Anvar winced, wondering whether to follow her or not. After a moment’s hesitation he went to comfort Sara, “Sara, don’t cry. She doesn’t mean it. She’s suffering, what with Forral—”
“Shut up about her!” Sara sat up abruptly, hurling the blanket aside, her eyes wild in her flushed face. “In fact, don’t talk to me at all! You kidnapped me, you and her—and just when I thought I was safe from you, and that I’d never have to set eyes on you again—”
“Let’s not start that again,” Anvar said wearily. “Vannor begged us to take you. I don’t think you understand the danger we were in. We had no other choice,”
“Vannor!” Sara spatT^That beast! That imbecile! I despise him!”
“Sara, Vannor loves you.”
“What would you know about it? You told me that you loved me, once. And how did you prove your love? You got me pregnant then abandoned me to be sold to that uncouth brute! So don’t sit there and talk to me about love, Anvar!”
“That wasn’t my fault!” Anvar thrust his left hand, which bore the hateful mark of the bondservant, in front of her face, “Do you think I—”
“Anvar!” The cabin door banged open, Aurian stood there, her hair wild and tangled from the wind, her face white and strained. “Anvar—the Arehmage! He’s searching for us! I think he knows where we’ve gone!”
“What?” Anvar leapt to his feet. “How?”
The Mage closed the cabin door, and leaned back against it. “He’s scrying—probably with a crystal—that’s the most powerful way. I had no idea that he could even do it. It was always Finbarr’s special talent . . .” Her mouth twisted with pain at the memory of her dead friend, slain by the Archmage. “He must have picked up our trail on the river, from the residue of the magic that I had to use to get us over the weir, and guessed the way we would take. He’s searching the ocean now —I was up on deck and I felt his mind sweeping across.”
“Gods! Did he find us?”
Aurian shook her head, “I managed to shield us in time. His power felt tentative, not too strong. I think this is new to him. But it won’t take him long to learn, not with the power of the Caldron to draw on. And he won’t give up until he finds us.”
“What will he do?” Anvar felt sick with dread. “Will he send those—things after us?” Seeing the stricken expression on Aurian’s face, he cursed himself for reminding her of the monster that had killed Forral.
But when Aurian spoke, her voice was steady. “No. I doubt it. He seemed to have very little control over the Nihilim, once he had unleashed them.” She shuddered, “When I think of those abominations loose in Nexis . . . But I don’t think they’ll bother us. The Gods only know what he will send after us, Anvar. He could strike.at us in any number of ways. The only thing we can do is to stay hidden, I’ll have to shield US all—the whole ship—constantly from now on.”
“But Lady, you can’t!” Anvar was appalled, remembering how the effort of her magic had exhausted her on the river, “We have at least three more days to go, and you’re worn out already!”
“I know. But it can’t be helped. We have to try, for our very lives, and I’ll need your help,”
“Me?”
Aurian nodded. “I’ll have to stay awake. If I sleep, my shields will crumble, and leave us open to discovery. You’ve got to keep me awake, Anvar, and I’m afraid that means staying awake yourself. Talk to me, sing to me—if all else fails, hit me—but don’t let me fall asleep, whatever you do, or we’re lost. Promise me, Anvar.”
“I promise, Lady,” Anvar assured her. But I don’t know how, he thought, dreading the long, grueling vigil that lay before them.
16
A Rendezvous with Wolves
The day was darkening into evening as Eliseth swept into the Archmage’s tower room without knocking. Miathan was bent with slit-eyed concentration over a crystal that lay on a black cloth on the table. He looked up, dark eyes flashing, as the Magewoman entered. “For pity’s sake, Eliseth, can you not leave me in peace? Don’t you know how difficult this is? If it were not for Finbarr’s notes^”
“Were it not for Finbarr, your blasted abominations would have slaughtered us all by now!” Eliseth snapped. “By the Gods, Miathan, why did you not tell us about this?” She gestured at the Caldron, which stood on the table. It was no longer a thing of beauty; its finely wrought gold was black and tarnished. “You of all people should know the dangers of tampering with High Magic,” Eliseth went on. “Bragar and I could have helped you to research its powers and their mastery; but no—you had to do it by yourself. And see what has happened! One Mage is dead, one’s missing, and one is a raving wreck. The Gods only know how many Mortals your creatures killed in the city last night—the whole place is in an uproar—”
“Enough!” Miathan roared. He paced the room, breathing deeply, striving not to lose control 4s he had done last night, with such disastrous results, “What is the situation in the city now?” he asked in a calmer voice,
“That’s why I came—to report on your dirty work,” Eliseth sat down, rubbing her eyes wearily. “Bragar and I have been combing the city, trying to seek out and neutralize your creatures. The Gods know whether we got them all—I doubt it, myself. We’ve been spreading the tale that although no one knows where they came from, the heroic Magefolk are risking life and limb to defend the citizens of Nexis,” Her voice dripped scorn, “They seem to be swallowing it—at least for the moment—so this would be a good time to consolidate your hold on the city, while people are still terrified.”
“What of the G««ison?” Miathan asked sharply,
Eliseth shrugged. “The troops are reeling from the tragic death of their beloved leader—I had his body dumped where you told me, and it didn’t take them long to find it. They have their hands full keeping order just now, what with panic and looting and such, and there seems to be a distinct shortage of leaders. Maya, Forral’s Second-in-Command, is away on some mysterious errand or other, no one knows where, and the Cavalrymaster, Parric, seems to have disappeared. Deserted, probably, if he had any sense. There has been no sign of his body so far, at any rate.”
“Excellent.” Miathan rubbed his hands together. “We may salvage this yet. Well done, Eliseth.”
“If we do, just remember who helped get you out of this mess,” Eliseth replied shortly. “What shall we do with all your frozen Wraiths, Miathan? You have no idea how to get the wretched things back into the Caldron, and we can hardly leave them all over the city!”
“Use an apport spell—it worked on the ones that were here.” Miathan gestured round the room, now empty of Wraiths. “I have them stored down in Finbarr’s Archives for the present—what place more fitting?”
Eliseth frowned. “Frankly, I dislike the idea of sitting on top of those things. We all know how to undo the preserving spell and bring them back into time again—you had better be careful, Miathan.”
“I’m always careful.” Miathan’s voice held a thinly veiled threat. “I intend to have that section of the catacombs sealed, and only you, Bragar, and I will know the whereabouts of the creatures. And I’m sure 1 can trust you—can’t I?”
“Of course you can.” Eliseth swallowed uneasily. “How is Meiriel, by the way?”
“Still out of her mind.” Miathan sighed, “Finbarr’s death affected her badly. I’ve wasted half the day persuading her that Aurian was responsible, and not myself. She’s in such a vulnerable state just now that I succeeded in the end. Which, if Aurian can be located, may prove useful to us.”