The Dark Throne (60 page)

“You’ve certainly learned a lot since I had you throwing right hooks in the backyard,” Liam said to me, offering a hand. I accepted it and he hauled me to my feet. He brushed the dirt and leaves from my shoulders. “And hell, you’re all muscle now.”

I spread my hands. “Riding every day and fighting with a sword are better workouts than anything I could dream up on my own.”

“She climbed a cliff once as well,” Luca said, grinning unapologetically when I shot him a look of reproach. “To escape sirens,” he added.

I sighed. “I might have left out the details of the cliff-climbing when I told you the condensed version of our journey.”

Liam shrugged. “You’re here and you’re whole, so why would I feel any kind of way about it, Bug? Sounds like you’ve held your own and then some.”

“So there’s beautiful warrior women—and men—on winged horses,” said Duke, adding the acknowledgement of the male Valkyrie when Robin raised his eyebrows, “and there’s
sirens
. Any other dangerous creatures that could seduce us that we should know about?”

“The Valkyrie are hardly in the same category as the sirens,” said Niamh, her voice like cool silk. “I would say our capabilities in both warfare and seduction are
far
superior.” She flashed a mischievous smile at Duke. “And we don’t need a poisoned kiss to convince our partners.”

Quinn slung one brown, tattooed arm about Duke’s shoulders. “Brother, you’re blushing.”

Niamh’s smile widened into a predatory grin. I almost felt bad for the mortal men; it seemed a bit unfair to let the Seelie women unleash their considerable charms upon them. But Quinn patted Duke’s face teasingly, said in a low voice, “She’s too tall for you anyway,” and then returned Niamh’s grin with a look of his own. The Valkyrie commander raised one eyebrow in consideration, her blue eyes traveling over Quinn’s well-muscled body. The mortal men had a different look than the Sidhe or the
ulfdrengr:
they displayed a raw physical power, unsoftened by Sidhe elegance or the
ulfdrengr
’s wolf-like sinuous grace. The four of them were different, Liam with his height and Jess with his broad shoulders, Quinn with his solid frame and Duke with his slim but muscled form—but they had all honed their bodies for the singular purpose of war. And just as I saw the Sidhe and the Northern warriors as otherworldly, so too must we as mortals seem to them, I realized. I hadn’t had much occasion to think about it in recent weeks.

“We will break camp an hour before dusk,” Luca said, putting an end to my musings.

“I’ll gather the Valkyrie,” said Niamh.

“And I the vanguard,” said Robin with a nod to Duke. “Keep the axe.”

“May I ask, will you be flying this afternoon?” Wisp asked Niamh courteously, giving me a little salute as he followed the Valkyrie commander.

“You have only to ask, my friend, and we’ll stretch our mount’s wings,” Niamh replied. Wisp hovered above her shoulder, his high bright voice asking polite questions as they moved toward the makeshift paddock. I retrieved the silk pouch and the Caedbranr from their resting-place between Kianryk’s great front paws; the wolf stood, shook himself and padded off into the shadows without even a glance at me.

“Thanks,” I called after him, tying the strings of the pouch to my belt and again marveling at its light, fragile weight. I settled the Caedbranr on my back and stood for a moment staring into the forest, watching the green-painted shadows dance over the trunks of the trees, the cold sunlight shivering in golden splinters on the fallen leaves. What would this forest look like, I wondered, if we failed? I thought of the dead twisted trees in the Borderlands, and the barren dust of the Deadlands. I slipped a finger through the curve of the pendant at my throat, and it warmed comfortingly at my touch. I felt sudden gratitude for this quiet moment, standing under the interwoven branches of the great trees. I knew that in a moment I would have to join the gathering warriors and listen to Luca explain the plan and give orders. Once we stepped through the portal and added our blades to the ranks of the great Sidhe army, the headlong rush into war would truly take hold. For now, just for another moment, I stood and reveled in the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves overhead.

Chapter 30

T
he shadows of the trees painted long swathes of darkness over the remnants of our mountain camp. The cool wind lifted flakes of gray ash from the dead fire, drawing them up into the air in spirals. The northern vanguard stood in a semicircle in the clearing, three ranks deep, each warrior standing beside their mount. The Valkyries’
faehal
folded and extended their shimmering wings restlessly. Luca stepped forward and turned to face the gathered warriors.

“It has been an honor to lead you,” he said simply. “And now, we go to join the final battle against the forces of Darkness.” He paused. “If I do not live to see our world at peace, I will go to the halls of the gods knowing that I led its finest fighters in this war.” His golden hair caught the light of the setting sun. A chill ran down my spine at the absolute silence among the warriors as they drank in Luca’s every word. His eyes shone with fierce pride as he looked over us. “So now I say to you once more, as our queen said to us at the beginning of this journey:
Brejda sverd eda hefja skjoldr!”

“Draw your swords and raise your shields,” Robin translated for Liam and his teammates, transfixed by the impassioned
ulfdrengr
. The warriors of the vanguard roared the words back to him, raising their swords and their battle-scarred shields.

“Vedga manlig eda araed!”

“Fight with valor and courage,” the red-haired warrior said in a low voice. The hair on the back of my neck stood up at the wordless war-cry rising from the collective throats of the vanguard. Luca lowered his voice and we all leaned forward breathlessly.

“Sja dagr syna myrkyr inn daga gyr,”
he said, enunciating each word firmly. “For this day, and every day we fight, we show the darkness that the dawn approaches.”

No cheer greeted this last pronouncement, but the shining eyes and chests heaving with passionate breath served as silent reply to Luca’s words.

“Hell of a speech,” murmured Liam to me. I smiled and looked at Robin.

“Since when are you a trained translator of the Northtongue?” I asked in a voice barely more than a whisper.

“Since I’ve been studying with our illustrious vanguard commander this entire journey,” he replied with his typical bright grin.

Wisp landed on my shoulder, his small hands grasping the curve of my ear for balance.

“As we join the Army of the Three Queens, fight with honor, but always remember, you were a part of the northern vanguard.” Luca smiled, drawing answering smiles from the warriors. I patted Nehalim’s neck and then walked forward, drawing the glass orb and silver ring from their pouch. I paused and then turned to face the vanguard, my eyes sweeping over the assembled fighters.

“I will always remember that you helped to save my brother and his companions,” I said, “and for that, you will have my gratitude.”

Kianryk slid sinuously into the clearing, his muzzle dark with blood. The tawny wolf gazed at the vanguard for a long moment; and then he raised his great head and howled. Answering howls rose from the gathered warriors. I glimpsed Duke and Quinn glance at each other, grin, and join in the eerie chorus. I smiled, but then a rising hum from the Caedbranr demanded my attention.

“Show time,” I murmured, taking a deep breath and raising my hands. My war-markings tingled as emerald light raced down my arm. The orb warmed in my palm, the glass suddenly opaque with swirling white smoke.

“When the orb glows with light, you must give the ring your power,” said Wisp into my ear. I’d discussed our strategy with Luca and Niamh at length as the sun had dipped low in the sky; we couldn’t agree on the order that the vanguard should travel through the portal. I wanted Liam to go through first, with Luca or maybe Moira; but Niamh pointed out that, like it or not, I was the member of the vanguard most important to the final battle. Finally I agreed. I would go through first with Liam. Niamh and two others with
taebramh
would anchor the portal in the mountains, while I fed it power from the other side. They’d be the last to travel through the pathway.

Now, with the shadows deepening around us, the orb in my hand filled with smoke and the Sword’s hum grew into a bell-like tone that vibrated through my bones. The smoke in the orb swirled faster and faster until a miniature maelstrom raged within the glass, and the Caedbranr’s voice swelled until the orb trembled. In my other hand, the silver ring warmed to the touch and the runes swirling over its surface took on a golden sheen. The silver ring expanded before my eyes, and my hands, moving of their own volition, brought the two objects together, the ring sliding over the glass orb. A sudden wind rushed through the clearing, circling us, sweeping my cloak about my legs. My war-markings pulsed with light, the intricate design showing through the fabric of my shirt and the palm of my right hand blazing with emerald fire.

Then a pinpoint of white light appeared in the center of the orb, burning brightly through the white smoke. Wisp grabbed my ear and said something, but his words were lost in the clarion bell-tone of the Caedbranr and a new, high note emanating from the orb. I felt a hand on my shoulder and knew it was Niamh, preparing to give
taebramh
to the portal. The pinpoint of light grew brighter and larger until the entire orb burned like a miniature star, though somehow I still looked into it without shielding my eyes. I felt a tug, an
asking
, in the whorls of my war-markings, and I let my
taebramh
flow down my arm and into the silver ring. It drank my power with the single-minded greed of a suckling infant. I felt its pull through my veins and my heart beat loudly in my ears, but then Niamh stiffened with a small cry, and I felt the ring latch onto her power as well.

The wind whipped around us and suddenly the burning orb of light folded into itself with a silent explosion that I felt in my chest. And then I wasn’t holding the ring or the orb anymore, though there was still that voracious draw on my
taebramh.
The portal shimmered before us, suspended in midair, like a huge pane of glass through which we could glimpse a blurred and frosted vision of another place. I lowered my hands and Niamh released my shoulder. I glanced back at her and she gave me a tight-lipped nod, her silvery hair streaming about her face in the wind. The other two members of the vanguard who had volunteered to anchor the portal each placed a hand on her shoulders, and then they, too, stood transfixed, their
taebramh
flowing through Niamh and into the portal in a river of shimmering fire.

Liam walked toward me, Nehalim’s lead in his hand. There was no hesitation in his step and I felt a little rush of pride at how well my brother had accepted this new world and all that could happen within it. I looked at Luca, who stood opposite Niamh, ready to direct the vanguard through the portal as quickly as possible. He nodded. I touched the hilt of the Sword, hooked one finger through Gwyneth’s pendant, and stepped into the portal, my brother following close on my heels.

The sensation of the portal felt nothing at all like I’d anticipated; there was none of the nausea-inducing vertigo of a journey between the mortal world and Faeortalam, and no sense of rushing speed like when I traveled through the ether while Walking. As I walked into the portal, coldness enveloped me. My vision blurred and sounds became muffled and distorted, as though I were underwater. I forced one leg in front of the other, leaning forward slightly against the gelatinous resistance of the portal; and then my ears popped and I stumbled into dusky air tinged by the scent of campfire smoke. I coughed and blinked, and noted in the back of my mind that Vell, Merrick and Gray stood a few paces away, watching the portal.

But I focused all my attention on feeding the portal, holding my right hand close to the silvery border, my
taebramh
streaming into the opaque hole cut through the air. Liam stumbled through the portal, slightly dazed; Nehalim gently pushed him to the side, the faithful
faehal
using his muzzle to guide my brother. I glimpsed Merrick moving forward, hand outstretched in greeting. Then the edges of my vision went white as the portal demanded more power. I didn’t count the number of warriors as they traversed the portal, but I
felt
each one of them as though a string was being pulled through my stomach, an odd and slightly painful sensation. But I clenched my jaw and endured it, watching the border of the portal and sensing it well enough to know when to add a bit of power and when I could let it merely draw from me what it wished. I also felt Niamh and her two companions holding it steady on the other side.

The moments dragged on as the northern vanguard emerged from the portal. I felt Wisp patting my ear in encouragement, and as if from a distance I heard Vell saying something, but keeping the portal steady demanded so much of my focus that I didn’t have the spare energy to recognize her words. The warriors traversing the portal were coming through almost at a run now, some even riding their
faehal
—though the Valkyrie mounts had to clasp their wings tightly to their backs in order to fit through the gateway. Duke, Jess and Quinn came through with their forearms held protectively over their eyes. My forehead prickled with sweat. I felt Niamh falter, and the portal wavered for an instant. I put both hands against it and with an effort of sheer will forced it to remain open; two more Valkyrie came through at a run, their passage drawing a gasp from me. There couldn’t be many warriors left in the mountains. I felt light-headed, my heartbeat rushing in my ears, my body trying to protest against the drain on my
taebramh
. It felt almost like the portal was a wound and I was losing too much blood through it. I felt my knees go soft and fought it, but went down on one knee, my right hand still pressed against the side of the portal. Luca and Kianryk slid through the gateway, the wolf shaking himself thoroughly after he emerged, and Luca leading a riderless Valkyrie mount. I felt rather than saw the two warriors who had been helping Niamh stumble through the fading portal, one of them falling to his hands and knees, retching.