Scenting Hallowed Blood (58 page)

Owen lay in the shallow water,
his empty eyes fixed on the sky. Aninka and Emma supported his body
in their arms. Lily filled the cowry as instructed, then held it up
to Shem, who took it from her and held it close to his side, near
his belly, where a wound dripped blood into the delicate shell.

‘Shem!’ Lily cried. ‘You’re
hurt! We didn’t notice!’

‘It is an old wound that would
not heal,’ Shem said.

Lily knew then that the water
within the shell was no longer simply brine.

Shem knelt before Owen, the
rags of his tattered robes swirling around him in the water. He
placed the lip of the shell against Owen’s mouth. ‘Reawaken, my
child, through this vessel, the womb of our mother, Ishtahar.
Reawaken in light, for your blood and mine are one.’

Owen’s throat worked
convulsively as the liquid poured down it. He coughed and flailed
his arms. Then he lay blinking and panting in the water, his
expression that of astonishment. Lily splashed through the water to
reach him. ‘O! It’s me! O! Are you with us? Are you?’

Painfully, Owen sat up, using
Aninka and Emma as support. ‘Lily,’ he said weakly. She wrapped him
in her arms.

Daniel, watching this reunion,
wanted to turn away. He was dreading Owen’s eyes finding his own.
Part of him, he realised, did not want Owen to reawaken. Shem came
to his side.

‘Before you say anything, I’d
rather not hear it,’ Daniel said, sensing a sanctimonious reprimand
was imminent. He knew Shem could see right into his heart and
folded his arms defensively.

‘I wasn’t going to say
anything,’ Shem replied. ‘I haven’t turned into a pious bore,
Daniel.’

‘Good.’

‘Take me to High Crag,’ Shem
said. ‘I need your attentions and a long sleep.’

Daniel smiled and put his arm
round Shem’s waist. They began to walk towards the wooden stairway
that led to the garden.

Enniel caught up with them. ‘Of
course you must be exhausted,’ he said, ‘but perhaps you could rest
and show your face later. I think it would be appreciated. Many
people have been with you in spirit, Shemyaza, and I want them all
to partake of the celebratory feast.’

Shem shrugged. ‘Whatever.’

Enniel opened his mouth to
speak, then hesitated. Finally, he said, ‘So, what do you intend to
do now?’

Shemyaza glanced behind him to
where Salamiel was following at a polite distance. Later, they
would talk. Then he looked down at the empty cowry shell, which he
still held in his hand. ‘I’m going home,’ he said.