Demon Lord IV - Lord of Shadows (8 page)

"Perhaps you
should not give him that."

"Why not?"

"If he's a
god... who knows?"

"He's still a
man, as you said, no different from you. Well, perhaps a little
different."

The doctor
looked flummoxed. "But how could a god... He was hit on the head
with a stone!"

"He wasn't
looking, nor was he expecting to be attacked by the people he had
just saved." She lowered Bane's head onto the pillow. "He is a god.
Look at him."

"All right, I
believe you. But you should go now, with the others."

She shook her
head. "I'm not leaving him."

"You heard
what that..."

"Angel."

"Yes, she said
we must flee."

"And I'm sure
she meant it, so you should go. But I'm staying here. Another god
is coming to save him, so he can save me too."

The doctor
hesitated, irresolute. "Then I'm staying too, he's my patient."

"A minute ago
you told me he was dying and walked off."

"He is."

Shevra
frowned. "He won't. I have a right to stay. I prayed to him and he
came. I've stayed with him from the moment he was hurt, and
protected him from the soldiers. You did nothing."

"There was
nothing I could do. If there had been, I would have done it."

"So what use
are you?"

"I might be
able to help."

"A god? I
doubt that."

He sat on the
edge of the cot, staring at Bane. "No one has ever seen a mortal
god, or any other for that matter. We take so much on faith... I've
heard that Drayshina sometimes visits churches, but I never really
believed it. I thought it was just visions, superstitions. Now I
see one, and he's just a man. You have to admit, it's hard to
believe."

"He destroyed
the foul horde. Believe me, he's not just a man."

"But he is,
physically, or he appears to be. And even if this other god can
save him, he might need tending until he's fully recovered."

"I can tend to
him."

The doctor
glanced around, listening to the silence outside. "Everyone has
gone."

"Only a fool
would ignore the warning of an angel."

"Like us."

"Yes."

Shevra tensed
as she sensed a power enter the tent. The air seemed to thrum with
it, and shifting silvery sparkles danced around them. The warm,
benign power filled her with joy and awe. Blue fire flared around
Bane, and he rose from the cot as if someone had scooped him up in
their arms. Fearing that he would be lost to her, she cried out and
grabbed his hand. The doctor lunged for her and caught hold of her
shawl, then a blinding white light and tingling warmth engulfed
them.

Shevra
sprawled on a cold stone floor, and levered herself up, blinking
spots from her eyes. Nearby, the doctor was similarly occupied,
looking dazed and confused. A cry of joy made her turn. A girl in a
white gown ran to kneel beside a cot where Bane lay, taking his
limp hand and pressing it to her tear-stained cheek. Shevra glanced
around at a bare cell lighted by a brilliant, tiny white flame that
hovered near the ceiling. A window let in dull red light, and a
crude table and chair stood next to the wall. A grey-clad man sat
beside Bane, and Shevra stared at his strange, shimmering clothes
and silver eyes.

"A Grey God,"
she whispered.

The god
frowned at her. "Why is it that Bane collects so many
admirers?"

The doctor
gaped at him, dumbstruck.

Shevra gulped.
"Are you Kayos?"

"Yes. Now be
quiet, I must heal him."

The doctor
struggled to his feet. "He has a depressed skull fracture."

Kayos shot him
a scathing look. "It does not matter what it is called."

"But there may
be bleeding on the brain, and swelling."

Shevra rose
and grabbed his arm, dragging him away. "Leave him be, he knows
what he's doing."

"Yes, of
course." He still looked dazed. "He's a real god, isn't he?"

"They both
are, but Kayos isn't mortal."

Kayos leant
over Bane and placed his hands on the swelling, closing his eyes.
Blue fire flared where his hands touched the Demon Lord, and Shevra
held her breath as a soft golden glow appeared under his palms,
growing brighter. It sank into Bane's head, then a flare of blue
pushed Kayos' hands back, holding the golden glow at bay. The girl
who held Bane's hand bit her lip, staring down at him with
anguished eyes. Kayos frowned, and the golden light brightened
further.

Patrin
whispered, "What's he doing?"

"Healing
him."

"I know that.
But what's causing the blue light?"

"Kayos is a
light god, Bane is dark. The two powers are incompatible."

"Why would a
-"

Shevra raised
a finger to her lips. "Hush."

Kayos pressed
his hands to Bane's temple. The golden light was now deep under
Bane's skin, rimmed with blue fire. Clearly Kayos was struggling,
forcing back the dark power that lurked just under Bane's skin, but
slowly he was succeeding. After several more minutes, he raised his
hands and sat back to study his handiwork. The swelling and cut had
vanished.

Patrin
muttered, "That's incredible."

The girl
stroked Bane's hair, and Shevra noticed the two older men, one
standing against the wall, frowning, then other kneeling beside the
cot.

Kayos turned
to her. "Who are you?"

Shevra knelt.
"Shevra, Great One. A fire dancer."

Patrin stared
down at her, then followed her example and fell to one knee, bowing
his head. "I'm Patrin, a doctor. I was tending to... your
friend."

"A doctor,"
Kayos mused. "You could not have helped him."

"I tried, My
Lord."

Kayos looked
down at Bane. "He went there to help your people, against his very
nature. Who called him?"

"I did, My
Lord," Sherva admitted.

"How did you
learn his name?"

"He told me,
after he saved the people of my village."

Kayos sighed.
"Syrin's meddling again. If he does not awaken soon, it will
jeopardise all our plans. Foolish child."

Vorkon glared
around at the encampment. His entourage of demons and black mages
surrounded him, the latter still looking queasy from their Move. He
spied the canvas tent that he had seen in the Eye, and strode over
to it, burning it away with a blast of fire. His gaze swept the
empty cot, which still bore the indentation of Bane's body.

"He was
here!"

The mages
retreated from his ire. "Perhaps he recovered, My Lord?"

"No. His
injury was dire. His mortal body has failed him yet again. I saw
him in the Eye, only a moment ago, unconscious. In the time that it
took to dismiss the Eye and come here, he could not have recovered
and Moved." He paused, considering. "Someone took him, and it could
only have been the light god, which means that he is now in one of
the temples, and vulnerable."

He turned to
the group of warlocks. "Each of you will take a slave and go to a
temple. Send the slave to snuff out the white fire. Be cautious. Do
not alert the light god to your presence, and do not confront him.
He can kill you. He will sense that you have snuffed out the white
flame, and flee, but once all the temples are powerless, he will
have nowhere to run."

"But what if
the tar'merin has recovered? Since they are in league, the light
god will heal him."

"That is why
we must be swift." Vorkon turned to a group of earth demons. "Bring
me eight humans."

Five demons
sank into the ground, and the mages glanced at each other with
ill-concealed dismay. Vorkon knew from experience that Moving was
bad enough when solo, but taking another person would require twice
as much power and cause twice as much illness. Each of the mages
was doubtless hoping that one of the others would have the courage
to point this out to him, and that he would come up with a
different plan, but none dared, and he had no other plan to offer.
He had no sympathy for them. They were his servants and would do as
he commanded, or die.

Now he
regretted that he had been so engrossed in Drayshina's torture when
he had sensed the use of the dark power that he had not immediately
sought its source. Had he done so, he would have reached the
tar'merin before the light god could, and slain him. His failure
rankled, and he longed to lash out at someone. Slaying his minions
would gain him nothing, however, so he leashed his anger, saving it
for the day when he would find the traitor and vent it upon him. He
would pay for all the trouble that he had caused.

The light god
was bold indeed to snatch the tar'merin from under Vorkon's nose,
and had put himself in grave danger. Vorkon knew little about light
gods. His education had been solely in the dark arts, but he
suspected, from the light god's odd garb, that he was one of the
elder gods. Capturing him would be a great achievement, and he
looked forward to it.

The demons
returned with eight screaming, struggling people, and Vorkon sent a
command rune into each one, silencing them. Once the shadow rune
had entered their minds, they would obey any command the mages gave
them.

Kayos paced
around, stopping to gaze down at Bane, then pace again. Shevra
watched his liquid movements. The aura of power that surrounded him
fascinated her. She knew the legend of the Grey Gods, and that he
had immense power, but could not understand his urgency for Bane to
wake. Surely they were safe from Vorkon here, on hallowed ground?
Kayos did not seem to think so, however, and that worried her. The
fair-haired girl sat beside Bane and stroked his cheek, looking
despondent. The Grey God stopped and waved a hand, and a flat,
glowing oval object shimmered into being before him. Shevra crept
closer to peer at it. It showed only swirling darkness, and Kayos
dismissed it with a curt gesture.

"Vorkon blocks
my Eye, but he will seek me all the more now. He will try to slay
Bane before he wakes, and capture me."

"Surely we're
safe here, Lord?" Shevra asked.

He turned to
her. "Only for as long as it remains hallowed. If he sends a mortal
to snuff out the white flame, we will be in danger."

"A black
mage?"

"No, one such
could not approach the flame. It would strike him down. But if he
brings another..."

"Then we must
protect it."

The warrior
who leant against the wall straightened. "I'll do it."

Kayos nodded.
"The mortal will be under a geas. You will have to kill him. Or
her."

"I
understand."

"I'll help
you," Patrin volunteered. "I'll find a weapon."

"You will not
find any swords here," Kayos said.

"I'll find
something." The warrior headed for the door.

Kayos sighed
and rubbed his brow. "You had better tell the priestesses what has
happened, perhaps they can help. And about me, they are unaware of
my presence."

"Yes, My
Lord."

The warrior
slipped out, and Kayos sat beside Bane, leaning forward to grip his
collar and shake him. "Wake up, Bane."

Shevra crept
closer and knelt beside the cot, gazing at Bane's peaceful face.
"Do our lives depend only upon him, My Lord?"

"This entire
domain does."

"But you
-"

"I cannot
fight a dark god."

Despite the
room's warmth, Shevra pulled her shawl tighter, suppressing a
shiver. "It's my fault that he was struck down. I called upon him
for help, but I didn't intend for him to be hurt."

"Do not blame
yourself, child."

"But if I
hadn't prayed to him..."

"You would be
dead, along with all those who were with you."

Her eyes
filled with tears. "I would give my life gladly, Lord, to undo what
has happened."

"No one can
undo the past, and you did nothing wrong. It was an unfortunate
accident. A twist of fate, nothing more."

"Why did he
save us, Lord?"

"He fights for
the light, even though his power is dark."

"Then he'll
free us from the darkness that swallows our land, and make the sun
shine again? I've never seen the sun, Lord."

"When he wakes
up, he will, and one day you shall see it, child." His eyes flicked
over her. "Go and ask for food and a bath, make sure Patrin gets
what he needs as well."

Tygon woke
with a snort, opening his eyes. He lay on the frozen ground, his
hands and feet numb, his teeth chattering. The last thing he
remembered was raising the ward, and he realised that he must have
passed out again from exhaustion. Why had Bane not dragged him into
the shelter and kept him warm as he had done before? Dread shivered
his insides as he struggled to sit up, his stiff limbs
protesting.

The ward
towered over him, two hundred feet high, or a hundred and ninety at
least, since it would have settled back a bit. He remembered his
triumph as it had risen the last few feet, just before he had
blacked out. The rim of blue fire blazed, holding the ward aloft,
as it would until it was activated. He rolled over and got to his
hands and knees, his limbs shaking with weakness and cold. Crawling
into the lee of the wall, he fumbled in the pack for some water.
Bane was nowhere to be seen, and cold dread tightened on his heart.
Had Bane abandoned him, or left to do something else and fallen
foul of Vorkon?

Sipping the
freezing water, he gazed around, his heart pounding. A glance at
the glowing clouds found them to be brightest just above the
horizon, so the sun was on its way down. He had been unconscious
for only a few hours. He shivered. The prospect of spending a night
alone in the pitch black cold sent chills through him. He wanted to
scream for help, but no one would hear him. How would he survive
the night, with nothing to warm him? There was no fire, and no wood
to make one.