“A brave move,” the Dark Man said by the fireplace. “But I see he has not tricked you.”
“I had not thought Axis capable of such power,” Gorgrael continued to fret. “I had not thought the Star Dance could be used to destroy so easily…I had not bargained on this.”
“Of course not. You have done the best thing, Gorgrael.”
The Dark Man had almost collapsed with relief when Gorgrael forced Timozel to obey his orders. His heart still pounded uncomfortably; he’d thought Timozel might persuade Gorgrael to continue the attack. Disaster had been so close, and even now the Dark Man could hardly believe that Gorgrael could not see it, smell it. If he had allowed Timozel to push …
By the Stars! the Dark Man breathed silently to himself, keeping his thoughts as well cloaked as his face, thank all the gods in existence he is so obsessed by the Gryphon! The monster is going to give us the time to recover!
If we can.
“And now I cannot feel Axis.” Gorgrael stopped in front of the Dark Man and peered unsuccessfully beneath his hood. “Where is he? What has happened to him? Always before now I could feel his hateful tug at my soul. Is he truly dead?” His eyes gleamed.
“He is tricky,” the Dark Man advised. “He has somehow cloaked his power, hoping that you will think him to be dead.” It was the best he could do.
Gorgrael peered uncomfortably a moment longer, then he nodded. “Yes, yes, you must be right. Axis is trying to trick me…trick me into throwing my entire host at him. He hides somewhere…planning some deception. No, no, I won’t fall for that trick.”
Gorgrael clicked his claws together as he paced, his thoughts racing beyond the day’s events. “She plants,” he mumbled. “She plants, and with every seedling that slips into the earth I feel the nasty Song strengthen.”
“She has a way to go,” the Dark Man said, relieved by the sudden change in conversation.
“But she has done too much already!” Gorgrael hissed.
The Dark Man looked up from his gloved hands. “Nothing is too much until the last tree. If she does not complete her task then even a hundred leagues of forest below the Avarinheim will prove harmless. They must be joined.”
“Harmless?” Gorgrael spat into the fire. “Harmless, Dark Man? Those trees might not yet sing at their full power, but already they hum distressingly. I have my hands full with Axis, yet I must do something about his Lover and her damned planting.” He fidgeted, frowning. “What can I do to stop her?”
“You need do nothing!” the Dark Man said merrily, and Gorgrael frowned even further. “Nothing,” the Dark Man repeated, “for Artor himself stalks her.”
“Artor?” Gorgrael gasped.
“Verily,” laughed the Dark Man. “Let that pitiful god do the work for you. He has as much interest as you in stopping the forest.”
“He will not harm her?”
“No, merely stop her horrid gardening.”
“And then?”
“Why, then you can seize her. Use her as you will.”
Gorgrael thought about it. Was there something here he could not see? What was the Dark Man not telling him? But he smiled anyway. “Yes. I shall enjoy that.” His smile died. “Going so soon, Dear Man?”
“I will find out what has happened to Axis for you, Gorgrael.”
Late-Night Conversations StarDrifter?” Azhure’s weak voice pulled StarDrifter out of his doze and his head jerked out of his arms where they rested on her bed. “Azhure!” He reached out and stroked her forehead. “How are you feeling?” It was a stupid question.
She tried a wan smile, but it didn’t work, so she sighed and turned her head further towards StarDrifter’s hand. “I am alive, StarDrifter. Let’s leave it at that.”
“And you will live, Azhure.”
“Why, StarDrifter? Axis is dead.” Her voice broke. “Axis is deadr “And we are both alive and you have three children to live for, Azhure. Cling to that.”
“Three,” she murmured and her hand crept down over the coverlets to her belly. “They almost killed me. They tried, I think.”
Shocked, StarDrifter opened his mouth to deny her words, then shut it slowly. “The twins are in the next room, Azhure, as is Caelum. Do you want to see them?”
“I will see Caelum in the morning,” she whispered, turning her face to stare at the ceiling, “but I am too heartsick now. I do not want to see the twins at all.”
For a long time StarDrifter sat and stroked her brow, pleased she was conscious and talking, but distressed by her weakness and despondency. Yet how else could she have responded to Axis’ death? StarDrifter felt as though his soul had
been enveloped in cold blackness. Where he had felt the constant contact with Axis’ life force was now nothing but void.
Azhure twisted her head back to gaze at StarDrifter. Dark shadows circled her eyes. “He’s won, hasn’t he, StarDrifter? Gorgrael has won. There is nothing to keep him from Tencendor now.”
“In the morning,” StarDrifter murmured. “We’ll talk in the morning. Be still now.”
There was a knock at the door, and StarDrifter stirred irritably.
“Who can that be?” Azhure whispered.
“Perhaps the First,” StarDrifter said. He lifted his head. “Come in.”
The door slowly opened, and WolfStar SunSoar stepped into the room.
Both Azhure and StarDrifter froze in shock – StarDrifter had absolutely no doubt who this was. An Enchanter’s power – and such power! – radiated from his eyes, and his SunSoar blood called to StarDrifter.
For a long moment WolfStar stared at StarDrifter, as if daring an attack, then he moved to the other side of Azhure’s bed, folding his golden wings gracefully behind him as he sat down, smiling at his daughter.
“Azhure. You have endured so much.”
Azhure felt StarDrifter’s hand clench on her brow, and she shot him a pleading look. “StarDrifter! Please, don’t do anything foolish!”
“He would be foolish to even try!” WolfStar hissed, turning the full power of his stare on StarDrifter.
The antagonism between the two Enchanters was palpable, and for the first time since that afternoon Azhure forgot her loss. “Please!” she cried. “Please!”
“You murdered my mother,” StarDrifter yelled, half rising to his feet, “you murdered your pregnant wife, and you
murdered hundreds of Icarii children! Do not think that I will just sit here and pass pleasant conversation!”
Azhure seized his arm, her own hand trembling, and it was enough to make StarDrifter subside. But he did not lower his blazing eyes from WolfStar’s, and he bared his teeth in a snarl.
“Reasons governed all of my actions, foolish birdman!” WolfStar snapped. “I do not let myself get carried away with petty emotions and passing lusts. I have more responsibilities than you can possibly imagine!”
“And more guilts, too, imagine!”
WolfStar’s nostrils flared in anger and he made to rise as well. Azhure could feel the power snap in the air between them.
“Stop!” she cried, her voice cracking with the effort and with her pain, and both Enchanters turned their eyes back to her in concern. “While I am in this room you will behave civilly,” she said. “StarDrifter, I will not have you try to avenge all of WolfStar’s wrongs. I will not have it, do you hear? I do not want to lose you as well!”
StarDrifter nodded stiffly and dropped his eyes to stare at the coverlet.
“WolfStar?” Azhure waited until she had his undivided attention. “WolfStar, you must know how the Icarii feel about you. Can you blame StarDrifter for his anger? His hurt? Respect that, do not taunt him for it.”
WolfStar’s jaw tightened, but he, too, nodded stiffly.
“Good,” Azhure said wearily. “For I do not have the strength to mourn more than one love tonight.”
WolfStar took a deep breath, ill-will simmering at StarDrifter from the corners of his violet eyes, then took Azhure’s hand tenderly,
“Axis lives,” he said directly, and then smiled slowly. “Axis lives.”
If anything, that simple statement overwhelmed Azhure and StarDrifter more than WolfStar’s entrance.
“Axis lives?” Azhure asked, so bewildered she found r comfort in the words. “No, he cannot. He cannot. I cannot fe him…StarDrifter?”
StarDrifter was shaking his head in as much confusio “No…I mean, yes, Azhure. WolfStar? Neither of us can fe him. He must be dead!”
WolfStar continued to hold Azhure’s hand, but he looked StarDrifter. “Sometimes I feel that Death follows me like shadow. I can rarely shake it off. Tonight, for once, I bring li in my wake.” He sighed. “Yesterday afternoon there was terrible battle at the mouth of the Azle River.”
Azhure moaned, and StarDrifter took her other hand.
“Gorgrael’s forces swarm, Azhure, and Axis led his army meet them, even though he doubted the outcome.”
“He always doubts,” Azhure whispered, and th marvelled that she could use the present tense again so quickly “Yes, he doubts, but none can fault his courage. Azhu: StarDrifter, Gorgrael’s power grows beyond anything I cov imagine -“