Goddess
Page 48
“Midsummer’s Night. Surely you above all would grasp its import. A night when anything is possible. When magic abounds…especially at the most potent of all locations…” Razeen’s voice trailed off as he looked down.
Maliz followed his gaze to where the mild waters fizzed and babbled around his feet.
“At the magical rim where land meets sea and worlds collide,” Razeen finished. “I could kill you now, but we wanted to do this the right way.”
“You keep saying ‘we.’ I see no one but you.”
“Us,” Razeen said, gesturing toward the waters.
Once again Maliz followed the man’s gaze and was struck with horror to see a young girl floating in the waters. She was exquisite but wraithlike, her image one minute solid, the next faded. She glowed with golden light.
“We meet again,” she said, her voice young, her figure so small.
“Lyana?” he croaked. “But—”
She drifted closer to him. He shrieked in his thin voice, shrinking back only to feel Razeen’s chest behind him.
“There is no Iridor to trigger your rising now, Maliz. And Lyana doesn’t exist in this plane to help fuel your powers either. You have only your faithless god to call upon and he doesn’t hear you.”
“How can this be? How can she be?” he begged.
“There were two,” Razeen explained, pushing the man forward into the water so that it now lapped at his bony ankles. “Zaradine Ana gave birth to two children. The second was Lyana. I helped to birth her in the desert beneath the howl of the Samazen, and as her mother kissed her farewell and died, I gave the infant to her guardian, Ellyana. It was midsummer that night, too, Maliz. It is a time for great magics to occur. Worlds, planes, touch one another. The Goddess was immediately taken to another plane…perhaps you felt the dwindling of your powers from that moment on? She grew safe without your threat and you grew lazy without hers. Now she’s strong. She’s ready to have the fight you wanted. Except you are not strong and you are not ready. How ironic.”
“No!” Maliz howled, now up to his calves in the Faranel.
“No one can hear you. Everyone is at Lyana’s festival. But Lyana is here, Maliz. She has come to claim you.”
“She has no substance. She cannot touch me.”
“Oh, Maliz, how wrong you are. Once you are in her waters, she has all the substance she needs to drag you down into its depths. No fanfare, no audience, no theatrical battle for you, demon. Lyana wants you to simply slip beneath the surface, joining her beloved Zafira and Pez, who you gleefully destroyed, but both of whom beat you at your own game. You know Iridor survived long enough to keep Lyana, her brother, Ana, and Lazar safe, don’t you? Oh, you didn’t? How gut-wrenching it must be to learn this now, having spent so many years suffering in your weakened guise.
“First, her waters will suck away your life and cast your demon soul into its depths for ever. Then she will allow her fish to pick clean this stolen body of yours—cleansing it of your touch and laying its bones to rest serenely on her ocean floor, so that you are nothing more than a dulled memory.”
“Help!” Maliz screeched, although no one could hear him, his voice as drowned by the laughter and happy celebrations, the fireworks and music of Lyana, as his body would be in the waters of the Faranel.
“Don’t fight us, Maliz. This time Lyana wins. You have lost. Zarab has lost.”
“Noooo!” Maliz screamed.
“Come, Maliz, come into my darkest depths,” the girl called sweetly, dipping in the water and grabbing his hands.
No one heard the soft gulp as the man slipped beneath the surface and the Faranel Sea swallowed him. But the silent witness greeted Razeen as the warrior walked back up the sandy foreshore.
“Tell me we are rid of him.”
“It is done, Spur Lazar. The long vigil is over. Your daughter, the Goddess Lyana, has prevailed.”
Acknowledgments
Ah, the final volume…It is always such a relief and a pleasure to bring closure to a sprawling tale. It is especially satisfying for this writer, who never has a plan–never knows what’s coming next–and works instead only to the vaguest story line. I am always genuinely surprised that the end does miraculously arrive and all the threads of the story do somehow weave themselves back into the main tapestry…as if…well, by magic!
My thanks to the usual support crew on this series–Pip Klimentou, Sonya Caddy, Gary Havelberg, Judy Downs. Thank you to Matt Whitney for his great work with the maps, and to Trent Hayes for his much-valued work on my website and bulletin board that keeps me in touch with more than 700 readers around the world.
Thank you to the booksellers of America and to the librarians who have encouraged readers to take a look inside this exotic, make-believe land of Percheron and its struggles. My gratitude to the team at HarperCollins, especially Kate Nintzel for her dedication to this story, to my work, and for her friendship as we have edited two trilogies together.
Finally, my focus comes full circle to rest on the three people who put up with all the magic and mayhem associated with crafting these big books of otherworldly adventures and who constantly remind me that I do live on planet Earth. Thanks to my beloved Ian, Will, and Jack for being my real world. Fx
About the Author
FIONA MCINTOSH was born and raised in Sussex in the UK, but spent her early childhood commuting with her family between England and West Africa. She left a PR career in London to travel, and found herself in Australia, where she fell in love with the country, its people, and one person in particular. She has since roamed the world working for her own travel publishing company, which she ran with her husband until she took up writing full time. McIntosh lives with her family in South Australia.
You can find more information about
Fiona or chat with her on her bulletin board via her website:
www.fionamcintosh.com
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Praise for FIONA MCINTOSH
and The Percheron Saga
“The problem with the Percheron series is that the enjoyment is all too brief. Pick a book up and suddenly, it seems, it’s over. Not that they’re short—they’re just that good. McIntosh’s heroes and heroines have flaws and even a demon has a certain, ahem, devilish charm. The sequel to the fine Odalisque is just as riveting. Behind it all is an ages-old battle for hearts and souls between two gods.”
—Adelaide Advertiser
“A tale of romance and sacrifice, mystery and magic that is redolent with lavish detail. Intriguing characters and an exotic setting make this series opener a good choice for most adult fantasy collections.”
—Library Journal
“A sweeping, majestic tale of love and bravery, evil and goodness…. The scope and flow of [McIntosh’s] writing, her meticulous research and the detailed description in this taut novel set up an excellent introduction to what will be a trilogy. A truly grand vision brought to life on the page.”
—Good Reading (Australia)
“A magnificent setting distinguishes this first of a new fantasy trilogy…. [S]trong characters and an enticing plot bode well for future installments.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Two words on the cover (‘Fiona McIntosh’) always let me know that I’m in for a good read.”
—Robin Hobb
Also by FIONA MCINTOSH
THE PERCHERON SAGA
Odalisque
Emissary
THE QUICKENING TRILOGY
Myrren’s Gift
Blood and Memory
Bridge of Souls
Credits
Map by Matt Whitney
Cover illustration by Greg Bridges/www.gregbridges.com
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead
, is entirely coincidental.
GODDESS. Copyright © 2007 by Fiona McIntosh. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
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