The Infinity Gate: Darkglass Mountain: Book Three - By Sara Douglass Page 0,11

was no hesitation. Yes.

She sounded strong and in control of herself, and Axis found some satisfaction in that. Elcho Falling is encircled by a defensive cordon, perhaps fifty paces or so. Stay within it. With your numbers there is no means by which you can take on the entire Lealfast force, but you should be able to shoot through it.

Axis looked at Ishbel. “Can you hear my conversation with StarHeaven?”

“Yes,” Ishbel said, and Axis realised just how strong her power had grown in recent days.

Can the Lealfast shoot their arrows through to the Strike Force, if it stays within the defensive cordon? Axis asked Ishbel, sharing also with StarHeaven.

No, Ishbel said, and Axis nodded.

Good, he said. Weapon and array yourselves, StarHeaven.

He returned to his speaking voice. “They cannot give us much protection, Ishbel. This is going to be a bloodbath.”

“Then a bloodbath it must needs be, Axis. But we do need to get as many of those Isembaardians inside as possible. Elcho Falling can absorb them easily.”

Axis sighed. “Yes, I suppose you are right. Ishbel, I can use the Song of Mirrors that I used previously to help the Strike Force . . . it should take the Lealfast a few minutes to realise it is being used and where we are, given that we are so far below them. We should make it across to Insharah well enough.”

StarHeaven, he said, show yourselves, and distract the Lealfast.

Then he took Ishbel’s arm and, humming the Song of Mirrors under his breath, started across the causeway toward Insharah.

The One screamed with frustration and sheer anger. Such a chance to take Elcho Falling and Maximilian, and it had been wasted, all wasted!

Elcho Falling had expelled him. The One could not believe it. He had been inside — inside! — and then Elcho Falling had spat him out.

The One could not understand what had gone so wrong. Elcho Falling rejected him because of the blood he carried, the blood of Maximilian and Ishbel’s dead daughter? Some problem with treacherous heirs and Ravenna?

The One knew he should have slaughtered her years ago. Cursed be her name! She had failed, and thus he had failed.

But, oh, of everything, the One blamed Maximilian and Elcho Falling most of all.

He would destroy them both for this.

He had not a thought for the Lealfast; to the One they were such minor players in this battle between himself and the Lord of Elcho Falling that he could not afford to waste a single thought on them right now.

The One looked about, wondering for the first time where he was. Elcho Falling had expelled him with great power and the One knew he had come a vast distance, but where. . .

He moved in a slow circle, looking at the lightening landscape with narrowed eyes.

Where was he?

Ah . . . there. What remained of Sakkuth after the Skraelings had been through it. He was in the north of Isembaard, then.

Why had Elcho Falling sent him here? What purpose?

The One furrowed his brow, thinking. Why not send him back to DarkGlass Mountain?

He stilled, very suddenly, his gaze flattening.

Elcho Falling did not want him at DarkGlass Mountain. Instead, it had sent him to a point halfway between Elcho Falling and DarkGlass Mountain.

It did not want him at DarkGlass Mountain just as badly as it did not want him at Elcho Falling.

The One roared, then summoned forth the power of Infinity so that he might transfer himself instantly back to DarkGlass Mountain.

But . . . Infinity came forth jumbled and confused, and the One clenched his fists and shook them at the dawn sky.

Whatever had happened in his transfer here had disorientated his power. It was not gone, nor even permanently impaired. Just . . . damaged, for the moment.

The One roared once more, shaking his fists until the distant stones of Sakkuth trembled. Presently, he strode south-westward, heading for DarkGlass Mountain.

He could not transfer himself there instantly, but the One could still eat up the distance with his unnatural strides, and it would take him but a short time to reach DarkGlass Mountain.

“Axis,” Insharah said as Axis and Ishbel came up to him.

Axis saw the man’s head tremble very slightly, as if he had started to incline it, then had stopped himself.

“How do you, Insharah?” Ishbel said brightly. “It has been a long night and many things have happened of which we need to appraise you. But not here in the open. Where is a suitable tent? This? Good, let us enter.”

“What is