Eyes of the Alchemist (11 page)

She found it hard to sleep. The ground beneath her was cold and she was unable to elevate herself. Her body felt heavy, as if it was being pulled into the rock. Frost crept over her, numbing her hands and feet. She pulled the box containing the wishing dish towards her, tempted almost beyond endurance. She needn’t ask for much; a roof over her head and a warm bed perhaps. A fire roaring up the chimney would be nice, and a steaming bowl of broth. The small house of her first thoughts progressed to a manor like Kavan’s. Sleepily, she wondered what he was doing just at that moment.

There was a soft shuffling sound close by – so very close she could smell something breathing at her shoulder. She jerked round to find the lord of her thoughts astride a beast that resembled a gleaming black charger in the Truarc temple history books. The ancient Truarc ancestors had ridden into battle on the beasts’ backs before they had been gifted with the wisdom of peace – something the Cabrilans had yet to learn.

Kavan looked splendid in a black cloak and silver tunic. His hair was pulled back from his temples and into silver rings at the top of his head, from where it cascaded in a gleaming fall to his shoulders. Posing as if to impress her with his magnificence, he regarded her with grave intensity for a moment then held out his hand. “Step upon my foot and I will help you to mount.”

 Smothering her smile, because the moment of posing had reminded her of his endearing arrogance, she took his hand. Seconds later she was settled before him on the saddle. Seated sideways, her bottom was securely wedged in a warm, vee shaped space and her legs were hooked over one of his thighs for support. She wondered if passengers were always carried in such an intimate manner.

He grinned at her when she blushed, and as if he’d read her mind, said. “You would not be able to straddle the breadth of Shazah’s back. You can hook your knee around one of the pommels if you prefer, but I doubt you’d find it as comfortable.”

She stayed where she was. Her heart was beating fast with the excitement of him and she was beginning to want to be with him. She hastily denied it to herself. No! She must keep things in perspective. She brought Kavan’s image because she needed to learn Cabrilan ways.

 She stroked the gleaming fall of neck hair the creature they were astride grew. It resembled Kavan’s. When she imagined his hair running like oiled silk through her fingers they twitched and tingled. She brought some discipline into her thinking. “The beast is magnificent, but surely this is only a dream. These animals are long extinct.”

His breath stirred gently through her hair. “Not on Cabrilan. They’re from the far north and are bred specially for the troopers. The chargers rarely tire. They are big enough to carry up to four men and strong enough to carry heavy packs. They’re able to carry us vast distances in darkness and with very little effort or noise. I will make this one available to you. She is called Shazah and you need only to whisper her name.”

“Shazah. Such a lovely name, but I do not think I’ll need her, for I command no troops and my pack is easily carried on my own back.” Shazah turned her head to stare reproachfully through velvety eyes at her.

“I beg your pardon, Shazah,” she said. “You do not look like a beast of burden and my intent was not to insult you.”

Shazah gave a soft trill deep in her throat.

Kavan laughed. “My Shazah will give you wings so you can fly from your perch, little bird. And from this time forth my troopers will be instructed they are yours to command.”

She realized there was a different quality to this dream, everything seemed more solid. “Is this a dream, Kavan, or a trick to get me down from the
High Place
?”

“I promised you seven dawns, and my word is sacrosanct.” His arms tightened around her and he brought his mouth close to her ear. “My Lady, I have no need for tricks. When the rocks beneath the fall become sand, then you will come to me.”

“Hah!” she said, but not quite emphatic enough to convince herself.

“Will you visit the place of my dreaming with me? It’s in the mountains.”

“The mountains are too far.” As soon as the words left her mouth, Shazah spread wide a leathery pair of wings and launched into the night sky. Jolted against Kavan’s body, Tiana slid her arms around him to keep herself there. “You caught me unprepared,” she said, in case he imagined she wanted to hug him.

“Be honest, Tiana. You find the contact pleasurable.”

“You are full of conceit, like our mutual ancestor the
Grand Alchemist
.”

“He’s made himself known to you?”

“He’s shown me his spirit kingdom and Santo has gone to be his study.”

“You are honored, and Santo is thrice honored. He wasn’t angered by the disturbance to his rest? The last time I called for his counsel he banned me from his presence on pain of dismemberment after I beat him at a game of enigma. In his anger he altered the path of the river and flooded the village.”

Laughter trickled from her lips. “On the contrary, he seemed to enjoy having someone to talk with.” And so had she. Loneliness was never more apparent until one was totally deprived of company.

“Then he would have told you of our destiny. Thus, you must now believe that I will be your lord and master.”

 Kavan used every opportunity to turn her to his way of thinking. “I believe only that paths are open to me. The one I choose to follow will be of my own free will.”

“Even though the gods decree differently.”

“In their wisdom the gods choose to commune through you – or so you would have me believe. When they convey anything of import directly to me then I might take notice of it.”

That he was reflective of her words was made all too apparent by the frown furrowing his brow. He fell silent, but it was a comfortable silence. The wind swished like hangings of silk against silk as they sped through it. There was an occasional sigh, as if two lovers were parting forever.

Beneath them a void of darkness was relieved by an occasional light. Above, a velvety dome of sky was frosted with a crust of stars. Assinti twinkled serenely in a corner of her vision, but Bane looked fiery, the surface heaving and blistering, as if someone had angered Beltane and he was trying to struggle from his sleep. She shivered.

“You’ll come to no harm,” Kavan said. “I’m comfortable with night riding at my shoulder.”

While she was more comfortable in daylight. Their parentage was responsible for that. “Did you ever meet your sire?” she asked.

He gazed soberly at her. “Arcus is a god, he’s never shown me his face.”

“I’ve seen my mother. Lynx came to me one night in the desert. She was bathed in ethereal light and told me of her great love for me. There was a storm afterwards, and my mentor, Sybilla, was killed.”

“Beltane must have been angry. Lynx and Arcus are forbidden to tread on the other’s territory.”

“Why, what have they done that they should be forbidden to meet?”

“Their sin was to fall in love – their punishment, to chase each other across the skies until the end of time.”

She gasped. “But they’re brother and sister.”

“They didn’t know of their relationship at the time.” Seemingly tired of the subject he pointed towards a distant pinprick of light. See, there is my dreaming place.”

“The top of a mountain seems an odd place to dream.”

He began to shake with laughter and she grinned with the pleasure of hearing it. “What have I said to amuse you?”

“You’ll see.”

Which she did a few moment later, when Shazah entered through a large opening near the top of the mountain and glided amongst a labyrinth of hanging sheets of crystal. They left the animal to browse and walked through a long, twisting passage, the walls of which glowed with opaline fire, like the eyes of the
Grand Alchemist
. Finally, they reached a cavern large enough to accommodate the whole town of Cabrilan, with room to spare.

Long rods of different colored crystal shafted straight lines up towards the mountain top and plunged downward as far as the eye could see until they were swallowed in darkness. Many faceted crystal sheets fanned from stalks growing from the floors or the walls of the cavern. They’d blossomed into fantastic shapes and were covered in delicate patterns.

Soft tendrils of sound power touched against her ears and wound into her subconscious, drawing her thoughts to the surface. A surge of happiness brought a quiet giggle from her. “It tickles . . . it’s exquisite,” she said, and her voice was picked up by the surfaces.
Tickles
. . .
exquisite  . . . tickles . . . exquisite . . . tickl . . . exquis . . tic . . . ex . . .ex . . .
until it died away. “Now I know why you laughed,” and she grinned at him with delight.
Laugh . . . laugh . . . laug . . . lau  . . . la . . .

Kavan was smiling as took her hand and place against one of the vibrating shapes. The echo stopped, to be replaced by the steady beat of his heart when he brought her palm against his chest.

“What do you dream of in this place, Lord?” she asked, and felt shy, for his eyes were upon her and full of warmth.

“I dream of the day when the Truarc and Cabrilan worlds are one. I seek my wisdom here, for with the time of the joining will come great danger.” His eyes took on a faraway expression, his mouth curved in a faint smile. “The Truarc people must be got away from the edge towns or they will perish. All will perish unless I find the remaining stones. Fire, water and the eyes.”

 “I do not understand,” she said, and he folded her hand into his.

“Come with me and I’ll show you.” They left the ground and floated upwards towards the top of the mountain. They emerged from the shaft into a night of stars. A glowing circular table on the plateau pulsated and hummed. Jewels were set around the rim. “These are the stones of power. To complete the circle I need four keystones. I have only two. The blue air-stone and the gold sun-stone.” He pointed to two vacant places. “Four are missing. Fire is red and shaped like an oval. Water is a green triangle. Then there are the eyes, a pair the color of mist and shot through with fire, ice and water. The eyes must be placed in the tomb of the alchemist, where they belong.”

He didn’t see the start she gave, or the way her fingers strayed to the pendant her mother had given her. “Each time a stone comes into my possession I’m nearer to my goal. When they’re complete the pivot stone will harness the power and the world will be brought together as one. But time grows short, and so far there’s no sign of the missing stones.”

“Who knows of this place?”

“No other knows of its whereabouts.” His eyes came to hers, still reflective. She liked him like this, the arrogance and pride put aside. Being regarded as someone of equal intelligence was something she’d been unaccustomed to on Truarc, and she responded to it.

Her hand closed around the pendant. “I’m honored by your trust, Lord Kavan.”

His eyes hooded over, so all she could see was the glitter of purple through his dark lashes. “Trust doesn’t come into it. You will not remember any of this.”

Wounded beyond measure she gazed dumbly up at him and let her hand fall.

 His palms gently cupped her face. “I cannot risk it, lady. You find it too easy to trust, and there are those who work against me.”

“You think I’d join with those who work against so noble a cause? You think I’d betray you to your enemies?”

“I’m unsure of you at this time. All it would take is one unguarded moment.”

 She was indignant. “I’m strong in both body and mind.”

“But not devious. My enemies are cunning and until the rift is joined I can trust no-one.”

She attempted to move away, but his hands held her firmly. “My intention is not to anger you, Tiana. Before this is over my mind shall be naked before yours.”

“And when will that be, barbarian?”

 She gazed into the depth of his eyes and shivered at the sight of the controlled passion they displayed. He dipped his head to hers and whispered. “When you surrender yourself to me body and soul.”

Caught unprepared, she was swept up in the contact. His lips tasted of the rare, desert honey, a delicacy found on Truarc and gathered from the pollen of the desert lilies. She and Sybilla had once discovered a honeycomb high on a rocky outcrop, and had removed a small portion. It was well known that to consume too much would cause hallucinations, whilst a tiny portion produced a sense of wellbeing.

Her tongue delicately traversed the firm contours of his mouth, seeking the irresistible and elusive taste. His lips parted a little and her tongue ventured inside. “Mmmm,” she whispered when he removed his hands from her face to draw her close. “You taste delicious.” He felt delicious too, his body a firm, warm column against the yielding softness of hers.

His skin was like burnished leather. Under the surface his life power flowed from tautly exercised muscle to sinew. His veins carried the fiery tempest of his blood, his pulses stroked against her body, now sensitized beyond endurance by his closeness.

His mouth had taken the initiative from hers. She opened to him as he sweetly plundered its depths. Her mind disintegrated into the oneness of the contact, as if her senses had melted into his. She thought she might be floating because the ground beneath her feet had disappeared. He’d lifted her, she realized, aware of his hands warm against her buttocks, of her legs spread either side of his. Pressed hard against her core . . .? Sweat slicked her body. Sweet charity, this was a blissful kind of torture. All that had been forbidden and denied her was now very evident – and Kavan was available to pleasure her as he’d promised!

A novice will not allow lustful thoughts to govern her logic.

All she’d wanted was a taste of the potent honey. The taste had proved
too
potent when combined with Kavan’s sensual maleness. Shakily, she tried to extricate herself from the trap he’d led her into. Her teeth nipped the end of his tongue and he hastily withdrew it. The grin he gave was infuriating in its awareness of her inner thoughts.

“Put me down, please, Kavan.”