"I wish I were dead, too."

"Doubtless, but wishes are not going to do you any good. Now, we need to discuss something."

Ravenna tried to take a step back, but Eleanon closed the distance between them and grabbed her wrist, making Ravenna gasp in fear.

"You will go nowhere," Eleanon hissed, "until I command it of you! You live and breathe only at my wish, Ravenna."

She stared at him, then dropped her eyes, and Eleanon's grip loosened fractionally.

"Good girl," he said. "I have some work to do here, Ravenna, to make you the best servant possible, and it may hurt a little. Do try not to scream. My people sleep close by."

Ravenna tried to pull away, but Eleanon was too strong. He dragged her very, very close and grabbed her face with his other hand.

"Don't worry," he said, grinning at the horror in her eyes, "you won't feel the caress of my loving this time. You might wish you did, though. It might have been preferable to what I am going to do."

He altered his grip on her face, digging his fingers deep. "Do you know what I command, Ravenna?" he said softly, so softly Ravenna could almost not hear his words over the sound of her own harsh, terrified breathing. "Do you know what I command? A magic, Ravenna, such as you have never seen, not even in your Land of Nightmares. A magic and an object, and tonight I am going to introduce you to it. The Dark Spire. You are going to get to know it intimately, Ravenna, because you are going to midwive its children. You'd like that, wouldn't you, Ravenna? It will give you fine practice for when you birth your own child . . . should it survive."

Eleanon grabbed her consciousness then, as he had grabbed her face, and he wound it with his and with that of the Dark Spire so that the three of them danced together in a nightmarish communion.

Feel it, Ravenna, touch it, know it, and allow it to touch you, and to know you.

Ravenna screamed, her body jerking, but she could escape neither Eleanon's grip nor the embrace of the Dark Spire.

Do you see it, Ravenna? Do you understand what you must do?

"Yes! Yes!" she screamed, wanting only to be allowed escape from both Eleanon and the Dark Spire before either harmed her baby.

Are you sure you understand, Ravenna?

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

There was but one more thing to do. Eleanon used some of his power, melded with that of the Dark Spire, to endow Ravenna with the Lealfast invisibility. He wouldn't use it now, but when Eleanon sent Ravenna inside Elcho Falling he would enable it so that no one inside would be able to see her.

At least while she had a task to do. After she'd completed that, Eleanon didn't care who saw the sad witch.

Finally, satisfied, Eleanon let Ravenna go, breaking the connection with the Dark Spire as he did so.

Ravenna fell to the ground, white and shaking and moaning.

"You will be able to enter Elcho Falling," Eleanon said. "Not even the citadel will realise your presence. So now, Ravenna, you are perfectly suited to my purpose. To enter Elcho Falling and to midwive the Dark Spire's babies."

Chapter 16.

The River Lhyl, Isembaard.

Maximilian jerked awake. Above his head the stars whirled through the velvet blackness of the sky, beside him Ishbel lay warm and completely relaxed in sleep. Behind him, at the tiller, Maximilian could hear Avaldamon draw in a deep breath, then resettle his weight.

This would be their last night in the boat. Tomorrow they should reach that part of the Lhyl where they would abandon the water for the long trek eastward toward the coast and, hopefully, a waiting vessel to take them back north to Elcho Falling.

Maximilian lay, staring at the stars. He'd had the dream again, drawn into the Otherworld by someone's desperate need to speak to him.

Yet still he did not know who, or, more worryingly, what was so important that Maximilian was being drawn into the Otherworld to discover it.

He was wide awake now, with no hope of slipping back into sleep for the remainder of the night. Maximilian drew in a small sigh, letting it out silently, not wanting to alert Avaldamon to his wakefulness, then closed his eyes, and travelled the eighty-six steps to the door of the Twisted Tower.

Perhaps Josia might have some clue.

"It has been a long time, Maxel," Josia said as Maximilian opened the door and entered the tower. "I had thought you to have forgotten me."

Maximilian tipped his head in apology. "I am sorry, Josia. To be honest, I have been enjoying the first relaxing period of time since . . . G.o.ds alone know when. Just drifting northward in our small riverboat, with nothing to occupy me save drawing Ishbel close at night and watching the countryside drift past during the daylight hours, has been refreshing. What news from Axis and all at Elcho Falling?" "Ah, well, Axis has left Elcho Falling. He --"

"What?"

"You should have come sooner, Maxel. Yes, Axis and Inardle have left Elcho Falling on some foolhardy mission to save Isaiah from the Skraeling advance. I do not know the full details." Josia turned about, fiddling with an item on one of the crowded tables. "Georgdi is left in charge of Elcho Falling. I do not like him as well as Axis."

Maximilian chewed his lip, wishing desperately that Axis had not left Elcho Falling. Georgdi was a good man, but . . . "Any other news?"

Josia turned back to face him. "The Lealfast Nation have arrived at Elcho Falling, and have taken up their residence in Armat's old camp. Kezial and some sixty thousand men have now allied with Eleanon, who leads the Lealfast. Elcho Falling lies under tight siege."

So much for his unworried days, Maximilian thought. He'd spend the rest of the time before he reached Elcho Falling in a state of sick anxiety.

"Any news of Ravenna?" he asked, and Josia shook his head.

"I have not noticed her," he said.

Maximilian sighed. "Well, that at least is some good news."

"What brings you here now, Maxel?"

Maximilian perched on the end of one of the tables. "I have been having dreams."

"Dreams?"

Maximilian told Josia about his dreams of the Otherworld, of his sense that someone wanted to meet with him quite desperately. "Avaldamon says it must be important, that someone needs to tell me something, warn me of something, very badly."

"Ah," Josia waved a hand dismissively. "It is likely little more than a remnant of the time you spent dead, Maxel. How many hours was that? Two? Three? You hovered at the very border of the Otherworld until Ishbel pulled you back. I think the dreams are little more than that. Just a shadow of the time you began the journey."

"You think? If so that would be a relief."

"Maxel, I am glad that you found the time to visit with me tonight. I need to see both you and Ishbel urgently."

"Why?"

"You are about to set off on your journey eastward?"

Maximilian nodded.

"Then you will come across Hairekeep."

"Yes," Maximilian said. "The fort sits just beneath the southern approaches to the Salamaan Pa.s.s. We'll pa.s.s by it on our way to the ports of the eastern coast of Isembaard."

"Hairekeep is stuffed full of Isembaardians, Maxel. You and Ishbel can rescue them. It will be something you can do for this land. I have been watching the fort from the window atop this tower. I can see it, and I think I know how you can free those trapped inside."

Maximilian nodded. "Does Ishbel need to be involved? I feared for her so much in DarkGla.s.s Mountain."

"This task will need both you and Ishbel. Both of you to unwind the One's power and release the tortured souls from their imprisonment. Bring Ishbel back with you the next time you visit and make it soon. I will explain more then."

"And the One? Avaldamon postulates, and Ishbel and I are inclined to believe him, that the One was not destroyed during the obliteration of DarkGla.s.s Mountain, but escaped elsewhere. Do you have any thoughts on the matter?"

"I agree, Maxel. The One is too powerful to have been killed by Ishbel. But as to the where . . . I have no idea. I am sorry."

Chapter 17.

The Outlands.

Axis had been riding for six days and thought he must be close to Isaiah. He'd angled inland as Inardle had told him, riding as hard as he could, using every minute of light available in the lengthening days to push forward.

He had not seen Inardle since that night she'd told him of Bingaleal's death. He did not care. Axis was utterly done with her. He hoped she drifted off somewhere and he would not have to think about her again.

He had not seen Inardle and was happy for that, but Axis was growing weary of the lonely ride. He'd always had a companion -- someone . . . Belial, Azhure, any number of Axe Wielders, other companions, Star G.o.ds, more recently Insharah or Georgdi.

Now there was no one save himself, and Axis did not always find too much of his own company a good thing.

He was truly looking forward to meeting with Isaiah again.

It was well after noon and Axis was hoping that soon he'd see a smudge on the horizon that would tell him a large army was moving ahead. If luck was with him, if he saw that smudge, then maybe he'd be sitting with Isaiah about a campfire tonight.

Axis' heart lifted at the thought.

He pushed his horse a little harder, his eyes scanning the horizon as carefully as he could. His Icarii blood gave him excellent vision, far better than any pure human, but even so .

d.a.m.n Inardle for not being here and sharing with him her elevated view.

Axis glanced upward, vaguely hoping that she might materialise above him and tell him that Isaiah was, indeed, only just over the horizon.

But there were only a few scattered birds, high in the sky. No Lealfast to be seen.

Of course, Inardle could be invisible and just above him anyway.

"Inardle?" Axis called.

There was nothing but the gentle breeze and the sound of the horse's hooves.

Axis silently cursed her. Inardle was likely hovering directly overhead, knowing precisely where Isaiah was, but refusing to communicate with him out of spite because he had not shared her tears at Bingaleal's death.

Axis rode for a few more minutes. Now he was beginning to obsess about Inardle's lack of response and the fact she likely knew just how much further he had to ride.

Curse her!

For perhaps the first time in his life Axis began to wish he had not refused StarDrifter's offer to coax out his wing buds. It was all very well to refuse when you thought you would always have winged companions who would be true to you and who would always provide you with as much information as they knew, but when you had to depend on someone like Inardle .

Winged companions who were always true, and who always provided information . . .

Axis suddenly smiled, looking up into the sky again.

There! An eagle, soaring high above him.

When Axis had been the StarMan of Tencendor, he'd had a venerable eagle often serve as his eyes in the sky. Would this one be as amenable?

My friend eagle? Axis used his power to call out to it, even though he knew such use of the Star Dance would light him up like a candle in a dark cave for any Lealfast about. My friend eagle?

The bird said nothing, but it tipped it wings and spiralled down closer to Axis.

My friend eagle, I crave your aid.

You are the StarMan. I know you.

I am indeed, but how can you possibly know me?

My venerable father's aunt had a mate who came from Tencendor. That eagle knew of you and spread word among the eagles of this land of your name and accomplishments.

Then I thank him. Friend eagle, I have need to see through your eyes. May I do so?

It is of no matter or risk to me. You may do so.

The next moment Axis found himself looking, not at the rolling plains before him, but at the world from several hundred paces in the air.

It took him a moment or two to orientate himself, then he began to scan the way ahead.

There was the green smudge he'd been wondering about for an hour or so. It was a small, low-lying wood, mostly thick shrubs with a few trees, and all probably grouped about a spring. Beyond the trees was a vast herd of sheep, perhaps several thousand strong, and their shepherds, who were grouped about four or five hors.e.m.e.n. Axis thought he would instruct the eagle to look closer at that group, but for the moment he wanted to try and spot Isaiah's army.

He focussed beyond the sheep and the trees, the eagle's eyesight now running further and further over that vast expanse of plain beyond the trees . . . and there . . . the smudge that Axis had been looking for. It was many hours away, perhaps not reachable until well after nightfall, but reach it tonight he would.