The Unmaking (The Last Days of Tian Di, #2)(85)

“She’s made her choice, aye,” said Charlie. “She went to fight Nia on her own.”

“It’s the wrong choice!” Nell shouted at him. “She’ll be killed, and there will be nobody to help Eliza, nobody to free the Mancers. We have to help her.”

“I’m with Nell on this one,” Ander spoke up firmly. “I dinnay know the witch well, but we’ve made a journey together and I know you dinnay leave your comrades to get killed.”

Nell realized she was still holding on to Jalo’s hands and let go. “We need to leave right away,” she said.

“Even if she is still alive, I don’t see how we will help Swarn,” said Jalo a little peevishly.

“You’re a Faery, lah,” said Nell. “Dinnay you have any powers?”

“Illusion won’t work against her, because she wears the King...Malferio’s blood,” said Jalo. “I suppose I could try a Curse.”

“What kind of Curse?”

“I don’t know. Blindness, Terror...”

“What about both? Blind and terrify her and we’ll whiz off with Swarn, aye.”

“She would break my Curse. She is very strong,” said Jalo.

“But praps not soon enough!” said Nell. “All we need is a little time.”

“She’ll strike before he gets the Curse out,” protested Charlie. “You dinnay know anything about Nia, Nell. We cannay best her.”

“Then we arrive once the battle has begun,” said Nell. “She’ll be busy fighting Swarn. We surprise her with a Curse she wasnay expecting, then fly like mad for the Crossing.”

Ander looked at her admiringly. “You’d be good in the military, aye,” he said.

Nell grimaced at that. “Will you do it, Jalo?” She saw him hesitate and added, “You’re nay afraid, are you?”

Jalo stiffened. “If I can be of service in any way, it will please me greatly.”

Nell looked at Charlie.

“If it goes wrong, I’m nay staying to fight,” he said. “I’ll head straight for the Crossing to find Eliza, and you’ll be with me.”

She wanted to hug him, but something held her back. She nodded her head. And so it was settled.





Chapter


21

Swarn had returned to the marsh for her weapons, where she saw firsthand the devastation Nia had wreaked. She could not kill Nia, who had the immortality of the Faeries, but she could make her suffer and she meant to. With a curt word, she put out the enchanted fire that still smouldered on the ruined house and then searched the smoking rubble for her two best spears and her bow and arrow. She had hoped to arrive at the Hall of the Ancients before Nia, to prepare herself, but the journey was long and it was late morning on the day they had appointed when she left the dragons in the mountains and sent them east. They were the last of the dragons of the cliffs of Batt, the fiercest race of mortal dragons in Tian Di. She would not risk their lives in this battle. Alone, she began the long trek up the mountain.

When she arrived it was close to nightfall. The Hall of the Ancients loomed on the peak, far above the swirling sea of cloud, a dark stone tower inscribed with runes and ancient symbols. Its entrance ways were various, many of them secret, unseen by those who did not know them. But Swarn knew the place well, knew the rune to touch that would open the base into a door. She made her way along the cool, dark tunnel to the inner wall, which parted before her with a groan. She stepped into the circular Hall. Nia was already there, her tiger pacing restlessly. From the grottoes above, worn statues of the Early beings looked down on them – Dragon, Faery, Mancer, Mage, Demon, Man and Beast.

“I was afraid you weren’t going to come after all,” said Nia. “And what about your dragons? You haven’t brought them?”

Swarn heaved one of her spears straight at Nia, immediately followed by the other. The first was too quick for Nia to dodge but she caught it, staggering backwards with a gasp. The second she managed to avert, but she could not immediately break or cast aside the other – it stuck firm to her hands. Swarn raised her bow and sent a volley of arrows at Nia, who broke the spear and raised up a barrier. The first arrow drove through the half-erected barrier and caught her in the shoulder. Swarn closed her eyes and her ears, shut off her worldly senses to protect herself against Illusion. She had to rely on her instinct. She took an enchanted knife from her belt and hurled it. She felt it knocked aside, hitting no mark. It skidded back to her across the stone floor. She could feel Nia’s Magic pressing around her, seeking to disarm her, but Swarn’s weapons were powerful and her control of them absolute. The spear that Nia had dodged returned to her hand. She felt Nia move, swiveled accordingly, and hurled the spear again. Nia caught it and struggled with it. Fearing she might break this second spear too, Swarn caught up the knife on the ground before her and dove into Nia, knocking her backwards. They landed hard on the floor, Swarn on top, the spear between them pressing into Nia’s ribs. Swarn resisted the temptation to open her eyes, to smell or listen. Her knife was inches from Nia’s face, but Nia had a grip on her wrist and the grip burned. Never mind. Swarn had been burned before, and badly. This was nothing to dragon flame.

“I will cut that pretty face off before you kill me,” Swarn hissed. “For Audra, for Rea and for the dragons.”