The Infinity Gate: Darkglass Mountain: Book Three - By Sara Douglass Page 0,60

of his entire arm, shoulder and now some of his upper ribs had frozen solid. Even breathing was painful.

“They are almost here,” Eleanon said, and Axis had to remind himself that Eleanon was speaking to Bingaleal, and not to himself or Inardle.

“It is a shame they will not arrive in the daylight,” Bingaleal said. Both of the Lealfast men were turning to stare south again, and Axis allowed himself a small measure of relief as he and Inardle picked up their pace.

“It would make a grand showing for Axis if they had,” Eleanon said. Then, “What was the fuss with the Strike Force . . . or whatever happens to be left of it.”

Bingaleal laughed. “Several of the Icarii came out to taunt us . . . and then one of the stupid arrogant idiots got caught within one of the revolving rings . . . she was lucky she didn’t get herself killed.”

Axis made a mental note to reward the Strike Force member who had been that brave. StarHeaven, he thought.

He and Inardle were moving faster now, drawing away from Eleanon and Bingaleal and close to the shoreline. Ravenna still stood waiting by one of the tents, but all her attention was on the sky rather than the causeway.

Then, gratefully, they were on firm ground and able to move faster. Her power still cloaking them, Inardle pulled Axis into a half trot, leading him through the deserted encampment on an angle to take them southward.

There was a heaviness in the air. Axis could almost feel the weight of the Lealfast Nation approaching, and could also sense Inardle’s increasing anxiety.

“My arm,” Axis risked murmuring. It now felt as if it were on fire, and he did not think he could bear the pain for much longer.

“Not yet!” Inardle hissed. They were running now, almost at the boundary of the camp, and it was not a moment too soon, for behind them Axis heard a soft roar of beating wings and excited greetings.

The Lealfast Nation had arrived at Elcho Falling.

Chapter 9

The Outlands and Isembaard

Isaiah sat cross-legged before Hereward. He held her chin in his hand with a tight grip and her eyes with his own fierce gaze.

Did Hereward harbour the One?

Hereward stared back, both with anger and with fright. Isaiah had retreated into his full aloofness and power as god-Tyrant — any closeness they had once shared was completely gone and utterly forgotten.

Would he kill her?

Isaiah could see that Hereward thought he would. There was terror and resignation in her eyes, along with all that anger, and he didn’t know what to make of it. He tightened his fingers slightly, sending his power deeper and deeper into her being . . . and yet still he encountered nothing but unbroachable walls and dead ends.

Was she hiding something? Or was it that Hereward had somehow managed to block him out through sheer force of will? Heavens alone knew she disliked him enough for such to be the case.

There were others in the tent: Lamiah and several of his senior captains. They stood restlessly, shifting occasionally from foot to foot, glancing among themselves before looking back at Isaiah and Hereward sitting close together. They, too, thought Isaiah would likely kill her.

They wanted it over and done with, so they could go back to the business of rallying the army against the Skraelings massing to the south. Hereward wasn’t worth the trouble . . . if Isaiah wanted her dead, so be it.

“She’s Ezekiel’s daughter,” Isaiah said, quite suddenly, and Lamiah and the other men blinked.

Ah, no wonder he hesitated . . . or was it due to something that had grown between them on their journey from the Lhyl into the Salamaan Pass?

Isaiah simply did not know what to do. He was now certain the One had escaped whatever destruction Ishbel and Maximilian had wrought at DarkGlass Mountain . . . and the Skraeling seemed to believe that the One had taken up residence within Hereward. There had been that strange re-opening of Hereward’s neck wound at a particularly crucial moment, and her tarter-than-normal demeanour afterward.

Did that mean the One had taken refuge within her, or were all of these clues a subterfuge? Did the One simply want Isaiah to believe he’d taken up residence within Hereward? Wanted Isaiah to waste his time on the woman while the One lurked elsewhere?

Isaiah hissed in exasperation, and released Hereward’s chin with a little shake.

She leaned back from him, trembling in a release of tension.

Isaiah rose