Arrows of Time - Kim Falconer [155]
He’s taking my hood off.
‘So tell me, Teg.’ Lily scooted her chair closer to him. ‘Are you related to Hotha? Is he a…brother perhaps? An uncle?’
‘Me? No…My family is from the outskirts of Morzone…’ His voice trailed off as he directed his thoughts to Kreshkali. Are you out of the cage?
I am.
‘Oh, come now, Teg. You don’t know enough about that city to be born and bred there. Where are you really from?’
‘You can tell us,’ Jess added. ‘We can help you, whatever you’re mixed up in.’
Kali, they know.
Get out, Teg! Now!
Teg bolted, leaping from his chair and down the stairs, shifting to all fours before his feet hit the ground.
An’ Lawrence stood at the gates of Temple Los Loma.
‘It’s the right place, Sword Master. Well done,’ Grayson said. ‘Is it the right time?’
‘I think so.’
The apple trees were vibrant, full of leaves and swelling fruit. That fitted. The temple cats were relaxed, always a good sign. Fynn had scrambled out of Grayson’s backpack, awake now and delighted to see Shane, who rewarded him with a pennywhistle tune. The sweet high-pitched jig lifted spirits, a welcome relief, and the Three Sisters greeted them all with loud caws, their shiny black wings whiffing through the air as they swooped and dived. They didn’t seem to be upset that their mistress wasn’t present, and he took that as a comfort. He searched the ground for prints, boot or paw. There was no sign of Teg.
Grayson bent over the body bag, feeling the edges, frowning deeply. ‘Everett said we only had a day or so until…’
‘Once she thaws, it’s all over, unless her heart starts up again. Is that about right?’ An’ Lawrence asked, turning away from the corpse. He looked at the sky; it was pale blue and cloudless, a sliver of moon rising in the east. The sun was already making him sweat.
‘That’s what I gather.’
Rowan, we need a High Priestess, fast, if we’re going to revive Rosette. Kreshkali isn’t here.
He reached out and stroked the top of Scylla’s head. Any ideas?
Treeon. Or Timbali?
An’ Lawrence patted her back, directing his attention to the others as they gathered around him. ‘Get her into the temple hall. Assemble everyone.’ His voice boomed as he waved them towards the gates.
‘Where are you going?’ Grayson asked.
‘To get us a High Priestess, or a Timbali witch, even La Makee if I can find her.’
‘But Kreshkali…’
‘We don’t know when she’ll arrive and we need someone who can do the ritual. We need a High Priestess. Makee is one. It’s our only chance.’
‘She’s on sabbatical,’ Jarrod said. ‘How will you find her and get her back here in time?’
‘The Entity will take me to her.’
‘You’re trusting a lot.’ Jarrod had his hand on the edge of the black body bag. ‘The Entity has been opening strange corridors lately.’
‘It’s worth the risk. Kali may get back here in time; I may find La Makee. This doubles our chances of saving Rosette.’ An’ Lawrence called Scylla to him and backed towards the portal, waving them away. ‘Set it up. Get everyone into the Temple hall, meditating. Lift the roof off the place with healing energy. Joy. You have to start with a sense of joy. That’s the first step.’ He turned to Jarrod. ‘You know what to do. I won’t be long.’ He gripped his sword and dashed through the portal, Scylla by his side.
He felt a particular thrill as his hand passed over the plasma waves sparking out from the Entity. He was clear now. Whatever Kreshkali was up to, in whatever form or world, he didn’t have time to wait. The more he thought about it, the more he knew Makee was the best bet if Kali didn’t show. In spite of their past, he trusted the woman, and because of their past, he felt confident he could find her in a flash. Would she come? Surely curiosity alone would bring her back. He tightened his grip on his sword.
The streams of colour and light slowed and the portal opened onto a familiar scene—the flat lands east of Corsanon. What in demon’s darkness was she doing there? The sounds of clashing steel and thundering hooves,