CHAPTER SEVEN

The Southern Reaches of the FarReach Mountains

I shbel was not quite unconscious, drifting in that half-awake land where all sensations and perceptions are grossly distorted. Her eight captors were seated about a fire, eating, and their conversation filtered into Ishbel’s mind as if it came through water. She could understand none of their words, and she made no attempt to understand. All Ishbel wanted was to sleep, to shut out the world and everything happening to her, to drift away, and just not know. They had given her drugs before they’d begun to eat, and even though her body was now becoming accustomed to their effect, she could feel the seductive pull of them as they coursed through her blood, and she willed herself to submit and sink deep into unconsciousness.

She was almost there, almost unknowing, then there was some manner of commotion. Several of the Eight started to their feet, their abrupt action making Ishbel open her eyes.

She could not see very well, but it appeared to her as if the men were all staring farther down the ravine.

Ishbel didn’t care, and closed her eyes. It might have been a bear, or a pack of wolves or bandits, but she didn’t care. Just so long as they allowed her to drift into—

One of the men shouted, a cry of pure alarm, and Ishbel jerked her eyes open once more. Two of the men had started down the ravine, but Zeboul, the senior of the Eight, had called them back.

Ishbel thought she heard something above her, and tried to shift her head so she could look up.

But, oh, it was so hard, and she was so tired.

More sound. Definitely something above her. Ishbel made a huge effort, and managed to turn over far enough that she could look up to the sky.

There appeared to be two shapes spiraling down toward her.

Eagles! Terror swept through Ishbel. She wasn’t strong enough to fend them off, and they would peck at her face, her eyes…

More noise about the fire, and Ishbel thought she saw a faint shadow, but she was now staring, fixated, at the blurry but huge shapes spiraling closer and closer.

Sounds of fighting to her right, but Ishbel ignored them.

Oh, gods, gods, the shapes were Icarii!

Ishbel struggled to speak, to call out to them, to raise her hand.

To her right the sounds of fighting intensified, as also did the shadow—it seemed almost as if her immediate vicinity was being encased in a false dusk.

The Icarii landed at her side, and one of them bent over her.

“You have no idea what a trouble you have been, you bitch,” StarWeb hissed, and then her head exploded in a mass of bone and tissue.

A heartbeat later, the male Icarii behind StarWeb, reeling back in shock at her death, also exploded, and Ishbel gave a great cry, only to choke on feathers and pulverized flesh.

Axis had been riding at the head of his column, heading for the opening to a ravine at the foot of the FarReach Mountains, when he heard the faint sound of fighting.

Adrenaline rushed through him. He pulled his sword from its scabbard, booted his horse into a gallop, and yelled at his men to do likewise.

Axis had only been some fifty paces from the entrance to the ravine when he’d urged his horse forward, and it had taken only moments for him to round the tumble of boulders that hid his view of the ravine.

The sight that met his eyes filled him with horror.

There were a group of men, who Axis recognized as those who had traveled north with Ba’al’uz, fighting with four or five Icarii—the whole encased in a writhing gray cloud that Axis instantly recognized as power. All his senses told him it was being used for a foul purpose.

Then, as he drew close, two of the Icarii, who had been standing over a bound figure lying on the ground, exploded.

Something cracked within Axis’ heart.

Two more Icarii were struggling with Ba’al’uz’ men, and then they, too, exploded.

Axis screamed, driving his horse directly into the melee.

There was a fifth Icarii, struggling to rise from the ground some distance away, but for the moment Axis ignored him. He raised his sword, and brought it down in a great arc, taking the head of one of Ba’al’uz’

men.

Within the instant his men were with him, and the remainder of Ba’al’uz’ men, stunned by the sudden attack, and losing whatever grip on power they’d had, dispersed and started to run.

Axis was overwhelmed, not only with the sudden, unexpected sight of Icarii, but with their almost simultaneous deaths. Right now, trying to catch the remaining men was not a priority, and he let them go.

He jumped down from his horse, glanced at the woman lying some distance away, who he supposed must be Ishbel, then at the Icarii now rising to his feet.

The birdman was staring at him in complete disbelief.

“StarMan?” he said.

Axis walked slowly toward him, then halted as he saw the Icarii tense. For all he knew, Axis was a phantasm. Axis looked at him carefully, desperately trying to put a name to the face, which he’d recognized from his days of leading the Strike Force.

“BroadWing,” he said. “BroadWing EvenBeat.”

BroadWing relaxed, just a fraction, and nodded. “How is it you are here?” he said.

Axis gave a slight shrug. “By a magic I do not understand. No one else has come back. You?”

“I was stationed in Ruen when Tencendor collapsed, StarMan. There are some six thousand of us scattered about.”

“Call me Axis, please. My title of StarMan is now useless.”

The conversation was starting to feel surreal to Axis. What was left of the bodies of four Icarii lay about, and Ishbel, Queen of Escator, lay moaning to one side, grasping at thin air with one weak hand.

BroadWing saw the direction of Axis’ glance. “We were trying to rescue her,” he said. “She is—”

“I know who she is. Look, BroadWing, you cannot possibly take her back to Escator by yourself, and she looks too ill for us to linger here long enough for you to fetch aid. Furthermore, she is in no condition to attempt a journey back through the FarReach Mountains—and no Icarii could carry her that distance.

I will take care of her. Tell Maximilian that. She will be safe. I promise it.”

“When was any woman ever safe with you, Axis SunSoar?”

Axis gave a small smile. “She will be safe, BroadWing. Tell Maximilian not to worry.”

“He loves her, Axis. He will tear the earth apart for her. Keep your word, I pray you. And…” He looked about, and Axis saw his face crumple in grief at the sight of his companions.

“I will farewell them, BroadWing,” Axis said.

BroadWing hesitated, clearly torn about what to do. “Axis, what was that power those men used?”

“I fear very much it was something ancient and highly malignant,” said Axis. “BroadWing, listen, I need to get Ishbel to a town and a physician as fast as I can. Do you want to come with us?”

He turned about as he said this, to indicate his armed escort, and realized for the first time how they stood, staring at BroadWing.

They’d never seen an Icarii before, and their expressions wavered between the hostile and the curious.

“I think I will report back to Maximilian,” said BroadWing. “Axis, you will farewell my companions?”

Axis nodded. “Tell Maximilian I will take care of her.”

BroadWing gave a small, cynical smile at that last. “He will come for her, Axis.”

“I have no doubt,” Axis said quietly.

With a final nod, BroadWing lifted off and spiraled rapidly into the sky.