Strange Attractors - Kim Falconer [165]
Nell fluttered her fingers in the air, producing a black pearl necklace. She pinched one of the beads until it was crushed to powder. The string broke and the pearls fell in slow motion, bouncing off the rocks and disappearing into the grass. ‘You cut the string, Makee, and it’s done. Lost. Every single pearl will fall. They’ll roll across the floor and under the bed. Darkness, Makee. Isolation. Disconnection. Do you know how to string them up again? Can you mend the mirror? Bring them all back together?’
Nell stepped away, dropping to one knee. She took a last look at Makee; the other witch’s face was still frozen, eyes wide, staring. The only movement was a single tear falling down her cheek. ‘I didn’t think so.’ Nell sprang into the air, morphing into falcon form, making straight for the portal in the foothills of the Prieta Mountains. As she sped away, Makee’s voice sounded in her head.
You can’t leave me like this! The trackers…
A fitting end, don’t you think?
Nell, listen. I didn’t know. I can help.
You’ve helped quite enough, thank you.
But you don’t understand. The girl, Shaea, she’s your blood.
Nell wavered.
She can carry the spell, Nellion. She has the DNA.
How?
Let me free. I can make it right. There’s still time, but you can’t let Rosette use the spell. She’s marked. The trackers will spot her the moment she does.
Nell screamed a high-pitched whistle. Lies, Makee. I’ll not trust you again. She had the portal in sight and barely slowed as she flew in, her wingtips touching the plasma Entity before she stalled to a halt. The Three Sisters swooped in after her. Temple Los Loma! Entity, please hurry!
Shaea rode the golden warhorse at the trot, leading the mare. She figured it was the one chance she had to see the world from such a perspective, and she took it. The stallion was tall, his gait smooth, effortless, like floating downstream. She sat the animal as if she were a queen, her back straight, hands soft, face lifted to the sky. She was following the line of flight Makee had taken. It had been a day and there was no sign of her.
‘That bitch,’ Shaea said, cursing the air. ‘She leads me to the realm of Corsanon and dumps me. It was her plan the whole time. I see it now.’
Shaea wrinkled her nose. It might have been her plan all along, but why would she leave the horses? None of this made any sense. She urged the stallion into a canter, the syncopation tapping out a beat as his hooves hit the ground, one-two-three, one-two-three. She rocked with the motion, the strain in her legs easing. She was saddle sore, for sure, but the palomino was ever so much easier to ride, quite a contrast to the jarring beat of the mare. Her head was off with the muses when she heard the Entity call.
Shaea! Why haven’t you answered me! The voice was like sharpening knives.
Entity?
Who else, you feckless girl!
I didn’t hear you, Entity. I’m sorry. I’ve been busy with…
Never mind what you’ve been doing. I’ve a task for you.
Another? Because, really, the last one with Rall wasn’t good. She’s gone and…
This is more important.
It is?
The Entity didn’t answer for some time. Shaea wondered if it was talking to someone else.
I want you to head west, back the way you came.
I’m on the road now.
Which horse are you riding? Amarillo?
Shaea frowned. Why would the Entity care about that? Yes, the warhorse. She thought she heard twigs snap.
Mind you don’t strain him. Keep him out of the culverts.
She looked down at the huge beast, his legs churning, mane flowing, ears forward. His breath came easy. There was no sweat on his neck. She kept her hand gentle on the reins, her legs quiet, heels down, toes parallel, her body