Sorceress of Faith (42 page)

Marian
withdrew her hands. “I’ll think about returning. But only if I can bring Andrew
and if this place would be good for him, too.” She met his eyes. “I’ll want to
see all your plans and Rituals for Summoning us before I decide.”

He
chuckled and swept her a bow. “I’ll ensure that you do, Scholar Marian.”

That
reminded her. “You told the Marshalls I was a Fourth Degree Scholar.”

“I
lied.”

“What!”

Setting
his brow against her forehead, he snagged her gaze with his. Such beautiful
blue eyes he had, and now they were open and earnest. “When we left Mue Island
you were a Fourth Degree Scholar. You have Circlet status now, I think perhaps
as much as second degree already. You learned to control the lightning
ride—that should have made you Circlet status…There was something more,
too—when you found and faced and defeated the frinks in the clouds.”

Her
breath came heavy, but she couldn’t look away from him. “Second Degree
Circlet?” What would her mastery of Water lift her to?

He
straightened, nodded. “Yes. But it is Bossgond’s place to Test you, and you
won’t come into your full Circlet Power until you raise your Tower.”

Marian
shivered. “So quickly.”

Jaquar
took her right hand again. “Lladrana needs you, so the Song found the most
Powerful Exotique in your land.” He chuckled. “And you have good study habits.”

She
nodded. “A thirst for knowledge. I always have.”

“Circlets
of the Tower are like that.” He turned to go, tugged on her hand.

Glancing
back, Marian saw the little filly nursing. So young, so tender, such a huge
fate in store for her. The mare’s gaze, wise beyond that of a mere horse, met
Marian’s. “She might die in battle with Alexa,” Marian said of the foal to
Jaquar, envisioning a hideously bloody volaran and rider, dead and pale.

Tho
. The negative
grated in Marian’s mind. With a jolt, she realized it was from the mare.

Jaquar
halted. His head lifted and turned, looking at the mare as if he, too, had
heard.

He
and Marian stared at the mare.

The
volaran observed them with steady eyes.
Alexa and Fleche will not die in
battle together
.

Releasing
her held breath, Marian said, “Is that her name, Fleche?” It meant
Arrow
.

The
mare snorted.
Alexa named my filly Cloud, but her True Name is Fleche
Obscur, “Arrow for the Dark.”
The volaran’s words Sang of Power, of fate.
I
was sent to foal here by the head wild stallion. Fleche is his filly, too.

Jaquar
bowed to the mare. “Thank you for sharing your knowledge. We take our leave,
now.”

The
mare dipped her head to nuzzle her filly, but kept one shining eye on them.
I
would not tell you more. It is not for you to know. You are not Our Exotique.

Marian’s
stomach turned over.

Jaquar
nodded. “The Chevalier’s Exotique, the Exotique of the Field.”

The
mare lifted her head and neighed a laugh.
The Volaran Exotique
. Then she
turned away from them and focused on her baby.

Marian
was glad to hurry away from the stables, matching Jaquar’s long strides.
“Chevalier Exotique,” she found herself muttering.

“Swordmarshall
Alexa is the Marshalls’ Exotique, the Exotique of the Castle Community. You—”
Jaquar squeezed her fingers “—are Circlet Marian, the Sorcerers’ and
Sorceresses’ Exotique, the Exotique of the Tower Community.”

“And
one will come who is the Chevalier Exotique.”

“Or
the Volaran Exotique—depends on your point of view, I suppose. Do you have
people well versed in volarans in Exotique Terre?”

Marian
thought of all the ranches in Colorado, of the rodeos and horse shows, the
breeders and associations, even of the polo club. Her mother stabled two horses.
“We don’t have volarans. But my land, Colorado, has many horses.” She drew in a
deep breath. The scent of volaran clung to her gown, the Song of the mare and
her filly still played in her mind. “Alexa comes from the largest city in our
area. I come from a smaller city close to Alexa’s that is a seat of learning.
But we have horse breeders and horse farms. We are well known for our ranches.”
What sort of person would be Summoned as the Exotique for the volarans? Would
it be another woman or a man this time?

If
it was a woman, would she accept her destiny on Lladrana or seek to return like
Marian? Since she’d be a Chevalier, too, would she form a stronger bond with
Alexa? Alexa would have another close friend, then, a woman who had belonged to
both worlds, too. Envy swirled through Marian. She had no close friend like
Alexa at home.

Marian
wished Andrew were a horseman.

“How
many?” she asked blankly. She should know, but was a little too shaken by the
pressure of fate, of options spinning in her head to recall right now. Maybe if
she waited, Andrew would be Summoned.

Jaquar
ushered her from the Lower Ward into Temple Ward and they made for the Keep.
“How many Exotiques can be Summoned in the next two years? Why, the same amount
as there are communities of Lladrana. Six. Obviously the Song has a master
plan, but what it is, the Singer hasn’t told us.”

She
glanced at him and saw that though his voice was light and ironic, his eyes
were narrowed and his lips had an irritated curl to them. “Six.” Marian sighed.

He
pressed her fingers in reassurance. “And obviously you two ladies are here to
provide a link between the communities, so we will be able to combine and
function as one. Perhaps we can destroy the Dark.”

“Two
years,” Marian breathed. Everything might be resolved in two years. An
incredibly short time.

Jaquar
walked fast, whether out of suppressed anger or some other passion, Marian
didn’t know. “Probably more. Each Exotique must learn of Lladrana, complete her
own task, whatever that is.” He definitely sounded angry.

But
Marian didn’t know why he was furious, and since it didn’t seem aimed at her,
she ignored it, still caught in the idea of other Exotiques, the grand plan
that might be unfolding. What would she be doing on Earth in a little over two
years? Even working to fund her last years, she should be finished with her
doctorate and cozily settled into an academic career path.

How
flat that sounded.

Andrew
might be fairly healthy and active. Or he might be dead.

She
shuddered. She’d been thinking that leaving through Ritual and being Summoned
back might be a possibility. Jaquar had spoken as if such magic could be done.
But she was deluding herself into thinking it could be quick and easy. Or
cheap.

The
Tower had paid the Marshalls to Summon her. Those very Marshalls were out
fighting today and would continue to battle. Some could die, and the strength
of the Marshalls’ Power diminished.

They
reached the cloister walk outside the Keep and Jaquar said, “Sit with me,
Marian,” in a tone that made her blood turn cold.

Marian
looked at him, eyes wide, and stilled. Her Song fluttering, she sat.

Jaquar
joined her and took her hands. “I wanted you to concentrate on your studies,
but there are things you must know. Just before you came, I followed the
sangvile who killed my parents back to its nest—the home of the Dark.” He told
her everything, and as he watched, her skin went pale, even her lips took on a
tinge of white. It was fascinating—and wrenching—to watch.

Her
breasts rose and fell with quick breaths, her hands went cold in his. He folded
his fingers around hers, sent warmth to them.

She
finally said, “My task is to plane-walk to the maw and destroy the nest?”

“No!”
He believed that with every note in his body.

She
tilted her head, frowned. “It must be.”

He
thought back to what Bossgond and Bastien had said, both men less emotionally
involved with the nest and Marian than he. “It can’t be now. Your bond with
Amee is not strong enough to plane-walk.”

“But
the horrors—”

“The
horrors have invaded Lladrana for centuries. We are watching and waiting, and
planning. Every Apprentice, Scholar and Circlet in the Tower Community knows
how to kill sangviles with fire. Some wear amulets. You—” he leaned forward and
kissed her brow “—my lovely Circlet, Summon fire with a thought.”

“It
must be my task,” she repeated.

“But
not now,” he said firmly. “No one could expect you to rise to Circlet so soon.”
He rubbed her hands. “I’m working with Bastien and Bossgond.” He wanted to
hear, soon, if Bastien had any ideas. They must speak as soon as possible.

“Bastien?”
Marian looked startled. “This is a Tower problem.”

“No,
dear one. This is a
Lladranan
problem—you taught me that. I think your
task must be to organize us to be a viable force against the Dark.”

“I
see,” she said. She leaned against him for a moment, then stood.

He
was grateful when she dropped only one of his hands and they linked fingers
with the other.

“I
want to go up to the suite, now.” Her smile was lopsided. “I’d like thick walls
around me.”

He
kissed the top of her head. “You are so brave.”

She
wasn’t brave at all, but once again buried under a huge amount of
information—and expectations.

Jaquar
wrapped an arm around her waist, but she still felt cold. She wanted to be in a
quiet place where she could shove aside her emotions and begin to think
logically.

As
soon as they reached their suite in Alexa’s tower, Jaquar flung open the door.

Loud
chimes rang a few notes of Bossgond’s public Song, then his peevish voice
boomed. “Where are you two? Do you know how difficult it was to find you? It
took me time away from my studies. I need to consult with Jaquar. Contact me at
once.”

B
ossgond would
not speak with her. When she’d called him via the crystal ball in their suite
as Jaquar was changing into more everyday clothes than his formal Circlet robe,
Bossgond had painted a strained smile on his face and his eyes had shifted away
from her. He’d wanted an in-person meeting with Jaquar as soon as possible but
had not invited her.

Marian
continued to mull over different scenarios as she rode double with Jaquar back
to Mue Island on a huge volaran that Bastien’s squire had loaned them.
Apparently the Pegasus had never flown over the Brisay Sea and wanted the
adventure.

Bossgond
must have known all along about the Dark and the maw and the imminence of it
opening and spewing out monsters and how she might be able to harm the nest.
But he hadn’t said anything. That comforted her. Wait! He
had
said
something. He’d told Jaquar that Marian couldn’t plane-walk. Furthermore, she
knew
Bossgond had treated her like a regular Apprentice. Every time she had asked
any Circlet what they wanted of her before, they’d said “learn.” She had, but
she wouldn’t be around to pay them off, not quickly. When she came back…She
lifted her chin. When she came back, she’d fight—in her own way.

The
trip didn’t take long enough to sort everything out. Jaquar explained that
Powerful volarans, and Bastien’s were all very Powerful, had “distance magic”
that shortened the flight, as if each beat of wings carried them many miles
instead of yards. Soon they were circling down near Jaquar’s Tower.

Wait,
wait, I am here
,
cried Tuck’s voice in her mind.

Jaquar
cocked his head and the volaran’s ears flicked as if they’d heard her hamster,
too.

Oh,
how she wanted her hamster! She pinpointed Tuck: to her horror, he was
outside
.
Not only that, but he was beyond Jaquar’s security forcefield. She wanted to
scream and carry on, but since he was obviously safe, she suppressed the urge,
though both Jaquar and Tuck must feel her distress through their bond with her.

Sure
enough, Jaquar tightened his arms around her and soothed. “He’s fine.” Jaquar
chuckled. “He isn’t stupid. He has Nightsky with him.”

“Oh.”
Marian let out a relieved breath.

See,
strange beastie?
The volaran they rode turned his head back, blinking with curiosity.

“Yes,”
said Jaquar. “Look for your fellow volaran, Nightsky.”

Their
volaran angled toward the far side of the island. It was easier to see
Nightsky, of course, than Tuck. Nightsky galloped down the beach, stopped and
lifted his wings in greeting to the one they rode.

As
they descended, Marian finally saw Tuck jumping up and down on a rock jutting
into the ocean, waving his paws and squeaking madly.
I am here!

Since
he appeared so delighted with himself, she could only smile. Their volaran
gently spiraled down. He nodded at Nightsky, then delicately stepped over to
Tuck. Lowering his head slowly, he eyed the hamster, then snuffled at him.