Crusader. Sara Douglass

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СКАЧАТЬ go. Even its name points to its actions. It is a spire and it is a door.”

      Qeteb sat, staring at the Icarii woman, knowing she spoke the truth. A useful piece of Enemy magic, then, he thought, and pondered its implications. Could he use it? Perhaps. Was it a trap? Possibly … possibly …

       Could he risk the trap?

      He turned his head and regarded the other Demons. He could send one of them …

      No. Rox was gone — for the moment — and Qeteb did not want to risk the others. Qeteb’s eyes flickered over Niah, but she was an impossible choice. Niah had no soul with which to form the question, let alone a desire strong enough to make Spiredore act.

      Who else?

      Ah, of course! The Midday Demon lifted a mailed hand and beckoned.

      A dark shape spiralled down from the sky and alighted before the Demons. It was StarGrace SunSoar.

      “Great Father,” she said, and bowed before him.

      “StarGrace,” Qeteb said. “I have a task for you.”

      StarLaughter looked at StarGrace, looked at Qeteb, and wondered. Would the Hawkchilds join her in exacting a revenge upon Qeteb (he had stolen her son!), or would they remain blind to the Demon’s duplicity, and continue to obey him?

      StarGrace did not even look at StarLaughter, and bowed her head as Qeteb spoke to her. Once he had finished, she moved quickly to do his bidding.

      And still she did not look at StarLaughter.

      StarLaughter’s mouth thinned. She was alone, then.

      Faraday blinked, and they were standing under a crystal dome in the midst of a field of flowers.

      She blinked again, and she was standing with her four companions in an apple orchard in Sanctuary. A movement caught her eyes. It was DareWing, fully healed, stretching his glossy wings in the sun.

      He smiled at her, but Faraday noted that the expression in his eyes had changed. No doubt, she thought, the expression in all of their eyes had changed.

      “My witches,” said a warm, humorous voice, and Faraday’s smile widened.

      DragonStar rejoined the group from the shade of an apple tree. He regarded them all carefully, and gave each a small nod and a smile, but otherwise made no remark on their final evolution.

      What will he do? thought Faraday, and then the next thought sprang almost immediately into her mind. What will he do with us?

      “Faraday?” said a small voice, and Faraday turned quickly.

      Katie ran out from behind the same tree DragonStar had been sheltering under, and Faraday held out her arms and embraced her.

      “She will stay with us for the time being,” DragonStar said. “But when we venture back into the wasteland it would be safer if she stayed here in Sanctuary.”

      Thank all stars and gods in existence he isn’t going to expose her to danger, Faraday thought, and planted a kiss on the girl’s shiny brown curls.

      “When do we go back to the wasteland?” DareWing asked, his voice thick with an emotion that Faraday only belatedly realised was the need for revenge.

      “We will all need to go back,” DragonStar said, “but you and I will return first, DareWing. No, wait, let me speak before you all bombard me with questions. Will you sit? This orchard is secluded enough for us to talk without interruption.”

      They settled themselves in a circle, Katie resting with her head on Faraday’s lap.

      As Faraday looked up from Katie, she caught Leagh looking at the girl with an odd expression on her face.

      The instant Leagh realised Faraday had seen it she wiped her face clear of any interest in the girl. Katie had her own destiny, as did Leagh’s child, and she could do nothing to change either.

      Faraday wanted to ask Leagh why she’d looked so at Katie, but before she could speak DragonStar began to talk.

      “Tencendor can be reborn,” he said, “but it must first be cleared of all its corruption.”

      “The Demons?” Gwendylyr said. There was a tendril of black hair hanging un-neat across her forehead, and Gwendylyr lifted a hand as if to pat it back into place, but her hand hesitated, then dropped. Gwendylyr left the strand to its own devices.

      “Yes,” DragonStar said, “but also of all the crazed animals and … and …”

      And the maniacal people crawling about, he almost said, but could not. But even with the thought unspoken, DragonStar could see the knowledge in everyone’s eyes anyway.

      “Which first?” Goldman said.

      DragonStar hesitated, and ran the tip of his tongue over his lips. “Ideally, the Demons first,” he eventually said, “but we, you five as well as I, need to be stronger before we can attempt their destruction.”

      Katie lifted her head at the latter words and stared briefly at DragonStar, then she dropped her face back into Faraday’s lap. Her shoulders shuddered slightly.

      No-one noticed her reaction, save Faraday, who assumed Katie had shivered with the gentle breeze blowing through the orchard. She pulled a section of her skirt around Katie, far more concerned at DragonStar’s words.

      Faraday and the other four had shared concerned glances. “Talk to us,” Faraday said. “What do you mean?”

      DragonStar took a deep breath. “I am StarSon, and Qeteb will be my battle,” he said. “But the other Demons —”

      “Ah,” Goldman said, understanding, “as you will be responsible for Qeteb’s destruction, so will each of us be responsible for one of the other Demons.”

      “Yes. It is preordained. Five of them, five of you.”

      “But, how can each of us contend with one of the Demons!” Leagh said. Her face was almost panicked, and she’d placed both her hands protectively over her belly. “I can’t —”

      “Right here and now,” DragonStar said, his tone and eyes gentle as he regarded Leagh, “you can’t. No, I agree. We need experience and perhaps even some more knowledge before we can dare the Demons. But eventually each of us will have our task to do, and for each of us that task will be a particular Demon.”

      “But there are only four Demons left,” Gwendylyr said, “not counting Qeteb. Sigholt’s bridge destroyed Rox —”

      “Evil cannot be destroyed,” Katie whispered into Faraday’s lap, “it can only be transformed.”

      No-one heard her.

      “ — so surely that means only four of us need to confront a Demon. Leagh must wait it out in Sanctuary. We can’t risk her.”

      DragonStar looked Gwendylyr steadily in the eyes, and then shifted his gaze to Leagh. “We will all be СКАЧАТЬ