Worlds Without End (20 page)

The air was gone. It felt as though everything was going black. I thought I heard Glasgian’s panicked cry, but it seemed to come from some far-off place. I struggled to overcome my panic. In the seconds it took me to regroup, Ysrthgrathe had slid across the floor and grabbed Glasgian.

Backing away from me, he held Glasgian against his chest as a shield. Around Glasgian’s neck were Ysrthgrathe’s long fingers tipped by razor-sharp nails. Glasgian was making little hiccuping noises.

“Let him go.” I said. “This doesn’t concern him.”

Ysrthgrathe threw back his head and laughed. It bounced off the walls and echoed inside me like a low-throbbing ache.

“Aina, it has indeed been too long. I’ve missed these little
tête
-à-
têtes
. Do you think I don’t know who this child is? Come now, I’m not that much of a fool. The irony is almost too perfect. Is it not?” Then he gave a sigh of such perfect rapture that I felt as though a shaft of ice had been driven into my heart.

“How long have you denied me this most perfect of pleasures?” he asked. “I’ve been waiting for you patiently. You’ve denied me for far too long. And now you shall pay.”

He began to draw his nails across Glasgian’s neck. The blood welled up after a moment and trickled down into the white shirt. Glasgian gave a moan, and a dark spot appeared on the front of his trousers and grew.

“Stop it.” I shrieked.

Just then, there was a violent flash, a purple jolt of energy, behind Ysrthgrathe. The force of it lifted him and Glasgian off the floor and hurtled them toward me. I dropped to the floor, but still, my shoulder was caught by one of them as they flew by. The force of the impact rolled me over and over until I came to rest against a table.

I looked up and saw Caimbeul standing just beyond the door to his bedroom. There was a crackling of energy around him. Then I heard another sound and turned my head to see what it was. Ysrthgrathe’s robes burst into flame. With the briefest nod of the head, he extinguished the flames, and turned to Harlequin with a smile. But he’d also let go of Glasgian, who was making whimpering noises and clutching his throat.

Cursing my long skirts, I struggled to my feet and raced over to him. I pulled his hands away from his neck and looked at the wound. It was bleeding profusely, but wasn’t as deep as I’d feared. Placing my hands on the wound, I began to pull the weave of his life together. My hands grew warm, then hot as the magic worked its way into his flesh. Glasgian tried to move away from me, but I tightened my hands and that stopped him.

I heard a cry, and looked up to see Caimbeul falling backwards, arms and legs splayed out. A bright orange flash blinded me for a moment, and when I could see again, Ysrthgrathe stood over Caimbeul. The sweet smell of burning flesh came to me and I fought against the memories it called forth.

I opened my arms, and a blue light leapt between my palms. It coalesced into a ball of blue-white brilliance. Turning my palms outward toward Ysrthgrathe, I pushed the ball away from me. It hurtled across the room and slammed into Ysrthgrathe’s side.

The impact spun him around, and then he crashed
into the wall with a howl of indignation.

“Ah, Aina.” he said, holding his side. “You still care. But despite my gratitude to find that you are as I remember, our sweet reunion must be cut short. I cannot say I approve of your choice of company, but rest assured, I will rectify that in the future.”

With that, he vanished.

I sank to the floor just as someone began banging on the door to the penthouse.

No more dreams now.

The nightmares have merged with the waking world. The time for running is over.

Now her sleep is covered by nothing. Nothing except darkness.

23

The pounding at the door continued. Through the thick steel door I could hear a voice calling.

“This is hotel security. Is everything all right in there? If we don’t hear an answer in twenty seconds, we’re coming in.”

“Damn, damn, damn.” I muttered as I pushed myself off the floor and stumbled to the door. The left sleeve on my dress was torn, and it slid off my arm. I shoved it up, but it fell down again. Reaching the door, I flung it open.

“What do you want?” I said, trying to keep a balance between annoyance and huskiness in my tone.

“There was a report from the floor below.” said one of the uniformed guards. There were two of them—big troll bruisers lugging heavy-duty artillery. “Something about a lot of shooting and banging around. Is everything all right?”

“Of course.” I said.

“Mind if we come in?”

“I don’t, but my companion might.” I said. “He’s a bit . . . tied up at the moment.” I gave them a hot smoldering look, and one of them looked distinctly uncomfortable.

“Oh . . .”

“But we’re always to open to variety.” I continued. “I can’t remember the last time we had company. That is, if your boss won’t mind letting you off-duty for a while.”

“Uh . . .”

“Well, what’s it to be?”

“I don’t think we need to stay. As long as everything is all right.”

“We’re both fine.” I purred. “Really.”

The trolls backed away down the hall. I watched them for a moment, then gave them a slow, nasty smile and shut the door.

* * *

“What are we going to do about Glasgian?” Caimbeul asked me. He’d just finished off a spell to take care of the wounds he’d suffered in the struggle with Ysrthgrathe.

Unfortunately, Glasgian was in no condition to offer an opinion about his plans. A thin dribble of saliva hung from one corner of his gaping mouth. His eyes were vacant and glassy. When I touched his cheek it was cold and clammy.

“We’ll keep him here until after the Council meets. If necessary, we can use him as a demonstration.” I said.

“That wouldn’t be advisable.” replied Caimbeul.

“Aithne.” I said.

“Yes.”

“Help me with him.” I said, taking one of Glasgian’s arms.

Together, we managed to drag him to my room and lay him down on the bed. I disconnected the telecom, then cast a spell to protect and hold him. Back in the living room, we righted the furniture toppled during the fight. I went to the terrace doors and shut them.

After a couple of medicinal drinks, I felt more like myself.

“I told you.” I said as I finally came to sit beside Caimbeul on the sofa. “I told you he was here. That he’d found a way through.” My hands shook and I took another deep drink. And wished for something else. Something more potent.

“I believed you.” he said. “But I didn’t think the threat was all that great.”

“Because you thought you’d already dealt with them. But they’re coming like locusts. And they won’t stop until they’ve all made it through.”

“Things are different now.”

“How?”

“The weapons. The Matrix. And the magic. There is always the magic.”

I snorted, then got up to pour myself another
drink. “Have you forgotten everything?” I asked.

“They learn. They’re patient. The first few may die, but there’s no end to them.”

“Don’t you think you’ve had enough?”

I turned and threw my glass at him. It disappeared a moment before it would have hit his face.

“Aina.” he said. “I’m on your side. I just can’t stand to see you destroying yourself over this.”

“For heaven’s sake, Caimbeul, I’ve just seen the face of my most dreaded enemy after six thousand years, and you’re carping about a couple of drinks. It would take far more than that to slow me down right now.”

“Pax.” he said, holding up his hands. “I want no more fights tonight. One was quite enough. Let’s put up a ward, then get some sleep.”

“So, are you sleeping on the couch or am I?” I asked.

“Well, it’s my bedroom.” he said.

“Very well.” I replied. “I should have known better than to expect you to be a gentleman about it.”

“You’re a real pain, you know.”

“Oh, I’m fatally wounded.” I said. “Do you have an extra blanket?”

He shook his head. “Look, why don’t we just share the bed? It’s not like we haven’t before.”

I looked away. “That was different.” I said. “It was a long time ago.”

“I promise to restrain myself.” he said.

“I don’t know whether to be flattered or offended.”

“You’ll be whatever annoys you the most.”

I swept by him, going toward his bedroom. “You’re right.” I said.

* * *

There was more than enough room in the bed for both of us. Three full-sized orks would have been comfortable in it. Despite, or maybe because of, Caimbeul’s promise, I couldn’t sleep. I’d been afraid to sleep because of the dreams. But now I suspected there would be no more dreams.

Ysrthgrathe, my old enemy. More faithful than any lover. The weight of my past with him hung in my mind. I shut my eyes, but images kept coming to me. The trail of death and blood that followed me because of him.

A sick feeling settled into my stomach and worked its way up my throat. I shuddered at the thought of the pain and suffering that I knew Ysrthgrathe would inflict. All in my name.

A low moan escaped my lips.

“Aina.” said Caimbeul.

“Did I wake you?” I asked. “I'm sorry.”

“No.” he said. “I can’t sleep. I’m feeling cold. Do you mind if I hold you? Strictly for warmth.”

I slid across the vast expanse of the bed into the warmth of his arms. And still it was many hours before I slept.

* * *

A banging woke me the next morning.

“Doesn’t anyone just knock in this hotel?” asked Caimbeul. We were tangled up together, just like we used to be in other, happier times. He threw off the covers and grabbed flis robe from the edge of the bed.

I pulled the covers up over my head and tried to go back to sleep, but then I remembered where I was and what that meant. With a groan, I threw the covers off and made my way to the bathroom.

Just as I shut the door, I heard the sound of voices, so I poked my head out.

“What? Surprised to see me?”

Ehran.

I groaned. More bad luck. But wasn’t that always the case? I rummaged through Caimbeul’s suitcase and found a shirt, a pair of pants, and a belt. Not fashionable, but it would have to do.

As I pushed open the door leading to the living room, I could see them squaring off against one another, even though they would never actually do anything here.

“Well, well.” I said brightly, stepping into the room. “Ehran, won’t you join us for breakfast?”

“Aina.” he said. “It’s been a long time.”

“Isn’t it always?” I replied. “I know the two of you are just dying to go at one another, but I’m really famished. I’ll call down. What are you in the mood for?”

“Answers.” Ehran said.

“I don’t think that’s on the menu.”

He jerked his thumb toward Caimbeul. “Why do you spend so much of your time with him?” I half expected Caimbeul to take the bait, but he only glared back at his old rival. Maybe he was keeping quiet because he knew how important all of this was to me.

“Slumming.” I said. “It keeps me off the streets. Really, Ehran, who knows why certain people always seem to end up together?”

“Then tell me why you’re both here. And why did you have a meeting with Lugh Surehand last night? Which seems to have resulted in an emergency meeting of the High Council being called.”

“Good heavens, Ehran.” I said. “With spies that good, why do you need to come to us?”

“When I found out you were here as well as
him,
I decided to come.” Ehran said.

I opened the room service menu and glanced over the selections. “Really, Ehran, I’m touched, but we’ve never been close. And only rarely allied. Why come?”

“Don’t try to discuss anything with him, Aina.” said Caimbeul. While Ehran and I had been talking, he’d walked to the window and pulled open the drapes. Weak sunlight filled the room. The sky was overcast and looked like it might rain.

“Don’t listen to him, Aina.” said Ehran. “He just thinks—”

“Would you both shut up?” I nearly shouted. “Haven’t you grown tired of all this bickering? There are more important matters at stake than your interminable feud.”

“Well, now we’re getting down to it.” said Ehran.

“For heaven’s sake, Aina.” said Caimbeul. “Don’t breathe a word to him. He’ll go running to everyone else quick as you please, and you'll be sunk before
you’ve had a fair hearing.”

Then they were off and running. Nothing ever got solved between the two of them—it was still that old business. I confess, my sympathies lay with Caimbeul—he was the aggrieved party, after all—but that’s another story, for another time.

I waited until they ran out of steam, which they eventually did. They sat at opposite ends of the room glowering at each other.

“So.” I said. “What would you both like for breakfast?”