Sounds echoed from outside the room, and from the stairwell came the thud of boots on the stone steps.
They were coming for her, and for the sword.
She stood, and turned to face the door she had blocked. She had battle-vision, and fire powers, and now she also had death powers.
She readied herself. Let them come.
Chapter 26
Lord of the Catacombs
T orduan Mountains, Khatanax – 3rd Kolinch 5252
Aila awoke in pitch darkness to the sound of grinding rock. The ground was shaking under her body, and she felt stones land on her from above.
‘Everyone out of the caves!’ shouted a loud dragon voice over the thundering rumble.
Aila scrambled upright, lost in the darkness. ‘Kelsey! Where are you?’
‘I’m right here,’ said a voice next to her, and a hand grabbed hold of hers.
‘Out, out!’ called Frostback. ‘The caves are collapsing.’
Aila was thrown back to the ground as the earth shuddered, and the noise sounded like the entire mountainside was uprooting itself. A large, clawed forelimb grasped her waist and she was lifted into the dust-choked air. She was shaken about in Frostback’s grip, and then they were outside again, and she could see the moon and stars shining down from above. Frostback flew for a hundred yards, then set Kelsey and Aila down onto a narrow stone ledge near the bottom of the valley.
‘Remain here,’ the silver dragon said, ‘I must return to help the others.’
She beat her wings and flew off, heading back towards the caves where they had been resting.
‘Are you alright?’ said Aila.
‘I think so,’ said the young Holdfast woman, shaking the dust from her hair. ‘You?’
‘Is Arete back? Has she come to finish the job?’
‘I can’t sense any powers being used, so hopefully not.’
They sat down on the cold ledge and stared in the direction of the cliffside. It was hard to see anything in the moonlight, but Aila could make out the silhouettes of several dragons flying above the ridge, and others swooping down, or ascending into the sky. She shivered in the cold night air, wishing she had a blanket or warmer clothes.
‘Did you get any sleep?’ she said.
‘None,’ said Kelsey. ‘I was lying awake thinking about Sable and Corthie, and everything that’s happened to us. And then the ground moved and a chunk of the cave’s roof fell on me; a small chunk, luckily. How about you?’
‘I think I’d just managed to drift off.’
‘Pyre’s arse, what a mess. I hope everyone’s alright.’
The ground rumbled again, and the ledge where they were sitting juddered for a moment.
‘I hate this place,’ said Aila, clinging onto the rock as it settled. ‘All of it; Lostwell, Khatanax, this hideous valley. Damn it; where’s Corthie?’
‘He’s in Alea Tanton.’
Aila stared at her. ‘What?’
‘Do you remember I told you that I’d had a vision? I’m not going to say anything else about it, but I can tell you that he’s alive and in Alea Tanton. He was in the vision, briefly.’
‘And when were you going to tell me this?’
‘I wasn’t sure if I should. I mean, now you’re all agitated. Knowing doesn’t help.’
‘No, Kelsey; it does help. Alea Tanton? Why would he go there? Does he think we’re there?’
‘I can’t answer any of those questions.’
‘Do you think we could ask Frostback to take us?’
‘Let’s wait and see what the dragons decide to do next. We still don’t know what’s going on over at the caves.’
‘Was he hurt? In your vision, was he hurt?’
Kelsey sighed. ‘I knew I shouldn’t have told you. Look, Sable sees him; that’s all I can say. It was through her eyes that I had the vision, and that’s why I told her about it. Corthie didn’t seem hurt, but it was only a flash.’
‘Sable’s in Alea Tanton as well? Good. That makes me feel a little better.’
‘I still can’t believe that Sable has her own dragon. She must have used her mind powers to trick him.’
Aila raised an eyebrow. ‘Don’t change the subject.’
‘I was hoping you wouldn’t notice.’
Frostback soared towards them and landed a few yards away, down the slope from where the two women were sitting, so that her head was level with them.
‘Grim news, humans. The earthquake claimed the lives of another nine dragons. The entire network of caverns has collapsed. Some of the others are digging, looking for more survivors; it will be some time before they are finished.’
‘Is your father alright? And Darksky and the children?’ said Kelsey.
‘They were sleeping close to the entrance of a cave; they got out uninjured.’
‘Thank Pyre for that. I can’t sense any gods close by; I think the earthquake might have been natural, or maybe it was caused by the eruption of the volcanoes by the Catacombs.’
‘That was one of the questions I came to ask you. The others are worried that an Ascendant has returned, and I told them that you had the power to sense them.’
‘No; I think we’re in the clear. If I sense any powers being used, I’ll shout out and let you know.’
‘Thank you.’
Aila glanced up at the moon. ‘Is it midnight yet?’
‘Not yet,’ said Frostback. ‘It will be here in another hour or so.’
Aila nodded. ‘How long would it take to fly to Alea Tanton?’
Frostback tilted her head. ‘Why would you ask that?’
‘I was just wondering.’
‘I don’t know for certain; maybe five or six hours?’
‘We’ll let you go back to the others,’ said Kelsey; ‘I’m sure you’re busy.’
‘I am. I will pass on your message that you can sense no gods, and will return when I can.’
Frostback extended her wings and ascended into the dark night sky, her shadow blotting out the stars as she flew.
‘Could you not have waited?’ said Kelsey. ‘Nine dragons have just died, and all you care about is going to Alea Tanton?’
Aila said nothing. It was unfortunate that the dragons were dead, but Corthie was alive; and that
