Death Weavers (50 page)

“You'll have to leave the beacon,” she said. “It won't cross.”

Since Prescia had given the Weaver's Beacon to him in the first place, Cole could think of no better person to leave it with. He set the lantern down, and the light output returned to normal.

“Hurry,” Cole said.

The cavern disappeared, and he was back at the ruined version of Gamat Rue in Necronum. He stood in the same bare clearing where Sando had first immobilized them, surrounded by crumbling architecture. The sun shone down from a partly cloudy sky.

Honor, Sando, and his two henchmen were just beyond the far side of the clearing, hurrying away into the maze of ruins. One of the shapecrafters carried Honor over his shoulder, while the other waved his arms, apparently weaving to keep her immobile.

When Sando saw Cole, he squealed, alarm in his eyes. His grimace showed his shiny gums. The old beggar produced a knife. “Halt!” he demanded, darting toward the henchman who held Honor.

Cole understood what he meant to do.

Echoes were much more vulnerable on this side.

Sando was going to kill Honor.

There was no time to think.

Cole aimed the Jumping Sword at a point a little ahead of where Sando was running. His power felt different here, still present, but a little less distinct, a bit harder to reach. Was it the absence of the Weaver's Beacon? Or maybe just being back in Necronum? Regardless, Cole forced extra power into the sword and shouted, “Away!”

He shot through the air low and fast like an arrow from a bowstring. Cole had never accelerated so quickly before—the influx of power had definitely boosted the jump.

The shapecrafter holding Honor had stopped. She hung over his shoulder, immobile, defenseless. Sando had his arm raised to strike with his knife when Cole cannonballed into the wiry beggar, ramming the Jumping Sword through his back. Both he and Sando collided with the shapecrafter who was weaving to keep Honor paralyzed. All three of them crashed to the ground. Cole kept his hand on the hilt of the Jumping Sword and could feel it jerking and jiggling as Sando hitched and quivered.

Suddenly, Honor could move. She thrashed, the shapecrafter carrying her lost his grip, and she flopped to the dirt. Honor sprang to her feet, brushed Cole's hand from the hilt, placed a boot against Sando, and yanked the Jumping Sword from his body. The old beggar's spasms stopped. He stared at nothing, eyes blank.

Cole's mind raced at the sight of Sando's lifeless body. It didn't get any easier—every time he had to hurt someone, even to save himself and his friends, it still sent shockwaves through his system.

Honor turned to face the other shapecrafters and found them motionless.

Cole got to his feet, perplexed by the unexplained stillness.

“I have them,” Prescia called from the center of the clearing. Apparently, she had followed Cole across. The Grand Shaper of Necronum stood with the fingers of one hand fluttering. Keeping the two shapecrafters immobilized did not seem to require much of her concentration.

“Hope you don't mind,” Honor said, holding up the Jumping Sword.

“Not a bit,” Cole replied. “That was quick thinking.”

“Not as quick as you,” Honor said. “They had me. I owe you my life. Thank you.”

Cole shrugged, pleased and embarrassed. She was so tall and confident and brave and pretty. Had
he
really saved
her
? “You're welcome.”

Honor returned the sword to Cole. “These two are prisoners now. Let's take them back across and lock them up.”

“Can you bring all five of us across?” Cole asked Prescia.

In a blink they were back inside the cavern below the echolands version of Gamat Rue. Cole and Honor stood near the cells. The two shapecrafters huddled inside of one.

“You can adjust locations a touch when you cross if you know what you're doing,” Prescia explained, picking up the Weaver's Beacon.

The cavern was quiet. Nearly two dozen echoes lay strewn about the room, apparently lifeless. A smaller group cowered on their knees, heads bowed, hands laced behind their necks. Thunder oversaw the group, with Callista, Joe, and Harvan nearby.

“Cole killed Sando,” Honor announced.

“Nicely done,” Harvan said. “That was quick.”

“It had to be,” Honor said. “Sando was about to dispatch me.”

“Lucky I had the Jumping Sword,” Cole said humbly, sheathing the blade. His hands shook slightly, and he hoped no one saw. He turned to the cell holding Drake and Desmond. “Where's Ferrin?” Cole asked the seedman.

Drake jerked a thumb at two trunks in a neighboring cell. “His pieces are tied up in sacks inside those two containers,” Drake said. “It was all they could do to stop his escape attempts. He almost got away twice.”

“Handy when you can pull yourself apart,” Desmond added.

Thunder whinnied and stamped a hoof.

“Thunder's right,” Cole said. “I'll open your cells, then let's get out of here. We have one last visit to make.”

35

M
y rope stopped working when you crossed over,” Jace said, holding up the small golden strand. “It shrank and wouldn't respond to any commands.”

They stood outside of Gamat Rue, having exited the fortress without interference. The other shapecrafters had either fled or hidden.

“I have to keep powering it,” Cole said. “When I charged up the rope, I created a connection that kept drawing a trickle of power from me. Once I crossed over to Necronum, the connection broke.”

“Do you mind powering it up again?” Jace said. “I'd feel more peaceful.”

“Sure,” Cole said, touching the strand and nudging power into it. “Good as new.”

Jace lengthened it and shrank it. “You're officially useful.”

“That's a relief,” Cole said.

“What about Hunter? Shouldn't his dead echo be around someplace?”

Jace lowered his gaze. “Sando knew Hunter's reputation as an Enforcer. He decided Hunter was too dangerous—even as a prisoner—and threw his dead echo into a slipstream.”

“So Hunter will just skip the Echolands if he dies,” Cole said.

“It isn't the funnest place I've been,” Jace consoled. “Tell me how you got your power back.”

Cole first explained how he met Harvan, Winston, Drake, and Ferrin. He went on to relate how they had freed Desmond and how Winston had died, allowing Cole to reach She Who Stands at the Summit. He then told about meeting Dandalus and finding Destiny. As Cole shared his tale, the others gathered to hear.

“You actually spoke with Dandalus?” Prescia asked, astonished. “His living echo?”

“His existence has been a secret,” Cole said. “But he never told me not to talk about him. He was planning to change the location of his hideout. He doesn't want anybody to know how to find him. Seems like She Who Stands at the Summit controls access to him.”

When Cole explained about Sando abducting Tessa, he didn't mention how exactly the beggar had traced him but couldn't help glancing at Desmond. The knight looked wretched.

Desmond cleared his throat. “I'm afraid my shortsightedness let Sando track Cole,” he confessed. “I accepted a message from Honor to Destiny, and promised to pass it to Cole if he found me. The message came to me through Sando, acting as Honor's agent in the matter. It was the price for keeping Honor out of the Fallen Temple. The deal seemed so advantageous and innocent—I was getting so much for so little. I knew Sando had to be up to mischief, but was blinded to the potential harm by the chance to help Honor from my otherwise hopeless position. At the time I agreed, it didn't seem likely I would ever see Cole again. I failed to anticipate how much damage the message could do if Sando used it to track him.”

“Sando fooled me in a similar way,” Cole said. “He offered me a bargain that seemed too good to refuse, and it led to Jace, Joe, and Mira getting captured.”

“I wanted to warn you when I gave you the message,” Desmond said miserably. “I tried more than once, but the oath bound me. I couldn't deviate.”

“I know the feeling,” Cole said.

“You still haven't explained how you got your power back,” Jace said.

“Almost there,” Cole said. He related how Tessa had jumped into the slipstream and how he went after her. They listened raptly as Cole told of handing Tessa over to Sando, and then how the ether stripped away whatever was blocking his power, leading to his escape from the slipstream using the Jumping Sword. He finished by telling how he had ridden Thunder to find Callista and then arrived at Gamat Rue.

“I take it the Fallen Temple is our next stop,” Harvan said. “When Sando's goons brought me here, I was worried I would miss it.”

“Wouldn't want to skip the most deadly place in the echolands,” Winston said. “I'll never understand how I went to the Other before you.”

“At least your dead echo remains,” Harvan said.

“I should go jump in a slipstream and get it over with,” Winston said. “I can't form new memories. I won't recall any of our upcoming adventures.”

“You can provide conversation,” Harvan said. “Losing you was a blow. This is better than nothing.”

Winston's expression softened. “I'm sorry, Harv. I didn't want to leave you. I'll stick around as long as I can.”

Thunder snorted and stamped.

“Those who want to rescue Tessa and Mira will go where Thunder takes us,” Cole said. “There could be stops along the way.”

“You know I'm with you,” Harvan said.

“Might be hard for all of us to fit on Thunder,” Cole pointed out.

“I can help,” Callista said, still in the form of an enormous black panther. “I'll change anyone who wishes to join us into forms that can run with Thunder.”

“I'm in,” Jace said quickly.

“Me too,” Joe added.

“I go where Harvan goes,” Winston said.

“It's been fun so far,” Ferrin said.

Drake gave a nod.

“I have a lot to make up for,” Desmond said.

“And of course I'll come too,” Honor said.

Cole almost teared up, so great was his relief that he wouldn't have to fight Nazeem alone. Together they would find a way to beat him.

“I'll need to borrow your power, Cole,” Callista said. “I don't have the strength to cause so many changes so close together. You should also energize Honor.”

“You can restore shaping power here?” Honor asked.

“Yes,” Callista said. “His ability is like none I have known.”

Cole took Honor's hand and gently pushed power into her.

“I feel it again,” she said, surprised. “My power went away the moment I left my body behind.”

“That is typical after crossing to the echolands,” Prescia said. “The power remains within, but goes dormant. Some aspect of Cole's ability wakes it up. Unlike the relics that need to constantly draw on his power, once your ability is awake, it should stay that way.”

“Will you be joining us against Nazeem?” Harvan asked Prescia.

She paused. “I admire your courage and enthusiasm. But have you all considered that entering the Fallen Temple might be the same as getting captured? Have you any idea the amount of power Nazeem wields inside of his prison?”

“He has Mira and Tessa,” Cole said. “We have to free them.”

“I understand the intent,” Prescia said. “But just because you enter the Fallen Temple voluntarily for a good cause does not mean you can prevail against the most powerful being in the echolands. You may not even stand a chance.”

“Thunder is Destiny's power,” Cole said. “She brought me here. If she brings us to the Fallen Temple, I think we can trust that we have a chance.”

Prescia sighed. “Do we blindly trust that Destiny's power knows things we can't presently understand? Even when it contradicts experience and reason?”