Voice of the Gods

“Is there anything I can offer you to persuade you to stay?” he asked when they had.

Auraya hesitated to answer. Once she let him know there was nothing to keep her here he would have no reason to keep his promise to let the Siyee go. No reason but the vow he’d made.

“Perhaps just a little longer,” he said. “A few months?”

She shook her head. “If you do achieve the peace you seek I would consider visiting Glymma again.”

He smiled. “There is something I could offer you, though it is too small a thing to offer in exchange for anything but a delay in your leaving.”

Turaan’s mind was suddenly alive with expectation and a name. Auraya managed to stop herself smiling.

“Oh?”

“Mirar.” Nekaun waved a hand. “His death could be arranged. It could even be arranged that you kill him yourself, if you wish.”

Auraya allowed herself a brief chuckle. “Forgive me, but for a moment there I had to wonder if you were interested in converting to the Circlian religion.”

He looked bemused. “Why?”

“This would please my gods greatly.”

“I see. And you remaining here would not.”

She shrugged. “Until they indicate otherwise, I have to assume so.”

He nodded. “Then all I can hope for is that they will indicate otherwise.” Taking another handful of nuts, he ate silently. Auraya took the opportunity to cautiously sample the dried fruit.

A door closed within the room. Nekaun looked up and frowned. A Servant stepped onto the balcony, radiating anxiety. He said something quickly. Reading the meaning from his mind, Auraya went cold.

Nekaun turned to regard her. “I’m afraid the last Siyee has fallen ill. It is doubtful that he will be able to fly tomorrow morning.”

She rose. “Take me to him.”

He nodded and stood up. “Of course. We’ll go there directly.”

Morning had confirmed what the night had hinted at: Avven was a near desert. Sunrise had painted the eroded landscape beautiful shades, but once the sun rose higher it leached everything of color. The air was dry and full of dust. Vegetation either huddled about the occasional water source or spread thinly across the rocky land, stunted and tough.

Sorlina’s one road led out of the city into a deep ravine, following the thin river that had once supplied the city. Emerahl had kept the arem walking at a steady pace all night. By morning the ravine and river were far behind and the road wound between fantastically eroded rock formations.

Ahead she had sensed a spark of triumph and gleefulness. Sometimes it drew away, sometimes she felt she was coming closer to it. Ray was pushing the arem hard, then stopping to rest when it tired. He wasn’t foolish enough to kill his mount. Not only would pursuers catch him easily, but walking in this hot dry land would be unpleasant and possibly fatal.

Emerahl had grabbed her water skin as she had slipped away from the Thinkers’ camp, but it held only enough to last her a day in this heat. She would have to hope there were sources of water along the road. If arem were common along this route there must be a well for them. But she wasn’t sure if the road was still used by travellers. She had seen none passing through the city to the lowlands, and the city itself would only attract the occasional curious traveller.

Ray would not have come this way if he didn’t think he could make it to Glymma, she told herself. He’s a greedy traitor, but he’s not stupid.

The long ride through the night had tired Ray and his emotions were not as loud to her senses as they had been. The footprints of his arem in the dusty road were easier to follow, however. She was tired and fighting off sleep was more difficult when she could sense the arem’s weariness. She wanted to tell The Twins what had happened but she could not trust herself to wake up after a dream-link.

I wonder if I could doze while riding. I could give it a try. I’ll know that I’ve failed when I hit the ground... no, I must keep awake in case the tracks...

She pulled the arem to a halt. The road surface ahead was smooth. No tracks.

Turning in her saddle she looked back. Not far behind she could see tracks leading off the road. She turned the arem and sent it back to that point. The tracks led away toward a rock outcrop.

Searching with her mind, she sensed a vague relief. The faintness of what she could detect suggested the source was sleeping. She smiled.

Dismounting was painful. She smothered a groan and massaged her legs and rear, then stretched carefully. Pouring a little water into a bowl she wedged it between a few rocks and left it for the arem.

Stepping off the road, she walked slowly toward the rocks, trying to keep the crunch of her footsteps on the stony ground as quiet as possible. The outcrop was the size of a large house. She picked her way around into its shadow, then stopped and smiled.

Ray was lying on a blanket. His arem stood with its head hanging, its lead tied to Ray’s wrist. It still carried packs and saddle.

A precaution, she thought. In case he has to leave in a hurry. Poor thing. All that treasure must be heavy.

She drew magic, created a basic protective shield and walked toward them. The arem took a few steps away, its lead jerking Ray’s wrist. Emerahl smiled as Ray grimaced and sat up, rubbing his eyes. Being woken was not pleasant when one was that tired.

“Greetings, Raynora,” she said, stopping a few steps away.

He blinked at her, then crossed his legs and sighed. His dismay was palpable. She sensed frustration too. He knew she was a sorceress, and that he could do nothing to stop her.

“Emmea. I should have guessed. Barmonia was so eager to get rid of you. Are you here to kill me or drag me back?”

“Neither. Bar didn’t send me,” she told him. “He ordered me to stay put then sent Mikmer and Kereon after you. They fell for your trick, of course. Hurried after your decoy arem.”

His smile was strained. “But you didn’t.”

“Of course not.” She shrugged. “I know where you’re heading and I know why. I’ve known about your mission all along.”

“How? I didn’t know I’d accept it until last night.”

She just smiled.

He frowned. “Why didn’t you tell the others?”

“Do you think they would have believed me?”

Ray shook his head. “No. If you knew my mission, why didn’t you stop me destroying the Scroll?” His eyes widened. “You wanted it destroyed, just like the Servants did!”

She chuckled. “No. I didn’t care about the Scroll itself. Ugly thing, really. Not worth the gold it’s made of. I would never have got it out of the country. No, I wanted what it led to.” She nodded to the pack.

He followed her gaze, then a smile spread across his face. “Ah.”

“Yes. Exotic. Old. Relatively pretty.” She walked over to the arem and stroked its nose. “And now I don’t have to share any of it.”

“But—”

“But what? You have a reward to claim?” She moved to the packs and opened the bulky, heavy-looking one. Gold, silver and gemstones formed a tangle of chains and trinkets inside. Reaching in, she raked through, half- heartedly looking for something extraordinary, but unsure what it might be. Something containing —

Diamond! The gem was impressively large and held in an odd silver setting. Plucking it out, she examined it closely. There were glyphs all over the setting. Looking at the gem itself, she felt her heart skip a beat as she saw tiny markings inside it.

This is it! she thought. I know it!

Pulling the chain free, she looped it over her neck. Ray was sitting with his head in his hands. As she went to