"I had another talk with Mifano and Velsinore," Feena explained as she walked to the window and looked out over the courtyard. High overhead, the moon was fading toward a crescent. Feena raised her chin. "I need your help, Julith. You know things about Moonshadow Hall, about Yhaunn. What you did yesterday, coaching me into intimidating Colle and Manas…"
She turned back to the room. Julith was staring at her, an unraveled scroll clutched in her arms and a puzzled look on her face.
"Could you do it again?" Feena asked. "Could you show me how to be a proper high priestess?"
The Stiltways seemed especially lively that night-blazing with light and color, roaring with noise, and fiery with excitement. Or maybe, Keph thought, it was all just him.
Real or imagined, the night felt good around him.
The elation of the ceremony, of drawing on Shar's power and channeling it into magic, still surged inside him. It felt like the night was a wave, carrying him along, or a great dark heart, driving his pulse. It felt as if there was nothing he couldn't do. He was invulnerable!
Keph swung his arms around the shoulders of Talisk and Starne, two of the Sharrans Jarull had first introduced him to. A third, Baret, swaggered along behind them. A few days before, the cultists' names had slid right out of Keph's headthey were Jarull's friends, not his. Since the ceremony, though, it seemed as if he'd known the three forever and they were his friends, too. They were close in age to Jarull and him, and moved in similar circles. Keph wondered if he'd seen them before at parties or at the Sky's Mantle. Why had they never met before?
Maybe because Strasus had kept him too tightly under his thumb?
That wasn't going to happen again. Hail to the Mistress of the Night, he thought.
"Will it be the Mantle or Cutter's Dip, boys?" he shouted over the noise of the street.
"Mantle!" roared Starne.
"Cutter's Dip!" yelled Talisk.
Keph twisted to look back at Baret.
"Mantle!" said the third man.
"Mantle it is!" Keph replied.
He planted his feet and hauled Talisk around so they all turned a corner toward a staircase that led to the highest level of the Stiltways.
Just coming down the staircase were Lyraene and her friends.
She hadn't seen them.
An idea burst into Keph's head. He leaped back, dragging Talisk and Starne with him. Baret only barely managed to jump away from the tangle of cursing bodies.
"Dark!" he spat. "What are you doing, Keph?"
Keph pulled himself free. "There's going to be a half-elf woman coming around the corner in a moment," he hissed. "You three scatter, but follow my lead." He clenched his fist. "I want to give Shar proper homage on the night of my initiation."
The three man glanced at each other then ducked away. Keph ground his teeth together and stepped around the corner.
Lyraene was only steps away. Her hand darted to her sword at his sudden appearanceand stayed there when she recognized him.
"Keph!" she snarled.
"Did you miss me, Lyraene?" Keph asked. He kept his hand close to Quick, but not on her hilt. Lyraene's friends had their eyes on him, but the half-elf s gaze was darting around suspiciously. "Looking for Jarull?" he asked her. "Don't waste your time. He isn't here."
"That's what I thought last time," she grunted. She focused on him again. "We've got unfinished business."
"Just what I was thinking." He flicked the fingers of his left hand, gesturing her to him. "You and me. You know about Quick. I know about your tricks. What do you thinka duel?"
He could tell that she was considering it, trying to guess if he was hiding something.
"Bring your friends if you're worried," he suggested.
There were four of themtwo men and two women. Talisk, Baret, and Starne would be able to handle them if they tried anything.
Lyraene's eyes narrowed, but she nodded and said, "Where?"
"Fanter's swaybridge," Keph said.
Her eyes narrowed even more, but then relaxed. "Now?"
Keph spread his arms wide and said, "There's no better time."
He spun around, boldly presenting his back to her, and started walking.
Fanter's was a tailor shop out near the edge of the Stiltways and up on the fourth level, a quiet and respectable area. Relatively few people went that way after dark. The swaybridge was a railed platform suspended from beams above and tied off to walkways at either end. No strangers would interrupt them and no allies could interfere without being spotted on the empty bridge. If either of them tried to run, there would be no escape in two directions. It was a long way down to the street from the sides of the bridge. Fanter's had also spent good coin having spells of light cast on the posts of the bridgethey burned with a cold, eternal flame. Keph and Lyraene would have good lighting for their fight, but anyone watching would be blind to whatever happened in the deeper shadows around them.
As Keph stepped onto the swaybridge, Baret peered out quickly from a hiding spot near its far end. His hand flashed in the flickering, magical firelighttwo fingers, pointing back the way Keph had come. Talisk and Starne would be hiding behind Lyraene and her friends. Keph gave no reaction, but just walked out to the middle of the bridge and turned. A moment later, Lyraene stepped onto the bridge as well.
A warm wind blowing through the canyon of the Stiltways stirred her blond hair. She drew her sword.
"Since you have a magic sword," she said, "I hope you don't mind if I even the odds a little."
She spoke a word and gestured with one hand. With her other, she stabbed the rapier up into the air. A pure, ringing note shimmered in the night as she cast the spell. The metal of the sword seemed to ripple faintly.
Keph smiled. "You're full of surprises, aren't you? Don't use up all your magic, though. You may need some later." He drew Quick and said, "Storm's lash!"
Lightning crackled up the blade and quickly subsided. Lyraene snorted as she walked out to meet him.
"I could just knock that out of your hand again," she said.
"You can try."
He held Quick up in a salute. Lyraene returned the gesturethen lunged.
Keph had been expecting it. He dodged back, then flicked Quick in a fast cut across her torso. Lyraene arched away from it, but only barely, and smacked her back against the railings of the bridge. The platform shook with the impact, but swayed no more than a couple of inches. The ties at the ends held it firmly. Lyraene rolled off the railings, turning to meet him again. Her eyes narrowed.
"Nice try," she spat.
She swung her sword. He parried.
Their weapons met with a shriek. Blue sparks spat off of Quick's blade. The magic in the rapier guided his hand as he pushed Lyraene's sword to the side and tried to thrust inside her guard while she was out of line. The half-elf was faster though. Her sword came back up and caught Quick. Brushing the rapier aside, Lyraene thrust at him.
Keph gave ground and surged back. Lyraene thrust and retreated. With each blow and step, the swaybridge shimmied.
When Lyraene turned to avoid a blow, he slid past her and threw an elbow into her stomach, then sprinted for the end of the bridge. Lyraene's cronies shouted in surprise and derision.
If they thought he was giving up the fight, they were going to be disappointed. At the end of the bridge, he reached down and slashed Quick at the thick ropes tying off the platform. Lightning crackled with the blow. The ropes parted.
The end of the bridge swung free.
Keph whirled back to Lyraene. She was clutching the rail with her free hand but the shock on her face was — already fading into an angry growl.
"I hope your balance is as good as you think it is!" she yelled.
Lyraene let go of the rail and charged straight along the swaying bridge.
Keph met her with a charge of his own, catching her blow on Quick Sparks showered down on them. Keph leaned against Lyraene, trying to force her back, but she was stronger than she looked She heaved up, forcing their locked weapons away and bringing their bodies closer together. For a moment, Keph could feel her breath on his face.