The Grand Crusade (21 page)

“Well, yes, but

”

“Of course it is possible.” Tatyana smiled slowly as she clutched at Sayce’s left shoulder. “You have been fooled, boy, simply fooled.”

“But

” Kerrigan’s brows arrowed together. “The thing of it is—” In mid—

sentence he flicked his right hand at the crone. A blue spark shot from his fingertips straight at her face.

Tatyana’s left hand came up with the ease of someone brushing a gnat away, though her hand glowed gold and the blue spark popped out of existence. After a moment’s hesitation, Tatyana’s hand slipped to Sayce’s slender neck, took hold of the chain, and jerked it tight.

The old woman’s eyes blazed. “I don’t play at tricks, boy. Now you can die.” Tatyana’s hand came down with a slash, as if she were a sword duelist saluting her foe. A scarlet sphere congealed out of the rent in the air. Silver sparks and blue darted over the surface. It shot in at Kerrigan, but all he could do was shove Alexia away before it hit him. The resulting blast was enough to scatter everyone. Erlestoke spun to the floor and found someone else on top of him.

He shoved off the floorboards and regained his feet quickly. Kerrigan had been knocked back twenty feet, almost all the way to the door, where his robe smoked and his body twitched at the feet of Rymramoch. Augustus and Alexia had likewise managed to regain their feet. Chytrine—for she had proven herself to be the Nor’witch with that bit of magick—dragged Sayce with her as she stalked toward the doors to the roof.

The old woman looked back over her shoulder with a gold fire now roiling in her eyes. “Do not be foolish. It is her life if you follow me.”

Bok vaulted the prostrate Kerrigan and bounded toward Chytrine. “This has to stop now, Chytrine.”

As the malachite urZrethi leaped at her, Chytrine swept her left hand around. Invisible force smashed the urZrethi into the wall and he slid to the floor in a broken heap. “You had centuries to stop me and you failed. Again.”

With another gesture she blasted open the doors for which she was heading. Out on the rooftop a fiery horse landed and a small dark form tumbled free. As he came to his feet, his cloak brushed the horse’s tail and burst into flames. Above him, astride the horse, sat Nefrai-kesh, the King of thesullandri. And the hooded cloak he is wearing is Lombo’s flesh!

The smaller figure Erlestoke knew to be Nefrai-laysh. “My father’s made me clean of limb and, Mistress, so full of vim, it’s gladly your enemies I’ll cut and

trim.“

Though the lessersullandridrew a sword, the Oriosan prince advanced. “Chytrine, you’re not taking her.”

“No? You should listen as well as your father does.” The old woman turned and lifted her right hand high. Sayce clawed at the chain, her face purple and her feet barely scraping the rooftop. “I’ll leave her corpse then.”

“No!”

The shout surprised both Erlestoke and Chytrine. The Aurolani Empress looked up at Nefrai-kesh. “You dare order me?”

“Only to prevent an error, Mistress. Bring her.”

“This worthless thing?” Chytrine gave Sayce a shake. “She is nothing.”

Thesullandri’svoice strengthened. “Seek, Mistress. She carries my greatgrandchild. From her springs the new Norrington.”

Tatyana’s face blossomed with an obscene smile. “Oh, perfect. How stupid they are.” She tossed the princess to Nefrai-kesh, who caught her and laid her athwart the saddlebow. As Nefrai-laysh moved to eclipse Chytrine, his father reached down, took the empress’ hand, and swung her up behind him. “I will return for you.”

Nefrai-laysh laughed. “Concern yourself not, for where I am got. I have here work to do. Slashing and cutting, stabbing and gutting. I’ll find my way home before you.”

The flaming horse sprouted dragon wings and with a powerful beat that singed Erlestoke’s hair, it leaped into the air beneath its burden. Though terrible, it was also beautiful. Its tail lengthened, the red-gold flames cooling into blues and greens. As it rose a wingtip touched a pendant, instantly converting it to flame.

Nefrai-laysh tapped his black sword against the roof’s stone. “Attend me, Prince, it’s long since, I’ve slain one of royal blood.”

Thesullandrilunged. Erlestoke filled his left hand with his dagger and parried the stroke. His dagger screeched as thesullandri’ssword pared a curl of metal from it, but the prince had known the dagger would be of little use. As he parried the blade wide, he pivoted on his left foot and smashed his right fist square in Nefrai-laysh’s face. Bones cracked, and while the prince felt something go in his hand, he knew more had gone in the enemy’s nose.

Thesullandrireeled back, raising a hand to his flattened nose. He pinched it with fingers and drew it up with a startling number of pops. Nefrai-laysh snorted, blowing black blood and mucus down to the stone where it bubbled and smoked. He brought his hand away, flicked more fluid from his fingers, and studied Erlestoke with eyes that were balefires.

Nefrai-laysh doubtless intended to say something, but never got the chance. Alexia flew into him. Having come at a run, she leaped and smashed both feet into his chest. The blow hit thesullandrias hard as Chytrine’s spell had hit Kerrigan, lifting him from his feet and knocking him back against the crenellated wall that ringed the roof. His shoulder caught one of the merlons, twisting him, then, in an eyeblink, he somersaulted backward and disappeared.

Erlestoke leaped over Alexia and ran to the wall. Shouts and screams came from the street below. People scurried in panic. Nefrai-laysh cut at some, lunged at others, killing no one but wounding several and speeding the rest away. All the rest save two.

A large man held a thick staff ready for combat. “Is this all you’re about now, Leigh?”

Thesullandristopped. “Nay?”

“You’ve changed little.”

“Nay, Nay, what a day. I’m glad it’s you I spy. Pray, prey, then we’ll play,

because now, my friend, you’ll die.“ Nefrai-laysh darted forward with blinding speed, sweeping his blade down in a cut that would take Nay’s legs off at the knee. Though the man swung the staff down to block, thesullanciri’sblade would have sheared right through it.

The intervention of another blade prevented that from happening. Borell cast aside the scabbard that had encased the sword Eye and caught Nefrai-laysh’s blade before it bit into his father’s staff. Thesullanciripulled back, surprised, then whipped the blade up and around in a cut that should have cloven Borell’s skull right above the line of his mask.

The youth ducked, then lunged, stabbing Nefrai-laysh through the stomach. Thesullancirigasped and leaped back, pulling himself off the blade. Borell bore in, blocking another cut, then twisted his sword up over Nefrai-laysh’s guard and drove the point into one of those balefires.

Thesullanciri’sbody jerked back, ripping the sword from Borell’s grasp. Nefrai-laysh’s back bowed and he screamed fire to the heavens. His feet came off the ground and he seemed to hover there for a heartbeat or two, then the fire in his eyes went out and a flaccid body fell like an empty glove to the cobblestones.

Alexia shouted down to Nay. “Take his sword and come up here, the both of you.”

Erlestoke turned and headed back into the room. He found King Augustus crouched near Bok. Over by the door Rymramoch had sunk to one knee beside Kerrigan. The prince moved to the urZrethi. “How is he?”

Augustus shook his head. “Not dead, but hurt badly and probably dying. I’ve sent someone for healers.”

Erlestoke looked up at the wall. Plaster had cracked where Bok had hit it, and dark blood stained the wall where he slid down. He did seem to be breathing, but the rattle coming from his chest was not a good sign.

The prince rose and crossed to where Alexia stood with Rymramoch. Kerrigan’s limbs had been straightened and, save for muscle twitches, he would have appeared dead. “What did she do to him?”

The puppet shook its head with a jerky motion. “Magick of her own devising. It was very powerful. Even being in the proximity of him makes my ability to control this shell difficult.”

Alexia knelt and took one of the young mage’s hands in hers. “He’s cold. Is he dying?”

“Most likely.”

Alexia sat back on her heels and looked up. “What happened? Why are you here?”

“Why didn’t I keep him safe, you want to ask?” The puppet started to gesture, but his right arm froze awkwardly. “On Vael Kerrigan progressed swiftly. He learned things and was able to devise a spell that pinpointed Chytrine’s location. He cast his spell to find her and learned she was in Narriz. With the help of another dragon, we arrived last night, stealthfully. Here in Narriz he cast his spell

again, but very gently, so she would not notice. Apparently she did not notice.Hecame here directly and you saw the rest.“

Erlestoke shook his head. “He cast another spell at her. What was that?”

“A little annoyance spell. It’s something most mages learn very early and casting a counter to it is almost reflexive.” Rymramoch canted his head. “In her case it was, and she was exposed.”

Alexia sighed heavily. “She’s been here in our councils the whole time. She knew everything we would do. She urged us to do things that would waste time and misdirect forces. Because of her half the army that could have been at Fortress Draconis was off freeing Okrannel. She raised the point about Adrogans having dragonels, and who better to know the truth of that situation

than she?“

“Easy, Alexia, this is in no way your fault.” Erlestoke crouched beside her. “She was able to stir up trouble, yes, but her exposure will unite everyone.”

The princess blinked at him. “Unite them? Have you lost your senses? They’ll be slaughtering each other out of fear. They’ll think every other lordling is an Aurolani agent. They’ll accuse your father of being asullanciri. It will be madness. And that madness will be compounded when they learn that Sayce is carrying Will’s child, and is now in the hands of Chytrine.”

Erlestoke smiled. “At least you know you’ll have the Murosan troops with

you.“

“Sure,if Idecide to go haring off to Aurolan to save Sayce, which is not the

object of our exercise.“

“No, you’re right. The object is to destroy Chytrine.” Erlestoke rose as Nay and Borell came through the door. He nodded to them, then turned to face the assembled nobles and soldiers. “I expect you will all want to go report to your superiors what has happened here. Let’s make certain you are all aware of whatdidhappen.”

He looked around the room, meeting the gazes of all assembled openly and coolly. “Chytrine’s imposture was exposed before any strategic or tactical planning could be discussed. The basic material we had covered should have been obvious to all of you. More importantly, she will now be operating off what she thinks we are thinking. All of those problems we faced before will now require even harder work, but we have an advantage that we did not have before.

“Second, and of vital import, this young man, Borell Carver, slew asullanciri. Chytrine has been deprived of one of her prime lieutenants. Throughout this war she has lostsullanciriat an alarming rate. Without them, her ability to control her troops is sorely impeded.”

Venes shook his head. “What about her getting the new Norrington?”

Erlestoke shrugged mightily to cover the shiver running down his spine. “Princess Sayce may indeed be carrying Will Norrington’s child. The fact is, however, that the child will not be born until the autumn. Lest you forget, the Norrington Prophecy is not a good one for Chytrine. By taking the child, she is

just clasping a snake to her breast. That, however, is immaterial as far as we are concerned. Our job is to smash her armies and chase her back home. We’ll get there in time to save Sayce and let her child be born in a civilized land.“ He waved them to the doors. ”Go, report. We shall resume tomorrow.“ The soldiers and nobles filed from the room, leaving only Augustus, Bok, Alexia, Kerrigan, Rymramoch, and the trio of Oriosans. ”Is there anything you can do for Bok?“

The puppet looked toward the urZrethi. “If someone could convey me over there, I do believe I might help.”

Nay and Borell grabbed him at the elbows and carried him toward Bok. When the puppet was a dozen feet from Kerrigan, he regained use of his limbs. He completed the journey on his own and knelt to attend to the urZrethi.

Alexia laid a hand on Erlestoke’s shoulder. “Thank you for what you said.”

He shrugged. “I know how you must be feeling.”

“How’s that?”

“People think my father is Chytrine’s plaything. At least you had a bit more generational insulation on that count.”

Alexia laughed. “Okay, you do know.” She shook her head, then laughed again.

“What?”

“I was just thinking, remembering. I don’t know how long Chytrine has assumed Tatyana’s identity, but I hope it’s been at least ten years.” The Okrans Princess smiled. “The first time I met her, I bit her.”

Erlestoke smiled. “You did, did you? I never bit my father.”

“Try it.”

“No thanks. We have too much work to do.” He gave her a wink. “We’re going to figure out a way you’ll get to bite her again, and this time we’ll make it really hurt.”

Alexia hesitated for a moment at the top of the steps and looked down into the semicircular amphitheater that normally housed Saporicia’s Congress of Guild Masters. The stairs she stood poised to descend split the various tiers and led directly to the open half circle in which Guild Masters would stand to debate various points of law and policy. Against the back wall, beneath gorgeous murals of Saporician history, a dais had been built. Upon it sat one large throne, which King Fidelius occupied as he would in normal times. To his right and left sat smaller thrones for King Scrainwood and King Augustus, respectively.

Others had gathered below in various factions, but Alexia’s attention was drawn to the low table that had been placed before the throne. On it lay Kerrigan, shrouded from throat to toes in a white sheet. His body still twitched and shivered, but the damage done by Chytrine’s magick could not remain hidden. Her spell had wasted his body. Had he not been so fat to begin with, Alexia was certain, he’d have long since been wholly consumed.