The Infinity Gate: Darkglass Mountain: Book Three - By Sara Douglass Page 0,146

deep breaths. That journey had been far better than the last.

Beside him Inardle emerged, not in the least out of breath.

There were several soldiers standing in the small chamber which held the entrance pool, and two of them held out their hands to help Axis and Inardle out of the water.

“I hope you didn’t want a welcome home party, StarMan,” one of them said. “There’s a bit of a fuss happening right now.”

Ravenna sat behind a tall stack of boxes in a storage chamber. She held StarDancer in her arms, but loosely, and the baby was calm now, regarding her with curious violet eyes.

Who are you? he asked her.

“My name is Ravenna,” she said.

I have heard of you. You were once a marsh witch, yes? Very powerful.

“Once.”

Now many have wrapped you in their curses.

Tears slipped down Ravenna’s cheeks. She knew she had to kill the baby, the One demanded it of her, but she couldn’t . . . she couldn’t .

Why do you want to kill me?

“I do not wish to, but I am obliged to by one of the curses placed upon me.”

Cursed by whom?

“By the One.”

Now StarDancer wriggled a little in his excitement. Of course! Now it was all making sense! He must have dreamed of the One! The One is here, in the citadel?

“Yes, he has hidden himself in the Dark Spire.”

He has only just moved here, from a place very far away.

“Yes.”

Ah, StarDancer said, understanding.

“He thinks you will expose him. Tell others where he is.”

StarDancer’s small mouth curved in a smile. That was likely not the reason the One wanted him dead.

“Axis!” Isaiah embraced Axis, then turned to look at Inardle. He took her face in his hands, looking deeply into her eyes.

“So,” he said, smiling a little now.

“So,” she said.

“How does it feel?” Isaiah said.

Inardle shrugged a little.

Isaiah sobered. “I heard what happened with the Lealfast, Inardle. Be careful of what you now control.”

“Of course,” she said, and Isaiah let her face go.

“Your brother has been stolen, Axis,” he said. “The citadel is in an uproar. Inardle, is this something Eleanon would have engineered?”

“How should I know?” she said. “But . . . no, I would have thought not. I have never heard him express any interest in Salome’s baby.”

“Garth thinks it may be Ravenna,” Isaiah said, and explained to Axis and Inardle how she’d come to be in Elcho Falling. “None of us can spot her, not even Garth. Inardle . . . is it possible .?”

“You want me to look for the baby?” Inardle said.

“If you could,” Isaiah said. “You may be able to see through Eleanon’s magics where none of us can.”

“You want me to look for StarDrifter’s baby?” Inardle said. “How would he feel about that?”

“Profoundly grateful, if you found his son,” Axis said.

Inardle shot Axis a cynical look, but inclined her head. “Very well. Can you show me the chamber from which he was taken?”

The One has cursed you and you shall be forced to kill me? StarDancer said to Ravenna.

“Aye. I can delay,” Ravenna said, “but eventually I will kill you. I cannot help it. I will dash you from one of the high windows. I am sorry. I do not really wish to do it.”

Ravenna, who else has cursed you? I can sense that Ishbel has placed three tight and binding curses about you, but there is one other besides that of the One . . .

“Eleanon, the Lealfast who has besieged Elcho Falling, placed a curse on me as well, warped in with Ishbel’s. It conceals me from the regard of others in Elcho Falling, and it forced me to do his bidding.”

Which was . . . ?

“Which was to midwive the Dark Spire’s terrible eggs and place them within the walls of Elcho Falling. I do not know what they do there. StarDancer, I am sorry.” Ravenna rose, not understanding why she was telling StarDancer this much. Perhaps she owed him some kind of explanation. “The urge to kill you now is overwhelming. I can delay no longer.”

I can remove the One’s curse from you, as well as Eleanon’s.

“ What?” Ravenna, who had taken several paces already, now stopped dead. “How is that possible?”

I am very powerful.. I can do this. I could also remove Ishbel’s curses, but I do not dare that far. I like and respect Ishbel and would not undo her work without permission. I can remove both the One’s and Eleanon’s curses and then it will be your own decision whether or