not to enter either of the two voids.
White walls appeared above, part of the Sanctuary. At the sight of the sky beyond her heart soared. It was pink. Dawn.
“Owaya fly,” Mischief said into her ear.
“Yes,” she replied. “Hold on tight.”
She felt the veez’s feet grip her. Then she launched herself into the air, out of the hole, and up into the sky.
:The sun is rising, Tamun said. Soon the armies will wake. Today the world will change yet again, whether we succeed or not.
Emerahl hid her amusement. Sometimes The Twins spoke like storytellers, in dramatic tones and phrasing. Perhaps it was only because they had grown up in an older time that they spoke like characters in a historic epic.
No, I don’t think people in the distant past spoke like that when doing the laundry or cooking a meal, she thought. This is just The Twins’ way of reminding us that what we are attempting is as risky as those feats of ancient heroes, and will change the world as dramatically.
Then another voice joined the link.
:I have finished, The Gull announced. I have created a tunnel along the length of the Isthmus, connecting it to the one Emerahl used. I have also created tunnels from the central one to the outside on both sides, so that Tamun and Surim will have a place to hide themselves and their boats.
:That must have taken you all night, Emerahl said, impressed. If we don’t get our chance today, this will be an excellent place to lure the gods to another time.
:Only if we find a sixth immortal soon, The Gull warned. The Isthmus will not remain for long after what I have done.
:If an opportunity doesn’t come - and it doesn’t look like it will - we must keep watching for new immortals, Emerahl said. Since the Circlians and the Pentadrians are recruiting powerful sorcerers from a young age we’ll have to expect to find one among their ranks. It’ll be hard to find them and even harder to get them to join us.
:And once we have, we’ll have to find a way to get the gods to gather somewhere we can surround them, Surim added.
:Surim? Tamun? Mirar said as he joined them.
:Mirar, they replied.
:The Pentadrians are stirring. This will be my last chance to link with you. Are you all in place?
:Not quite, Surim replied. We have arrived at Diamyane. The Gull has finished tunnelling so he, Surim and I should be in position soon. Emerahl must wait for the White. How is Auraya?
:I don’t know. She wasn’t asleep when I tried to contact her. I tried mind-skimming, but there’s nobody there. Not even guards.
:I’ll try, Surim offered.
They waited in silence. Emerahl wondered if the others felt the same dread. The Voices could have left orders for Auraya to be killed, thinking that Mirar wouldn’t know he’d been cheated until after the battle. That would explain the lack of guards. No point guarding a dead prisoner.
:She was the only flaw in our plan, Surim said quietly. We have the perfect trap; we know we can create voids, since Tamun succeeded yesterday. All we needed was Auraya.
:We had to be here in case, Emerahl repeated for the thousandth time. She felt her heart sink with disappointment. If we had found the secrets of the gods earlier we could have all sought a way to free her.
:AURAYA IS FREE!
Surim’s voice was so loud in Emerahl’s mind she nearly jolted out of the dream-link.
:Alive? Free? How? Where is she? Why isn’t she here? Mirar asked frantically.
:Ah! I see her. She is currently robbing a merchant, Tamun said wryly. For food. Some cloth. Ah, she’s promised the man she will return and pay him when she can. He doesn’t believe her, of course, and —
:That’s a fine piece of cloth, Surim added. Who’d have thought she had such good taste. I guess she’s been frustrated by those silly white robes for—
:She hasn’t much choice, Tamun reminded him. She can’t turn up wearing that dirty—
:WHERE IS SHE? Mirar demanded.
The Twins paused.
:Near the mountains.
:That was fast, The Gull interjected. They’re a few days’ ride from Glymma.
:She can travel very fast if she wants to, Mirar said proudly.
:That’s good, because if she’s going to come back and help us she’ll need to, Surim said.
:Why did she go to the mountains? Emerahl asked. They’re in the opposite direction to the battle.
:She wants to be as far away from Voices and gods as she can get, Mirar guessed.
:Yet she hasn’t joined the White, Tamun said. You told her you were going to defend the Voices. She knows the White are doomed. Has she abandoned them, or is she biding her time?
:I don’t know. But you can be sure there’s one option she doesn’t know about, because you wouldn’t let me tell her about our plans to kill the gods.
:We must tell her, Surim said.
:No, it’s too risky, Tamun protested. If she betrays us to the gods...
:We came here in the hope that an opportunity would arise. If she doesn’t know, that opportunity will never come.
:How can we tell her? Mirar asked. She’s awake and likely to stay that way until she has some distance between herself and the battle. Wait... I have an idea.
The sense of his mind vanished.
:We can’t tell her, Tamun began. It’s too much of —
:Sorry, sister, Surim interrupted. But you’re outnumbered. Am I right? Emerahl?
:It’s a risk, Emerahl replied. But I don’t think she’ll tell the gods. Not once she knows we can’t do it without her. She’s gone out of her way to avoid bringing harm to us in the past.
:Are you sure?
:I’m never completely sure about anything.
:Gull? Tamun asked.
:Emerahl and Mirar know her best. I agree.
