Strange Attractors - Kim Falconer [46]
She watched the temple priestesses come and go, some taking a carriage to the city, others walking arm in arm with young men under the starlight. The gardens were extraordinary, lit with stone lanterns and planted to offer a meditative beauty. The paths led to ponds and fountains with benches in front of them for quiet thought. She was surrounded by tiered flower beds, sculptures and exotic shrubs; the contrast to her usual traps was striking. Rall had told her all about the temple, but she never fully believed anything could be so lush, and so clean. As Shaea inhaled the night-blooming jasmine and watched for shooting stars, she was convinced old Rall had lived here once. How else could she know so much about it? I wonder what in the world would have made her leave?
No witch in their clear mind would alienate themselves from such a wondrous place. Shaea chuckled at her joke. Old Rall had never been in a clear mind, at least not that Shaea could remember. Xane had cautioned her more and more to keep an eye on the witch. He never fully trusted her and didn’t like Shaea spending so much time in the old woman’s presence. Not that he could do much about it. He wasn’t around, and Shaea didn’t like being alone, especially at night.
She drew in her breath, trying to forestall the tears. She’d held them back so far; she could do it for a little longer. She could do it forever if need be. The shock of Xane’s death helped at first. It allowed her to detach, like being in a dream where nothing connected in the usual way. She’d done everything—buried him, followed the strange witches, hidden from the troops, talked to the portal—in an emotionally suspended state. Next her focus was directed towards getting Rall and herself out of the city. With that accomplished, all that was left to do was get back to the portal. They would disappear, leaving Corsanon behind forever. Shaea didn’t know where the portal led, but it had to be a better place than where she had lived so far.
Again she concentrated on what was next so she didn’t have to think about what she had left in the ground. Straightening her spine, she watched another carriage approach. Rall would be here any moment and maybe they would take that very coach to the crossway, slipping out in the dark to find the portal.
A crack of thunder sounded on the horizon and she tipped her head to the stars, expecting to see a rush of clouds closing in. The sky was clear but the thunder sounded again. Alarms rose in the distance, the clang of bells coming from the city. Shaea climbed to the top of a stone hedge and stared towards the centre of Corsanon. A red glow flickered about the main citadel, plumes of smoke rising towards the moon. ‘Fire!’ she said, the word escaping her lips before she could stop it.
Others came out of the temple, gathering on the hedge and straining to see into the distance. The music stopped and voices clamoured in the background. Suddenly her quiet corner sanctuary was filled with people, everyone pushing to glimpse the city that was now orange as sunrise. Their voices were shrill, near panic, and still Rall did not come. Shaea edged further away from the crowd, following a path beyond the hitching rails and coaches where teams of dappled horses with purple-plumed headstalls pranced on the spot, fidgeting in their traces while coachmen tried to settle them. Under the shadow of a tall oak, she caught her breath, leaning against the white-skinned bark. From there she kept one eye on the entrance, and the other on the road to the portal. She wanted to run, but didn’t know which way to go. What could be keeping Rall?
‘Are you waiting for someone?’
The voice startled her. She’d let her guard drop, distracted by the people and the sound of alarms. She hadn’t heard a footfall, even on this