The Darkness at the Edge of Noon: a Thalassia novel Page 3
Logan shivered as he stepped into the icy water. “Is there a problem?”
“Cleaning those clothes was actually hard. I shouldn’t have even had to think about it. Something is wrong here.”
“I take it that you can do certain things?” He asked as he lathered his hair. When the rinse water came away brown he did it again, and again.
“I thought that my abilities were being limited by the crystal I was imprisoned in, but now I’m not so sure.”
“And who are you that someone would want to seal you in quartz?” Logan was staring in wonder at the scabs that seemed to be sloughing off his healthy pink skin. After he pulled the sodden bandage off his face he was shocked to find out that his left eye was whole and functioning again. He stepped out of the pool and into a fluffy white towel.
“My name is Nan.”
Logan stopped drying himself and stared at the short woman. “As in the great witch of the highland mountains?”
“The same.” She smiled, showing crooked brown teeth. One of the front teeth was missing.
“Never heard of you before, sorry.” Grinning at the ugly woman, Logan sat down on a large black rock. “I just made that up. This is all too much for me.” He mumbled as he held out a silver necklace to the gnarled old woman. Suspended from the end was a silver crescent moon. “I found this over by the edge of the pool, in a pile of old bones.”
The witch gently took the necklace and placed it about her neck. “Thank you. This explains a lot. Any power that I have comes from this. It was taken from me when they took me captive.” She touched the necklace with a finger. “I think that I’ll have to wait until Medin comes up before I can get us home. This amulet usually gets its power from that moon.”
“Ahhh.” Logan cringed. He knew that all the gods and goddesses got their powers from their respective moons. “I have some bad news for you.” Nan’s head swiveled his way and her brows furrowed. “You may have to wait a while for your moon to rise. I’ve been on this world for weeks now, and I have never seen ANY moon.”
“Oh, no.” He could hear the exclamation repeated by Jade. “That means we are stuck on this ball of mud.” The witch’s face fell.
“Not necessarily.” Her head came up and she nailed him with her violet eyes.
“What do you mean?”
“If we can find the spot that those children were using to come and go, then I can open a door through shadow to get us home, well, their home maybe.”
Silence descended in the cave, and in his mind.
“How is it that you can open doors into shadow?” The woman’s voice was tight.
“My squad was guarding a minister who was demonstrating to his children how to open doors in shadow. I was close enough to listen and learn and I felt him open the door. I knew how he did it. During the fighting I had to open a door to let what remained of my squad escape. We got lost here and discovered that this place is a trap. Once you get lost you don’t have a chance of finding your way back, unless, of course, you can find another place where someone else has opened a door.”
“So you can get us home?” She sounded anxious.
“I should. My scouts are fairly adept at tracking, so we should be able to find the kids’ trail. When their tracks stop abruptly, we will be at the location of the gate. The children seem to have been coming and going regularly, and assuming that noon here is the same as noon there, we should be able to get home.”
She put her warm hand on his arm, and improbably his pulse raced. Her hideous face flickered for a moment, and in its place was the head of a beautiful young woman, with braided red hair. He blinked, and the vision was gone. “Get us home and I will be in your debt.” She said seriously. “Shall we go?”
Logan looked thoughtful. “As you will, Madame.”
The chagrined squad showed up about that time, with the red-faced scouts poking their heads in first, to make sure that everything was all right. They couldn’t imagine what had come over all of them, to go tearing off across the countryside after the two children, who they never caught. Logan, although he knew what had happened, waved it all off to youthful enthusiasm. The scouts glared at him, as if they suspected him of lying, which, of course, he was. Aileen however, wasn’t sidetracked so easily, giving him an angry glare when he told her to wait until later and all would be explained. He felt her eyes studying his amazingly restored face and eye.
The sunlight was blindingly bright after the cave, and the trail led down the rock strewn mountainside in a winding irregular path. Logan and the squad followed the short witch easily into the swampy flooded forest. Fading light heralded the return to the fog and the air filled with the fetid, cloying smell of rot and corruption. The old woman wrinkled her nose.
“You actually lived here for two weeks?” A gray fungus of some sort squished under her sandal, and she looked down with disgust.
Logan smiled grimly. “When you get lost you don’t pay much attention to the neighborhood.” He glanced down at the small footprints they were following. “How did you ever get the children here to help you?”
He heard Nan sigh. “It took me two years to reach Silvie’s mind, and another year to teach her how to open a doorway in shadow to this place. Like you, she is somewhat unique.”
Jade was quiet for several seconds as she digested the comment.
The trail of the children ended abruptly, with one footprint neatly divided in half. Logan made the silent motion for the two scouts to look around, and the women disappeared into the woods. The rest of the squad sat and waited.
Nan, on the other hand, gave Logan and the men and women of his guard squad a long speculative look.
“So what now, Logan?” Nan had pulled him aside from the others and her voice was inquisitive. Logan couldn’t help but see the beautiful face superimposed over the ugly one. “After we get out of here.”
“Go back, I guess. Get my people promoted. I’ll probably get chewed out and lose a stripe.” He shrugged. “That’s life.”
“But that’s not fair. Look at all the men you saved.”
“Look at all the men I lost.”
“But it wasn’t your fault.”
“I’m the highest ranking survivor. They’ll have to blame someone, and the captain was a noble. I’m the natural fall guy.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “What about your family?”
Looking at the distant forest, his tone was flat and emotionless. “They all died in the plague four years back. Most guards are unmarried. It’s not worth it, for either party.”
“It sounds like a sad life.”
“It’s a life.” He pushed away the thought of the cold empty room he called home.
“Interested in a job?”
He looked up sharply. No, she wasn’t kidding.
A gnarled hand touched his head and his sorrow and fear moved away. In their place he felt a vast overwhelming love flow into him, and he lifted his eyes in surprise and wonder. “What are you?” He whispered. “Some immortal creature, imprisoned here under a spell that deceives our eyes?”
“So, you saw through it. Well, well.” She smiled and he grimaced. “No, Logan. I am just another mortal being like you. Like you, I have
a job to do. I’ve been away for too long.” The look the witch gave him was unreadable.
“But all your powers...”
She laughed, and her musical voice was low and melodious. “One of your ancient philosophers said that any technology that is sufficiently advanced is indistinguishable from magic. That’s very true.”
“You’re saying that what I’ve seen is just technology? Like the new crossbow they are working on or the new medicines?”
“A little more advanced than that, but yes.”
“But why are you asking me, Nan?”
“I can’t do it all alone, Logan. I need some helpers, a partner, maybe even a friend.” There was a chagrined tone in her voice. “You saw what happened when I tried to do things all alone. Would you at least consider the job?” Logan sensed a vast loneliness behind those violet eyes; a loneliness that stretched for eons. The very length of time made him cringe, as did the thought of a partnership with the ugly old woman. Ugly, but... something told him that things weren’t all they seemed to be.
He stood up, brushed off his uniform and held out his hand. “If we survive this, I’ll be your partner. I can’t speak for the rest of the squad, though.” It was better than losing another stripe. The witch solemnly took his hand, and a tingle passed through him, and he pondered what had just happened.
Nana glanced up at the foggy air. “It’s time”
“On your feet, folks.” Logan rumbled in a tired voice.” Scouts through first, then the heavy guards, then the rest of us.” Hands gripped spears tightly. Those that still had them put on their helmets, and fastened the chin straps. The eyes of the guards became wary and the air stank of fear.
A shadow rippled across the land, the razor cut formed, split the empty air, and twisted into a doorway. “Move! Move now!” Logan pushed the witch through the doorway, then stepped across himself. He counted heads, then reached out with his mind and twisted. The doorway vanished.
Chapter 3
It was a big grassy field, about fifty open acres with no cover, and they were right in the middle of it. Swearing at the bad luck, he took it all in. Already the squad was forming a defensive circle, eyes of the men and women wary and searching.
“Logan!” The witch sounded startled.
“Movement! Ahead and to the right.” Bel was pointing at the jungle’s edge, four hundred feet away. There were green shapes. Dozens of them!
“Movement! Behind and to the left and right.” Logan spun. Tiana was pointing this time. More green groups were edging out of the jungle.
“Damn!” He cursed. “Witch, if you can do something, you had better do it now, or we’re going to get torn apart.”
Nan nodded, and put her hand to her amulet. “Selene, I could really use your help right about now. If you don’t help me I’m going to get eaten!”
There was a bang of displaced air, and a beautiful tall woman was standing before them, with dark glossy hair and dressed in a blinding white robe. “Sis!” She made a move to step forward, but Nan interrupted her.
“Get us out of here first, sister dear. Then we can talk.”
Selene glanced around, taking in the grim faced guards and the charging green forms. “Oh, dear.” The sky flickered, and they were all standing in an auditorium sized living room, a fire pit in the center burning whole logs. Couches were big, low, overstuffed and numerous, and lamplight cast a comfortable yellow glow. Carpeting on the floor was dark, maybe green or brown Logan guessed, and stretched the width of the room, disappearing into the shadows at the edge. Despite the fire, the cool air held the scent of lilacs. Selene let out a breath. “There.” She hugged the ugly woman and laughed lightly. “You certainly do know how to make an entrance. Save me or I’ll be eaten. Really! How come I never thought of that?”
“Probably because you’ve never been so weak that they would have eaten you if they’d caught you. For the last two hundred years I’ve been living off the power of the amulet, on a world with no moons.”
“No!”
“Yes.”
Selene glanced at the slowly relaxing guards. “And these brave men and women just came charging in to rescue you, is that it?” A smile was creeping up her perfect face.
Nan sighed. “That’s about it.”
Logan stepped forward. “Are you two ladies somehow related?”
Two pair of violet eyes turned to regard him. “Ugly, isn’t he?” Selene didn’t mince words.
“He single handedly saved my life, sister. He would have sacrificed his own, if I hadn’t taken some rather extreme measures.”
Selene placed a soft hand on Logan’s head, and he felt her consciousness wash through him. “Well now.” She removed her hand. “I would never have thought. You are as beautiful inside, Logan MacKennit, as you are ugly on the outside. It’s nice to meet you too, Jade.” She added as an afterthought. Her smile faded. “Logan MacKennit.” She said formally. “For what you have done, my house is your house, now and forever.” She kissed his cheek, and it was like being hit by a bolt of lightning. Logan staggered.
Nan was smiling. “Logan, I would like you to meet the Goddess Selene, my sister.”
Several things clicked together in Logan’s groggy mind as he turned to face the ugly woman. He bowed deeply. “And that would make you the Goddess Rhiannon.” He reached out involuntarily, touched her cheek, and the glamour fell from his eyes. Standing an inch or two taller than he, she was very much a woman, and her red hair hung in a thick braid across her left shoulder, draping almost to her waist, while a constellation of freckles spattered her slightly upturned nose. He was reminded once again that her glorious eyes were a shade of violet he had never before seen. After a few seconds, she reverted back to her homely self.
Her hands took his, soft and warm, and from her magnificent eyes there was no escape. “Well met, Logan MacKennit.” His heart was pounding in his chest. “Well met indeed.”
“So, Gunny, where are we?” Grady asked as he unbuckled the last strap on his armor. He sighed in relief when the stiff breastplate came free. The rest of the squad, Logan noted dryly, were pretending not to listen intently.
Logan sat down in a convenient chair and began removing his own armor. “If I figure it right, this place is on the moon Elysium, and we are in the house of the Goddess Selene.” He nodded to the two chatting women. “That’s the tall one with the dark hair.”
Grady scoffed. “Sure she is. And I suppose that the old hag is the Goddess Rhiannon too. I didn’t know that she was so ugly.” He started to laugh.
Logan sighed, got up and walked over to the two women. The violet eyes regarded him sharply. “I don’t like to interrupt, but there are a couple of minor things we should settle right away.” Rhiannon’s eyebrow rose. “If you wouldn’t mind, Goddess, would you please show my troops what you really look like? I’d appreciate it, and they need to see it.”
The goddess smiled. “I’d be happy to.”
He turned to Selene. “If you don’t want any accidents to happen, you might tell me where the bathrooms and bathing facilities are. We are a bit fragrant and muddy for your fine house.”
It was the dark haired goddess’s turn to smile. “Polite, aren’t you? The bathing facilities are down that hallway.” She pointed a slim arm and a hallway showed in the darkness. “Men on the left, ladies on the right. Fresh clothes will be provided. Is that sufficient?”
Logan bowed. “Thank you, Goddess.”
“Mmmm.” Selene was still smiling.
The bent old woman took his arm, and gave him a brown-toothed smile. “Shall we convince your people, Logan?”
“You and I will get along just fine, Goddess. Just fine. Lead on.” He liked her style and wit.
Grady was on his feet, a look of mild disgust on his face as Logan walked up, arm in arm with the so-called witch. The women looked on too, most with the same disgusted look. Except for Aileen. She stood at the back of the others, grinning. Somehow she knew.
“Squad, I’d like
to present my new employer.” There were many blinks of surprise. Most faces held an “oh, no” look. “She offered me a job and I accepted. The same applies to all of you, if you wish.”
He heard a laugh as Aileen Cronin stepped forward. “I’ll take that job too.” She winked at Logan. A frown was beginning to cross the faces of the rest of the squad, as if they were starting to smell a rat.
Logan looked down on the old bent woman. “I suppose that we should tell them who they will be working for. The witch rolled her eyes, and then nodded.
“Squad.” The form holding his arm rippled and changed into the radiant Goddess Rhiannon, all draped in white robes and glowing softly. Her thick red braid was glossy and the goddess had the soft curves that set men’s hearts pounding. Her lips were a deep inviting red.
“I would like to introduce you to the Goddess Rhiannon, sister of our hostess, the Goddess Selene.”
There was a crash as Grady dropped his spear and stood with his mouth hanging open. To his right he heard another laugh from Aileen. “Perfect...” He heard her whisper.
Rhiannon gave Grady a flat look. “You’ll catch flies if you don’t shut your mouth.” Grady shut the offending orifice with an audible snap, and his cheeks turned scarlet. Nan turned back to look at Logan. “Do I have to take them all?” She rolled her eyes dramatically. “Some of them are so...”
“It’s all or nothing.”
“Ohhh.” He thought that she played the mortification part a little too heavy. “I suppose you all have jobs if you want them.” Relief washed the faces of the squad members, even Grady.