Sovereign Stone (24 page)

She clung to him and opened the essence of her being to him. He rushed in and washed away all of the fear and doubt and then opened himself to her completely. He held nothing back, allowed her into every crevice of his soul and rejoiced in the love she gave him in return. The darkness shrank back as their light joined and shined with piercing brightness.

The sudden flare of light where no light should ever be drew the attention of the beasts that lurked deeper in the darkness. Alexander saw shadows of their malice stirring in the deep. He took hold of Isabel and began to trace his lifeline back to his starting point.

The beasts from the depths saw their quarry attempting to escape and gave chase. When Alexander burst free of the netherworld and back into Isabel’s mind, he didn’t let go of her soul; he stayed with her in the confines of her own mind. She was still terrified and the passage to the darkness was still open within her. He knew he had to find a way to help her close that doorway or she would be forever lost.

He visualized a room with a door and imposed his vision on her nightmare. She stood with him in the room, looking at the open doorway leading into the netherworld. Specters of broken souls with unspeakable appetites beckoned them to enter.

“You have to close the door,” Alexander said.

“I don’t know how. I’m so afraid.”

“It’s all right, I’m right here with you. See yourself walking to the door and pushing it closed. This is your mind, your dream. You can make anything you want happen here.”

As was the nature of dreams, one moment she was standing next to Alexander and the next she was closing the door and bolting it shut. There was an otherworldly howl of rage from beyond the door. Isabel backed away quickly into Alexander’s arms. Her fear was palpable.

The door was still there and the darkness knew it.

“It’s time to wake up now.”

“Don’t leave me, Alexander.”

“I’m right here with you. I’ll be right beside you when you wake.”

She nodded and he carefully disentangled his consciousness from hers and withdrew to a point above her and then into himself.

Abigail was sitting in the little makeshift shelter looking worried. When he opened his eyes, she breathed a sigh of relief.

He gently shook Isabel’s shoulder and she came awake with a start. Her eyes opened wide and she threw her arms around him. He held her while she wept.

After several minutes, she whispered, “I was so afraid.”

“I know. You’re safe now.” He drew her back and looked at her colors. The taint was still there but more faintly.

She shook her head and wiped away tears from her cheeks. “It’s still there. I can feel the darkness trying to draw me in.”

“You have to resist. We’ll figure out how to get rid of the doorway for good, but for now you have to be strong.”

She nodded and looked up into his eyes. When their eyes met, he saw more there now. They always had an easy bond but there was much greater depth to it now. They had shared themselves with each other in a way that transcended love. Each was intimately aware of the very essence of the other’s soul and each accepted and embraced the other with full knowledge and complete trust. Their souls were mated in a way that few others would ever experience.

Chapter 20

Lucky tried to question Isabel but Alexander knew she didn’t want to talk about it yet. She needed distance from the experience, so he asked Lucky to wait awhile before asking his questions.

They set out after breakfast. Everyone was exhausted, but Alexander knew they had to keep moving. He kept an eye on Isabel. She was brave and strong, but he could see the fear in her that had never been there before. She could stand and face any enemy without flinching, but this was different. She knew there was something inside her that was wrong and she couldn’t do anything about it.

They weren’t able to cover much ground because they were all so tired, but they made it to the outskirts of Warrenton where they found a small inn and rooms for the night. A solid night of sleep and a warm meal would do them all good. It was a simple little place made from rough-cut timber, but it was well cared for and the proprietors were hospitable enough.

They paid for three rooms, each with two beds, and went to the main hall for the evening meal. They listened to the conversations around the room while they quietly ate their meal of roasted pork. Jack chatted up the barkeep and learned a bit about the happenings around Warrenton. It seemed that the talk of the town was the treachery of Headwater against Buckwold.

Alexander found it amazing that word of events in Buckwold had traveled so fast, but then he remembered his father’s words: “Nothing moves as fast as a rumor.” The general sentiment of the people was one of solidarity with Buckwold and by extension with New Ruatha. Alexander was pleased to find that Carson was right about the long-standing friendship between the two territories.

Alexander and Isabel shared a room but slept in separate beds. After the experience of the previous night, he wondered if they were already married in a way more profound than any ceremony could match, but he kept his thoughts to himself. More than anything, they both needed sleep and he knew Isabel was still afraid of the darkness within her.

In the dead of night, Alexander was jarred awake by a scream of sheer terror. He was up and out of his bed in an instant, sword in hand and scanning the room and beyond with his all around sight. Isabel had pushed herself into the corner and was curled up into a ball, panting with fear. Alexander sheathed his sword and went to her, gently offering his comfort. She threw her arms around him and wept.

Anatoly knocked. “Is everything all right?” he asked through the door.

“Yes, thank you, Anatoly. Isabel had a nightmare,” Alexander said without moving to open the door.

“It was so real,” she said. “The door was open and I was standing in front of the darkness. I could see hateful faces form and fade. Then I saw Rangle. He looked right at me and laughed as tendrils of darkness shot out of the portal and tried to pull me in. I struggled and fought until I was able to slam the door shut and throw the bolt.” She held onto him and took comfort in his presence for several long moments.

“Will you hold me?” she asked in a small voice.

“Of course. Lie down and try to get some sleep. I’m right here,” Alexander said as reassuringly as he could in spite of the worry and dread that filled him. The situation was more dangerous than he first thought. If the darkness could try to claim her in her dreams, she wouldn’t be able to sleep. Eventually, she would be too exhausted to resist. He tried to sleep but his worry kept him awake. Isabel drifted off but woke with a start a few hours later. She didn’t scream but she cried for a few minutes.

“I’m afraid, Alexander,” she whispered. “I’ve never faced anything like this before. I’ve always been able to see my enemy and fight them head-on. This doesn’t have a form or a body, and it’s inside me. How can I kill something that’s a part of me?”

He held her tighter. “I don’t know, but I promise you I’ll do everything in my power to find out. I think we should talk to Lucky about it. He may know of a way to help.” He felt her nod in the darkness. They didn’t sleep much for the rest of the night. Isabel was afraid to fall asleep, and Alexander was afraid that if she did, she would get drawn into the darkness again. When dawn came, they were both exhausted.

They bought some supplies after breakfast and made a few inquiries about the path to the Pinnacles. Most people thought going into the wild mountains was a foolish thing to do, but told them the way to get there nonetheless. By midmorning they were on the road that skirted around the city of Warrenton. They decided not to buy horses because they would have to abandon the animals once they reached the mountains. Also, in the back of everyone’s mind was the thought that the demon was still out there somewhere.

Once they were on the road, Alexander decided it was time to talk about the experience of sending his consciousness into the netherworld and Isabel’s ongoing struggle with the darkness. He gave her a look. She understood and nodded, taking a deep breath before she began.

“Lucky, I need your help,” she said.

“Of course, my dear, anything I can do.”

“When I touched the horse’s mind, I made contact with the mind of a demon instead,” she began, but before she could continue everyone stopped dead in their tracks. She pressed on with her story now that she had everyone’s undivided attention. “Somehow it created a portal to the netherworld within my mind and I was drawn into the darkness. That’s why I couldn’t wake up.”

Lucky couldn’t help himself. “How did you get back?”

Isabel smiled and took Alexander’s hand. “Alexander used his magic to come in and get me,” she said simply to looks of astonishment and alarm all around. “He saved me.”

“You did what?” Abigail said. “What have I told you about being more careful? Don’t get me wrong, Isabel, I’m glad he saved you, but,” she turned back to her brother, “this is exactly the kind of thing you need to let us help you with.”

“She was dying. When the thought came to me, I just did it,” Alexander explained without any hint of apology.

Abigail stared with her mouth agape at her brother and shook her head in dismay.

“Please continue,” Lucky said intently.

Isabel nodded. “It was a cold and terrible place filled with fear and despair. I was lost and adrift. Disembodied beings of pure hate and malice assailed me for what seemed like a very long time. I could feel my connection to the world of the living slipping away, and then Alexander was there. He found me and brought me back. I have no idea how he did such a thing, but he did.” She smiled up at him. “The trouble is—the doorway to the darkness is still there in my mind. Alexander showed me how to close it, and it doesn’t seem to have any power over me when I’m awake but when I sleep, it opens up and tries to draw me in. I’m so tired, but I’m afraid to go to sleep and I’m afraid it’s only going to get worse.”

Lucky took a deep breath. “This is troubling indeed. I can give you some deathwalker root to help you sleep without dreams. At least you’ll be well rested, but we need to find a way to permanently destroy the connection between your mind and the netherworld. That is a much more challenging problem. Let me think on the matter.”

Isabel nodded with a smile. “Thank you, Lucky. I feel better knowing that I can sleep without being lost to the darkness.”

***

By nightfall they were well past Warrenton and just a couple of days away from the treacherous path into the Pinnacles. Isabel slept through the night with the help of the deathwalker-root tea that Lucky prepared for her. She woke the next morning feeling much better.

That afternoon she stopped dead in her tracks after a moment of looking through Slyder’s eyes.

“We’re being followed. Looks like a dozen men on horseback but they’re keeping well back. I’m sending Slyder to take a closer look.”

An hour later she reported again. “It’s Nero and a dozen soldiers.”

Anatoly grunted. “The coward doesn’t want to fight us. He’s probably just a scout for Phane.”

“Keep an eye on him, Isabel,” Alexander said. “We should make it to the mountains by tomorrow afternoon. If he follows us into the Pinnacles, we might just have to set an ambush for him.”

Nero kept his distance, and the six travelers made it to the foothills of the Pinnacles on the evening of the next day. From where they stood, they could see the sharp, craggy mountains jutting up from the surrounding forests. They were white at the peaks and looked like giant ivory fangs gnashing at the sky. Alexander understood from the ominous look of the place why the locals thought it was a bad idea to venture there.

It was a few hours from dark when they moved from the plains into the low rolling hills covered with the ancient trees that made up the eastern edge of the Great Forest.

Warrenton relied on the timber from the foothills of the Pinnacles. As Alexander and his companions hiked into the forest on the wide, well-cut road, they passed several timber crews and saw a few operations in progress. By dark they had traveled several miles and stopped for the night at one of the frequently used campsites along the road. It was a quiet evening except for the coming and going of work crews.

The next morning after breakfast, Isabel sent Slyder to have a look at Nero. “Looks like he’s waiting at the trailhead. I wonder what he’s waiting for.”

“Might as well take advantage of their delay and get some distance on them,” Alexander said as he hoisted his pack.

They made good time, considering that they were traveling on foot uphill along an increasingly narrow pathway. The well-cared-for roads gave way to little-used trails and then to animal tracks through the thick brush and timber. They pushed on toward the south and the teeth of the Pinnacles until they found a mountain spring an hour before dark and made camp.

After dinner, Isabel said, “It looks like Commander P’Tal and a company of soldiers are about a day away from Nero’s camp at the trailhead. That puts them two days behind us.”