Perilous Shadows: Book 6 Circles of Light

by E. M. Sinclair

  Tika glanced at Rhaki, walking beside her through the colonnade.

  ‘I did wonder about that, but what if he was unaware they are intelligent beings? He was scathing about the lack of minds to share with. Share what?’

  ‘Those Ships you told me of, with living brains inside them. Did they exchange information between themselves, unknown to the people who travelled in them?’

  Sket came up on Rhaki’s other side. ‘Star Flower told us they sang to each other when they travelled, and their Captains didn’t know.’

  ‘That’s right. And those lights that flashed and buzzed – on the table thing over Star Flower’s compartment, they moved faster than I could follow,’ said Tika.

  ‘Then the Ships could talk to each other far quicker than we could speak to each other. If this Kingdom is really a Ship of some kind, perhaps the creature cannot speak normally for long. Perhaps it seems – too slow – when it tries to talk to humans?’

  Tika sighed. ‘I find it intriguing too. But I dare not waste time speculating about this Yartay. We must destroy him, not study him.’

  Tika had forgotten the shadow ringing her thumb until it spoke again.

  ‘Like Ferag.’

  ‘What?’ Tika stopped.

  Sket and Rhaki looked at her with concern but she shook her head, taking up the conversation with the shadow in her mind.

  ‘You know Ferag?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And you like her?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘How do you know her?’

  Silence. Tika was starting to understand the shadow’s abbreviated way of conversing. Or rather, it didn’t actually hold conversations, it made basic comments and seemed to expect her to know, or guess, what it might mean. Now she shrugged.

  ‘Sorry. The shadow decides when it wants to talk to me,’ she explained. ‘It says it likes Ferag.’

  Rhaki frowned.

  ‘Well I like her too,’ Khosa agreed.

  Tika rolled her eyes and longed to be with Farn, flying far away from all this.

  They’d eaten supper and now sat around in the garden room, all wondering if, and when, Ferag might reappear. No one honestly fancied being asleep when she did, just in case she thought they were dead. In fact, several of them had dozed off by the time dawn was tinting the sky over the garden but the breeze riffling through the room brought them awake with some speed.

  ‘Well my dove, that was quite a task you gave me.’

  Ferag plumped herself down on a couch, between Tika and Sket. Tika smiled and leaned in towards the Mistress of Death while Sket froze rigid.

  ‘But certainly not beyond you Ferag.’

  ‘Of course not.’

  Ferag glanced at Sket and slapped his thigh. ‘Don’t be such a mouse you pretty little man. We could be such friends, if you’d just relax a bit.’

  Her words apparently had the entirely opposite effect on him. Unfortunately, Dog gave a definite snigger. Ferag peered across at the engineer.

  ‘Hmm. Now if you did something sensible with your hair, wore better clothes and had a simply lovely long bath, I’m sure you could be quite delicious.’

  Dog could only gape.

  ‘Oh really, you have quite extraordinarily bad mannered friends, Tika my love.’

  Ferag half turned her back to Sket and Dog.

  ‘Now listen carefully poppet. I eventually found this Kingdom thing is close to a part of my Realm. I had no idea. I have checked with some of my – colleagues,’ she gave Tika a coy smile. ‘Simert was one but I really cannot divulge the identities of the others. They are shy things. They agree that this thing is wedged among them in some manner. It’s caused no end of inconvenience to poor Serida.

  ‘Oops! Now you must forget I mentioned him, he is particularly reclusive. But he has agreed to check all the boundaries of his Domain to see if this Kingdom is more tangled with him than with the others. To be honest, I think some of the dears are quite thrilled by the employment; it’s been dreadfully boring for some of them since gods were banished from so many places.’

  Tika listened, enthralled by hearing more than she’d ever hoped about the strange existences of long forgotten gods.

  ‘They will let me know and then I will come and tell you.’

  Ferag sat back, looking delighted by her own helpfulness.

  ‘Aren’t you pleased with me, poppet?’

  Tika threw her arms around the Mistress of Death. ‘You really are wonderful, Ferag.’

  Ferag seemed truly overcome. A tear glistened on incredibly long eyelashes.

  ‘Well thank you darling. You are simply too sweet.’

  And Ferag vanished.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Onion chortled. ‘Dog. Delicious. Nice ring to it, though.’

  Dog snarled and wrapped her blanket around her, intending to get some sleep before daylight if possible.

  Rhaki and Navan were both smiling.

  ‘You really do like that – lady, don’t you?’

  ‘Yes I do Navan, so no rude remarks about her please.’

  Tika watched Shivan chewing the side of his thumb.

  ‘What?’ she demanded.

  ‘Couldn’t I open a gateway and -’

  ‘No.’

  ‘But Tika,’

  ‘I said no Shivan. We could try to send a message scroll if there were circles here.’

  ‘I could ask about circles,’ Navan offered.

  Tika raked a hand through her hair. ‘I would like everyone to know what’s happening, but I’ll only agree to written messages being sent.’

  She regarded Shivan thoughtfully. ‘You take people through gateways, but can’t you send things through on their own?’

  Shivan brightened. ‘I’m sure it could be done, but I’ll ask some of Darallax’s adepts.’

  Tika peered out at the still dark garden. ‘Well give them a chance to wake up and have breakfast,’ she advised.

  Tika left the company to try to rest a little longer, and wandered outside, Khosa snoring just under her chin. Kija was reclining nearest the garden room and her great eyes glittered when she saw Tika. She lowered her head and sniffed Khosa, who stretched, yawned and gazed blearily at the gold Dragon.

  ‘I’m glad to see you, little sister. We were concerned for you.’

  Khosa patted Kija’s nose with a gentle paw, but said nothing.

  ‘Stay with me for a while. Tika can fetch my cushion for you to rest on.’

  Obediently, Tika returned to find her pack and unearth the cushion Essa’s mother had made and presented to Kija. It was Kija’s only, and highly valued, possession. Tika offered it to Kija, who held it carefully between her arm and her chest, and then lifted Khosa onto the cushion.

  ‘You will be careful of the threads, won’t you?’ Kija asked.

  ‘Of course I will.’ Khosa turned round three or four times, and settled into a purring ball, held tenderly in the crook of the enormous Dragon’s arm. Tika smiled fondly and went deeper into the garden seeking Farn. She found him at the garden’s very centre, peering at the barely visible mosaic which depicted two large Chyliax. He sent a pulse of affection when Tika arrived.

  ‘I heard your thought, and what you said, to Shivan and Navan,’ he told her.

  ‘You did?’

  ‘Yes, yes. But look, my Tika. These aren’t inside a circle, but they make a full spiral pattern if you follow it very carefully, right in to that yellow stone in the middle.’

  Tika knelt and bent closer over the mosaic.

  ‘Start just there.’ A thick finger pointed to a place under her knee and began to trace a line on.

  Tika followed the pattern, crawling over the Chyliax still on her knees until, sure enough, she reached a pale yellow, circular stone the size of one of Essa’s hands. She sat back on her heels and beamed up at Farn.

  ‘You are very clever, you know.’

  His eyes flashed and whirred in delight. ‘Do you think so? Well of course, my parents are, so obviousl
y I would be like them.’

  ‘Hmm.’ Tika hoped her impulsive words wouldn’t encourage a bout of boastfulness. She sent a thought to Rhaki, asking him to join her.

  ‘Spirals.’

  Tika looked warily at the black line around her left thumb. ‘Spirals,’ she agreed.

  ‘Like spirals.’

  ‘Oh. That’s nice. Do you know much about them?’

  Silence, broken by the sound of booted feet approaching.

  ‘Did that shadow speak to you then, my Tika?’

  ‘Yes, did you hear it?’

  ‘Only faintly.’

  Rhaki emerged from one of the several pathways which looped and wound through the garden and touched Farn’s shoulder, looking down at Tika.

  ‘You used circles, in Sapphrea, didn’t you?’

  Rhaki nodded.

  ‘Well, just look what Farn’s worked out.’

  Rhaki joined Tika on his knees and crawled around the line she indicated.

  ‘We could try sending a scroll through. I admit I would feel much happier knowing others might have some warning of any impending – unpleasantness.’

  Tika met his gaze. ‘You know it will be nasty, don’t you? she said softly.

  Rhaki raised his hands and let them drop to his lap. ‘I fear it will indeed.’

  Tika got to her feet and held out a hand to Rhaki. ‘Shivan might find others, if Darallax is helpful. Let’s go and write messages for Emla and Thryssa.’

  She glanced up at the sky where pink clouds were pushing the night further away.

  ‘Thryssa could move to specific places without using circles at either end. Can you?’

  Rhaki looked surprised. ‘I’ve not heard of that. How did she do it?’

  ‘She paced as though she was walking a spiral, and said the words, and she had to visualise the place she wanted to go to. To its last tiny detail.’

  People were up and about now and Tika asked one of the blue gowned women who had apparently been assigned to look after them, if she could be provided with paper and pens. The woman smiled and trotted off. Tika ate several honey cakes and a handful of berries while she waited. Shivan and Navan were gone already and so were the two engineers and Shea. The serving woman returned with piles of thick parchment, three pots of ink and four long pens.

  Tika thanked her and pulled a table close to one of the couches. It took most of the morning to phrase the messages as clearly and briefly as they could, but finally it was done to their satisfaction. Sket had listened as his lady and Rhaki argued over a particular word or sentence.

  ‘Shall I find some scroll cases?’ he asked.

  Tika nodded. Rhaki, could you picture a place, if I give you an exact mind picture, to send a message to?’

  Rhaki frowned. ‘I could try.’

  ‘That’s good enough. I’ll copy this again for Corman, and another for Essa’s father. You can take the details from her mind for her father’s house.’

  She picked up a pen, dipped it in an ink pot and bent over a fresh sheet of parchment. Sket reappeared with several battered scroll cases and watched Tika at her writing.

  ‘Your writing has improved, my lady,’ he commented straight faced.

  Tika scowled. ‘It’s readable,’ she retorted.

  ‘Will they be able to send a reply?’ he asked.

  Tika turned to Rhaki who scratched his chin. ‘We could ask Navan to draw a copy of the Chyliax spirals here I suppose.’ He sounded doubtful. ‘I would say it’s unlikely.’

  Tika signed her name and laid the pen down. ‘Do you know where Navan is, Sket?’

  ‘No but I’ll find him.’

  ‘Where is everyone?’

  ‘The lads went off with Dromi and Subaken. Dog and Onion are out there.’ He nodded towards the garden. ‘I hope they’re not playing about with those bloody poppers.’

  Tika looked thoroughly alarmed and squeezed out from behind the table.

  ‘If Navan turns up, ask him to try to draw those spirals,’ she called to Rhaki as she sped out of the door.

  After searching through several of the arbours, she was relieved to find the engineers and Shea, watched over by Sergeant Essa. They sat round a large shallow dish of water in which, as far as Tika could see, different shaped leaves floated. She went closer and four faces turned to her.

  ‘What are you doing?’ she asked curiously.

  ‘Working out how to blow the Kingdom either away or up,’ Onion replied with a happy smile.

  Tika sat between Essa and Shea and contemplated the bowl of water.

  ‘We don’t know what shape or size the thing is so we’re using different leaves,’ explained Dog.

  The leaves in the dish were removed and then one single, oval leaf was carefully set in the middle. Dog leaned over and Tika saw she held a handful of small stones. Dog held her breath and dropped one stone near an end of the leaf. Ripples pushed the leaf nearly to the side of the dish where it then spun gently, still bobbing. Tika looked at Dog and Onion who were scowling in concentration. Shea seemed equally absorbed. She turned to Essa who rolled her eyes but said nothing. Dog and Onion replaced the oval leaf with a long narrow one and proceeded to drop more stones around it. Their conversation became incomprehensible involving numbers and items unknown to Tika, and conducted heatedly.

  ‘I think I’ll leave you to it,’ she said, getting up.

  ‘But it’s fascinating,’ Shea told her.

  ‘I’m sure it is, but I have things to do.’

  ‘Like what?’

  She found the engineers staring at her with suspicion.

  ‘We’re going to try to send scrolls to Lady Emla and Lady Thryssa.’

  ‘Oh. That’s all right then.’ Dog nodded and returned to her discussion with Onion.

  Essa climbed to her feet and left with Tika.

  ‘Did you know what they were talking about?’

  ‘Not a clue,’ Essa replied, purple teeth showing in a quick smile. ‘And I would rather not know, too.’

  They found themselves in the arbour where Darallax had first met them and settled on a couple of benches.

  ‘I wonder who that Serida is, that Ferag mentioned,’ Essa mused.

  ‘Little god.’

  Tika lifted her left hand. ‘Can you let my friend hear you?’ she said aloud.

  ‘Little god.’

  Essa blinked. Tika pointed to the black line around her thumb and Essa nodded.

  ‘So Serida is a little god?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Where is he a god?’

  ‘Many places.’

  Essa crossed her eyes and Tika giggled.

  ‘Is he a god of death?’

  ‘Hunting. Fighting.’

  ‘Really? Ferag said he’s very reclusive. I can’t imagine a fighting god being reclusive.’

  Essa snorted with amusement.

  ‘No sacrifices now.’

  Tika frowned in thought. ‘Simert said he stayed away from Drogoya because no one called him anymore. Is that what you mean?’

  ‘Like.’

  ‘So would Serida come if he was called?’

  The air in front of Essa flickered and a half naked man appeared. Essa was on her feet, long knife drawn as the man turned in a circle as if to see where he was. Tika swallowed.

  ‘Serida?’ she asked tentatively.

  Dark eyes regarded her then the man gave a curt nod. He was large; not as large as Essa but very sturdy and muscular. He wore something like a short skirt, and his torso bristled with weapons’ harnesses.

  ‘Why have you called me?’

  His voice was surprisingly low, soft, but his eyes remained fixed on Tika. He tilted his head in Essa’s direction. ‘This is a warrior but she didn’t call. You did, but you are no warrior.’

  Tika’s thumb tingled but she ignored it. ‘Many people might tell you how wrong you are to assume that.’

  Tika was unaware of how cold her eyes and voice had become. She didn’t notice the sprinkling of frost that sudd
enly sparkled on the foliage around them. Serida did. Moments passed while he stared at her.

  ‘You are not the child I first thought,’ he announced finally. He folded arms bulging with muscle, across his chest. ‘Why did you call me?’

  Very slowly, Tika’s eyes warmed, the frost on the leaves turned to water and dripped onto the stone below.

  ‘Ferag said the Splintered Kingdom is most closely attached to your – Domain.’

  ‘My Field,’ he corrected.

  Tika shrugged. ‘How closely?’

  ‘Two borders are more compromised than I’d thought. I’ve spoken with others. Four more of us are linked with the intruder.’

  ‘Can you join forces with each other and with some of us ordinary humans, and destroy the one within that Kingdom?’

  Serida’s head tilted back and he gave a shout of laughter. Tika sincerely hoped none of her company heard and came running. She didn’t want to think what damage a warrior god might inflict on mere humans.

  ‘You think we didn’t try?’

  ‘Yes, I’m sure you did, but did you try together?’

  Serida stared down his long hooked nose and lost his smile.

  ‘And did you really try to destroy him, or just push him out?’

  ‘I’ll talk to the others again.’ Now Serida sounded sulky.

  ‘That’s a very good idea.’

  The arbour was empty apart from Essa and Tika. Essa blew out a breath and sheathed her knife.

  ‘A lot of those brawny ones seem to miss out on the brain.’

  Tika gave Essa a quick glance of apology. ‘Simert,’ she called.

  Essa groaned and then moved smartly back from the coil of smoke rising right beside her. The short plump gentleman was scowling, so Tika spoke before he could.

  ‘I do know you are a very busy man lately, Simert, but I wondered if you could put a proposal to your ghosts?’

  Simert’s scowl was replaced by mild interest. He perched on the nearest bench and nodded for her to explain.

  When Simert had gone, Essa studied Tika. ‘You’re far more devious than I’d thought.’

  ‘Like Simert.’

  ‘So do I.’

  ‘What are ghosts?’

  ‘Ghosts are the souls of the dead, who want to stay around a bit longer.’