Invocation

by Nicole Warner

  I closed my eyes, only to dwell on Edmund’s rage, the moment it suffused his features, filling them with an ugly emotion. Sleep was a long time coming.

  When it did, I dreamt I fell an impossible distance, wind rushing all around and a whistling sound in my ears …

  Landing on coarse softness, aware of the strangeness of the dream, I experienced the exquisite relief of his nearness as the inconceivable became possible.

  Eadred, curled against my back, wrapped warm arms about my waist and cradled me close to his heat. He tucked his chin into the crook of my neck. Gentle fingers trailed over a damp cheek, found my tears and wiped them away.

  My senses told me we lay upon a patch of sand, the waves breaking against the nearby shore with thumping booms. Eadred felt real. As did the grains sticking to our clothes and skin, the salty breeze ruffling our hair. I dared not open my eyes for fear he would disappear.

  “Anais.” Warm breath skimmed across my jaw, a tantalising sweetness. “Why do you cry?”

  “My papa. He’s gone.”

  “I’m sorry.” He meant it, sincerity and empathy for my loss colouring his words. “Losing a parent is hard. I wish I could be there for you.”

  “You are,” I reminded him. “You never leave me.”

  Those arms tightened and his lips tickled against my neck. “I miss you.”

  “Then come home to me. I need you.”

  “If I dared, I’d never let you go.”

  “Nor I. Eadred, surely you must know, I am yours.” I twisted around in his embrace, opening my eyes. Five lights hung in the air above us. There were no stars in the sky and I could not see the waves, only hear them. Nose to nose, we gazed at one other.

  He touched my swollen jaw, fingers gentle, a frown forming. “You’re hurt. Who did this?”

  A light extinguished. Then another. Only three floating orbs remained. They were more than enough. I placed my hand over his. “Eadred,” I began, but my words were cut off. Something tore him from my arms into the ocean, and he was lost to me.

  I cried anew, the emptiness rushing back. The last of the lights flickered out to blackness …

  Distance Breached

  At the small pat to my nose, the beach slipped away, fading into the place of dissolution that all dreams are destined to go. I slapped at the annoying touch and rolled over. With aggravating insistence, the tap returned, flicking against my ear. My fingers rubbed at the lobe and flapped against the side of my head, trying to persuade the pesky insect to leave me alone.

  Something cold slipped between my lips, forcing my eyes open. I blew whatever it was away with a hiss. “Get off,” I mumbled, still mostly asleep.

  Only a glimmer of light, creeping from a window high in the wall, illuminated the dormitory. And badly at that. I strained my hearing as I stared about, trying to discover who or what had pulled me from such a beautiful dream, but my senses only picked up the distant sound of heavy rain.

  I reared in shock when a small shape emerged from the gloom, the full length of it no bigger than my face. Just as I thought it must be some kind of animal, a glow appeared, bringing the creature into sharper focus.

  Below the skin, on the tip of its spindly little finger, was a reddish light. Only a foot tall, thin in body and limbs, it wore a strange jacket and tiny pants that cut off above knobbly knees. Ears, lying perpendicular to its head, were framed by short tufts of fluffy orange hair.

  It stared at me with round eyes of the brightest blue and laid that glowing finger up against its flat snout and narrow mouth, the message clear. It wanted me to stay quiet.

  I gaped, stunned into insensibility and wondering if I’d lost my mind. Witness to my stupor, it tapped my nose. About to give voice to a disbelieving yell, wanting to tell the odd little creature to go back to where it came from, I wasn’t prepared for the way it jumped at my face.

  Those thin limbs wrapped around my head, muffling my cries and near suffocating me. I grabbed for it but my hands couldn’t get hold. Somehow it kept shifting out of reach.

  Finally, it peeled off, round eyes gazing into mine with an intensity and gravity of purpose. It placed a finger over tiny lips. This time I nodded. If I was losing my mind, then surely there was no harm in going along with the lunacy. At least for now.

  It hopped away, moving with funny little steps. When I didn’t get off the pallet, it turned and beckoned urgently.

  While I pulled my boots on, I peered about to check if the others were awake. The Dunst brothers were all asleep in their section of the room, bodies hunched in for warmth under thin blankets. Tergen, on the pallet beside my own, lay flat on his back, arms and legs akimbo. He let out a loud snore and smacked his lips before rolling to his side. Shen was curled inwards on his stomach, freckled face my way. Too dark for me to know for sure, my imagination added drool creeping out in small, steady drips from his slack mouth.

  No help from any of them, then.

  Unable to delay it any longer, I followed the strange creature to the door. In the corridor I looked down when it tugged on my pants, watching with a mix of revulsion and curiosity as it climbed up my legs and torso to perch itself on my shoulder. It pointed, and then again with greater urgency to get me moving.

  I scratched the side of my nose, more than a little confused. Now those blue eyes peered into mine, a strange frown forming on an almost non-existent forehead. The finger jabbed anew.

  “This way?” I whispered. Its head bobbed up and down.

  All was quiet, only the sounds of my footsteps echoing through the halls. The small creature glared at my feet and I tried to walk with softer steps. Through the university building we traversed, down the stairs, across the entrance hall and out into the forecourt where the rain fell in lashing, wind-blown sheets of wetness.

  I obeyed that pointing appendage, walking through puddles dimly seen under a cloud-filled night sky. The water drenched my clothes and boots in seconds. The creature led me to the statue of the Triune in the centre of Apaazia Plaza. I remembered Anais’s curiosity about the words at the base and bent down to read them, but the deluge was too heavy, obscuring the details. The creature jumped from my shoulder to land on the head of the child, that finger of light dimming and then going out altogether.

  A small opening appeared to the right of the statue. The creature scampered towards it and waved for me to follow. I did so, making a careful, probing descent down steps I couldn’t see, relying only on my sense of touch. Soon we reached deep enough underground where the rain didn’t reach. Fear had me imagining a deadly pit waiting at the bottom, and I grabbed at the wall to ground myself.

  My eyes strained for a tiny fraction of light but for a long while there was nothing. It kept going, on and on, until my legs ached at the strain. I wanted to ask the creature how much longer, but I wasn’t even sure if it was still with me. If it was, I wondered why it didn’t turn on that glowing finger.

  In gradual increments, I noticed the shape of the rocks that lined the walls and the pale mortar in between them. The steps, hewn out of rough rock, came into focus. The small creature jumped down before me, ungainly yet quick.

  When we reached the end of the staircase, the light built to a warm glow. A round opening was before us, low enough that I was forced to crawl to get through to a vast cavern on the other side. Stalactites hung from the rounded roof. The air was thick humidity, small moisture beads plopping their way down the twisted stalactites and onto the ground. Other drops dangled on the ends, frozen and defying every earthly pull. Only when a sufficient amount trickled down to form a larger bell of water did they become too heavy to stay, disintegrating into oblivion on the far expanse below.

  I couldn’t guess how many years this place had been here. If the size of the stalactites was any indication, countless centuries. But the floor was clear, no answering shapes coming up to meet their partners.

 
The warm light came from nowhere and everywhere, permeating every inch of the cavernous space. I stepped forward and fine particles lifted at my scuffing movement, sparkling brightly before settling down with a softer glow. Dust lingered in the damp air of the cavern: the source of the radiance.

  “What now?” I asked. That strange creature stared up at me, blue eyes blinking. My clothes were soaked through, hair flat against my head and drops of water forming a puddle around my feet. The situation was beyond ridiculous.

  At a rumble from my left, I turned to see a section of wall slide back. A woman, wearing a forest green dress cinched at the waist and a black cloak, entered the cavern. At first glance I thought her bald, then saw her hair was only closely shorn and light. A dark blindfold was bound across her face, yet she walked straight towards me, confidence in every step.

  She came to a stop and bowed. “Greetings, Lord Eadred.”

  My eyes wide, I glanced around to see if there would be any more surprises. “Who are you? Why am I here?”

  Full lips of cherry red lifted into a smile. “I’ll answer your questions. In good time. For now, let’s move to a more comfortable location.”

  The little creature rushed ahead, odd ears twisting about in excitement. The woman allowed it to jump into her hand and from there onto her shoulder. She patted it on the head and tickled behind fluffy lobes until it released a happy trill.

  I followed them through the opening into a narrow tunnel lit by the strange glowing dust. Ahead, the woman had already left the passage, stepping into a smaller cavern. There was a bright flash of light, heat buffeting against me from all sides. I blinked to clear my vision, shaking my head, shocked as every drop of moisture was sucked from skin and clothing.

  Bone dry, even down to my waterlogged boots, I joined the woman and strange creature. More stalactites hung above us, but tiny compared to the ones in the larger cavern. A fire burned in an alcove, the smoke of it funnelled away through a crack in the roof. Water simmered in a pot over the flames.

  Cushions were scattered on a wide rug of dark green and blue. A low table sat in the middle and the creature jumped down from the woman’s shoulder to scamper to a cushion. It pointed, with the same vigorous demand it had shown above ground, for me to do the same.

  I tried to get comfortable on the cushion. At first I crossed my legs under the table. When that proved too squashy, I put them out straight and a little to the side, decidedly ill at ease.

  I watched as the woman poured hot water into a teapot, bringing it to the low table and dispensing it into the four cups waiting on a tray. Despite the blindfold, she did everything as if there was no impediment to her vision. She placed a cup decorated with delicate blue flowers before me. I baulked, and she smiled, saying, “I’m aware you’re not fond of black tea, Lord Eadred. This is only a simple herbal concoction of chamomile and ginger. Nothing you wouldn’t give to your patients.”

  I took a sip to be polite, finding the taste sharp but not unpleasant. “You have me at a disadvantage and seem to know a lot about me, while I don’t even have the luxury of your name.”

  “I’m Mariana, and this little brownie is Bogmrig.”

  “Brownie?”

  “Creatures such as your friend Tergen has mentioned. Rare in Tellenel but still to be found if they like the one looking. Not an it, but he,” she corrected, though I’d never said otherwise. Mariana drank her tea, somehow watching me despite the blindfold.

  “He doesn’t say much, does he?”

  Bogmrig slurped his drink down, holding the too large cup with both hands, most of the tea dribbling onto his diminutive jacket and pants. He smacked his lips together with pleasure and burped, startling himself until he patted his stomach to calm it.

  “Brownies don’t speak our language. He talks, just not with his voice.” Amusement and affection ran through her words. She reached over to scratch the orange tufts behind his ears. Bogmrig leant into her palm and shifted closer, encouraging her to keep scratching. His round gaze glazed over with pleasure and closed.

  Mariana tilted her head, listening for something. The brownie opened his eyes when her hand withdrew, making a small mewl of sadness.

  “Why am I here, Mariana?” My impatience grew. I pushed the teacup away and then back towards me, fidgeting as I stared around. “What is this place?”

  “The sanctuary of the Sancto Seers.” I started a little at the name. Anais had mentioned them in her letter. “You were meant to find us yourself, but you never tried to decipher the puzzle box you found on Father Tyrell. We ran out of time.”

  “I don’t understand. Father Tyrell only had letters in his possession when …” I couldn’t finish. Even all these months later, I still choked up when I thought too long on his death. “There was nothing else.”

  “Oh?” Mariana’s lips drew together in chagrin. “Were we misinformed?”

  “We?”

  “Mari and I,” Tergen said from behind. I twisted to look at him, but his big hand squeezed my shoulder. “Be at peace, Red. Ah’ve never meant you harm.” He took the seat beside me, making it appear effortless as his massive legs curled under the table. Tergen sipped at the tea and tried to reassure me with his smile. “You canna nou how important it is you listen tae her.” He reached across and grasped her hand, squeezing it gently. “Did somethin happen, love?”

  “Garten woke you up then?”

  “Aye. And it’s a good thing he did. A foul wind of warnin is aboot. Is it upon us?” His eyes were grave but steady on her face.

  “It is.” Mariana turned all business then, full red lips pressing into a thin line. “I asked Bogmrig to bring you here because you’re in danger, Lord Eadred. We’ve been monitoring your situation and realised, if we didn’t get you out in time, you wouldn’t survive the night.”

  Wary of where this was going, I stared at the blindfold hiding her eyes, for lack of a better place to look. “You’ve been monitoring my situation,” I repeated. The flatness of my statement expressed pure displeasure. “Who? The Sancto Seers? Until recently, I’ve never heard of such a group. Are you affiliated with the Church? And Tergen, how are you involved in all of this?”

  “All questions for another time,” Mariana said, cutting off his attempt to reply to my fierce demands. “We’ve answers to many things. Information you’ve been desperate to know for quite a while.”

  I raised an eyebrow and then remembered she couldn’t see. “Such as?”

  “About the woman who seeks your death.”

  I dragged in a calming breath and let it out, slow and steady. “Who is she? Why is she doing this?”

  “She is the queen who was and the queen who is.”

  “I don’t understand what that means. Do you have a name for her? Do you know where I can find her, to bring an end to this madness once and for all?”

  “Her name is hidden from all who seek it. And trust me, we’ve sought to discover it. For many years. Ever since we learnt of her intent.”

  Tergen’s mouth, above those braided strands, turned down and he gripped her fingers tighter. “Aiven tae search carries the risk of corruption,” he said. “Death seeks every soul on tha path.”

  Angry at his involvement, all his lies, I ignored him. I pushed my feelings aside to ask Mariana, “What’s her intent?”

  “Your destruction. She’s afraid of something in your future.”

  “What?”

  “I cannot see, but I suspect much.”

  “That doesn’t help.” My complaint only made her smile sadly. “So, she wants me dead, but to what end? None of it makes sense. There’s no rhyme or reason to her attacks. Months have gone past between attempts. And for what? Why didn’t she attack when I was weakened? Father Tyrell’s murder is a perfect example. She could have killed me then but instead she disappeared.”

  Mariana removed her hand from Tergen’s with g
entle pulls until he let go. “I believe you spoke to Abbot William and Father Tyrell about dark compacts. The way such bargains twist the soul, making foul creatures of all who pursue power no mortal was meant to possess.”

  I tried to remember the books I’d read with the abbot, but it had all been overlaid with such a sense of doom, I could not recall it now. “I’ve never understood it. What do these people hope to gain from their dark compacts? If they’re reduced to mindless creatures, it hardly seems an enticing proposition.”

  “True. They are promised much and, in the beginning, given ample rewards.”

  “Such as?”

  “Beauty. Wealth. Women. Power. Every deepest desire is theirs for a time.”

  “And then?”

  “Momentary triumph followed by utter ruination.”

  “And how do they learn of this dark power?”

  “Whispers on the wind for any who search. There are agents who are always seeking more souls ripe for corruption.” At her words, a chill descended, raising the hair on my arms. “As for the woman who strives for your death, her situation is unique, for she’s no puppet. She possesses both essence and mind.”

  “How is that possible?”

  “Her covenant with that dark power is different due to her influence in this world. It enabled her to strike a bargain. As a result, she’s of this realm but also beyond it. Half youthful, half aged. Beautiful but grotesque. Because of this dichotomy, every encounter in this existence saps her energy and, to prevent you from bringing to life the future she fears, she has spent more time here than expected. It weakens her, so she must send others after you.”

  “A dahlia assassin tried to kill me. Hers?”

  “Perhaps. There are many layers to unravel. Discover the first, only to find another meaning hidden behind it all.”

  “More cryptic answers.” Did no one ever say what they meant? I took a sip of the cooled tea and turned to ask Tergen in frosty tones, “What is your part in this?” The more I considered the depth of his betrayal, the greater my ire grew. Tergen made me believe he was my friend. I trusted him. Thought I knew him.