Essence of Chaos

by Marie Andreas

  “No.” A cold finger went down Jenna’s spine. “But that’s probably it, isn’t it? That mindslave knew something.”

  Storm dropped his intense look. “No, that wouldn’t work. I may not know much about the ways of magic, but even I know nothing of the mind survives the sacrifice into mindslave.” He shook his head. “There must be something else that we’re not seeing.”

  Jenna nodded glumly and they continued in silence.

  Lithunane looked the same as she remembered. After they entered the gates, they would take the far outside roads to Rachael’s home to lessen the chances of being seen.

  Jenna wiped her hands on her leggings, surprised at how sweaty they were. It was warmer down here, but not warm enough to warrant sweaty palms. She wasn’t sure if they were caused by a fear of being caught, or concern about what Rachael would have to say to her. She had a sinking feeling it was the latter.

  She had truly liked the strange old woman, even with her odd predictions. But there had been a weird nagging in the back of her mind ever since Tor Ranshal had told her to seek her out. Something that she had seen in his eyes for the briefest of seconds.

  Storm pulled up his hood and shuffled slower as they approached the gates.

  Two burly guards stood at attention while a third questioned incoming traffic of their intentions within the city walls. “As if a thief or assassin is going to announce himself. They aren’t stopping anybody.” He kept his voice low nonetheless.

  “Intentions?” the bored guard asked.

  “We come to look for work.” He gave a nod, making sure the hood he wore stayed low over his face.

  “Laborers.” The guard grunted out, managing to make it sound like a swear word. Another guard, hidden to their sight previously, scribbled it down, and motioned for the two to enter.

  They stopped once they were out of sight of the gate. “I’d say they aren’t too clear on security. I mean, what’s the point of keeping track of who comes in if you don’t verify what they say?” Jenna shot a despairing look back where the guards were.

  “Exactly. I thought my brother had more sense than that.” Storm spared a brief glance back the way they had come, and then headed them out toward the poor section. “It’s as if he’s not taking the attack seriously.”

  Jenna had only seen the fringes of the poor section on her previous trip through the city. Now she was being afforded the opportunity to explore the squalor in depth. More than the poor were the number of criminal types watching them with far too much interest.

  Storm walked by, seemingly not noticing, but his jaw was tightly clenched and his hand stayed near his knife.

  “Has it always been this bad?”

  “No. Resstlin’s not watching down here either.”

  It was a longer route to Rachael’s house than the way they went before. Storm was taking the most out of the way streets he could find, and twilight was falling when they reached it.

  “Rachael, it’s us.” Storm knocked softly on the door, then harder when she didn’t answer.

  “Something’s wrong.” Pulling out a small pick kit that he must have borrowed from Edgar, Storm broke into Rachael’s home.

  The small place was ransacked, and a faint bloody trail led toward the back door.

  “Storm, is she…” Jenna let her words fade at the look on Storm’s face.

  Without saying a word, he ran out the back door.

  Jenna started to follow, then froze when a horrific stench hit her. With a piece of her tunic held over her nose and mouth, she crept forward.

  Storm stood over a decomposing body. “I don’t know who this was, but it wasn’t a woman, nor a kelar.”

  32

  Jenna started to answer when a ghostly image hit her. Rachael facing a group of thugs who were attacking her. Jenna couldn’t see the fight, but the thugs who survived had fled. And Rachael went toward the countryside. “She’s okay; she fought them off.”

  He moved next to her, as if she was seeing something in the wreckage that he’d missed. “I don’t understand.” Storm’s voice held a tentative hope as he voiced the same thought that was floating in her own head.

  “Neither do I.” She shook her head, trying to clear it. This wasn’t the time, or the place, for deep searches into magecraft. “Somehow I was able to See what happened. A group of people attacked her, but Rachael fought them off and got away. I can’t explain it better than that, because I haven’t figured it out myself. But she’s alive, and we need to go that way.” She pointed toward the direction she’d seen the image go, out of the city limits and into the open countryside.

  Storm looked the way she pointed, then looked back at her. “Are you sure it’s not a trap? Something set by the bastards who did this?”

  She wished she could explain how she knew, but she couldn’t. It was an intangible certainty, the same way you know your own name. It just was. “It’s not a trap. I’m not sure of too many things in this strange world of yours, but I know this.”

  With a shrug, Storm led them out toward the edge of town, he peered out over the darkening plains. Night would fall soon. “There’s not much out there in that direction; are you ready?”

  Jenna checked her pair of knives and took a deep breath. “I guess so. We need to go toward the right.” She wished she knew where they were going, instead of just telling Storm when to turn. But nothing more than a general direction would come no matter how hard she concentrated.

  Storm led them across the street. They slipped through the city’s dark side. Soon they were at the low wall that served as a barrier for this end.

  “Isn’t that kind of pointless?” Jenna asked as they shimmied over the five foot wall.

  “We haven’t had any reason to worry about anything from this side since my family’s been in Lithunane. I guess Resstlin didn’t think of this end when he set up guards.”

  “Wonderful.” Jenna took hold of Storm’s hand as they headed out into the night. “We go that way.”

  Storm pulled back on the hand she held. “Are you certain? There aren’t any farms out there for miles.”

  Jenna felt his concern. She was exhausted already. And they certainly didn’t have any supplies for camping out in the wilderness with them.

  “Yes, she’s over there somewhere.” She used the hand he held to point, so he’d have an idea where it was. Storm squeezed it once, then started walking.

  The moon was high overhead when Jenna finally had to stop. “I’m sorry, I have to rest. I can’t—” She froze as a change in the wind brought a strange humming to her ears. From the look on his face, Storm heard it also. Someone was entirely too close to them.

  “Back this way, there was some cover at the last hill we crossed.”

  Jenna ran with him, amazed at how much energy fear gave.

  The cover Storm referred to was little more than a large clump of bushes. The two crouched low to the ground as the odd humming came nearer. Jenna couldn’t make out the shape, but it stopped right in front of them.

  Jenna swore she heard a low whiffing, and the shape swayed from side to side. Jenna readied a spell and Storm freed his knives.

  “Oh dear, this won’t do at all. You two sneaking around like this. Well, two handsome young people sneaking around at night is understandable, even commendable. Alas, I fear your reasons for slipping around out here aren’t romantic. Are they, my boy?”

  It took Jenna a few moments to recognize the voice, but Storm caught it immediately.

  “Rachael?” He waited until she finished her rambling.

  “Now who else could track down the prince of hunters out in the wilds? Come, come, the night is full, and it would be best to get inside.”

  Without waiting to see if they followed, Rachael headed off into the darkness.

  Storm and Jenna followed close behind. A small cottage lit up against the dark sky was visible as they rounded the hill. Jenna had no idea why they missed it before. Unfortunately, she was so tired, her mind only thought
about the strange house for a split second before it connected house with bed, and bed with sleep.

  Rachael led them inside, keeping her hood up until they had shut the door on the night. The cottage was small, but quite neat and tidy inside. A small side room with a huge fluffy bed in it took up Jenna’s attention. She was so caught up in thinking of sleep, she failed to notice Rachael when she took off her hood.

  Storm pulled back with a curse, whipping out one of his knives as he did so. “Who are you? Why have you brought us here?”

  The woman under the hood was a wicked-looking old crone, down to the wart on her nose and a snaggle-toothed grin.

  “Easy, my fine Prince. It is I, Rachael.” As she spoke, she held out her hands in a soothing manner. Jenna felt dizzy, as if the woman was shimmering out of reality right in front of her eyes. The features melted and changed. Within a few seconds, Rachael stood before them.

  Storm kept his knife up. “That proves nothing except that you’re mage-gifted.”

  Jenna disagreed. That did prove something more; that she was incredibly mage-gifted. But she kept her thoughts and fears to herself. Had the real Rachael died in the attack and this thing set a trap for those who would follow?

  “Oh, pish. Corin, you young hooligan, I’ve known you since you were no bigger than a toadstool.” She waggled a finger at him. “This is why I never transformed in front of you before. You have no acceptance for people changing on you; always want everything to stay the same.”

  Jenna was staying out of this; she doubted that her simple truth spell would work on someone who could change form.

  Storm still looked wary and his knife didn’t waver a bit. “Make me believe you. Tell me something no one but the real Rachael would know.” His eyes were narrow and suspicious, and he now had a knife in his other hand as well.

  Rachael clucked at him like a mother hen with a wayward chick. “Very well. But it won’t be pretty. Your first love was an upstairs maid. Her name was Rubela or some such. You had snuck away and kissed her in the pantry and were sure you had to marry her. I do believe you were twelve at the time. Shall I go into more private details of other first-time affairs?”

  Storm had already slid the knives away with a crooked grin. “I had forgotten Rubela. That was quite a long time ago.” He stepped forward and engulfed the small kelar woman in a hug. “I’m sorry we were so suspicious, little mother. Strange things are happening.”

  Rachael tipped her head back to get a good look up at him. “Such as a member of the royal family going about Lithunane, when he is supposed to be in Irundail?” She turned to include Jenna in her smile, and frowned. Disengaging herself from Storm’s arms she came to her side.

  “Things have been happening to you, young one. Oh my, have they.” Slanted eyes peered closely. “But your mysteries, as well as my tale, shall have to await until morning. You are almost out on your feet.”

  “No, I’m fine.” A yawn gave her away.

  “Nonsense. Corin, you and Jenna shall have to share the bed. I was only expecting one of you, although now I’m not sure which one. Now to bed with you.”

  Storm shook his head. “I’m not that tired. And where will you sleep if we take your only bed?”

  Rachael peered at him expectantly and he gave a huge yawn. “I thought so. The two of you, to sleep. I have many things to do before morning. Fortunately, sleep isn’t one of them. Now scoot.”

  Jenna looked toward Storm. She was dead on her feet, but if he felt they shouldn’t sleep until things were settled, she’d follow suit. He shrugged and motioned toward the bedroom. “Right side or left, my lady? There will be no arguing with her tonight.”

  33

  The smell of roasting bacon brought Jenna out of a deep sleep. She turned over to see that Rachael hadn’t completely magically induced Storm’s fatigue; he was still sound asleep. She took a moment to study his lean face. So relaxed in sleep, yet still so graceful. Everything about him was more gracefully masculine than any other man she’d ever met. He was beautiful without being feminine.

  Thick black lashes dusted his skin. His tapered ears were the only thing outside of his elegant grace that looked alien. A lean but well-muscled arm had slipped free of the covers. With a grin, she forced herself out of bed before the temptation became too great to see if more than his arm was bare.

  Rachael was in the small kitchen, studiously poring over a gray book much like Ghortin’s, but smaller and slightly lighter in color. Rachael looked up and nodded with a smile.

  “Good, good. I did so only want to deal with one of you at a time. Now I can find out why Tor put his sigil on you without that dear boy asking all sorts of questions.”

  Jenna smiled back, realizing that the book had disappeared without her noticing. She thought it best not to ask about it, at least not yet anyway. Prior to his mentally losing the thing, Ghortin had been highly evasive about the book he carried. Rachael might feel the same about the one she had.

  “What do you mean, ‘sigil’?”

  “Oh, nothing to worry about. Tor wanted to make sure I could find you.” She gave a little chirping laugh. “Or, in this case, you could find me. Now settle right here and let me have a look at you.”

  Jenna settled at the wooden table on a bench Rachael had pointed to. She wasn’t sure what to do, and was about to ask, when her stomach gave a demanding rumble.

  Rachael burst forth with another laugh. “Oh, dear me. It seems the physical is going to take precedent over the magical yet again.” She scurried to the pan hanging over the fire and gathered a huge plate full of food. Eggs were mixed with vegetables, bacon, and a few herbs. The smell was absolutely amazing. Jenna started in practically before Rachael’s hand left the plate.

  “Sorry. Didn’t realize I was so hungry. I’m afraid it’s been quite a while since I’ve had real food.” She managed to get out between bites.

  “Hush. I should have realized that and fed you first off. Now you eat up; I don’t need your attention to see what he marked you for. Unless, of course, he told you?”

  “Actually, I think it had to do with this strange echo in my head. Only now there’s something else in there too.”

  As clearly as she could, Jenna told Rachael about her encounters with the echo, and the odd presence, and the actions it had been taking with or without her approval.

  Rachael quietly absorbed it all; her frown deepening with every new turn.

  “Things have been happening, haven’t they?” She shook her gray head slowly. “Tis my fault. I should have paid more attention to the first sighting I had of you. And we should have told Ghortin more. We’ve always done things with a small group, safer to keep the information secret. That is proving to be a bad choice.”

  The hearth witch drifted off in her own musings. Jenna didn’t want to bother her, especially when she looked so serious, but she needed to know what was happening. Or more importantly, what had happened.

  “Tell Ghortin more what?” She pushed aside her now very empty plate.

  Rachael shook herself as if she’d forgotten she had an audience. “Oh, I’m sorry, child. Drifted off I did.” She led Jenna over to the sofa.

  “We should have told him more of what was behind this world. It was thought, centuries ago, that having only a few who knew the truth would make things safer.” She shook her head. “But that’s neither here nor there. We were wrong, so I’ll tell you what we should have told Ghortin.” Her eyes took on a sudden intensity. “What do you know of the Books of the cuari?”

  Now it was Jenna’s turn to shake her head. “I’m afraid I’ve never heard of them. I’ve heard a few stray things about the cuari themselves. Ghortin’s mother was one.”

  “Carabella. Oh, she’s a cuari all right. Well, I’m going to start at the beginning.” She paused and looked up expectantly toward the doorway to the bedroom. Storm’s half-clad form filled the doorway almost immediately. He hadn’t put his shirt back on, and Jenna would have drooled if she didn’t have a
n audience. He was drop dead gorgeous. Even if he looked like someone who’d been woken out of a deep sleep by an alarm clock. Up, but a bit shaken and disoriented.

  “Did I miss something?” he asked groggily as he made his way over to the food. He helped himself to a huge plateful, then scooted Jenna over and sat next to her.

  Rachael nodded at something only she saw. “Not yet. I was about to explain some things to Jenna, and I think it would be best if you heard them as well.” Her tiny face grew serious. “Ghortin needs to be told of the situation. If one of you doesn’t make it back to him, the other must tell him.”

  Jenna looked to Storm, one of them not making it back wasn’t something she was ready to think about.

  Rachael began her story. “In the beginning, there were only the cuari. Oh, they were a full species back then, far more than the hundred around now. Their people filled the known world. Even beyond the seas, to lands we’ve yet to visit. They were a gifted but greedy people.” She took a sip of water from a glass that Jenna swore wasn’t there moments before.

  “They sought to change the essence of the land. Mold it to their liking. The cuari of that time were more powerful than they are today, and far less ethical. Against the advice of the gods, their strongest mages joined their Power to open a portal through to the universes. They sent any creatures they didn’t want in their perfect world through the portal.

  “The cuari mages refused to listen when the gods and goddesses asked them to stop. When one of the lesser gods—Typhonel—tried to reason with them in this plane of existence, they threw him into the portal.”

  Silence filled the room as Storm and Jenna digested her words. Jenna hadn’t been taught much about the religions of this world, but she had thought there were three deities and each had their own religion. Ghortin had explained that Irissanta was a good goddess, DOL was a neutral, gender-duo deity, and Qhazborh was of the evil side. And that, for the most part, the deities stayed out of people’s business.