The Unmaking (The Last Days of Tian Di, #2)(90)

“No,” said Nell, shuddering. “I’ve had enough Illusion.”

“It’s the Day of Dancing,” Charlie reminded them, doing a half-hearted little jig.

Nell laughed a little, then said, “It feels strange to laugh, aye. My throat hurts, like I’ve been coughing all night.”

“You look terrible,” Charlie agreed.

“Not at all!” said Jalo indignantly. He took Nell by the arm and drew her aside. Charlie scowled and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

“Soon, we will be going our separate ways,” he said. “But meeting you has been an honour and a delight, Nell. I hope it will not be the last we see of each other.”

“Aye, we’ll keep in touch,” said Nell vaguely.

“In that spirit, I have a gift for you.” From a pocket in his vest, he produced a gold ring with a white crystal embedded in it.

“Oh,” said Nell, taken aback. Charlie craned his neck to see.

“It is one of my family crystals,” said Jalo. “Crystals are used for summoning. If ever you need my help, turn the crystal and call my name. I will come find you.”

“Thank you,” said Nell. “Lah, I wish I had something to give you.” Then it struck her. “You should take the helicopter! It’s still in the Dead Marsh, aye! There’s enough fuel to get you to the sea of Tian Xia, I’m sure. And if you do run out of fuel...lah, you’re an Immortal, so I’m sure you’ll be all right.”

“The helicopter is a fine gift,” said Jalo, smiling down at her. “I hope that I will see you again, Nell.”

“Who knows,” she said. She stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. His skin was cold.

“I am very sorry about your friend,” he added.

A light rain began to fall.

~~~

As the sun crossed the sky somewhere behind the swathe of heavy cloud, Swarn stood in the rain and let loose a wrenching cry in the language of the dragons. The Mancer dragons became alert and restless, scanning the horizon. They all sheltered among the trees as the rain came down and at last they heard an answering cry. The two cliff dragons, rust-red and terrible to behold, came hurtling towards them out of the grey sky.

~~~

They said their farewells on the mountainside. Uri Mon Lil was going to the Realm of the Faeries with Jalo, who had promised that his Curse would be lifted by the most skilled practitioners. Having heard that his daughter had been released to return home, his face was lit with joy.

“You will always be welcome in Lil,” the wizard said to Eliza, clasping her hands and pumping them up and down. “And if ever you need a wizard’s help again, I hope that you will call on me.”

“Thank you,” said Eliza warmly. “And if you ever need a Sorceress’s help, the same applies.”

Uri Mon Lil’s face creased with smiles. “I look forward to remembering you without the help of my book.”

“That will be nice,” agreed Eliza.

~~~

Swarn said her farewells curtly. Her dragon lay flat to enable her to climb onto its neck. She did so slowly and with difficulty, but they all knew better than to help her.

“What will you do now?” asked Eliza.

“Bury the dragons,” said Swarn. “Rebuild my home.”

She did not look back as the dragon beat its great wings and took off, flying back in the direction of the Dead Marsh.

“Wait, Jalo!” cried Nell as the Faery was about to follow, sitting in front of the wizard astride the young dragon whose life Nell had saved. “Can I...may I have your fire stick?” she asked humbly.

He gave it to her without question, and then they took to the air.

~~~

The three friends made the journey back to the Crossing with two Mancer dragons and a dead man. The Faithful were beginning to trickle back to their temples.

“It is all as the Ancients will it,” said Rhianu to Eliza. “Now we will rebuild.”

~~~

Eliza commanded the Boatman and he came.

“Lah,” said Charlie, impressed. “How about that!”

“We have one stop to make,” she said darkly.

~~~

It felt as if he were splitting in two. Half of him stepped out of the shadows and the other half remained. The shadows clung to his back, tugging at him. He saw before him a young girl with wild curly hair, looking at him very coldly. A pocket in the mist had opened around them.

“Eliza,” he said, when he had found her name inside the part of him that knew her. The shadows curled around his shoulders, wove up his spine, pulling. Back that way was only a mad, helpless terror. He knew because half of him lived there, would always live there.

But the half of him emerging remembered power. Hungered for it.

“We couldnay break the Curse,” said Eliza in a hard little voice. “It’s too deep for that and the Faeries will nay help you. All I can do is give you clarity.”

“Yes,” said Kyreth, understanding this immediately. “Of course. Clarity.” He clung to it. It was all he had. It was the thin cord between him and the power. The story returned to him piece by piece.

“I know everything,” said Eliza. “I know what you did to her mother. I know what you did to her. I thought about leaving you here, but I need you to break the Curse on the other Mancers. It’s a simple Curse, I think, but I couldnay ask more of Swarn. She was so...broken. We all are.”