be able to tell when."

"You are a difficult man, Jax Larian," Tash said, squinting up at him.

"A difficult man? Did you come up with that on your own or were you listening to Kasha talk about me?" Jax asked, and Tash covered her mouth.

"Tash," Ashan said. "Pay no heed to his words, for his actions are what will define his truth."

"Oh, no, there you go ruining my fun, Ashan," Jax said.

"Tash is right, and so is Kasha," Ashan said. "You are a difficult man, though I see your tricks for what they are."

"And what is that?" Jax asked.

"Merely tricks," Ashan said. "Your words are like bits of sand, cast into the eyes, like a fighter without honor."

"Now I am insulted," Jax said, laughing. "Perhaps we might dance in the circle some time, old man."

"I would welcome it," Ashan said, cracking a smile. "It would be interesting to discover what Kasha ever saw in you."

"Well, you've got me there," Jax said. "I don't know what I saw in her either, though I must admit, she is a magnificent fighter."

"That she is," Ashan agreed.

"Almost as skilled with a blade as I am," Jax said, nodding in mock seriousness. "And that is a real compliment."

"Is Ehlena sick?" Tash asked, and both Ashan and Jax saw that the pale girl goddess had fallen asleep.

"She is poisoned by the shadow," Ashan told her. "I have seen this once before and it is very dangerous."

"Can I get poisoned by it?" Tash asked, looking more closely at her.

"No," Ashan said, but to be sure, he touched Ehlena's forehead and carefully used his power to see if the dark stains that ran under her skin posed any threat. "You are safe, but I fear the poison is still consuming her."

Tash sat down next to Ehlena and rested her head on her shoulder.

"I will stay here," Tash said. "You and Jax go tell Ansari that we have to save Aaron."

"I don't think your Ansari leader will pay much attention to me," Jax said.

"You could make a challenge," Ashan suggested.

"Ha!" Jax chuckled. "With swords, not a problem, but I'm no shapeshifter."

"You would be at a disadvantage then," Ashan said.

"Perhaps," Jax said, then his face took on a more solemn expression. "Let's go and let the Lady get some rest."

"A wise and thoughtful action," Ashan agreed, and the two of them left Tash and Ehlena in the tent.

Jax followed Ashan through the camp to where the Ansari had all gathered around a stone fighting circle. They found Kasha standing opposite the large Ansari leader, and it was obvious that they were about to fight.

"What is she doing?" Jax asked.

"Kasha has made a challenge," Ashan said, watching the two warriors move around the circle. "It is her right, as it is the right of any Ansari."

"And she has to fight that giant?" Jax asked, in disbelief.