A strange winding ice staircase surrounded by walls glowing with an eerie greenish light gave Tiji pause. Swallowing back the lump of fear lodged in her throat, she crept ahead. She was able to hear people talking ahead of her, but unable to differentiate individual voices enough to identify who was speaking to whom. She thought Maralyce might be down here, along with Lukys and maybe even Pellys. She knew Lukys's mortal wife, Oritha, had to be down here, because it was Oritha that Tiji was following.
She took the steps silently, holding her breath, trying to avoid disturbing the moss that was providing the eerie green glow that lit the staircase. The red-tinged
light at the bottom of the stairs grew stronger, the voices clearer. Flattening herself against the freezing wall once she was past the moss, wishing it wasn't so cold she was required to wear furs — which completely negated her camouflage abilities — Tiji stopped when she reached the antechamber at the foot of the stairs and peered cautiously around the corner.
The sight that greeted her made the little Crasii gasp. The small outer chamber at the foot of the stairs opened into a vast circular hall that stretched away into the distance. From what she could see, it was almost perfectly round, the curved and ribbed walls lit by a ring of fire that circled the chamber at the base of the walls, as if the very ice itself was on fire. At the centre of the room there was a raised circular platform made of solid ice beside which Lukys and Maralyce stood. There was no sign of Pellys but lying on the ice altar — Tiji could think of no better description for it — was someone wearing the same coat Oritha wore the last time Tiji saw her when she had been heading this way. It was hard to tell from where Tiji was standing, but the young woman lay still as death on the altar, which was remarkable, because Tiji was quite certain she'd only been a few paces behind Oritha on the way down here.
Tiji stared at the odd scene, which soon became even stranger when she caught sight of something small and furry moving on the altar beside Oritha. It took her a moment to realise it was some sort of rodent.
'Are you sure about this, Lukys?' Maralyce was asking her companion as Tiji strained to hear what they were saying.
The immortal woman stood looking down at Oritha, her arms crossed, oblivious to the rat scurrying around the young woman's body. The curved walls of the vast chamber amplified the voices to the point where it sounded as if Tiji was standing beside them, and not far away at the entrance to the cavern.
'Coryna is sure.'
'You're guessing that, Lukys. You know as well as I do that she's hardly in a fit state to make a rational judgement about anything but her next meal.' Maralyce seemed to notice the rat for the first time. 'If you get this wrong ...'
'I won't,' Lukys said.
'And are you absolutely certain Oritha is suitable?' 'As certain as I can be.'
Maralyce was silent for a moment and then nodded. 'I suppose, if worse comes to worst, in an emergency you could use one of the Crasii.'
Tiji shivered, and not because of the ice cavern. What's going on here? What are they plotting, down here in this secret chamber?
And what's that got to do with the Crasii?
Lukys shook his head. 'We've considered that. Notwithstanding the unlikelihood of a Crasii surviving the surge, Coryna would be reluctant to take up residence in a body that might retain its compulsion to obey the wishes of another immortal.'
'A valid concern,' Maralyce conceded. 'Still, there's Arryl's two Scards here at the moment. At a pinch, one of them might suffice.'
Lukys seemed to find that amusing. 'The idea is to improve her situation. I'm not sure Coryna would appreciate being made into a lizard until the next King Tide, Maralyce. Even a part-human one. Still, it may be worth keeping one in reserve when the time comes. Just in case.'
Tiji frowned. Who are they talking about? Who is Coryna?
'I imagine my sister will have a few words to say about her current predicament, once she regains her voice,' Maralyce agreed. 'But shouldn't you wait until the others bring us the Chaos Crystal before starting this?'
Lukys shook his head. 'They'd feel me working the Tide if they were here. I'd have far too many awkward
questions to answer.' He smiled down at his unconscious young wife. 'She must be on the brink of death for this to succeed. I learned that the last time, too. Her heartbeat needs to be so slow it's barely moving, her consciousness so completely immersed there will be no resistance ...'
'You don't think the others are going to ask what she's doing here, laid out like a human sacrifice, when you open the rift?'
'I suppose we'll have to tell them before we start,' Lukys assured her. He smiled. 'Learning I have my own agenda won't really surprise anybody.'
'And if they object?'
'They mustn't,' Lukys warned.
'But if they do?'
The white-haired Tide Lord shrugged. 'By then, it shouldn't matter. They're all going to be here to help for their own reasons, after all. Kentravyon wants to know if we can do this. Cayal wants to die. Declan's still mortal enough to believe he'll be helping rid Amyrantha of immortals. And I suspect he's not averse to helping put an end to Cayal, either. Taryx believes opening the rift will make him stronger, and Arryl, well, she's a stickler for repaying debt's. She'll help because she feels she must.'
'Provided she doesn't realise the consequences.'
'Well, I won't mention them if you don't,' Lukys said, a little impatiently.
Maralyce glared at him, annoyed perhaps at his tone. 'You haven't asked why I've agreed to help.'
Lukys smiled, his impatience vanishing as if it had never been. 'I don't need to ask you, Maralyce. I know why.'
'Why?'
'Because you love her as much as I do.'
Love who? Tiji was itching to know. Tides, what —who — are they talking about?
'Then know this, Lukys, that if you screw things up again, my wrath will be ... dangerous.'
'I know.'
'How do you intend to proceed?'
'Carefully. Despite the inconvenience caused by having the damn thing stolen from us, this quest to find the Bedlam Stone has been an unexpected boon. It's certainly got the others out from underfoot while I lay the necessary groundwork.' Lukys held out his hand. The rat scurried up his arm and took up residence on his shoulder. The Tide Lord idly scratched at the rat's chin and said, 'You worry unnecessarily, Maralyce. We've been planning this for a very long time.'
Maralyce didn't seem convinced by his reassurances. 'That's what you said the last time, Lukys.'
'I'll admit there were some ... unfortunate consequences that time,' he conceded. 'But this time ...' He stopped, reaching forward to stroke Oritha's hair. 'I made her very beautiful, don't you think? A worthy vessel for my queen.'
'She's very beautiful,' Maralyce agreed. 'And in the process of making your beautiful vessel, you've foisted another immortal upon us.'
Lukys looked up. 'You mean Declan?'
'You promised me you'd not make him immortal, Lukys.'
'And I kept my promise. I didn't make him immortal. He did it all by himself. And I can't say I'm sorry. The only remaining doubt about this has always been exactly what mix it required to be certain the mortal body would survive immolation. Now we know.'
Maralyce was silent for a time, staring at Oritha's unconscious form, and then she looked up. 'Do you need my help?'
Lukys shook his head. 'Not for this part.'
Maralyce stepped back from the altar. 'I'll leave you to it then.' She glanced down at Oritha one last time. 'When you invited her down here, I wonder if the poor girl had any idea she was going to die?'
Tiji stifled a gasp, even though she was far enough away for it not to be heard by the Tide Lords. But she'd seen enough, too much ... and Maralyce was turning for the entrance.
Tides, they're killing Oritha ...
Or were they? What had Lukys said? She must be on the brink of death for this to succeed. I learned that the last time, too. Her heartbeat needs to be so
slow it's barely moving, her consciousness so completely immersed there will be no resistance ...
Maralyce was getting closer. Her mind swirling with the possibilities, Tiji turned and fled up the ice stairs toward the levels above, wondering how she could prevent this travesty from taking place. For that matter, who would she even tell about it? The immortals didn't see life the same way mortal creatures did. Even Arryl would probably take the line that Oritha was Lukys's wife and if he wanted to freeze her so he could use her as a vessel for his queen — whatever that meant — he was quite within his rights to do so.
Tides, 1 wish Declan was here, Tiji thought as she slipped and slithered along the icy tunnels above the secret chamber. If she was caught down here, Tiji had no doubt about her fate. Lukys and Maralyce were in cahoots over something seriously nasty. And obviously important. So important, Oritha must die for it and all the other immortals prevented from learning the truth.
This was a secret too large for one small chameleon Crasii to bear.
Her heart pounding, Tiji raced up the glowing green stairs to the next level, slipping on the ice near the concealed entrance as she scurried ahead. She was back in the corridor where the palace stores were kept. Tiji could hear Maralyce coming, and here she was, shaking like a sapling in a high wind, without the breath to run any further without being caught.
Her training as Declan's spy kicked in without her consciously thinking about it. Tiji ducked into the
nearest alcove to discover a dark ice cave filled with barrels of apples, pears, peaches, and various other exotic fruits from foreign places like the Chelae Islands. Although the immortals did not need to eat to maintain life, they liked their food and they had mortal servants to feed. She grabbed a small basket off the floor, stuffed a few pieces of fruit in it and turned, just as Maralyce emerged from the concealed steps that led to the lower level.
'My lady,' Tiji said with a deep bow as the immortal passed her by.
'Good morning, Tiji.'
'To serve you is the reason I breathe, my lady,' she blurted out before she could stop herself.
The comment gave Maralyce pause. She stopped and looked over her shoulder with an odd expression. 'You're a Scard, Tiji. You don't mean a word of that.'
Tiji shrugged, smiling nervously. 'It seems like the right thing to say around here.'
Maralyce studied her in silence for a moment and then smiled. 'What a strange little creature you are.'
And with that, the Tide Lord went on her way, leaving Tiji clutching her basket of apples at the entrance to the storeroom, her palms sweating, her scales flickering and her heart beating so loudly in terror it was a wonder the sound wasn't echoing off the walls, alerting everyone in the palace to her fears.
CHAPTER 42
The arrival of a Tide Lord at Hidden Valley was perhaps the most traumatic thing that had ever happened to the Scards who lived there. And many of them had suffered unthinkable traumas at the hands of their human masters before finding their way to this one place on Amyrantha where they believed they were safe.
It was just on dusk when Declan arrived at the hidden settlement, approaching slowly on horseback rather than using faster, magical means. Although time was critical now, he did not wish to exacerbate a delicate situation by arriving at this den of immortal hatred, flaunting his newfound magical powers.
Lord Aleki Ponting was waiting for him, on foot, between the snow-covered walls of the narrow chasm that led into Hidden Valley. It was bitterly cold, an icy wind dancing around their ankles as Aleki stepped forward. He was holding a drawn sword and was flanked by a score of felines, claws bared, all ready to fight to protect their home. Tilly had warned her son that Declan was coming, of course, and that his former comrade-in-arms was now an immortal, but there was only so much information one could fit on a note small enough for a bird to carry.
Much of his tale, Declan knew, he was going to have to tell Aleki and the Scards of Hidden Valley himself.
Declan reined in his horse within earshot of his welcoming party. He waited for a moment, leaning on
the pommel of his saddle, studying them warily. Aleki's cloak billowed out behind him, his expression impossible to read. The naked blade, however, gave Declan a pretty clear idea of where Aleki's sentiments lay.
'You know you can't kill me with that thing,' Declan said after a time, pointing to the sword. The long blade glinted in the light of the setting sun, ominous but futile.
'Doesn't mean I wouldn't like to try,' Aleki responded in an equally conversational tone. His breath frosted in the icy air but he didn't sound particularly cold or unfriendly. He'd come to greet Declan with a drawn sword and a phalanx of fighting felines at his back, however. He wasn't exactly rolling out the welcome mat.
'What's with the escort?' Declan asked, indicating the felines.
Aleki glanced at them and then shrugged. 'They're here to remind you that not every Crasii on Amyrantha breathes merely to serve your kind.'
'You think so?' Declan asked. He was a little annoyed at Aleki for implying he was no longer on their side. And he had a job to do here, as well as a point to prove. So he didn't answer Aleki directly. Instead, he turned to the felines and called, 'Bow before your master!'
A good half of them did exactly that, dropping to their knees in the snow at his command. Aleki looked around in shock, and then raised the sword. 'What are you doing?'
'Nothing more than proving a point,' Declan said, dismounting slowly. He tossed the reins over the neck of his mount. 'A Scard isn't a Scard because they've defied their human masters, Aleki. They're only genuine Scards if they're not compelled to obey the immortals. And they're a damn sight rarer than you think. Get up,' he added to the kneeling felines, which had them scrambling to their feet.
Declan stepped up to Aleki's blade, not stopping until it was pressing against his chest. 'Are you going to run me through to satisfy yourself this is real, or can we dispense with the formalities and get down to business? I'd prefer the latter, personally. For one, I'd rather not ruin this shirt, and for another, time is of the essence. But if you really feel you must...'
Aleki stared at Declan for a long moment, the blade poised over Declan's heart, while Tilly's son debated within himself the advisability of trying to kill an immortal he once called a friend. After a long, tense silence, he sighed heavily and lowered the blade.
'What did you just do to my Scards?'
'Nothing,' Declan said. 'Your mistake is assuming they're Scards. You'll find a lot of them are not. They're just recalcitrant Crasii, pissed off with their human masters whom they have the free will to obey or disobey as they please. Trust me, Aleki, the Crasii can't help it. They have no loyalty to you, even though they may think they do, and fully intend to follow you all the way to the gates of hell. Crasii must do the bidding of any immortal they meet. And until they meet a true immortal, you have no real notion of whether or not they're actually a Scard or a Crasii.'
Aleki glanced around at the squad that he had — presumably — considered his most trustworthy Scards, at least half of which, it was now clear, would betray him in a heartbeat if an immortal commanded them to. 'Can you tell the difference?'
Declan nodded. 'It's not easy to tell a Scard who's pretending to be a Crasii, but there is no way a Crasii can pretend to be a Scard in the presence of an immortal. It's one of the reasons Tilly suggested I come here before I leave.'
'So you can weed out your magically-compelled minions and use them for your own nefarious purposes?' a young grey and white tabby standing behind Aleki spat contemptuously at Declan.
He turned to the feline, glaring at her. 'On your knees, insolent cat!'
'Go to hell, suzerain!'
Declan smiled at Aleki and pointed to the tabby. 'Now she's a Scard.'
Aleki was frowning. It had probably never occurred to him that a good half of his secret Scard army weren't actually Scards. 'What do you suggest we do?'
'Let me identify the true Scards for yo
u,' Declan suggested. 'And then make sure the Crasii among you never leave this place, because the first thing they'll do if they run across an immortal — no matter how well intentioned you think they are — is tell them where Hidden Valley is.'
Declan's announcement had an interesting effect on the felines. Those who had not knelt at Declan's command began to distance themselves subtly from those who had, as the danger their magically- compelled sisters represented dawned on them. Even Aleki glanced at them thoughtfully for a moment and then, after giving the Crasii a long, considering look, he sheathed his sword and turned back to Declan.
'Some of them may not wish to be identified.'
'You won't have a choice, Aleki. The Crasii will smell me and won't be able to stay away. The true Scards will be gagging on the stench of me.'
'You're not welcome here now you're one of them, Declan. I hope you appreciate that.'
He nodded. 'And I understand why, Aleki, really I do. But I need your help.'
'Tilly said as much in her note. What sort of help?'
'I need one of your Scards.'
'For what, exactly?'
'For the very best of reasons,' Declan told him. 'We have to save the world.'
* * *
It was much later that evening, by the cosy warmth of the longhouse fire — after Declan had related his tale and his request for help to Aleki and the Scards he knew to be genuine Scards — that Declan received a surprise visit from someone he was mildly amazed to find was still alive, let alone safe here in Hidden Valley.
He had retired so the others could rest and digest everything he'd told them. Declan didn't really need to sleep, although the oblivion of unconsciousness would have been a relief if he could relax long enough to find it. At the sound of a timid knock, he opened the door of the room Aleki had given him for the night, to find a female canine standing outside in the chilly hall.
'Do you remember me, Master Hawkes?'
He nodded, his eyes going to her flat belly. 'Boots? No, you took another name. Tabitha Belle, wasn't it? You were pregnant the last I heard. Warlock was your mate.'
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