Perilous Shadows: Book 6 Circles of Light

by E. M. Sinclair

  ‘They left soon after you. They seemed – purposeful.’

  Tika used a word she’d heard from Prince Jemin and Essa snorted while Konya’s eyes twinkled as she struggled to keep her face stern. But Shivan was frowning.

  ‘Where can they have gone?’ he asked.

  Shiral looked puzzled. ‘Who?’

  She had no ability with mind speech, despite much conversation on the subject since her arrival in Gaharn. Essa nudged Tika.

  ‘Shall I go and look?’

  ‘No. I’ll let Farn and Storm see if they can find them.’

  Mind speaking the young Dragons, she found them on their way back to the House. They were delighted at the prospect of seeking out Tika’s four men and promised to tell her the instant they located them. A fair haired man, wearing a white shirt under grey leathers, came hurrying from the passage leading back into the House beyond the stairs. The man searched the faces in the hall but Tika was already pushing through the many people. The man saw her and simply grinned, holding out his arms.

  ‘Navan!’ She hurled herself at him, knocking him back a pace.

  He held her tight before holding her away and beaming down at her. Discipline Senior Doochay appeared beside them.

  ‘I had a word with Emla’s staff my dear, and we thought you would prefer to stay together in the guest pavilion.’

  ‘That was kind of you Doochay. May we go now? I’d like to get my friends settled and also catch up on news with Navan.’

  ‘Of course you can. You know what we’re like once we start asking questions, and then more questions! But those dear Dragons seem happy to talk for the rest of the night.’

  Tika towed Navan across to Sket, who greeted him with delight. She rounded up her reduced company and took them through the rapidly darkening garden to one of several pavilions around the main House. They found lamps lit and beds made, and just a few dishes of pies and cakes – in case they could possibly still be hungry. Tika hugged Navan again.

  ‘It’s so good to see you Navan.’

  ‘It’s wonderful to see you too, but I only know Sket now, among your companions.’

  ‘You haven’t heard. This is Rhaki.’

  Navan stared in horror.

  ‘No, no, Navan. We’ll explain it all but for now, please, just trust me when I say he is a valued member of this company.’

  ‘And you know me.’

  Navan looked round and saw Khosa perched on a window seat, turquoise eyes wide. He bent to rub her chest.

  ‘I have missed your remarks in my head, my lady Khosa.’

  Khosa’s eyes half closed in bliss. ‘You see? Navan understands my importance.’

  Amid the general laughter, only Tika heard Dragons landing outside. Farn and Storm paced in to the pavilion’s central room and Tika was touched to see Storm’s immense and genuine delight in seeing Navan again. Farn was just as excited and Tika waited patiently until both Dragons had calmed a little but finally she had to ask.

  ‘Did you find the others?’

  Two long faces peered round Navan to regard Tika.

  ‘No, my Tika. We could not sense them anywhere in these grounds.’ Farn’s eyes whirred gently. ‘They are not here, unless they are under the ground.’

  Tika stared at Navan. ‘Do you know what Soran’s been up to lately?’ she asked him. ‘Emla has stripped him of rank and confined him. He was – offensive towards me among other things.’

  Navan’s face darkened. ‘I had a bad argument with him. Perhaps twenty days ago. He’d ordered Jakri to leave as far as I could work out but I don’t know what happened then. He’s been obstructing Seniors who want to see Lady Emla, but I’ve not spoken to him since we argued.’

  ‘Do you know anything about the poppers?’ Essa asked.

  Navan seemed to notice Essa’s huge person for the first time and he blinked. Then he shook his head. ‘Poppers?’

  ‘Exploding things.’

  ‘Oh those. Prince Jemin made a couple when he was here.’

  ‘And Soran, according to Kran, has made thousands since.’

  Navan gaped. ‘Seriously?’

  Before Essa could reply there was a tremendous explosion, quite close by. The pavilion rocked briefly then steadied. Tika was rushing to the entrance when four men in dark blue uniforms tumbled in. Tika skidded to a halt and glared at the four. Onion, his face smeared with mud, grinned at her. Darrick was hopping from foot to foot in glee. Tika noted that both engineers had a definite touch of madness in their eyes. She turned her attention to the guards Fedran and Geffal and felt a rather smug pleasure in realising they were scared witless.

  Dog pushed Tika unceremoniously to one side and confronted Onion, her feet apart, her hands on her hips.

  ‘What, exactly, have you done?’ Her muted roar made everyone spring to attention.

  ‘Oh come on Dog. We heard that worm had made lots of poppers and hid ’em. Well you know Darrick, he can sniff out anything that explodes.’ Onion’s grin returned. ‘Didn’t take him long to find the stuff. About a mile from the House. It looked like a bit of garden all heaped up with rocks and plants in among ’em. Found a trapdoor to get in easy.’

  ‘And?’ Dog’s roar had reduced to a mere bark.

  Onion shrugged. ‘Set fuses didn’t we, and got out.’

  ‘Was a really good one though Dog. Really good,’ Darrick put in.

  ‘And has it left a lovely messy hole in the Lady Emla’s garden boys?’

  ‘Aah.’ Onion looked thoughtful. ‘Won’t take long to fill it in again though.’

  Emla, several Seniors and Acting Captain Kran rushed in, all looking worried.

  ‘Sorry Emla,’ Tika said immediately. ‘My men found Soran’s explosives.’

  ‘But was anyone hurt?’

  ‘Oh no, my lady,’ Onion beamed at Emla. ‘No problems at all.’

  Emla visibly relaxed. ‘How lucky that you have such wonderfully resourceful men in your company Tika. Well done. I trust we’ll all have a peaceful night.’

  Emla departed and Dog groaned. Onion’s smile threatened to split his face in two.

  ‘See? Wonderfully resourceful, that’s what we are. The Lady said so.’

  ‘And may Mother Dark have mercy on your demented souls,’ Essa intoned.

  Darrick and Onion were sent off to clean up in one of the washing rooms and Tika considered Fedran and Geffal. They appeared to be still shaking slightly.

  ‘Enjoy yourselves?’ she enquired.

  ‘No Lady Tika. I’ve seen engineers work in the mines, and clearing rock falls in the mountains, but that, that was dreadful.’

  Fedran glanced at Geffal who nodded his agreement.

  Tika smiled sweetly. ‘If those two ever so much as hint that they are up to anything of a similar nature, you will inform me, or Captain Sket, or Sergeant Essa, at once. Is that absolutely, utterly, completely, understood?’

  ‘Yes my lady.’

  Both guards raised their left hands, thumbs touching brows, lips and hearts. As they did so, the blood metal and silver ring on Tika’s own thumb tingled gently and she looked at it in surprise. Then Shan and Shea arrived, Shea much excited by the explosion. Shan backed towards the door but Tika caught her in a hug: it seemed a day for hugs.

  ‘How are you Shan?’ she asked, refusing to let her pull away.

  ‘I’m fine, or I will be now.’

  ‘What does that mean?’

  ‘Soran said no women could train anymore. Lady Emla called him in but she couldn’t budge him and she wouldn’t over rule him then. That was three whole moons ago. There are thirty eight of us women. We’d been training when Soran was out of the way with Kran or Trem instructing, but Soran caught us four days since. He said Kran was dismissed the Lady’s service.’

  ‘But now Kran is Captain it will be all right again?’

  ‘Oh yes. But it’s strange about Soran, don’t you think? He went north with us, fought with us. But he suddenly started acting so odd, really nasty. We’re all gl
ad him and his cronies are locked up. I must go. I still look after the Lady’s things for her.’

  Shan kissed Tika’s cheek and started to turn to the door. Then she turned back and bent close.

  ‘That child Shea. I like her, but that game she likes to play? Shouldn’t be allowed!’

  It was Tika’s turn to grab Shan to delay her again. ‘Shan, Navan said he had argued with Soran because Soran ordered Jakri to leave. Do you know if he did leave?’

  Shan grinned. ‘Senior Kera has Jakri hidden safely away in the Asataria in the City. She’s very fond of Master Jakri, if you know what I mean.’

  Shan gave Tika a saucy wink and was gone into the dark gardens.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Although the company talked half the night, they were still on their way to the House early next morning. They found the hall nearly empty compared to the crowd of yesterday. Navan took them through to the dining hall where they found maids were just bringing breakfast from the kitchen. Kemti appeared, his face grave.

  ‘Three of the guards we confined are dead,’ he said without preamble. ‘And there’s something very wrong with Soran.’

  ‘Let me see him.’ Tika pushed back her chair.

  Kemti shrugged. ‘Emla’s on her way.’

  He took them out through a passage beside the kitchens and across to the barracks. Tika hurried to keep up with Kemti’s strides.

  ‘Did Emla show you the mind picture I showed her yesterday?’

  ‘No. Was it something special?’

  ‘I think so, yes.’

  They turned a corner and found Kran standing with a dozen men by a separate stone building. Kran looked tired and baffled.

  ‘Anything changed?’ Kemti asked.

  ‘No sir. Soran won’t answer and – I don’t want to go in to him sir. I’m sorry but it feels so wrong in there.’

  Kran was unable to repress a shudder. Tika moved between the men, Shivan and Rhaki directly behind her.

  ‘Let me in.’

  Kran waited for Kemti’s nod and then took a large key from his belt. He handed it to Tika who inserted it in the door’s lock. As the mechanism clicked she didn’t hesitate to push the door wide. The room was simple – one large room divided into two halves, each half divided again into six cells, fronted with metal bars. A mattress was the only furnishing in the cells and in the first four cells on Tika’s left, a single man in each sat sullenly staring out at her. But after a quick glance, Tika walked further into the room.

  In the furthest cell on the right a man lay on his mattress, his back to the bars. Instinctively, Tika stayed a good arm’s length from the bars. Narrow barred windows ran the length of the back wall, just below the ceiling, and, with the door wide open, there was plenty of light. She felt someone beside her and knew it was Shivan.

  ‘Look.’ He barely breathed the word.

  Shadows seemed to ooze from the mattress, skittering towards the barred front of the cell, and then racing back. Grey shadows flickered over the man’s body, faster and faster until they were no longer individual shapes. Tika drew on her power, wrapping it tightly around herself and extending a shield across the others in the room.

  ‘Soran.’ She spoke the name clearly. When there was no response, she repeated it.

  The man moved, his legs straightening, and as if with effort, he rolled onto his back. His head twisted to the side, towards Tika. She was unaware of the gasps from Kemti and other Gaharnians; those of her company who were there, were silent. Soran’s face had elongated, his fair hair was gone and his skull was oval rather than round. His eyes tilted up at the corners, his nose was slightly smaller and flatter. Tusks, gleaming white ivory, were visible above his lower lip. His ears had grown bigger, the whorls of a human ear gone, the shape triangular and smooth, close to the sides of the bald grey skull.

  His right hand, nearest to Tika, stretched out in her direction. A clawed hand in which two digits seemed to have fused to make a thicker middle finger. The hand trembled slightly as it lifted towards her. Slowly Tika sank to her knees, staring only into Soran’s eyes.

  ‘Can you hear me Soran? Can you speak to me?’

  ‘It is so hard.’ The words rustled out in a dry whisper. ‘We want to belong, to help you, but he interferes and we are too weakened.’

  ‘Who does Soran? Who wants to help us?’

  Soran’s eyes closed for a moment, as though pain drove through him, then they opened again.

  ‘The other is so mad my lady, his pain is unbearable. But so is ours.’

  ‘Who Soran, who?’

  ‘The Prince of Shadows, son of Mother Dark. But he tries to mimic us because we are so reduced, Lady Tika.’

  Soran’s body stiffened, his out flung hand clenched and relaxed, and light fled from his eyes. Tika shot to her feet, shaking the bars of the cell.

  ‘Simert!’ she screamed. ‘Simert! I need you.’

  Smoke writhed on the floor behind Tika and her companions who were nearest backed away hurriedly. The smoke rose in a conical cloud, which vanished to reveal a short stout gentleman. Tika hadn’t turned and Simert stepped close to her side.

  ‘Oh dear, another one.’

  Tika leaned her head on a metal bar and sighed. ‘Did you take Mena?’ she asked.

  ‘I’m afraid not. A man called me and seemed much distressed over both of those children. I’m afraid I lied. I have to quite often, but it’s kinder you know.’

  Tika turned to him. ‘So you didn’t take them?’

  ‘I took the boy,’ Simert corrected. ‘I managed to find his family among my lot so he’s settled in quite well.’

  ‘And Mena?’ Tika persisted.

  Simert frowned. ‘She went to Shadow. I thought he’d been gone for even longer than me.’

  ‘Simert, this is really important to me. Is Shadow evil?’

  ‘Oh pooh – evil, good – you do fuss so over trivialities, you humans. It’s all a matter of perspective.’

  ‘Simert, please?’

  ‘This one’s gone to Shadow too.’ Simert regarded Tika and his irritation faded. ‘Shadow was always the gentlest,’ he told her softly. ‘I grieved when I believed him lost. Oh yes, even I, Simert, grieve sometimes.’

  As if regretting his admission, he cocked his head, listening. ‘Duty calls.’

  And vanished.

  ‘Someone open this door for me please.’

  Kemti took the keys from Kran and after a couple of false tries, he found the key which unlocked the cell. Tika walked inside and knelt by Soran’s body, Rhaki beside her. It was Rhaki’s hand, again, which reached to the dead face, smoothing his palm over the dome of the skull.

  ‘There are no marks,’ he said quietly. ‘No lines on the skin, as on the child’s. And the skin is thinner, more supple.’

  Tika leaned against Rhaki for a moment. ‘Emla was right. I showed her Mena and she said how sad and beautiful the child seemed. She was right,’ she repeated. ‘Because their faces look so different from ours, we assumed it was an unpleasant difference. And anyone so strangely odd must be bad. What did he say – that it’s a matter of perspective.’

  She sat back on her heels, suddenly aware of quite a lot of people, both in the cell and watching from outside. A hand on her shoulder made her look up. She found Emla there and accepted the Lady’s hand to get to her feet. As they left the silent cell, Tika stopped in front of Kran.

  ‘Let no one mock him or hurt him now. With the Lady’s agreement, he will be laid to rest with all honours restored and with dignity.’

  Kran’s right fist crossed his chest to rest on the golden blossom insignia in salute. Emla nodded her confirmation.

  ‘As Lady Tika commands, Captain.’

  Once out in the fresh morning air, Lady Emla and Kemti found themselves encircled by Tika’s company and borne rapidly out towards the gardens. When the company reached one of Emla’s many ornamental pools, they decided they were secluded enough. Tika’s guards moved to the several paths radiating from
the pool to ensure her privacy. Tika buried her face in Sket’s chest for a moment then perched on the low wall around the pool. Shea immediately sat next to her, and pressed close.

  Emla cleared her throat. ‘What do you want done with Soran’s body?’ she asked. ‘There is the burning ground in the Asataria.’

  Tika shook her head, glancing at Essa. ‘Volk made a stack of stones over Mena. We could have asked the Dragons for fire as was done for two of my men. But Volk seemed to know what was the right thing for them.’

  ‘My people, as Volk’s I would guess, live in mountains where burial is impractical. We make cairns, or leave the dead in high caves where the cold often preserves the bodies amazingly. Some choose to be left exposed, to provide food for the birds and animals who share our mountains.’ Essa dabbled a hand in the water and several fat fish rushed to nibble hopefully at her fingers. ‘I don’t think Soran should be buried under earth Tika, but on stone and under stone.’

  A large horse ambled up a path, ignoring Geffal as she passed him. Large dark eyes surveyed the group then Daisy made for the pool where she enjoyed a nice slurping drink. A moment later, Volk strode into sight. He was somewhat shamefaced when he reached Tika.

  ‘I’m sorry about yesterday my lady, and I ask your indulgence.’

  ‘I suggest you indulge less thoroughly with anything Grib offers you,’ Emla retorted before Tika could speak.

  ‘Hmm. Yes, well. I went to the House to find you, and I saw that poor fellow.’

  ‘We were discussing his last rites Volk. Essa thinks he should be laid on stone, under stone.’

  Volk nodded, then winced, very slightly.

  ‘Perhaps you and Essa could find a suitable place for him?’

  ‘I’ll come too.’ Shea trotted between Volk and the towering Sergeant as they left the secluded pool.

  ‘And I really would like to know who that man was who appeared in the cells.’ Emla frowned. ‘What did you call him? Oh yes, Sim - ’

  The Lady Emla’s green eyes bulged in astonishment as several hands clamped over her mouth. From tears Tika found herself near giggles.