Mistress of the Night - Don Bassingthwaite [75]
Only one person was no longer laughing. Bolan glared at Keph, his eyes dark holes in his white face. Keph faced him and slowly raised his hand once more.
"Shar take you," he said.
The darkness that swallowed Bolan burst out of his eyes and swarmed across his face-Shar took her priest from the inside out. Variance reached across the table and touched Keph's arm.
"The Mistress of the Night has a great destiny for you," she said. "You'll take his place."
"Oh, yes," said a bitter voice. "That's Keph-always taking someone else's place."
Feena thrashed desperately, trying to shake her trembling legs free of the tattered remains of her gown. Dhauna kept the light on her. Its radiance was maddening-she could feel it pressing against her, glaring in her eyes and throbbing in her brain as if she had stared too long at reflections in water on a bright day. Feena tried to change back, but couldn't. The magic stirred the wolf in her even as it dazed the woman. A thin, helpless whimper forced its way out of her throat.
"Be silent!" Dhauna hissed. "You brought this on yourself." With her free hand she fumbled for the holy symbol at her neck. The chain snapped, and Dhauna held the symbol up. "Tremble before Selune for her gaze is upon you!"
Magic crushed down on Feena. Her whine rose as Selune's power shifted and changed like gathering storm clouds, the goddess's will tearing through her already shaken spirit.
No, some part of her thought, not Selune's will- Dhauna's. The magic might descend from Night's Bright Lady, but spun out in the prayers of a mortal, it was nothing more than a blunt club wielded by Dhauna's madness.
Feena desperately clung to that thought in the face of the dark fear that flooded over her. Rage flared in Dhauna's eyes. The old priestess thrust Selune's symbol at her.
"By the Moonmaiden!" she cried. "By the Bright Lady of Night and Our Silver Lady!" She took a step forward.
"You-"
She took another step. Feena scrambled back.
"-wiM-"
Another step. Feena cowered.
"-yield!"
Energy, invisible and formless, surged in the rawest expression of Selune's faith, the ultimate power of the goddess of the moon over a creature of the night. It ripped away any illusion of control, and Feena howled as helpless terror seized her, wolf and woman recoiling as one from Selune's high priestess. Instinct took over. She scrambled back, tripping over her own legs in panic. A stack of scrolls blocked her way. Her claws shredded the ancient parchments as she thrust herself as far as possible from Dhauna.
Cold stone stopped her. She pressed herself into a corner, the hair on her neck bristling high, her teeth bared.
Dhauna turned with her, one hand still presenting Selune's symbol, the other still clenched around silver light.
"You are weak, Feena Archwood," she raved. "Weak and foolish! I am Selune's hope. Her warnings speak to me, and through me the New Moon Pact will be reborn! Through me, her faith will be cleansed. I will be her hand. There will be no fear. There will be no heresy, and no heretics." Her eyes narrowed. "Have they taken you, Feena?" she asked. "Have they already caught you in their web of lies?"
The words barely pierced Feena's terror. All she could do was growl at her tormentor. Saliva fell in a long string from her mouth. Dhauna bared her own teeth in response.
"You will be restored, Feena. I promise that. You will see I'm right. I do this out of love for Our Silver Lady." Her eyes shone fever bright. "Now do what your goddess calls you to do!"
She took a step forward.
Cornered, driven beyond fear, Feena snarled, snapped- then leaped. Powerful jaws bit down, tearing into Dhauna's outstretched arm. Dhauna shrieked as she stumbled backward under the wolfs weight. Blood spurted hot in Feena's mouth.
Keph turned to look down the table. Roderio looked back at him. His brother sat-along with Strasus, Dagnalla, Malia, and Krin-at the dining table of Fourstaves Hall. Just as they had for breakfast. Keph's breakfast was laid out before him as well. The Sky's Mantle