one finger.
Though she held the sharp steel ring of a chakram in her right hand casually, her eyes were intense.
'Your continued interference is unexpected and unwelcome.'
'So was your attempt to turn Yhaunn against me by sending a shadow mastiff to mutilate Cyrume's body.'
Variance's eyebrows rose slightly and she said, 'You guessed.'
'With Keph's help.' Feena jerked her head at Julith and the younger priestess nodded. She slipped down the side street, keeping wide around to one side of Variance. Feena began to circle the other way. 'Where is Keph? What have you done with him?'
'He's performing a special service for Shar.'
'You lie,' Feena growled. 'You kidnapped him. He wouldn't help you or Shar.'
Variance's gaze flickered to Julith, then settled back on Feena. 'You've broken my enchantment as well, then. You are extraordinary. You speak as a beast. And I saw you fight the shadow mastiffsyour form flows like water. Selune's touch is strong upon you.' Her eyes narrowed. 'New Moon?' she asked.
Feena caught her breath and growled, 'How do you know about the New Moon Pact?'
Variance laughed and said, 'Shar's archives hold many secretsespecially the lore of her enemies. And the New Moon Pact is an old enemy to the Mistress of the Night. It was old when Netheril fell.' Feena caught the subtle movement as she tensed. 'Your defeat will be a pleasure.'
'You're already defeated, Variance,' called Julith. 'Your cultists are captured. Your beasts are gone.'
'Girl,' Variance hissed without turning around, 'do you expect me to surrender to you? To seek absolution from your cold goddess? Or perhaps you think I'll flee and you can avoid a fight.' She caught Feena's gaze. 'Do you want that, Feena?'
Feena's hands tightened on the metal shaft of the mace.
Variance smiled and said, 'I didn't think so.'
She spun to spit a single, bleak word at Julith. The young priestess screamed and staggered back, her eyes wide.
'Feena! I can't see!'
Even as Julith screamed, Variance was twisting back to Feena. Her arm flicked sharply and her chakram sliced through the air.
Feena snapped up the mace and swung hard. It connected with the chakram, sending it ricocheting away. Letting loose a howl, Feena charged at Variance. Shar's priestess just reached up to snatch the chakram out of the air as it hissed by, then stepped back into the shadows.
When Feena's mace thundered through the darkness, there was nothing there. The weapon swept empty air. Variance was gone.
No, Feena knew. Not gone. Her words had been cold. She wanted a fight. At the very least, she had no intention of leaving. Feena spun around.
'Julith!' she ordered. 'Stay still and keep low!'
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Julith grope for the nearest wall then sink down, her shield pulled up high for protection. Feena turned and turned againthen spun around as prayer welled out of another shadow.
Variance's hand stiffened and thrust toward her. Darkness lanced from her fingertips. Feena howled as the black bolt pierced her flesh like despair given form. She staggered under the foul magic, but forced herself to her feet and charged again.
Variance unleashed a second bolt, then flung her chakram as well. Feena flung herself into a long roll across the ground. Both magic and steel passed above her and she rolled back to her knees before Variance, swinging the mace in a flawless, powerful continuation of motion.
The dark priestess stepped back into the shadows less than a heartbeat before the mace would have hammered into her. Feena's mighty swing carried her around and left her sprawling. Variance's chakram hit the wall above her and fell to the ground with a ringing clatter. Feena rolled away from it and flipped herself back up onto her feet, mace ready again.
'Stand and fight!' Feena screamed. 'No.'
Movement in a shadow… Feena spun, and another black bolt of despair caught her full in the chest. The pain seemed even worse, stealing her breath and leaving her doubled over.
Soft footsteps fell on the stones of the street. Feena forced herself upright as Variance stepped out into the light once more. Feena raised her mace and met the Sharran's dark gaze. Slowly, silently, they moved against each other, keeping their distance.
Halfway between them, Julith shuddered in the silence.
'Feena, what's going on?' she gasped.
Variance's gaze flickered toward her.
'No!' growled Feena.
Variance just smiled and took another stepinto a patch of shadow.
The darkness swallowed her.
'No!' Feena howled and spun around. 'Moonmaiden guide me, where is'
A whiff of shadowstuff. Feena whirled, and hurled her mace into shadows not three paces from Julith.
It slammed into Variance's shoulder. She grunted and stumbled, twisted around by the impact. Feena growled and rushed at her, powerful legs pumping then kicking her into a leap. She hit Variance in a hard tackle that sent them both tumbling along the street. Feena snapped and tore at the dark priestess, but Variance was unexpectedly strong. She caught Feena's clawed hands in her own and forced them back. Her legs came up, threatening a double kick. Feena thrust herself back.
Variance stayed close. The black and purple disk of the Mistress of the Night was clenched in one hand and she shouted a prayer as her other hand darted out to touch Feena.
'Shar take you!'
Darkness closed on Feena's heart like the fist of doom. She couldn't breathe. No, she wasn't breathing. Agony tore through her, cold so bitter it burned. Shar's magic was killing her, dragging her from life into death
Feena forced a snarl through clenched teeth. 'For Selune's sake, I have held death itself at bay.' Her eyes snapped open to stare at Variance. 'For Selune's sake, I deny death!'
The dark prayer shattered, leaving both priestesses reeling, Variance with an expression of shock on her pale face, Feena trembling with the memory of pain. Gasping and panting, they faced each other. Feena's claws spread wide. Variance's fists clenched tight.
'Stop!'
Variance froze, then turned and looked up. Feena turned as well. Higher up on the slope of the street, stood Keph Thingoleir. The young man's face was flushed and his clothes and hair were drenched in sweat. His entire body trembled, but he held his arms high above his head.
Clutched in his hands and seeming to shimmer as moonlight fell upon it was a strange black book. Keph took a slow step forward, passing out of moonlight and into shadow and the book seemed to change, silver sparks of writing emerging upon it.
The very sight of that book set Feena's teeth on edge. A tremor of unease writhed through her gut.
'Keph…' she growled in a low voice.
Variance stepped away from her and held out her hands.
'Give it to me!' the Sharran ordered. Keph didn't move.
Variance's face tensed and she shouted, 'Give it to me!'
'Feena,' Keph asked, his voice cracking, 'is Moon-shadow Hall safe?'
Feena nodded, and Keph lowered the book and looked at Variance.
'Call off the creatures in the Stiltways,' he told her. 'Rax leads them now.' 'Then call off Rax! End this!'
Variance's eyes narrowed, but she raised her voice.
'Rax!' she called into the night. 'Rax, your task is done. Take your pack and return to Shadow.'
The savage howls that had been echoing from the Stiltways vanished.
Variance looked at Keph and said, 'Now give me the tiles!'
'No.' Keph's flushed face was hard. 'Now take off your ring.'
Variance hissed.
