The Fire King (29 page)

And then it came, drifting toward them, a roiling, heaving mass of dark cloud and shadows.

“Walk,” repeated the knight.

The Morrigan paused to see what the problem was. When she saw Emily staring at the Sluagh, she waved her hand in irritation.

“I have permission to be here. Just stay on the path, and you'll be fine.”

It seemed she was telling the truth. The Sluagh stopped before crossing the path's border. Emily stared at it in horrified fascination. She could see the faces inside, bobbing to the surface every now and again like rotten apples in a stagnant lake. The faces were snarling, angry, snapping at the air.

But they didn't attack. They were held back by Kelindria's instructions.

The Morrigan turned away again. Emily felt the White Knight push her in the back, sending her stumbling forward into Jack. She steadied herself, grabbing onto his arm, then looked up …

… to lock eyes with Nimue. Tears were coursing down her face. She nodded respectfully at Emily and gently disentangled herself from Merlin. She gave him a trembling smile and mouthed the word
good-bye
.

Then she stepped from the path directly into the Sluagh's embrace.

There was a moment of frozen horror.

“No!”
Merlin shouted. He tried to follow after her, but Wren had enough presence of mind to grab the old man and hold him back. The Morrigan stared at the Sluagh, her mouth hanging open in amazement.

They all heard the hissing. It grew in volume as the cloud formed into tendrils, spinning around Nimue like a whirlwind. The tendrils entered her mouth, pushed into eyes, slid into her ears. Then it settled over her face like a funeral shroud. Nimue's features were still visible through the thin layer as some of the tendrils formed into a large funnel hanging above her. It paused there for a second, a snake ready to strike, then dropped over her like a mouth devouring its prey.

A moment later Nimue was gone.

Merlin stared at the cloud, tears rolling down his cheeks. Emily didn't know what had just happened. Why had she done that? Why sacrifice herself? Was she running away?

Was she a coward? Had she taken what she thought was the easy way out?

But no, that wasn't it at all, and Emily soon felt utterly ashamed that she had even entertained such thoughts.

The cloud was agitated. The faces were rising and falling quicker and quicker, jerking, snarling, and hissing as if in pain. It was as if the faces were trying to escape, trying to pull free from the seething darkness.

Then the cloud seemed to turn in on itself, the outer mass pulled in toward the center. There was a pause, then it pushed out again, like a great breath releasing.

One face rose to the surface, a face of smoke and highlights.

It was Nimue.

Emily drew a shocked breath. The face turned to her, and she suddenly realized that she had seen Nimue like this before. It was here, when they had escaped Kelindria's cells. It was Nimue who had saved them as they ran through the garden, Nimue who had stopped the Sluagh from taking Emily.

The cloud surged forward and swallowed the White Knight. She let out a scream of horror, frantically trying to wave the cloud away. She tried to run, but instead tripped over a bush and sprawled onto the ground. The cloud draped over her, settling like a low bank of fog. She continued screaming, but her voice was muffled as the cloud sank into her mouth, filled up her lungs. Her screams turned to chokes. Her feet hammered the ground.

The cloud settled over her entire body. The noises stopped. A moment of stillness, then the cloud rose slowly into the air.

The White Knight was gone.

Nimue's face turned in the direction of the Morrigan. A ghostly smile formed on her features.

The Morrigan turned and ran.

She was aiming for the door to the house, obviously thinking the dwelling would offer her protection. But Nimue moved faster. The cloud darted forward, soaring up into the air and dropping straight down onto her head. The Morrigan screamed in fury, gouging at her face, actually succeeding in yanking strands of the cloud away. But it was not a fight she could win. The Morrigan carried on moving, stumbling blindly along the path. She dropped to her knees, then pushed herself up and moved another step before collapsing once again.

Emily realized with a jolt that the Morrigan still had the keys to the Faerie Gate. Without their key they wouldn't be able to go home. She darted forward, ignoring the shouts from the others. The Sluagh had dropped over the top half of the Morrigan. Her screams of anger and fury were terrible to hear.

Emily stopped just behind her. She could see her pouch hanging from her belt. It was untouched by the cloud, but the tendrils were slowly wrapping around her ribs, moving downward.

Emily reached out and opened the pouch. But as soon as her fingers touched the Morrigan, the cloud bunched up and a face lunged down toward her, snapping at the air. Emily jerked back. The face snarled and growled, then was yanked back into the cloud to be replaced by the face of Nimue. Emily quickly withdrew the two keys while she had the chance.

You helped me free Merlin,
Nimue said
. For that I will always owe you a debt.

Emily remembered the words Nimue had spoken back in her own time, when she had stopped the Sluagh from attacking her. The words that had so puzzled Emily at the time.
My debt is repaid, Emily Snow.

The words made sense now.

Go,
said Nimue.
I am using what power remains to me from Morgan Le Fay, but I am not sure how long I can hold them back.

The ghostly face of the White Knight rose to the surface and sank back again. Emily remembered seeing her in the cloud as well. Her and the Morrigan. Although she hadn't really registered seeing them at the time. They were just two faces among many, faces she was too terrified to take proper note of.

A hand dropped onto Emily's shoulder. She looked up to see Merlin standing behind her, shoulders hunched in grief, his eyes locked on Nimue's ghostly face.

Emily looked away, not wanting to intrude on his pain. She hurried back along the path and rejoined Jack and Wren.

“I think we should wait outside,” said Wren, ushering them down the path.

They opened the gate and stepped outside. Emily turned just as the gate was closing, and saw Merlin standing on the path facing a ghostly image of Nimue. She had forced the cloud into the shape of her body.

Merlin raised his hand. Nimue did the same.

They moved their hands close together, stopping just short of touching.

The gate closed.

C
HAPTER
T
WENTY-SIX

In which events move toward their conclusion. An extremely narrow escape.

K
elindria knew the moment the Morrigan was taken by the Sluagh. She was connected to her guardian, could see what it saw, could feel what it felt. So she heard the Morrigan's infuriated scream of rage as soon as she died.

Kelindria closed her eyes.

“What happened?” she asked the Sluagh.

The Morrigan pushed herself forward from the maelstrom of spirits suddenly clamoring for Kelindria's attention, begging to be released.

It was the girl!
raged the Morrigan.
She and Nimue rescued Merlin. She has the key.

Back in the Faerie Tree, Kelindria's hands gripped the throne until her knuckles turned white.

“What else?”

She has a plan, that one. I fear she will be your undoing.

“Did she speak of the Raven King?”

She did. She asked Merlin about him, but the old man was evasive. You must stop them, Kelindria. Send the Fire King after them. Send your soldiers. Send everyone. Stop them now before it's too late. She is pushed by destiny, that child. I could sense it in my bones. If she is not stopped now, hers will be the hand that slays you.

Kelindria opened her eyes and blinked. The Dagda still stood before her, complaining. As always. He was growing wearisome.

“I repeat, how are you going to stop him? The Fire King is not someone you summon lightly.”

Kelindria rounded on him, her fury causing even the mighty Dagda to take a step backward.

“Don't you think I am aware of that? Look at me!
Look at me!
I gave everything to make this plan work, so do not
dare
stand there and lecture me! Leave me now. And if you are unhappy with what I have done, feel free to take your followers and depart London. In fact, I think it may be better for all concerned if you did just that.”

Black Annis moved over from the wall, followed closely by Jenny Greenteeth. “You should remember who supported you, Kelindria,” she said. “It is not wise to turn your back on those who helped you into power. Loyalty is a coin that should be collected and held close.”

“Is that so, Annis? And who are you to talk of loyalty? Do you think I did not know you and Greenteeth were spying for the Dagda? Did you think I was so stupid not to have you followed when you reported back to him?”

Annis glanced uncertainly at the Dagda. That look alone, that brief look of fear, was enough to send a warm glow through Kelindria's stomach. And speaking of warm glows …

Kelindria stood up and approached one of the torches attached to the wall. She looked into the flames.

“Attend, Fire King. I have a task.”

Kelindria stepped back just as the flames shot up the wall, revealing the roaring outline of the Fire King's head. He turned his red eyes to Kelindria.

What do you want? I am feeding.

“I have some morsels for you.” Kelindria turned and pointed at Black Annis and Jenny Greenteeth. “Take those two. They are water spirits. You cannot kill their essence, but their bodies are yours. Burn the moisture from the bodies.”

Black Annis paled and turned to the Dagda. But he hastily backed away.

“My lord,” said Annis. “Protect us—”

Her words ended in a shriek of pain as a fire blossomed into life inside her body. It flickered through her sodden rags, bursting out of her chest in an explosion of steam. The same was happening to Greenteeth. She dropped to the ground, writhing in pain as her body was burned from the inside. Annis tried to slap the fire out of existence, but all she did was set her arms alight.

She turned to Kelindria, fury giving her strength. She took a step forward, her clawed, burning hands outstretched. He mouth was open in a snarl of pure hatred. Flames flickered from her mouth, drying up the black water that trickled down her chin. Fire burst out of her eyes.

She screamed, then collapsed onto the floor. The flames quickly consumed the bodies.

Kelindria waited for the fire to die down, leaving behind a black smear on the tiles. She smiled at the Dagda. “Your services are no longer required. Leave now, or suffer the same fate.”

“You go too far, Kelindria. This was meant to be
our
plan. Not yours.”

“Things have changed.”

The Dagda hesitated, then swept out of the room, his followers running to keep up. She had made an enemy there, she knew. But so be it. He wasn't strong enough to challenge her. She had made sure of that.

“I wish to be alone,” she said.

Her new court bowed and backed hastily out of the throne room. Kelindria waited for the doors to close before turning her attention back to the Fire King.

The Morrigan had been right. She had to stop the girl before it was too late.

“Where are we going?” asked Emily as she, Jack, Wren, and Merlin moved as fast as they could through the London streets. Jack and Wren were supporting Merlin, trying to keep him upright as the enchanter attempted to lead them through the city.

Merlin ignored her, turning onto a side street. He paused and swore beneath his breath, staring at the flames licking across the roofs of the buildings at the far end. There was no way they would get through that. He turned back onto the main road and carried on moving northward. He was trying to get around the fire, but for what reason, Emily had no idea.

“Merlin?” she said.

“I need to get to my workshop,” snapped Merlin. “It's as simple as that. I can't even
begin
to do anything to stop this Fire King if I don't get to my workshop.”

“So you
can
stop him?” asked Emily hopefully, running to catch up.

Merlin hesitated. “I don't know,” he admitted.

“Can't you just”—Jack wiggled his free hand in the air— “cast a spell or something?”

Merlin stopped walking so suddenly that Emily bumped into him. Wren almost pulled the old man off his feet before he realized they had stopped walking. Merlin turned a furious gaze on Jack. “Number one: I can't cast
any
spells right now, because I have no power. I hid it away before Nimue captured me. Just in case Morgan Le Fay came sniffing around and tried to steal it.
That's
why I need to get to my workshop. Right now I'm as much good to the fight against the Fire King as you are. I can't even walk unassisted!”

“Excuse me!” snapped Jack, offended. “I've done my bit. You wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for us.”

“And number two,” said Merlin, ignoring Jack's outburst, “even if I
did
have my power, you don't just”—he wiggled his fingers in the air, mimicking Jack—“‘cast a spell or something.' It doesn't work like that. Spells have to be prepared, tailored to requirements. It can take days to prepare a really good enchantment.”

So William had been right all along, thought Emily. Merlin really couldn't help them. “What about the Raven King?” she asked.

Merlin rounded on her. “Where did you hear about the Raven King?” he asked hopefully.

Emily cast a doubtful look at the others. They had already told him about the Raven King. Back in Cob's office. Was his memory really that bad?

“Uh … Someone from the Invisible Order was looking for him.”

Merlin cackled and clapped his hands together. “Splendid. Change of plans, then. Take me to this person.”

“We can't. He's dead.”

Merlin's face fell. He glared at Emily. “It's very cruel to get peoples' hopes up only to dash them,” he said. “It's bad for the heart.”

“Uh … excuse me,” said Jack. “But should we be worried about that?”

The other three turned to see what Jack was talking about. They had been heading east using Thames Street and had already turned onto Trinity Lane, intending to use the narrow road to head north and then circle around the fire to wherever Merlin wanted to go on the east side of the city. At the speed the flames were going, they should have had plenty time.

They didn't. Somehow the fire had converged behind them, traveling quickly along Thames Street to enter Trinity Lane at the southern end. They could clearly see a swarm of salamanders crawling over one another in haste, skittering across buildings and roofs, leaving trails of flame in their wakes.

“Are they … are they
looking
at us?” asked Emily.

“It would appear so,” said Merlin. “It seems the enemy is aware of our escape.”

They turned and moved as fast as they could go, but with Merlin unable to walk on his own, that wasn't very fast at all. The fire was gaining. Emily could feel the heat against her back, pushing her, daring her to slow down even slightly. Merlin was trying to move faster. His face was pale and slicked with sweat. His white hair was plastered against his skull, and every time he threw a worried glance over his shoulder, Emily could see the fire reflected larger and larger in his eyes.

The noise behind them was horrendous. The crackling of flames, the crashing of collapsing buildings, the screams of those trying to escape this unexpected change in the direction of the fire. Those who lived around the area had probably thought themselves safe. Probably thought they had until tomorrow before they had to leave. But now the fire had come to them sooner than expected, and no one was ready for it.

And then they lost Jack.

Merlin had ordered them onto a narrow street, saying they could use it to bypass some of the busier roads that would now be filled with panicking Londoners. Emily had turned around to check on the fire, and when she turned back, Wren was the only one holding Merlin up.

She skidded to a halt, staring wildly around. “Jack?” she shouted. “Jack!”

There was no sign of him. The fire was only twenty paces away. The salamanders leapt and scrambled across the cobblestones, their eyes glowing orange, tongues of flame darting in and out as they ran straight toward them.