The Infinity Gate: Darkglass Mountain: Book Three - By Sara Douglass Page 0,147

not you kill me.

“You can remove the One’s and Eleanon’s curses?”

Yes.

“But you are just a mere baby!”

No mere baby. Again StarDancer’s mouth curved in a tiny smile. I am the most powerful Enchanter the Icarii have ever known. More powerful even than the great WolfStar, whom my father has told me about. More powerful than my brother and able to manipulate the Star Dance as easily as he. I am no “mere baby”. I can sing an enchantment, Ravenna, that will rid you of two of your three curses. Would you like me to do that?

“Yes,” Ravenna whispered. “Yes.”

Imagine, StarDancer said, what I will be like as a full adult, if I can do this much as a baby.

StarDrifter was unhappy about involving Inardle in the search. He paced the chamber he shared with Salome and, until so very recently, his son, and sent dark looks shooting between Axis and Inardle.

Salome stood to one side, her face pale with anxiety, her eyes reddened from weeping.

She did not look at Inardle.

Inardle did not appear to notice either of them. She walked over to the cot where StarDancer had been sleeping and traced her fingers over its contours.

“Who here has worried about their child recently?” she said.

Everyone in the room — Isaiah, Axis, Garth, StarDrifter and Salome — looked between themselves.

“ I have worried about a child recently!” StarDrifter grated.

“Not you,” Inardle said. “Someone else has been here, desperately worried about a child.”

“You can feel that from the cot?” Garth said.

“Yes,” Inardle said. “You might, too, if you lay your fingers on it. Could your Touch feel it?”

Garth walked over and lay his hand on the cot. He was quiet, then he looked up. “Yes,” he said. “Ravenna.”

“Ravenna is worried about StarDancer?” StarDrifter said.

“She was pregnant with Maximilian’s child,” Garth said, “and Ishbel cursed it . . . perhaps Ravenna worries about its health. Whatever, Ravenna has been here, and there is deep worry associated with her presence. Regret. Sorrow. Fear for the future. So much bad feeling.”

“So now we must find Ravenna,” Inardle said, all practicality.

“Can you see her?” Salome said, speaking for the first time since Isaiah had brought Axis and Inardle to the chamber.

Inardle gave a slight shrug and StarDrifter lost his temper completely.

“You don’t give a damn, do you? This is my son, and he has been stolen from me, and you don’t give a single damn where he is. I —”

“StarDrifter,” Axis said, trying to reach out to his father.

“You have every reason to hate me and the Icarii,” StarDrifter snarled at Inardle, “and you see this as your chance to gloat that —”

“StarDrifter,” Isaiah said, “shut up now or by the gods I will stand down every one of the search parties and send them off for a well-earned meal and a rest. Yes, you have lost your son, but, damn it, StarDrifter, everyone is trying to help you!”

StarDrifter glared at Isaiah and sent another simmering look of ill will toward Inardle. He folded his arms and turned away.

Axis closed his eyes briefly, then looked at Inardle. “Inardle?”

She was still affecting cool indifference. “This way, perhaps,” she said, indicating the door to the external corridor.

“Oh, brilliant deduction,” StarDrifter muttered.

“If you want,” Inardle said, “I will stop right now.”

“No,” Axis said, literally stepping to stand between the two of them. “Inardle, please, do it for me.”

She looked at him, and Axis could see a glint of humour in her eyes.

She was enjoying herself.

Inardle, he said. Please.

Her mouth curved, then she turned and walked for the door. “Ravenna has left a clear enough trail,” she said. “For mypowers to pick up, at least.”

There, StarDancer said. Does that feel better?

Ravenna could not answer immediately. She sat, cradling StarDancer in her arms, tears running down her cheeks.

Ishbel’s curse remained, but to be freed of the two hateful and dark-fingered powers of Eleanon and the One. Oh gods . . . oh gods .

No doubt the One will be raging within the Dark Spire.

Ravenna managed a smile through her tears. “Good.” Her smile slipped a little: “He cannot reach me now?”

No.

Ravenna relaxed. Freed of the One’s power, and of Eleanon’s. This child was remarkable and, even more remarkable, what he had done had not even hurt her. Ravenna had forgotten what it was like not to be hurt and humiliated by another.

I have a favour to ask of you.

Now Ravenna tensed. So there was to be a price paid, after all.

I am not going to plead for my life — that