The House of Gaian

Chapter 52

Adolfo slowly got to his feet and looked around. Stone. Nothing but stone. And a spear of gold and silver light no thicker than a fist touching the stone a man's length in front of him and rising up, up, up until it disappeared somewhere in that vaulted ceiling of stone.

He didn't like that light. Hated that light. It felt… clean… and repulsive. He moved away from it. He had no trouble seeing. Fire burned among the stones, and the air reeked with the smell of sulfur. He tore off the cloak that now felt too hot and confining and went searching for the water he could hear trickling nearby. It spilled out from a crack and pooled in a hollowed stone that formed a basin. Bending over, he lapped the water. It tasted of blood, of gore, of rotting bodies. Delicious.

He heard voices below him, saw the rocks piled together to make rough stairs leading down into the stones and the fire.

"What happened?" asked one frightened voice. "Where are we?"

"Where's Master Adolfo?" another voice said. Then, shouting, "Master! Master Adolfo?"

He walked down those rough stairs, moving toward the voices.

"Where are we?"

"It's— Mother's mercy! This is the Fiery Pit! We've been thrown into the Fiery Pit!"

There is no Mother here, Adolfo thought. Only the Master. Only. . .

Hunger.

He followed the curve of the stairs, stopping when he saw them. Wolfram barons. Sylvalan barons. Guard captains and bowmen. His . . .

Meat.

. . . Inquisitors. His…

Feast.

. . . followers. He would show them the glory of the world he'd created for them. He would show them he was …

Hunger.

… was …

An Inquisitor looked up, saw him, and screamed, "It's the Evil One!"

He laughed as he watched them flee, running deeper and deeper into the Pit.

Feast.

He followed them deeper into the Pit. And he hunted.

Frowning, Selena studied the sky above the stones. The Black Coats and their followers were gone, so the magic had worked, but where was the anchor of light?

One by one, the Sons and Daughters rode away from the stones to help the humans deal with the prisoners and find the wounded until only Rhyann stood with her. Then Ashk joined her… and Liam.

"I don't see the anchor," Selena said quietly. Steam rose from the ground inside the circle—ground that was now cracked and barren.

"There." Ashk pointed to a glow barely visible among the stones.

"But"—Rhyann shook her head—"it's going down. Why would it go down?"

A chill went through Selena. "Dreams and will. His dreams. His will. He made the world he wanted. Mother have mercy."

"Vengeance and justice," Ashk said. "You gave him both, Huntress, in a way no one else could have."

Selena turned to look at Liam, who stared at her with unreadable eyes. "I am sorry the anchor had to be placed here." She hesitated. "Your people should build a wall just beyond the circle. What was made here… I don't know what would happen to anyone who stepped onto that barren ground or climbed among those stones."

"When all the bodies are given back to the Mother, this will be a field of the dead. I don't think anyone will go near those stones after what happened here today, but we'll build the wall."

Aiden and Lyrra rode up on Minstrel, followed by Breanna and Falco on another horse. Aiden helped Lyrra slide down from behind him before dismounting. Hand in hand, they came forward. "It's done?"

Selena nodded. "The Witch's Hammer and his followers are gone."

Morphia rode up, followed by a few of the Fae. She gave them a brilliant smile, her face lit with happiness and relief as she dismounted to join them. "Ashk! Morag's here. Did you see her? I only caught a glimpse of her as she rode back into the trees, but she's here."

Selena felt Ashk shudder. Then Rhyann said, "Selena," in a quiet, tense voice.

She heard a muffled cry of fear, watched men scatter, leaving a clear path for the dark horse that walked toward her.

"Morag!" Morphia called. Then, puzzled and a little fearful, "Morag?"

Selena saw Aiden and Lyrra rush over to Morphia. She heard Liam whisper, "Mother's mercy." And she felt Ashk walk away as Morag dismounted and walked closer to them.

Morphia's face crumpled in disbelief and horror. "Morag!"

Selena grabbed Rhyann's arm, pulling her sister behind her. An illusion of protection, nothing more. But Morag stopped a man's length in front of her. She saw something savage in those dark eyes, something that would ride through villages and leave nothing but empty corpses in its wake. But the woman Morag must have been was also shining out of those dark eyes, pained and so weary.

I have the power to shape a world beyond this world, but I don't know how to change this. I know nothing that can change this.

"What do you want, Morag?" she asked gently.

One tear spilled down a dark, leathery cheek. "I want to go home."

Silence.

Then…

"Merry meet, and merry part, and merry meet again."

A moment caught by the eye, frozen by memory.

Morag, standing straight and tall, turning toward that voice.

Ashk, waiting, the bow drawn back, her eyes clear and yet filled with a terrible grief.

Then the arrow sang Death's song. Pierced the chest. Found the heart.

And Morag fell.

"Noooo!" Morphia screamed as Aiden struggled to hold her back.

Ashk dropped her bow, moved forward slowly.

"How could you?" Morphia screamed. "How could you?"

Ashk stared at the body. "I promised to do what needed to be done."

Mist rose from the body, took the shape of a slender, lovely woman.

Morag turned to look at her sister. Raised a hand in farewell to Aiden and Lyrra. When she looked at Ashk, she smiled.

"You'll be missed," Ashk said softly. "Don't stay away too long."

Morag raised her arms. Her ghost changed into the shape of a raven. As she flew toward the shimmering road that suddenly opened in the field, Selena watched ghosts flow up the road behind her as Morag led the spirits of the dead to the Shadowed Veil for the last time.

Before Selena could say anything, do anything, Ashk turned away from all of them and started walking toward the rise.

Ashk reached the top of the rise before Breanna caught up to her.

"Ashk! Ashk!"

Ashk stopped walking, but didn't turn to look at her.

Breanna reached out but didn't touch. Ashk looked like a woman about to shatter. She knew how that felt. "She shouldn't stay in that field, Ashk. She shouldn't be buried near that. . . place. Where should we take her to give her back to the Mother?"

Ashk swallowed hard. "Morphia is her sister. It should be Morphia's choice."

"No," Breanna said slowly, "I don't think so." She waited until Ashk looked at her. "You freed Morag from what she'd become, for her sake. Morphia would choose a place that gives her comfort, but you'll choose a place that's right for Morag."

Ashk clenched her hands, and Breanna watched strength battling grief. Finally, Ashk said, "Somewhere in the Old Place. A spot where there are shadows and light."

"As you will, so mote it be," Breanna said.

She watched Ashk walk down the other side of the rise. Alone.