Mistress of the Night - Don Bassingthwaite [126]
Feena's hands tightened on the metal shaft of the mace.
Variance smiled and said, "I didn't think so."
She spun to spit a single, bleak word at Julith. The young priestess screamed and staggered back, her eyes wide.
"Feena! I can't see!"
Even as Julith screamed, Variance was twisting back to Feena. Her arm flicked sharply and her chakram sliced through the air.
Feena snapped up the mace and swung hard. It connected with the chakram, sending it ricocheting away. Letting loose a howl, Feena charged at Variance. Shar's priestess just reached up to snatch the chakram out of the air as it hissed by, then stepped back into the shadows.
When Feena's mace thundered through the darkness, there was nothing there. The weapon swept empty air. Variance was gone.
No, Feena knew. Not gone. Her words had been cold. She wanted a fight. At the very least, she had no intention of leaving. Feena spun around.
"Julith!" she ordered. "Stay still and keep low!"
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Julith grope for the nearest wall then sink down, her shield pulled up high for protection. Feena turned and turned again-then spun around as prayer welled out of another shadow.
Variance's hand stiffened and thrust toward her. Darkness lanced from her fingertips. Feena howled as the black bolt pierced her flesh like despair given form. She staggered under the foul magic, but forced herself to her feet and charged again.
Variance unleashed a second bolt, then flung her chakram as well. Feena flung herself into a long roll across the ground. Both magic and steel passed above her and she rolled back to her knees before Variance, swinging the mace in a flawless, powerful continuation of motion.
The dark priestess stepped back into the shadows less than a heartbeat before the mace would have hammered into her. Feena's mighty swing carried her around and left her sprawling. Variance's chakram hit the wall above her and fell to the ground with a ringing clatter. Feena rolled away from it and flipped herself back up onto her feet, mace ready again.
"Stand and fight!" Feena screamed. "No."
Movement in a shadow… Feena spun, and another black bolt of despair caught her full in the chest. The pain seemed even worse, stealing her breath and leaving her doubled over.
Soft footsteps fell on the stones of the street. Feena forced herself upright as Variance stepped out into the light once more. Feena raised her mace and met the Sharran's dark gaze. Slowly, silently, they moved against each other, keeping their distance.
Halfway between them, Julith shuddered in the silence.
"Feena, what's going on?" she gasped.
Variance's gaze flickered toward her.
"No!" growled Feena.
Variance just smiled and took another step-into a patch of shadow.
The darkness swallowed her.
"No!" Feena howled and spun around. "Moonmaiden guide me, where is-"
A whiff of shadowstuff. Feena whirled, and hurled her mace into shadows not three paces from Julith.
It slammed into Variance's shoulder. She grunted and stumbled, twisted around by the impact. Feena growled and rushed at her, powerful legs pumping then kicking her into a leap. She hit Variance in a hard tackle that sent them both tumbling along the street. Feena snapped and tore at the dark priestess, but Variance was unexpectedly strong. She caught Feena's clawed hands in her own and forced them back. Her legs came up, threatening a double kick. Feena thrust herself back.
Variance stayed close. The black and purple disk of the Mistress of the Night was clenched in one hand and she shouted a prayer as her other hand darted out to touch Feena.
"Shar take you!"
Darkness closed on Feena's heart like the fist of doom. She couldn't breathe. No, she wasn't breathing. Agony tore through her, cold so bitter it burned. Shar's magic was killing her, dragging her from life into death-
Feena forced a snarl through clenched teeth. "For