The Obsidian Temple (24 page)

“We want to work on our shielding, our bond,” Sulis said.

“It's different here,” Ashraf said, looking around. “The energy of the deities interferes with our link somewhat.”

“They're feeling extraprotective,” Ava said. “They don't want to leave either one of us alone.”

“Obsidian guards,” Clay reminded Sulis, nodding toward the door in reminder.

“Corrupt deities,” Sulis retorted, nodding toward the statues.

He grinned and shook his head. “Find a place where you won't distract us,” Clay said. “And keep the kitten from running through our energy lines.”

Djinn, gave a long-­suffering sigh as Sulis carried the kitten over to him, and his tail was pounced and chewed on. Sulis herself settled against Voras's statue. The energies still unsettled her, but she was getting used to being unsettled. And she had some satisfaction in the fact a piece of Voras was trapped.

She and Ashraf played with their shielding idly as Ava painted with energy. If Sulis examined her bond to Ava, she could see the colors of energy. Without that link, she could sense what energy was being used and dance it accordingly, but she did not see the beautiful patterns.

Sulis sucked in a breath as she suddenly no longer felt the malevolent energy of Voras. She stood and glanced behind her to make sure the statue hadn't dissolved, then looked over at Ashraf. He looked pleased as Djinn with a raw steak.

“Got it,” he said. “Finally figured how to shield you from simple energy as well as attacks.”

“I can still feel the other deities,” Sulis said, frowning.

“But they don't bother you,” Ashraf said. “I followed your emotions and found the energy that upset you.”

“So it's like a pain block?” Sulis asked. “It doesn't cut off his energy, just makes me less sensitive?”

Ashraf spread his hands. “I don't know. I just know it worked.”

He seemed to focus, and Sulis felt Voras's energy again.

“That's really great, I wonder if . . .” Sulis began.

A great surge of energy from Voras's statue knocked her to her knees, made her gasp.

“Ashraf, what are you doing?” Sulis choked out.

She looked up at him, but he was looking toward the door, a hand on his sword.

Sulis looked around and saw that Clay and Ava had also turned. Ava seemed frozen with fear, but Clay moved to stand between her and what they saw.

Sulis levered herself to her feet, using Aryn's statue. A wave of welcoming energy washed through her from the statue, giving her courage.

A group of warriors had entered the Temple. Raen led them, his sword drawn. None of them were Obsidian guards, and Sulis glanced wildly at the exit, only to see a limp form across the threshold.

“There she is,” Raen called to the other warriors, pointing to Ava. “We have to sacrifice her so a new Loom can be born. One that is undamaged, from the desert.”

Ashraf and Sulis moved forward, into the pattern Ava had created.

Raen looked back, and a silvery shield formed across the exit.

“How dare you draw weapons against the Chosen?” Ashraf roared. “Put them away and return to your quarters!”

Sulis looked over the half dozen warriors and realized they were
geased.
Nothing Ashraf said would register. She looked at Raen and recoiled, finding him staring straight back at her. His eyes were inhuman, the same look she'd seen on the Templar during the pledging ceremony. Waves of hatred beat at her. Raen looked past Sulis, and his eyes widened as he saw the statues.

“Ashraf, Voras is controlling him,” she said urgently. “We need to get Ava out of here. We're going against the power of a deity, and we can't do it alone.”

“How?” Ashraf muttered to her. “The exits are blocked.”

Grandmother,
Sulis screamed down her link.
Help us. Voras is here.

“My powers are here,” Raen hissed, staring at the statue of Voras, his voice inhuman. “Locked up, chained. All this time. I won't need those One-­loving
feli
again.” He turned his eyes on Clay, who was closest to him. “You will all pay for hiding this from me.”

Raen took a step forward, and Djinn squalled as he launched himself at the man's
feli
. Raen stepped back, distracted, as the two
feli
rolled on the black floor. Sulis ran forward to stand beside Clay, Ashraf flanking them on the other side.

“We must keep him away from the statues,” Clay said. “No matter what happens, he can't break the spell holding the deities' powers.”

“How is he channeling Voras? I thought only the Templar could be possessed by him,” Sulis asked. “Ashraf, can you shield us?”

Ashraf focused and put a shield between them and Raen. The other soldiers formed ranks behind Raen, looking for orders. Raen glared at Sulis.

“I would have been Templar, but I was stuck in the South when a replacement was needed,” Raen said. “So I continued my mission. Now I understand why it was so important. I will be the one to give Voras what he needs.” He turned to the soldiers. “Kill that
feli
!” he ordered.

“NO!” Sulis screamed, as the warriors unsheathed their swords. The memory of Djinn on his side, belly slashed open flashed before her eyes. “Djinn, go! Find help!”

One last growl, and Djinn dashed between the warriors. Sulis sent a thread of energy with him as he hit the shield Raen had made. It stopped the
feli
only an instant, then he flared with the light of the One and disappeared.

“Get between the statues,” Sulis directed Ava. “Grab Nuisance. You, too, Clay. Ashraf, keep that shield up.”

As Raen and his soldiers advanced, they were stopped by the shield Ashraf had erected around their little group. Raen's eyes turned red as he channeled Voras's power and began battering the shields. Ashraf went to his knees.

Sulis sucked energy from the deities and the life around her and sent him that energy through their bond. It wasn't enough to feed his shield for very long. There was so little energy in this lifeless stone surrounding her. The trapped energy of the deities resisted her attempts to pull and harness it. She desperately cast around for other sources. There was nothing.

Sulis, dance!
Grandmother's voice floated in her mind.
The chi poses. Raise the energy. Direct it to the shield. We are coming.

She took her place in Ava's mandala and began to dance, praying the others would be able to get through Voras's shields. The dance helped her access the little energy around her, but it wasn't enough, and she felt her own energy bleeding out into the shield. If they didn't reach her before she used all her energy, the shields would fail. Raen would break through to the statues. And Voras would become as he had been before the sundering: powerful, cruel, unstoppable.

 

Chapter 21

“IN THE B
ACK
room,” Kadar heard Uncle Tarik say, then Alannah swept in. Her hair was elaborately piled on her head, and her golden robes were silken rather than the usual cotton.

“Kadar, what?” Alannah gasped, out of breath as though she'd been running. “I heard you, somehow, through Yaslin. I left a ceremony for the Tribune because it was clear the One wanted me to come if she allowed Yaslin to communicate your voice. What is it?”

Sanuri launched herself at Alannah and began babbling before Kadar could say anything.

“Easy, little one,” Alannah said soothingly. She knelt, and Sanuri leaned against her. Alannah put her hands on either side of the girl's temple. “Quiet. Don't speak, just think at me.”

They went completely silent, statues leaning against each other. Alannah let out her breath. “The Templar has told Voras he knows where the children are. He followed the viceroy's son to the hiding spot. Voras has given the Templar orders to kill everyone there,” she whispered, her eyes closed, still focused on Sanuri.

“Where? Where are they?” Kadar asked urgently.

“A cellar, in a vacant first-­circle home,” Alannah said. “Voras doesn't care if the children live. He wants to teach Ivanha a lesson.”

“When?” Kadar asked.

Alannah opened her eyes. “Dusk. Now,” she said, and stood. “We may already be too late.”

“Tell me where,” Kadar said.

“I'll lead,” Alannah said. “Stay here, Sanuri.”

Kadar grabbed his sword as they dashed out the back door, Yaslin joining them as they ran through the streets.

Kadar was grateful that the largest crowds were at the Tribune's ceremony. The remaining ­people on the street stepped out of their way when they saw Alannah's golden robes. They entered the first-­circle street west of the Temple walls. There were no guards around to stop them as they ran down the road and through the iron gates of a small, elegant home. No light shone in the windows, but Alannah ran through the front door, through the darkness to the flickering light that was coming from the open cellar door. They heard the piercing screams of terrified children.

Kadar followed Alannah as they pounded down the stairs and into a scene from a nightmare. A man was standing in the doorway, facing inward with his sword unsheathed as though to cut down any who tried to flee. Kadar slammed into him, knocking him down, and smashed his head into the floor. Kadar paused to make certain he was unconscious and realized the man wore the Templar insignia.

“You just took out the Templar,” Alannah confirmed. “We must stop this. The soldiers are killing everyone.”

Kadar saw that she was right. The children wore brown Forsaken robes. Forsaken men and women were trying to shield the children. Bodies were strewn on the floor as Forsaken tried to match knives against swords and were cut down. To the right of the doorway Severin was struggling to escape two soldiers who had his arms pinned behind his back.

The Forsaken battled with knives and threw chairs at the armed fighters. Kadar started forward as a soldier swiped at a small blond girl across the room, but a Forsaken woman shoved the girl behind her. The sword struck the woman's arm instead, and she screamed. Severin howled behind Kadar as the woman fell and rolled, trying to escape the soldier. Kadar had a moment to realize it was Farrah, to see that he could not reach her, before the sword came down again. Terror flashed on Farrah's face before the sword bit into her neck.

He wasn't aware that he'd yelled until his cry echoed in the suddenly silent room.

Everything froze. The soldier froze in the act of pulling his sword out of Farrah's body. Another soldier froze in midswing, inches from killing a little boy. Alannah stood in the doorway, eyes blazing, hands raised. Yaslin, pressed against her side, squalled in anger.

Kadar ignored the other Forsaken, ignored the children and Severin. He ran to Farrah, knelt by her side.

Farrah's blue eyes were open, but they were blank; she saw nothing. She bled freely, her breath gasping and shallow. He put his hands on the cut at her neck, trying vainly to staunch the flow of blood. He looked around at the frozen ­people, desperate for help, then at Alannah.

“Help her!” he cried. “Like you did Sulis. Save her!”

Alannah moved slowly, as though carrying a great burden, sweat trickling down her forehead from the effort of keeping everyone still. She put a hand on Farrah's brow and bent her head, closing her eyes.

Farrah took a last, shuddering breath, released it, then was still.

Alannah opened her eyes, misery brimming in them. “Healing was not granted,” she whispered.

Kadar shook his head.

“No,” he whispered, but he knew it was true, she was gone. He closed Farrah's sky-­blue eyes and bent over her, kissing her forehead. “I'll take care of them all for you,” he promised. “Your sisters, Datura. I'll keep them safe.”

“NO!” Severin screamed. Alannah shuddered as he surged forward. “You have to heal her,” he begged Alannah, as he shoved Kadar aside. Kadar sat back on his heels, numbly watching as Severin put his hands on Farrah's cheeks, patted them as though to bring her back. “Farrah, come back, don't leave me. Don't leave me alone. Help her!”

“She has gone beyond the One's help now,” Alannah said. “The One has set you free to take the remaining Forsaken from the city. Go now, in peace.”

“No, this is wrong,” Severin said, tears coursing down his face as he stroked Farrah's cheek. “The One owes her life. We're on the right side. He has to bring her back. He owes us this.”

Alannah's eyes turned cold, even as her hands shook with effort. Yaslin hissed by her side, feeling her mistress's anger. “You disobeyed the One, all of you. You killed
feli
, you shed innocent blood. This may be the right side, but you used the wrong actions. The One is merciful to let you leave. She will not let children be used as pawns.”

“Farrah will be avenged,” Severin said, tears streaming down his face as he gathered Farrah's body, holding her close with one hand as he drew his knife with the other. “I'll kill the Templar for this. I'll pull the Temple down around his ears.”

“Not now, not here,” Alannah ordered. “The One will allow no more violence today. What you do after this is your own business. Take your living ­people and get out of the city. If you do not obey the One, we will leave you for the soldiers. You will be tried for treason and hung.”

Severin slanted a look of hatred at Alannah as he put away his knife and hoisted Farrah into his arms, standing. The remaining Forsaken stumbled as they were released from Alannah's hold.

“You've made an enemy of me today,” Severin hissed at Alannah. He followed the Forsaken out the door, trampling the Templar as he left.

“FARRAH!” AVA
SCREAMED,
distracting Sulis for a moment. She looked back and saw Ava hunched on the floor between the statues, sobbing. Clay had his hands on her shoulders. Ashraf roared defiantly as Voras pressed at his mind, trying to force him to let down the shields, and Sulis focused again, dancing the energy and sending it to him. She felt first one flare of energy, then another at the doorway as Grandmother and Anchee tried to break the ward. Sulis twisted a yellow line of energy and flung it toward them. Grandmother caught the energy and spun it, breaking the wards that blocked the door. The wards shattered, and Raen paused in his progress toward Ashraf.

Distantly, Sulis heard the clashing of swords and looked past the patterns to see warriors fighting warriors, the doorway shield breached. Raen still fought to get to Ashraf, inching closer though their shields, his sword raised. Sulis spun onto the yellow strand of energy again and it forced him back a step.

“She's dead,” Ava screamed shrilly. Sulis looked over in time to see Ava slash her own hand open with a dagger. She stood straight, her face twisted in anger, eyes blazing as she stared at Raen. Sulis did not recognize the darkness that possessed her. “Voras killed my sister. You killed her. You will be consumed!”

Ava turned and smeared her blood on the statue of Voras. She started painting a bloody pattern on the statue, and Sulis gasped as dark energy rolled forth from Ava. She turned back to Raen, who had gained a few more steps because of Sulis's distraction. His eyes widened, and he clutched at his chest as though it were hard to breathe.

“Dance the dark energy, Sulis,” Grandmother ordered, suddenly beside her. “Draw it into you and send it to Anchee, so I can send it into the earth. If left unchained, it will destroy everyone here.”

“Ava, no,” Sulis heard Clay cry. Ava didn't listen, and the dark waves rushed toward the warriors who were subduing Raen's followers, rushed toward innocents as well as invaders.

Sulis felt the energy, felt a pattern emerging, and began a calming chakra series, drawing the dark energy into herself before it could overcome the warriors. She created good energy with her flow, mixing it in with the dark waves, then throwing the energy to Anchee, who was just a step behind, mirroring her and following her lead. It was painful, drawing the dark energy into herself to tame it. It felt as though she were dragging a sword along her spine, but she continued to move, to dance the energy. Sulis tasted blood on her lips and wondered if she'd bitten them or if she was bleeding inside. It didn't matter, as she drew the energy, sending it to Anchee, who sent it to Grandmother. Grandmother sent it into the Obsidian floor, which glowed red under her feet.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Raen moving slowly toward the statues through Ashraf's shield now that Sulis was no longer feeding it. He was gasping as though each breath hurt, but Voras forced Raen's body forward. He no longer focused on Ashraf, only on Ava and the patterns she was drawing with her blood. Ashraf moved as well, inching closer to Raen, sword raised, struggling against the dark energies.

Sulis whirled, crouched, and held the pose of the seeker, desperately looking over at Ava, not knowing how much longer she could channel the darkness.

Clay rose behind Ava, holding her dagger. He struck her on the side of the head with the hilt, and Ava collapsed bonelessly to the floor. Sulis sank to the ground as well, blood running from her nose as the dark energies ebbed and finally ceased.

Raen gave a cry of triumph and surged forward, sword aimed at Clay. Djinn darted in from the side, squalling and slashing behind the man's knees. Raen screamed and wildly stabbed at the
feli
. Ashraf was faster. The deadly arc of his sword took off Raen's head.

Sulis levered herself up to an elbow as Ashraf rushed over to her. He clasped her near as he searched her over for injuries, wiping blood off her face with his sleeve. Djinn came and flopped across her lap, purring loudly. Sulis stared stupidly at Ashraf, then over at Raen's body.

“You're really hard on Voras's mouthpieces, aren't you?” she asked.

He stared at her a moment, then snickered. She laughed with him and grasped his cloak with dizziness. Djinn bumped his head under her chin, and she felt a swell of energy from him. It revived her enough to climb to her feet.

“You must not be too injured if you can still make jokes,” Ashraf muttered.

“I feel terrible, but not as bad as the last time Voras tried to kill me. What happened to Ava?”

They turned to see her form crumpled beside Voras's statue. Clay, Grandmother, and Anchee knelt by her side.

“She's alive,” Clay said. “Her energy is depleted, but she's alive.”

“The battle is over,” Ashraf said, helping Sulis stand. “The healers should be here soon.”

Sulis looked around and realized it was true. Sari was already shouting orders to the Obsidian guards, who surrounded the remaining warriors Voras had
geased
. Those warriors knelt, their expressions confused.

Sulis tripped and almost fell as she staggered toward Ava's fallen form. She looked down and realized the obsidian floor was pitted and warped where Grandmother had been grounding the dark energy. Ashraf grabbed her elbow, steadying her.

“Will she die?” Sulis asked, her voice cracking as she knelt beside Ava. Nuisance curled up by the girl's side, only the rise and fall of his chest showing that he lived. Djinn bumped the kitten with his head, then lay down beside them.

Clay shook his head. “She is merely unconscious. She used up much of her life energy. I think she would be dead without her little
feli
giving her strength. She should recover, in time.”

“What was that?” Ashraf asked. “That black mist.”

“Blood magic,” Anchee said. “She directed it at Raen, trying to destroy his life force. If Clay hadn't knocked her out, it would have destroyed everyone in the room, including Ava.”

“If our Shuttles had not protected us, you mean,” Clay said. “Everyone here owes you their lives.”

“How did she learn it?” Grandmother asked, examining the bloodstains on Voras's statue. “These are complicated patterns. No texts exist for that kind of magic.”

“It is usually transmitted from deity to Voice,” Clay said, looking thoughtful. “Ava first collapsed against the statue of Aryn. When she stood, she was already in motion, slicing her hand to work the magic.”

“You think Aryn showed her?” Sulis asked, looking uneasily at the statues surrounding them. “I didn't think the statues were the deities, just their trapped power.”

“I have always thought there was more trapped here than the scholars believed,” Clay murmured as Sari, the temple master, flanked by several Obsidian guards, came to join them. “Perhaps there are memories there, drawn out by need. I must think on this.”

“All the traitors have been dispatched,” Sari reported. “The two door guards are dead. They have no marks on them though they bled from the nose and mouth. We believe Voras attempted to force a bonding on them, and they resisted.”