Key of Stars

CHAPTER SIX

The Year of the Secret (1396 DR)

New Sarshell, Impiltur

Anusha tumbled off the divan in the salon. Lucky raised his head and wagged his tail from where he still lay curled nearby.

She rubbed her eyes, looking around the empty, quiet room. The tea service was still laid out as she’d left it.

“I can wake up!”

Giddy relief engulfed her. The curse of her tie to Xxiphu was truly severed, as Japheth had promised. The fear she wasn’t actually liberated of the Dreamheart and the aboleth city hadn’t died until that moment.

That didn’t change the fact that a very angry Lord of Bats was in her cellar. She’d swept her dreamblade through the archfey. It had hurt Neifion, but not dispatched him.

She had to get back to the fight!

Anusha gave Lucky a quick pet on the head, then composed herself where she lay at the foot of the divan. The image of an elixir phial filled with purplish fluid-No! Don’t be stupid! she thought. She hadn’t required Japheth’s “sleeping potion” the first time she had ventured into the catacombs, and she didn’t need it for a second attempt.

Another deep breath. She strained for the feeling she’d achieved just moments before: a feeling of lofting away, of turning a key in the lock that opened her mind … She stepped into a construct of dream. She glanced down at her body. It seemed to be enjoying a contented slumber. She was glad she’d chosen to remain on the floor.

Anusha retraced her route from the salon to the catacombs, flashing through the mansion almost as quickly as thought itself.

She reached the entrance to Japheth’s work chamber. There stood the war wizard and Captain Thoster. Seren was just finishing a spell.

The occluding plug of water and a good portion of the wall on either side of the entrance disintegrated in a spray of pale fire. Seren and the captain flinched back slightly at the violence of the breach.

Anusha let out her breath on seeing Japheth still on his feet. Of the Lord of Bats, there was no sign.

Raidon seemed intent on hacking his way through one wall of the catacomb with his sword. Everyone, including Japheth, watched the monk’s crazed efforts for several heartbeats as if entranced.

Japheth finally yelled, “In the name of Nine, have you lost your mind?”

Raidon looked away from his task. His gaze skittered across the room, briefly touched on the captain and Seren, then turned to focus on Japheth, who stood closest. The monk’s eyes narrowed, and the fire of his blade burned the color of the sea’s darkest depths.

The sword leaped for Japheth’s head, almost of its own accord, though Raidon retained his hold on the hilt.

“Look out!” Anusha cried too late.

But the blade bit into an iron statue instead of Japheth. It almost seemed as if the sculpture had moved to interpose itself just so, but Anusha hadn’t seen it shift.

The bell-like clap of Angul on steel shook Raidon from his fury. He blinked and let the blade drop so its tip stuck in the floor.

Japheth’s hands were raised in a warding gesture, one yet gripping his greenish rod. He cautiously lowered his hands. “Are you through attacking me?” he said.

Raidon snatched up Angul and shoved the blade into its sheath as if the hilt was too hot to hold.

“Sorry,” said the half-elf.

Anusha was halfway across the catacomb chamber before she remembered no one could see her.

The moment she rendered herself visible, the iron statue turned its head to look at her.

Words issued from it. “Anusha, is that you?” a familiar voice said.

Anusha recalled the image of a woman whose skin was mottled brown and yellow. “Yeva?” she said.

The statue looked down at its polished, metallic body, then raised its arms. “I’m not dead!” it said.

“Well, you ain’t alive, either,” interjected Thoster. “This is what you’ve been up to, warlock? Forging some kind of talking golem?”

“Yes,” Japheth said. “Well, after a fashion.”

Anusha and Yeva embraced, as well as was possible under the circumstances.

“I’m so glad you’re here!” Anusha said. “I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again.”

“I was sure you wouldn’t,” the figure replied, laughing. “But how are you? I see you’re still in your dream form …”

“Yes, but I’m all right,” Anusha said. “I’m sleeping not far from here, up in my salon. But how do you feel?” She tapped Yeva’s iron body. The form shrugged its … no, her, shoulders.

“I feel alive,” Yeva said. “More than that, I can sense my body, and the world around me. What more could I ask for right now? All the possibilities the future holds remain open to me.”

Yeva turned to Japheth. “Thank you,” she said.

Japheth smiled and bowed.

“Is someone going to explain what’s going on down here?” said the captain.

“This is Yeva,” Anusha said. “She was a captive in the aboleth city like me.”

Yeva took a step toward Thoster. Her motion was entirely fluid. “Japheth salvaged my mind from Xxiphu along with Anusha’s,” she said. “But my body died a long time ago. I had no vessel to return to. Your warlock friend crafted me a new one!”

Yeva’s face was a mask of silver, but Anusha imagined she could almost see the woman smile. Words flavored by a smile sounded brighter.

“How odd,” said Seren.

“Very well,” Thoster said. “Japheth put the mind of Anusha’s acquaintance in this iron shell. Seems extravagant, but who’m I to say? By the look of it, he managed the transfer none too soon.” The captain cast his gaze at Raidon.

The monk scowled.

“But that doesn’t explain what Japheth’s old friend was doing down here,” the captain continued.

The warlock’s smile dropped. “The Lord of Bats has an overdeveloped sense of vengeance,” he said.

“How’d he find you?” Anusha said. “Your pact with him is broken, right?”

“Malyanna helped him,” said Japheth. “The eladrin noble remains Neifion’s ally, apparently. The sigil on Neifion’s brow reeked of Dreamheart influence.”

“The Dreamheart you gave her,” said Raidon.

Japheth shook his head. “We’ve been over this,” he said. “Anusha, and Yeva too, would be dead and consumed if I had done any less!”

Silence descended. Glares were traded around the room.

“I’m calling another tea-early this time,” Anusha finally said, “just two bells after sunrise tomorrow. Please, everyone attend. We must talk about Xxiphu, and the responsibility each of us bears for its appearance over Faerun.”

“Hey!” said Seren. “I-”

“We’ll discuss what we can do to sink it once more,” Anusha said.

Without waiting to gauge the response of her statement, she allowed her dream to lapse.