FORBIDDEN TALENTS (50 page)

The Elf woman’s voice rang in Saeun’s ears. Each ritual word slid over her skin, stinging as it passed. Saeun slowed as her gift for scrying drew her to the shining disc. Beside Edelstena, the silver surface of the portal shimmered with a vision of destruction and bloodshed. It pulled at her, compelling her attention.

This isn’t right
. Her magic had always been under her control. Saeun stopped in her tracks, powerless to look away. Frozen with horror, she stared as scenes of carnage unfolded in the surface of the disc. Giant beasts destroyed armies, firedrakes burned villages, stone-warriors crushed children.

Huge jaws broke the image like a sea serpent surfacing in a lake.

Saeun staggered with her sudden release. Edelstena stood only steps away. Saeun lunged, reaching for the silver staff, calling on her Talent.

Edelstena saw her coming.
“
You!
”
She swung the staff two-handed at Saeun’s head, flinging a spattering of blood from the tip.

Saeun tucked and rolled, just as Celia had taught in her self-defense classes, coming back to her feet.

Edelstena whirled around. Saeun leapt forward as the momentum of the Elf’s swing passed her. She could not let what she’d seen in that vision come true.

But Edelstena was ready for her. She jabbed back with the butt end of the staff, knocking the wind from Saeun’s chest. She fell to one knee. Black spots danced in her vision, as she tried to haul some air back into her lungs.

“
Fool! You might have lived, had you joined me.
”

Bloody silver slammed toward her. Saeun’s sleeves fell back as she raised her arms over her head, and she threw herself backward, falling over one of Edelstena’s victims.

Pain tore a short, ragged cry from Saeun’s throat as lightning arced down her forearm into her shoulder, obliterating all other senses, bursting like fire in her brain. She couldn’t breathe.

Her world narrowed.

Then she heard the screaming.

Edelstena stood over her, the staff turned to iron at her feet. She held her burned hands out in front of her like blackened claws, fury and pain distorting her features. The shimmering disc swirled and contracted. With a sharp hiss, the emerging monster pulled back just before the portal disappeared.

The stone-warriors hesitated, looking at Edelstena, giving the Light Elves the advantage. Khryss blades sliced through their stone limbs. They toppled and stopped moving, quickly reduced to rubble.

Edelstena’s screams trailed off. Her ragged breaths sounded loud in the sudden silence.

Fallir turned to Edelstena and hesitated, sorrow and disgust on his face.
“
Oathbreaker,
”
he said softly. Then he swept her head from her shoulders.

*

Dahleven stood in the Great Hall and gritted his teeth as Wirmund offered condolences to his mother. His father was dead, and the last thing he wanted was to listen to Wirmund’s platitudes.

Dahleven forced his sorrow aside. There was no time now for him to grieve, no time for full ceremony, or to sing and drink his father’s passage. They’d dressed Neven as a warrior and lain him on a bier surrounded by the things that marked his rank: his gold shield, his best sword, his jeweled drinking horn. Dahleven had pulled twenty men from the walls to stand honor guard. He’d also torn himself away from commanding the defense to stand beside Gudrun as the people filed by, bringing tokens of their respect and giving Dahleven honor as the new Jarl. Accepting their sworn fealty could wait.

“
A word, my lord?
”
Wirmund said softly.

Dahleven excused himself and stepped aside with the Overprest.
“
I don’t have time for this,
”
he grated.

“
Indeed you don’t. The danger is upon us even more quickly than I feared. We must act quickly and with unity.
”

Dahleven’s hand strayed to his sword hilt.
“
Which danger? The damage being done to our walls? The fouling of our water? Or the Dark Fey who are slipping inside the castle?
”

“
The siege has fueled a surge in apostasy. The people are fearful. There are rumors they are turning to Thor and to Odin’s dark ways in hope of saving themselves. We cannot allow this to continue. Baldur and Freyr will not tolerate it.
”

Of course the people were afraid. What did Wirmund expect?
“
Half their village was lost. They’re searching for what little comfort they can find. You just don’t like where they’re looking.
”

“
Nor should you, my lord,
”
Wirmund voice held layered meaning.
“
Your future depends on it.
”

Cold fury washed through Dahleven. His hands rose, the thought of snapping the Overprest’s scrawny neck uppermost in his mind. But years of training turned the impulse aside, and he covered the motion by putting his hand companionably on Wirmund’s shoulder. He knew his grip was painfully tight but he didn’t care. The Overprest winced as Dahleven pulled him close.

“
Listen to me, you misbegotten weasel,
”
Dahleven said in a soft, dark voice.
“
My future, and yours, may be numbered in days. Unless this siege is lifted, Quartzholm will fall. There will be no one left for you to threaten or to prosecute for specious crimes against the gods, because
we will all be dead
.
”

Wirmund’s nostrils flared and he opened his mouth, but Dahleven spoke over him.

“
If the gods favor you so much, then call on them to aid us. You must be highest in Baldur’s service for some reason. Ask the gods to crush our enemies. Or at least disperse this unnatural mist so we can see our foes. If you can do that, then I’ll believe you have the gods’ favor, and as distasteful as I might find it, I’ll do as you ask.
”

Wirmund stared at Dahleven through narrowed eyes.
“
You would challenge the gods?
”

“
No. I challenge
you
.
”

“
You tread a dangerous path.
”

“
You’d better hurry if you want to tell them I’m Fey-marked, Wirmund,
”
Dahleven said, sweeping his arm out toward the mourners.
“
You may be dead in a couple of days.
”

The Overprest drew himself up.
“
It is not me you should fear, but Baldur. Only your full support will turn His wrath aside when I succeed.
”

THE BLACKENED CRYSTAL fell to the floor and shattered as Ragni’s left hand spasmed in agony. Searing torment screamed up his arm and he clutched his wrist as if he could choke off the pain, squeezing his eyes shut on tears.

Saeun!
He’d seen her fall at the edge of his vision. Seen the witch swing the staff at her head. He opened his eyes, forcing down nausea, fearing what he might behold.

He almost crumpled in relief. Half sitting next to one of Edelstena’s victims, Saeun cradled her left arm against her chest. Pain etched her face, but she was alive!

Ragni stumbled past Che’veyo, who was still on his knees, dragging in great rasping gulps of air. He stepped over the black ring of the greasy, foul-smelling remains of the creatures Edelstena had unleashed against them. He didn’t want to know what would have happened if Che’veyo’s power hadn’t held them at bay.

His vision narrowed to a single point. Saeun. Somehow he made it across the room to the stone dais. A tiny part of him noted that Celia and Utta were whole and seeing to the wounded, but getting to Saeun was all that mattered.

Stairs. They looked like a mountain. But he had to climb them to get to Saeun. He got his foot up on the first one.

“
Here.
”
Treskin’s arm came around his waist as the man tried to guide him to sit.
“
You’ll crack your head.
”

Ragni resisted with strength he didn’t have.
“
Saeun.
”
His voice cracked.

The guiding stopped, then helped him upward.
“
Very well.
”

Then he was beside her and his legs crumpled in a barely controlled fall. Controlled by him or Treskin, he couldn’t say. He pulled her to him with his good arm, awkwardly, because she was still sitting where she’d fallen, next to a body. A child’s body.
Gods
! He ought to help her move, but he had to touch her now, had to feel her. But even touching her, his Talent failed him.

His vision began to clear, but pain still drowned his senses like the churning crash of a waterfall. She was warm in his arm and he kissed her, rejoicing in the fact that she was alive. He’d been so afraid when she’d fallen to that blow. Love and soul-shaking relief washed over him. Then he felt her trembling.
“
Are you all right?
”
he asked.

A smile curled half her mouth.
“
Better than you.
”
Then her eyes focused on his hand.
“
Oh, Ragni!
”
She reached out then drew back.
“
Valender!
”

“
Valender is seeing to those in greater need,
”
Fallir said from a few feet away. He looked over his shoulder to where Che’veyo slumped.
“
You’ll have no help from that quarter, either. Your wounds will have to wait.
”

Saeun put her hand on his knee.
“
Oh, Ragni, I’m sorry.
”

She was all right. Mostly. At least in no immediate danger. He closed his eyes, drawing away from her concern for a moment, into that place of quiet and strength that he went before attempting a ritual, and pulled it around him.

The pain receded. A little. Enough.

He opened his eyes. He could think again. Saeun’s brow was furrowed with pain and worry.
“
I’m all right.
”
He looked around.
“
Fallir!
”
The Elf was straightening Edelstena’s limbs as if she were honored dead.

Fallir looked up sharply at his tone.

“
Help Lady Saeun away from this place.
”
He gestured with his good hand.

“
You do not command me.
”

“
But I do,
”
Treskin said from the main floor.
“
Help them both down here where we can assess our casualties. We need to move as soon as possible.
”

Fallir helped first Saeun then Ragni to a spot just removed from the main cavern, back into the passageway, where their glow globes now cast a cool light. When he got there, he saw that Saeun cradled her tree one-handed in her lap, as if it were a lost child.

She’d said only that the trees had asked her to bring the little sapling to Quartzholm, but clearly there was more to the tale than that. He sat next to her, jostling his arm. Pain flared and he gasped.
Later. Time enough later to get the full story
. He shivered.
Why is it so cold
?

Fender and Eksa were propped against the walls with Celia and Utta tending them. Valender was bending over one of the other Elves. Treskin brought in Che’veyo. Masale half carried Tiva’ti.

Is this all that’s left of us
?

Valender came to him next.

“
See to her first,
”
Ragni said, nodding his head at Saeun.

Valender shook his head.
“
I will use my skill first on those who need it most. Give me your hand.
”

Reluctantly, Ragni did so. Valender didn’t touch, just held his own hand under it. Ragni felt as though his aching limb rested on a cushion of softest down.

He hadn’t really looked at it before. He didn’t want to look at it now. His hand was dark and shriveled like a half-dried fruit. His fingers curled inward. Four of the nails were gone, and the remaining one looked as though it wouldn’t last long. He tried to move his thumb. A flare of agony stopped him.

Valender shook his head.
“
Wait. I’ll do what I can.
”
He put his other hand over Ragni’s forehead.

Warmth cascaded over him, dispersing the chill that gripped him. Ragni closed his eyes. His heart throbbed, and the pain in his hand kept time, but with each beat the pain grew less, until it was only a murmur.