Ascendancy of the Last - By Lisa Smedman Page 0,100

order to avoid being killed alongside him after Matron Melarn learned that Tellik had taken up Vhaeraun’s mask.

What about the others? his ancestors asked. Was there no one who showed mercy, when you needed it?

Q’arlynd started to answer no, then realized that wasn’t quite right. “Halisstra,” he answered at last. He touched the bump on his nose, remembering the time she’d secretly healed him. If not for that, he would have been dead decades ago.

Despite that act of kindness, Q’arlynd had continued to regard his sister as little more than a means of achieving his own goals. Only in recent years had he learned that people were more than mere playing pieces to be shoved about by those who were stronger and more cunning. Now he wondered what had become of Halisstra.

Four years ago, Cavatina had reported to Qilué that Halisstra had been left behind in the Demonweb Pits, after helping the Darksong Knight to slay Selvetarm. Had Halisstra died there? The questions T’lar had asked seemed to indiŹcate that she had. T’lar had said Halisstra “angered” the Lady Penitent—Lolth, obviously—and had been killed for it. Strangely, the assassin didn’t seem to understand why Lolth might have done this. T’lar obviously didn’t know Halisstra’s role in helping to slay the Spider Queen’s champion.

Now Q’arlynd found himself pondering exactly how Halisstra had died. Guilt nibbled at him. He’d done nothing to aid in the search for Halisstra, just left it up to Qilué and her priestesses. He glanced down at the bracer he still wore on his wrist—at the symbol of House Melarn on his House insignia. The dancing stick figure also stood for Eilistraee. Would Q’arlynd meet his sister once more, in Eilistraee’s domain, when he finally died? Or would Eilistraee fault him for abandoning Halisstra, just as he’d abandoned Tellik?

He shook his head to clear these distracting thoughts. He had important business here: locating Corellon’s ancient temple. This was no time to be brooding about the past. Yet he might never have another chance to visit the Fountains of Memory. He glanced again at the first pool. Certainly one little peek to satisfy his curiosity wouldn’t hurt. It might even be good practice. It would also help lay to rest the niggling doubt that Flinderspeld might have tricked him, and sent him to the wrong spot, despite all that had passed between them.

Mistrust was a habit that was hard to shake.

Q’arlynd kneeled beside the pool, his knees sinking into the moss that cushioned the stone. He did as Flinderspeld had instructed, picking one of the tiny blue flowers that speckled the ground and tossing it into the pool. “Show me,” he said, concentrating on the rippling waters. “Show me how Halisstra was killed by L—” He paused, reconsidering. With divinations, it was best to get the language precisely right. What was the title T’lar had used? Ah yes. “Show me how Halisstra was killed by the Lady Penitent.”

Though he could still hear the fountain tinkling, the surŹface of the pool stilled and became as flat as glass. An image appeared on its mirrorlike surface: Halisstra, dressed in armor, kneeling with two other females before a throne on which sat a massive black widow spider. Seven identical spiŹders crouched behind the throne, watching. The room’s crazily slanting walls and floor were constructed of iron. Cobwebs filled the gloomy corners.

“Lolth’s iron fortress,” Q’arlynd whispered, his voice tight.

He recognized the female to Halisstra’s left at once: the pout-lipped, scheming Danifae, battle-captive to Halisstra. The female on the other side of Halisstra also looked familŹiar. At first, Q’arlynd couldn’t place her. Then he remembered who she was: Quenthel Baenre, the high priestess from Menzoberranzan. The presence of Danifae and Quenthel in the vision could mean just one thing: the pool was showŹing Q’arlynd something that had happened seven years ago, during Lolth’s Silence.

“That’s too early,” he said aloud. He reached for another flower, intending to try again, but his hand halted as he saw what happened next. In the vision, Lolth lunged from her throne to bite Danifae. The battle-captive screamed as her head and shoulders disappeared into Lolth’s mouth. Danifae’s legs spasmed, then stilled as the goddess conŹsumed her.

For a brief moment, no one moved. Then the other seven spiders crept forward menacingly. Q’arlynd expected them to attack Quenthel or Halisstra, but instead they surrounded the spider that had eaten Danifae. They grasped it—and began to tear the body apart. Yochlols hurried into view and hastened the process, ripping chunks from the