‘More will arrive, you can’t beat us all,’ said the Dordovan.
Denser’s laugh was pure scorn. ‘Too late for you.’ A headbutt split the Dordovan’s lips open, spattering blood. Denser dragged him towards the mana cage.
‘You’ll never open it,’ said the Dordovan defiantly. ‘And I’ll die before I help you free that thing.’
‘So foolish.’ Denser, his voice suddenly quiet, held the other’s face close to his. ‘So very, very blind. One magic, one mage.’ He dropped the man back to the floor and simply flipped the latch. The mana cage dissolved and a ball of fury came boiling out.
Chapter 21
Jandyr stared through the gate at the house, which was partially obscured by trees and other buildings. All appeared quiet in the Dordovan College. The street outside had some passing traffic but certainly wasn’t busy, and the guard at the gate seemed unconcerned by his attention.
He was at something of a loss. He knew he wouldn’t gain entry to the College at this hour but took the lack of activity as a sign that nothing more had gone wrong after the taking of the cat. All he could do was wait and see.
Away behind him, towards the centre of the City, he heard a commotion. The shouting resolved into the sound of hooves getting closer.
Pain flared briefly in Erienne’s skull and she staggered, clutching at the sides of her head. She dropped to her knees as the jolt momentarily robbed her of her balance. She felt dazed and squeezed her eyes tight shut. She heard Will rush to her side.
‘What is it? Are you all right?’
‘Gods, that hurt,’ she spluttered, shaking her head as the rattling in her brain subsided. She calmed herself, probing the mana trails that ran the length and breadth of the Tower, looking for the breach. It was in the Tower’s top storey, and when she found it, she gasped.
‘There’s a Xeteskian in the Tower,’ she grated, staggered by the audacity of the act.
‘Denser?’ asked Will.
‘Who else?’ She pulled herself to her feet. ‘He’ll have woken every mage in the building.’ She looked at Thraun. ‘Whatever you’re going to do, make it quick. We’ve just run out of time.’ Thraun’s revelation of his nature had at once shocked Erienne and made perfect sense. How else could he see like an elf in the dark? How else could he track and trail as silently as a hunting animal? How indeed? She had no idea whether to be afraid, fascinated, disgusted or amazed at him.
Thraun immediately began stripping off his clothes.
‘Listen, Erienne, the change is quick but people tend to find it horrible. Feel free to look away if you need to, I won’t be offended because I won’t know. Will, don’t leave my gear, I won’t get a chance to re-form until we’re away from here.’
Will nodded. ‘I hope you know what you’re doing. Good luck.’
Once naked, Thraun lay down on the cold stone floor, flinching at its touch. He lay on his side, legs drawn half up and arms straight out in front of him. He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing before tapping into that part of his mind which he feared, loved, loathed and cherished.
In a heartbeat his thought patterns changed. His mind filled with dreams of the pack, the joy of the chase and the glory of the kill. He could scent blood in his nostrils and the myriad odours of the forest. He dreamed of speed and the muscles of his limbs thickened, bones shifting, pads forming. He dreamed of the power in his face and his jaws extended, fangs growing, tongue flattening, nostrils developing. He dreamed he could hear the noises of the world all around him and his ears rose from the top of his skull. He dreamed of strength and his rib cage rounded, lungs expanded and heart pumped faster.
He could feel the sky above him, remember the prey at his feet and hear the sounds of his brethren calling him. He knew he had come home, but deep in his psyche, a voice tolled one word: ‘Remember.’
He rose quickly to his feet, growling deep in his chest, strength pouring into his re-formed muscle. He saw the woman-friend move backwards and the man-packbrother raise a hand that all was well. He turned his attention to the lid of the tomb.
Erienne had always prided herself that she could view anything with an objective eye. The horrors she had seen during her training had numbed her to most things, but Thraun’s transformation was something completely out of her experience. He was right, it was quick, but it would live with her for ever. And now he was standing, about four feet at the shoulder, massive jaws slightly apart, just staring at her with those same yellow-tinged eyes. His coat was a pale brown, flecked with grey, and down his neck ran a stripe of pure white. Beside her, Will waved, and at that, Thraun leapt on to Arteche’s tomb, walked through the ward, sweeping up the ring with his tongue, then jumped down again. He dropped the ring at his feet and looked up squarely at Will.
Relief flooded Erienne. Had Thraun triggered the ward, they would have been obliterated, and Will’s lack of fear at the sight of the wolf had an instantly calming effect on her nerves. She reached out and Thraun sniffed her hand.
‘You’d better move that ward outside again,’ said Will. ‘I’ve left my key in the door, just give it half a turn.’ He whistled to attract Thraun’s attention. ‘When we leave, we will be running. You can re-form back in the forest. It will be dangerous. Follow me.’ He half crouched and reached out a hand to the ring. Thraun growled and placed a paw on it. ‘You keep it then.’
‘How much of that did he understand?’ asked Erienne. She had the door open and was looking over her shoulder at Will, who shrugged.
‘It’s hard to say. He gets the gist of most things, I think, and there are certain words I know he understands. Unfortunately, he can’t remember how he understands, just that he does.’
Thraun took his paw from the ring and licked it back into his mouth. There would be threat, man-packbrother had said. He would be running. There would be a forest. The calls of the brethren echoed in his ears once more.
Reversing the ward was easy, fortunately. The construction of the mana shape meant the bubble couldn’t be burst from the inside. But because the trap spell could still be triggered, Erienne had to move it aside. It was the work of seconds.
‘Will he follow us?’
‘Yes,’ said Will. ‘But remember he’s completely independent. He won’t necessarily listen to anyone, not even me, and that makes him dangerous.’
‘To us?’
‘No, he knows we’re friends. But he’s essentially a wild animal and will react to threat as such.’
‘Right.’ Erienne set off, the globe above her head lighting the way.
‘Thraun, let’s go,’ said Will loudly. He jogged after Erienne, hearing his friend loping along in his wake, padded feet kissing the floor gently.
The demon streaked across the space to the mage and buried the claws of its feet in the man’s shoulders. All pretence at bravado gone, he gibbered and whimpered, thrashing his limbs on the floor but unable to strike the beast that drooled on his face.
‘Kill him,’ said Denser.
‘No!’ wailed the mage. ‘Please.’
The demon cut him off, pushing his mouth closed with one hand. ‘Your soul is mine,’ it said. It arched its back, spread its arms wide, clenched its fists and brought them back to impact the sides of the mage’s head with massive force. His skull crumpled like pottery between stones, his brain exploding into the Familiar’s delighted face. It fed, gorged itself on blood and brain while Denser looked on, dispassionate but appeased.
He became aware of people approaching the room. Multiple footsteps hurrying, and an urgent sound of voices.
‘Enough,’ said Denser. The Familiar looked up, disappointed. ‘We have company.’ Denser prepared another set of ShadowWings, his reserves of mana stamina falling low.