The singing voices drifted away and silence replaced them. Should he wait for the fog to lift, or head back the way he had come. But his memory of the winding track up to the stronghold was sketchy and he knew he’d soon become lost if he attempted to return.
Dougray, help me!
He spun around, peering into the swirling fog. The faint, plaintive voice calling to him had sounded like Robbie’s.
Dougray, come and help me.
‘Robbie, where are you?’
He took two steps to the right and at once the soft earth crumbled away, sending him sliding down an unstoppable, muddy slope. He tumbled on top of hard, clattering objects that parted beneath him, swallowing him up to his torso. With arms flailing, he clawed his way up through them until he could breathe. A stomach-turning stench lifted as he thrashed about. His feet rolled out from under him, causing him to pitch forward, arms flapping as he sought firm ground. His heart thudded violently. His grasping fingers latched around a long object. It was smooth; he raised it to his eyes.
A bone! A white bone! He’d landed on a pile of bones!
With a terrified shriek, he tossed it away into the fog. Something probed at his back. He could feel it inching up his spine. He gave a wild cry and waded through the pile of bones, hands grasping for a lifeline.
All of a sudden, something crashed behind him with a noisy clatter. A frightened, muffled scream made Dougray jump, his heart in his throat. Something scrabbled and thrashed nearby, whimpering as it did so.
‘Griff! Is that you?’
Instant silence fell and quick, frightened breathing followed as a tiny voice drifted out of the fog.
‘No...me Ferkle.’
‘Ferkle? What are you—?’
Ferkle, smaller and lighter in stature, scrambled up to him, his panting breath hot on Dougray face. The terrified feral wrapped his thin arms around his neck, almost suffocating him.
‘Ferkle, get off!’
The arms loosened and the next moment, his black eyes blinked up at Dougray. ‘Sad One!’
‘Get off!’
‘Evil place landed we in. Very bad!’
‘You don’t say. How do we get out of here?’
Just then, something sharp dug into Dougray’s back and he leaped with a sharp shriek. Ferkle jumped off him in terror, flapping his arms about as he tried to stay above the sea of bones. Dougray reached behind, his fingers pulling at something long and rubbery. He yanked it off and flung it from him in disgust. Again, Ferkle bounded towards him.
‘Hurry, Sad One! Worms wake up. Eat us alive.’
Dougray could hear something knocking against the hollow bones, a sound that seemed to come from everywhere! The next moment, searing pain shot through Dougray’s legs and side. With a cry of revulsion, he beat at the worms attempting to fasten onto him, but as fast as he removed them, they renewed their attack.
‘Here, Sad One!’
Sweat stung Dougray’s eyes as he waded after Ferkle. His voice became that lifeline he’d sought earlier. He headed in its direction, fighting down the fear that coursed through him. A moment later, he started as something solid appeared through the fog. A wall!
Ferkle’s hand reached down and touched his head. ‘Sad One, climb!’
Dougray’s fingers grasped an iron rung and his feet clambered for footholds. Had it not been for Ferkle showing him the way, he wouldn’t have found them. Gasping for breath, he dragged himself up the rungs and out of the jumble of bones and biting worms. Ferkle pulled off any that still clung to him. When the last worm was flung back into the pit, Dougray clung to the wall, trembling all over. There was a clatter and rattle as the worms writhed through the bones below, seeking fresh prey. It took all his strength to lift his head to look at them.
There was a gentle hand on his arm. ‘All right, Sad One?’
‘Yes. Thank you, Ferkle. You saved my life.’
‘To the top now we climb.’ The little feral pointed up into the darkness, unaware of his heroic deed.
Dougray shuddered. ‘Have you been up there before?’
‘Not allowed says Brint. Place very bad.’
Dougray glanced down and let out a deep breath. He was still shaking. ‘Well we can’t stay here. Lead the way, Ferkle.’
The iron rungs were numbingly cold. They climbed halfway and collapsed on a narrow, protruding ledge splattered with filth and bones. Dougray shoved his frozen hands under his armpits to warm them. Ferkle copied him and they sat panting and staring into the darkness.
Drifting down from somewhere above came muffled shouts, distant and gruff. Dougray lifted his head but it was too dark to see anything. He noticed Ferkle looking at him.
‘That way not good.’ Then he pointed to a shadow, a cleft in the rock wall. ‘That way we go.’
Dougray stared at him. ‘You’ve been here before, haven’t you?’
The feral shrank as if he’d been struck. ‘Brink not tell?’
Despite himself, Dougray smiled and shook his head. ‘Brink not tell. But where does it lead?’
‘Stone garden.’
‘Stone garden?’
Ferkle nodded. After a few minutes, they continued climbing. Once only Dougray looked down, but the terrible pit of bones was hidden beneath a shroud of foggy shadow.
Before long, they clambered up through a hole and found themselves inside a huge cavern. The sight that met Dougray’s eyes made his mouth go dry. Hundreds of large stones, all different shapes and sizes, stretched before them on a lawn of gravel.
Many had toppled over. Some leaned drunkenly to one side, threatening to collapse. A few had survived and stood upright, impervious to time. Dougray glanced at Ferkle, who huddled close to him, eyes wide with fear.
‘That’s what you meant by stone garden.’
Dougray approached the nearest stone lying on the ground. Veins of cracks ran through it and carved across its rough surface was a name and two dates. He wandered to the next stone and the next. Each one had a name and dates carved into them. His jaw dropped.
They’re gravestones! Here, beneath the earth was a vast, forgotten graveyard.
Ferkle was staring at him. ‘Place very old.’
‘Is there a way out of here?’
‘Yes.’
He grabbed Dougray’s hand like a child and began to pull him along. They’d walked for several minutes when a dull light caught his eye. Ferkle was heading towards it. All of a sudden, the air was full of fluttering, grey moths. Ferkle grinned.
‘Secret way out they know—but not safe.’
‘We must follow them nevertheless.’
‘No no no.’
Ferkle released his hand and began to whimper again, shaking his head. Dougray became aware of a flow of cool air fanning his face. Somewhere ahead was a way out. If they could just locate it, they could search for the others.
‘Ferkle, we can’t go back through the pit of worms. We’ll face whatever’s ahead together.’ He reached down and clutched the little feral’s hand. ‘I won’t let anything happen to you.’
Ferkle quietened down and they moved forward. They hadn’t gone far when the air grew fetid and he was aware of something huge scraping across the ground in the darkness. Other sounds too, echoed through the vastness in diminishing whispers.
Dougray looked at the little feral trembling beside him and mouthed, Ferkle not scaredy!
The echoes brought the cavern to life. Dougray spun around, uncertain from which direction the noises came...except their volume was increasing. They hastened behind a standing stone, pressing themselves against it. Dougray grasped Ferkle’s shoulder with a hand, looked him in the eye and placed his finger on his lips. Light stone concealed inside Dougray’s shirt, they then waited for their eyes to adjust to the darkness.
‘Drop it here sssisster! You’ve carried it long enough.’
Dougray stiffened and fought against his own terror.
Peragons!
Chapter 32
The Golden Song
The sound of the huge, serpentine body as it glided over the rocks sent fresh panic through Dougray. Cold sweat stung his eyes and his heart pounded painfully in his chest as he waited and listened.
Crunch, crunch—belch!
‘Ssisster, where are your mannerssss?’
There was a moment of silence before laughter erupted from one, then all three hags, resounding through the cavern in hideous echoes. Dougray couldn’t forget the terror he’d felt in Gardenia looking down from the tree at the three grotesque heads. Now here they were.
The sounds of unrestrained feeding resumed. The peragons argued. ‘Leave ssome for me, ssisster! Don’t eat it all!’
‘Sssisterss, foresst creaturesss won’t do!’
‘It’s not our fault sssissterss, that we cannot find sssomething sssweeter.’
‘Miarn isss right. Gone are the dayss when we ate the flessh of boyss in plenty. He brings usss few nowadays, ssissterss.’
A faint whimper escaped from Ferkle. Dougray clamped his hand across his mouth.
‘What’sss that ssissterss?’
‘Nothing, just ratsss. Placce is full of them.’
The sound of their hissing voices ceased. A tense silence descended. A moment later, a knife appeared in Ferkle’s hand. His lips were set in a straight, thin line and forehead creased in concentration. Dougray grasped his shoulders and mouthed, Put it away!
But Ferkle shook his head. ‘Not scaredy.’
Before Dougray could stop him, he leaped out from behind the stone’s cover. Dougray gave a shuddering sigh and was a step behind him. The peragons gave a startled shriek and each head jerked back from the bloody remains of a half-eaten carcass on the ground. It was like seeing the worst nightmare.
Dougray was aware of a blur of massive coils and corpse-grey faces turned towards them. Swollen mouths, wiry black hair and scales stained with blood brought the nightmare home. A high-pitched squeal came from Ferkle at the grisly sight. His knife clattered onto the floor and he turned and fled. Dougray sprang after him, aware of furious screams behind them. In moments, the peragons would overtake them. He’d have to stand and fight.
But as he clutched the sword, he knew something was wrong. The magic heat hadn’t triggered through his hand as at other times. The hilt was longer, the blade heavier. A swift glance told him it wasn’t Dragon Slayer!
Rory! Blast you!
He clenched his teeth and ran on, the peragons shrieking in rage and hot on their heels. ‘There’ssss two of them ssistersss! Catch them! Hurry!’
The sudden appearance of Ferkle in front of him made Dougray falter. The feral reached into a raggedy pocket and threw something at the witches. There was an explosion of light and sound. The impact flung Dougray forward. For a moment, he was blinded.
‘Here, Sad One!’
Through the bewildering haze, Ferkle’s small figure appeared and grabbed at his hand, dragging him along. He dived down a hole in the wall and, pushing aside caution, Dougray scrambled after him, sliding and slipping downwards. He landed with a loud splash in a black pool. He sank beneath the bone-chilling water that filled his mouth and nose. He thrashed wildly, swimming upwards, repulsed by long, slimy things which caressed his face. His arm struck something hard. A wall! The next moment his head broke the surface of the foul foam and he sucked air into his lungs. Quivering light reflected on the wall from his light stone.
A moment later, furious splashing made him whirl about as Ferkle’s panic-stricken face appeared in the water next to his. Dougray moved away. The feral would drag them both under if he latched onto him in a wild panic.
‘Ferkle, stop struggling! Ferkle!’
The feral leaped in the direction of his voice and clung to him with an iron grip. He spluttered and coughed. Dougray held him up at arm’s length while he trod water. When he calmed down, the feral managed a half-hearted smile. But it was short lived as the shrieking body of the witches came sliding into the dark water after them with a colossal splash. Ferkle slipped from Dougray’s grasp as he was thrown against the rock. The breath was knocked out of Dougray and he sank below the water.
Robbie’s mind wandered in a dark maze. A strange dream overcame him. His skin crawled with a sensation he hadn’t experienced before. And, of course, there was the music, like a silken touch even within the rock. It flowed like liquid gold through every crevice of his mind, each note more glorious than the last, a dancing glimmer of light in his soul.
Somewhere the sound of hurrying feet roused him. His eyes opened as green-garbed soldiers armed with weapons rushed past like blurry shadows. Elimas was not among them. After a while, something else approached, a thing of immense evil that ghosted past. He knew it was seeking him. Always the thought was there that if he moved out into the light, the darkness would see and overpower him, as it had Navarre. It would then pretend to be him to get close to Dougray and Belle. It would have no trouble killing them.
He became aware of a voice, unnoticeable at first, a thin whisper as it murmured its icy, cunning directives. Honey-tongued, the voice wormed its way into his subconscious, urgent and insistent.
Where are you? Show yourself.
Its whisper probed for his whereabouts. Its diminishing echoes lingered in his mind. If he moved now, they’d be discovered. He remained steady, rigid as the rock.
Then out of the corner of his eye, a hulking silhouette stirred. Its massive, hooded head faced him, as if it sensed his presence. He refused to move. It reeked of decay and age-old filth. For long minutes, it hovered there before moving on. Breath passed through Robbie’s lips again as he sighed. He sensed the effects of a drug wearing off. They’d have to move on. But where did the soldiers go? Was there another way out?
So many things could go wrong and yet, they couldn’t remain frozen inside the rock either. Deep down, he was suspicious of the magic. It had subverted so many before him. Should he move? He couldn’t sense anything in the tunnel. All the danger seemed to have moved on. He released his hold of the taming magic.
It stirred within, swelling like a mountain, unpredictable as the wind. He slid away from the wall, his limbs quivering, melding between flesh and stone. He tried to flex his fingers but they kept stiffening, turning back to stone. Sweat poured down his cheeks as he strained against the magic that sought to overcome him.
Have to get control!
Arms and legs formed and then the rest of his body appeared. Bile forced itself up into his throat and he heaved. When he was finished, he sagged against the rock, cold and empty.
Why couldn’t I control it?
He’d been able to before. But how does one control something unpredictable and that powerful? After all, it was magic, and not just anyone could fool around with it. He glanced at the rock and released Caiwen. She fell forward and he caught her in his arms.
Puzzled, she blinked up at him. ‘What happened? Where are we?’
‘Don’t you remember? We’re in the secret tunnel behind your fireplace.’
‘I do remember. Someone tampered with our food. Drugged it.’ Frowning, she clambered to her feet. ‘Robbie, I have to go back for my mother.’
He stared at her, stunned. Stubbornness gleamed in her eyes. ‘What? You can’t. Elimas will kill you.’
‘I have to try and find her, make her see reason...help her somehow. I know she’s no longer the mother I once knew, but I have to try and save her.’ Her voice lowered to a whisper. ‘Elimas has poisoned her mind. You saw that. But perhaps away from her influence, she might regain her senses and be her old self again...the way she used to be.’
He couldn’t believe her naïve bravado. She took a deep breath and then exhaled. ‘I’m not asking you to come with me. She’s my mother and I’ll go alone.’
‘You can’t go by yourself. I’ll come with you.’
‘What a touching scene.’
Caiwen gasped and Robbie spun around as Elimas stepped from the shadows. How long had she been there, listening? Perhaps she’d been
standing in the darkness all along, waiting for Robbie to reveal his hiding place. Now she knew of what he was capable. Her mouth split in a wide grin.
‘Bind them!’
Shadowy figures hastened forward and grasped their arms, twisting them behind their backs. Caiwen made an indignant cry. ‘What? I am the princess! You can’t do this to me Elimas! It’s treason!’
The Magic Woman stepped towards her. Caiwen did not back down and stood her ground. ‘Oh? But I think I will do this, Princess. And yes, it is treason.’ The Magic Woman’s black eyes held Robbie in their depthless stare. ‘This time you won’t escape so easily from my grasp. And when the Light Bearer returns, it will be darkness for you, forever.’
Caiwen threw Robbie a frightened glance. Her eyes brimmed with tears and her bottom lip trembled. Heavy-hearted, he trudged after Elimas through the tunnel and out into the courtyard. Her heeled boots tapped out a quick rhythm on the flagstones as she marched ahead. Her dark energy dragged them along like puppies on chains.
Before them loomed a pale, towering building. From somewhere inside it rose an unexpected sound that washed over him, profound and sweet. His feet faltered and he looked up. It was the golden song! A hard shove in the back reminded him to keep walking.
As he stumbled forward, another astonishing thing occurred. Puzzling lights shone all around him and the streets became full of swift, jostling wagons. He didn’t understand what it meant except he sensed their journey had ended. The fabric of time had ripped further apart and more of the darkness had seeped through. He could see it, feel it inside like a wound. A strange, metallic taste coated his tongue. He’d hurt his head somehow…
Time is failing, Robbie. You are seeing glimpses of your past in your world.
He started at the Morning Star’s voice.
Do not fear what has dogged you all your life. It will soon be over.
All he could do was stare ahead as the voice faded. Soon be over. What have I feared all my life? A strange peace enveloped him.
Shadow Helm of Glory Page 20