Chaos Quest (12 page)

He lifted a hand to wipe a tear from her face. “I will go into the flames with you.”

She bent and put her hand over his wound. He felt warmth flow from it throughout his body and felt some strength return. After a moment Erda took her hand away, but the warmth remained. She helped him to 
his feet and they stood together looking at the world around them: the wood below, drenched in birdsong, the reflection of the sun on the river, the scent of water and of green things growing.

“We should go now,” she said and looking at her he could see that the power could barely be contained by her human form any more. He looked his last on the Wildwood and turned to walk with her into the cave.

The Heart of the Earth burned with heatless light, its fire reflected and redoubled by the walls. The air was cool and fresh.

Morgan looked at Erda, translucent with power. Perhaps this was not an end, but a beginning.

Hand in hand, they walked into the fire and the flames rose about them and they were gone.

Kate and David crept to the front door and looked through the spy hole and into the garden. They stared at each other for a second and bolted for the stairs, Ben trailing in their wake. All the way to the top they ran and pulled open the shutters and found Edinburgh all around them, as it should be, no trace of the battle that had raged moments earlier.

“Did we win? We won the game, didn’t we? Didn’t we Kate? We won.”

“Yes, Ben, we won.”

David said quietly, “But how? I wonder what happened.”

“Morgan will tell us.”

They waited for a long time that day and for many other days, but Morgan did not come.

The Heart of the Earth burned strong and steady but now there were two pinpoints of golden light suspended in it.

Morgan
?

Erda
?

Yes
.