The Spell of Rosette - Kim Falconer [106]
‘Shield, Rosette!’ The shout came from An’ Lawrence.
‘I’ll let you up as soon as you stop this nonsense,’ the Lupin said, his voice strangely calm.
When she relaxed, she found she could stand. Sheathing her sword, she glanced at An’ Lawrence in a stalemate with the other Lupin. Both had their swords in the guard position, waiting for the other to attack. Scylla lay in the snow, breathing but apparently unconscious.
‘Wait!’ she said. ‘It’s all right. I’ll meet your Kreshkali and learn more about this Passillo, but put your blades away.’ Drayco, what’s happened to Scylla?
She’s been cut, Maudi! At that moment Drayco attacked the Lupin in front of him, trying to charge past to get to Scylla. He was dropped to his belly, the much larger Lupin pinning him down, his lashing tail the only part of him that moved.
‘Don’t hurt him,’ Rosette said, her voice a growl, her sword half drawn.
‘You have brought us more than our sacred stone,’ the Lupin facing An’ Lawrence said. ‘This woman has the blood of the Mistress, and we’re taking her with us.’
‘Blood of your Mistress? She has no such thing,’ An’ Lawrence shouted.
The Lupin laughed. ‘We’ll let Kreshkali decide.’
‘Take me.’ An’ Lawrence lowered his sword. ‘I will deal with your queen.’
The Lupin snarled. ‘You think we’re fools? Only females of the blood can carry the Spell of Passillo, if they can carry it at all, and this one can.’
The Sword Master twisted his head around to look at his daughter. Rosette?
I have no idea what he’s talking about!
‘You won’t take her,’ An’ Lawrence answered, his hand moving his sword imperceptibly upward.
He kicked a mound of snow up in the air and lunged. Rosette knew it was a distraction, a chance for her to break free, but the Lupin in front of her froze her mind again with his strange magic.
Don’t do it, An’ Lawrence. It’s no good. I can’t move.
There was a resounding clash of steel on steel before An’ Lawrence dropped to his knees. Rosette strained her eyes to see what had happened. He was face down on top of Scylla. Drayco let out a yowl that was cut short by a blow from the hilt of a Lupin’s blade. Her familiar’s tail stopped lashing and his head sank to the snow.
Rosette screamed as her captor brought a dagger to her throat, pricking her skin just enough to draw a single drop of blood.
‘You’re coming with us.’
‘I’ll not leave them,’ she gasped. Drayco! Are you all right?
My head hurts, Maudi.
She struggled against her captor and again the blade pressed her neck.
‘What are you doing!’ A voice cut through the air, halting the Lupins. ‘Put that knife away, Rashnan, and let her go!’
Striding towards them was another Lupin, tall in his human form, eyes blazing. He scowled at the others and Rosette again suspected they were in silent communication.
He turned to her. ‘Rosette, I apologise for this.’
She was kneeling in the snow next to Drayco. ‘What have they done to him?’ Her face was red and streaked with tears.
‘He’ll be fine. It’s a mild spell.’
She pointed at An’ Lawrence and Scylla, also unconscious in the snow. ‘Mild? They’ll freeze to death like that.’
‘If you come with us, I’ll release them. They’ll be in the cave by a warm fire before dark. Kreshkali simply wants to meet with you. No-one’s meant to be harmed.’
‘It’s a little late for that, don’t you think?’
‘Again, my apologies.’
She tried to pull her heart out of her stomach, but it wouldn’t budge.
‘Come, Rosette. My name is Hotha and I mean you no harm.’
She looked him in the eyes, as black as his waves of hair. ‘You’ll wake them if I follow?’
‘I will.’
She touched her neck, her fingers coming back bloody. ‘How far is it?’
‘To the other side of the plateau. There’s an entrance to Los Loma there. We will guide you.’
She turned to her familiar, tears still stinging. Drayco? She couldn’t feel his mind. ‘And if I refuse?