“Rest, darling Mama,” he said lovingly. “Soon you will be strong again.”
—«♦»—
PRINCE Zyperis regarded his mother with every expression of tenderness— and why not? For the first time in his life, he had seen her helpless and vulnerable.
For now, it was their secret—and one Zyperis intended to share with no one else. But secrets were power among the Endarkened… and now he knew how Yethlenga had died: by the power of the Wild Magic and the High Magick combined.
It was a fearful thing to know that the puling creatures of the Light could slay them—they, who were meant to live forever, by the favor of He Who Is!
On the other hand, it was also… an opportunity.
He had not been ready to exploit it this time, nor had Queen Savilla been te weak enough. But if he arranged matters properly—if he made sure that the Wildmages’ pet High Mage flourished—
Then perhaps his beloved mother could meet with a timely accident the next time she faced the forces of the Light.
And there would be a new King in the World Without Sun.
—«♦»—
THE cost of the spell to see into Armethalieh had been higher than any of them had imagined. No one had died, but that was as much as anyone could say. If there had been an attack in its aftermath, the army would have been slaughtered, for of those who had shared in the price, many had fainted where they stood, and the rest were too weak to as much as lift a sword. It would be sennights before the army was able to fight at full strength once more.
Those who had not shared in the spell-price—and it was fortunate that so many had been exempted—found themselves occupied caring for those who had—helping the troops from the field around the ice-pavilion, and then returning to carry away the unconscious Wildmages and Cilarnen. Shalkan, too, had been found unconscious, guarded by the rest of the unicorn herd until a Healer could be brought to help him.
—«♦»—
SOMEHOW the Demons—not the Mages—had seen the spell. And had managed to turn it against them. If Cilarnen had not been here—if Ancaladar had not granted him the power he had needed to use his magick—if he and Jermayan and Kellen had not somehow been able to fuse their powers and Shalkan had not added his own unique power to the lot…
She would be dead, and the Wildmages linked to her so mind-blasted that they might never have been able to serve the Wild Magic again. Cilarnen… she was not sure what would have happened to him. Nothing good.
If and if and if. But all had gone as the Wild Magic willed.
Their spell-shields had protected her—it was why she was still standing. And now—as soon as there was someone conscious to tell it to—she would be able to tell what she had learned.
Tears of fear and frustration gathered in Idalia’s eyes as she thought of what she had seen in the mirror.
—«♦»—
SHE was able to speak to Redhelwar that evening, though the Army’s General was still confined to his bed. She summarized what she had learned through the spell.
“And soon the human City will be theirs, and all its Mages,” Redhelwar said, his voice flat with exhaustion and grief. “As Kellen said: there was something
“
—«♦»—
IT was the next day before she dared to try to wake Kellen—even Jermayan, with Ancaladar’s inexhaustible vitality to draw upon, still slept—but Kellen had to know what she knew as soon as possible. They had to plan.
—«♦»—
