Dragons of Spring Dawning - Margaret Weis [145]
At the sight of her enemy, the woman who had betrayed her, Laurana drew herself to her full height. For a moment, her fear was forgotten in her anger. Imperiously she glanced beneath her, then above her, her gaze sweeping the great Hall. Fortunately, she did not look behind her. She did not see the bearded half-elf dressed in dragon armor, who was watching her intently. Instead she saw the troops of the Dark Queen, she saw the Highlords upon their thrones, she saw the dragons perched above them. Finally, she beheld the shadowy form of the Queen of Darkness herself.
And now she knows where she is, Tanis thought in misery, seeing Laurana’s face drain of color. Now she knows where she is and what is about to befall her.
What stories they must have told her, down in those dungeons below the Temple. Tormenting her with tales of the Death Chambers of the Queen of Darkness. She had probably been able to hear the screams of others, Tanis guessed, feeling his soul ache at her obvious terror. She had listened to their screams in the night, and now, within hours, maybe minutes, she would join them.
Her face deathly pale, Laurana turned back to look at Kitiara as if she were the only fixed point in a swirling universe. Tanis saw Laurana’s teeth clench, biting her lips to keep control. She would never show her fear to this woman, she would never show her fear to any of them.
Kitiara made a small gesture.
Laurana followed her gaze.
“Tanis …”
Turning, she saw the half-elf, and, as Laurana’s eyes met his, Tanis saw hope shine. He felt her love for him surround him and bless him like the dawning of spring after winter’s bitter darkness. For at last Tanis realized his own love for her was the bond between his two warring halves. He loved her with the unchanging, eternal love of his elven soul and with the passionate love of his human blood. But the realization had come too late, and now he would pay for the realization with his life and his soul.
One look, that was all he could give Laurana. One look that must carry the message of his heart, for he could feel Kitiara’s brown eyes on him, watching him intently. And other eyes were on him, too, dark and shadowy as they might be.
Aware of those eyes, Tanis forced his face to reveal nothing of his inner thoughts. Exerting all his control, he clenched his jaw, setting the muscles rigid, keeping his gaze carefully expressionless. Laurana might have been a stranger. Coldly he turned away from her and, as he turned, he saw hope’s light flicker and die in her luminous eyes. As if a cloud had obscured the sun, the warmth of Laurana’s love turned to bleak despair, chilling Tanis with its sorrow.
Gripping the hilt of his sword firmly to keep his hand from trembling, Tanis turned to face Takhisis, Queen of Darkness.
“Dark Majesty,” cried Kitiara, grasping Laurana by the arm and dragging her forward, “I present my gift to you—a gift that will give us victory!”
She was momentarily interrupted by tumultuous cheers. Raising her hand, Kitiara commanded silence, then she continued.
“I give you the elfwoman, Lauralanthalasa, Princess of the Qualinesti elves, leader of the foul Knights of Solamnia. It was she who brought back the dragonlances, she who used the dragon orb in the High Clerist’s Tower. It was by her command that her brother and a silver dragon traveled to Sanction where—through the ineptness of Lord Ariakas—they managed to break into the sacred temple and discover the destruction of the good dragon eggs.” Ariakas took a menacing step forward, but Kitiara coolly ignored him. “I give her to you, my Queen, to treat her as you believe her crimes against you merit.”
Kitiara flung Laurana in front of her. Stumbling, the elfwoman fell to her knees before the Queen. Her golden hair had come loose from its bindings and tumbled about her in a shining wave