Arrows of Time (53 page)

What news, my lovelies?
she asked them.

He comes!

Who?

The silent one. He brings many!

Kreshkali laughed. There were plenty of times she wished the leader of the Lupins was indeed silent.
Good work! Keep watch for Rowan.

Always.

Thank you!
She raised her arms to the black birds before turning to the Lupins. ‘Hotha! Teg! Here,’ she called aloud, waving them in. ‘This way. Bring them all this way.’

Kali embraced the Lupin leader. For a moment he engulfed her and tears welled up. ‘I’m glad you’re here.’
She straightened and turned to Teg.
How are you faring? Hotha didn’t give you too hard a time?

I’m fine, Mistress
.

She smiled. ‘Teg, I want you to go in first and instruct the others as they enter.’

Teg went straight to the hall. Hotha didn’t move. He pushed damp hair back from Kreshkali’s cheek. ‘I warned you it was too big a risk letting her…’

‘Later,’ Kali said cutting off his words, her back stiffening. ‘Nothing but good feelings past this door. That’s not negotiable. Make sure everyone understands.’ She raised her voice. ‘Bring your joy, in whatever form it takes. Leave all else behind.’

He parted his lips. ‘All business, then?’

She put her finger to his mouth and shook her head. ‘Do this my way, please, Hotha. I know it will work.’

Their eyes locked.

‘Your way, then, for now.’ He sighed, the tension melting from his face. He pulled his hair back and tied it with a band. ‘I want her alive as much as you do, Kali. Whatever it takes.’ Hotha looked over the crowd. ‘Where is he?’

Kali hesitated for a moment, studying his eyes. His features didn’t move, but she caught the subtle smile behind the mask. ‘You mean An’ Lawrence?’ She glanced around as if he would appear from the stables or down the lane. ‘I don’t know. He took off.’

‘Took off?’

‘Looking for me. He hasn’t returned.’

‘That’s unfortunate.’

Her eyebrows went up. ‘I never thought I’d hear you say that.’

‘We do need as much energy as we can muster, and his is…’

‘Considerable?’

He nodded.

‘As is yours.’ She linked her arm in his and escorted him across the threshold. He bowed to the altar and entered the hall, followed by dozens of Lupins who all did the same. They were bipedal, glowing with warmth and trust. He’d schooled them well. It lifted Kreshkali’s face into the brightest smile she’d felt in quite some time. ‘It’s working,’ she said. ‘I can feel it.’

‘
I
don’t give a rat’s crap what you need, Rowan. You abandoned Gaela and shifted to that other world.’ La Makee sat by the fire, her familiar, the black raven Woca, on her shoulder.

‘Earth,’ he said.

‘Earth, yes—and the problems there are yours, not mine.’

‘You mean I
abandoned
you. That’s it, isn’t it? That’s why you’re so irked.’

Makee stopped chewing. ‘Irked?’ She handed the rest of her meat to Woca and wiped her lips. The bird took off. ‘Irked?’ she said again. Her voice was like a blade. ‘I am well more than irked, Rowan An’ Lawrence.’

Her face contorted and he found himself wishing he’d chosen his words more carefully. He wanted to win her over, not alienate her.

Too late for that, Rowan
, his familiar pointed out.

Are you laughing, Scylla?

It’s somewhat humorous from where I’m sitting.

The fire suddenly felt too warm. He tried rephrasing the question. ‘Let me explain, Makee.’

‘No, no.’ She pushed her hand out. ‘Let
me
explain.’

He closed his mouth, eyes attentive.

‘
Irked
is what you feel when you go out to the hen house to collect eggs and realise you forgot your little basket.’ She drew a deep breath. ‘What I felt when you left Treeon was like going for eggs and finding the barn burnt to the ground. Can you see the difference, Sword Master?’

He started to answer, but she wasn’t finished.

‘Because when you left, I didn’t have a Timbali-trained sword master any more! You took Zero as well!’ She glared at him before returning to her meal. The glow from the fire turned her eyes black.

He stared at the burning logs, wondering how he was going to get her on his side. Trying in the first place was starting to seem like a fairly bad choice.

She’s still angry at you, Rowan.

I see that, Scylla. Suggestions?

She’s remembering the past.

An’ Lawrence groaned, his shoulders sagging. ‘I didn’t abandon you, Makee,’ he said. ‘Rosette’s my daughter and going to Earth with her was a chance for me to know her better, to participate in her world.’

‘And now?’

‘I have to do what I can to bring her back.’

She turned on him. ‘Did you ever consider the impact of this meddling?’

‘Kreshkali doesn’t see it so much as meddling, but as aligning with another choice.’

Makee spat. ‘Semantics. It’s meddling and you know it. And who cares what Kreshkali thinks. I’m interested in what you think, not that underworld witch.’

‘I want Rosette back.’ He said the words quietly, in an exhalation.

She leaned towards him. ‘And what makes you so certain she wants to come back? Have you considered that Rosette may be quite pleased with her new-found freedom? A disembodied witch is a powerful force.’

Scylla hissed, her bobbed tail twitching.
She’s not pleased. She’s trapped.
The temple cat sat tall—like a sandstone carving facing the night.

‘Drayco didn’t seem to think she was all that happy about it,’ he said. ‘Scylla’s made it clear.’

Makee rubbed her temples. ‘I’d forgotten about her bond.’

Rowan passed her the wineskin. ‘I need your help, Makee,’ he said, uncorking it for her.

She held the spout to her lips and nodded. ‘I know you do.’ She took a long drink.

He waited. ‘And?’

‘You ask a lot.’ She waved at the blackness. ‘I’ve got business of my own.’

He screwed up his face. ‘This battle?’

‘Corsanon was never set right. I’m addressing issues in our world, Rowan, not chasing whelps through the corridors.’

‘That’s because you have no whelps to chase, Makee.’

Her face froze.

Rowan, was that the most opportune thing you could think to mention at this point in time?

I don’t know where it came from, Scylla. It just slipped out.

Some underlying resentment, no doubt. A slip of the tongue. Meanwhile, you better fix it, quickly. We’re losing her.

He cleared his throat. ‘Makee, I only meant…’

‘I know what you meant.’ She spat again, and vanished.

He didn’t see the shift, but he could feel the energy blasting out from the space where seconds ago she had sat, grinding her teeth at him. Far above, he heard the screech of two ravens and then silence.

Now what?
Scylla asked.

‘I guess we wait out the night and see if she returns.’

You do remember that we are in the middle of a battleground?

‘I do, now that you mention it.’

I would consider that in all likelihood she is going to tip off our location to the enemies.

‘She’s that upset?’

She is.

‘Demons.’ He rammed his forehead into his hand.

Still want to ‘wait out the night’?

‘Not really.’

The portal isn’t far.

‘Just an enemy camp or two away?’

We’ll skirt them.

He laughed, grabbing the wineskin and hoisting his pack. ‘At least she left the warhorse. What does she call him?’

Amarillo.

‘He’s a fine one too. We’ll take him. Who knows? It might lure her back.’

Which way, Rowan? North towards the lower Prietas?

Sounds good. Just mind we don’t walk into a trap.

Scylla rubbed her head against his leg as he saddled the horse. In minutes they were wandering out into the night.

J
arrod closed his eyes and watched the myriad possibilities rush by. To anyone else his vision would look like a dark chasm, a mini-universe of galaxies hidden behind the lids. For him it was a torrent of streaming energy, waves of varying lengths, each with their own frequency and meaning, all moving at the speed of light. He smiled. Every possibility held a gift when viewed from this perspective.

Some more desired than others, though. Don’t you think?

Rosette?

Finally, you can hear me! I’ve been calling to you forever but
…
I’m so thin at times I can’t get through.

He held the hand of her corpse.
I’ve got you loud and clear now.

Everyone gathered close, sharing their thoughts aloud, or just standing quietly, thinking to themselves. Their faces were bright, focusing on joy and passing on to Rosette their best memories—their happiest
moments. He was heartened being near such a force and he added his thoughts to her as well. Drayco was on the altar, lying with his front legs stretched out like a sphinx. He purred a constant stream, his eyes closed, paws making bread against the pillow.

Are you still feeling thin, Rosette?

It’s strange. One minute I feel like I could wield my sword, the next I’m a miasma drifting in all different directions at once. Is that normal?

Jarrod laughed aloud. I don’t think there are established norms for your situation, Rosette.

She laughed like a chorus of finches, bright and sweet.
I suppose not. What’s next?

We’re going to give your body a bit of a jolt.

A lightning conjure? You’re kidding. That’s what Kelly did, and I think it killed me.

We’re hoping for the opposite effect.

When?

We’re ready now.

Kreshkali approached. Her tattered robe had been replaced by a new one, dark green and hemmed with gold. It streamed out behind her long legs as she climbed the steps, her face lifted towards the ceiling. Teg was at her side, carrying a metal plate and fresh candles. The sun had set and the waning moon as well. Jarrod replaced the stubs of candles that had been burning since afternoon.

How long has this been going on, Jarrod? I’ve lost track.

Two days.

He heard her whistle in his mind.
We’ll need to do something soon. I can’t imagine my body going so well without me.

The cryo process has a preserving effect, and Annadusa has done something with herbs.

So that’s the smell?

Bittersweet?

Like me?

Like your journey.

They laughed.

Kreshkali raised her eyebrows at him and he nodded. ‘She’s as close as she can get.’

Kali looked down at the corpse, the lifeless eyes dark and unreflective. ‘We’ll have her closer yet. Help me with this.’

He and Teg rolled her body while Kreshkali slipped the metal plate under it. Annadusa brought a thick square of cotton, saturated in a fragrant tincture—Amazon lily—and handed it to Kali. She put it between the plate and Rosette’s shoulder blades and motioned Grayson. ‘Move everyone back. We don’t want to singe their eyebrows.’

This is it?
Rosette asked.

It is. Stay close, and keep watch for an opening.

An opening?

Kali says it’ll be like shape-shifting back into your own, you know?

I do. She just explained it to me.

He made room as Grayson returned. The others formed a wide circle around them.

‘You’re communicating with her?’ Grayson asked, placing his hand on the edge of the altar. ‘She’s with us?’

‘Strongly.’

‘This is it, then.’

Jarrod smiled. ‘Exactly what she said.’

Tell him I have the most wonderful idea for a new tattoo. He’s going to love it!

Jarrod leaned towards Grayson. ‘She’s thinking about new work. We’re definitely going to get her back now.’

Grayson beamed, his eyes glistening.

More candles were lit and the shadows retreated under benches and between people’s feet. Annadusa chanted and everyone joined in, the vibration lifting higher still. Jarrod felt like he was floating on clouds. Teg and Kali had their eyes closed and were weaving a spell so fast it sounded like gibberish, even to him. Thunder rumbled in the distance, coming closer with each boom.

There are a lot of Lupins here
, Rosette said.
The Sword Master must be fuming. Is that why he’s not around?

Jarrod opened his eyes to see Hotha staring at him.
The Lupins honour you, my gorgeous one. You’re their queen too.

Hotha! I still don’t quite understand the connection,
she said.

There’s time for that later,
Jarrod said.
Just be glad they’re here.

It is strong energy, isn’t it?

The chanting amplified. Drayco’s purring grew in volume as well. Hotha stood at her head, one hand on her brow and one under her cranium. He mouthed words in yet another tongue, weaving them in and out of the droning chant. A crack of lightning turned the hall blue-white, followed immediately by a shattering boom. There was a palpable gasp before the chanting continued. Again and again, the hall lit up and the zing and crack of the thunder sounded, louder and closer each time.

‘Now, Jarrod,’ Kreshkali said, lifting her eyes to the ceiling.