Dark Realm: Book 5 Circles of Light series (65 page)

‘I was going to see
her, if that’s all right?’

‘Of course.’

They walked slowly into
the great chamber and across to the passage to Lerran’s room.
Corman halted before they entered.

‘May I ask you
something, about Shivan?’

Tika returned his gaze
steadily. ‘Ask. But I may not give you an answer.’

‘He has always been –
different. Since he was a tiny child. Lerran had him here often
although the reports from his tutors were always critical,
sometimes harsh. Whatever his difference is, you recognise it,
don’t you?’

Tika remained silent
for a moment. ‘Yes. More I will not say but I will tell you Lord
Corman, that if he does not leave this Realm with me, he could
destroy it, and all of you. I have seen what happens to a mind like
Shivan’s, when it is thwarted and denied.’

Clearly Tika had told
Corman far more than he’d expected but he merely nodded.

‘Thank you,’ was his
only comment as they continued to Lerran’s bed chamber.

Tika approached the
huge canopied bed and nodded to one of the healers, she thought his
name was Alloc, before looking at the woman in the bed. She could
hardly believe her eyes. The woman, the First Daughter, looked to
be in her middle years – perhaps she was in the view of the Dark
Ones but their years counted in the thousands rather than in
tens.

Only the tips of those
terrible tusks showed at the corners of her lower lip. There was
the very palest blush of colour across the high cheeks, and the
chin was smooth and delicate, no longer jutting aggressively up at
the bed’s canopy. Khosa lay curled by Lerran’s shoulder, crooning
softly.

‘She is
better.’

Khosa’s mind tone was
affectionate, warm, and Tika had to struggle to recall the superior
and sarcastic comments this cat had delighted in making such a
short time ago. She smiled, seeing Akomi on his back between the
First Daughter’s side and her arm, deep in blissful sleep. Tika’s
hand went to the pouch at her belt. The pendant had helped speed
healing for others: did she dare use it for Lerran? No, she
decided. If Kija was right, and the pendant attracted the attention
of the Crazed One, Lerran was too defenceless to deal with him. She
watched the slight rise and fall of the First Daughter’s chest for
a short while then made her way back to the great
chamber.

There was a low buzz of
conversation – most were awake now, but before she could join her
companions, the Shield Master came towards her.

‘Favrian is still
rather shocked by your skill with the sword,’ was his opening
remark.

Tika smiled. ‘Between
you and me, Shield Master, it always surprises me too, but I’m
relieved that it happens as it does.’

‘Your squad is too
short numbered,’ Garrol went on abruptly.

‘It is? Do I need a
squad?’

Garrol gave her an odd
look. ‘You do.’ His tone suggested he was not to be argued with on
this point. ‘I count you, Shea and Shivan separately. Konya seems
to be insistent that she travels with you when you leave here, but
as a healer, I cannot count her as part of your squad either. That
leaves our three engineers and your three Kelshans. Obviously Sket
is your personal guard and thus the squad leader. The engineers can
be – obstinate. They can also be – unpredictable.’

He frowned at Tika’s
widening smile. ‘I ask you to accept three Dark guards to complete
a half squad.’

Tika opened her mouth
but Garrol pressed on. ‘I had a rather surprising number of
volunteers. Sergeant Essa will join you and guards Fedran and
Geffal. Fedran is skilled with the sword; he comes with Favrian’s
highest approval. Geffal’s skills lie with the knife and the bow,
although he is better than adequate with a sword. He comes with my
highest approval.’

‘And Essa?’ Tika
watched Garrol’s eyes.

His voice softened.
‘Essa is the best. I would come with you myself, but as that is
impossible, Essa stands in my place.’

‘Willingly? I will not
take any who are not willing.’

‘Did you not hear me? I
said there were many who wished to take a place in your squad –
those who have seen you and heard of you.’ Garrol glanced across
the chamber where Tika’s companions talked quietly. ‘Their uniforms
are ready. The engineers can show the rest where to collect
them.’

He met Tika’s strange
eyes and gave her the formal salutation, and marched
away.

‘The Shield Master says
uniforms have been made,’ she said to Onion. ‘He said you know
where they are to be collected.’

Onion scowled. Tika had
noticed that the engineers always looked more annoyed when
something pleased them, but she had yet to fathom why. She quirked
an eyebrow at Sket when he remained beside Kija.

‘You too Sket. You are
now the leader of a half squad. Sergeant Essa will be your second
in command.’

Sket’s mouth opened and
closed but no sound emerged. Tika smirked.

‘Off you go
then.’

Sket trailed
reluctantly behind Darrick, a hunted expression on his face. Tika
did hope Essa’s sense of humour didn’t frighten Sket quite out of
his wits.

‘Where’s Shea?’ she
asked Shivan. ‘Or Konya?’

‘Shea’s visiting
Gossamer’s house in the town. Konya’s busy with Waxin Pule sorting
out every conceivable salve and remedy she might need to dose us
with when we go.’

Tika leaned against
Kija’s shoulder, stroking down the long beautiful cheek.

‘Is Gossamer
settled?’

Shivan nodded. ‘She’s
spending her time in the Academy. She seems content.’ He hesitated.
‘I can feel nothing within the Palace, or the town, but there is
something still wrong.’

Tika shrugged. ‘Even
your people must be a bit shaken over Chindar’s – banishment. And
to learn that seven others among you plotted to usurp the First
Daughter’s authority.’

Shivan’s bright gold
eyes widened. ‘Seven others? I hadn’t heard that.’

‘But what about all
those who were here when Chindar disappeared?’

‘Gossip is not
encouraged,’ Shivan spoke rather primly.

‘Well you’ll have to
get used to the idea that I like gossip,’ Tika retorted. ‘And I
don’t approve of keeping all these secrets.’ A thought occurred to
her. ‘Surely everyone knows Lerran has been – ill?’

‘Of course not. Only
people who work within the Palace and a very few
others.’

‘But when Jenniah goes
to market, she must speak of the worry over the First
Daughter?’

‘No.’

‘You have very strange
ideas in this Dark Realm. Secrecy every way you turn. No wonder no
one ever suspected Chindar.’

‘Your words were
prophetic.’

Tika jumped: she hadn’t
known Corman had come up behind her.

‘You said that change
was necessary. Your words were too true. Many things must, and
will, change, and quickly.’

‘Good.’ Tika was
emphatic. ‘I would like to visit Lord Dabray, and take Shivan with
me.’

Corman nodded without
argument although Tika had anticipated some objections.

‘I have not had the
courage to go there since last night. I pray to Mother Dark that he
is well.’

So do I, Tika thought
as she trotted down the increasingly tedious flights of stairs,
Shivan silent at her side.

In the Splintered
Kingdom, the one who no longer remembered his name, or even if he’d
ever had one, limped around the rooms of his castle. All the rooms
were misshapen to normal eyes but he thought everything about his
construction was beautiful beyond compare. He went from window to
window, his unpredictable temper rising and falling. He smashed a
fist into a wall, the bones audibly cracking as he did
so.

Why could he not form a
window that focused upon the girl? He had found some of her
associates on various occasions, but whenever that girl had joined
them the picture blurred and concentrate hard as he might, the
scene winked out of existence. Then days might pass before he found
the strength to repeat the attempt to see her.

Pieces of his Kingdom,
shattered and riven through the endless centuries long careening
through space, broke away, tumbling to the nearest lands. So he had
passed the years until he’d reached this world. The effort involved
in stabilising what was catastrophically unstable had left him
exhausted. Generations came to birth and lived and died while he
recouped some strength. But when he had finally roused he found he
was still locked among the planes connecting him to this
world.

He’d begun to meddle,
but his own Splintered Kingdom thwarted far too many of his plans.
As he was beyond insanity, so was every part of his Kingdom. It
amused him greatly to take living samples from the world to play
with, to torment, to force to his service. But not once had he
chosen to communicate with them, any of them. He saw them all as
vastly inferior to himself.

Through this great
length of time, there had been less than a handful of minds who
could challenge him. And not one of them had recognised their own
strength. He liked to remember his victories as simple, easy. He
chose never to recall his own fears, his blind panic at being
forced to retreat yet again. And now this girl, this
brat.

He had caught her scent
several years ago and had prowled land after land, never able to
quite catch up with her. Within the twisted tangle of his shattered
mind, he didn’t see his own ambivalence. He knew only that he had
to catch her, like vermin in a trap. Somewhere in his distant
beginnings, he’d known about vermin, and about traps. Both the
making of traps, and the sensations of being caught in
them.

There were times when
he yearned to catch her, to rip her physically to shreds and rags
of pathetic flesh. And there were other times when he howled and
sobbed, knowing she might, just might, be the one to make him whole
once more.

Chapter
Thirty-Six

Shivan had said he’d
felt something was still “wrong”, but hadn’t spoken of it again.
When, considerably shaken, he and Tika left Lord Dabray’s cavernous
chamber, he’d asked Tika’s permission to say farewell to his mother
and young sisters. The family house was along the western coast
some distance, but, using gateways, he would not be gone long.
Almost absentmindedly Tika agreed. When Shivan left her, Tika
watched maids in one of the many lower halls of the Karmazen
Palace. Banks of flowers were arranged around the walls, some in
pots and some in beautiful tall crystal bases. The scent was
delicately pervasive, not overwhelming, and it ebbed and flowed
around the hall on the currents of air.

A maid arranging some
tall stems bearing tiny bells of pure white blooms smiled at Tika.
As Tika was about to ask her the name of the flower, someone spoke
behind her and she turned. A young man smiled down at
her.

‘If you could spare the
time, Lady Tika, Waxin Pule asks you to visit him in his
apartments.’

When Tika hesitated the
young man gave her a slight bow. ‘I am Grent, Lady. In Kelshan I
was his apprentice. He is too unwell to come to you, which is why
he presumes to beg your indulgence.’

Tika saw the maid to
her left glance oddly at the young man, a frown creasing her
forehead.

‘If Lord Pule wishes to
see me, I can come now if you like.’

Grent’s smile
broadened. ‘You are kindness itself,’ he said, indicating one of
the many passages which led from the hall.

Tika left with the
young man. The maid, her flowers forgotten, watched Lady Tika
disappear from view, and her frown deepened. Wiping her hands on
her apron, the maid hurried away in search of Jenniah the
Palace-Keeper.

In the great chamber
high above, Tika’s half squad were eyeing each other rather self
consciously. Onion was seriously considering tearing the top pocket
off his new uniform shirt, just to make it scruffy enough to feel
more comfortable. Dog was watching him sternly. Her attitude had
changed lately; both Onion and Darrick had noticed it. They
suspected they would be bullied into smartening up in this new
company and weren’t entirely sure they approved.

They’d all been issued
with sturdy packs and spare clothes and other basic equipments.
Despite her unusually smart appearance, Dog had still put her
dented helmet safely in the very bottom of her pack. Just in case.
The engineers also carried satchels containing the poppers,
crackers, and who knew what else, refusing utterly to be parted
from them. All four Dragons were on the roof terrace, basking in
the afternoon sun.

Sket paused in mid
sentence as he described Plavets to a disbelieving audience and
stared, open mouthed, at the door. A man stood there smiling shyly.
He wore the blue of Gaharn, a lighter blue than Sket’s new uniform.
His rich brown hair was the same shade as his eyes, but those eyes
were framed in silver, just as Tika’s were. The man held two small
cats in his arms, one brown with black smudges over his eyes, the
other a vivid orange.