nothing more. I promised to sit with her for a while in order to calm her nerves. As for myself… I get along.”
Erini could not help smiling slightly at Magda’s attitude. “You are a rock that both of us sorely need.”
“I live to serve my mistress.”
“I’d be lost without you. When Galea awakes, tell her that her officer asked about her. He’s fine. I also want you to get some rest, Magda. Even you have to sleep.”
“The same could be said about you, your majesty. I’ll tell her and do as you say. I must admit to some difficulty with keeping my eyes open.”
“I know the feeling. Sleep well, Magda, for we may all need our wits about us come the morrow.”
“The morrow is almost here already,” the plain woman commented. “May you sleep well, also, my lady, and please summon me if you have need of my services.”
“Thank you.”
Her escort stayed with her to the very end, even insisting on following her into her chambers. Not until every corner and every closet had been inspected, evidently at Melicard’s command, did they deign to depart. Even then, two of them went no farther than the corridor outside. Erini was tempted to tell them the futility of such an action, but knew it was likely her betrothed’s way of easing his own fears-though he knew as well as she that sorcery made it too easy for her to leave without anyone noticing.
Alone, the princess was tempted to fall face-down into her pillow and lay there until sleep overcame her, which would not have proven much of a struggle, judging by the way she felt merely gazing at the bed. She found her thoughts intruding again; this time concerning the terrible situation they would probably find themselves in come daylight. If only Darkhorse had been able to warn them! she thought wearily. They would be here by now!
He had tried. She knew that. Unfortunately, the commander had assumed it was the eternal who had killed Drayfitt and that he was a servant to one of the Dragon Kings. It was a wonder that all the stallion had suffered was a momentary exile to-to-whatever plane had apparently spawned him, if she understood correctly.
If only Melicard could have spoken with his men. He had mentioned once having methods for that, but, as with so many things, those methods had fallen under his “loyal” counselor’s control. Now, they were no longer available. Quorin had been very thorough in his work.
Drayfitt, Erini thought sadly. Drayfitt could have created something. He could have-
It occurred to her at that point that she had the potential to do anything the elderly sorcerer had been capable of doing.
The notion excited her, brought new energy to her worn body and mind. If she could somehow contact Melicard’s forces in the Hell Plains, she might be able to convince them to turn around. Then, it would be up to Talak to hold out until the army returned. Surely with foes coming at him from two sides, even the Dragon King would be forced to capitulate or flee. Melicard had also mentioned his smaller armies of the north and west. While the princess did not quite understand under what circumstances Quorin had tricked them, she could only assume that if she was successful with the first, then she stood a good chance of contacting them as well. From there, time would be what mattered. Erini hoped the Bedlams would arrive before it was too late.
How would she do it? Drayfitt had shown her little. Yet, the one thing he had always emphasized was, magic, in any form, worked more easily if one allowed it to come to oneself naturally. Allow her inner self to make each spell almost automatic. Few people had the ability or the patience to do that, which was why there had never been that many spellcasters of significant ability even prior to the Dragon Kings’ secret purgings following the unsuccessful Turning War.
The first thing she needed, Erini decided, was a comfortable but firm place to sit. Had she been, say, the Lady Gwendolyn Bedlam, she knew that it would have taken perhaps just the blink of an eye or the wave of a hand to perform the deed. Not having experience or the feel of sorcery, the princess was forced to do everything step- by-step. Hopefully, there would be time later on for someone to assist her in her practice.
While the bed looked most comfortable, the floor seemed more practical. Erini did not want her spell ruined because the softness of her bed made her too sleepy. The floor was comfortable, but in no way conducive to rest-at least, not yet. Erini knew that, once her initial enthusiasm faded away, it would be near impossible for her to stay awake regardless of where she was or what she was doing.
Seating herself on one of the carpeted areas, she closed her eyes and tried to picture men encamped in a violent, smoke-filled land. They would be rising about now, Erini supposed. She pictured the tents, saw the sentries, and imagined the details of their armor, the last based on those she had seen the palace guards wearing. The images faded briefly as exhaustion tried to seize the moment while her eyes were closed tight. Blinking, the princess cursed under her breath and tried again.
The images grew sharper in her mind, but that was all they were-images. She could feel no connection between herself and anyone in the encampment. With growing disgust, Erini realized that she knew none of the officers by face, much less by name. How, then, could she hope to make contact with them? Was her only hope the possibility that she might be able to transport herself to the encampment? Would that even work? To date, her abilities had worked haphazardly at best, even taking into account Mal Quorin’s damnable medallion.
Her concentration was interrupted for what she considered permanently by the return of the feeling that there was another in the room with her, another by the name of Shade. Erini leapt to her feet, teetering ever so slightly. Nothing. For the space of a breath, she had felt his presence so near that it would not have surprised her to find him staring over her shoulder. Her weary mind succeeded in coming up with an answer that satisfied her for the moment; her erratic senses had no doubt picked up on the traces left behind by his previous visitation. That she had not noted them in the days between now and the time of that incident did not occur to her.
Defeated, Erini slumped onto her bed. The appeal of falling asleep in her clothes renewed itself. Her arms were lead; the weight of the palace seemed to have been placed on her head. She wanted nothing but sleep now. Perhaps after some rest, the princess hoped, she would have some success.
A hesitant knock on her chamber doors stirred her. “You may enter.”
It was Galea. There were rings under her eyes and it looked as if she had just woken up. She had dressed hastily, for her clothes were wrinkled and her hair was in complete disarray. “My lady?”
“What is it, Galea?”
The other woman looked perplexed. “You summoned me, your majesty.”
Had she? Try as she might, Erini could not recall doing so. Perhaps Galea had only dreamt that she had. “I’ve no need of you now, but if you have a moment, I have a message for you from someone important to you.”
From the way her companion’s eyes lit up, the princess knew that Galea had already guessed who that certain someone was. Trying to smooth her hair into something more organized, the robust woman stepped respectfully inside, closing the door behind her. She hurried over to her mistress, unable to hide her anxiousness.
Erini started to speak, then clamped her mouth shut as the feeling of the two of them not being alone threatened to overwhelm her. She glanced quickly around the bedroom.
Galea looked at her in slight confusion. “Is something amiss, my lady?”
“I’m not-” the princess turned to her, intending to calm both Galea’s worries and her own-and found herself staring into eyes that no longer saw, but gazed blindly into the emptiness next to her. “Galea?”
The gentle woman did not move. Erini could not even tell if she was breathing.
It had not been her imagination and in her weariness she had failed to understand that.
“Greetings to your majesty,” a voice uttered indifferently.
Even before her gaze turned on him, she knew it was Shade. He stood near the mirrors, which had turned black and opaque in his presence. Erini idly wondered whether there was something the warlock did not want to see.
Shade slowly strode toward her. His face, though shadowed by the immense hood, was quite distinct this time, a complete change from their accidental meeting. A lock of silver hair hung down across his forehead. Erini shook her head, not believing any of this. Not now! Not after everything else!
“I find I have need of you, Princess Erini. Other matters… well, you wouldn’t understand, I imagine.”
She tried to open her mouth to scream for help, not knowing who or what could save her from this, but her lips seemed sewn shut.
“My apologies, but I have more to say and much to do.” He reached forward, not for her, Erini noticed, but for Galea. The princess reached out to block him, but her movements were uncoordinated for some reason and she
