Part 63 (1/2)

”We need to get this off me,” River said. ”The three of them will be useless once the bond fully forms.”

Talen returned his attention to his sister. ”Are you ready?”

She nodded. Her eyes shone with determination.

He held her chin still with one hand and p.r.i.c.ked the collar again. Immediately the two created twisted and writhed in their battle.

River's face screwed up in pain, and she began to pant. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

”Do you want me to take it out?” he asked.

”No,” she grunted, but moments later she sagged to one side, and Talen quickly removed the tooth to avoid stabbing her.

In spots the coloring of the collar had turned ash gray. Yet he could see other parts were still very much alive, undulating as if it were taking long, slow breaths.

River panted, the thing still about her neck.

Talen saw specks of light. He blinked and looked down at the hag's tooth. Had it affected his vision? He rubbed his eyes with his free hand and looked again.

A handful of s.h.i.+ning flecks were floating in the chamber. They looked like dust motes, except they shone with their own light. What's more, they seemed to be floating lazily towards Da.

”My eyes,” he said.

”Not your eyes,” said River. ”The crown.”

There were more sparks now. Talen couldn't tell where they were coming from.

The Creek Widow, Uncle Argoth, and Ke stepped back.

”The crown bestows its wearer great strength,” said the Creek Widow, ”but it also calls forth a mantle of incredible might. It is said that the Creators seeded the world with power to be given to those of their choosing. And to those who respond to their call, the powers distill upon them like the morning dews. Until then, the powers remain locked up within the earth and sea. It is almost finished. A few minutes more.”

This didn't make complete sense to Talen. Didn't the Divines wield great powers as well? And this monster was not something to be ignored. Obviously, the power wasn't all locked up.

The sparks floated in through both entrances, but more seemed to simply spring forth from the rock about them. Talen caught a twinkle in the dust at his feet, and then the fleck of light floated free to join the rest.

The sparks coalesced into thin, whirling streams that were drawn to Da like water is drawn to the center of a lazy whirlpool. Da knelt in his chains as the bits of light flowed and clung to him. The s.h.i.+ning flecks began to acc.u.mulate thinly in his hair and eye brows, upon his nose and arms, between the very fibers of his clothing. Specks of light tinged ever so faintly with blue and yellow.

River put her hand to the still living collar about her neck. ”She's coming,” she said. ”I can feel it.”

Sugar couldn't help but marvel at the tiny sparks that suddenly glimmered and glittered in the stone ceiling, walls, and floor. Each would build in intensity only to break free and float purposefully toward Zu Hogan. Soon he was s.h.i.+ning with them.

He was drawing the very might of the earth to him, but it was clear he wasn't ready. For one, he still stood in chains. She looked at the others, stooped with weariness, and realized they were in no shape to fight, which meant she was the only thing standing between the others and whatever was approaching.

Her heart pounded in her chest. Things to act, and things to be acted upon. Now was her moment to stand, and she was not going to quail. She had the tooth. She had seen its power work on man and weave. She was going to face this enemy, just as Mother had faced that mob only a few days ago. She turned to the entrances. Whatever came out was going to feel the bite of Purity's daughter.

A slight breeze blew through the room, carrying a strong whiff of sulfur and pine. And then another whiff even stronger. She turned towards the black entrance that was the source of the breeze. She realized she wouldn't have much time once the creature entered the chamber.

She heard one heavy footstep, and then the monster burst from the blackness.

She should have been more used to the sight of it, but the creature was even more horrible to behold than it had been in the vale. Its enormous ragged mouth. Its dark pit eyes. Her knees quivered.

The monster gave her one look and, in an enormous stride, flashed past. It swatted the Creek Widow aside and grabbed Zu Hogan by the throat.

Ke and Zu Argoth staggered back, the crown still working its effects on them.

The monster grasped the crown and began to tug. The flecks of light flowing to cover Zu Hogan slowed their movement.

It was going to rip it off. And then it would kill Zu Hogan just as it had the Skir Master.

She thought of Legs and Mother and the tooth in her hand.

The tooth in her hand!

Her courage returned even if the fear remained. She cried out and charged, the hag's tooth held high.

The monster turned, shot out an arm, and stopped her in her tracks.

It felt as if she'd run herself onto a post. She gasped, and the monster wrapped its huge hand, hard as stone, round her waist and squeezed like it was going to crush her in two.

She cried out, tightened her grip on the hag's tooth, and then brought it down, stabbing deep into the monster's ragged forearm.

The monster looked down at the tooth.

The tooth bucked like a fish and disappeared into the monster's flesh.

The monster reeled back from Hogan, releasing both Sugar and the crown, and frantically clutched at its forearm.

Zu Hogan spoke a word, and the sparks in the room grew thicker, flowed more quickly to him. A low thrumming began. It built in intensity. The volume and pitch rose, vibrating through her, through the very rock about them. The sparks multiplied until the air was thick with them. The thrumming turned into the sound of rus.h.i.+ng of waters.

Zu Hogan stood, his chains still binding him to the wall, and stretched his arms wide. His face shone with fierce knowledge. The whirling streams of blue and yellow sparks picked up speed, converging on him. The volume built to a roar. Sugar covered her ears.

Then came a concussion, an enormous slap of air that forced Sugar to stagger back. It was followed by a blinding flash as all the remaining sparks in the room rushed to Zu Hogan.

Immediately the roar ceased, and Sugar's ears rang in the silence.

Zu Hogan stood s.h.i.+ning from head to toe with a thin skin of blue and yellow light. Joy suffused his face. And when he moved the very air about him seemed to bend and blur.

He took hold of his chains and pulled them apart like a child might pull apart a braid made of clay.

Talen looked on with awe. And then the entrance at the far side of the chamber began to flicker and illuminate. A moment later a ribbon of blazing violet flame flew into the chamber. It was followed by another and another. Each stretched a yard or more. Each undulated like an eel swimming through water. The ribbons of light sped about the room, hissing like the wind through dry weeds. One circled Sugar with blinding speed, but she didn't seem to notice it.

Another came to him, pausing momentarily, regarding him, the hot white of its core fading to tongues of violet flame. It seemed to be whispering.