Voice Of The Demon (Book 2) (6 page)

Patric pulled up a stool on the opposite side of the bed. Arlie stood guard by the door. With his arms folded across his chest, his lost hand was invisible. Even at this early stage, this little venture had to be kept secret from the council – they still knew nothing about the rod.

Now that he was ready to start, Finnlay was gripped with a sudden terror. Was he really strong enough to reach so far across the country, or would the Key try to stop him? Seeking that far – even with Martha monitoring him – could easily kill him.

‘Breathe deeply, Finn,’ Martha began softly. ‘Concentrate on my voice. Don’t push too hard this first time. We’ve no idea how this is going to affect you, so don’t overstretch yourself.’

Midnight was definitely the best time. Most of the others had gone to bed, the sky was clear of cloud interference and a blanket of peace had descended on the Enclave. Within the darkened room, Finnlay relaxed on the bed, felt his new
ayarn
solid in his left hand and placed his right hand where Martha could easily hold his wrist.

He had to work hard to control his panic. This was going to work. It had to.

He took Martha’s advice and breathed deeply, listening to her voice as she took him further down into the trance. Soon
he lost all sense of the room, the others, even the bed he lay on. Then his body, too, was left behind.

Free now of all physical constraint, he went out into the night, Seeking. This part was easy, familiar. A thousand times before he’d gone like this, his mind floating. As his awareness left the mountain, he noticed briefly the Enclave guards at their posts along the approaches, their auras known, their positions predictable.

Still feeling full of strength, Finnlay looped down from the mountain and into the valleys beyond, east and further east. He could see nothing but darkness, but that was how it always was, how it always had been. There was only the aura of a known sorcerer to focus on. But he wasn’t looking for a sorcerer. Instead, he concentrated on the Key, as though it were the Key he was Seeking rather than the Calyx – and now that it had spoken to him, he had some idea of the essence he was looking for. Slowly, an insistent tugging behind him warned he was on the right track. The real Key was imposing on his senses, but he had to push past it and stretch further, wider, finer, beyond that. Away to something else that had a similar aura. Perhaps he could go far enough to reach Dunlorn. Perhaps he could even touch the rod, hidden within the walls of the castle. If he could find that, then there would be no doubt left.

What was that?

Like being caught in a strong current, Finnlay found his focus snagged and torn back, west and into the darkness. Back towards the Goleth. He struggled to pull out, but he was bound entirely by what he’d found. Compelled, he brought his attention fully to that one spot within the night. It was an aura he knew, yes, but so strong he couldn’t tear himself away. An aura familiar on its own, but also bound up with something he could only guess at, something intimately connected and fathomless. So very strong . . .

Jenn! She was coming to the Enclave. But Robert had assured him she wouldn’t, that this was the most dangerous place for her, being so close to the Key – because it wanted her for some reason. Robert had entrusted Finnlay with keeping Jenn safe if she ever did come back – and she was
obviously very important to Robert. Finnlay had given his word without hesitation.

But now Jenn was riding up the mountain. Beside her was another aura, this one pale in comparison to that glow . . . Fiona! Was she coming back, too? Jenn was riding a bay gelding, and her deep blue cloak flowed out over its back. By the gods – he could
see
her! Not just her aura, but her, in every detail. The fine-boned face, the brilliant blue eyes, the dark flowing hair. All of it. It was impossible!

He drew in a deep breath and crashed back into his body. Startled, Martha leaned forward, her eyes glued to his.

‘Are you all right? What happened?’

Finnlay sat up and shook his head. Weakness drained him and for a moment, he thought he’d faint. Then abruptly, his head cleared. ‘I’m not sure but I think . . . I don’t know what I’ve done, but I think we’ve broken the old barriers of Seeking. I just saw Jenn riding up into the mountains. Now, tonight.’

He paused and took another breath. Then, with his eyes on Patric, he added, ‘Jenn’s coming to the Enclave. Coming within the influence of the Key. We have to get to her first.’

*

The night had started out cloudy and dark, but by the time they reached the gate, the midnight stars were well advanced, dusted across the sky in a glorious shower. Jenn tried to keep her eyes on the trail, but the spectacular heavens kept drawing her gaze up, defying her senses. How could it look so much better from on top of the mountain?

Fiona seemed oblivious to it. But then, she had seen it before, many times. She’d told Jenn all about how she’d grown up at the Enclave: her father Marcus, the Jaibir, leader of the council; her mother, Ayn, a respected councillor herself and a formidable Seeker.

Ayn. She was the one who had found Robert, had brought him to the Enclave as a boy, that first time.

Yes, there it was again. That same twisting of her insides whenever she thought about him. She knew what it was, but refused to acknowledge it. After all, what good would fear
do? How could she demolish her frustration and ignorance except by coming to the Enclave?

Why had he just shut her out? They’d grown so close, had worked together to free Finnlay from his prison, discovered the mindspeech they shared together. Then Robert had come back here and abruptly desired nothing more to do with her. Why?

The blackness of the gate closed in on her, compressing and feeding the fear. By the time they emerged, she was about ready to turn and run.

‘What’s he doing here?’ Fiona murmured in the gloom.

Jenn started, flinched – then saw a familiar face coming towards them across the grassy bowl atop the mountain. It was Arlie Baldwyn carrying an oil lamp, and he welcomed them with a smile.

‘Good evening, ladies. So nice of you to stop by. Can I offer you some supper?’

*

Martha made up the spare bed in Arlie’s study. It was difficult moving around with this great bulge getting in the way, but she managed. Patric offered to help, but he was virtually useless at all things to do with organization. Finnlay was better, laying out a plate of bread and cheese, putting a brew on the fire. She could see both of them wanted to keep busy, wanted to avoid thinking of what would happen if Arlie didn’t manage to get to Jenn first, before Wilf realized she was here.

More important was the thing none of them wished to discuss. Why, when he had been looking for the Calyx, Seeking out something which had a similar aura to the Key, had Finnlay received a real vision of Jenn? Why was there a connection between the Key and Jenn where there should be none?

‘They’re coming,’ Patric murmured from the door.

Martha went back into the living room and smoothed down her apron over her growing belly. With a practised eye, she surveyed the room and the things Finnlay had laid out on the table. She had put a lot of effort into making these rooms a home since she and Arlie had arrived last
autumn. A home where they would have to live for ever since Arlie had lost his hand to the Guilde butchers. Now this living room was warm with rugs on the floor, two small tapestries on the wall either side of the fireplace and hanging baskets of herbs and dried flowers in every corner. Even the ancient oak chest beside the door was draped in a blue and white rug Martha had woven herself, last winter.

‘Welcome back!’ Patric moved first, ushering first Fiona and then Jenn into the small living room. Arlie followed behind and gained Martha’s side. He was looking very pleased with himself; she could tell. His blue eyes twinkled with that old light whenever anything interesting was going on. He gave her a quick kiss, then immediately began to take care of their guests, pouring out the steaming brew.

Martha turned to Jenn, a wide smile on her face. ‘My dear, how are you? You’ve grown!’

Jenn smiled in return and gave her a hug. ‘So have you!’

‘Arlie’s sure I’m having twins, but I keep trying to tell him that this is what all pregnant women look like.’

Fiona had stopped just inside the door, her glance picking up the others in the room. Without looking too hard, Martha could see she was uncomfortable, but Fiona had never been very easy around people. She had a brusque manner and a forthright mind and a tendency to voice her thoughts. As a result, she’d never really collected friends in the way most people did and Martha had often wondered if that was why she didn’t spend too much time at the Enclave. For most of her adult life, Fiona had worked as a Seeker while spending most winters as a teacher within a noble household in the area she was Searching. For the last few months, she’d been with Jenn at Elita, training the girl in her new-found powers.

Putting a genuine smile on her face, Martha approached Fiona with a welcome, determined to try once again to scale those prickly walls. ‘Come in and sit down, dear. You must be cold from that ride up the mountain. And hungry.’

Fiona relaxed a little and let Martha draw her into the room. It was really up to Finnlay to speak, but for a moment he seemed to struggle now that Fiona was here too. But then, there’d always been a problem between Finnlay and Fiona.

When the others sat, Martha gave Finnlay a nudge. After collecting his thoughts, he took hold of the conversation, dominating the room in much the same manner as his brother always did. But where Robert was so at ease with this kind of thing, Finnlay was less so. He lacked the same natural confidence and, as a result, often sounded abrupt and disorganized.

He began with a question for Jenn. ‘How did you get away from Elita?’

‘I . . . suggested to my father that in order to keep up the pretence of my taking the veil, I should go on a retreat to an abbey.’

‘And you won’t be missed?’

‘He’s expecting me to be gone for a month or so.’

‘And did you have any trouble after Robert and I left you at Elita?’

‘Not really.’ Jenn frowned, her eyes going to each of them in turn, looking for answers. Yes, she had changed too. This was not the homeless waif who’d come to the caves almost a year ago, new in her sorcery and ignorant of the powers arrayed against her. Jenn had grown up. It was obvious in every gesture, every word. But there was also something else there. Something in the way she glanced at Finnlay – in the way he looked back at her. Even Fiona noticed it.

‘Is something going on? Something I don’t know about?’

In the sudden silence, Martha looked to Finnlay to respond. He nodded, accepting her prodding and folded his hands before him.

‘All right, I suppose if anyone has to do it, it’s up to me. Fiona, your mother has gone to Marsay. And Robert has been banished from the Enclave.’

‘What?’ Both girls spoke at once.

Finnlay went on, ‘When Robert and I came back here, there was a council meeting to discuss that presence you sensed at court last year, Jenn. They believed it was an unknown sorcerer of substantial power and therefore worthy of an effort to bring him into the fold. You know how everyone here believes that if we found someone strong enough to wield the Key properly, it would tell us where the
Calyx is – which would in turn give us a way to live openly and in freedom outside this Enclave. Well, Robert tried to dissuade Ayn from going to Marsay, offering to do something himself, but neither Wilf nor Henry were willing to trust him.’

‘Why not?’ Fiona asked before Jenn could.

‘They thought he was hiding something – from twenty years ago when the Key spoke to him as a boy. He’s never spoken about it and so they don’t trust him. Anyway, Robert was so concerned about Ayn going to Marsay, he agreed to go before the Key and let it make the decision.’

‘Heaven and earth!’ Jenn whispered.

Finnlay swallowed. ‘With the council and half the Enclave as witness, the Key spoke to Robert again – but this time, we could all hear. It told us how he can mindspeak with you, Jenn, and gave us part of a prophecy it had given to Robert all those years before. I have the exact text written here. Then,’ Finnlay paused, looking down at his hands, ‘the Key shattered Robert’s
ayarn
and told him not to return to the Enclave unless Jenn was with him. Wilf was so angry that Robert had lied about the mindspeech and knowing the prophecy that he banished Robert. He left telling me that the Key is not to be trusted. He won’t come back here.’

Martha couldn’t take her eyes from Jenn’s face. It was amazing how skilled Jenn was at hiding her thoughts, even from those who knew her. She sat opposite Finnlay, her eyes glued to his face as though hoping he’d made it all up. Fiona, too, watched Finnlay, her customary frown marring her otherwise handsome face. Jenn rose from her seat and put a hand on Finn’s arm in comfort, but it was Fiona who fired the first question.

‘And my mother has gone to Marsay? In search of this presence Jenn felt? A presence she said was wholly evil? By the gods, what was Mother thinking?’

‘Well, this is a nice little scene.’

Martha looked up to find Wilf standing in the doorway, his eyes bleary and puffed from sleep.

‘I might have known you’d try something like this, Finnlay. But you must have known the sentries would wake
me when the girls arrived. I’m sorry I kept you waiting, but I see you’ve already told them what they need to know.’

Martha moved towards him, but Wilf held up his hand, making her pause. ‘I have no intention of disturbing you. I’ve only come to tell Jenn that she must take the oath of allegiance to the Enclave or leave in the morning.’

Finnlay sprang to his feet. ‘No! I will not allow it.’

‘This is none of your business, Finnlay. Well, Jenn? Robert’s been banished from the Enclave – by the Key. We can’t trust him any more and the Key itself has labelled him as our enemy. Where does that leave you? What do you say?’

Jenn stood slowly, but Finnlay didn’t give her a chance to reply. ‘I said no, Wilf. Jenn will not go before the Key and take the oath. If you try and force her, you will have to deal with my sword.’