The Infinity Gate: Darkglass Mountain: Book Three - By Sara Douglass Page 0,159

in groups as they settled on the ground. They were chatting, relaxed and confident and seemingly oblivious to the regard they knew must be emanating from Elcho Falling.

There were footsteps from behind them — Georgdi.

“They’re settling all about the lake,” he said to Maximilian. “Surrounding us.”

Maximilian gave a weary smile. “It is Axis’ and Isaiah’s problem, now,” he said, then he turned to the two men. “Ishbel and I will be in our eyrie at the very top of Elcho Falling. If you need us, climb upward through stairwell after stairwell. Eventually you will come to a blank sandstone wall. Place your palm upon it, so, and the door will open for you. I have instructed Elcho Falling to allow the two of you to enter.”

Maximilian turned for one final look at the Lealfast, then back at Axis and Isaiah. “I wish you good hunting,” he said, then he took Ishbel’s hand and left the balcony.

Georgdi looked at Axis, raising an eyebrow.

“Maxel and Ishbel are otherwise occupied,” Axis said. He briefly outlined to Georgdi what Maximilian had told them earlier. Then he leaned on the balcony railing, looking over the view before them. “Eleanon has brought the Lealfast back to destroy Elcho Falling, thinking he can recreate it using the Dark Spire.”

“How will he do that?” Georgdi said. “How would anyone think to tear this citadel apart? It is a veritable mountain. The Dark Spire is growing up through the citadel, yes, but at such a relatively slow rate that months will pass before the structure of Elcho Falling can be seriously compromised.”

“The ‘eggs’,” Axis said quietly. “They are scattered throughout the walls. Somehow they will hasten the process. But how? For the moment they simply sit there. How will Eleanon activate them? A word? An enchantment? A clap of his hands? How can we stop him if we don’t know what he plans?” He watched as wave after wave of Lealfast landed on the shores of the lake, then straightened and looked to Inardle. “Any idea?”

“No,” she said. “I had no idea the Dark Spire could do what it does now, let alone what else it, or its eggs, might do or how Eleanon may use them. Axis, Isaiah, I need to leave Elcho Falling to go in search of the Skraelings. I will need to do this soon because, even though that Dark Spire grows only slowly, it currently threatens the chamber where the entrance to the back tunnel is. Another day or so and I might not be able to leave that way. I had thought to leave today, before the Lealfast returned, but now .”

“You can’t slip by them?” Axis said.

“Not in my Lealfast form,” Inardle said. “There are too many of them. They’d spot me instantly. I am sure now they saw us leave Elcho Falling previously, and let us pass, to toy with us.”

“And in your River Angel form?” Axis said.

“I would still be spotted,” Inardle said. “I can slide about as water, but . . . I fear they’d still spot me. If there was a rainstorm, however .”

Inardle stopped, looking significantly at Isaiah.

“Oh no .” Georgdi and Axis said together.

“Just a rainstorm,” Inardle said. “Not a mayhem. Isaiah, can you do this?”

“I have little finesse when summoning wind and rain,” Isaiah said. “The mayhem I summoned on the day we entered Elcho Falling was far more than I’d wanted. I can start the process. I cannot control it.”

“But all would be safe within Elcho Falling,” Inardle said. “Only the Lealfast would be exposed to its full force.”

“Now there’s a thought,” Axis said. “Inardle, even with a mayhem as strong as the one we endured on the day of battle . . . could you still escape without harm?”

“Yes,” she said.

Axis looked at Isaiah.

Isaiah sighed. “I can summon one overnight for you, if you wish. It will require the night air to form.”

“Then I will leave tomorrow morning,” Inardle said. “And even if the back tunnel is unusable by then, I could slip out the front gates.”

“And for this day,” Axis said, “we watch the Lealfast.”

The Lealfast arrived in wave after wave, finally congregating in full force by mid-morning. They did not set up one large camp as they had previously, instead making twelve smaller camps at equal distances about the lake.

Their older camp, Armat’s original camp, still stood in some tatters near the far end of the causeway. Once the full might of the Lealfast had arrived, a large group of them