Part 9 (1/2)

Once again, exhaustion sapped his strength. He found himself leaning against the boulder for support, his spent muscles aching, his fear constricting in his chest.

And he saw the double row of guards in black armor lining the trail ahead of them all the way to the stone pillars. Caelan drew in a sharp breath, realizing that if Elandra had not stopped him he would have marched right up to the guards.

He met her gaze through the gloom. Nothing had to be said.

”What do we do?” she whispered, her voice as soft as the wind.

Without severance, severance, he felt too tired to cope. Exhaustion brought discouragement, yet he refused to surrender to either. he felt too tired to cope. Exhaustion brought discouragement, yet he refused to surrender to either.

”There is one way,” he replied softly. ”What we did before.”

She frowned and pulled away from him in wordless refusal.

He tightened his grip on her hand. ”I can walk alone past the guards, and they will not see me. But unless you are a part of me, you cannot leave this place.”

She said nothing, but tears spilled down her cheeks, sparkling in the moonlight. The sadness in her face gave him his answer, and in anguish he bowed his head. Why could she not love him? Why could she not trust him? Why must she fear him so?

”Gault help me,” she whispered, her fingers tightening on his. ”I need what you offer as a fish needs water to live. Take me into the joining. I would be in your heart again.”

It was as though the sunlight reached into this gloomy world, spreading radiance across the shadows. Caelan's heart leaped inside him, but there was no time for joy. In the distance he heard the mournful howl of a hunter.

Elandra stiffened next to him. ”Hurry,” she breathed, casting a look over her shoulder. ”The h.e.l.l-hounds-”

”Don't think of them,” Caelan whispered. He melted into se-vaisin, se-vaisin, flowing into Elandra and feeling the brief jolt of exhilaration as she flowed into him. They shared more completely this time, and he found it tempting to remain lost in the wonder of such a union, yet there was too much danger for him to forget himself. flowing into Elandra and feeling the brief jolt of exhilaration as she flowed into him. They shared more completely this time, and he found it tempting to remain lost in the wonder of such a union, yet there was too much danger for him to forget himself.

He severed severed back into the cold void, going only partway now for fear of losing her. Elandra's fear entwined through him, making concentration more difficult than before. back into the cold void, going only partway now for fear of losing her. Elandra's fear entwined through him, making concentration more difficult than before.

Thus steeled, Caelan stepped out from behind the boulder and walked forth up the trail until he came to the guards of darkness. He pa.s.sed them, close enough to reach out and touch them, and took care to keep his pace slow and steady.

It was tempting to run, but he dared take no chances. Caelan knew he was tiring, despite the protection of severance. severance. This time it was harder than ever to maintain his concentration, to maintain the detachment. He could feel the pain in his leg from his wound. He could feel the aches in his body, the need for rest and food and water. He could feel Elandra like a weight, bearing him down. Holding her in This time it was harder than ever to maintain his concentration, to maintain the detachment. He could feel the pain in his leg from his wound. He could feel the aches in his body, the need for rest and food and water. He could feel Elandra like a weight, bearing him down. Holding her in severance severance was a strain now, one he did not think he could endure for very long. was a strain now, one he did not think he could endure for very long.

But ahead stood the gateway, like a beacon. He could almost smell the freshness of air and light beyond it.

One of the warriors in black turned his head as though he sensed Caelan's presence. The visor of his helmet was down, but through the slits glowed red, inhuman eyes. Pale smoke curled forth from beneath the rim of his visor with every exhaled breath.

Caelan paused, frozen by that scrutiny. He could sense the guard questing suspiciously. For now Caelan remained unseen, neither of one world nor the other, but somewhere between. His gaze swept over the long row of silent grim fighters concealed in their black cloaks and dark steel, tattered smoke rising above their heads. If only one of them saw Caelan, it would be over.

Making a low, guttural sound, the guard finally turned his head back toward the figure that stood next to the gateway.

Caelan felt relief stealing over the edges of severance, severance, blurring it further. Quickly he plunged deeper, knowing he put Elandra at risk, yet not daring to take more chances. He hurried now past the guards, almost running past this army of h.e.l.l. blurring it further. Quickly he plunged deeper, knowing he put Elandra at risk, yet not daring to take more chances. He hurried now past the guards, almost running past this army of h.e.l.l.

His speed made more helmeted heads turn. They could not see him, but their unease was noticed by the Guardian. Robed and hooded in black, this figure stepped forward just as Caelan reached the top of the hill.

A voice, deep and monstrous, spoke a single word to him. It was not Beloth's voice, but the sound resonated loudly enough to make the ground shake beneath Caelan's feet. Hot wind lashed his face, blowing his cloak back from his shoulders. He glanced up, and saw ancient symbols burning in the air before they faded like dying embers and their ashes blew away.

Fear twisted through Caelan. His control of severance severance was unraveling, and the world seemed to tilt and s.h.i.+ft around him before he regained mastery of himself. He felt a stab of pain in his chest from the effort he was expending. He felt also Elandra's fear and exhaustion, as well as the swirling confusion in her mind. She was unprepared for any of this; her courage was starting to fail. was unraveling, and the world seemed to tilt and s.h.i.+ft around him before he regained mastery of himself. He felt a stab of pain in his chest from the effort he was expending. He felt also Elandra's fear and exhaustion, as well as the swirling confusion in her mind. She was unprepared for any of this; her courage was starting to fail.

Desperately Caelan focused on the gateway, using all his strength, all his force, all his essence to envision it opening.

The Guardian's voice thundered again, making the world shake. A blast of heat scorched Caelan, making him cry out. The yellowish green light between the pillars began to dim. As it did so, he glimpsed the world beyond. His world of sunlight and blue sky and verdant life.

Struggling, Caelan took yet another step forward. The pain in him grew sharp-a sawing, gouging pain similar to what he used to feel during lessons at Rieschelhold years before. It used to hurt to sever. sever. It hurt now to maintain it. This task was beyond his abilities, beyond his powers. It hurt now to maintain it. This task was beyond his abilities, beyond his powers.

Yet he had to accomplish it. Gathering all his reserves, he hurled everything he had, every bit of will, every ounce of desperation at the force that held him back.

He felt the invisible bond give way, and he shouted in triumph, taking two strides forward before he was stopped again.

Pain burst through his chest, and he sagged to his knees in defeat. Spent, he closed his eyes while his breath rasped in his lungs. His chest was on fire. His mind was on fire. He had given everything he had, more than he had. Now, he could do no more.

Something unseen but very powerful struck him, and the last of his severance severance crumbled. crumbled.

Once again, the world s.h.i.+fted and tilted around him. He opened his eyes with a gasp, only to see nothing but darkness. Then there was a flash of light, dazzling him with such brilliance he cringed and flung up his forearm to s.h.i.+eld his eyes.

He was vaguely aware of sevaisin sevaisin fading within him too, of Elandra slipping from him, of a tearing sense of separation. Then he saw her, white-faced and terrified, kneeling beside him. She was breathing hard as though she had been running. Her eyes stared past him, wide and mesmerized. Now and then a tremor ran through her body. fading within him too, of Elandra slipping from him, of a tearing sense of separation. Then he saw her, white-faced and terrified, kneeling beside him. She was breathing hard as though she had been running. Her eyes stared past him, wide and mesmerized. Now and then a tremor ran through her body.

He reached out to her, and started to speak her name in rea.s.surance. But instead he saw the Guardian looming over them. The Guardian reached up with both gloved hands and pushed back the hood.

Caelan stared at the revealed face. His breath lodged in his throat; his body turned rigid and unable to move.

Beside him, Elandra screamed.

Chapter Seven.

The face of the Guardian was that of Beva E'non. Northern pale, drawn thin beneath the prominent cheekbones, the mouth a thin, uncompromising line. Bleak gray eyes that bored into Caelan's soul.

He stared, unable to believe it. ”Father?” he whispered.

Almost as he spoke, Elandra tugged at his hand as though she wanted to break free. Her gaze remained centered on the Guardian as though she were mesmerized.

”Bixia?” she said. ”How come you to this place?”

The Guardian swung its eyes toward Elandra and spoke something, but Caelan could not hear the words it said.

He frowned, his puzzlement and sense of alarm intensifying. This could not be his father. Beva was dead, killed by Thyzarene raiders years before. His soul had been released into the world of spirits, was now part of the spruce forests, part of the glacier, part of the rain and the falling snow.

Yet no matter how hard Caelan stared at the Guardian, it continued to be his father's stern, unyielding face that he saw.

But what name had Elandra said? Whom did she see while she gazed up at the Guardian's visage? Why did she smile so tremulously, so apologetically, so regretfully? Why did tears s.h.i.+mmer in her eyes?

”Who is Bixia?” he asked, but Elandra did not seem to hear him.

She was still gazing at the Guardian, listening to it utter words that Caelan could not hear. Various expressions chased across her face, and he worried that she was falling under some spell. He must not lose her now.

Pulling her to her feet, Caelan pushed her behind him.

Glaring up at the face of his father, he saw Beva's gray eyes s.h.i.+ft and focus upon him.