The Infinity Gate: Darkglass Mountain: Book Three - By Sara Douglass Page 0,5

a little closer to StarHeaven, who was now too numb even to cower, raised his sword arm. and then stopped, puzzlement and anger etched across his face. He stared at StarHeaven, then looked about.

“Where have they gone?” he called out, and StarHeaven saw that all the Lealfast looked about in confusion.

StarHeaven, Axis said in her mind, do as I say, and do it now.

Axis stood with his father StarDrifter on the floor below the chamber where the Strike Force were being slaughtered. He had his hand on his father’s shoulder, sharing strength and support as both worked the enchantment which had confounded the Lealfast, but he was staring at Egalion, captain of the Emerald Guard.

“You have no idea what you go into,” Axis said, glancing behind Egalion to where hundreds of the Emerald Guard stretched down the corridor. Axis didn’t know much about the guardsmen, only that they were Maximilian’s personal guard and that they had some vague connection to the gloam mines known as the Veins where Maximilian had spent seventeen years imprisoned during his youth and early manhood.

“I have every idea,” Egalion said. “You have no idea where we came from and what we can do. You and your father cannot keep this enchantment going much longer by the look of you, and someone needs to deal with the Lealfast. I and mine stand here ready to do so. Let us.”

Axis had no choice. Egalion was right, this was a horrendously difficult enchantment to keep going against a race of creatures who commanded the Star Dance in their own right, and who were likely to literally see right through it at any moment. And there was no one else. Georgdi and his men were fighting further down in Elcho Falling, where another contingent of Lealfast had attacked their quarters, as also those of the Isembaardians within the tower.

He gave a short nod. “Go. And for the stars’ sakes, watch out for the Strike Force — they will be huddled against the walls.”

StarHeaven had called with her power to the Enchanters still living among the Strike Force, telling them to have all Strike Force members stay as close as possible to the walls of the chamber. She hoped most would manage it — they had been closely grouped against the walls anyway, in their pitiful defence.

She looked again at the Lealfast. They had drawn back a little on the air, still staring about, now very angry.

Axis and StarDrifter had used the Song of Mirrors against them. It meant that whatever the Lealfast looked at, all they saw were their own reflections mirrored back to them. It was disorientating and dangerous, as individual Lealfast could not even see each other, let alone the members of the Strike Force.

But the enchantment was a very difficult one, and StarHeaven could sense StarDrifter and Axis struggling. She drew in her breath, then very quietly added her voice to those of the StarMan and his father.

Within moments she heard three other Enchanters among the Strike Force lift their voices as well.

There was a movement at the main door and the room filled with men in emerald jackets. Quite suddenly, the Lealfast were being cut from the air.

Chapter 4

Elcho Falling

The One grimaced at the blood spattered over his face and chest. He tried to flick it off, then to rub it away, but no matter what he did the One could not remove the bloodstains from his glassy flesh.

He resolved to put it from his mind, and continued his climb. Within minutes, he thought, he would leave the subterranean basement chambers behind and emerge onto the ground floor of Elcho Falling.

Then the One would see what was what.

He could sense the Lealfast deep within the citadel, and could sense the death that seeped down through the levels above him.

It was all very pleasing.

The One stepped up, turning a corner in the twisting stairwell. and walked directly into a wall.

He stopped, frowning. The stairs led directly into a wall? How could this be? The One glanced behind him.

There was a corridor running off to the left ten or twelve steps down.

It hadn’t been there previously.

Now very, very cautious, his every sense alerted, the One stepped down to the corridor and peered along it.

It stretched for about twenty paces before it terminated in a closed door.

The One looked up at the wall closing off the stairwell, then back along the corridor.

Power was at work here.

He made his decision, and walked confidently along the corridor to the door.

He