The reply confused Lukien until he remembered what Minikin had once told him. The Eyes of God held the essences of the sibling Akari. It gave each of them great strength in the living world, strength enough to make men — or women — immortal. But it also kept them apart.
‘The amulets do us great service, Amaraz,’ said Minikin. ‘We are grateful.’
Not knowing if he should speak, Lukien nodded his agreement. Amaraz did not look at him. The spirit’s expression grew serious.
‘Kahldris has awakened. You have come because of his armour.’
‘Yes, Amaraz. Tell us, please — where is Baron Glass?’
The great face wrinkled in thought, revealing all its ancient folds. ‘The one called Glass rides through the desert. He makes his way to Ganjor now.’
‘He still wears the armour, then?’ probed Minikin.
‘He will not remove the armour until Kahldris allows it. Kahldris is powerful, Minikin. I have warned you — he has subdued the baron’s mind.’
The news didn’t seem to surprise Minikin, but it alarmed Lukien at once. At last he spoke.
‘Great Amaraz, I am Lukien,’ he said, uncertain how to address the being. ‘Baron Glass is my comrade. He is strong. He can resist-’
Before he could finish Minikin touched his arm to quiet him. ‘Amaraz, is Baron Glass on his way to Liiria?’
‘To Liiria, yes. To his homeland. To avenge it.’
‘Avenge it?’ asked Lukien. ‘Against who?’
Amaraz replied directly to Minikin. ‘The Diamond Queen.’
Lukien froze. He glanced at Minikin, who glanced at him in sympathy.
‘Amaraz, please explain this.’
‘The one called Jazana Carr has moved against the country of Glass. Kahldris has revealed this to your comrade. The baron rides for vengeance.’
Minikin’s firm grip kept Lukien from launching a hundred questions. He was agitated, and angry at being ignored by the Akari.
‘What will happen to Baron Glass, Amaraz?’ asked Minikin. ‘What will the armour do to him?’
The Akari replied, ‘Kahldris will rape his mind.’
‘No,’ snapped Lukien. He shook off Minikin and stepped closer to the enormous face. ‘I won’t allow it. Tell me how to fight him, Amaraz. Tell me how to defeat the Devil’s Armour.’
Amaraz hesitated for a moment, fixing Lukien in his alien glare. When he answered, though, he spoke again to Minikin.
‘Always eager to fight. Will you send him after the baron?’
‘Talk to me, Amaraz,’ Lukien demanded. ‘You’re my Akari. Don’t you dare ignore me!’
‘Lukien, stop,’ Minikin ordered. She took his sleeve and dragged him back. ‘You are here because you have the amulet. Do not address Amaraz. Let me speak.’
Frustrated, Lukien pointed at Amaraz. ‘I’m the one who’s going after Thorin. Is he going to help me or not?’
‘Lukien, that is enough.’ Minikin’s eyes narrowed like a cat’s. ‘You will not speak again.’
The steel in her voice quieted Lukien. Annoyed, he stepped back from the altar.
‘Amaraz, there is truth in what Lukien says. Will you help him in his quest?’
‘I am always with him, Minikin.’
‘And the armour — can it be defeated with your help?’
‘Not with my help, no,’ said Amaraz.
The answer perplexed Minikin. ‘How, then, if not by you?’
‘The Bronze Knight will find the way.’
‘Amaraz, please. . if there is an answer you must tell us,’ implored Minikin.
‘I cannot.’
Minikin blinked at him. ‘Cannot? Why not?’
The storminess that had been there before fled Amaraz’ astonishing face. With great softness he said to Minikin, ‘There are things even you may not know until the time has come, dear Minikin. You are in the mortal world. To reveal the workings of everything would destroy the life you know.’
The little woman thought for a moment, then nodded. ‘You are right, Amaraz. I understand.’ She took a rueful breath. ‘Lukien will ride for Liiria. If there are secrets to be discovered along the way, he will find them.’
‘I will be with him, have no doubt,’ said Amaraz. ‘I will protect him as I can.’
Then, to Lukien’s surprise, the face of Amaraz swirled into the blue light and was gone. One by one the Akari in the chamber began to fade. The walls that had so grandly expanded became as they once were, and were soon replaced by the darkness of his own closed eyelid. Lukien unsteadily opened his eye. He was exhausted from what had happened. His legs felt rubbery beneath him. Miraculously, his hand was still where he had left it — palm down on the altar.
‘Lukien?’ Minikin asked. She pulled her own hand from the altar and smiled at him. ‘How do you feel?’
‘I feel. . astonished.’
‘It is like that the first time,’ said Minikin, then added, ‘and every time afterward.’
‘Is that all?’ asked Lukien. His eyes darted around the prayer room. ‘I mean Amaraz — has he nothing else to tell us?’
‘He has told us enough. You must go after Baron Glass, Lukien.’
‘Yes, but I would have done that anyway. Minikin, there must be something more, surely! Why will Amaraz not speak to me?’
Minikin’s impish face was serene. ‘I do not know, Lukien. I am sorry. But Amaraz will tell us no more. Remember, there is a way to defeat the armour. .’
‘He didn’t say that,’ retorted Lukien. ‘All he gave us was riddles.’
‘There is a way,’ Minikin repeated. ‘Amaraz merely said that he was not the way. It is out there for you to discover.’
‘Minikin, I-’
‘Shh,’ urged the mistress. She put up a tiny finger but could not reach his lips. ‘There is nothing to argue over. You must go after Baron Glass, Lukien. You must go to Liiria and try to stop him.’ Then she smiled at him oddly.
‘What?’ he asked. ‘Something else?’
‘Lukien, you won’t be going to Liiria alone,’ said Minikin. She took his hand and began leading him out of the chamber. ‘Come. There is someone I want you to meet.’
By the time Lukien reached the main level of Grimhold his head was still reeling from his remarkable encounter with Amaraz. Part of him felt lighter than air, as if his mind had been liberated from some steel cage. But he was also exhausted. The long ride to Jador and then Grimhold had left him sleepless for almost two days. He no longer wanted to fret over Thorin or talk about strategy. He simply wanted sleep. Seeing this, Minikin led him to one of the keep’s countless chambers. It was near the stairwell to the underground and had a cot and a few crude chairs. At first Lukien protested, because he had his own bedchamber in Grimhold and desperately wanted to go there, but Minikin insisted that he wait for her in the sad little room.
Too tired to argue — and curious about her strange proclamation earlier — Lukien collapsed onto the cot and waved her away, begging her to bring this strange new comrade to him quickly, whoever he was. Minikin shut the door to the chamber, leaving Lukien alone. There was no window in the room and the only light came from an oil lamp on a nearby table. Reaching over, Lukien trimmed the wick to darken the room, then closed his tired eye and sighed. He supposed Minikin was fetching one of the Inhumans to help him. Like Ghost, it would probably be someone with an amazing magical ability, and he wondered who it might be. By now he knew most of the Inhumans, didn’t he?
He settled into the cot and relaxed. It would be good to have help, he decided. Finding Thorin would be difficult. And if he had to fight him. .
Before he could finish his thought, he was taken by sleep. His slumber was short, however, interrupted by a sudden rap on the door. Lukien shook his head and sat up on the cot.
‘Come. .’
The door opened and Minikin appeared, her elvish face lit with a peculiar smile. Behind her was a woman Lukien had never seen before, a beautiful young woman with golden hair and powerful eyes, her slender body unobscured by Minikin’s diminutive form. The sight of the woman made Lukien rise from his cot. She was lovely, and oddly familiar. He started to greet them both. .