“Lady Lilith,” said Pyrrhus, “I’m afraid she has learned to manipulate Adepts who cannot Read at any time, hiding from Readers behind our shields. ‘
“That is why our Readers could not discover her,” said Master Clement.
“Protect Aradia physically,” Pyrrhus advised Lilith. “I do not think she can manipulate you while you are using your powers.”
“If she seeks to return permanently, the child is her only refuge now that we know her intentions,” said Master Clement. “Julia, Decius, Wicket-defend the baby. Pyrrhus, lend them strength. Portia must act now, before Lenardo adds his strength to ours. She is desperate-and very dangerous.”
“As dangerous as the Ghost King,” said Lilith. “We always thought those stories were pure legend.”
“The Ghost King was defeated. We will defeat Portia as well,” said Master Clement as he lay down on the lounge by the window. He would have to fight Portia beyond the body, as she was beyond it.
Julia, Decius, Wicket, and Pyrrhus sat on the floor, joining hands. The three who could Read consciously
“borrowed” and guided Pyrrhus’ power, forming a mental barrier against Portia.
Even so, Portia’s strength of will almost overpowered them before Master Clement’s mind touched theirs.
Portia retreated.
Evil laughter taunted them. “Clement, you have grown old and dull-witted! Why should I take this child?
You would simply kill her-and I would move on, take someone else, or remain out of body. But perhaps I should take her over, merely to force you to kill Lenardo and Aradia’s child!”
Her presence made another feint at the babe in Aradia’s womb, but this time it did not test their strength.
“I do not underestimate you, Portia,” said Master Clement. “How could I, when you managed to follow Torio through the planes of existence?”
“That fool! Oh, he took pains that I should not follow him to the plane of the dead and thence back to this world-but he never thought that I would backtrack along the path he followed on his way to the plane where we met!”
“However you did it,” replied Master Clement, “you must go back now to the plane of the dead-and this time I will see that you pass beyond the portal.”
“Oh, no. I like it here. I can control people, kill my enemies, enter anyone’s body I please to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh, and escape onto the planes of existence when I encounter opposition. And no one can stop me-not you alone, Clement, and not any pitiful circle you can muster, no matter what powers they claim!”
Master Clement ignored her boasting. “Portia, I will guide you.” His mental presence urged Portia’s.
Julia, never having experienced anything like this, had no idea what Master Clement was trying to do, and neither did Wicket, who was trying to explain to Pyrrhus what they Read.
“He’s trying to force her to another plane,” Pyrrhus interpreted. “One Master Reader can’t do that alone, especially not to another Master Reader!”
Decius was holding Julia’s left hand. At Pyrrhus’ comment his hand suddenly went limp in hers, and she realized that he had left his body to try to help Master Clement.
“Decius-you fool!” hissed Pyrrhus. Then with the power of his mental “voice”: “Decius-you haven’t the experience to help. Portia will use you against Master Clement!”
“She is,” Wicket said tightly, trying to describe how Portia had seized upon Decius’ intrusion, putting the young Reader’s presence between herself and the old Master.
“Decius-go back!” ordered Master Clement.
Decius broke free of Portia’s manipulation and joined his strength to Master Clement’s. “There is no one else to help you.”
Portia cut Decius off from Master Clement, surrounding him with darkness. He fought valiantly, but he was no match for the woman who had been Master of Masters.
Master Clement projected through the cloud of darkness, providing Decius with a focus, but as the young Reader struggled-
“Master Clement-Portia’s getting away!” Julia warned. But he could not abandon Decius!
“Pyrrhus, no!” Wicket’s voice shouted in Julia’s right ear, his hand jerking convulsively as in the “world”
they were Reading another presence blocked Portia’s way.
The fury radiant from Pyrrhus wavered for a moment, overshadowed by a rush of ecstatic pleasure-away from his nerve-burned body, he could Read).
But his need for revenge quickly overshadowed all else. More menacingly cold than Julia had ever Read him, Pyrrhus advanced on Portia. From the opposite direction, Master Clement closed in.
Decius was free now, observing, for the darkness disappeared when Portia’s attention shifted to Pyrrhus.
Instead of retreating, she moved toward him, her presence growing stronger as she approached.
Heartless laughter underscored her words. “So you would kill me again, Pyrrhus? Fool! You have killed only yourself!”
Wicket’s start of fear for his friend stabbed through Julia.
Portia, though, seemed to grow and flourish as she absorbed Pyrrhus’ rage, Wicket’s fear.
Despite their bodiless state, Julia felt that same menace Pyrrhus projected when he stalked someone-but again Portia only drew upon the anger, the frustration.
Suddenly Julia recalled something Pyrrhus had told her. “Pyrrhus-remember what you told me about revenge?”
“It’s sweet!” asserted Portia. “Go on, Pyrrhus-take your revenge! It’s all you have left, now.” Her power flared as she absorbed his fury.
“Pyrrhus-” Master Clement began.
“I see it,” Pyrrhus replied, his mental voice soft with amazement. Julia could feel him Read what Portia was doing. His will to revenge faded. Ill had my revenge, and it was not sweet. Such feelings are pleasant only to a creature such as Portia has become. She gains strength from fear, or hate, or anger.
“We don’t fear her.”
Julia felt Wicket struggle to control his fear, felt Portia weaken slightly as the negative feelings faded.
“But you hate me!” Portia snapped.
“Oh, I did,” Pyrrhus agreed. “It is amazing how much energy I wasted hating you, Portia. While you fed on that energy! That, and the fear and pain you generated with the storms and accidents and cold-oh, yes, you gained strength, but it fades quickly, doesn’t it? To gain permanent power in our world again, you must have a body. But we won’t allow that, now that we know you. You are nothing but a poor dead woman who won’t accept that she’s dead.”
“I’m not dead!”
“Portia,” Master Clement told her gently, “your time is over. Now you must rest. Come-let us escort you to the plane of the dead. It is your rightful place-you will find healing there for all your suffering.”
“No!”
But together, Master Clement and Pyrrhus surrounded Portia, radiating pity.
Portia shrank from that feeling, but the two Master Readers held her inexorably within it.
Julia Read an unspoken question from Pyrrhus. “I know the way,” said Master Clement. “I escorted Portia there once before.”
“And I will escape, as I did before!” Portia asserted.
“No, not this time,” said Master Clement.
Portia replied only with a defiant moment of wicked glee.
Julia’s curiosity surged in frustration. Master Clement and Pyrrhus were about to move to another plane, where she could not Read them-it infuriated her to be too young to leave her body. It wasn’t fair!
Determined to Read everything she could before they moved beyond her perceptions, Julia focused her power on Portia, Master Clement, and Pyrrhus.
The universe shifted with a sickening jolt!
Chaos whirled about her.
She wanted to scream, but she had no voice, no body.
Sheer terror gripped her as she was whipped endlessly through formless darkness.
She staggered, and was caught by strong hands. She was in her body, on a plain, Decius beside her-standing on two healthy legs. It was his hands that steadied her.