Sorceress of Faith (46 page)

As
if Sinafin knew that Marian would have to call for help one day….

Hope
nearly sent her spiraling into mindlessness again. To hope and attempt and fail
was worse than not hoping at all.

Easy,
easy. She tried to take deep, even breaths. Inhale, hold for a count of eight,
exhale. She didn’t know if her body did as her mind directed, but either way,
it couldn’t hurt to pretend. Harking back to Earth lessons, Marian visualized a
stream of white light entering her body, through her head, flowing down her as she
imagined relaxing tight muscles one by one. She’d been meditating for a couple
of years and easily sank into a different state—a state of clarity and altered
brain waves.

Reaching
deep, gathering the greatest amount of self, and Power, and sheer will, she
yelled at the top of her lungs,
SINAFIN! FEYCOOCU!

Very,
very faintly she heard a whisper. Too quiet to understand. Perhaps even
imaginary. Marian collected herself again. Screamed again, putting an extra
punch of Power—she hoped—behind her call.

SINAFIN!

Another
tiny…echo?

Marian
built an image of Sinafin in her head as the feycoocu had taught her—but unlike
that time at Jaquar’s Tower, she didn’t see Sinafin as a fairy. No, this time,
the shapeshifter was the warhawk, sitting on Jaquar’s shoulder in the Nom de
Nom.

Marian
“closed” her eyes and brought back every sensation, physical and emotional, of
that scene. The smokiness of the bar, the red leather of the booths beneath
her, Jaquar’s warm and tender arm across her shoulders—The image faded. Damn
it!

Again
she built—this time from the emotions out. Now she realized Jaquar had an aura
of a man well satisfied with sex and the anticipation of more. Alexa sat across
from Marian—quivering with curiosity and yearning to ride the lightning, deep
green eyes alight with interest. The Song between them flowed with Alexa’s
pleasure that Marian was there as well as friendliness, affection. Alexa was
solid in the vision. For a moment their Song filled Marian’s mind, and she held
it close, worked to remember it.

Jaquar—
do
the breathing exercise even if you can’t feel it
—Jaquar had been a man
throbbing with sexuality, a Circlet radiating Power. A lover, a man who’d
weathered and come to terms with his grief. An underlying, innate note in his
being had matched hers—an Earth tune, from the last essence of Earth blood he
carried. The Song they had made together—passionate, wary, inescapable,
tempting. Marian remembered that tune too well. Before it could hurt her, she
gently, gently drew away, but kept it in her mind.

She
recalled other portions of the scene—the twisting and twining notes of the
individual Chevaliers standing at the bar. The lower, duller strains of the
bartender and barmaids.

The
intense emotions of the couple in the booth behind her that Marian hadn’t
noticed at the time, came back—love, desperation, shock at Alexa’s offer,
thrilling hope and acceptance. Incredible relief. The Song between the two
Chevaliers.

The
Song of Marwey and her lover Pascal. Deep, abiding love with knowledge of their
past, commitment to each other and a shared future.

The
Song of Marian herself. Bright with Power, intricate and weaving chords from
Earth into a Song of Lladrana—or vice versa. She knew that Song now—Song of her
bones and blood—though she couldn’t feel them. Song of her heart and mind. Song
of her soul.

All
these twisted like strands of harmony into a thick rope that Marian used to
gather her Power and send it forth in a great shout that rolled from her,
taking everything she had.
SINAFIN. SINAFIN. SINAFIN.

Marian?
The voice was
muted but clear. Relief rushed between them.

Help!
Marian thought
she should be weeping buckets with the word.

Hold
on. I have your Song-rope
, Alexa said grimly.

An
instant later Marian felt a surge of Power come to her. She imagined a warm
embrace from the smaller woman—ephemeral, but true.

And
her wrist burned. She could
feel
it, feel the pattern of the
heat—Alexa’s jade baton.

Where
are you?

In
the nest. In limbo. In the larder
. Marian suppressed a wild surge of
black laughter.
The evil Sorcerer called the Master who serves the Dark cast
me here
. Whatever happened, Alexa needed to know what was going on.

Wait
to tell me. Call again. You are not alone. Send ropes to your friends.

Help!
The word shot
from her. Was caught.

I
have you
,
said Jaquar.

Again
she felt desperation—this time from him. Rage. Her whole body heated with
warmth. She felt the curling of her toes, the very lifting of hair on her
scalp. She didn’t want the warmth. But she wanted to go back.

I
have you
,
he repeated.

She
didn’t reply, but used her turmoil of emotions to send another call.
BOSSGOND!

Here!
His voice was
deep and old and solid.

Alexa
said,
I am joined with Jaquar and Bossgond, hand-to-hand. Bastien is
arriving momentarily. The Marshalls are here in the Castle Temple. We will
bring you back.

Marian
shuddered, felt the tremor through her body.

Marian!
It was Tuck,
warm fur rubbing against her neck.
I have been talking and talking and you
didn’t say anything.
He sounded fearful.

“Sorry,
Tuck,” she said, and her tongue felt thick, her throat clogged with tears—of
panic and hope and relief. She cleared her throat and said, weakly, “Could I
hear a little Beethoven? The Ninth, please?”

Tuck
vibrated against her and the orchestral piece rumbled from him. She breathed
deeply, enjoying the sensation of her lungs filling, expanding, emptying,
shrinking. Blessed sensation.

She
still saw nothing but fog.

Time
to Call for Sinafin again
, Tuck said. He chuckled in her mind.
You Call
and I will broadcast Sinafin. Soon we will be Summoned to the Castle Temple.
Then we can go home.

Home.
She didn’t know where that was—her first thought was of Bossgond’s Tower, then
her apartment. She didn’t ask Tuck where he meant.

Power
roared to her from Alexa, strong and wild.

Alexa?
Marian asked.

Bastien
is here. So is Sinafin. Call her again.

Sinafin!
Marian shouted.

I
am here. You did very, very well, Marian.

Marian
gulped at the praise, lifted her arm and saw the deep emerald velvet. She wiped
her eyes on the sleeve.

Alexa
broke into laughter.
Beethoven’s Ninth! We can all hear it! You should see
the Marshalls’ faces. Stopped them in their tracks.

I
have Called Circlets I trust as well as those who hurt you
, Bossgond
added.
My friends will link with me. And Jaquar. With the Marshalls’ help it
will be but a puff of breath to bring you back. You are bringing us together,
the Castle and the Tower, this day. Well done, Marian. It will be only a few
moments
….

I’ll
hang in here
,
Marian sent to Alexa, and her friend laughed again.

One
by one new Songs were sung to Marian, drowning out Beethoven, so Tuck stopped
the Earth music.

Songs
of people were so much more fascinating. As each Pair of Marshalls was
added—Swordmarshall and Shieldmarshall—three Songs enriched the links between
them, each individual and the Pair Song.

In
her mind, Marian saw the Circle gather and expand as others joined. After
Alexa, Jaquar’s Song was the strongest—cruelly familiar, though she’d cut the
bond between them.

She
knew she had, she’d felt the whiplash of it, then the empty place inside her
where it had sung.

Jaquar
hadn’t spoken to her after those first words, and she hadn’t talked to him. It
was hurtful enough to realize that he was the second person who’d heard her. If
they’d had more time together, he probably would have been the first one her
Song would have flown to.

Would
he have ignored it? Would he, could he have brought in the strong force that
Alexa had to save her? Marian didn’t know, but she dreaded facing him and the
other Circlets, trying to be civil.

When
all the Marshalls had joined the Circle, the rainbow brightness, the incredible
Power Marian sensed amazed her. It was far greater than the Power the Circlets
and Scholars had used to Send Marian to the Dark nest. Even Bossgond’s and
Jaquar’s Powers looked puny.

The
Marshalls’ individual Power might not have the depth and breadth of a
Circlet’s, but they were used to working as a team. No wonder the Tower
Community had given the task of Summoning Marian from Earth to the Marshalls.

Marian’s
shoulders sagged in relief. She knew she’d be saved. The change in her body
caused her to spin slightly in the nothingness. She lifted her hands as if she
could paddle as she might in water, and caught sight of the weapon-knot wrapped
around her finger like a fancy ring. Bloodred and pulsing, as if it, too,
soaked in Power from the Song-web that wove around her. Though, that image
wasn’t quite right for sound instead of sight. She was more like a solo
performer surrounded by a huge and mighty orchestra. She smiled at the notion.

Now
her immediate fears were banished, Marian had time to truly think. She laughed
shortly. Atavistic fear had banished thought, the physical triumphing over the
mental as usual in a human being.

She
was deep in the Dark’s nest. Dare she try to destroy it with the knot? She
sensed the knot had several spells woven into it and each, when loosed, could
do damage.

No
, said Bossgond.
I will demand all Lorebooks of weapons or knots to be sent to me. We will
study them together
.

Another
wisp of relief. Marian swallowed hard. She’d be going home with Bossgond, not
staying at Jaquar’s.

Tuck
sniffed in her ear.
I love my house
.

Two
jolts swept her as familiar energy, tainted with guilt and shame, came into the
Circle. Venetria and Chalmon.

They
begged to add their Power to Summon you back
, Alexa said acidly.
And
Sinafin agreed. Hardly anyone goes against Sinafin. Know this, Tower Community
.
Alexa’s voice reverberated and Marian knew that she spoke in a loud voice to
the whole Tower, as well as sending her speech mentally.
When a community
Summons an Exotique, they must provide her or him with an estate and
life-stipend. That is true of this Tower and Exotique Marian. You will gift her
with an island and zhiv—or you will pay zhiv to the Marshalls in return for an
estate on mainland Lladrana, should she choose to stay with us. As for those
who sent Marian to the Dark nest, you all owe her a life
.

That
stunned Marian. She was owed a life—by about twenty-five people.

Emotions
roiled through her.

Anger.
They had sent her to her death.

Vengeance.
She would make them pay, each and every one.

Then
glee! Did she have a bank of favors to be sent home and bring herself and
Andrew—God willing—back, or what?

She’d
let Bossgond and Alexa and Sinafin collect for her. Marian giggled. She figured
no one was going to set themselves against Alexa or Bossgond, either. Good.

And
she had repaid the Tower for all the teaching Bossgond and Jaquar had given
her. She could go back to Boulder with a clear conscience in that area, free of
any emotional debt.

Ready,
Marian?
asked Jaquar.

Ready,
Marian?
said Alexa an instant later.

Yes!

You
know where the nest is. Situate yourself in the coordinates. Then visualize the
Castle Temple and come to us!
Jaquar said.

Marian
shut her eyes, glad she’d spent some time exploring the Castle Temple—that
morning? She pictured the huge open space, the wooden screens, the rafters with
Power crystals glowing. The altar with the chakra lamp-chimes of precious
stones filled her mind, as did the great silver gong. She’d never forget the
details of the pool where she’d mastered Water.

Her
memory harkened back to her previous Summoning there, the Marshalls in colored
robes wearing batons at their sides. Bossgond and Jaquar, Venetria and Chalmon
in their formal robes, with circlets gleaming on their brows. She brought Tuck
from her left shoulder and cradled the hamster in her hands, curving her
fingers around him. She held him tight to her breasts. He huddled down inside
the protection of her fingers.