dusty, cracked scrollsthere was something there. Something that shone with silver, but that only a wolfs sharp eyes might see and even then only if the animal was stretched out on the ground. Feena made her transformation, then knelt down again and reached blindly past the scrolls. Her fingers closed on a slim book, its leather binding furred and soft with age. She pulled it out carefully.
The book's cover was black. The silver that decorated it was dull and mostly tarnished, but the hair-thin ring that stood in the center of the cover was still somehow bright.
'Moonmaiden's grace,' Feena breathed.
She rose and moved out into the light. Drawing a shallow breath, she opened the cover of the book. Leather that should have crumbled held firm. There was magic at work.
Cramped, heavy script filled the first page. The book bore no title, but it began with a date: Feast of the Moon, the Year of Lost Wayfarers. Feena bit her lip. That was five months after the suppression of the New Moon Pact. Eyes wide, she read:
Feast of the Moon, the Year of Lost Wayfarers. To the one who comes
Hear the tale of the New Moon Pact, destroyed by lies. In Selune's name and by her grace, I make this record. All around me, the tales of the Pact are wiped away day by day. My pack is gone, but by Selune's hand I survive. By her will, I carry its ancient history in my heart. On this day dedicated to the honored dead, I begin my secret record. Bright Lady of Night, grant me the years to finish it.
The priestesses of Moonshadow Hall know me as Asha the Silent. Six months ago, I had a different name and a different form. Until Selune laid her hand upon me, my name was Halftail and I was a wolf.
When the time is right, I pray that you read what Selune granted me human hands and mind to record. I pray that you restore the name and lore of the New Moon Pact, charged by Selune in the earliest nights of the world to watch and defend against the darkest shadows. What time has consumed, not even gods can recall, but know thisthese words were spoken by those who first made pact with the Moonmaiden, just as they were spoken by the last. This is the sacred rite of the New Moon.
Feena closed the book and squeezed her eyes shut. Her dream… the New Moon Pact…
'Oh, Dhauna,' Feena murmured. 'Bright Lady of the Night, have pity on a tortured spirit.'
CHAPTER 14
The shadows seemed to go on forever, bleak and black. Cold, their touch was like a dark sea fog rolling across Keph's body and spirit. Variance was gone. He was aloneand helpless. There was nothing he could do but… drift…
Sound came back to him first.
'The call went out at dusk as you instructed, Mother Night,' Bolan's voice said. 'The faithful are assembling now. They will bring weapons.'
'Good,' replied Variance. 'Go make what preparations you need to for yourself.'
'I've been preparing for this for years, Mother Night.' Bolan sounded like he might actually cry. Keph could hardly imagine tears breaking out on that cold white face. 'I have a chest filled with formulas I thought I might never use. The poison Cyrume took was the least of what waits for the Selunites.'
Smell… Recognition of an odor that had been in his nose for some time filtered into Keph's consciousness: raw, cold stone. He was in the cliff tunnels. In Shar's temple. His heart clenched and his eyes opened.
Darkness weighed upon the air. The only light was a dim glow, a single candle that burned on the other side of the temple. Against it, Bolan and Variance were silhouettes, the alchemist squat and nightmarish, the Calishite woman tall and stiff. Her arm reached out and came down on Bolan's wide shoulder.
'This is the time we have been waiting for. This is what the Temple of Old Night sent me to Yhaunn to oversee. The Selunites' attempt to steal Keph from us was only the final blow.'
Keph caught his breath at the lie. What?
Bolan hissed in righteous anger. 'Moonshadow Hall will crumble!' He stepped away and bowed low, the candlelight shifting with his movements. 'We will do honor to Shar tonight.'
'I do hot doubt it,' said Variance. 'Now, go. I have preparations of my own to make.'
Bolan bowed again and the light bouncedthen dimmed and faded as the squat man trotted away. Keph almost gasped and called out after him: Leave the candle, Bolan, please!
The words faltered in his throat. Darkness, utter darkness, cloaked Shar's temple.
'You're finally awake.'
Variance's voicefar kinder than the last time she had spoken to himemerged from the shadows. Her footsteps approached across the raw stone of the floor, as sure as if she walked through the brilliance of daylight. Keph flinched away. For the first time, he realized that he was stretched out on wood, maybe a broad bench. His arms and legs were untied. He sat up, and the movement brought pain. Fire shot through his ankle and across his face where the priest Aeso had struck him. He gasped and fell back.
'Be still.'
A hand touched him. He tried to pull away, but
Variance pressed him down against the wood with shocking strength.
'By the glory of Shar, be healed.'
The agony that surged through him was almost worse than his injuries. Keph jerked and spasmed, his head cracking back hard. The false brightness of pain exploded across his visionbut when it cleared, the ache in his ankle was gone and his face felt no more than tender. Variance lifted her hand away.
Keph gulped air and sat up, trembling with relief. He stared blindly into the darkness. She'd healed him. Why?
Variance gave a soft laugh and said, 'Do you think that just because you're blind, I am as well? I see confusion on your face, Keph. You have questions. Ask them.' He heard liquid pour. Variance put a metal cup into his hand. 'Water,' she said. 'Nothing more.'
He didn't move. After a moment, Variance released him and stood up. He heard a rustle of clothing and footsteps as she moved away, then returned. A tindertwig scratched on stone and flared bright as Variance lit a candle.
'Light, Keph,' she said, holding the candle out to him.
'You were angry,' he rasped. Fear made a hard lump in his stomach.
'Of course I was angry,' Variance said calmly. 'I was worried. When Bolan told me that the Selunites had captured you, I feared for you. Praise Shar, I was able to reach you before they could start their torture. The werewolves among them'
'Torture?'
The Selunites hadn't been going to torture him. And werewolves? The only werewolf among the Selunites of Moonshadow Hall was Feena, and she had been long gone when he and Julith had been captured.
Julith… He remembered the young priestess staring as Variance…
Keph blinked Variance's voice was inside his head, seductive and haunting, weaving lies among his memories.
The cup fell from his hand to splash water across wood and stone as he thrust himself backward, away from the pale woman. If Quick had been at his side, Keph would have drawn herbut the Selunites still had the blade.
'Stop it!' he gasped at Variance.
She narrowed her eyes. Her voice surged back, harsher than before. 'I brought you to safety…'
Keph clenched his teeth and pushed back against the whispers, straining with all the strength of his will.
'No!' he shouted.
The force of the denial was shocking, like a slap in the face. In an instant his head was clear and Variance's eyes were hard in the candlelight. Breathing hard, his heart pounding, Keph tensed and met her gaze.
'Stay out of my head!' he snarled.
Variance pressed her lips together. For a moment, she was silent, then she whispered, 'My words come back to haunt me. I did say you had remarkable strength of will, didn't I?' She shrugged. 'Very well. Keep your
