Part 53 (1/2)
”Yes, he has hidden himself in the Dark Spire.”
He has only just moved here, from a place very far away.
”Yes.”
Ah, StarDancer said, understanding.
”He thinks you will expose him. Tell others where he is.”
StarDancer's small mouth curved in a smile. That was likely not the reason the One wanted him dead.
”Axis!” Isaiah embraced Axis, then turned to look at Inardle. He took her face in his hands, looking deeply into her eyes.
”So,” he said, smiling a little now.
”So,” she said.
”How does it feel?” Isaiah said.
Inardle shrugged a little.
Isaiah sobered. ”I heard what happened with the Lealfast, Inardle. Be careful of what you now control.”
”Of course,” she said, and Isaiah let her face go.
”Your brother has been stolen, Axis,” he said. ”The citadel is in an uproar. Inardle, is this something Eleanon would have engineered?”
”How should I know?” she said. ”But . . . no, I would have thought not. I have never heard him express any interest in Salome's baby.”
”Garth thinks it may be Ravenna,” Isaiah said, and explained to Axis and Inardle how she'd come to be in Elcho Falling. ”None of us can spot her, not even Garth. Inardle . . . is it possible .?”
”You want me to look for the baby?” Inardle said.
”If you could,” Isaiah said. ”You may be able to see through Eleanon's magics where none of us can.”
”You want me to look for StarDrifter's baby?” Inardle said. ”How would he feel about that?”
”Profoundly grateful, if you found his son,” Axis said.
Inardle shot Axis a cynical look, but inclined her head. ”Very well. Can you show me the chamber from which he was taken?”
The One has cursed you and you shall be forced to kill me? StarDancer said to Ravenna.
”Aye. I can delay,” Ravenna said, ”but eventually I will kill you. I cannot help it. I will dash you from one of the high windows. I am sorry. I do not really wish to do it.”
Ravenna, who else has cursed you? I can sense that Ishbel has placed three tight and binding curses about you, but there is one other besides that of the One . . .
”Eleanon, the Lealfast who has besieged Elcho Falling, placed a curse on me as well, warped in with Ishbel's. It conceals me from the regard of others in Elcho Falling, and it forced me to do his bidding.”
Which was . . . ?
”Which was to midwive the Dark Spire's terrible eggs and place them within the walls of Elcho Falling. I do not know what they do there. StarDancer, I am sorry.” Ravenna rose, not understanding why she was telling StarDancer this much. Perhaps she owed him some kind of explanation. ”The urge to kill you now is overwhelming. I can delay no longer.”
I can remove the One's curse from you, as well as Eleanon's.
” What?” Ravenna, who had taken several paces already, now stopped dead. ”How is that possible?”
I am very powerful.. I can do this. I could also remove Ishbel's curses, but I do not dare that far. I like and respect Ishbel and would not undo her work without permission. I can remove both the One's and Eleanon's curses and then it will be your own decision whether or not you kill me.
”You can remove the One's and Eleanon's curses?”
Yes.
”But you are just a mere baby!”
No mere baby. Again StarDancer's mouth curved in a tiny smile. I am the most powerful Enchanter the Icarii have ever known. More powerful even than the great WolfStar, whom my father has told me about. More powerful than my brother and able to manipulate the Star Dance as easily as he. I am no ”mere baby”. I can sing an enchantment, Ravenna, that will rid you of two of your three curses. Would you like me to do that?
”Yes,” Ravenna whispered. ”Yes.”
Imagine, StarDancer said, what I will be like as a full adult, if I can do this much as a baby.
StarDrifter was unhappy about involving Inardle in the search. He paced the chamber he shared with Salome and, until so very recently, his son, and sent dark looks shooting between Axis and Inardle.
Salome stood to one side, her face pale with anxiety, her eyes reddened from weeping.
She did not look at Inardle.
Inardle did not appear to notice either of them. She walked over to the cot where StarDancer had been sleeping and traced her fingers over its contours.
”Who here has worried about their child recently?” she said.
Everyone in the room -- Isaiah, Axis, Garth, StarDrifter and Salome -- looked between themselves.
” I have worried about a child recently!” StarDrifter grated.
”Not you,” Inardle said. ”Someone else has been here, desperately worried about a child.”
”You can feel that from the cot?” Garth said.
”Yes,” Inardle said. ”You might, too, if you lay your fingers on it. Could your Touch feel it?”
Garth walked over and lay his hand on the cot. He was quiet, then he looked up. ”Yes,” he said. ”Ravenna.”
”Ravenna is worried about StarDancer?” StarDrifter said.
”She was pregnant with Maximilian's child,” Garth said, ”and Ishbel cursed it . . . perhaps Ravenna worries about its health. Whatever, Ravenna has been here, and there is deep worry a.s.sociated with her presence. Regret. Sorrow. Fear for the future. So much bad feeling.”
”So now we must find Ravenna,” Inardle said, all practicality.
”Can you see her?” Salome said, speaking for the first time since Isaiah had brought Axis and Inardle to the chamber.