Mistress of the Night - Don Bassingthwaite [128]
Feena stepped forward numbly, letting her hybrid form fall away so that she stood in the form of a woman. She felt as if she were on the edge of a cliff that could crumble under her feet at any minute.
"Keph," she said, "don't do it. Whatever you want, whatever you're thinking, don't speak the whispers."
Keph looked at her. His eyes were shot through with red. His face was tired.
"Feena," he said, "you don't understand…"
"Keph, you have to trust me," Feena replied. "For your family's sake, believe me. Some things should never be spoken. The whispers must not be spoken."
"She understands better than you do," said Variance. The dark priestess took a slow step forward as well. "And she's right. In Shar's name, I swear it. Your friend will be safe. I will leave Yhaunn. Just give me the book and I will lock it away."
Keph's face tightened and he asked, "What if I give it to Feena and she locks it away?"
Variance stiffened. "Give it me. It's no weapon."
"Then what is it?"
Variance hesitated, then took another step forward as she said, "It-"
Out of the corner of her eyes, Feena saw moonlight fade from the dark priestess's face as she moved into a shadow. Her gut leaped.
"Keph, look out!" she shouted.
Too late. Shadows folded around Variance-and unfolded behind Keph. In less than a breath, Variance had stepped between shadows like a piece of living darkness. Her hands closed on the book and wrenched it out of Keph's grasp.
"-belongs to Shar!" she cried triumphantly, stepping back and clenching the book.
Feena's stomach twisted in rage.
"Here's something else that belongs to Shar, then!" she howled.
Variance's chakram lay only feet away. Lunging, Feena swept it up. Her form changed with her anger and the arm that hurled the disk was furred and knotted with muscle. Razor-sharp steel screamed through the air just as shadows wove around Variance.
Shar's priestess gasped, staggered-and vanished. The scream of steel ended abruptly in a ringing screech. The chakram quivered in the stone wall behind the spot Variance had stood.
Keph stared in shock and asked, "Is she gone?"
Feena stalked up to the chakram and wrenched it out of the stone. Blood was smeared across it, pasting strands of long, dark hair to the metal.
"Yes," she snarled. "This time, I think she is."
"And the book?" he asked. "What about the book?"
Feena scanned the shadows. They were empty.
CHAPTER 18
“Astounding," Strasus Thingoleir said as he poked at the silver character branded onto Keph's thumb. In the light of morning, it shone almost as bright as the reflections that flashed off the surface of Selune's sacred pool. "No pain?" Keph shook his head. Strasus poked at the character again. "A sign of abjuration, I'm certain of it. Wouldn't you agree, High Moonmistress?"
The old wizard looked up. Feena shot a glance to Julith-Variance's spell of blindness had been broken by Selune's power-over Strasus's and Keph's heads. The four of them had gathered in the courtyard of Moonshadow Hall. The younger priestess gave a slight nod.
"Yes, Strasus," Feena answered. "I believe you're right."
"But you know nothing about the book of slates or Variance's interest in it?" Strasus asked, poking Keph's thumb again.
"No," replied Feena.
"It's a shame the book was lost," the wizard mused.
"A shame," Feena agreed. In a way, it was a lie. She felt as though a tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Selune hadn't been concerned by the book-only by what Keph might have unknowingly done with it. It seemed to her that Moonmaiden was just as happy to see the book in Variance's hands. "I wish we knew more about who or what Variance was, though."
"I believe I can tell you the 'what,' High Moonmistress." Strasus gave her a serious look. "From your description of her abilities and appearance, I would guess that she was a shade, once a human and now a creature of Shadow." With his free hand he slipped the amethyst ring from a