The Spell of Rosette - Kim Falconer [148]
‘And she was asking after my friends as well?’
‘In part. They were looking for a young witch and that massive black cat.’
‘What’d you tell her?’
‘Nothing, milady. But they’re likely to be around still, I’m thinkin’. Holed up somewhere against the storm.’
‘You’re most honourable, Captain.’
‘Like I said, it matters little now.’
‘How’s that?’
He didn’t answer.
‘Your young witch and her company were on board the Valiant,’ another man ventured, those around him nodding their heads.
‘The Valiant?’ Nell lifted her eyebrow.
‘Aye, milady. A fine ship as there ever was, but no vessel of her make could withstand such a storm, is what I think. She’d be at the bottom of green Sednara ‘bout now.’
Nell pressed her lips together and nodded before draining her mug and setting it on the table. The captains rose as she stood, all bowing their heads.
‘Blessings be on you and your seafaring craft,’ she said. ‘And blessings to you, Captain Redrick.’
‘Thank you, milady,’ they all said without looking up.
The meeting had gone better than expected for them. They’d received a blessing and weren’t turned into cockroaches. Nell walked to the door and pulled on her coat, heading back out into the storm. She made her way, head bent low, to the edge of Morzone where she absorbed her glamour and shifted.
The raptor shrieked with frustration, her emotions no less intense in the body of the black falcon than in her human heart. She circled with the wind, higher and higher, until she broke through above the storm. She would not despair. She would not be beaten. She knew Rosette was alive and…well, she’d fix Makee, if someone hadn’t gotten to her first.
Kreshkali slammed back through the portal gasping for breath. The effect on her was definitely getting worse.
‘Back off!’ she growled at the Entity between fits of coughing, wrapping her arms around her belly.
The portal rippled and went smooth.
Kreshkali wiped her mouth and smiled. She had a week’s supply of fresh water, bundles of herbs and roots, a new grimoire bound in red leather and edged with gold, and a Lemur Raven in an iron cage. The bird’s feathers were ruffled, its talons curled tightly around the wooden perch, its mouth gaping open, gasping for air, and tears running from its yellow eyes.
‘Bit acrid for you, La Makee?’ Kreshkali asked, peering in between the bars.
The bird extended its wings and let out a raspy caw.
Kreshkali laughed, throwing back her head. ‘Welcome to my world.’
She gave the Entity a parting glare before picking up the waterbags, bundles and cage. The raven cawed again.
‘You’re coming with me, High Priestess. I have something to show you.’
Once home, Kreshkali opened the cage and the raven hopped out, morphing into human form, her raucous caw turning into a woman’s scream.
‘Demon bitch, what are you thinking! You can’t waltz into my temple and snatch me to your…’ She looked around the apartment, her face turning red. ‘Wherever the spirits this place is. How dare you! How…’
Kreshkali waved her towards the table, ignoring the ranting. ‘Sit down, Makee. Have a cup of tea, and I’ll tell you exactly how I dare.’
La Makee sniffed and sneezed and rubbed her eyes. Her nose was running and her breathing uneven. Kreshkali sat for some time without speaking, deep in thought. They’d just returned from quite a tour, and Kreshkali suspected Makee was in severe shock. It was hard to imagine such a hell could exist on any world, until you stepped into it.
‘Don’t snivel, I’m trying to think,’ Kreshkali said, tossing her a roll of toilet paper.
Makee fingered it, her brows furrowing.
‘Oh, for fuck’s sake! Like this.’ Kreshkali snatched back the roll, unwound a length and blew her nose. ‘Get the idea?’
Makee nodded, doing the same. ‘So what’s this place?’ she asked.
‘Like I said, it’s my world.’
‘Does it have a name?’
‘Earth.’
Makee coughed. ‘It’s charming.’ She glared across the table. ‘Why am I here?’
‘A few reasons. Mainly, I wanted to show you what can happen to a world when an Entity is sundered and a worm gets loose—when the firewall breaks