Herd Mistress (In Deception's Shadow Book 2) (18 page)

“Trensler.” Shadowdancer’s one snarled word echoed in
the chamber.

“Yes, the human by that name serves Dakdamon’s
monster.”

Sorsha sensed as the Oracle reached out, its power and
presence coiling around them. “There is one thing you must do.”

“Tell us, please.”

“Lord-Master Trensler seeks one of the Twelve
Talismans for his master. The Falcon Staff rests in a temple situated high on a
mountain plateau, eight days east of here as a Santhyrian gallops. Even broken,
the staff still contains great power. If Trensler takes the Staff and feeds it
to his master, the creature will become a greater threat. It will be able to
consume more Larnkin more quickly as it spreads its influence across our land.
If that happens, even the Twelve may not be able to contain or destroy the
creature. Find the Staff before Trensler does. Bring her to me. But your duty
doesn’t end there. If you wish to help your loved ones, you must strengthen and
unite the Twelve. Ashayna and Sorntar will again lead the Circle. They are
presently working through personal issues.”

Was that a hint of dry humor she heard in the Oracle’s
whispery voice? Sorsha shivered.

The Oracle continued, seemingly unconcerned by Sorsha’s
reaction to its words. Though, she doubted it missed how she edged closer to
Shadowdancer.

“All the Twelve live in balance and unity with each
other. As more of the Twelve are found, all will benefit and grow strong once
again. But if the Falcon Staff is devoured by Trensler’s master, the Twelve
will forever be broken.”

“I know of the temple ruins of which you speak,” Shadowdancer
said and bowed deeply. “I give you my word. I will do all in my power to
fulfill my duty to the Twelve, and to you. I willingly become your Harbinger.”

As Shadowdancer’s words echoed to silence, Sorsha
affirmed in a softer voice, doubting herself to the core. How were they to
defeat Trensler? They’d barely escaped with their lives the last time.

“I have told you all I can to help you with your
journey. Now you must hurry for there is a patrol of Trensler’s men heading for
the temple where the Falcon Staff rests. Trensler has a three day lead. You
must get there first.”

“Oracle, I am glad you are aiding us, but why not set
the might of the Elemental Council against Trensler?” Sorsha’s voice was serious
but tinted with curiosity.

“If you and Shadowdancer fail, I can strip away the
power I intend to bestow upon you, and Trensler will only feed upon what power
your weakened Larnkins possess. If the council leads an army into a trap, then
Trensler has a greater feast.” The Oracle’s magic flared as it drew its power
back into itself. “Stealth has its merits. Besides, I knew you long ago and
read your worth then. Even if only a small amount of that survived, then you
are more suitable than many to lead in a time of crisis. May you know success
with this turning. In a chamber below this one, you will find the blessed
waters a bonded pair would use to forge the bonding ties. But that same water
is a part of me and can perform what must be done. Go and seek your destiny.”

Out of the corner of her eye Sorsha watched as
Shadowdancer bowed to the Oracle a second time. He mumbled his thanks. Sorsha
almost chuckled. Thanks? Thank the Oracle for telling them how slim their
chance of survival was? How, if they failed, Trensler would have a snack
instead of a feast? She’d keep her thanks to herself. Sorsha eyed a dark void
in the wall behind the Oracle Stone’s pillar. Certain it hadn’t been there moments
ago, she crossed the chamber to investigate, and found a set of curving stairs
leading down into darkness.

Shadowdancer came over to join her, his body a line of
reassuring warmth behind her.

He peered over Sorsha’s shoulder. The narrow stairs
led into a seemingly empty void, which, Shadowdancer mused, was somewhat more
encouraging than any other of the day’s developments. So long as nothing was
lying in wait for them.

Sorsha raised her hand and closed her eyes. Power
flared across his body in a pleasant wave as a mage globe burst to life above
her outstretched fingers. With a silent command, she sent it floating down the
stairs. He leaned closer and laid his hand on her shoulder. Looking back, she
offered him a weak smile. Then, squaring her shoulders, she peered back down
through the shadowy stairway.

No hint of movement caught his eye. Not that he really
expected any. Nothing would be foolish enough to make its den in the Oracle’s
abode. He couldn’t sense any great pool of magic in the rock below. All he
could sense was a stairway, bare walls, and dampness. He paused at the entrance
a moment more, then slipped around Sorsha and proceeded down the stairs two at
a time.

“Wait for me,” Sorsha called from behind him. The
annoyance in her tone lightened his mood.

He slowed so she could catch up. Then they walked in
silence for a time. The stairs seemed endless. Was it him, or was the air
growing warmer and damper the deeper they descended?

Just ahead, Sorsha’s mage globe flared in the air
current. A breeze ruffled his hair, feathering the fine strands into disarray.
The air held a fresher taste to it now, and a hint of magic.

“I’d say we’re getting closer.” Sorsha’s voice drifted
to him. He resisted the temptation to turn and look. Apparently, Sorsha had no
qualms about showing her nerves. She grabbed the bicep of his left arm and slid
her hand down until she came in contact with his hand. After twining their
fingers together and giving a squeeze, she relaxed marginally and sighed in
relief.

The curving stairway flared out at the bottom, opening
into a vast underground chamber. A lake, its glass-like surface undisturbed by
wind or wild things, stretched across half the length of the cavern. Ringing
the underground lake, twelve crystal pillars reached up into the darkness above
the still waters. At that moment he realized the water gave off a pale glow,
lighting the chamber enough to see without needing mage globe or torch.

“It’s a bonding chamber. I’ve seen this one’s twin
deep below Grey Spires.”

Sorsha raised an eyebrow at him.

“When two Larnkins are strong enough to forge the
spirit bond that was broken when they took hosts and were born into this realm,
they need a place to safely contain the power released during the bonding
ceremony.”

“How does that help us? Our Larnkins barely have
enough power to summon a mage globe. An abundance of power isn’t something we
have to worry about.”

“No, but as the Oracle said, it will use the water
and, I imagine, the chamber’s Wardstones to funnel its power into us.”

“I don’t care if the Oracle serves the Light, or that
what it does is for our own good, this place is still creepy. It feels like the
Oracle, only more so.”

“I don’t think Fate cares if we like what it has planned
for us.” Shadowdancer took a step forward. Sorsha followed close at his heels.
As he neared the pool with its still, magic-laced waters, power tingled along
his skin, seeped into his lungs, and threatened to steal his breath. His heart
thundered in response to his nervousness.

Sorsha’s fingers squeezed his almost convulsively. He
slid the palm of his other hand over top, trapping her hand between both of
his, promising his protection in whatever way he could. “I’ll go first.”

Sorsha tugged on his arm. “Why do you get to risk your
life first? We’ll both go at the same time.”

Chewing thoughtfully on the corner of his lip, he
frowned at the water. Sorsha had a point. She deserved equal respect. They
should do this together as she suggested. But his Santhyrian instincts reared
up within his soul. Sorsha was his Herd Mistress, his mate, she deserved his
protection. If there was a chance of danger, then Sorsha needed protecting at
all costs.

Since he was already crippled, his loss wouldn’t have
much negative impact on his family herd. But a Herd Mistress was something his
every instinct cried out to protect.

“You’re correct.” He pulled Sorsha into his arms. “We
should do this together.”

Sorsha returned his gaze. Hers assessing, even a bit
doubtful. He couldn’t blame her. Lying wasn’t one of his best skills. “There
are a few things we need. Do you see that alcove midway down the side wall?” He
pointed to the one wall where darker shadows hinted at a recessed area. If this
was a bonding chamber similar to the one at Grey Spires, it would likely have
similar supplies; the herbs and pastes required to paint the symbols of bonding
on their bodies. Since they weren’t actually bonding, they wouldn’t need the
supplies, but Sorsha wouldn’t know that.

“Yes,” Sorsha replied, her voice sounding less
doubtful now. “I see where you mean.”

“There will be packages of dried herbs, a mortar to
grind them, and a jar of oil to make them into a paste. Can you bring me those
items while I collect some of the water?”

Sorsha nodded.

Shadowdancer stripped out of his clothes while she
made her way across the cavern. He was already backing into the water by the
time she made it to the alcove. He watched until she disappeared within. When
she was out of sight he turned and hurried into deeper water. Cupping his
hands, he brought it up to his lips. The water’s scent was earthy, its taste a
strange spicy tang.
So this is what magic tastes like.

He hadn’t thought about magic’s taste before, but now
that he’d been starved for so long, and was finally able to quench his
unnatural thirst, he found it a heady sensation.

“I can’t find anything useful here.” Sorsha poked her
head around the corner of the alcove. “Whatever used to be here turned to dust
ages ago.” She swiveled her neck until she spotted him out in the water. “What
are you doing? I knew you were lying!”

An age rotted cloth fell from her hand. The cloth
ruptured upon impact and pale powdery herbs dusted the ground at her feet.
Sorsha’s worried features were the last thing he saw before he closed his eyes.

“Stay where you are until this is finished,” he
warned.

Power swirled around the pool, tugging at his legs
like a strong undertow. Even with his eyes closed he could still see the lights
dancing among the shadows on the walls. Arcs of brilliance raced down from
above, striking the waters of the pool like lightning.

He gasped and gritted his teeth against a scream. Pain
erupted in his core. His Larnkin flailed within him, shrinking away from the
forceful probe of the Oracle’s power. The Oracle would not be denied and after
a third wave of power, it got its scream.

* * * *

“Shadowdancer!” Sorsha’s calls when unanswered. From
the moment Shadowdancer had gone pale, his face tense, she knew something was
wrong. Then he screamed. Terror for him, that he’d be overwhelmed and drown in
the water, forced her forward. But terror also stopped her from setting foot
into the water. She didn’t know what would happen if she entered the pool while
the magic worked upon Shadowdancer. Her ignorance might get him killed.

Pacing back and forth along the shore, she called out
to him repeatedly, cursing, begging, screaming. She’d never felt so helpless in
all her life. His eyes were still closed, and he held himself still. No more
sound escaped him, but the way the veins stood out against his skin sickened
her. Power continued to pour into the pool, streaming down from above.

Bright motes of magic, like the downy fluff of wind
born seeds, floated through the air. Some landed on her skin with a tingling
burn. Mercy, what must it feel like to be in the water?

The air turned white, lightning bright. Sorsha
screamed along with Shadowdancer. Spots blinded her. Then the air exploded
around her, the shockwave blasted her sideways, and she sprawled in a senseless
huddle.

Gasping, her heart pounding in a steady beat, Sorsha
attempted to right herself. She failed miserably and collapsed back to the
ground. Her vision still seared by great black spots, she crawled forward by
feel. One hand dipped into warm water.

With a little scream, she jerked her hand back out of
reflex and fear rather than pain. Cautiously she dipped her fingers back
in—nothing happened, no pulsing magic or blistering power; it was just water
again. The Oracle must have spent its power.

Shadowdancer still lived; she heard him coughing and
thrashing in the water. Sorsha gained her feet and stumbled into the water
toward the sounds. In contrast to the cool air of the chamber, the water was
bath warm, becoming hotter the deeper she got. And earthy—its scent was
strangely relaxing. When she was knee deep into the pool, the void of spots
crackling across her vision started to fade and she could make out a lumpy
shape a couple body-lengths distant. Why did the fool not say something? Was he
intentionally trying to stop her heart with fear?

“Shadowdancer, say something.”

He moaned. His terror and horror all rolled into that
one dreadful sound. Sorsha’s stomach dropped at his tone and she made a
desperate dive in Shadowdancer’s direction. Tripping, her feet slipped out from
underneath her and she plunged under the now waist high water. Out of fear for
what the magic-laced water might do, she squeezed her eyes and lips shut tight.
When she came up, she was careful not to swallow any of it.

Her slip and short swim had landed her in deeper
water. The pool’s sloping bottom was treacherous and she lost her footing three
more times before she managed to wade back to where Shadowdancer was trying to
keep his head above water. His bare shoulders would break the surface and then
he’d flail and go under again. She couldn’t see his face, but sensed his panic.

She reached Shadowdancer’s side and grasped his
shoulders in a fierce grip. But even her strong hold didn’t prevent his upper
body from sinking back under the water, dragged under by his disproportionate
body weight. It didn’t make sense. Her instincts screamed something wasn’t
right; it shouldn’t have been so hard to hold his head out of the water. She
braced her feet, her toes finding traction in a small ridge, and with a grunt
she hoisted his head clear of the water again. Her arms shook with the force of
holding his upper body above water. As Shadowdancer halted his struggles, the
waters surrounding them calmed, and she saw the shadow of something darker
under the water. At first she’d thought he just couldn’t get his feet under
him, the pool’s bottom was sloped and slippery under foot.

Sorsha gasped in shock as she finally understood what
her eyes were showing her. Shadowdancer made a pained sound deep in his throat
and renewed his thrashing, trying to get all four legs under him.

Above the waterline he was human, below he was
Santhyrian.

And he was slumped on his side, in a twisted awkward
manner, cast up, she realized, his forelegs trapped underneath him and his hind
ones pointing higher up the incline. Situated that way, he couldn’t roll or get
his feet under him, at least not on such a slippery surface.

“Stop! Or you’ll drown us both.”

He didn’t listen. If she’d had a free hand, she’d have
given him a good swat, but both hands were busy keeping him from drowning, so
she sank her teeth into his shoulder instead. “Stop panicking. You’ll drown us
both!”

That seemed to penetrate the chaos of his mind, and he
stopped the useless fighting.

“Easy. Are you in pain?” she asked as she rubbed her
cheek against his. “It will be alright.”

“No. It won’t be alright. I, I’m...”

“Shush,” she whispered in his ears, gently placing
kisses on his jaw. “Are you in pain?”

“No.” The despair in his clipped tone caused an ache
in Sorsha’s chest. He might not be in physical pain, but he was in shock and
certainly in emotional anguish.

“We’re going to be okay. First, we need to get out of
this pool—we’ll worry about other things once we’re safe.”

“I’m a monster.”

“Stop it. Or you’ll be dead and so will the woman who
loves you.”

“I’m sorry….for this mess. If I hadn’t been in such a
hurry…”

“It would just have happened later. Come on.”

“Let me go. Get away well you can. I’m shifting down
the slope. You can’t hold my weight back. You’ll get trapped under me. Go.
Please.”

She ignored him and instead tightened her arms around
his chest. Without the support of the water helping to buoy him up, she’d never
have been able to support his weight all on her own. But the water gave her an
idea.

“If you’re not in pain, can you move your legs and
feel any ridges you might be able to use for traction? Something you can brace
against? I found a crack, but I’m not sure how much longer I can hold your
torso up. The floor’s damn slippery.”

“If I try, my bulk will shift, trapping you. I can’t
risk it with you so close.” He turned his head toward her. She couldn’t see his
expression but she’d bet a gold coin he was still terrified. Or maybe
horrified.