Lightnings Daughter (39 page)

"Forgive me, Lord. I have to ask you something that only you can tell me."

"I will listen. But ask your question quickly. I cannot stay long in this world."

Gabria shot a glance at the three magic-wielders. Sayyed, already weary and injured, was concentrating fiercely on the spell, and it was obvious to her that he was tiring fast. Tam was ashen, and even Athlone was beginning to look strained. The shield was a difficult spell to maintain, even without the added strains brought on by the gorthling's constant barrage of destructive magic.

Quickly she turned back to the death mask and looked boldly into the eternal blue eyes. "My lord, one of the Geldring men has summoned a gorthling."

The mask frowned. "How?"

"With a spell from the
Book of Matrah
."

"Those spells should be stricken from all human knowledge. There are some things best left alone by man. Where is this gorthling now?"

"Here. It possessed the man's body and came to our clan gathering. My lord Valorian, I am the only magic-wielder with any training to speak of, but I don't know how to destroy it."

Valorian gazed at her with compassion. "No human, no matter how skil ed, has enough power to force a gorthling back through the portal between the world of mortals and the eternal world."

Gabria turned cold. "It has to be done," she cried. "How do we get rid of him?"

"Only one thing in your world has the power to open a passage and force the creature back through."

"What?"

The mask lifted its eyes to the sky. "The power of the lightning,” he said simply.

Gabria's mouth dropped open. She was aghast. "Lightning? But no one can withstand the fury of the gods' thunderbolts."

"You are a magic-wielder, a daughter of my blood. Do you travel with a Hunnuli?"

She nodded.

“Astride a Hunnuli, you wil be protected. They bear the mark of the lightning for good reason.

Their sire, my stallion, was transformed by the lightning into the first of that noble breed of horses.”

"Lord Valorian,” Gabria said, trying to stay calm, "I cannot create a storm. Where do I find lightning on a clear day?"

"If there are more than one Hunnuli with you, they can summon a storm and its lightning."

The golden light began to fade from the mask, and the blue eyes dimmed. Valorian's expression relaxed, then stiffened into the one the mask had worn when Gabria found it.

"Valorian, my lord,” Gabria begged desperately. "What do I do with the power of the lightning?"

"I must go, Daughter,” Valorian said sadly. "Use the lightning to send. . . it . . . back."

A faint echo followed the final words, as if they had been spoken across a great and hollow distance. Then the mask was still and lifeless once more. Gabria stared at the golden face and willed it to speak again, but it was too late. Valorian was gone, beyond her reach.

"How do I wield lightning?" she cal ed in despair to the voiceless stones. There was no answer here, she knew, and now there was no more time. The gorthling was using a fierce blue barrage against the shield protecting the little group. Already the force field was beginning to waver. Sayyed looked ready to pass out, and Athlone's teeth were clenched as he concentrated.

"Hold on!" Gabria cried to her friends. "Nara,” she yelled over the noise of the gorthling's attack.

"Call the King Stallion. Tell him to summon a storm.”

Beyond the island, the King Stal ion replied with a strident neigh.
We have not called the lightning
in generations of our kind. We wil try.

The ring of black horses abruptly lifted their muzzles to the sky. The Hunnuli on the island, even the colt and the wounded Afer, joined their silent communion with the air. Only Nara and Eurus did not include themselves in the cal , deciding instead to keep alert in case their riders needed their aid.

To the Hunnuli's advantage, the afternoon was perfect for a storm. The day's heat and a humid wind had already formed billowing clouds in the blue sky, and several little rain squalls patterned the far horizons. As the Hunnuli herd concentrated their power, darker clouds began to gather overhead; the rain squalls moved closer. The horses strained, but the ability they had inherited from their sires served them well.

Gradual y the sky grew dark, and a tremendous thunderhead reared out of the forefront of an angry mass of gray clouds. The sun was blotted out, and lightning flickered in the storm's turbulent heart.

The gorthling looked up, and fear shone clearly on Branth's face. That fear did not distract him long, though, and he did not miss the events unfolding in the circle of stones.

"Gabria,” Athlone suddenly yel ed. "Sayyed passed out. The shield is failing!"

The sorceress jumped on Nara's back just as the gorthling shattered the magic field. With a wild screech of triumph Branth fired a blast at the chieftain through the breach.

Athlone was too exhausted to defend against it. He saw the bolt coming and leaned into Eurus's side. The stal ion reared up and took the blast on his shoulder, but the violent movement of the stallion and the explosion of power slammed Athlone backward. He crashed to the rocky ground where he lay motionless.

Tam, exhausted beyond bearing, mental y cal ed the Hunnuli that stood by Afer, and two of them immediately joined Eurus to defend the fal en men.

The gorthling turned away. He could not get near the fallen chieftain or the Turic as long as the Hunnuli stood over them, but that did not matter. Neither man would be any more trouble.

Gabria had not moved from the temple. She and Nara stood between the gorthling and the hostages. Behind her she heard Lord Wortan and Wer-tain Guthlac trying to calm the terrified prisoners.

Gabria kept her gaze pinned on Branth. The wind was starting to roar through the temple, and thunder rumbled across the sky. The herd of Hunnuli stirred from their motionless concentration and neighed their victory to the oncoming storm.

The gorthling began to edge warily into the temple, his cruel eyes fastened on Gabria and her mount.

The sorceress stared at him implacably and made no move to attack. She had only one idea for what she would do with the lightning. If that did not work, she would not have a chance to try anything else. She sat still on Nara, feeling the powerful heat of the Hunnuli warm her legs; her fingers touched the jagged white mark on Nara's shoulder.

As it had in Pra Desh when Gabria had fought the fire consuming the palace, the magic around the sorceress was intensifying with the power of the storm. She knew the enhanced power would help her, but it could also aid the gorthling. Quickly and precisely she began to form her spell in her mind, waiting for the right moment to strike.

The gorthling stepped between two stone pillars. "Valorian was wrong, Sorceress," he hissed.

"Nothing can send me back. Get ready to die!"

Gabria did not reply. Lightning flashed overhead, and she felt the split-second surge of power in the air. Lightning happened so fast, she would have to act instinctively. Branth took another step forward and raised his hands to the sky.

Gabria!
Nara cried in the woman's mind and leaped sideways not a moment too soon. A sizzling bolt of Trymian Force slammed down on the spot where they had been standing.

The gorthling was using the intensified magic to his full advantage.

Gabria threw herself to the right as another of the gorthling's bolts seared past her. Another blast and another. They were so fast, hot, and deadly that Gabria could not concentrate on her own spel ; it took her ful attention to dodge the wicked bolts. The sorceress did not dare form a defense shield for fear of using too much of her depleted strength. She could only rely on the agility and protection of her mount.

Big drops of rain spattered on the warm rocks nearby. A lightning streak exploded on a tree across the river near the Jehanan camp, followed instantly by a deafening clap of thunder. The storm was moving, and Gabria knew she only had a brief time before the lightning was too far away. Yet the moment to attack was stil not right.

The gorthling fired another bolt at her. It struck the ground at Nara's feet, shattering the rocks and sending gravel and splinters flying. The mare reared away, her motion nearly unseating Gabria.

The gorthling began to laugh, a rude, wicked sound that reflected his arrogance. The sorceress would never destroy him, for in a moment she would be dead.

Frantically Gabria struggled to regain her balance. She saw the gorthling draw his hands back. At the same time, a tingling skittered across her skin and the hairs on the back of her neck rose. She felt more than saw the power that surged around her, concentrating its energy on the tal est stone pil ar near the altar to her right. This was even better than she had hoped for. The woman closed her mind to al but her spel and let her instincts guide her.

Lightning struck the top of the great stone monolith, its incredible energy searing the very air. The gorthling flinched away, but Gabria put her trust in the natural protective powers of the Hunnuli and reached out for the streaking energy.

In one fluid movement, she snared the lightning bolt and wrenched it from its natural path into her hand. She felt the incredible power surge through every fiber, bone, and hair of both her body and Nara's, and she saw the mare glimmer with a greenish white glow. Surprisingly the bolt felt warm and soft in Gabria's hand. She swung around and threw the lightning like a javelin, using every bit of strength she had left.

The blue-white bolt split the air to the gorthling and struck his body in a blinding explosion of light, sparks, and heat.

Gabria's vision went black and red with pain. She heard the gorthling's high-pitched screech of despair and hatred, fol owed by a tremendous crash of thunder. At that same instant, the backlash of the lightning's energy slammed into her and Nara. The Hunnuli staggered under the explosive force, and Gabria was flung to the wet, cold ground.

CHAPTER TWENTY

The sound of thunder faded from Gabria's ears, and she became aware of a persistent, needle-sharp pain behind her eyes. It brought her out of her state of shock and back to reality. She opened her eyes for just a moment and saw nothing but blackness and red shooting streaks. A tremor fluttered in her chest. She was blind!

She forced down her terror and concentrated instead on a small, calm voice that was speaking softly near her ear. The voice was unfamiliar, but something about its gentle tone was soothing.

"Tam?" she whispered out of the dark. She tried to sit up, but every bone and muscle in her body sent up a painful protest.

The quiet voice replied with intense relief. "Yes, Lady, I am here. No! Don't move yet. Help is coming."

Gabria obeyed willingly. She lay still on the cold, hard ground and felt the rain pounding on her body. Tam had to be shielding her face, but Gabria could not see.

The sorceress reached out for the girl's hand. "Tam, where is the gorthling?"

"He's gone,” Tam answered excitedly. "The lightning you threw disintegrated him! There isn't even a finger left."

Gabria could not help but smile. Tam had certainly found her tongue in the midst of all the chaos.

Another person joined them, and a familiar voice said, "Gabria, let me help you." The clan priestess of Amara wrapped a warm cloak around the sorceress and very carefully eased her to a sitting position.

"Can you stand?" the priestess asked.

Gabria swal owed hard and shook her head. Pain and nausea coursed through her head and her stomach. Every muscle she had was trembling. She felt as weak and blind as a newborn kitten.

"Never mind. Sit here a moment," the priestess told her. "I wil tend to the others."

Gabria heard her walk toward the place where Athlone had fallen. Nara came to stand upwind of the sorceress to block some of the wild wind and rain that lashed across the island. Tam still held her cloak over Gabria's head.

"Nara, are Athlone and Sayyed badly hurt?"

They are exhausted, but wil recover, I believe.

Gabria turned her sightless eyes toward the mare. "Your thoughts are strained. You sound weary.

Are you all right?"

I am very weak. The strength needed to protect us from the lightning was almost more than I had.

The woman reached out and felt the mare's strong foreleg. "Thank you, Nara."

The mare nickered like a gentle laugh
. It was a good battle. The gorthling is gone, and we are stil
here.

Gabria sighed. "What is going on out there? Is a healer coming to help Athlone and Sayyed? Afer's leg is broken. Is anyone coming to help him?"

Tam answered, her young voice high with anger. "The priests and priestesses will not allow any more uninitiated onto the island, but they won't cross the river themselves to help. Only the priestess of Amara from your clan had the courage to come."

Gabria's anger stirred sluggishly in her thoughts. She and her companions had faced death to save the clans, but now that they needed help, the people would not even come to their aid. Her nausea faded a little, and she sat up straighter, stirred by resentment.

Before she could think of a suitable angry response, an image of what she had done came to her mind. Her anger retreated while she considered how the entire arcane battle must have looked from the clans' point of view. They were probably terrified out of their wits.

Gabria realized she had an excel ent opportunity to make a positive impression on her stubborn, skeptical, suspicious people. They had seen the horror of the gorthling's cruelty and the terror of his magic. Now she could show them the other side of magic: the pleasure of victory and the comfort of healing.

Strengthened by her resolve, Gabria painfully pulled herself up Nara's iron-strong foreleg until she was standing, dizzy and gasping, by the mare's shoulder. The cold rain poured down her face, but she did not care. She concentrated on staying upright, gritting her teeth against the exhaustion that rocked her, and held on grimly to Nara's mane.

A strong arm was laid across her shoulders and steadied her.