Sara Douglass – The Serpent Bride – DarkGlass Mountain Book 1

StarDrifter”s mouth watered, and he tried to avoid looking too desperately at the food

bundles. BroadWing and the others did a magnificent job, but it was hard on them. The deeper

Maximilian led his party into the mountains, the further they had to fly every few days for food

supplies. Maximilian did not want them flying into Isembaard. The Tyranny had no contact with

Icarii so far as anyone knew, and Maximilian did not want to put the Icarii into the possibly

dangerous position of being mistaken for flying demons and skewered by a terrified peasant or

guardsman.

“StarDrifter,” said BroadWing, handing the bundle he carried to Venetia. “You look—”

StarDrifter waved away the query. “I am well enough, BroadWing. Just a little tired.”

BroadWing did not need to say anything—the expression on his face registered his

concern well enough.

“We”ll be out of these mountains within two or three days,” Maximilian said. He”d built a

fire, using pieces of the coarse heather that dotted the more sheltered parts of the mountain

passes. The heather smoked horribly, but it burned, and it produced heat, and for that everyone

was grateful.

Maximilian looked at StarDrifter as he spoke, and StarDrifter realized there was a

connection he should be making…some decision he should be announcing. He tried to marshal

his thoughts…oh, yes…

“It will soon be time for you to leave us, BroadWing,” StarDrifter said, smiling for the

man. “Head back into the safety of the north.”

“Hardly „safety,”” BroadWing muttered, sitting down beside StarDrifter. During their

trips back to buy food, the Icarii had heard snatches of gossip about the escalating wars between

the Central Kingdoms. The Outlands had invaded Pelemere, the fighting stretching to the borders

of Kyros. Maximilian was desperately worried about Escator. Although he barely spoke of it, the

others could see his concern in the tightness about his eyes and mouth every time the Icarii came

back with more news.

They were not to know Maximilian also knew of the birth of Kanubai, and lay awake

many nights, going through the Twisted Tower, trying to guess what objects might fill the empty

spots, and what they might mean.

“But you will go,” StarDrifter said. Since his somewhat reluctant acceptance of the title

of Talon, the Icarii scouts had looked to him, rather than Maximilian, for direction. StarDrifter

had initially found that difficult—the years spent as a bitter exile at the Corolean court had

undermined his prior easy acceptance of his status within Icarii society—but very gradually

princely command had returned, and the Icarii”s deference felt less strange.

“Yes, we will go,” BroadWing said. His mouth crooked. “We will stand out a little too

much, I think, for an easy passage in Isembaard. We will go back to Kyros, or perhaps even

Pelemere, and wait for you there. Stars alone knows where you will come out of these mountains

again, once you have rescued Ishbel.”

“BroadWing,” Maximilian said, leaning forward slightly, “if there are any troubles—”

“Then we will let you know,” BroadWing said. “Somehow.”

Maximilian nodded, leaning back. It was the best he could hope for.

Venetia and Serge prepared a meal while everyone sat watching and unspeaking, lost in

their thoughts.

The traverse through the mountains had been difficult and wearying for everyone, not just

StarDrifter and Salome, but it had not been fraught with too many hardships. The mountains

were traversable, it was just that people without benefit of winged companions who could scout

ahead for the best and most direct routes, or who could also fetch and carry for them, tended to

lose themselves within the ten thousand gullies and valleys between the peaks and starve before

they ever managed to find their way out. The FarReach Mountains were a maze of blind gullies

and valleys, difficult to move through and impossible to climb out of.

Without the Icarii, Maximilian was sure they would have found the journey almost

impossible.

He finished his meal, once again grateful to the Icarii for their help, and studied Salome

and StarDrifter.

They looked terrible. Both appeared to have lost weight (although that was difficult to

gauge, given their bulky warm clothing), their faces were pale, and smudged under their eyes

were deep circles of weariness.

What was wrong with them?

“Salome,” Maximilian said, “I want Venetia to have a look at you and StarDrifter. We

need to know what”s wrong.”

“There”s nothing wrong,” both said together, glanced at each other, then as quickly

looked away again.

They had largely traveled as a pair, StarDrifter staying close to Salome and helping her if

she needed. At night they bundled down very close. They did not argue, nor express any

particular emotion toward the other. In fact, they barely passed a word between them.

Maximilian did not know if that was merely a by-product of their exhaustion, or if they had

arrived at some silent companionship that was not friendship, but a resigned acknowledgment of

their ties.

Personally, Maximilian thought it was likely a combination of both.

“Look, Maxel,” StarDrifter said, “I don”t think anything is—”

“If Venetia could look at my back, I”d be grateful,” Salome put in. “The past few days it

has been so sore…perhaps I have pulled a ligament.”

“Then a rub may help it,” Venetia said, moving over to Salome”s side. She tried to aid

Salome in removing her jacket, vest, and shirt while preserving the woman”s modesty, but,

irritable, Salome shrugged off her attempts to cover her chest.

“I doubt anyone here has not seen a pair of breasts before,” she snapped, and StarDrifter

smiled. If Venetia had seen Salome parading about in her completely transparent finery in

Coroleas then she would not have worried about preserving the woman”s “modesty.”

Salome shot StarDrifter an irritated look, and he managed to suppress the smile.

Venetia ran her hands over Salome”s back, frowning. “There”s something wrong with

your back,” she said. “I don”t know…Ravenna?”

Her daughter moved over, frowning as well once she saw Salome”s back.

“Perhaps it is an infection,” Venetia said.

“Venetia?” Maximilian said. “What is it?”

“I don”t think it is an infection,” Ravenna said quietly. “BroadWing, can you…?”

He came over, and leaned down for a look.

“Stars!” he exclaimed, and almost fell over as he stumbled back a pace. “I cannot believe

it!”

“What is it?” Maximilian said.

BroadWing did not answer him. Instead he looked to StarDrifter. “StarDrifter…is your

back troubling you?”

“Yes, but it is just weariness, perhaps, and—”

“StarDrifter,” said BroadWing, “please have a look at Salome”s back.”

“Oh, for all the gods” sakes,” snapped Salome, as StarDrifter sighed and rose. “Just give

it a rub, Venetia, and let me be. I wish I”d never asked you to look at it.”

“Oh, dear gods,” StarDrifter whispered, also taking a step back as he saw Salome”s back.

“What is—” Maximilian began, then stopped, astounded, as StarDrifter literally ripped

his upper clothes off.

He had never seen such a look of sheer desperation on anyone”s face before.

The other Icarii had rushed over by now, and the four of them were standing back,

looking between Salome and StarDrifter with expressions that ranged from the incredulous to the

awestruck.

“BroadWing,” StarDrifter said, his voice tight. “Is…is…”

BroadWing was looking at StarDrifter”s back, then laid a hand softly on it.

“Yes,” he said, and StarDrifter moaned, and sank to his knees, his face in his hands.

“Will someone tell me what is going on!” Maximilian snarled, now also on his feet, and

looking between Salome”s and StarDrifter”s backs.

They did look inflamed, and curiously lumpy, as if something had burrowed under the

skin on either side of their spines.

Suddenly Maximilian knew what was happening, and did not need Broad-Wing”s quietly

spoken confirmation.

“They are regrowing their wings,” he said.

“That”s impossible,” Ravenna said. “I thought you”d both had everything

removed…wings…their roots…everything.”

“I don”t…I can”t…” StarDrifter said, looking up at everyone standing about, tears

staining his face. “I can”t explain…oh, gods, thank you, thank you, thank you!”

BroadWing was weeping as well, and he squatted down by StarDrifter and hugged the

man.

“Wings?” said Salome. “I don”t want wings!”

“Nonetheless,” said SongFlight, one of BroadWing”s companions, “you shall have them

soon enough. See, Maximilian, the wings are forming on either side of their spines, under the

skin.” Her hand traced down Salome”s back, outlining the nascent wings. “They will break

through within a few weeks, and grow from there.”

“No wonder you both have been so exhausted, and so hungry,” said BroadWing. “Your

bodies have been putting most of your energy into the development of the wings.”

“And Salome”s baby?” said StarDrifter, on his feet again. He”d regained some of his

composure, and for the first time since he”d met him, Maximilian had a glimpse of the sheer

charismatic power of the man.

“Well,” said Venetia, “once all the gentlemen here can give us a little privacy, and

Salome and I might manage a bit of peace, perhaps I can answer that for you.”