FORBIDDEN TALENTS (34 page)

“
Is Wirmund going ahead with his own investi—
”

She vanished.

“
Celia!
”
He scanned the river.
“
Celia!
”
But she was gone, leaving a lingering aftertaste of her surprise and alarm
.

*

Dahleven awoke, heart pounding. His internal sense told him he hadn’t been asleep long. It was still only the small hours of the night. He relaxed his grip on the Dream-door, rubbing the indentations left by the sharp points in his hand.
Is that the way it’s supposed to work
?
Is there a time limit on this thing
? He didn’t think so. Something had jerked Celia out of sleep.

Anything could have disturbed her. Someone could have jostled her, or snored too loudly
. Any number of innocent things could have startled her awake, breaking their connection.

Or it could be something Darker.

SAEUN SMOOTHED HER sweaty hands against the bloused legs of her new Elvish clothing and told herself again not to be nervous. Just because Lord Kaeron had asked to see her within an hour of her revelation that she could scry the future did not mean she was in trouble. Treskin could be right. Maybe here, scrying was a good thing. Still, she’d changed into her new clothing hoping that if she didn’t look too different, too
mortal
, the Praefect of the Elven enclave might be better disposed toward her.

She glanced up at her escort. It was an Elf she hadn’t seen before. Or didn’t think she’d seen before. Now that all the Elves had dropped the use of their glamour around her, she couldn’t be sure. Her escort didn’t seem particularly tense, so perhaps nothing was wrong. But then,
he
wasn’t the one summoned to appear before Lord Kaeron.

Was it a sign of Fey-marking that she’d blurted out the secret of her magic with barely a hesitation? A secret she’d kept all her life, and shared with very few. Until now.

Her escort showed her into the dining hall where Lord Kaeron had urged her to eat that first night. The low tables had been pushed against the walls, but the rugs and cushions remained. Glow globes cast a gentle golden light. The Praefect sat tailor fashion at one end of the modest sized room. Several warriors and ladies sat in a semi-circle on either side of him. Treskin, Valender, and Rien were among them.

Lord Kaeron gestured to a large, thick pillow directly in front of him.
“
Lady Saeun. Please join us.
”
The Praefect’s rich voice washed over her with a sensation of comfort and welcome.

Is that his Talent
?
To seduce others into abandoning caution
?
Do Elves even have Talents
?

Despite the kind greeting, Saeun’s knees shook. She stepped forward and sank gratefully onto the firm cushion.

“
You look well, Lady Saeun. Are your quarters comfortable? Is there aught you require?
”

Lord Kaeron’s fine, pale gold hair was drawn back severely from his high forehead, making his light blue eyes seem even larger. His pupils were dilated in the dim light so they were almost round, and they seemed to see right through her.

Saeun forced herself to meet his gaze.
“
Your hospitality is without equal, my lord. I am quite well, and very grateful for your generosity.
”

“
Good. We do not often host mortals among us, and so we sometimes forget how best to care for you.
”
He paused, then continued.
“
Lady, you must guess that I have asked you here because of the unusual gifts you claim.
”
He waited for her to nod.
“
As Treskin told you, we do not have anyone among us who can part the veil that hides that which is yet to come. Troubled times are upon us. I would consider it a great favor if you would apply your skills to our concerns.
”

For a moment, her heart seemed to freeze in her chest.
Aid the Elves
?
To do what
? No matter how prettily he asked about her welfare, the Praefect had her at his mercy, dependent on his good will. Could she really refuse? But deep down, a giddy happiness started to bubble. Someone
wanted
her to use her magic. They were eager for her to use her skills, not horrified or disgusted or appalled.

“
I think, my lord Praefect, I must know what your concerns are before I can agree to help you.
”
If her visions were to be used somehow against humankind, she wouldn’t, couldn’t, help them no matter how much the Elves flattered her.

The Elves sitting to either side of the Praefect shifted and glanced at him, as though they weren’t pleased with what she’d said. She glanced at her rescuers. Valender had a faint smile playing on his lips, while next to him Treskin covered his mouth.

The Praefect’s face remained impassive.
“
Indeed. You must want to know that the knowledge you give us will never be used to harm mortals. Be assured that it will never be so. From the day they brought you mortals here, the Vanir have forbidden the Fey to harm you.
”

A surge of anguish and anger threatened to choke her.
“
Did they, now? And yet Gert is dead. Killed by Edelstena. One of the Fey.
She certainly harmed
a mortal.
”

Several of the Elves frowned and Treskin shot her a sharp look.

“
That is one of our concerns,
”
Lord Kaeron said.
“
The Dark Elves have never accepted the will of the Vanir in this, but until now they have honored their oaths. We know they plan a great Working to reorder the worlds. But our creatures have a limited ability to move among them. We need to know more if we are to restore order—and save the life of every mortal in Alfheim.
”

Every mortal in Alfheim. No pressure
. Saeun felt grim amusement as one of Lady Celia’s expressions came to mind.

“
Will you use your magic to help us?
”

The Light Elves had saved her life and offered her nothing but kindness, where Edelstena had given deadly proof of her animosity. It was still possible the old tales were true. Her mind, her judgment, could even now be clouded by some Fey magic. But then the old tales also said that the use of her own magic was evil, a remnant of Odin’s dark sorcery.

“
I’ll help you.
”

“
Excellent!
”
He reached behind him and set a large wooden box with bone handles before her.
“
Here are a variety of tools. Tell me if you need others.
”

Saeun opened the box. On top was a willow wand, a crystal pendulum, five jars filled with colored cornmeal, and a pipe. Saeun shook her head and lifted out the tray. Beneath lay a net bag of runestones, a wide stone bowl, and a stoppered glass bottle filled with quicksilver.

They’d thought of everything, and it was all new, untouched. She wouldn’t have to worry about any lingering resonance from a previous augury or user. Saeun gently lifted the polished stone bowl, swallowing hard. It was a beautiful translucent green. But she missed her mother’s old chipped bowl.

“
What do you need to begin?
”

He wanted her to do it now? Here? Saeun looked at the expectant faces of the Elves. Either this was a test or their need was very urgent. Or both.

“
I’ll need an item to focus the scrying on. A place or person.
”

At a nod from the Praefect, Treskin poured the contents of a leather pouch into her hand. It was Edelstena’s silver medallion, turned to iron by her Talent.

“
Will that do?
”

She nodded.
“
I need something else, as well.
”
She didn’t like to think about this part, but it couldn’t be ignored.
“
The scrying could take my mind. If it does, someone must try to call me back. Otherwise
…
I’ll wander lost between the worlds until my body dies.
”

The Praefect frowned.
“
This task is more dangerous than I realized. And yet still I must ask it. Valender has a healer’s hands, and Treskin is quite good at finding things that are lost. If you wander, they will bring you back to us.
”

*

Celia jerked awake. The fire had burned down to tiny flames that gave scant light.
Where
?
What
? She blinked and tried to clear her head of the dream. Beside her, Utta and Tiva’ti sat up and rolled to their knees, reaching for their knives. The men were already on their feet, shouting. Metal screeched on metal. Shadowed attackers poured from the back of the cave.

The memory of previous battles washed through her. The shouts, the screams of pain.

“
Elves!
”
Utta’s exclamation could barely be heard.

Training took over. Celia scrambled to her feet, pulling Dahleven’s dagger from its sheath. The approach the enemy used was narrow, allowing only three defenders to stand abreast between wall and crevasse. The men had arrayed themselves two deep between the women and their attackers, but one man was already down.

“
Load the animals! We might have to get out of here in a hurry,
”
Celia told the other women. She sheathed her dagger and frantically started folding and rolling blankets. Utta and Tiva’ti together strapped a pack frame onto the first reindeer.

A shape reared up, coming from behind the men, from the chasm to their right.

“
No!
”
Celia rose from a crouch and threw a blanket over the attacker’s head, then swept a kick at his knees.

With a yelp he went down, but he quickly rolled back to his feet. The men in the second tier, Fender, Brol, and Tocshe, turned to face the new danger. Another shape climbed from the chasm with an ease that almost defied gravity.

Celia drew her dagger again. From the corner of her eye she saw that Utta and Tiva’ti had frozen in the act of loading the frame on the second animal.
“
Keep packing!
”
she yelled.

She almost didn’t see the blow in time. Blocking at the last moment, the impact numbed her arm. Instinct and some residue of Fender’s training allowed her to turn her attacker’s blade aside. Her foe was impossibly quick. She found herself dancing sideways and backwards to avoid the knife that dove and flew at her, glinting in the faint light like a crazed firefly.

A shadow darted past her feet. Celia startled and almost fell, flailing to catch her balance. She was wide open to attack, but her opponent yelped and leapt backward.

“
Fie on you!
”
Baruq yelled, brandishing his bloodied blade.
“
Oathbreaker!
”

The Elf regained his balance quickly. Celia brought up her dagger to meet his overhand blow, but at the last minute he shifted, sweeping it under her guard with his long reach.

Again Baruq was there, slicing his razor-sharp, claw-shaped blade through the back of the Elf’s leg. Slanted eyes widened in pain and the Elf screamed. He fell, clutching his leg, and then Baruq was on him. The screaming stopped.

“
My lady!
”
Fender was suddenly at her side.
“
Are you injured?
”

The sounds of fighting had ceased. Someone moaned in the sudden quiet. It was too much like the last time, when so many had died.
Not again
! The howling wind at the entrance to the cave seemed distant.

Fender gave her a gentle shake.
“
Are you cut, Celia?
”

“
No. I’m fine. Thanks to Baruq.
”

Fender looked down at the slashed throat of the Elf, then knelt before the
pinnsvin
.
“
Thank you sir. I am in your debt.
”

Baruq made an elegant bow.
“
My pleasure.
”

It took Celia three tries to sheath her dagger, her hands were shaking so. Then she turned to check on Utta and Tiva’ti. Fender was already there, looking into Tiva’ti’s wide, dark eyes, encouraging her to sit on one of the packs.

Ragni’s attention was all for Utta.
“
Are you all right?
”