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.”“My Sam.” Loki swallowed and pulled away, planting his hands on Aiken’s shoulders and looking him straight in the eye.“He survived Noliminan’s terrors?”“He did.” Ishitar replied, standing and walking toward the pair, his hand extended.Loki released Aiken and shook it.“For a wonder.”“How are you, boy?” Loki asked, smiling slightly.“Well.” Ishitar cocked his head.“How is your mortal son?”“Well.” Loki grimaced at the question.“For now.”“Good.” Ishitar’s eyes narrowed slightly.“I hope you’re hungry.Aiken’s made a fine stew.” Loki returned his gaze to Aiken, smiling.“And, anticipating your return today, I’ve made you one of my pies.”Loki’s face split into a wide grin.“I’ve missed your pies.”“Have you?”Aiken, turning his eyes in Ishitar’s direction, clenched his teeth lest he frown.-20-“All of our ships!” Iykva screamed at Paul.“Burned asunder!”“You can’t have expected them to not bar our passage.”“Jackanapes!” The demon replied, spinning and storming toward the tent in which he meant to lay his head for the day.Paul turned toward Jamiason, trying not to smile.“Don’t smirk.” James muttered as his eyes turned to Thamores.“Any word from my twins?”“None.” Thamores shook his head.“Not a peep.”James’ lips thinned.“I’m certain they’re safe.” Paul tried to assure his Maker.“They are, both of them, cunning.”“Perhaps.” Jamiason shook his head.“What do we do now?”“Convince Iykva that the best course is to head for home.” Thamores suggested.“We can’t cross the sea.And we can’t back trace our steps.”“The only means for going home from here without back tracing is the Forest of Spirits.” Paul whispered.“We can’t possibly—”“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of ghosts.” Thamores scoffed.“Unlike you,” Paul snapped, “I’m mortal and will be damned when I die rather than raised up as a God.”Thamores grinned at that.“The spirits can’t harm you.” Jamiason replied irritably.“And Thamores is right.If we back trace, the fairies will destroy us.As much as I want the elves to win this war, I don’t want my people eliminated.”“Should we speak with Chiron?”“He’s moved his herd south.” Jamiason shook his head.“They only promised me the one battle.”“Of course.” Thamores sighed.“My wolves frightened them.”“They are a Heavens’ bound race.” Jamiason’s smile was thin and tight.“And not at all on our side.”“I think it was the manner in which I licked my chops.” Thamores chuckled.“Rather than the manner of God that they serve.”“Perhaps so.” Jamiason, for the first time in a long time, gave a short, but honest laugh.“Regardless, this is now a battle of vampires and wolves.” He flicked his gaze to Paul.“What have you heard from the humans?”“Those against the Devonshires will continue to march with us.” Paul shrugged.“So long as we promise not to bend their necks.”“Make your promises, then.” James nodded at him.“And see that your people toe their plank.”“As you wish.”“So be it.” Jamiason let out a long breath of air, unsettling Paul.“Come sun fall, we journey south.”-21-Iladrul shivered as that odd sensation that he was being watched washed over him again.“Lord Raystlyn?”“Yes child?” The Silver Mage turned his strange eyes upon the elf.“Do you.” He swallowed.“Am I mad? Or is something other than the spirits haunting our steps.”“You aren’t mad at all.” Raystlyn smiled softly at the boy.He had become fond of the elfin child, despite himself.“We’ve been followed for the last twenty nauckts.”The boy’s green eyes, so alike to those of his mother, grew wide.“It’s a changeling, boy.” Raystlyn whispered.“An abomination to the very Gods who protect or damn us.”“A.” The boy shivered again.“A dathanorna?”Raystlyn nodded.“But I thought—”“None are known to exist.” Raystlyn stopped the boy from speaking the words.“That doesn’t mean that they do not.”“Are we in danger?”“Most definitely.” Raystlyn shrugged his shoulders.“It’s been following us for days.Although, it hasn’t eaten one of our party as of yet.”Iladrul pulled his horse to a stop.As he did so, the five doxies stopped their horses as well.“As of yet?”Raystlyn smiled at him.“Meaning that it may?”“It may, indeed.” Raystlyn nodded.“Best keep moving, boy.”-22-After listening to Sam’s newest reports on the goings on of Ishitar and Noliminan, Aiken’s stomach ached as if he had just swallowed a boulder.Noliminan, it would seem, had become more than a little obsessed with the elves.And Ishitar, who always wore that strange, contemplative smile, seemed to care little and less about the outcome of the mortal war.His mind, Samyael advised Aiken, seemed trained upon Loki and some mysterious tree that he kept visiting to pick the fruit which made up Loki’s pies.“Curious.” Aiken grumbled as his eyes trailed the contours of Samyael’s face.“I’ve never heard of a tree such as you speak of [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]