Sara Douglass – The Axis Trilogy 2 – Enchanter

Everyone waited.

On Grail Lake the boat moved through the smooth waters. All on board were absorbed in their own thoughts.

Axis thought of Azhure one moment, Faraday the next. He thought of Borneheld, and the end they would make of it tonight. He thought of FreeFall and of Zeherah, and of the bargain with the GateKeeper.

Belial thought of the duel ahead and of his wife. He had wed Cazna there on the shores of Grail Lake this afternoon, and the pledges he made had tasted right in his mouth. He thought of the life they would make together when this Prophecy had ground itself to a close. Would they settle in his home province of Romsdale? Or in one of the three manors Cazna had had bestowed upon her? Belial’s thoughts saddened. He prayed Cazna could be all he hoped.

Rivkah and Magariz thought of Axis, and of the duel that they would witness tonight. Rivkah had not wanted to be there, but knew that she had to be. ‘She had brought both men into this world, and she would witness one of them out of it tonight. She hoped it would be Borneheld. She was glad she had Magariz with her tonight, glad that they no longer needed to hide their love for each other.

As the boat slid through the darkness Rivkah looked into the water. She snatched at Magariz’s hand and indicated with her eyes. Far into the depths of the Lake a line of double lights glowed as if marking a road. The boat glided directly above. Every now and then the row of glowing lamps would diversify into circles and arrows, reminding Rivkah vaguely of the swirls and lines on the faces of the Ravensbund people. They glowed welcomingly, and Rivkah fought the urge to slip into the water and swim down to meet them. She had often sailed these waters at night when she was a girl, but she had never seen lights such as these before.

Jack, Ogden andVeremund had seen the lights as well, but none were puzzled. There it lies, thought Jack, and Ogden andVeremund silently agreed with him. Our fate.

All three knew what they would soon witness, and they hoped that tonight would provide the final stroke for the war between Axis and Borneheld, for the war which had riven Achar apart.

But why, thought Veremund, why go through with this, when the fifth is still lost? Ogden squeezed his brother’s hand, and Jack placed his own hands on the shoulders of the two Sentinels. Trust, he thought, it is all we can do. Trust.

Arne thought of Axis and he thought of traitors. He thought of backs, and he thought of Axis’ back. Sometimes when he looked at Axis he thought he could see a knife emerging from between his shoulder blades. Sometimes he thought he could see Axis’ hands covered in blood, but he could not tell whose. Arne’s eyes darted about the boat. Where the traitor s hand? Where? Who?

At the very stern of the boat sat StarDrifter and Even-Song, both a little uncomfortable, both trailing their wings slightly in the cool waters. StarDrifter thought of his mother, of her excitement at finding The History of the Lakes, of her death before she could read it. He thought of MorningStar’s crushed head and of WolfStar who lurked somewhere among them. Who?

EvenSong thought of FreeFall. She had fought to put him out of her mind this past year, even to the extent of seducing Belial one night in Sigholt and again this Beltide night past. But nothing had worked, not even Belial’s ardent love-making, and tonight the memories of FreeFall seemed closer than ever before. FreeFall, she thought, leave me to live the rest of my life without you. Let go my heart. Soar back to the stars where you belong.

Jorge sat shoulder to shoulder with the impassive Ravens-bund chief and the six Ravensbundmen who accompanied Axis. Over the past months Jorge had grown to respect the Ravensbund people where once he had only loathed them as savages. Nevertheless, Axis had picked a peculiar force to invade with, a strange one indeed. Magic and enchantments and alien vows with unseen faces have more to do with the selection for this mission than fighting skill. And why me? Why me? I am too old for this. Too tired.

The boat came to a small and forgotten postern door set low in Carlon’s walls. It was a little-known gate that Rivkah remembered from her childhood. Once, many generations ago, it had been used for courtiers who wished to enter and leave the palace as secretly as they might. Rivkah had discovered it as a child, and had sometimes come down here late in summer evenings to sit with her feet dangling in the cool waters of Grail Lake. Was the gate.still here, unblocked, unlocked? It opened into a stairwell and narrow corridor which eventually led to the main hallways of the palace. Perhaps, Rivkah pondered, it had been built hundreds of years ago for the very purposes of this Prophecy.

Axis lifted his head to the night sky and whistled softly. A sudden rush of wings signalled the arrival of the snow eagle on Axis’ outstretched arm.

The boat rocked gently as it bumped against the stone wall and Arne crept forward and worked the latch on the gate.

It swung silently open, revealing a rectangle of darkness. Axis was suddenly, vividly reminded of the rectangle of light that sat behind the GateKeeper, and he pondered the similarities. This was a Gate into the Prophecy as surely as that golden Gate in the UnderWorld was a doorway into the world beyond.

Arne tied the boat to a ring to one side of the gate and disappeared into the darkness for some minutes. Everyone sat quietly, waiting. Axis gently stroked the eagle s feathers, calming it and himself. Earlier Belial had apologised to him for his ill-considered words about Azhure and they had grasped hands, friends once more. Axis had complimented Belial on his new bride. Both men were relieved that their friendship had been restored on this, the most critical of nights.

Arne reappeared. “The place is deserted,” he said. “I scouted well ahead. Nothing. No-one.”

“No guards?” Belial queried.

“They will all be in the Chamber of the Moons,” said Axis quietly, and although he was not sure why he said it, he knew it to be true. “Waiting. Come.”

They moved quickly and quietly through the lower corridors of the palace.

The eagle was becoming more and more restless the further they moved into the palace, and Axis soothed and stroked it. StarDrifter and EvenSong, as nervous about being trapped where they could not fly as the eagle, were grateful the instant they moved out of the tight and narrow lower passageways; their wings had scraped painfully in places against cold and damp stone.

As they moved further and higher into the palace the group passed small numbers of servants. As soon as the servants saw the party was headed by the golden man with the eagle, they slunk back against the walls, their eyes great and solemn. One or two bowed slightly as Axis, his eyes fixed straight ahead, passed them without comment or recognition. There were no guards. No fighting. Borneheld was willing now that it should come down to the duel.

They reached corridors which were wide and spacious, decorated with bright lamps, silken banners and intermittent tapestries showing scenes from Achar’s glorious past. Not a few depicted triumphant battles from the Wars of the Axe, which caused StarDrifter to grimace.

Axis finally came to the part of the palace he knew so well. How many times had he trod this very corridor, striding to an audience with Priam in the Chamber of the Moons? And how many times had he walked, not at the head of a party as he did now, but three paces behind the figure of the Brother-Leader Jayme? Walking as Jayme’s right arm, his sword arm, the support of the Seneschal? Well, now he walked towards the Prophecy, and when he crossed swords with Borneheld he would be fighting the power of the Seneschal as much as the power of his brother.

“Wait,” he called suddenly, holding out his free hand as they turned a corner. The others stopped behind him, looking down the straight and wide corridor. At the end, perhaps some fifty paces away, double doors stood wide. Beyond was a darkened chamber, lit only by the leaping light of torches.

“The Chamber of the Moons,” Jack said, moving forward to step next to Axis. “Yr is there. I can feel her.”

“And Faraday,” Axis said, relieved. He could feel the slight tug of her power as well. “And Faraday.”

He turned to look at those behind him, smiling as if realising for the first time what a strange group he had brought with him. Sentinels, Ravensbundmen, nobles, a Princess, a friend, a father and a sister.