The Seeker - Isobelle Carmody [126]
Kella moaned in terror, snapping me out of my own trance. Anger flowed through me in a molten tide. If I did nothing, we would all burn. I gritted my teeth.
There was nothing subtle in what I did next. The armsman’s bruising grip on me made him vulnerable, since the contact negated Lidgebaby’s static net. I simply lashed out with all the frustrated power in my mind. Even so, it was less effective than it should have been. He recoiled in shock and, instinctively, tried to let go of my arm. My other hand snaked out and caught his wrist, keeping the connection. He fought me in earnest then, and when I clung like a limpet, he struck me across the face. It was too awkward a blow to have full force, but my ears rang and I suddenly felt a long way from my hands. I could feel my grip weaken.
Terrified of what would happen to us if I failed to get us away, I reached inside my darkest mind for the power I had once used to kill Madam Vega. I had not accessed it since the night we had taken Obernewtyn. I had tried to pretend to myself that it was gone. But it rose at my call like a great black snake, and only fear of that dreadful secret power gave me the strength to temper it. Even muted, the power of my attack on the armsman’s mind was terrible. His mouth gaped wide in a soundless shriek, and he slumped half-dead at my feet. I slid to my knees behind him, retching and coughing.
Kella looked down at me, stunned. “What did you do to him?” Then her face changed. “Elspeth, you’re bleeding.”
I shook my head and climbed to my feet. “No … time. We have to get … away before they find him.” I could taste blood and spat, but the taste persisted. Dazed, I wondered if it was my imagination that it was raining more heavily.
Kella visibly gathered herself, unlocking the gate and pulling us through after her. I put my hands on the door and relocked it. With luck, the locked gate would still throw off the search, and the Druids would assume the unconscious armsman had been struck by lightning.
We picked our way with careful haste across the spine of rocks Jow had said would hide our tracks. When we had gone some distance, I decided speed was more important. “Run!” I yelled over the noise of the rain. All around us, trees creaked under the weight of the downpour. It was like standing under a waterfall. I staggered after them, my head spinning and my feet hurting badly. I was too disoriented to know which way we should go and plodded after Kella, hoping she knew.
Then, abruptly, we were outside Lidgebaby’s range. I sent a probe to Domick. Fortunately, he was waiting for me, because I had no strength left to fight his defenses or the interference of the rain. To my relief, Pavo was there already.
I stumbled over an exposed tree root and fell to my knees hard. Kella and Jik helped me up. The healer’s hair was plastered to her head, and her face dripped with water. I struggled to stay conscious as they half dragged, half carried me between them. Crashing through the trees moments later, Domick ordered the other two to run and hefted me effortlessly over one shoulder. My teeth felt as if they were rattling round behind my eyes.
We reached the clearing where Pavo waited with Gahltha and Avra. Like Domick, Pavo was still clad in the ragged remnants of the clothes we had worn from Obernewtyn that first day.
“What’s happened?” the teknoguilder asked. “Kella says you killed a man with your mind.”
Domick gave me a startled look.
“Not killed … stunned,” I said groggily.
“He hit her in the face. There was blood all over, but the rain’s washed it off. Wait …” Before I could stop her, Kella reached out and touched me, drawing my pain off into herself. At once the dizziness faded.
“Hurts …,” moaned Kella, white-faced.
I took her hands away. “That’s enough. I can think now. You’ve stopped the faintness.”
Kella smiled wanly.
We were all