The light vanished, the silence deafening. The singing of insectsslowly creeped back, filling the air with all the noise of an orchestra. Thanaedged to her left, keeping her back to the wall. If she remembered correctly,the stables were in that direction. She could get under cover.
Her brain tried to remind her that a simple roof over her headwouldn’t be enough to stop an exploding pyramid, but the terror inside herdrowned out that voice, insisting that she needed to hide or share the samefate as the torchbearers.
Another boom sounded against the far side of the manor. Thanaclapped a hand over her mouth, holding in a scream. As the boom faded, sheheard the scrape and slide of falling rock. She glanced that way, her feetfrozen. A cloud of dust flitted through the moonlit yard like a ghostly horde.Why attack the part of the manor already in ruins?
Because they knew they couldn’t get through the stout doors? Didthey think the walls would be easier? Well, the exterior ones, no, but at aplace where the structure was already weak?
The questions gave her rational mind a foothold, and her heartcalmed a little, giving her control of her senses. As she peered around again,listening for footsteps or voices, she caught a glint of light within the treesand heard a soft sound, either the susurrus of leaves or people whispering. Shehurried to where the shadow of the manor’s corner jutted across the lawn like apointing finger, then followed it into the trees.
The same trees where the torches had disappeared, and people hadscreamed.
Not smart.
She clenched a fist and told herself to get a grip on her fear.She couldn’t stay stuck to the side of the manor or hide in the stables ifsomeone was throwing pyramids around. She was a spirits-cursed pyradisté inservice to the crown. Stopping enemy magic users was her purpose.
Straining to listen, she edged forward. A glimpse of light cameagain, not the flicker of fire but steady pyramid light, and by the way it cameand went, she guessed someone was covering it, probably hiding it in theirhand.
“It’s not working.”
Thana froze again, then crouched. This voice sounded angry.Another murmured a response.
“I don’t care,” the first voice said. “And we shouldn’t have usedone of the new pyramids on some random person who happened to wander out of thefucking manor.”
“We didn’t know it was some random person, and keep your voicedown,” the second voice said, a tone just this side of calm.
“Shut up and keep throwing,” a third voice added near Thana’sside.
She squeezed her lips together to keep from crying out. Shehadn’t realized she’d gotten so close to someone.
“The rest of ’em will have to come out eventually,” the thirdvoice added, and the other two didn’t seem inclined to argue.
Light bloomed shortly, uncovered then covered again three timesin a row, the burst ruining Thana’s night vision but letting her see a clump ofundergrowth in front of her face.
Another boom came from the manor house, then silence for a fewmoments before the angry voice said, “Let’s just set fire to it.”
“It won’t burn easily,” the second voice said.
“Stay calm,” the third voice said, a slow, threatening tone. “Wedon’t want to kill everyone inside, just the traitor.”
Thana fought to keep quiet. Who? The countess? Sylph? What hadeither of them done to be branded a traitor? Sylph could be a traitor to herclass, maybe, but Thana couldn’t picture a bunch of nobles or courtiersskulking through the woods to teach the daughter of a duke some lesson aboutnot making friends outside her social station.
Thana’s stomach shrank. Oh, spirits, it was her. She’d told Sylphof the queen’s plan and had run off with her. Now Queen Earnhilt had come toflush her out. Thana scowled, her anger driving away her fear even as shecontinued to think. Earnhilt wouldn’t use pyradistés. She’d march up to thedoor and demand Thana answer for her crimes. And this couldn’t be Sylph’sfather, either. He’d never use pyradistés. Then who?
And what could she do to stop them? Even if someone consideredCountess Carisse or someone in her household a traitor, bombing their houseuntil they surrendered didn’t seem exactly law-abiding.
She had to distract them. Or at least make them think there weremore enemies in the forest than they thought. Maybe if she spooked them, they’dleave.
After a long, silent breath, she eased back, waiting for them tomake a rustling sound before she moved. When she’d taken a few steps away, shefelt for something small enough to throw. She found a stick and launched itinto the trees, listening to the attackers try to discern the source of thenoise and praying for the spirits of wisdom and intelligence to abandon them.
* * *
Sylph clutched the satchel tighter as the countess demanded toknow what she was doing. “Don’t take it,” Sylph cried. “I’ll lose control.”Already, it was slipping. The pulsing need to reach for nearby pyramidslessened somewhat, but she could still feel them out there, waiting. And shedidn’t know if she’d set them off or retune them. She might kill everyoneoutside the manor house and inside, too, and just the thought made her hold onto the light pyramid all the harder.
“What do you want? Are those your friends outside?” CountessCarisse gave the bag another yank.
“No!”
“Liar. You won’t take my child’s inheritance.”
The satchel slipped from Sylph’s shoulder. She grabbed the strap,but her senses were already stretching, called by some pyramid outside. Shetried to see, to keep her eyes and mind on the satchel, but the light pyramiddidn’t call to her like the others did. She couldn’t lose herself in it withoutThana guiding her.
Unless she changed it.
She liberated the light pyramid as the countess tore the satchelfrom her. She clutched it to her chest and looked for the stone through it,twisting it until she could feel the walls of the manor rising like sentinelsaround her. Part of the wall was broken, lying in ruins outside, and as shekept her mind on it, another crack tore through it, chunks of masonry rainingdown as if they’d been smacked with a giant hand.
She could
