She paused and wiped away a tear. They’d both said far more than they’d intended. Miskyia too had been caught off guard, the longing to be with people creeping up on her again. She’d not been prepared to like this child so much.
‘You must keep quiet about what was said here,’ she whispered. ‘Were the Lord Bethrayal even to suspect my treachery then he’d extract a terrible vengeance. If there was any other way out I’d take it, but his spells will keep me bound to this place forever. They’ll keep me here, even if he remains trapped in the outer darkness for an eternity. If only things had been different I’d never have set foot in these halls. I never wanted any of this.’
‘But, if he can’t enter this world, what good would you be to him or his spells?’
‘If only things were that easy. Once you make a pact with the Lord Bethrayal there is little escape. To him I am merely a hand, an extension of his will with no thought or feelings of my own.’ Miskyia looked to the braziers: already the flames had sunk low and the light paled across the walls. Outside, night had fallen. ‘We must be quick – I have to be careful lest these stones realise my trickery. It was all I could do to lull their watchfulness this long.’
From the braziers there was a crackle of energy as, deep within the stones, something began to stir. ‘Please,’ Miskyia reached across the table, ‘you must trust me.’
‘And there is no other way to get this Lord Bethrayal to help me and free my father?’
‘If you knew the Lord Bethrayal you wouldn’t need to ask such a question. His appetite is insatiable. When he comes into this world, his first instinct will be to seek revenge. He’ll be like a baying beast and, without us to stay his hand, he will kill all who come under his spell. His mind will be weak from the journey and only later will his reason fully return. Before then we must bind him carefully so that he cannot escape. He will pull like a tethered wolf, but we must keep him in check.
‘Wislaw must be done away with, and quickly. That old priest knows more than I gave him credit for. He could still thwart our plans, especially when the Lord Bethrayal is weak. If he detected our spell he could break the link and hurl the Lord Bethrayal out into the outer dark, or worse.’ Miskyia paused as she contemplated what might happen should Wislaw find a way to bind the Lord Bethrayal to him. ‘We must destroy the camp,’ she said quickly, ‘and wipe out the woyaks before this fool priest has a chance to realise what forces are arrayed against him.’
‘Before he has a chance to kill my father.’
‘Maybe you are the best guarantor of your father’s safety. I think that Wislaw will keep him alive, as bait to trap you.’
‘I think he is the worst man in all the world, worse than Krol Gawel and all his woyaks.’
‘Wislaw may well be evil, but he is not stupid. Your father is far more useful to him alive. Dead, your father will be just another corpse, alive, he’ll draw you to him. It’s you who Wislaw wants, remember that.’
Iwa opened her mouth, but Miskyia motioned her to silence. The braziers had burnt low as the last embers spluttered and died and, with their end, the air began to clear.
‘Careful,’ Miskyia mouthed as she walked to the door and peered out.
From the corner of her eye, Iwa caught the glimpse of some misshapen shadow but when she next looked it was gone.
‘Come with me,’ Miskyia said, ‘for the hour grows late and there is much to be done.’
Outside, the air blew cold and a full moon drifted above the lake. They were at the courtyard with the tree before them, the pig’s head hanging from the lower branches, bleached white in the moonlight. Yet something was different; the moon reflected palely across the floor as, deep within the flagstones, ancient spells began to wake.
‘This is a moon dial,’ Miskyia said. ‘It is an ancient magic, the secret of which has been lost centuries ago. This is how the priests of old would track the path of the heavens, for there is a great power locked in the alignment of stars and planets.’
‘And Bethrayal cannot cross without that power.’ Suddenly, Iwa realised why he’d only appeared on certain nights.
‘But with the help of the amulet and the alignment of the planets he’ll be able to bridge the gap between the worlds once and for all.’
Above them the moon rose higher, sending shadows across the stones as, slowly, the ancient spells began to twist through the marble. Miskyia threw back her head, her eyes burning with an unearthly luminescence as she uttered a dark spell. Slowly the magic cleared to reveal the pattern of stars etched deep into the stones. Iwa knelt down and examined them. It was nothing like the night sky she was used to; strange galaxies swirled around distant suns. Then the chant stopped and the stones fell silent.
‘The next night,’ Miskyia said, in a voice that was not entirely her own, ‘all things must be in place by then. I’ll need your help.’ She turned to Iwa, her voice becoming familiar once again.
‘What would you have me do?’
‘We must wake the fighting Karzełek. They are an ancient race, the like of which has not been seen for millennia. Once they ruled these mountains, before the first men set foot upon this place. Had they been more numerous then the forerunners of the clans would never have settled here. For years they fought with men, but eventually they were driven out to take their refuge in the hidden places of this world.’
Without further explanation Miskyia led Iwa through
