The Immortal Realm (16 page)

“Aye, Tania. It has found us.” Rathina touched her forehead with a fingertip. “I feel it here. It burns like cold fire. And I can taste it in my mouth: bitter and sour on my tongue.” She moved to the window and drew back the curtain, peering down into the street.

Tania got up, the feet of her chair scraping on the linoleum. She came to Rathina's side. Beyond the window the street was a shadowy gulf. The isolated pools of orange light from the lampposts only emphasized the gloom. She was reminded with a sudden sense of dread of the Gray Knights of Lyonesse, the undead creatures that had pursued her into the Mortal World only a few short weeks ago.

Were
they
what Rathina was sensing? Had some of them survived the death of their King—and had they come here to wreak revenge? She could almost hear the clatter of their horses' hooves on the tarmac.

Her heart pounding, she watched for some movement in the street.

“I see nothing,” Rathina said. “But the thing is close. Perilously close—at the very door, mayhap.”

“Trying to get into the house, do you mean?”

“Perhaps.”

“We have to get out of here.”

“Nay, sister, we must face it. We must fight this thing and drive it off.”

Tania gasped. “Fight it with
what
? Knives and forks? And I can't even use
them
! If it knows how to use the Dark Arts, it'll be more powerful than us. If it traps us up here…” She didn't finish the thought. “No! We have to get out. Quickly.”

“And what of Master Connor and his medicaments?”

“We'll go to the hospital. It's on the main road on the other side of the railway station; it'll be easy enough to find. We'll meet him there.” She snatched up her shoulder bag and ran from the kitchen.

Flight was the only safe option. Tania hit the timer button on the stairway lights, and the two sisters ran quickly down the stairs.

At the top of the final flight that led to the hallway, Rathina let out a hiss and caught hold of Tania's arm, bringing her to a halt.

“So close!” she whispered.

As they hesitated, the timer switch turned off the lights and they were plunged into sudden gloom. But there was a light on in the porch, and through the frosted glass panels of the door Tania saw a dark shape.

She caught hold of Rathina's hand and sidestepped.

The walls and the sloping ceiling faded and the stairs dissolved away beneath her feet. She fell, still clinging to Rathina's hand. Tree limbs buffeted her and leafy branches clawed at her as she plunged
through the air. The pain tore the breath out of her.

She had known they would enter Faerie above ground level, but hopefully not so far above it that they would be injured in the fall.

They had emerged among the leaves of a tall oak tree. The vicious slap of the branches ceased. They came crashing onto earth covered in leaf mold and broken twigs.

Breathlessly, Tania stumbled to her feet. Wincing, Rathina got up, stooping to run a hand over her ankle.

“Are you all right?” Tania asked.

“My ankle turned as I landed,” said Rathina. “But I do not think I have done myself any harm.” She eyed Tania. “Think you we have evaded our pursuer?” she said. “It followed us into the Mortal World. Mayhap it will follow us back into Faerie again.” Tania hadn't thought of that. But at least they were no longer trapped in that house, vulnerable to its attack.

She stared anxiously through the trees. “We should get away from here,” she said. “We have to go back into the other place to meet Connor. But I don't know which way to go.”

“Do your senses not guide you?” Rathina asked. “Much of your Faerie heritage slumbers in you, Tania.” She looked around as if casting for a scent. “We traveled east to get to Master Connor's home,” she said. She pointed. “West will retrace our footsteps. Come, follow.”

Rathina led her through the trees. Tania kept glancing over her shoulder, almost expecting to see something chasing them—like a billowing of gray smoke among the trees.

“Rathina?” she asked after a while. “Where are we now? I mean, if we went back into the Mortal World, where would we be?”

Rathina's eyes shone in the gloom. “And how would I know that, sister?” she asked. “Think you I carry a map of that place in my head?”

“Take my hand; let's find out.”

Hands clasped, facing west, the sisters sidestepped back into the Mortal World.

They found themselves in a gritty, concrete development, its grim walls and shadowy alleys sinister now that night was descending. There were a couple of vandalized cars and some overturned rubbish bins. There were no people about.

Of all the places!
thought Tania.

But at least they were on the way to the railway station. She ran across a bleak open area, heading for a passageway that she was certain would lead to the street. They were swallowed up by darkness. A wall light buzzed and flickered with a pale sheen. There was the stale smell of urine. Several figures stepped out to block the end of the passage.

A voice cut across the quiet. “It's them!”

Tania recognized the pinched nasal tone: the gang!

“Well, so it is,” came Robbie's cruel voice. “Outstanding!”

Tania stopped and looked over her shoulder, already knowing what she would see. More figures black against the dim light, walling off the other end of the passageway. Her heart pounded and she fought the urge to run. Run where? They had walked into a trap and already the gang was moving in on them.

“I should have kept the knife, sister,” Rathina murmured. “Casting it aside was a mistake, I think.” There was no fear in her voice. “Stand we back to back, Tania—the better to defend ourselves against these goblins.”

Gray steel glinted in the darkness. Knives. And eyes glinted, too, cruel as broken glass.

Tania struggled with her mounting terror. A simple side step would take her and Rathina into Faerie and out of danger. But Rathina was not scared of the boys, and Tania knew that she, too, had to find the strength to face down her fear. “You'll probably beat us in the end,” she called. “But some of you are going to get hurt. We know how to fight!”

“Indeed we do!” howled Rathina. “Come, do not play cat-a-mouse with us, my little goblin army. Who will be the first to feel the bite of my fingernails in their eye sockets?”

Tania could see them clearly now: hooded and feral, at least seven or eight young men, and five of them had knives in their fists. But they held back,
forming a ring around the two sisters—as if Rathina's threat had made them wary.

Tania prepared herself to fight for her life. She'd never been in a street fight before, but she'd led an entire army to victory. The gang would not find her an easy target!

She focused on the boy closest to her. He had a pale, nice-looking face, hair cropped to a grayish stubble. Nasty eyes, though. The knife blade that poked from his fist was about five inches long, she guessed. It could do a lot of damage if he was prepared to use it on her.

She needed to gain the advantage somehow, to make them more frightened of her than she was of them. She lowered her head and stared intently and unblinkingly up into his eyes. Then she spread her lips in a cold grin.

“I am Tania, Princess of Faerie,” she hissed. “I killed the Sorcerer King of Lyonesse! Do you think I'm afraid of you?” She gave a menacing laugh. “Come on, this is what you wanted, isn't it? Don't be shy, now.”

The young thug narrowed his eyes and his knuckles whitened on his knife hand. Whatever he had expected from a cornered girl, this was not it. The others were holding back, waiting silently for him to make the first move. He hesitated.

She sprang toward him with a howl, her lips drawn back, her teeth bared.

He fell back, slashing wildly at her, his face tightening in alarm. She came up under his swinging arm
and used all her weight to send him staggering backward. She was aware of someone coming at her from the side. She shifted her balance and aimed a high sidekick at her assailant. She felt her foot make contact with something soft. There was a grunt as the boy doubled up and dropped to his knees.

The first boy came up hard against the wall, her shoulder in his stomach, the breath beaten out of him. She caught hold of his knife hand and twisted savagely. He gave a yell and the knife clattered to the ground.

She spun around, still keeping low. But the other two boys—the ones still standing—backed off with sneers that Tania knew were intended to hide their panic.

“That's it!” she shrieked. “Run away, you cowards! You're worse than the Gray Knights! At least they couldn't help themselves!”

She leaped forward, hissing. The boys turned and ran.

Then she remembered Rathina. She swiveled on her heel, ready to defend her sister.

But Rathina needed no such help. Of the four boys who had attacked her, three were already running. The fourth was sprawled on his back with Rathina on top of him, her knee jammed in his chest. It was Robbie. She had his knife and he was clutching her wrist with both hands as she fought to bring the blade to his throat.

Tania ran over to them. Robbie was weakening. All pretense of swagger and arrogance were gone now; he
looked like a terrified little boy fighting for his life.

“Let him go, Rathina,” said Tania.

Rathina didn't reply. All her energy was focused on forcing the knife closer to Robbie's neck. He was weakening. The blade made contact with his skin. Tania saw a trickle of blood.

“Rathina! No!” Tania caught hold of her sister's arm.

Rathina snarled, turning her head. “Let me loose!” Her eyes were ferocious.

But the instant she looked into Tania's face, the rage faded and she let out a gasp.

She pulled herself to her feet, dropping the knife. Robbie curled up on the ground, his knees to his chest, arms over his head.

“Sister, thanks.” Rathina panted. “I almost did murder!” She looked down at the cowering thug. “Let's away from this place.”

Tania smiled grimly and nodded.

They turned and headed to the mouth of the passageway. Tania's muscles were aching, and her heart was still fluttering in her chest.

A small sound behind them made the hairs on the back of Tania's neck stand up. She looked over her shoulder to see Robbie rushing at them, his knife raised, his face twisted into a snarl.

He's come back for more!

Tania was taken off balance. She tripped and fell heavily, jarring her shoulder and hip. Rathina was knocked backward by the force of the young thug's
attack, staggering till she was pinned to the wall, his knife now against her throat.

“Payback's a bitch, ain't it?” he hissed.

A voice rang out, brave and strong. Singing aloud a snatch of a song that Tania almost knew.

“Edric…” she gasped as the ancient battle-song of Faerie resounded off the high concrete walls of the passageway. “Edric!”

Edric strode forward, dressed all in black, a bright crystal sword whirring in the air.

“Get you gone, carrion!” he shouted. “My blade is thirsty for blood.”

Robbie swore and flung his knife, but Edric swung his sword in a shining arc, striking the knife clean and hard so that it glanced off to one side and clattered to the ground.

“I am Edric Chanticleer,” announced Edric. “I hold the rank of captain at arms in the court of Lord Aldritch, great and puissant earl of Weir! Get you gone from here or I will leave of you only such scraps as worms and spiders may carry off!”

Robbie stood his ground until the shining whirl of Edric's sword was only inches from his chest. Then he turned and fled.

Tania scrambled to her feet. Edric stood in front of the two sisters, his sword resting now on his shoulder, a look of grim satisfaction on his face. “I found you in the nick of time, it would seem,” he said. “And a merry chase you have led me on since I followed you into this world!”

“It was
you
?” said Tania. “You all the time?”

Edric nodded. “I had to know that you would be all right,” he said, looking deep into Tania's eyes. “You still have my heart, Tania, despite the things that have come between us. Don't you know that?”

Tania stepped close to him and rested her hand on his chest, too choked with emotion to speak.

Rathina's words rang in her head.
Love never dies in Faerie, Tania. Never.

He laid a hand softly in her hair. The gesture was so familiar, so gentle, that she had to hide her face against his chest and fight back the tears.

“How did you know where I was?” she asked.

“I had something to guide me,” Edric said. “The necklace I gave you—the black onyx stone—led me to you. It whispered in my ear when you came into this world. So I followed, thinking you were on your own, thinking you had made this decision alone. I wanted
to help. Have you got the medicine yet?”

She looked up at him, eyes brimming. “How did you know about that?”

“I know
you
, Tania,” he said. “As soon as I knew you had come here, I guessed the reason. You were going to try and find Mortal medicine to fight the plague.” He smiled. “Why else would you come here when the King had forbidden it? I know you wouldn't have abandoned us.”

“Oh, Edric…” He had crossed worlds to be with her. He had—

She stepped away from him. “How?” she asked, her voice cracking. “
How
did you follow me?”

“A pertinent question, indeed,” said Rathina, speaking for the first time since Edric had appeared. “For few are they of Faerie who can thus penetrate the veil between the Realms. Tania has the gift, and our Father Oberon is mighty in the Mystic Arts, as is Eden and her husband, the Earl of Mynwy Clun. But I know of none other, Master Chanticleer.”

Edric didn't answer. Tania saw a muscle in his jaw twitch.

“And…and why did Rathina sense a
dark
force?” Tania whispered, dreading the answer.

“I had to be with you,” Edric said guardedly. “I had to use whatever power was available to me.”

“Spirits of thunder!” said Rathina breathlessly. “You used the Dark Arts! 'Tis no wonder your presence leaned so heavy on my heart!”

“The Mystic Arts are all one and the same,” Edric replied. “The spirits summoned are neither good nor bad. It's how the power is wielded that divides the dark from the light.”

“You are a fool if you believe that,” said Rathina. “How came you by the power? Who taught it to you?”

“No one did,” said Edric.

Tania looked at him. “Edric, it takes years to learn to use the Mystic Arts, even I know that.” Her eyes widened. “Drake!” she gasped. “Gabriel Drake taught you!”

“No, he didn't
teach
me,” Edric replied. “But I was his amanuensis for five hundred years, Tania. I was with him when he made his enchantments. I saw enough to allow me to duplicate some of his work. But not for any bad purpose. You know I wouldn't do that. You know me better than that.”

Tania watched him, but for the moment she couldn't speak.

“It is not the
power
that corrupts the soul, Master Chanticleer,” came Rathina's clear, steady voice. “It is the manner in which the power is attained. The spirits can be befriended or they can be enslaved—there is no other course.” Her voice faltered now. “Gabriel Drake chose the quick path of enslavement, harnessing the spirits to his own ends, heedless of their agonies and distress. You have followed in his footsteps and the stench of his corruption is all about you.” She raised her arm and pointed a warning finger. “Beware, fool.
You know not how swift the evil can enter you and take command.” Her eyes blazed and her voice broke. “Do you not know? Once on a time, even Lord Gabriel was pure of heart.”

Tania saw fear flicker across Edric's face. “That won't happen to me,” he said. “I'm not Drake. I used the power to help Tania, that's all.” He looked at Tania. “You know I wouldn't do anything bad,” he said, a note of desperation in his voice. “You
know
that!”

Her mouth was dry and she felt hollow, as though her heart had turned to ash. She looked into Edric's face but saw only the soulless glitter of Gabriel Drake's silvery eyes.

She ran her hand over her face, and when she looked again, Edric's warm brown eyes were gazing anxiously at her. Had it been fear that had shown her that brief vision—or had it been a glimpse of what was to come?

She swallowed, hardly able to hear her own voice over the insistent throbbing in her head. “Promise me, Edric,” she said. “Promise me you'll never use Drake's powers again. Ever!”

“Do you think I'm so weak that I'll lose control?” Edric replied. “Don't you trust me at all?”

“It's nothing to do with
trust
,” Tania said. “Don't you get it? I'm
frightened
! I'm frightened of what that power will do to you if you use it. Didn't you hear what Rathina said? Gabriel Drake was good once. Do you think you're stronger than him? Do you?”

“I know I'm
better
than him.”

“The arrogance of the novice,” murmured Rathina. “Thus it ever begins!”

“I have to know you'll be safe,” Tania insisted. “Even if we can't be together, even if you go back to Weir and we never see each other again, I have to know that…that you'll be all right.” Her voice faltered. “I'm sorry…. I can't bear the thought of you changing into…into someone I don't know. Someone cruel and horrible.”

“That will never happen,” said Edric. “But if you want, then I promise. I promise you that I'll never use the power again, not unless I have no choice.”

Was that enough? What did it mean to have no choice?

Rathina stepped up to him and looked candidly into his eyes. “Listen to me, Master Chanticleer, and understand that I speak knowing of the love that my sister holds for you. The powers you have used are dangerous beyond your comprehension. If you should call on them again, they will twist your deeds and warp your soul and you will know nothing of it until all that was you has been consumed and lost.” Her eyes blazed. “But know this: Before that happens I will come upon you no matter where you may go and I will run a keen blade across your throat and wash my hands in your life's blood.” She almost choked as she finished. “I will not allow a second Gabriel Drake loose in Faerie, Master Chanticleer. Upon mine honor I will not!”

“It won't come to that,” Edric said. “It would never come to that.”

Rathina nodded. “Then all is well.” She turned to Tania. “Let us fulfill the quest, sister. Let us seek for Master Connor.”

 

King's College Hospital was not hard to find. A main road ran down a steep hill on the far side of the railway station, and as the three of them stood on the corner waiting for the traffic light to change, they could clearly see the sprawling hospital buildings built of red brick and decorated with cream-colored stonework stretching away along the roadside below them.

“It's huge,” said Edric. “Do you know where Connor will be?”

“He said he'd get the stuff at the emergency room dispensary,” Tania said. “But we don't need to go inside. If he's still here, his car will be in the lot. It's a dark red Ford Fiesta, and knowing Connor, it won't have been washed for months, so it should stand out.”

She was right. They quickly found Connor's car in a far corner of the hospital parking lot.

“Master Connor has agreed to take us to the coast,” Rathina told Edric as they made their way across the lot. “We need to be within the walls of Veraglad Castle ere dawn.”

“A good bit earlier than that, I hope,” said Tania. “I'm not sure what the time is.” She looked into the velvety sky. Stars were just beginning to appear, twinkling
palely through the nocturnal sheen of the big city. “Not later than half past nine, I don't think. That ought to give us time to get back well before Faerie is closed off to us.”

“Lo! He comes!” said Rathina, pointing to a small dark shape that moved quickly from the portico entrance of the hospital and ran across the parking lot. Connor came to a halt as he saw them.

“What are you doing here?” He looked at Edric. “Who's this?”

“He's Edric,” Tania said. “He's from Faerie as well. As for why we're here—well, that's a long story, and I'd rather get you up to speed on the way, if that's okay. Did you get the stuff?”

Connor nodded. He opened his jacket and briefly showed them a small plastic box. “The needle-free inoculator is in there,” he said. “And I have a couple of ampoules of levofloxacin in my pocket.”

“Is that the best one?” asked Tania.

“For a broad-spectrum antibiotic, it's probably the best there is right now,” said Connor. “It's effective against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, and it's used even when the specific bacterium is unknown—like in this case. It's usually the first drug people are given when they show the symptoms of pneumonia—and right now pneumonia is my best guess for what your people have.”

“Then let us make haste, sirrah,” said Rathina. “My people await your skills.”

Connor unlocked the car. “Did you remember the sandwiches and drinks?” he asked.

“We did not,” said Rathina. “More urgent concerns distracted us.” She looked at Edric. “Or so we thought.”

“We'll buy something on the way,” said Tania. “How long will it take to get to Beachy Head?”

“Half an hour to get out of London,” said Connor. “Then another hour or so down the A twenty-two if the road's clear, which it should be at this time of night.” He looked at his watch. “We should be there before midnight. I can administer the antibiotics and still have plenty of time to check out how our guinea pig is doing before the sun shows up.”

Tania let out a breath of relief. They would be back in the palace hours before the dawn deadline. She looked at Edric. “We can't just stroll into Cerulean Hall with Connor,” she said.

“I agree,” said Edric. “In fact, I'd say it was a mistake to stroll
anywhere
in Faerie with a Mortal among us.”

“Can you think of another way to fight the plague?” Tania asked. “Hopie and Sancha haven't had any luck with a cure. Connor is our only hope.”

Edric looked at her. “Have you considered the fact that he may make things worse?” he asked.

“It's a chance we have to take,” said Tania.

“I just want to be sure you've thought it through, that's all.”

“I have,” said Tania. “I've been thinking about nothing else ever since we got here! Now, like I said, we have to get into the palace secretly or the wardens will stop us. And I think we should try out the drugs on Cordelia first.” She turned to Rathina. “Can we get to her rooms without being seen?”

“Indeed we can.”

“And once you've given the drugs, how long then?” Edric asked Connor.

“We should start to see an improvement in a few hours,” Connor said. “If everything goes according to plan, we should know whether this is going to work in plenty of time for me to get back home safe and sound.”

If Tania's hopes and prayers were answered, then in just a few short hours Connor's medicine would start to work. And once they knew the plague could be cured, she would be able to insist that the portals between the worlds be kept open to allow more of the medicine through.

The plague would be defeated. All would be well. Things could return to normal in Faerie.

In just a few short hours…

 

Tania stretched her aching limbs and looked into a sky full of stars. It was a relief finally to get out of the metal shell of the car. It had given her a massive headache to be cooped up in the backseat for so long, but now the journey to Beachy Head was over.

From the pained expression on Edric's face she assumed he was feeling pretty rough as well. A few weeks ago they would have comforted each other, but now their body language was awkward and they walked separately through the lank grass.

“Does anyone know where we're going?” asked Connor. He had pulled a rubber flashlight out of the back of the car and he was swinging it around, randomly illuminating patches of long grass.

There was something eerie and disturbing about this place in the middle of the night. The dark sky was too big, the stars too distant.

“We are almost at the place where we entered this world,” said Rathina. Once more Tania was astonished by her sister's built-in sense of direction. If it had been up to her, she doubted whether they would ever have found the right spot, and yet Rathina led them unerringly through the grass toward the cliff edge.

“Here!” Rathina said, spreading her arms.

“Are you sure?” asked Tania.

Rathina gave her a sharp look.

“Sorry.” They were very close to the edge of the cliff. Tania didn't look down. She could hear the sea flailing the rocks below them. She could feel the immense expanse of empty air that opened out only a few short steps away.

Tania shivered and turned her back to the cliff edge, reaching out her hands. “Hold on to me,” she said.

Connor took her right hand and Rathina closed
her fingers around her right wrist. Edric hesitated for a moment then put his hand in her left hand.

She sidestepped.

The stars went out like a thousand blown candles, and the air became still.

They were back in the Well Room in Veraglad Palace.