“Change direction to south by southwest and go to the Elmerton sentry post. Approach with care. I do not want the scion alerted until you are in position.”
He nodded, though his eyes remained on her. As his image faded from the waters, Sybelle contacted another agent farther west. He answered at once, but his features were unfocused, as if she were seeing him through oily glass.
“I am here, my queen.”
Sybelle allowed herself a small smile. He was one of her favorites, despite his pale skin like an undercooked fish and repulsive blue eyes. “The rebels are shut up in a secluded valley among the central peaks. Don’t stop searching until you find them.”
“Your Darkness, that terrain is treacherous. An extensive search will take-”
She slapped the water with her hand, cutting him off. “Do not make excuses.”
His shaved pate came into view as he bowed deeply. “It will be done, my queen.”
“Report back when you are finished.”
As the pool settled into opaque darkness, Sybelle dried her hands on the skirt of her gown and considered her next move. She was tired, but slumber seemed as far away as the stars. Tonight, she would lie in her bower with a stalk of lotus gathered in her arms, inhaling its dream-laced pollen.
The gong in the alcove rang.
Sybelle’s fingers froze, dangling over the dark waters. She knew by its tone that the Master was seeking her. The pool bubbled. She jerked away. She was not prepared to face him. Not now. Not until I have the scion.
She opened a portal and left the sanctum.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
K it clutched her hand as something small and flat flew out of the mist and sliced open her palm, but she kept running. With Doggie coursing by her side, she watched the blood well up in the cut and dribble out. It had been so long since she could be hurt, she hardly knew what to expect. She showed Doggie her hurt, and his smug expression reminded her of Caim. Still she kept running, until her chest ached and a sharp pain dug into her side. The monster closed in behind them.
After she’d seen Caim through the faltering portal, the circle had collapsed into gray slivers. Stricken with worry, she’d started off across the lifeless plain in the direction of the prickling, hoping to find some other way out. Instead, the monstrous presence had returned. How long had she been running? Days? Weeks? She had no way of knowing. Time flowed differently here. She thought back to the tough spots she had seen with Caim, and how he had managed to survive. She would have given anything to have him here. Or better yet, to be where he was. Even a prison cell sounded nice about now.
Kit rubbed her forehead. The itch was stronger than before, but what was causing it? A flash of yellow light pierced the murky clouds above her. The path sloped upward with growing pitch. After a score of paces Kit was climbing more than running. Sucking in a gulp of desiccated air, Kit forced her tired limbs to churn faster. The light grew brighter, and the hope of finding a pathway back to the Brightlands blossomed in her chest. I’m coming, Caim!
The light pulsed, just once and weakly, but the prickling sensation cascaded over her whole body, making her skin sizzle. It didn’t hurt exactly, but it spurred her to action. The presence loomed in her wake, but the prickling dragged her onward.
Above in the gloom, the mouth of a cave glowed against the hillside. The sensation became overwhelming, making it difficult to concentrate. Keep pushing. I’m almost there.
A sudden gust of wind rushed down the hillside and threatened to hurl her backward. Kit held tight to the rocky ground. Step by step she fought the wind even as the presence loomed behind her. Doggie growled. When the turbulence lessened, she jumped forward. She was reaching for a small knob of gray rock to hoist herself higher when a terrible bellow washed over her. She fell on her belly. Gagging on a fetid stench, Kit risked a peek over her shoulder and shuddered at the sight of the colossus rearing behind her. Hundreds of tiny legs wriggled along the monster’s pale underbelly. Rows of curved fangs rasped together inside its gaping maw. Caim, I’m sorry. I tried. I really tried.
As the monster arched toward her, another roar clove through the winds. Doggie appeared on the monster’s back, clawing up its rubbery flesh. The mist monster didn’t seem to notice until the shadow beast’s jaws clamped onto a greenish-gray nub. The monster rolled sideways to dislodge the irritant, but Doggie clung fast. Throwing her protector a kiss, Kit jumped for her next handhold and crawled up onto a shallow rock shelf. The cave opened before her. She scrambled inside. Any shelter was better than being out here.
She crawled onto a hard, smooth floor. Soft pads thudded on the floor as Doggie landed beside her. She hugged his wide neck and gave him a peck on the head.
“Glad you could make it! Now where are we?”
That was a good question. They stood in a narrow vestibule with a high arched ceiling. The corridor extended as far as she could see. Then she noticed the prickling sensation was gone. Kit kept close to Doggie as she started walking. This place made her nervous. They didn’t have to walk far before they came to another oval doorway. No light shone from inside this one, though, only cold darkness. Kit grabbed Doggie’s ear for moral support, ignoring the look he gave her.
“Okay, this is it.” Saying it aloud didn’t make the decision any more palatable. “Caim, you better appreciate this.”
Taking a deep breath, Kit stepped through the aperture and tugged Doggie along with her. They entered a rough tunnel. Orange light flickered ahead, but faintly. There was no sound, which only added to the eeriness. The fur on the back of Doggie’s neck stood up stiff like bristles. She patted his head.
“It’s okay. We’re going home.”
Kit moved deeper into the darkness. The light continued to flicker, sometimes dimmer and sometimes brighter. A soft breeze whispered past her head carrying a delicate scent like faded lilies. She stepped through another doorway and halted.
“Oh!”
Kit rose a few inches off the floor and knew instantly she had stepped back into the Brightlands. She hugged herself, so glad to be weightless again. She was in a pyramidal chamber with a slanted ceiling rising to a point several body lengths above her head. There were four windows, one in each wall, but nothing showed beyond their stone frames except eerie darkness.
Something moved in the hazy shadows on the far side of the chamber. Kit drifted back a few paces until she hovered beside Doggie, who sat on his haunches like a trained pup. Then, a voice emerged from the shadows, a voice she hadn’t heard in a long time. For perhaps the first time in her long existence, Kit was struck speechless. Doggie lay down on the bare floor while she listened.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
T he outlaws maneuvered across the snow-covered field in complete darkness. There was neither moon nor starlight to guide them. From the slope of a forested ridge above the target, Caim watched as his men began their first live assault since he took over the rebellion.
He’d brought them up close to the fortified settlement, giving last-minute instructions as they crawled through the brush. Then he fell back and let his lieutenants run the show. Fifty-six fighters with painted faces and dark garb took positions around the outer defenses. The attack commenced with hardly a sound.
Caim hissed as an ice-cold tendril touched his ankle. A picture formed in his head, of a half-dozen men in gray cloaks scaling a low palisade wall. It looked like Keegan’s team on the east side of the outpost. A second chilling touch made contact with his other leg, and Caim saw another group of outlaws crossing over the wall. Uncomfortable with how well the shadows responded to his wants, Caim started to wish that Kit was here, but then
