Edge of Darkness ~ A Darkness & Light Novel Book Three (27 page)

Ciara's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"If Donovan is telling the truth, and we can do nothing to stop this priestess from claiming him, do you know any who would stand against him no matter the cost?"

Ciara started to reply but stopped herself and stared at Ferris, his words sinking in. "You would."

Ferris's expression tightened. "I am oath bound to do so."

Ciara shook her head in disbelief. "You swore an oath to… kill him?"

"If such a dire situation occurred, and no other recourse presented itself."

"How could you ever take such an oath? Who would even ask you to?"

"Those of great power make large targets. It has always been so. Every emperor since the days of The First has had at least one mage on the Council oath bound to end his life should his power ever be compromised. It's not common knowledge, and no one, not even the emperor, knows who it is. Likewise, most members of the Council make similar arrangements. Some even keep a vial of poison." He gave a rueful shrug of one shoulder. "I am Lord Bolin's poison vial."

Ciara could only gape at him. The very concept seemed unreal. "You must hate him very much to take such an oath."

Ferris's eyes rounded. "Hate? Oh, m'lady, this is not an oath one makes out of hatred. Though, I admit, there may have been a space of time in my younger years when I thought I harbored such resentment for him, but that was born of youthful pride, and a sense of righteous entitlement, not through any fault of his. No." His voice softened, his eyes glistening as he shook his head. "That oath was born of undying love and respect."

"So much love, that if you think we can't help him, you'll kill him?"

"Would you rather see him live in madness? Or turned to a puppet for his enemies? If you honestly think that's what he'd want, then you know him not at all."

Ciara opened her mouth to argue with him, but the memory of the night at the Splintered Oak kept her from it. "Is Garek bound by a similar oath?"

"I don't know. Regardless, I think he'd do the same if it came to it. Chances are, though, he'd hesitate. Stay his hand when he need to strike, and the moment would be lost."

"But you wouldn't." Ciara heard the condemnation in her own voice.

Ferris's eyes flashed. "Don't believe for even one moment that I ever want my oath called. That I don't live in constant fear of having to carry it out. It gives me nightmares to even think on it."

"Then why did you give it?"

His attitude softened again, his face a mask of sorrow and regret. "I had no desire to, but in the end… there really was no one else. I know, likely better than any, the fear he harbors over becoming what he's pledged his life to destroy. I
know
it."

Ciara could only stare at him, then shook her head and walked away to put space between them. Bolin had come close to losing himself more than once, but they had brought him back every time. He was strong enough to overcome anything. Ciara had to believe that. She and Andrakaos grew every day. If she couldn't use all that power to protect those she loved, she saw little use for it.

"You're a healer," he said to her back. "Have you never come across someone who you could do nothing for, other than to speed their passage to the Halls?"

"That's hardly the same." She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she could reach Andrakaos. His vision and sense of reason were usually far sharper than hers, not encumbered by emotion. He remained out of her reach, held prisoner behind Nisair's wards.

Ciara steeled herself and turned slowly to face Ferris. "You should know, I will do everything in my power to save Bolin. If I think there is any hope, any at all, even a thin one, I will do whatever I have to, to keep you from killing him."

The corner of Ferris's mouth twitched. "And I'll pray to the Goddess it won't ever come to that."

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

To find his daughter in High House and not behind the walls of Nisair had been a stroke of good fortune. To find her in the company of a Sciath proved quite the opposite. That she could be separated from Andrakaos, and yet still be in full possession of his power… now that Donovan found truly interesting, and not something he would have thought possible. She did not seem at a loss without the manifestation lingering nearby, though time and leagues would tell just how far their connection could be stretched. Donovan did not relish the thought of facing the priestess without the entirety of his daughter's power. Certainly they would have the Emperor's as well. Donovan counted on him not abandoning the general.

He winced as he pushed from the chair to pace to the fireplace. His daughter's healing spell trickled warmly across his wound. The Sciath would pay for that. An unfortunate accident on the road, perhaps, or a present for the marauder chieftain, if this time she actually succeeded in the task Donovan had given her.

He turned when his daughter and the Sciath returned. Ciara wore a look of cold determination, and Donovan wondered at what turn their conversation had taken. Even the Sciath, so adept at presenting a casual front, had something lurking in his eyes that spoke of a weakness to be exploited. Ascertaining the source of that weakness--

Those same eyes snapped his way and locked on, the shadow in them replaced by eager anticipation.

"It's agreed, the most important thing is finding Bolin," Ciara said. "I take it you know where he is?"

His daughter's question, tight and formal, drew Donovan's attention back to where she stood, chin up, spine erect, hands folded before her. If she survived the priestess, Ciara would grow to become a force even the Emperor would be wise to keep on his good side.

"At this precise moment? No," Donovan said. "I do, however, know where he is to be taken. The priestess has arranged for a diversion on the road once he leaves the protection of the Greensward. She will find a way to separate him from the Emperor's side and draw him off, at which point she will attempt to perform her ritual. How, I do not know. I have agents in place, however, who will guide the general to a meeting spot en route to the priestess's lair."

"Why not just
arrange
for him to be taken back to the Emperor?" the Sciath asked.

"The priestess would know of it."

"And?"

"And it would force her hand," Donovan said. "What, exactly, she would do to be so betrayed is a guess. It is possible she would kill the general outright, and your emperor along with him."

The Sciath's face wrinkled in disbelief. "She's that much power?"

"Would I care otherwise? Would she have been able to hold me imprisoned?" Donovan stopped himself. His anger had gotten the better of him there. It seemed his time spent in the priestess's company had shortened his temper substantially.

"Ah." Ferris's mouth twisted into a smug smirk Donovan resisted the urge to physically remove. "Now we come to it. This priestess scares you."

"If you had the sense of a toad, the fact of what she is, and what she is capable of, would give you nightmares," Donovan said.

"Then why does she need Lord Bolin?"

"Because with him, not even the Goddess, herself, will be able to stand in her way."

"Where is he being taken?" Ciara asked.

"I will lead you there."

"How far?" the Sciath asked.

"Four days perhaps."

"Where?"

Donovan shook his head. "I will lead you."

"I may know quicker paths. Time isn't our friend in this endeavor."

Though Donovan hated to concede it, the Sciath had a point. "Do you know the ruins east of Kensing Tor?"

His brow furrowed. "The plague village? Aye."

"He will be taken there."

The Sciath's focus turned inward as his thoughts ran behind his eyes. He nodded absently, and went to the shelves along the wall, rummaging about until he found a rolled stretch of dyed leather. He untied the bindings and spread it across the desk, his finger tracing a line across what Donovan took to be a map. He tapped it several times before looking up.

"I can shave a day off if we push the pace, and Marcien is willing to part with his best horse for m'lady."

Donovan's wandered to the desk, curiosity getting the better of him.

"I'm guessing you would have led us north first? Fine for a leisurely journey." The Sciath gestured at the archaic map. "But if we go here, through Erret Maw, and skirt Kensing to the south, we'll make far better time."

"Erret Maw? You can find it?"

The Sciath merely raised a brow in answer.

"And you have no concern entering it?" Donovan asked.

"It'd be best if we did so at night." His eyes flicked Ciara's way. "Either way, I've no worries. If it frightens you,
my lord
, you're welcome to find your own way."

Ciara joined them at the desk, glancing down at the map before turning her questioning gaze to Ferris. "What is Erret Maw?"

"A passage that will save us valuable time," the Sciath said.

Donovan gave a soft snort. "It is more likely to get us killed."

The place had always been steeped in mystery. Supposedly, the entrance could only be found by those who were meant to do so. The tales told of it were the type of fodder spread to scare children. He would have given them no credence at all, if not for the ramblings of one of the priests who formerly inhabited his fortress in the Nethers. The man claimed to have ventured there more than once, making a study of the creatures that dwelt there. Donovan had sifted through his memories and found them to be accurate, if somewhat exaggerated.

The Sciath pointedly ignored Donovan and turned to Ciara instead. "Legend says it was once the home of beasts similar to your gy'lafrei. Many creatures call it home now. Most are nocturnal. They leave the Maw at night, so we shouldn't be bothered much if we pass through after dusk."

"Shouldn't be bothered
much
?"

He shrugged. "I'd say we've enough power on our side to overcome the few creatures we may come across."

"You seem overly familiar with Erret Maw," Donovan said.

The Sciath tipped his head, but did not quite look Donovan's way. "As I said, if you'd prefer to take a different route, you're more than welcome to do so."

Before Donovan could reply, Ciara said, "We'll take whatever route gets us to Bolin the quickest. Even if it's more difficult."

Of course she would side with the Sciath. Who could say? Perhaps the choice of route would work to Donovan's benefit. After all, one never knew what might befall them when venturing onto dangerous ground.

"I suggest you turn in, m'lady," the Sciath said. "We've a hard ride ahead. I'll see to the preparations, but we should leave with the dawn if possible."

Ciara nodded. Her gaze slid from Ferris, to Donovan, and back. "He'll need a room."

Ferris did not turn. "There's space in the stable."

"He's not sleeping in the stable."

"High House isn't an inn."

"Ferris." Her tone and the lift of her brows turned the name into a reprimand

Yes, his daughter had certainly changed. Donovan wondered if she was even aware of the subtle undercurrent of power that ran beneath the single word. If she did, she certainly did not capitalize on it as she should. Certainly the Sciath had noticed, though, from what Donovan had witnessed thus far, he doubted Ferris would go against Ciara's wishes in any matter.

"There's an unused servant's room behind the kitchens," Ferris said reluctantly. "If Lord Marcien is amenable, I'll see he finds it."

Ciara laid a hand on the Sciath's arm and lowered her voice. "We need him, Ferris. At least for now."

"It is an unfortunate circumstance that we need one another," Donovan said. "Unless you have no interest in preventing the priestess from succeeding. In which case, Daughter, unleash your dog, and allow him to attempt what is first and foremost in his thoughts."

"You flatter yourself, thinking you hold that position in my thoughts."

"Enough." The command dropped a stunned silence over the room. Even Ciara appeared momentarily shocked by the force of it. She rubbed her hands on her thighs, an annoying habit Donovan found almost as deplorable as shrugging. "I'm sorry, but sniping at one another isn't going to help anything. We may not like having to deal with one another, but if it means saving Bolin, then we'll do it."

"You misunderstand, Daughter. The likelihood of your beloved general surviving this, is slim. Even if such an event occurs, he will remain under the effects of the
aerglishka brazsk dern frkleschz,
and will likely take his own life."

Her chin lifted, shoulders rolling back as she drew herself up. A light flashed in her eyes. "I won't allow that to happen."

The conviction of her statement wrapped about her like a cloak. Without another word, she strode from the room, only the hastiness of her departure and the rigidity of her posture hinting at her uncertainty.

"I'd sooner bed a viper than give you shelter under this roof," the Sciath said at Donovan's elbow. "Even the hint of an untoward thought passes through your head, or you do the slightest thing to bring mischief to this household, and the lady won't be able to stay my hand."

Donovan slid him a glance. "You and I have something in common, Sciath. There will come a time when you, also, cease to be of use."