The Chaos Crystal (45 page)

Maralyce was silent for a time, staring at Oritha's unconscious form, and then she looked up. 'Do you need my help?'

Lukys shook his head. 'Not for this part.'

Maralyce stepped back from the altar. 'I'll leave you to it then.' She glanced down at Oritha one last time. 'When you invited her down here, I wonder if the poor girl had any idea she was going to die?'

Tiji stifled a gasp, even though she was far enough away for it not to be heard by the Tide Lords. But she'd seen enough, too much
...
and Maralyce was turning for the entrance.

Tides, they're killing Oritha
...

Or were they? What had Lukys said?
She must be
on the brink
of
death for this to succeed. I learned that the last time, too. Her heartbeat needs to be so slow it's barely moving, her consciousness so completely immersed there will be no resistance
...

Maralyce was getting closer. Her mind swirling with the possibilities, Tiji turned and fled up the ice stairs toward the levels above, wondering how she could prevent this travesty from taking place. For that matter, who would she even tell about it? The immortals didn't see life the same way mortal creatures did. Even Arryl would probably take the line that Oritha was Lukys's wife and if he wanted to freeze her so he could use her as a vessel for his queen — whatever that meant — he was quite within his rights to do so.

Tides,
1
wish Declan was here,
Tiji thought as she slipped and slithered along the icy tunnels above the secret chamber. If she was caught down here, Tiji had no doubt about her fate. Lukys and Maralyce were in cahoots over something seriously nasty. And obviously important. So important, Oritha must die for it and all the other immortals prevented from learning the truth.

This was a secret too large for one small chameleon Crasii to bear.

Her heart pounding, Tiji raced up the glowing green stairs to the next level, slipping on the ice near the concealed entrance as she scurried ahead. She was back in the corridor where the palace stores were kept. Tiji could hear Maralyce coming, and here she was, shaking like a sapling in a high wind, without the breath to run any further without being caught.

Her training as Declan's spy kicked in without her consciously thinking about it. Tiji ducked into the

nearest alcove to discover a dark ice cave filled with barrels of apples, pears, peaches, and various other exotic fruits from foreign places like the Chelae Islands. Although the immortals did not need to eat to maintain life, they liked their food and they had mortal servants to feed. She grabbed a small basket off the floor, stuffed a few pieces of fruit in it and turned, just as Maralyce emerged from the concealed steps that led to the lower level.

'My lady,' Tiji said with a deep bow as the immortal passed her by.

'Good morning, Tiji.'

'To serve you is the reason I breathe, my lady,' she blurted out before she could stop herself.

The comment gave Maralyce pause. She stopped and looked over her shoulder with an odd expression. 'You're a Scard, Tiji. You don't mean a word of that.'

Tiji shrugged, smiling nervously. 'It seems like the right thing to say around here.'

Maralyce studied her in silence for a moment and then smiled. 'What a strange little creature you are.'

And with that, the Tide Lord went on her way, leaving Tiji clutching her basket of apples at the entrance to the storeroom, her palms sweating, her scales flickering and her heart beating so loudly in terror it was a wonder the sound wasn't echoing off the walls, alerting everyone in the palace to her fears.

CHAPTER 42

The arrival of a Tide Lord at Hidden Valley was perhaps the most traumatic thing that had ever happened to the Scards who lived there. And many of them had suffered unthinkable traumas at the hands of their human masters before finding their way to this one place on Amyrantha where they believed they were safe.

It was just on dusk when Declan arrived at the hidden settlement, approaching slowly on horseback rather than using faster, magical means. Although time was critical now, he did not wish to exacerbate a delicate situation by arriving at this den of immortal hatred, flaunting his newfound magical powers.

Lord Aleki Ponting was waiting for him, on foot, between the snow-covered walls of the narrow chasm that led into Hidden Valley. It was bitterly cold, an icy wind dancing around their ankles as Aleki stepped forward. He was holding a drawn sword and was flanked by a score of felines, claws bared, all ready to fight to protect their home. Tilly had warned her son that Declan was coming, of course, and that his former comrade-in-arms was now an immortal, but there was only so much information one could fit on a note small enough for a bird to carry.

Much of his tale, Declan knew, he was going to have to tell Aleki and the Scards of Hidden Valley himself.

Declan reined in his horse within earshot of his welcoming party. He waited for a moment, leaning on

the pommel of his saddle, studying them warily. Aleki's cloak billowed out behind him, his expression impossible to read. The naked blade, however, gave Declan a pretty clear idea of where Aleki's sentiments lay.

'You know you can't kill me with that thing,' Declan said after a time, pointing to the sword. The long blade glinted in the light of the setting sun, ominous but futile.

'Doesn't mean I wouldn't like to try,' Aleki responded in an equally conversational tone. His breath frosted in the icy air but he didn't sound particularly cold or unfriendly. He'd come to greet Declan with a drawn sword and a phalanx of fighting felines at his back, however. He wasn't exactly rolling out the welcome mat.

'What's with the escort?' Declan asked, indicating the felines.

Aleki glanced at them and then shrugged. 'They're here to remind you that not every Crasii on Amyrantha breathes merely to serve your kind.'

'You think so?' Declan asked. He was a little annoyed at Aleki for implying he was no longer on their side. And he had a job to do here, as well as a point to prove. So he didn't answer Aleki directly. Instead, he turned to the felines and called, 'Bow before your master!'

A good half of them did exactly that, dropping to their knees in the snow at his command. Aleki looked around in shock, and then raised the sword. 'What are you doing?'

'Nothing more than proving a point,' Declan said, dismounting slowly. He tossed the reins over the neck of his mount. 'A Scard isn't a Scard because they've defied their human masters, Aleki. They're only genuine Scards if they're not compelled to obey the immortals. And they're a damn sight rarer than you think. Get up,' he added to the kneeling felines, which had them scrambling to their feet.

Declan stepped up to Aleki's blade, not stopping until it was pressing against his chest. 'Are you going to run me through to satisfy yourself this is real, or can we dispense with the formalities and get down to business? I'd prefer the latter, personally. For one, I'd rather not ruin this shirt, and for another, time is of the essence. But if you really feel you must
...'

Aleki stared at Declan for a long moment, the blade poised over Declan's heart, while Tilly's son debated within himself the advisability of trying to kill an immortal he once called a friend. After a long, tense silence, he sighed heavily and lowered the blade.

'What did you just do to my Scards?'

'Nothing,' Declan said. 'Your mistake is
assuming
they're Scards. You'll find a lot of them are not. They're just recalcitrant Crasii, pissed off with their human masters whom they have the free will to obey or disobey as they please. Trust me, Aleki, the Crasii can't help it. They have no loyalty to you, even though they may think they do, and fully intend to follow you all the way to the gates of hell. Crasii must do the bidding of any immortal they meet. And until they meet a true immortal, you have no real notion of whether or not they're actually a Scard or a Crasii.'

Aleki glanced around at the squad that he had — presumably — considered his most trustworthy Scards, at least half of which, it was now clear, would betray him in a heartbeat if an immortal commanded them to. 'Can you tell the difference?'

Declan nodded. 'It's not easy to tell a Scard who's pretending to be a Crasii, but there is no way a Crasii can pretend to be a Scard in the presence of an immortal. It's one of the reasons Tilly suggested I come here before I leave.'

'So you can weed out your magically-compelled minions and use them for your own nefarious purposes?' a young grey and white tabby standing behind Aleki spat contemptuously at Declan.

He turned to the feline, glaring at her. 'On your knees, insolent cat!'

'Go to hell, suzerain!'

Declan smiled at Aleki and pointed to the tabby. 'Now
she's
a Scard.'

Aleki was frowning. It had probably never occurred to him that a good half of his secret Scard army weren't actually Scards. 'What do you suggest we do?'

'Let me identify the true Scards for you,' Declan suggested. 'And then make sure the Crasii among you never leave this place, because the first thing they'll do if they run across an immortal — no matter how well intentioned you think they are — is tell them where Hidden Valley is.'

Declan's announcement had an interesting effect on the felines. Those who had not knelt at Declan's command began to distance themselves subtly from those who had, as the danger their magically- compelled sisters represented dawned on them. Even Aleki glanced at them thoughtfully for a moment and then, after giving the Crasii a long, considering look, he sheathed his sword and turned back to Declan.

'Some of them may not wish to be identified.'

'You won't have a choice, Aleki. The Crasii will smell me and won't be able to stay away. The true Scards will be gagging on the stench of me.'

'You're not welcome here now you're one of them, Declan. I hope you appreciate that.'

He nodded. 'And I understand why, Aleki, really I do. But I need your help.'

'Tilly said as much in her note. What sort of help?'

'I need one of your Scards.'

'For what, exactly?'

'For the very best of reasons,' Declan told him. 'We have to save the world.'

* * *

It was much later that evening, by the cosy warmth of the longhouse fire — after Declan had related his tale and his request for help to Aleki and the Scards he knew to be
genuine
Scards — that Declan received a surprise visit from someone he was mildly amazed to find was still alive, let alone safe here in Hidden Valley.

He had retired so the others could rest and digest everything he'd told them. Declan didn't really need to sleep, although the oblivion of unconsciousness would have been a relief if he could relax long enough to find it. At the sound of a timid knock, he opened the door of the room Aleki had given him for the night, to find a female canine standing outside in the chilly hall.

'Do you remember me, Master Hawkes?'

He nodded, his eyes going to her flat belly. 'Boots? No, you took another name. Tabitha Belle, wasn't it? You were pregnant the last I heard. Warlock was your mate.'

'Still is,' Boots said. 'Can we talk?'

Curious, Declan nodded and stood back to let her enter. She looked around at the simple bed and the lantern on the side table, sniffed the air suspiciously for a moment and then screwed up her nose at him. 'Tides, you smell foul.'

'I'm not sure why that is,' he said, closing the door behind her. 'The Crasii think we give off quite the most wonderful aroma in the world.'

'Then they're idiots,' Boots said, turning to face him. 'Last I heard, you were dead, Hawkes.'

'Last I heard, you were in Cycrane, serving Elyssa.'

'We escaped,' Boots told him. There was quite a story behind that brief statement, Declan didn't doubt. He wasn't sure Boots was willing to share it with him, though.

'Is Warlock with you?'

'He's minding the pups.'

Declan smiled. 'Always the responsible one, our Warlock. How many did you have?'

'Three.'

'That's quite a handful. How did you manage to escape Cycrane?'

Boots shrugged, but didn't seem inclined to elaborate. 'We had some help. Only beat you here by a day, actually. Warlock nearly died trying to save us. And he rubbed all the skin off his paws rowing across the lake. Then we had to trek here on foot with three hungry pups in tow. It took us the better part of two weeks. I wasn't even sure we were going to make it until we actually got here.'

'And yet, here you are.'

'Here we are,' Boots echoed, pacing the room nervously. She wanted something, of that Declan was certain, but she was hedging around the issue, making idle conversation as if she was afraid to mention what she'd really come here for.

'Warlock hates you, by the way.'

'Understandable, I suppose.'

'You're not exactly my favourite person in the world, either, spymaster. 'Specially not now you've gone and joined the other side.'

'I haven't
joined
the other side,' Declan said patiently, wondering why he was trying to explain himself to a Scard. 'A freak accident made me immortal, that's all. Did you want something, Boots, or did you just come here to see if I smell as bad as the other Scards claim I do?'