Broken Earth

by C M Blackwood

  “What do you remember?” asked Lila patiently.

  “I remember he said, ‘I’m sure that you have been wondering after the whereabouts of your Prince – but you needn’t wonder anymore. He has been taken by the Sorceress, and will be returned unharmed if . . .’ ”

  “If what?”

  “If the Princess grants the Sorceress a peaceful table at which to speak,” said Flay.

  “Why would she seek audience from me? Did he say?”

  “He said that the Sorceress would reveal her purposes at the table.”

  “When?”

  “Midnight tonight.”

  Lila looked to Henry, and said, “I will do what she asks; but I want triple-duty on each entrance to the city, as well as every door to the castle. There are to be armed men present at the meeting, and it is to be brief. It will take place in the Hall of Mirrors. I want you directly beside me, Henry.”

  “Of course,” he said.

  Lila looked back to Flay. “Has the messenger left?”

  “He is awaiting your decision.”

  “Go back to him, and tell him that I have agreed. But say nothing else.”

  “Yes, Princess,” said Flay. He and Boag mounted their horses, and rode off together towards the gate.

  ~

  Lila’s weariness was so great, she could not but lie down for at least a short while before her meeting with the Sorceress. She left word that she was not to be disturbed until the afternoon.

  She slept longer than she had wished to, but rose with still plenty of time to prepare herself. She shook the remnants of her dreams, so vivid as of late, from her shoulders, and went to find Thomas Henry.

  ~

  “Mother!” cried Lila, running as quickly as she could up the stairs to Abella’s quarters. When she threw open the door and flew to the bed, gripped completely by the terror that had taken hold of her six-year-old heart, she saw that her mother was already standing beside it. She had heard Lila’s distress, as she always did, and had already shaken off the quilt of disturbed sleep.

  “What is it, darling?” she asked, kneeling down to take Lila in her arms.

  “A nightmare,” Lila whispered, speaking into the shoulder of her mother’s gown. “But I swear it was real.”

  Abella took Lila’s face in her hands, kissed her forehead, and then went back to the bed, where Lila crawled up beside her.

  “Why don’t you tell me what your dream was about?”

  Feeling much safer now, away from the shadows and solitude of her own bed, Lila took a deep breath into her small chest, and began to recount.

  “People-eaters,” she said, covering her face immediately with her hands, as though merely to speak of them would bring them rushing into the room. “With black eyes, and sharp teeth.”

  “Oh, darling – you know that there is no such thing.”

  Lila looked up at her. “Yes, there is. I see them all the time in my dreams.”

  “That does not mean that they are real.”

  “But I know that they are! I heard Father talking about them, Mother, with Sir Payton.”

  Abella sighed. “Oh, my little love. I just cannot keep anything from you, can I?”

  “I wish you wouldn’t, Mother.”

  “But why do you want to hear of something that frightens you?”

  “So I can fight them better, if they come for me.”

  A laugh, then. “Oh, my little warrior! I should have expected no less.” She sighed, as if dispelling the last of her reservations; and went on, “The first thing you should know, then, is their true name. They are called the Lumaria.”

  “And they are the people-eaters?”

  “That is one thing that they do, yes.”

  “And what else?”

  Abella smiled. “I’m afraid that that shall have to wait until you are a few years older.”

  Lila made a sulking face. “But I want to know now, Mother!”

  “It will only give you more nightmares, my love. Be happy, for now, that you do not have to know anything more about them. It won’t always be the case.”

  “But how do I make my nightmares go away?”

  “Just remember,” said Abella, “that you never have to stay in your dreams. I can teach you how to wake from them – whenever you want.”

  “Can you really?”

  “I certainly can. Would you like to start now?”

  “Yes, Mother.”

  Abella kept her arm around Lila’s shoulders, and Lila laid her head down upon her shoulder. “Breathe in, and breathe out,” she said, watching the movement of Lila’s eyes behind the lids. “Go to sleep.”

  Lila opened one eye. “But how will I hear you, if I’m sleeping?”

  “You will hear me. Just do as I say.”

  Lila closed her eyes again, and felt sleep coming upon her much more quickly than usual. Not a moment later, she found herself in a big, bright place, surrounded by nothing but clear white light.

  “You’re asleep now,” said her mother. “Look around you, and tell me what you see.”

  “I don’t see anything,” said Lila. “There’s nothing here.”

  “Look harder.”

  Lila peered all about, looking over and over in every direction until she began to grow dizzy.

  “I don’t see anything, Mother.”

  Even as the words left her mouth, she saw a black figure moving towards her through the whiteness. She backed away from it, but could not move as quickly as it did; so she fell backwards, down upon the floor with neither a feeling nor a sound. The figure came nearer, until Lila could see its face. A face that didn’t seem so very scary by itself, with dark eyes and a red mouth. But then the lips curled into a smile, and Lila could see its sharp teeth, coming ever closer as the head lowered itself down to Lila’s face . . .

  “I want to wake up now!” she said, crawling away. She collided with a wall that had not been there before. “I want to wake up, Mother!”

  “Calm down, darling. Everything will be fine.”

  “Help me, Mother!”

  “Close your eyes,” said Abella. “Don’t look at whatever you’re seeing. Imagine that it is not there; imagine that you are back here, right here with Mother. And repeat after me.”

  Lila closed her eyes, but felt cold hands closing around her wrists. Her breathing grew frantic, and she struggled with the hands that held her.

  “Flor des maen,” said Abella.

  “Flor des maen,” said Lila, pulling harder against the icy hands.

  “Stop fighting. If it isn’t there, you don’t have to fight. You are here, darling, with me. Come back to me now.”

  Lila tried to slow her breathing. She ignored the feel of the hands on her wrists, and imagined that she had left the brightness; she was back in the darkness of her mother’s bedroom, and could feel, once again, her mother’s arm around her shoulders.

  Her eyes flew open, and she found herself in bed.

  “You did it, darling!” said Abella, leaning down to kiss Lila’s cheek.

  “Did I do well, Mother?”

  “As well as ever I saw, my dear.”

  Lila lay quiet for a moment; but then asked:

  “Must I go back to my room, Mother? Can’t I stay here, and talk with you?”

  “Of course you can,” said Abella. “We can talk all night if you like. Don’t you know that we have all the time in the world?”

  ~

  The hour of midnight came far more quickly than Lila had anticipated. She waited with a crowd of soldiers at the North Door, which served as the main entrance to the castle. All visitors were brought through that door, with a host of guards always at the ready.

  Needless to say, there were an unusual number of men stationed there tonight.

  At five minutes to midnight, a caravan pulled onto the flagstone drive that led up to the castle. There were two groups of fifteen soldiers, mounted on tall grey steeds – one walking at the front, and the other at the rear – of a large ca
rriage, which was pulled by two of the same grand horses. Not trusting Aerca to arrive in her own carriage, Lila had sent one of her own. She could not afford any tricks.

  As the carriage drew closer to the door, each band of soldiers moved off to the left and to the right, so that each exit from the carriage was flanked. The left door of the carriage swung open, and a black, pointed boot emerged onto the metal step. That boot was followed by another, and then by a pair of legs. By the time Aerca’s head was revealed, all of the soldiers’ eyes were fixed upon her, mesmerised (even with the knowledge of who and what she was) by her snow-white skin, sparkling eyes, and magnificent gown of dark-green silk.

  But Aerca’s eyes turned directly to Lila. She paid no mind to any of the soldiers, and made her way to the door so smoothly that her feet seemed not to even touch the ground. She glided rather than walked, casting a sweet smile towards Lila all the while.

  Even Lila, who had more reason than anyone to despise the woman, found herself temporarily spellbound by Aerca’s false charms. She shook herself in frustration.

  “Follow me,” she said coldly, turning away from the door to move off through the great entrance hall. They passed the balustrade, and entered the First Corridor, halfway down which the Hall of Mirrors was located. When Lila stopped outside the great doors of the hall, she stood aside to let Aerca and some of the men through first. Thomas Henry walked close by Aerca’s side, watching her every move. The rest of the soldiers remained in the corridor, to either side of the door.

  The Hall of Mirrors was the general meeting room of the castle, and was nothing at all like the Rally Room. It was long, high and wide, and possessive of an echoing quality to the raised voice. It was sparsely furnished, containing nothing but a long table surrounded by thirty chairs. Its name, though, was due to the material of the walls and ceiling. It was made all of glass, and reflected the room’s occupants at every angle. This was the place where Lila brought unfamiliar visitors to the castle, as their every move was made visible in the glass that surrounded them.

  It was perfect for the current occasion.

  As if she already knew which chair Lila would take (which, after all, was not so very difficult – as it was only to be expected that she would sit at the head of the table), Aerca had settled herself into the one directly to the right. As Lila took her seat, she tried not to let her displeasure at their proximity show in her expression.

  For several long moments, neither of them spoke. They simply stared at each other, as though such a process would eventually result in a complete understanding of the other’s mind. Lila knew that she must speak first; but she knew not how to converse with such a person.

  “I agreed to this meeting for only one reason,” she said. “You have my brother, and I want him back. What must I do to gain him from you?”

  When Aerca spoke, her voice was like both water and sandpaper. It flowed easily from her lips to Lila’s ears, spilling quickly into each corner of Lila’s brain as only such a liquid could do. But it rubbed, as well, and each stroke went in the absolute wrong direction. The result was an incredibly strange feeling, simultaneously enchanting and painful.

  “I have not hurt him,” she said. “He is safe, and he is well. I will not kill him.”

  “Then why did you take him?”

  “To gain an audience with you.”

  “Well, you’ve gained it. Now tell me what you want.”

  Her smile did not falter in the least. She looked deeply into Lila’s face; but Lila stared back with eyes of hardened rock; for she would have it known, that she would not be toyed with.

  “You are even more remarkable than I expected,” said Aerca. “I knew that you would be strong, and that your hand would be firm –” She paused, looking now at Lila as if she were merely trying to comprehend the workings of the mind behind the eyes. “Everyone trembles before my gaze,” she went on. “Everyone but you.”

  “Sorry to disappoint.”

  “Oh, no – you misunderstand. I am not angry. Rather, I am impressed.”

  “I shall take the compliment to my grave.”

  Aerca laughed; and it was a fearsome sound.

  “I appreciate your amusement,” said Lila. “But I, for one, am not amused. I want to know where my brother is – and I want to know now.”

  “In time, Princess. In time.”

  “Then what shall we do in the meantime? There must be a reason you are here.”

  “Of course! I almost forgot.”

  Aerca rose from her seat – and every man in the room shifted his weapon by his side.

  “Calm yourselves, gentlemen,” said Aerca.

  “What are you doing?” Lila demanded.

  Aerca held out a black-gloved hand.

  “Surely you don’t expect me to touch that,” said Lila, looking at the hand as if it were some rotted, foul thing.

  “Oh, but I do! Take my hand, Lila Bier – and you shall find yourself on the road you desire. It leads to peace. It leads to your brother, and to a mother who can rise from her bed.”

  “I’ve no reason to believe a word you say.”

  “Of course you don’t.”

  Lila stood slowly. “What is it that you want, Aerca?”

  “I want you to take my hand.”

  “I’m in no mood for your games.”

  “I assure you,” said Aerca, her voice grown suddenly serious; “this is no game.”

  Perhaps without thinking it through (and indeed thinking only of Antony), Lila reached out and took Aerca’s hand. She heard a great rumbling beneath her feet; she struggled to gain her balance upon a floor that seemed to shift, and looked all about at the sheets of glass what lined the walls, which appeared to tremble so violently, it was no small wonder they did not shatter.

  And then she was in a place of great heat and fire. She stood on a small circle of earth, surrounded by flames. They were all she could see. She tried to peer through them, and over them; but they seemed to be all that existed.

  “What is this?” she whispered, moving as best she could to the middle of the circle; but the licking flames were still far too close.

  “Aerca!” she shouted, wrapping her arms tightly about herself, to keep them farther from the flames. “I know you’re here. Show yourself.”

  Her dark shape appeared in the fire before Lila. She moved swiftly nearer, and came to stand at the edge of the circle. The flames played upon her back, but she seemed not to be able to feel them. Lila said nothing, resisting the urge to back away from her, and thus move into the flames herself.

  “I realised something tonight,” said Aerca. “We are so alike, you and I! Imagine what we could do, if we could only see each other clearly.”

  Lila refused to play along. Aerca uttered flatteries without reservation, feeling certain that Lila would lose her head. But she wouldn’t – not tonight.

  “Perhaps that’s so,” she said simply. “But what do you hope to gain?”

  “From you? Oh, nothing at all. At least not right now.”

  “Then why bring me here?”

  “To show you something.”

  “Then show me, and let this be done.”

  Aerca looked mildly surprised. But then she began to smile again, and said: “As you wish, Princess.”

  All in a moment, the fires on all sides seemed to ignite as if dashed with an accelerant. They rose up high above the women’s heads, lingering there for a bit, and then falling back down to their previous height. But they seemed brighter now, and much, much hotter.

  “I’d like to introduce you to someone,” said Aerca, turning her head a little to the right, as though expecting someone else to walk from the flames.

  “I’ve no desire to meet any cohort of yours,” said Lila. “If that is the only reason for this, then please – keep your introductions to yourself.”

  “Oh, but Princess! I think that, if you walked away now, you would forever regret not having dwelt – at least for a moment – in the presence of such
greatness.”

  “Greatness? Even greater than you, you mean? I would not expect you to so quickly admit such a thing.”

  “Oh, I would not. But I cannot claim supremacy in this place. So bow down, Lila Bier! The Power here goes far beyond what either you or I can wield.”

  Though Lila tried to remain calm, and to keep her expression set in impatience, she felt herself becoming more anxious by the second.

  She could see another shape through the flames – even darker than Aerca had appeared, and far larger. She swallowed thickly.

  She heard a low rumble, as of the tumble of boulders down a cliff-face. Or of a deep growl, far down in the throat of something even bigger than the circle in which she stood.

  Both Lila and Aerca, with the same lack of breath, awaited the arrival of the mysterious shape.

  Its head appeared first; the head of a dragon, protruding from the flames as though it were some distance away from the rest of the body. But then came another head, and another; and still more, until seven had appeared within the circle. Lila choked back the fear that had risen in her throat, but found it extremely difficult to do so.

  “Master,” said Aerca, bowing low. “I have brought you the Princess.”

  When the dragon spoke, its voice issued from the mouth of each head, the lips moving in unison and filling the fiery space with the echo of seven caverns. It spoke directly to Lila, and she shivered, even in the unbearable heat.

  “Princess Lila Bier,” it said, fourteen yellow eyes fixed all on her face. “You have come at last to my Kingdom.”

  “Not of my own will,” said Lila, discouraged to find that she could not take her eyes from the seven horrible faces.

  “Of course you haven’t. Why would you do so?” The heads moved nearer, until they were only several feet from Lila’s face. “You are not my servant yet.”

  “But you could be,” proffered Aerca. “We could dispose of this feud, and be united in his cause.”

  “What cause is that?” asked Lila, unable to keep her voice from shaking.

  “That of the ages. That of what was, and that of what is to come. What is happening now, in this very moment, is but a very small part of it.”