The Infinity Gate: Darkglass Mountain: Book Three - By Sara Douglass Page 0,190

stay, and help me,” StarDrifter said.

Again Axis had nothing to say. He knew he couldn’t stay. He and his father loved each other, but they made bad companions, and Axis knew the tension would see him leave sooner rather than later.

“Of course,” he said, and bent and kissed his father’s brow.

From his father’s rooms, Axis went to the chamber he had once shared with Inardle. How long had it been since he’d slept in here? The past few weeks had been spent everywhere but at Elcho Falling, and when here, Axis had virtually lived in the command chamber.

It was, nonetheless, no surprise to find Inardle waiting for him.

Axis looked at her as she stood watching him, so beautiful, and felt nothing but sadness, too. He stepped forward, folded her in his arms, and held her close, rocking her a little.

“Eleanon is dead,” he said softly.

“I know,” she said.

“I’m sorry.”

“I know that, too.”

“Everything has gone for you, Inardle.”

“And for you, too.”

They paused, awkwardly. This was the moment where one or both of them should say, But, together, we can forge a new life.

Instead they allowed the moment to draw out, then Axis leaned back, feeling uncomfortable.

“Don’t say it,” Inardle said, resting a finger briefly on his lips.

“What will you do, Inardle? You have no one left.”

No one, she thought. Not even you, Axis,

“I loved you, Axis,” she said, and again he took her in his arms.

“I know,” he whispered.

They stood a long while, saying nothing, just holding each other, then Axis turned and left her.

“It has been a hard journey up to see me,” Maximilian said to Axis when the StarMan emerged into the topmost chamber of Elcho Falling. Above them the roof lay open to the sky, Icarii tumbling through the revolving rings of the citadel’s golden crown, the sun shining, the sky deepest blue.

Ishbel stood to one side, looking lovely in a gown of silver and rose. Axis went to her first, taking her hands and kissing her hard on the mouth.

“I always wanted to do that,” he said.

She smiled. “I always wanted you to.”

He leaned back, regarding her thoughtfully, still holding her hands. “You’re pregnant,” he said. “It is why you needed to transfer out of Elcho Falling with myself and my men.”

Ishbel nodded. “I had only just realised in the past day. The child has barely been conceived.”

She shared a look with Maximilian, and both smiled. “It is another daughter, and this one we hope will be born safely and live her life in peace.”

“What does this do to the succession of Elcho Falling?” Axis said.

“We have not had the time and space to talk this through properly,” Maximilian said, “but . . . it is possible that the succession of Elcho Falling can carry through the female line. Probably will, in fact, as Ishbel enjoys her own rights as Lady of Elcho Falling.”

Axis’ brow furrowed slightly in thought. “So there could be two lines of succession? One, the male line from you, Maxel, trapped in the Land of Nightmares and slowly being corrupted by both Nightmare and the trapped power of Infinity, and now a female line from Ishbel.”

Maximilian gave a small shrug. “It appears so.”

Axis hissed his breath out softly between his teeth. Cods, he was glad it wasn’t he who was going to have to deal with the consequences of this. It had the potential to become a true catastrophe if Ravenna’s son ever escaped from the Land of Nightmares.

“And you, Maxel,” Axis said. “How does it feel, to be stripped of the power of Elcho Falling?”

“Both sad and joyous,” Maximilian said. “Sad, because I can no longer sense the magic of the citadel, but joyous because I feel I have a weight lifted off my shoulders.” He smiled, putting an arm about Ishbel’s shoulders and kissing her softly on the cheek. “And I have a feeling that this was always Ishbel’s mountain, both when it was Serpent’s Nest and as Elcho Falling.”

“You are going to leave, Axis, aren’t you?” Ishbel said.

“I must,” Axis said. “I can’t stay here.”

Maximilian nodded, understanding. “Isaiah waits on a balcony just a few levels down. Waiting to speak with you,” he said.

Isaiah’s hands rested on the balcony railing as he surveyed the lake and the surrounding landscape. He did not look up as Axis joined him.

“You left a right mess out there for my men to clean up,” Isaiah said.

Axis leaned his weight on his forearms on the railing, looking out. Below, squads of Isembaardian soldiers were cleaning