expression was endearing and surprisingly human. “I often am. But you knew your quest . ”
Umbral nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
“Good,” she said. “Whatever happens, Xerpen must not get his grimy paws on her. I’ve already snatched the White Lady’s son from him…” she laughed, delighted with herself, “…and how Xerpen would rage if he knew how I arranged that right under the nose of his spy! Now we must keep him from using the Vaedi. She doesn’t know it yet, but she loves me . Fa! Maybe not yet, but she will .”
An uncanny gleam burned in Mrigana’s dark eyes when she said those words… she loves me … and just for an eyeblink, her face shifted to something horrific… a putrid, rotting face dripping off a naked skull …. He shuddered, with terror, with love. Because he knew she was right . He didn’t know how or why it should be so. All he knew was that he loved her, too, more than his own life…more than Dindi’s life. Yes, Dindi will love you, yes, she must, she will have no more choice than I …. He shivered again, as if a part of him were screaming inside, trying to run from this love, but the rest of him ran toward it, even though it was an abyss with no bottom, and he knew he would fall into emptiness without end. Umbral’s last doubt that Mrigana was indeed Lady Death vanished. No matter how she demurred, she was powerful beyond his imagining.
He had to tell her about the Vaedi.
No, Umbral! cried a voice inside. Was it Kavio? The tendril sounded thin and weak compared to the dark knot of love binding him to his Lady, compelling him to tell her the truth, but the small voice was persistent. Umbral, you gave Dindi your word!
I love Lady Death more. So will Dindi. Like me, she would gladly give her life to Lady Death. She would want this…
After a struggle, Umbral formed a careful question. Each word felt like a rock pried out off his tongue.
“My Lady… If we kill Xerpen…then he cannot use the Vaedi… and our purpose will be accomplished?”
“Don’t underestimate Xerpen. You will have only one chance to kill him before the eclipse, which is in three days. He is most vulnerable when he is surrounded by people because he must remain masked. He dares not reveal his true identity or true power too soon. But the same is true for me. If you fail, I won’t be able to help you.”
“I won’t disappoint you, my Lady.”
“That would not be possible, Umbral.”
Mrigana showed no sign of the decay now. She was all Aelfae: a moonless night, stars reflected on a black lake, a blossom of nightshade, poison kisses. Darkness and beauty personified. There was an odd, almost human vulnerability about her too, which made him ache to protect her.
She stood on her tiptoes to reach him—he was a head taller than she—and kissed him on the cheek. He felt a renewed wave of tenderness for her. Nothing romantic ; it was a larger love than that, instinctive and raw, as old as stone and bone and blood.
Below, footsteps clattered on the steps.
“The others are getting impatient,” warned Mrigana. “Go.”
Gripping the bow and the arrow, he dashed up the final steps to emerge at last into the open air just as the first rays of dawn warmed the east.
Finnadro
Finnadro had heard descriptions of the Orange Canyon tribehold, but never been there himself. He and Amdra rode on Hawk’s back. This meant Finnadro had the odd honor of circling down toward the tallest tribehold in Faearth from above. The immensity of the surrounding mountains made the settlement itself look tiny by comparison. The Song was extremely strong here, resounding from the sky, the sunrise glinting pink off the snowy slopes, the deep canyons that crisscrossed the peaks like ax cuts.
The mountain was sometimes described as a goat’s foot, and now he could see why. The top was split into a larger, western side and a smaller, eastern mount. Both western and eastern parts were flattened on top, though still
Umbral nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
“Good,” she said. “Whatever happens, Xerpen must not get his grimy paws on her. I’ve already snatched the White Lady’s son from him…” she laughed, delighted with herself, “…and how Xerpen would rage if he knew how I arranged that right under the nose of his spy! Now we must keep him from using the Vaedi. She doesn’t know it yet, but she loves me . Fa! Maybe not yet, but she will .”
An uncanny gleam burned in Mrigana’s dark eyes when she said those words… she loves me … and just for an eyeblink, her face shifted to something horrific… a putrid, rotting face dripping off a naked skull …. He shuddered, with terror, with love. Because he knew she was right . He didn’t know how or why it should be so. All he knew was that he loved her, too, more than his own life…more than Dindi’s life. Yes, Dindi will love you, yes, she must, she will have no more choice than I …. He shivered again, as if a part of him were screaming inside, trying to run from this love, but the rest of him ran toward it, even though it was an abyss with no bottom, and he knew he would fall into emptiness without end. Umbral’s last doubt that Mrigana was indeed Lady Death vanished. No matter how she demurred, she was powerful beyond his imagining.
He had to tell her about the Vaedi.
No, Umbral! cried a voice inside. Was it Kavio? The tendril sounded thin and weak compared to the dark knot of love binding him to his Lady, compelling him to tell her the truth, but the small voice was persistent. Umbral, you gave Dindi your word!
I love Lady Death more. So will Dindi. Like me, she would gladly give her life to Lady Death. She would want this…
After a struggle, Umbral formed a careful question. Each word felt like a rock pried out off his tongue.
“My Lady… If we kill Xerpen…then he cannot use the Vaedi… and our purpose will be accomplished?”
“Don’t underestimate Xerpen. You will have only one chance to kill him before the eclipse, which is in three days. He is most vulnerable when he is surrounded by people because he must remain masked. He dares not reveal his true identity or true power too soon. But the same is true for me. If you fail, I won’t be able to help you.”
“I won’t disappoint you, my Lady.”
“That would not be possible, Umbral.”
Mrigana showed no sign of the decay now. She was all Aelfae: a moonless night, stars reflected on a black lake, a blossom of nightshade, poison kisses. Darkness and beauty personified. There was an odd, almost human vulnerability about her too, which made him ache to protect her.
She stood on her tiptoes to reach him—he was a head taller than she—and kissed him on the cheek. He felt a renewed wave of tenderness for her. Nothing romantic ; it was a larger love than that, instinctive and raw, as old as stone and bone and blood.
Below, footsteps clattered on the steps.
“The others are getting impatient,” warned Mrigana. “Go.”
Gripping the bow and the arrow, he dashed up the final steps to emerge at last into the open air just as the first rays of dawn warmed the east.
Finnadro
Finnadro had heard descriptions of the Orange Canyon tribehold, but never been there himself. He and Amdra rode on Hawk’s back. This meant Finnadro had the odd honor of circling down toward the tallest tribehold in Faearth from above. The immensity of the surrounding mountains made the settlement itself look tiny by comparison. The Song was extremely strong here, resounding from the sky, the sunrise glinting pink off the snowy slopes, the deep canyons that crisscrossed the peaks like ax cuts.
The mountain was sometimes described as a goat’s foot, and now he could see why. The top was split into a larger, western side and a smaller, eastern mount. Both western and eastern parts were flattened on top, though still
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