Perilous Shadows: Book 6 Circles of Light (41 page)

Tika was surprised by
his last comment. ‘But you heard it, didn’t you Shivan, and you
were not linked to Kija or myself?’

Shivan
nodded.

‘Is that the first time
you’ve heard his voice?’ she continued.

‘Yes. But now I really
think of it, it was more a mind voice.’ He glanced at Dromi. ‘I
don’t think it was heard aloud.’

‘Suggesting it could
have been felt inside many other minds. So who else would have
heard that cry?’

Dromi’s question was
addressed to Shivan who became increasingly worried. He turned to
Tika. ‘He’s right. I’ll have to go to the Realm, speak to my father
and Corman at once.’

Tika chewed on her
lower lip. ‘I think I must come with you. How quickly can we be
there and back?’ she asked.

‘You will travel on my
back,’ Farn announced firmly. ‘You will be safe with me, and the
Dragon gates are faster than the others.’

‘We can be back here by
morning,’ Shivan agreed.

‘Are you sure?’ asked
Tika.

When he nodded, she
started for the door, Farn close behind. She paused. ‘I am
confident nothing more will happen here for at least a day,’ she
told the companions. ‘I must see Corman. I fear what the Dark Ones
may have heard and assumed.’

Sket nodded although he
wasn’t happy. But Farn swung his head to peer over his
shoulder.

‘You will come with us.
Of course.’

Sket’s face showed his
relief and he was up and after Farn at once. ‘You have command,
Sergeant,’ he called as he vanished into the dark wet
garden.

There wasn’t the
sensation of falling, of tumbling, as Tika and Sket were taken
through the Dragon gateway. They arrived above the roof terrace of
the Karmazen Palace in a bright sunlit sky, having left Gaharn in
torrentially heavy rain. As Tika and Sket slid from Farn’s back and
Shivan moved into his human form, Tika was immediately aware of
disturbance within the Palace. Farn paced into the arched entrance
beside Tika and came face to face with Peshan. The Dark Lord held
out his hands in welcome.

‘I hoped you would
come. I felt sure you could explain what happened this
morning.’

‘Where is Lord Corman?’
Tika asked without preamble.

‘With Lerran. Many
heard a cry in their minds and they have gathered below. Favrian
has told them we will give an explanation after midday.’ He glanced
nervously at the sun.

‘And is Lord Cyrek in
attendance?’

Peshan grew even more
worried. ‘I saw him among the others, in the audience hall. His
face is badly bruised and cut.’

Shivan caught his
father’s hand. ‘Cyrek is the traitor father. We know that for
sure.’

‘But it isn’t time to
confront him yet,’ Tika put in quickly. ‘I need to learn more,
dangerous though it will be to leave him free. He must not yet know
he is found out.’

Peshan gave her a curt
nod. ‘Will you address those waiting below Lady Tika?’

Tika cringed inwardly
but nodded. ‘I must speak to Corman first. Alone.’

Peshan simply held his
arm out towards the smaller door to the First Daughter’s bed
chamber. Tika went hurriedly along the passage and found Shield
Master Garrol before Lerran’s door. A huge smile welcomed her
appearance, and without hesitation, Tika walked straight into his
arms, hugging him tightly. He held her away, his face
serious.

‘Is it
Cyrek?’

‘Yes, but you mustn’t
try to take him yet.’

Garrol frowned. ‘You
will be careful.’

It was an order and
Tika hugged him again. ‘Let me see Corman,’ was her only
reply.

The First Daughter was
asleep when Tika went in and she spoke quickly and quietly to the
Palace Master. He caught her hand as she turned to
leave.

‘Take great care child.
He isn’t just arrogant, he does have a great deal of skill with
power.’

When Tika emerged she
found Garrol and Sket talking softly while they waited for
her.

‘Peshan wants me to
talk to your people,’ she told Garrol. ‘I don’t see why they should
accept anything I might tell them.’

‘They know of you, even
if many of them never saw you. Word got out that Lord Dabray
himself endorsed your position among us.’ Garrol’s blue eyes
sparkled.

‘Now I wonder how that
happened?’ Tika smiled.

Peshan and Shivan
joined them. ‘I think it best that my son remains here, Lady Tika,’
Peshan said. ‘He is young and well known to be “different”. It
would not be wise to have him at your side right now.’

Tika’s chin came up but
after a moment’s thought, she nodded. ‘Let’s get this over with and
then we must go back to Gaharn.’

Peshan led the way, his
long legs scissoring along the corridors. Tika did not miss the
fact that there were very many black uniformed guards on every
corner and lining the first staircase she descended. Sket was at
her left shoulder, the Shield Master at her right. Peshan took them
into a small room filled with the sound of many voices. Tika saw
the room was open on one whole side and guessed it overlooked the
lower hall.

She paused, letting
Peshan move forward and raise his left hand. The voices fell silent
as people saw the Dark Lord, brother of the First Daughter,
standing above them, clearly with something to say.

‘The Lady Tika has
returned to give you the explanation for the voice that named Lord
Corman a foul beast.’

He stepped to one side,
Tika took a deep breath and drew power tightly across the front of
the open space. She was comforted when she felt Sket and Garrol
close up on either side of her. She looked down at a sea of
countless faces, most of them with the golden eyes of full blooded
Dark Ones. A casual survey showed her Cyrek, leaning, arms folded
against one of the pillars almost directly opposite. Tika’s gaze
slid past him, refusing to hold his gaze or offer any
recognition.

‘Last night, or early
this morning to you here, the Crazed One sent one of his creations
to attack the Lady Emla of Gaharn and Sapphrea. The creature fled,
but the Crazed One called the name of your Palace Master. I know
that name was used to deliberately plant mistrust and confusion
among the people of this Realm. I can swear to you, that Lord
Corman remains the most trustworthy servant of your First Daughter,
and thus of all of you.

‘You must beware of
further words the Crazed One may try to put into your minds – you
heard his voice, you will know it again because it is something he
cannot disguise. I will tell you that we have plans to put an end
to the Splintered Kingdom’s interference in this world which are
nearly finalised. I also ask you to be aware that Lord Chindar left
one behind, who is still among you. He is the traitor who will
shortly be unmasked. I must return with all speed to the Lady Emla.
Thank you for listening to me, and I beg you, remain
watchful.’

She inclined her head
slightly and moved back into the room, out of sight of the throng
below. Even as she’d been speaking, she had sent the thinnest
thread towards Cyrek, touching his mind lightly as a feather. She
had felt his smugness, his conceit, his secret glee that she knew
nothing of him or of his involvement with the Crazed One. Tika had
seen the bruises on his face and recognised them for what they
were.

When she had been
growing up, a child slave of Lord Hargon of Return, she had seen
him strike armsmen, backhanded blows across their faces, which left
just such marks. Now she extended her sense of hearing to untangle
the jumbled buzz of conversation which was starting again in the
hall. She was relieved to hear that most of her audience had
accepted her words and no one had realised there had been a layer
of compulsion between those words to make them reject any doubts
they might have harboured.

The three men watched
her, knowing she was listening in a way they could not. Finally she
sighed.

‘That’s all I can do
for now, Lord Peshan. Do not let Cyrek suspect that you are aware
of his treachery. He is very dangerous although far less
intelligent than he so fondly believes. Do not approach him,
please, any of you. And do not let him near the First Daughter
under any circumstances.’

Peshan and Garrol
listened to this small woman gravely. Standing a little behind
Tika, Sket watched and noted yet again how this child had grown so
quickly into her power and authority. She seemed unaware of the
fact that she was giving instruction to two of the most powerful
men in the Dark Realm. And that they were listening, and would,
without doubt, abide by those instructions.

Sket’s hand tightened
on his sword hilt as the door suddenly opened. Sword Master Favrian
stood there, his golden eyes meeting Tika’s green silvered stare.
He drew himself to his full height. His left thumb went to his
brow, his lips, his chest, then his hand extended towards her, open
palm upwards. He said nothing, but there was nothing to say. Sket
had quickly learned that the formal salute of the Dark Ones was
given only as a mark of immense respect, and as a tacit offer of
service. That the Sword Master of the Dark Realm should make such a
salute to his Lady Tika said something that Sket would have to
ponder over at his leisure.

Sket found it confusing
to arrive back in Gaharn early in the morning. Navan had tried to
explain about the different times in the different parts of this
world, but Sket had concluded Tika’s attitude was best: just accept
these peculiarities and don’t attempt to understand them. Shivan
was nearly asleep on his feet when they entered the pavilion and
Volk took the young Dark Lord off to settle him in one of the beds
to sleep undisturbed. Sket found Tika regarding him with a
quizzical expression.

‘What?’ he demanded
suspiciously.

‘You don’t feel
sick?’

Sket frowned. ‘Well –
no – I don’t.’

‘You’d better travel
Dragon gateways in future then, you and Konya both. Then you’d be
of some use when we get wherever we’re going, rather than sitting
around looking green.’ She giggled at his look of outrage. ‘I’m
going to the House to see Onion.’

Sket stared after her
but was distracted by Dromi and Essa demanding a report on the
visit to the Dark Realm.

A maid showed Tika to
Onion’s room and she slipped in quietly. A tall man was bent over
the bed, who glanced up as Tika came in. She saw Rhaki asleep in an
armchair on the other side of the bed, and Konya curled on a pallet
by the wall.

‘How is he, Kollas?’
Tika asked, moving closer.

‘I am very pleased with
the healing. There has been no real infection and the burns are
very minor, as you see.’

Kollas placed a fresh
pad over Onion’s eye socket and Tika saw a line of stitches along
the cheekbone. She needed only the lightest thought and the
stitches disappeared, leaving a narrow white scar from the bridge
of Onion’s nose to his right ear.

‘He is trying to wake,
Tika. It is harder to keep him unconscious.’

‘It would do no harm to
let him come round, would it?’

Kollas gave a half
shrug. ‘He has lost an eye and he has lost a friend. He will need
time to adjust to both.’

‘Let him wake as he
wills, Kollas. I’m sure Dog will stay with him.’

‘Dog?’ Kollas
straightened. ‘A very odd name for a lady.’

Tika snorted. ‘Never,
never, let her hear you refer to her as a lady, Kollas.’

‘She went to fetch
breakfast just now.’ Kollas studied the other two members of Tika’s
company. ‘Konya is a healer with considerable talent, much of it
latent. Nesh and I have both touched her mind a little, enough to
activate some of her power. With her consent of course,’ he added
hurriedly. ‘She sat up with Onion too long when he had a slight
fever the first night, but she sleeps now – a natural
sleep.’

‘And Rhaki? Did his
pendant burn him?’

Kollas wiped his hands
on a cloth and regarded the man in the armchair. ‘Fascinating case.
He really has his original personality restored, yet in such a
different body.’

‘Rhaki is my friend,’
Tika corrected him, rather sharply. ‘He is not a case.’

‘Well no, I didn’t mean
any offence of course.’

Tika stooped to move
Rhaki’s shirt aside. The pendant Babach had given him rested on a
strip of linen, green unguent oozing round the dressing’s edges.
She glanced at Kollas.

‘It burnt quite deeply.
It was very quick. One minute he was sitting there, linked with
your far seeking I believe, and the next we could smell burning
flesh. Konya pulled the pendant away. It was very bright, and
pulsing. I didn’t check at the time, but at a guess, I would say it
was in time with Rhaki’s pulse.’

Tika focused on the
burn hidden from her normal vision, and healed it. It still worried
her, the great reservoir of power she knew she now held. She felt
that healing in particular should cost her something, else she
feared she could fall into the trap of taking her abilities too
casually. The door clicked open behind her and turning, she saw Dog
bringing a tray, laden with hot bread, and tea, and some of Emla’s
cooks’ famous honey berry oats. Tika sniffed
appreciatively.