Soul's Reckoning (Broken Well Trilogy) (17 page)

He found he wanted to share his newborn good mood. ‘Well,’ he said, spreading his hands, ‘we may not be all there, but at least we look good.’

No answering mirth showed in her. After a pause she gestured at her face dismissively. ‘Illusions,’ she said. ‘I don’t know why. Maybe there is a skerrick of vanity left in me somewhere.’

‘Oh,’ said Bel, suddenly imagining a ghastly face beneath the projected shell he stared at.

‘Just a few touches,’ she added, noting his look. ‘Most of what you see is me.’

Bel nodded as if he understood. After an uncomfortable silence, he rose. ‘I should return to my camp.’

‘As you wish. Enjoy the warmth of your lady’s arms.’

As he moved away, he glanced back at her sitting alone by the campfire.

‘What will you do?’

‘Wait,’ she said simply.

Bel wondered if there was anything he could do for her. He had tried to lift her spirits, and it had only depressed her more.

‘Elessa,’ he said, ‘thank you for giving us this chance. You will be remembered twice over for great deeds.’

She put a hand to her forehead in a casual salute, then quickly took it away to stare at it in disgust. ‘Let us hope so,’ she said. ‘And Bel?’ Again a long pause, and finally she lowered her hand. ‘I am sorry for my part in what happened to you.’

He forced a chortle. ‘Don’t be silly. If not for you, who knows where I would be right now?’

And then he did walk away, for she was beginning to disquiet him.

•

A smoking stump in the distance was the only standing remnant of the shattered tree. Battu turned to Fahren with a mad glint in his eye. Between them hung the Stone, its chain looped around the end of a staff planted in the ground.

‘That worked well,’ said Battu. ‘Shall we try another?’

Fahren was too shocked to respond right away. The sheer power that they’d been able to produce, channelling to combine their magic to a single purpose, was staggering.

‘Let’s change tack,’ he said. ‘What about a ward?’

Battu nodded eagerly – too eagerly, and Fahren had to remind himself that Battu could not make the Stone work by himself.

‘Ready.’ Battu raised his hand.

‘Wonder what will happen?’ said Fahren. ‘Shadow and light together in defence?’

‘Channel and we’ll find out!’

Each cast at the Stone, and Fahren felt a slight tweak as his power was caught up and sucked into it. A moment later a ward suffused them, but like no ward he had ever seen. It was a dark light, deep orange with tinges of blue, yellow, grey and black, like an expansion of the colours that constantly flashed across the Stone’s surface – the sunset sky in evening.

‘Impressive,’ observed Battu. ‘Now we need to see how it stands up to attack!’

‘I am sure the ward is strong,’ said Fahren.

‘You stand here,’ said Battu. ‘I can both help maintain the ward and attack it at the same time.’

‘But –’

Battu was already stalking off. When he was some twenty paces away, he turned. ‘Are you ready?’

Fahren braced himself. ‘Nothing too powerful, Battu,’ he called.

Battu laughed. ‘Don’t be such a cringing kitten! Weren’t you once the Grand High Mage?’

He unleashed a flurry of blue bolts that sizzled towards the ward. Fahren tensed, but felt only a slight jolt against the defence, with none of the force he would normally have expected.

‘Not bad,’ called Battu. ‘How about .
 
.
 
.’ He glanced at the sky.

‘No,’ said Fahren. ‘If you conjure some blue vortex up there, it will be seen for leagues around. We do not wish to advertise your presence.’

‘Very well. How about this, then?’

He concentrated hard, and two thick shadow tendrils unfurled from his hands. As they neared the ward, each darted in to attack it at the same place. At the point of contact the colours of the ward suddenly congealed and thickened, there was a great crack, and the shadows disintegrated.

Battu cackled gleefully.

‘Don’t get cocky,’ warned Fahren. ‘I felt that spell penetrate a little – the ward might be strong, but it isn’t invincible.’

‘It doesn’t change the fact,’ said Battu, ‘that you and I wield the most potent magic heard of in millennia.’

‘And I,’ said Fahren, ‘am not sure whether I find that a comfort or not. Now come, we have other things to try.’

•

Requested by Gerent Brahl to return to the officers’ camp, Bel was relieved to find Elessa now absent. He did not inquire after her whereabouts, but spoke instead with Brahl about some of the arrangements for the following day. Brahl also showed him an impressive suit of armour, suggesting that Bel might consider wearing it. Certainly the majestic gold plate was fitting for a hero, but Bel wondered if he really needed it. The path was his protection, and heavy armour might impede him as he travelled it. As he stood considering his answer, Fahren and Battu returned.

‘How did you go?’ said Brahl.

The two mages exchanged a glance.

‘Fahren?’

Fahren licked his lips. ‘We had no problem making it work. In fact, it works quite well.’

‘In the same way that the sky,’ added Battu, ‘is quite high up.’

‘If you’ll excuse me,’ said Fahren quickly, ‘I must talk to my mages.’ He set down the staff, removed the Stone from the top and moved away. Battu watched him go, then shook his head.

A cerepan arrived and whispered something to Brahl. ‘Excuse me,’ said the gerent. ‘I have much to see to. Bel, we can decide about this later.’

Left standing alone with Battu, once again Bel found himself curious, not just about the man himself, but because Battu knew Losara better than anyone else Bel had met.

He gestured at the fireside. ‘Will you join me?’

Battu glanced at the flames with unease.

‘Or maybe a walk to the river?’ suggested Bel.

Battu stared at the troops sprawling in the direction of the river and looked even more uncomfortable. ‘I will sit by the fire, if that is what you wish. Better than strolling amongst your horde.’ He lowered himself onto the rock furthest from the heat. Bel took one also.

‘Really,’ Bel said jovially, ‘I should kill you.’

Battu grunted. ‘You have reasons enough.’

‘And a very strong reason not to, I suppose.’

Battu shrugged with mock exaggeration. ‘I suppose.’

‘You are not scared of me – is that what you intimate?’

Battu considered him for a moment. ‘Perhaps. You have more pluck than Losara, I’ll say that for you. He never could master intimidation.’

‘No?’ said Bel. He tried not to let his eagerness to learn more about his counterpart show too obviously.

‘Perhaps I would have had better luck with the type who sits down to make casual death threats.’

‘I never would have served you, Battu.’

‘Not in this unravelling. But if it had been you I retrieved from Whisperwood instead of Losara, you would have been brought up with shadow ways and never known different. And then,’ he rested his large head on his fist, ‘since you have no magic I would not have lost my throne to you.’

Bel scowled. ‘You don’t know that. You don’t know what paths fate would have shown me in such a circumstance. And if you had stood in my way as you must have done Losara’s, I would not have been so sloppy as to let you live.’

Battu grinned. ‘So the greatest exception is taken not to whether you would have served the shadow, but to being told you couldn’t defeat me? Ha! Spirit then, a fighter’s heart .
 
.
 
. why could I not have been delivered this one?’ He cast an imploring look at the universe.

‘You did not get along with Losara?’ said Bel, trying to bring the conversation back where he wanted it.

‘You and I,’ said Battu, ignoring the question, ‘are not without our commonalities, Blade Bel. I am a fighter too, you know. In fact, I disobeyed orders from the Dark Gods themselves because of my quarrelsome nature, when I marched upon the Shining Mines .
 
.
 
. where I met your father, as I’m sure you’re aware.’

‘I obey my god,’ said Bel darkly.

‘Yes, yes. But it’s the desire I draw on to make my comparison, to prove oneself through strength.’

‘And the example you provide,’ said Bel, ‘goes to show that a warrior
can
threaten the life of an almighty Shadowdreamer.’

‘And yes,’ smiled Battu, ‘here is another divide between you and your counterpart. You argue that you could have overthrown me just as he did, indeed you persist with the topic when I consider it already dealt with, whereas such a competitive thought would never enter Losara’s mind.’

‘What do you mean?’

Battu shrugged, a real one this time. ‘I suppose he does not measure his deeds against those of others.’

Bel shook his head. Why were they even talking about this? What did it matter whether Bel would have bested Battu or not, had he been raised in Losara’s place?

‘Enough,’ he said. ‘This has nothing to do with anything. I wish to know about Losara.’

‘I thought that’s what I was telling you.’

‘Be more direct. Come, you have a vested interest in our victory tomorrow. Here is a chance for you to help secure it.’

‘What do you want to know?’

‘Is Losara weak? Is he slight of character?’

‘Ah,’ said Battu, a glimmer in his eye, ‘I see. You are fearful of the change, and who wouldn’t be? In which case I will tell you – I have ever found Losara a disappointment. Oh, he has power enough, yet he is weak in its wielding. As you can see,’ he gestured at himself, ‘he allowed me to escape, before which he was even reluctant to fight back. During our battle, he had the opportunity to kill my guards, yet he did not take it. He did not finish Roma when they fought, though the man sought to steal from him the title of Apprentice and would gladly have murdered him where he stood. But it isn’t just that type of thing. When he was a child, he was difficult to stir. Whether I was meting out punishment or praise, he’d stare at me as if he never understood anything. He’d wander about the castle endlessly by himself, not doing much of anything, not laughing and running or causing mischief, just drifting about. His only friend was as insubstantial as he, a demented ghost. And he never,’ Battu screwed up his face, ‘took pleasure in fine food. The Dark Gods bless him because they have no other choice, yet he is nothing but torn skin in their grasp.’

Bel found Battu’s words, and obvious disdain, extremely encouraging. ‘Then it will be as Arkus promised,’ he murmured. ‘I will remain, and Losara will disappear.’

‘Let us pray to Arkus that it will be so,’ said Battu, wearing a twisted expression.

He needs to believe it as much as you do
, whispered a voice in the back of Bel’s mind,
so he tells you what you both need to hear.

Be gone, little niggle
, he replied.
You will have company enough soon, in what-used-to-be-Losara, and he will be as easily suppressed as you.

‘Suppose I should try to get some sleep,’ he said, rising.

He left Battu and returned to his camp. Querrus was nowhere to be seen – maybe Fahren had summoned him, for he had spoken of needing each and every mage.

Hang watching the mander
, he thought.
I’m going to bed.

•

Jaya lay awake, staring at the roof of the tent, nervous about tomorrow’s charge. Perhaps she was no soldier, but neither were plenty of others who would fight. Still, she preferred night and subtlety to open sky and clashing swords. One could not sneak through a battlefield.

If it weren’t for Bel, she would not even be here.

The tent flap pulled back and he crawled into the tent. ‘Still awake?’ he said, lying down and slipping an arm around her. She rolled into his embrace and grunted an affirmative.

He took a deep breath. ‘I’m worried about you tomorrow.’

‘Why?’

He paused, and she guessed he was choosing his words carefully. ‘I know you want to fight, Jaya, and .
 
.
 
. well, I do not doubt your ability, let that be plain. But I will need to concentrate, more than I ever have in my entire life. I worry that knowing you’re somewhere in that fray will distract me.’

‘I can look after myself,’ she said, trying to sound stubborn.

‘I know you can, but don’t you see what I mean? My mind will be on you constantly, wondering where you are and if you’re all right. It is no,’ he gave her a squeeze, ‘slight on your skill.’

‘And what about you?’ she said. ‘You think I won’t worry about you?’

Here it was, then, the moment she’d been waiting for. Pride dictated that she argue, though she wanted nothing more than to agree with him. She couldn’t let him know that, however.

‘There is no backing out for me,’ he said. ‘Jaya, you know I
have
to go.’

How to make her acceptance seem reluctant?

‘Remember the trolls we fought at the Arkus Heights?’ she said.

‘Of course.’

‘Afterwards you asked me to fight at your back. That way you don’t have to watch out for me so much if you’re taken by the frenzy, and we can protect each other.’

‘That was different. Those stupid trolls didn’t know who I was, but tomorrow I’ll have the largest of targets on me. Standing at my back is probably the
least
safe place to be.’ He rested a hand on her bare stomach. ‘Jaya, please understand .
 
.
 
. my effectiveness tomorrow is of paramount importance, even if it comes at the cost of insulting you. If I lose focus for a split second at the wrong moment, it could spell disaster for all Kainordas. Can’t you please, for once, see the grander scheme of things?’

The comment riled her, and she felt objections building in her mouth, clamouring to get out.
Don’t go too far
, she warned herself.
If you manage to convince him to let you fight, it will be hard to take back.
She swallowed her anger, and fell silent.

‘Jaya?’ he ventured.

She gave a big sigh, trying not to seem too affected. ‘Very well,’ she said. ‘If it is
that
important. Let it not be said that Jaya Kincare is the reason why the light failed.’