Strange Attractors - Kim Falconer [64]
‘That’s not how I heard it.’
‘True? What do your stories say?’
Shane frowned. ‘That nothing good comes from Corsanon and the temple has long been in ruins, but I can amend that now.’
‘You can what?’
He laughed again—such a warm sound. ‘I’d say there is something beautiful about Corsanon, and her name is Shaea.’
She smiled widely, not bothering to hide her mouth.
Teg spotted them descending the quarry road. The jagged steps had disappeared, a section completely missing. The footing was slick with silt and rubble washing by in rivulets. The Sword Master was limping, leaning hard into Jarrod, his familiar beside him. Rosette was glowing, plump with her pregnancy. How long had it been? He thought only a matter of days had passed since she and Drayco shot into the portal ahead of him but now he wondered. She held hands with a lad he didn’t recognise.
Rough time, Rosette? Teg asked, sending the thoughts directly to her mind.
Teg! It’s good to see you. Are you well?
Well enough.
Excellent, because we haven’t heard the half of it from Kali or An’ Lawrence. She slipped a few feet before catching herself. Drayco bounded to her as the lad pulled her up.
Our apprenticeships are hanging by a strand. He looked at her belly. I think we’ve been travelling at different speeds. It’s only been a day or so on my side.
Much longer here.
I see that. Who’s your friend?
She beamed. It’s Clay.
Clay? Didn’t he die?
Not yet and I want to make sure he doesn’t. Teg, I need your help. I want to take him with us. Rosette glanced at Kreshkali as she slipped to a stop in front of Teg.
That could be tricky, Rosette. What’s Drayco’s view?
See for yourself.
The rain pounded down on them, and Drayco cursed, not bothering to keep his complaints occult. The vocabulary was colourful and included words Teg would have to look up later. The downpour ran off the temple cat’s flanks, sheeting from his chin and belly fur.
You’re wet, Teg said to him.
Drayco hissed. As are you.
One of the Three Sisters was hunched on Kreshkali’s shoulder, wings slightly open for balance, feathers rumpled. The other two shot down to the portal. Kreshkali’s aura was like a live volcano. Teg swallowed and turned towards her.
‘Teg.’ Kreshkali gave him a quick nod. ‘Care to shut down this rain?’
‘Pray sun, Mistress? It’ll take a moment.’
‘A moment might be more than we have.’ She looked back up the cliff.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Observation, Teg. What’s that you’re standing on?’ Kreshkali asked.
He looked at his boots. The growth underfoot was bent, grey under the cloudy night sky. Silt rushed past in black globs. ‘You mean the grass?’
She shook her head. ‘Is that all?’ She turned to her daughter. ‘Rosette?’
Rosette squatted by his feet; she plucked a blade and tried to stand. Clay, still holding her hand, hauled her up. She wiped water out of her eyes then twisted the stem.
‘Class liliopsida, order poales, family…’ She squinted, holding the blade closer and feeling its edge. ‘Cyperaceae, most likely. There are more than three thousand species filling seventy-five genera, so I can’t be sure.’
‘Hazard a guess?’ Kreshkali said.
‘Carex, most likely.’
‘Which is?’ She turned to Teg.
He scratched his nose. ‘That’s a…um.’
‘A common sedge,’ Rosette said, supplying the answer.
‘I was about to say that.’ Teg kept his eyes on the ground. The water pooled in the culvert, the surface rippled by the wind. It was rising fast.
‘And, Teg, what do ground-sprouting sedges tell you?’
‘Wetland, Mistress.’ He answered quickly, his head coming up. ‘Listen! Hear that roaring?’
Above the sound of the driving rain came a rush, the rip of fast-flowing water.
‘Get out of it, now!’ Kreshkali reached for Rosette, the raven taking flight. Teg crouched and sprang; shifting in midair, his body cleared the oncoming water as he landed on higher ground. He whirled, shifting back to human form to grab An’ Lawrence, pulling him up as the