Dark Realm: Book 5 Circles of Light series (27 page)

They sang of Gan and
Maressa as they’d known them, and they sang of their love for those
two humans. Tika stayed concentrated on Farn. His state of mind was
unhappy, but he was calmer by far than she would have dared
hope.

‘Is he all right lady?’
Sket murmured.

‘I think he is,’ she
replied.

She was aware that
something had happened to her powers whilst she’d lain unconscious
in what these Dark Ones called the Splintered Kingdom. Now she
wondered what might have happened to Farn when he sank into the
Dark. Could he have taken something from the First Daughter when
they rose, entwined? She desperately hoped not. Bad enough to see
the physical damage the First Daughter had suffered but to think of
Farn taking any of her mental strength was terrifying.

The glorious song of
farewell faded into silence and the onlookers realised just how
badly Farn was trembling. He dropped to the floor as Cyrek walked
towards him. Cyrek glanced at Kija, who had also reclined beside
her son. Then he placed his hand between Farn’s eyes, murmuring
softly as he did so. Farn’s eyelids drooped, he gave a shaky sigh
and rested his head on his mother’s back.

Corman bent to touch
Tika’s shoulder. ‘He reacted better than you’d hoped?’

Tika nodded. ‘Since he
was a baby and saw Krea – our foster mother – killed, he has been –
nervous. We used herbs to keep him calm and steady. He is calmer
now than I have ever known him.’ She looked up into Corman’s gold
eyes and saw a deep weariness there. ‘He couldn’t have – taken –
from the First Daughter, could he?’

Corman smiled. ‘He
could only take what she might offer, and no.’ He forestalled
Tika’s next question. ‘She would not risk losing both of them. She
would need all her power to rise. And Farn could in no way take
Dark strength from the First Daughter.’

His words brought an
enormous relief to Tika, for which she was grateful to the Palace
Master. As she got to her feet, hauling Sket up with her, she saw
Gossamer Tewk, her face still wet with tears. She would have gone
to her, spoken with her, but Sket was swaying again and she dared
not let go of him.

‘Why don’t you help
Sket back to the infirmary?’ Corman suggested, ignoring Sket’s
glare. ‘I’ve noticed Farn does not fret when you are out of sight.
That is good. Explore the Palace. Farn is safe and he knows you are
near.’

Before Tika could
answer, Corman had beckoned the Sergeant over. ‘Help Tika get him
back to bed and show her some of the Palace, if you would Sergeant.
If Garrol complains, refer him to me.’

Essa returned Corman’s
smile and took Sket’s arm in one beefy hand just as his knees gave
way yet again. Essa and Gossamer were both interested in the
ensuing Gaharnian curses. With Tika wedged under his shoulder and
Essa’s hand lifting his right side nearly off the floor, Sket was
firmly deposited in the hands of the healers once more.

Sergeant Essa took
Gossamer and Tika down many flights of stairs, emerging in the
exercise yard. Gossamer groaned.

‘Don’t even suggest a
fight practice Essa.’

The Sergeant looked
surprised and slightly hurt. ‘Of course not. Your hands are still
too sore.’

Tika glanced down at
Gossamer Tewk’s hands and used one of Sket’s more florid phrases.
‘You carried me back from that place, didn’t you?’ The strange
green silvered eyes peered up at Gossamer. ‘I’m so sorry. You
should have reminded me.’

Tika caught Gossamer’s
left hand in hers and as Gossamer and Essa watched, the red swollen
skin deflated and paled.

‘There.’ Tika sounded
pleased. She repeated the process with the other hand then focused
on Gossamer’s face. She tilted her head with a slight
frown.

‘What’s wrong?’ she
asked. ‘Did you not want healing?’

Gossamer opened her
mouth, closed it, then turned and stalked back indoors. Tika looked
at the Sergeant in dismay.

‘I didn’t mean to upset
her,’ she began.

Essa shook her head.
‘Gossamer Tewk has much on her mind at present. Don’t worry. Shall
I show you the town or the gardens?’

‘Oh the town
please.’

Tika was fascinated by
the town of Karmazen. She was impressed with the neat buildings and
the paved streets, and astonished by the goods displayed in the
shops. Essa was intrigued that Tika had never before wandered round
a town. She cheerfully handed over various coins to Tika who had
none of her own and could barely grasp the different values of each
coin. Several times Tika sent a mind query to Kija but was
reassured each time that Farn was well. By the time the Sergeant
dragged Tika back to the Palace, she’d learned far more of her than
Tika could have guessed. Perhaps Tika spoke so freely because she
had poured all her grief over this tall woman, but she felt
comfortable with her.

They sat for a while on
a stone bench by the barracks and Essa told her, as she’d told
Gossamer, of her mountain home.

‘I was to have led a
scouting party north but then the First Daughter descended,
Favrian’s group brought you back, and Cyrek arrived with the
Dragons. Garrol decided I should stay here.’

Tika glanced at the
broad face above her. ‘Did you really want to go?’

Essa considered the
question. ‘Yes. The route I’d planned would’ve taken me to my own
village. It would be good to see my parents and my brother again.
It’s nearly three years since I was back there. But I agreed with
Garrol too. Gossamer Tewk seemed to accept me as a friend and she
needed someone to be here when she got back from the Splintered
Kingdom.’

Essa stretched her long
muscled legs in front of her and lowered her voice. ‘I’ve heard the
Kelshan army is trying to cross the mountains right now, and they
could well arrive at my village first.’ She grinned, the filed
teeth gleaming pale purple. ‘My mother will be furious if there’s
fighting on her doorstep but my father and brother will be
delighted.’

‘Are there many armsmen
in this Kelshan army?’

‘About four
thousand.’

Tika stared at the
Sergeant. ‘How many in your army?’

Essa shrugged. ‘Perhaps
two thousand here in the barracks but the mountain tribes have many
warriors.’

‘Shouldn’t your men be
on their way?’ Tika asked in some confusion.

‘Oh no. Dark Lords go
with the guards. They’ll open gateways. Favrian is the Sword
Master, the second officer of the Realm. He will be among the
first. Garrol must remain here for now.’

‘He must?’

Essa sighed. ‘He is the
Shield of the Dark and of the First Daughter. Now, of all times, he
must protect her.’

Tika grew thoughtful
and returned to Farn determined to do what she could for the Dark
Realm. She found Farn happily occupied with Shea and Akomi though
there was no sign of Gossamer Tewk. Cyrek lounged on a long couch,
arguing with Soran and Favrian. Tika had hoped Corman would be here
but as he wasn’t, she sent a request to Kija’s mind. Farn’s mother
was huffing quietly at the ridiculous turns the conversation took
whenever Farn was trying to amuse “a girl”.

Now Kija rose, pacing
with dignity to the open archway. Cyrek got to his feet as though
to accompany her but stopped when he saw Tika scrambling up between
Kija’s wings. He watched Kija lift into the air and swing north,
over the Palace roof, then he turned back thoughtfully, into the
great chamber.

When Kija landed again
some time later, she was as pleased to see Sket waiting for them as
was Tika. He did look better and his grin suggested he really was
improved.

‘A man called Waxin
Pule came into the infirmary,’ he told them. ‘He’s spent years in
that city up north, but he knows a lot about everything it seemed
to me. Anyway, he gave me these.’ Sket took a small box from his
pocket and unsnapped the lid. Inside were a dozen or so tiny pink
pills. ‘They’re made from a plant which grows even further north,
nearly to Drogoya he said. I took one straight away and those
healers couldn’t believe how much better I was so
quick!’

Tika peered at the pink
specks dubiously. ‘Do you have to take them all?’ she
asked.

‘Two or three a day.’
Sket shut the box and tucked it carefully away.

Kija had probed the
pink pills with her Dragon sense and her tone was
thoughtful.

‘They are powerful
healing indeed,’ she said.

Sket chuckled. ‘That
Waxin fellow, the healers were pestering him about where he got
them. He said a herb woman gave them to him. Nenat, I think he
called her.’

‘Ah. She came to Gaharn
with Lady Seola and Lord Cyrek.’ Kija remembered the white haired
old woman who had spoken so kindly to her.

Sergeant Essa and
Shield Master Garrol had joined whatever argument was taking place
with Favrian but Essa turned to smile at Tika. She eyed Sket
carefully before leering at him. Tika coughed to cover her
amusement.

‘You met Sergeant Essa
before but you were still feverish.’

‘I can remember this
morning.’ Sket’s reply was short, but he sounded a bit
breathless.

‘Are you sure you’re
better?’ Tika asked in some concern.

But the Sergeant threw
a massive arm across Sket’s shoulders, nearly causing him to
buckle. ‘He looks just fine to me.’

Sket’s face showed an
equal mixture of fascination and horror.

‘Erm, yes, but I think
he has to take things slowly for a while yet,’ Tika heard herself
say, then pulled herself together. ‘I would like to speak to the
Palace Master. Do you know where I’ll find him?’

Essa released Sket’s
shoulders and nodded. ‘He’s usually in his office in the library.
I’ll take you there.’

Sket walked close to
Tika as Essa strode ahead of them and Tika bit her lip, knowing
she’d laugh aloud if she dared look at him. Sket! Her personal
guard, who would take on anything for her sake, terrified of the
woman walking in front!

Essa showed them in to
Corman’s office but Tika stopped her when she would have
left.

‘I think I would like
you to stay please.’

Essa shrugged and
leaned against the door. Sket swallowed audibly, seeing Essa’s
shoulders nearly matched the door in width. The Palace Master
leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled against his chin and
waited for Tika to speak. He watched the long dark lashes flick
upwards revealing those brilliant green eyes surrounded by what
looked like minute silver scales. Oh yes, this young woman was
definitely connected to the Dark in some mysterious
manner.

‘You’ve learnt of how
Farn was damaged – when we so foolishly attempted to fight the evil
thing on the southern plains of Sapphrea? Emla told me Lady Seola
and Lord Cyrek spoke to Ren in Gaharn. Ren is from Drogoya.’ She
waited for Corman’s nod. ‘Something evil happened in western
Sapphrea too – I think it was connected to the Drogoyan problems.’
Tika frowned. ‘I can’t be sure of that. Anyhow, now there is a
woman in Kelshan who wants to wage war on your Realm.’

‘No,’ Corman
interrupted her. ‘The woman, the Imperatrix Veranta, wants to
annihilate us – whether human, part blood, or full blooded Dark
Ones. She has no particular feelings about us – she just wants us
destroyed and to annex these lands to Kelshan.’

‘Are you sure she isn’t
touched with whatever the evil is which seems to be loose across
our whole world?’

Now it was Corman’s
turn to frown. ‘She has banned all use of power – mage talents and
so on, on pain of death, and yet she now has a mage beside her. A
powerful mage from what I can deduce from various informants. We
don’t know if the mage is Kelshan, or, if not, from whence she
comes.’

Tika met his golden
eyes. ‘Kija and I both believe we owe your Realm a great debt. We
would do whatever you wish of us in this war with Kelshan or, if
you return us to Sapphrea, we would take on the evil there
again.’

A deep silence gathered
in the room. Corman’s face remained blank but his mind reeled at
the courage implicit in those words. Before he could form a reply,
a breeze riffled through the room. Corman shot to his feet. A
beautiful woman stood beside him, a smile of great sweetness
curving her lips.

‘What do you want?’
Corman snapped.

The woman stroked a
finger down his cheek. ‘Oh darling, your manners do need a little
improvement you know.’ She turned her gaze on Tika, Sket and
Essa.

‘As dear Corman hasn’t
bothered to introduce me, I’ll do it myself. I am Ferag.’ She
beamed.

Tika and Sket had no
idea who she was but Sergeant Essa gasped behind them and pushed
away from the door, hands on sword and knife.

‘My word, you’re a big
girl aren’t you dear? Well obviously you know me but it seems you
two don’t. I know you though – Tika, and Sket. As I said, I am
Ferag. Mistress of Death.’

‘Oh stars,’ Sket
muttered, and reached for his sword which was of course still in
the great chamber several floors above.

‘Oh please.’ Ferag
looked displeased. ‘I’ve come to do you a favour but I can always
leave.’