A Blackbird In Silver (Book 1) (10 page)

‘No, you don’t understand,’ the sorceress said softly. ‘I don’t care. The truth is – I cannot stand to be alone any longer. I can’t stand it. Can you?’

‘No,’ he admitted. And as she reached out to him, and he pulled her into his arms, he found she was trembling. He was already in love with her. And although he felt the fury of the Egg-Stone at this, his soul cried in relief.

What Silvren had said proved to be true. They were stronger together. Even the Egg-Stone became quiescent as if subdued by his determination never to harm her. And their love for each other in itself made life bearable, worth living and continuing the fight.

Ashurek had never met anyone like Silvren before; she made even his beloved sister and mother seem dark, snake-like, even sinister in character. She brought light to everything she touched or regarded, and that included his soul. She was basically a joyful person, and even through extremes of danger, weariness or despair her joy would eventually surface, just as an air bubble, besilvered by sunlight, cannot be restrained at the bottom of a dark pool.

She wove a web of sorcery to conceal them, for a while at least, from the Shana; and for nearly two years they had a time of calm, solitude and love. But in that time, despite all their efforts, they still did not find a way to the Blue Plane. And one day Ashurek, out hunting alone, was captured by a monstrous eagle-creature and carried to a hideous castle. There Gastada, an insane minion of the Serpent, imprisoned and tortured him. Because the power of the Egg-Stone was dormant, it did nothing to help him; but Silvren forced her way into the impenetrable edifice and rescued him with her bright sorcery, nearly expending her life with the effort.

Gastada was deeply involved with the Shana (and also jealous and resentful of them), and so Diheg-EI and Meheg-Ba found out that the Egg-Stone’s bearer and the hated sorceress were together.

‘Why has it taken you so long to find out?’ Meshurek hissed at Meheg-Ba. ‘Why can’t you catch him, with all your wondrous powers?’

‘I told you, dear Emperor,’ the Shanin replied with a bland smile, ‘he used the power of the Egg-Stone. Now the unnatural magic of the wretched sorceress protects both of them. But we can plan carefully and overcome this setback, if you have faith.’

‘Faith!’ Meshurek shrieked. ‘I had faith in you! Where has it led me? I am the most deeply loathed Emperor Gorethria has ever had! The Empire is crumbling – my Tearnian conquests lost! And you cannot even catch my own damned brother!’

‘Nevertheless,’ Meheg-Ba said, staring at Meshurek with its dreadful argent eyes until he shrank back in fear, ‘you have no choice but to continue to help me. Think; we have a two-pronged weapon against him now.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘There is the sorceress. He loves her more than ever he loved even Orkesh. And there is you. Contrary to what you believe, he has always held you in deep affection. With this in mind, I have a simple plan which is bound to work.’

‘All right. Tell me. We must do something.’

‘Do not fear. We will soon recover the Egg-Stone and find other, more reliable hands to wield it – though, alas, not yours,’ Meheg-Ba said with a mocking grin.

Meshurek snarled softly to himself, but dared say nothing.

So it was that Ashurek dreamed that his brother, hunched and pathetic with desperation, appeared before him and implored: ‘My brother – I have never before asked your help. But now I need it. It shames me to admit it… but you were right. The demon is a noose-around my neck… It is destroying me, and Gorethria. I have been a fool, and I am afraid – terrified. Only you in all the world can do anything to save me now. I know I do not deserve your mercy, brother – but please, please help me.’

Ashurek awoke, shaking and sweating. He roused Silvren and told her the dream. ‘I must go back to Gorethria,’ he said.

‘But Meheg-Ba must have sent the dream! It’s a trap,’ Silvren cried, distressed.

‘I know it’s a trap. But my brother was not acting. Those words came from his heart, whether he realises it or not,’ Ashurek answered heavily. ‘Silvren, I am as guilty as he. Apart from all my other crimes, I have run away from him, not once but twice. Perhaps if I had stayed, things would have been no different, but I would not take the risk. That makes me a worse fool and coward than Meshurek. Now I must begin to repay; by going back and helping him.’

‘You judge yourself too harshly,’ Silvren half-sobbed. ‘I will come with you.’

She expected him to argue; but he looked at her thoughtfully.

‘With your strength and that of the Egg-Stone, if I can control it, we should be more than a match for any demon. Perhaps the trap can be sprung the other way.’

At this Silvren let out a breath of both relief and fear, and embraced him as though he were going to be tom from her that very moment. She was not afraid for herself, for she was confident of her power; but the thought of Meshurek and Meheg-Ba waiting like twin ghouls, to re-enslave him, wrenched her stomach and made her feel she was choking on ice.

They took a small sailing ship, manned by a crew of rough Tearnians who asked no questions, and started on their dreary journey. The ocean was unnaturally calm and a too-friendly wind billowed the sail and sped them straight as an arrow to Terthria.

The voyage was days shorter than it should have been. Looking uneasily at each other, not needing to voice their thoughts, Ashurek and Silvren stepped onto the black ashen shore.

A cold mist-filled wind caught at their cloaks as they made their way across the rough terrain. Meshurek had been right; the land indeed had an eerie, stark beauty, like a faceted piece of jet whose sloping and interlocking planes shone with hints of fiery colour. To the north, a mountain range reared up like black teeth savaging the sky. Smoke plumed from several of the peaks and the ground vibrated as though some vast creature were slumbering uneasily beneath the crust.

They had walked northwards for several hours when a party of six Gorethrian horsemen approached and hailed them.

‘Prince Ashurek and the Lady Silvren,’ the leader called. ‘The Emperor Meshurek awaits your arrival at his castle. We have been sent to ensure your safe passage across the mountains and into the Emperor’s presence.’

Ashurek looked from one rider to another, but he recognised none of the men. They all looked similar, expressionless and apathetic; Meheg-Ba’s influence. With a bitter sigh, he took Silvren’s hand and they walked on in the midst of the horsemen.

Silvren felt tired, disorientated and fearful. She tried to use her sorcerous vision to see the truth of the situation, when and how the trap might be sprung, but each time she glimpsed something the ground shifted beneath her feet and fog clouded her eyes. Her head ached with the strain of trying to see. The horses looked translucent to her; with a gasp she turned to look at Ashurek, but he appeared perfectly substantial.

‘I feel cold,’ she said. ‘I can’t see properly.’ He wrapped the edge of his cloak around her and pulled her to his side. It was unlike her to sound so afraid and unsure of herself.

‘The easiest route is along the edge of this volcano, Your Highness,’ the leader called. ‘There is no danger, but it will be very hot.’

Ashurek felt Silvren shudder as the man spoke; his voice sounded unreal, full of sinister echoes. They completed the long climb up the trembling side of the volcano and were led through a cleft in the rock wall. Then they found themselves in the vast, circular crater at the volcano’s peak. Acrid smokes drifted from the depths.

The men pulled their horses to a halt. Silvren stared at them and rubbed her eyes, but the horsemen had become quite transparent. As she and Ashurek watched, astonished, horses and riders dissolved into mist and were blown away on the wind.

‘It’s not at the castle. It’s here,’ Silvren whispered. ‘Ashurek, I’ve lost–’

She broke off, because Meshurek had appeared as if from nowhere and was standing in front of them. He stooped as though weighed down by his brocade robes, and his eyes flickered ceaselessly to and fro, glittering with a mad light.

At the sight of him, painful emotions and memories swirled in Ashurek’s mind. His brother was foolish, destructive, evil; but he was also a victim and slave to Meheg-Ba’s cruelty. In one way he despised Meshurek and could never forgive him for the deaths of Ordek, Melkish and Orkesh. But in another he still loved him, felt he would sell his soul to save his brother from this torment.

‘Meheg-Ba spoke truth!’ said Meshurek. ‘I did not believe you could be naive enough to respond to such an obvious trick. Yet here you are, my brother, with your lovely sorceress.’ He opened his arms in a mocking gesture of greeting.

‘Ready yourself,’ Ashurek whispered to Silvren, and began cautiously to summon the power of the Egg-Stone. Inside the rim of rock on which they stood, a pit of yellow-hot lava swelled and boiled sluggishly. The heat seared their faces and the sulphurous steams were hard to breathe.

‘Meshurek,’ he said, trying to keep his voice steady, ‘the trick was obvious indeed. But so was your real need for my help.’

‘What?’ Meshurek sniggered uneasily. ‘You are more of an idiot than I thought you. The last thing I have ever needed is your “help”. You are expendable. All we need is the Egg-Stone.’

‘You delude yourself. You know the words you spoke in the “dream” were true. Meheg-Ba has not increased your power; in fact you are now so feeble that you can only rule with the Shana’s necromantic help. You are the weakest Emperor Gorethria has ever had.’

‘You lie!’ Meshurek shouted. ‘I don’t need Meheg-Ba – he serves me!’

‘You serve him. But he has bled you dry – sucked all your intelligence, determination and judgment from you. And how has he increased Gorethria’s power? The Empire is falling into anarchy, all our father’s work undone. Even Gorethria herself is held together only by strands of evil magic. And that is because whatever the Shana might think they can do, in the end they can only fulfil the function for which they were made: to inflict the Serpent’s destruction upon the world. What is the use of power if it cannot be used to create – only to destroy?’

‘If we are weakened,’ Meshurek said, folding his arms, ‘it is your fault. You deserted me. You took the Egg-Stone.’

‘Can’t you see beyond your personal lust for the accursed Stone? Yes, it is my fault – I should never have fetched the thing in the first place,’ Ashurek said with bitter anger. ‘Those who bargain with demons are witless fools. The demon swore to me that if I fetched the Stone, Mother and Orkesh would be unharmed. He lied!’

Meshurek hung his head and shuddered. But he persisted, ‘We must have the Egg-Stone back, Ashurek. Then Gorethria can be strong again. You want that, don’t you?’

‘Gorethria deserves to slide into hell! I don’t care about her damned strength or lack of it. I came back, as I said, only to help you. Meshurek, listen to me for once. The demon will never let you wield the Egg-Stone. You’re not strong enough. Meheg-Ba has reduced you to a husk and soon he will discard you altogether.’ Meshurek said nothing, but he began to tremble, looking nervously over his shoulder. ‘Come here and stand with us. When Meheg-Ba deigns to arrive, Silvren and I will combine our powers to banish him.’

‘Ashurek, this place,’ Silvren said faintly. ‘Look.’ She pointed to the far side of the crater where a section of the rock was becoming translucent, like smoky crystal. Through it were blending two silver figures: Meheg-Ba and the Shanin who had been pursuing Silvren, Diheg-El.

Both glided forward and positioned themselves on either side of Meshurek.

‘Diheg-El,’ Silvren gasped. ‘Ashurek, there’s some strange force or magnetism here. Maybe the lava, I don’t know. It neutralises my power, I can’t do anything. They must have known…’

That was why Meheg-Ba had wanted them here, not at the castle. Ashurek felt terror slide icily down his throat. Silvren helpless. He felt the Egg-Stone throbbing sluggishly and knew it would only work against him.

‘Greetings, Prince Ashurek,’ hissed Meheg-Ba. ‘You are most unfair to me. I did not harm your mother or sister; they chose their paths of their own free will. And now you try to turn my ally Meshurek against me.’

Ashurek said nothing. Arguing with the demon was even more pointless than trying to reason with Meshurek.

‘Now that the Emperor Meshurek has finished prevaricating,’ the Shanin grinned, ‘it is time for us to conclude our business.’

Ashurek and Silvren glanced at each other; a glance that confirmed there was no chance of planning an escape. He could have cried out with savage misery at the horror in Silvren’s eyes as she realised her imminent fate. Then there was a blaze of silver fire, faster than thought, and Ashurek crashed backwards into the rock wall. He lost consciousness for a second. When he recovered and pulled himself to his feet, he saw Silvren standing rigidly in Diheg-El’s grasp. She did not cry out; but she was white-faced and shuddering, her body tense with revulsion at the demon’s touch.

‘In the name of the Serpent, let her go!’ Ashurek screamed.

‘That’s better,’ said Meheg-Ba. ‘Now we can negotiate. Give me the Egg-Stone, and we will release Silvren.’

Ashurek paused, glowering. He knew that he would feel appalling pain when he relinquished the Egg-Stone. For Silvren’s sake he was prepared to go through that fire; but he had to be sure Meheg-Ba would keep the bargain.

‘Don’t hesitate too long,’ the demon leered. ‘Would you prefer to deliver yourself into my service again?’