She Who Has No Name (The Legacy Trilogy) (67 page)

‘They have witches!’ Samuel said to the Koian women behind him, for lack of anyone else to tell.  ‘I was just getting used to their healers, but I did not think it would be as bad as this.’

‘You make it sound so terrible.  What is wrong with women using magic anyway?’

‘It is forbidden; that is enough.  It is against the very nature of magic.’

‘Then someone forgot to tell the Paatin.  Perhaps it is your Order that is mistaken.’

‘You don’t know what you are talking about, woman.  In your country, all magicians are forbidden.’

‘In my country, we recognise the strengths of men and women both.  To us—and to the Paatin
,
it seems—the sexes are equal in many
respects
.  It seems to be your people who are the ignorant ones.’

Samuel gave up arguing with her, as she would not listen to reason.  Apart from that one problem, there was also no doubting Om-rah’s effect on the place, for the odour of the magic was tainted and sickly.  Nearly every one of his underlings was also streaked with the same repugnant, corrosive stain.

‘This is Yi’sit
,
t
he Well of Tears
,’ Utik’cah called back as they reached a central square.

‘
Abut! Abut!’
called the camel wranglers, and the animals began settling down onto their bellies, forelegs followed by rear legs.

Cool
,
fresh water was pulled up from the depths of the well in wooden buckets and Samuel and the Koian woman quenched their thirst.  Samuel let the water spill down his chest and emptied the last portion onto his head to cool himself down.  After he had drunk again and wiped his chin dry, Utik’cah motioned for them to follow him.

‘The Empress spends little time out of her room, although she has the freedom of the village,’ the desert-man explained.  ‘She does not seem very contented here.’

Samuel surveyed the bare
,
stone walls.  Everything was purely functional, with very little to tempt anyone out of their shady refuges and into the sun. ‘I can’t imagine why,’ he responded.

Utik’cah led them into one the towers and they climbed the curling stairs that hugged the inside wall.  They stopped on a small internal balcony, just before
a
single door.  ‘I will leave you alone,’ he said, quietly slipping away.

Samuel knocked tentatively and called within, ‘Empress Lillith.  It is Samuel, of the Order.’

He heard feet padding towards them from the other side and the door swung in, revealing the wide-eyed Empress, safe and well.

‘Samuel!’ she declared.  ‘What are you doing here?  I hope you have come to rescue me.  Although...well, I
will leave it to you
to tell me about it.  Come in, come in.’

Samuel went in past her, with the Koian following closely.  The door was quite small and they had to duck their heads, but the room was spacious inside, darkened
to protect it
from the outside heat and surprisingly cool.  Young Leopold was sitting on a pile of cushions, drawing on some papers.  The floor surrounding him was covered in similar scribble-covered leaves.

‘Come, sit,’ the Empress said, directing the pair to a
set of
thatched chairs.  ‘I must admit
,
I am surprised to see you here, but I must assume from the lack of excitement that this is not quite the rescue I was hoping for.  And who is this young lady accompanying you?’  She peered directly at the strange features of the Koian woman and ran her eyes
over her
from heel to head in the deliberate manner of evaluation.

‘This is an emissary from the Koian nation,’ Samuel explained.  ‘She is their god.’

‘A god?’ the Empress repeated sceptically, before realising her manners.  ‘Then I am pleased to meet you.  Please, call me Lillith.  What is your name?’

The Koian woman shied
, casting
her eyes aside.

‘She doesn’t actually have one,’ Samuel explained.  ‘She also does not understand Turian, but it would be pointless to translate for you.’

‘Of course she has a—’ the Empress began, but Samuel cut her off.

‘Actually, she doesn’t.  She has all manner of titles, but it’s probably better we just ignore her.  She’s more trouble than she’s worth.’

‘Samuel!  You should be ashamed!’ Empress Lillith scolded.  She then curtsied formally and graciously before the Koian woman, still looking indignant at Samuel’s comments, before retaking her seat and addressing the Koian with a welcoming smile.  ‘I’m most honoured to meet you.  Please, make yourself as comfortable as you can.’

Still, the Koian woman was silent and straight-faced, staring back at the Empress as if in a stupor.

Samuel gave the Empress a brief
I told you so
look, before rotating in his seat and putting his back to the Koian woman.  ‘Please, let us speak quickly.  I am not sure how much time we will be given.’

‘Are you captives?  How goes the war?’ the Empress asked.

Samuel took a moment to scan the room with his senses.  No spells of
L
istening seemed present, and there was no one within earshot that he could detect.  ‘Our plan to free you is not quite going as well as we first hoped, but we are working on a way to return you to Cintar.  I have heard no word of the war since we left, except what the Paatin Queen has told me.  I’m not keen to believe what she says, but I would guess that the war continues as expected.  I must assume more towns have been lost, but I cannot imagine the stubborn Turians giving in, or that Cintar would easily fall.’

‘I agree with you in both of those assumptions.’

‘I have news for you that may be of a surprise, however.  Your husband is alive, and he is with us in the Paatin Queen’s city.’

‘My husband?’ the Empress said with confusion.  ‘Edmond?  What do you mean, Samuel?  The Emperor is dead.’

‘No.  He is alive.’

‘What trickery is this?’ she said, suddenly looking pale.  Her hand went to her chest and then she looked back to Samuel with
desperate
hope.  ‘Some kind of magic?’

‘So I believe, but not any magic I know or understand.  It seemed Master Celios was expecting your husband’s demise.  He preserved his essence and distilled it into the body of another.  He is alive, but he is not quite the same man you knew—that any of us knew.’

‘For goodness sake, Samuel.  Explain yourself.  Whatever do you mean?’

‘He lives on in the body of another: a nobleman called Sir Ferse—’

‘Sir Ferse?  I know him well.  His wife and I are quite familiar with each other.’

‘Sir Ferse no longer exists, Your Majesty.  At least, not as anyone knew him.  He and your husband are now one.  No one knows about this, as far as I know, except Master Celios and me.  He has come here to save you—’ and he looked over to where Leopold was still playing, ‘—and your son.  He sends you both his love and hopes he can be with you soon.’

‘This is a shock, Samuel,’ she said, standing and pacing the floor.  ‘Magic is a strange and alarming thing.  I had no idea such feats were possible.’

‘Neither did I, Your Majesty.  Suffice to say
,
I have talked to your husband at length and I am sure it is true.  I wanted to tell you, so you can prepare to meet him.  But please be warned
:
he is not the same man he once was.  While Edmond Calais still exists, he is also partially Andor Ferse.  They are merged as one, but your husband is by far the dominant spirit.  I must say, it has changed him in many ways.’

The Empress retook her seat and looked deep within her thoughts.  Samuel let her sit quietly, until she looked up once again.

‘What will we do?’

‘We have come to save you, but we cannot act just yet.  The Paatin Queen is strong and she has you stashed within a nest of her wizards.  As soon as I find a way, I will come for you.’

‘Who else is with you?’

‘There are only a few of us,
and we are interned
within her palace.  Only Lord Lomar is still free.’

At the sound of his name, the Empress looked up, full of hope.  ‘Lomar?  He is with you?’

‘Yes, although I have not been able to reach him since I was captured.  He followed your captors all the way from Cintar in an attempt to free you.’

‘That is good.  I must warn you
,
there were magicians amongst those that captured me.’

‘It would have been the Paatin wizards.  Did you see any of them?’

‘Not at all.  I was overcome quickly.  They used spells and tonics to keep us subdued.  I remember only sparse moments—we were confined tightly, secreted away in some tiny space, I believe.  It was not until we reached the desert city itself that we were allowed to regain our senses.  We spoke with that wretched witch, but
,
since then
,
I have not been able to make a single one of these barbarians understand me.’

Samuel then sensed the familiar presence of Utik’cah climbing the stairs towards them.  ‘It’s a relief to see that you and the young Emperor have been well
treated.  Our guide returns, so it seems our time is already over.’

The Empress nodded knowingly and they waited patiently for Utik’cah to reappear at the door.

‘Apologies, Your Highness
,
Lord Samuel.  It appears out visit will be cut short.  A storm is approaching and Alahativa instructed that I return you both before evening, so we must hurry.’

Samuel nodded and stood and the Koian woman shadowed him.  ‘It has been a pleasure to see you, Your Majesty.  Until we meet again.’

‘Thank you, Samuel,’ Empress Lillith returned, and threw a dark scowl towards the desert-man in her door.

Utik’cah almost bound
ed
down the stairs and Samuel could not help but follow suit, sensing the urgency in his actions.  They had barely reached the tethered line of camels, all sitting and chewing with their jutting
,
yellow teeth, when Utik’cah was shouting at his team to depart.  His men scurried about and began ordering the stubborn animals to their feet.

Samuel had no sooner mounted with the Koian woman clinging behind him, than the desert-men began shouting and starting out the gates.  Samuel held on fiercely to the sun-warmed saddle.  Already, he could sense the energies of the desert in turmoil.  Looking over his shoulder, he could feel the storm approaching
—
a great tyrant of power rampaging in the distance.

They were only about halfway back to Hol when the desert-men began looking even more anxious.  All of a sudden, they began shouting and pulling their camels aside and desperately pulling the bundles from the animals’ backs.  Samuel was left not knowing what to do, until Utik’cah came scrambling towards them.

‘Get down!  Get down!’ he called.

Samuel slipped from the high saddle and landed spryly on the golden sand, but he had forgotten about the Koian woman latched onto him, and she came sprawling down behind him, head first.  He ignored her curses and splutterings as he interrogated Utik’cah.

‘What’s going on?’ he asked with concern.

‘The storm is upon us.  It is greater and faster than we expected.  We should not have left Yi’sit, but it is too late to go back now.  We must
t
ake shelter at once!’

The men had already thrown down some leathers and canvases and had started constructing a number of small, rounded, sturdy-looking tents.  Utik’cah grabbed Samuel and the Koian woman roughly and dragged them to the first one that was readied.