The Unmaking (The Last Days of Tian Di, #2)(88)

“What are you doing here, Smidgen?” said Nia irritably. “Can’t you see I’m busy killing this witch?”

“I’m done with the Kwellrahg,” said Eliza.

“You can’t be.”

Eliza said nothing.

“You didn’t kill it,” said Nia. “And you didn’t make that barrier by yourself, either – it’s too strong for you alone. Who is with you? You didn’t find a stray Mancer I missed, did you?”

“No,” said Eliza. She looked around at the hall briefly. “You’ve made a mess, aye,” she said.

“Yes,” said Nia happily. “The Hall of the Ancients! You can really feel it here, can’t you? Their vast indifference. You and I are all that’s left of their long-ago, too-slight pity.”

“How profound,” said Eliza.

Nia raised an eyebrow. “Sarcasm doesn’t suit you, Smidgen. What are you up to? Where is the Kwellrahg?”

“Usually I’m impatient and you want to talk,” commented Eliza.

“Oh, have you come to talk?” asked Nia, thoroughly annoyed now and keeping one eye on Swarn. “What would you like to talk about?”

“You’re the only one who knows everything my mother used to know,” said Eliza. “You have so many of the answers I want.”

Nia rolled her eyes. “Answers are over-rated. They wouldn’t satisfy you anyway. Now, I can see you’ve made all kinds of progress in the last few days, as your noisy flock up there attests. I’m obviously good for you. But if you want to sit down and have a long chat, do you mind if I kill the witch first? I didn’t kill your charming little friend by the way, even though she started waving a sword at me. How’s that for generous?”

“I willnay let you kill Swarn,” said Eliza.

“You’re going to stop me, are you? I’m fascinated. You’re actually a bit creepy when you’re being cryptic and calm. Well, let’s see who you’ve brought with you.”

Nia turned her back on Eliza and made her way towards Swarn. Nell found she was able to move again. Immediately she scrambled to her feet and ran to Eliza to embrace her. Eliza gestured her aside, barely looking at her, murmuring, “Not yet, not yet.” Nell stepped back. Nia was pressing on the barrier around Swarn with her palms. She laughed and turned, beckoning. The wall opened again and Uri Mon Lil found himself stumbling out into the hall.

“A wizard!” said Nia. “Under a Curse, no less. What odd friends you have, Smidgen.”

The ravens started to descend and the tiger roared again, sending them all flapping back up, shrieking noisily.

“Well. Are you going to tell me what you’ve done with the Kwellrahg?” asked Nia. “Or are you going to make me guess?”

Eliza drew the rock out of her pocket and held it out on her palm to show the Sorceress. A flicker of alarm crossed Nia’s face.

“How in the worlds did you manage that?” she asked. “You can’t possibly have broken my spell.”

“I didnay break anything,” said Eliza. “I added things.”

“But what?” Nia’s gaze was fixed on the dark rock.

“It’s nay Magic,” said Eliza. “You wouldnay understand.”

Nia laughed shortly at that, then held her hand out and spoke its former name, Kwellrahg. It didn’t budge. Nia paled slightly.

“The renaming was Magic,” Eliza admitted.

“How clever you are, Eliza,” Nia said quietly. “Much cleverer, as it turns out, than me. But what will you do with it?”

Eliza did not reply. She kept her eyes steady on Nia, her mind closed firmly against the Sorceress. They were at a stalemate until one of them acted.

“I could kill you easily,” said Nia, her voice still very soft. “It would take me half a second.”

“I know,” said Eliza. “But what a waste of power that would be.”

“Yes,” said Nia, a smile tugging at her lips. “Precisely. Oh, Eliza, what are you thinking?”

Nia made up her mind. She spun around and made for Swarn. She uttered a powerful spell that left the barrier in tatters instantly and snatched up the broken spear shaft again. As soon as Nia used her Magic, Eliza whispered her command to the core of the Urkleis. Nia arched backwards with a sudden, startled cry as Magic poured out of her, drawn to the Urkleis. She swung to face Eliza, understanding now, and raised the spear, but it was too late. The Urkleis drew Nia’s Magic towards it in a great rush that made the Hall tremble and, at the same time, poured her Magic back at her. Her own Magic met itself in an unbreakable deadlock and Nia, whose physical form and strength were made up so entirely of Magic, was pinioned mid-run, her body rigid with the effort of tearing herself free, arms out, the fingers of one hand spread, the other hand clutching the broken spear.

“Eliza,” she said, her voice strained. “Don’t do this to me.”

Eliza shut her out, keeping her eyes down now. She knew if she but looked at Nia she would relent. As Nia had done in the Arctic, Eliza whispered the name, Urkleis, and pressed the dark rock to her chest, just above her heart. It was excruciating. Flesh and bone pried themselves apart to make way, and closed again around the stone.

“Well done,” breathed Uri Mon Lil.