Charlie Madigan: Shadows Before The Sun Part 12

In my shock, I'd forgotten Sachath would come.

A dark cloud blocked out the night sky, swirling above me, condensing into a vague shape-head, shoulders, arms that became wispy and translucent as the thing moved. But in the very heart of it was the same horrifying black void I remembered. The shape moved closer.

I was empty and spent; all the power surrounding us was Sachath, not me, and it was heavier and denser than anything I'd felt before. It made me sick to my stomach. Tendrils of the gray, swirling matter floated toward me, over me, around me, snaking around my body as though hugging me, lifting me up, and pulling me into the black void.

And then the voice. Ancient and deep, imbued with such power that my teeth clattered together with every syllable. The words I didn't understand, despite Light.w.a.ter's syndialexi spell, but the frustrated restraint in them was unmistakable.

Then, it released me. I was weightless for three seconds before my back hit the stone floor of the balcony again. Stars dotted my vision and I faded into darkness.

11.

I regained consciousness sometime before dawn. The cool air had worked its way into my bones, and my muscles were tight and trembling, trying to create some heat within my body. My skull and shoulder blades ached, and my arm burned. Overhead, the stars were giving way to a purple sky.

Christ, I hurt.

Carefully, I rolled onto one side and pulled my knees to my chest, giving myself time to adjust, time to think and come to terms with what I'd done.

I didn't enjoy ending someone's existence, didn't enjoy the kill, and didn't seek it out unless it was absolutely necessary. At heart, my goal was to protect. If that meant engaging a foe, defending others, or stopping a murderous creature, then I would. I loved a good fight, sure. I loved feeling like I made a difference, and knowing that I helped people who couldn't make a stand. But there was no thrill in what I'd done.

I'd defended myself. In moments like those when s.h.i.t is coming at you faster than you can process, you do what you have to do to survive. I acted on instinct, which wasn't anything new-my response had been the normal Charlie MO. It was the way I'd killed him that I had a hard time with.

Eventually, I got up and shuffled stiffly into the bedroom where I cleaned up the ashes of the siren and then dumped them over the balcony into the sideways breeze.

I needed to get out of the palace and away from the reminders of last night, so I dressed slowly and then attempted the maze of hallways beyond my room until I found myself outside. The guards gave me a nod of recognition, which I returned before proceeding down the steps toward the sea, not stopping until I came to the market.

I bought a small loaf of warm spiced bread and took it past the dock to the beach, where I walked for a while, taking in the fresh air, the views, and the sunlight. I climbed the path to the cliffs beneath one of the towers and found a good spot to eat.

I needed this . . . peace, this solitary time, and the mindless distraction of the sea as it splashed against the tall, jagged rocks below me. I watched the birds dive from the cliffs and into the sea for breakfast. I watched the sky change colors. And eventually all those things helped clean away the darkness inside me.

My gaze turned to the tower across the bay. The obelisk's pointed top caught the first rays of the sun and sparked bright enough to make me shield my eyes. And then I saw it; the rings of power that made the wall of Fiallan impenetrable. Just a glimpse, like a shimmering mirage and then . . . gone.

I drew my knees in, wrapping my good arm around them, and rested my chin on top. No matter what had happened last night, my goal hadn't changed. The siren had come in secret, of that I was sure. But his disappearance would be noted at some point. They'd start searching, they'd be alert, and eventually they'd make their way to us. The outsiders. But we'd be inside the inner sanctum long before that happened. I hoped.

I stayed a few more minutes, and then headed back toward the palace to attend the Panopeic rites.

"I really don't see why I have to be bare-a.s.s naked in front of everyone!" I whispered vehemently. "You're the one who was invited."

Sandra had neglected to mention that being invited to the Circe's Panopeic rites also involved a cleansing-a nude, arctic, freeze your f.u.c.king a.s.s off cleansing. I didn't appreciate the non-warning, nor did I appreciate the fact she hadn't stopped flaunting her amazing night of lovemaking ever since I'd returned from my morning walk. In reality, if I thought parading naked through Fiallan whistling "Dixie" would get me closer to Hank, I'd do it in a heartbeat. But I didn't have to like it or the company.

Sandra and I were the last of the all-female procession to shed our clothes and step into the sacred spring. I was allowed to keep my amulet, but I worried about the mark on my shoulder blade and the symbols on my arm being visible. But more so about the mark, as it was identical to the one on Hank's chest. We had squabbled at length with the priestesses, trying to forgo this part of the ritual, to the point they threatened to bring the Circe to back them up. We'd considered Sandra going in alone and then reporting back, but then we learned once the procession was over, no one was ever permitted inside of the sanctum. Sandra felt sure she would not be invited back again, and I might miss my chance to get inside.

In the end, we decided this was our moment. We had to take it whatever the risk.

"You can't come unless you're purified in the spring," Sandra sang over her shoulder.

I shot daggers at her back as a gazillion icy goose b.u.mps swept up my legs and arms. A siren attendant filled a bowl with water and lifted it to my shoulders. I braced myself as cold liquid hit my skin. "Sweet Baby Jesus!"

The only good thing about that moment was watching Sandra get the same treatment, though it was hard to really enjoy her shock since I was in the process of becoming a human Popsicle.

The group in front of us received their gowns and began walking down the shallow stream that led out of the pool.

The grotto and spring tucked into a high rock was, according to Alessandra, supposedly the sacred spring where the deity Panope had appeared to the Circe and given them the vision of how to save the city from the Adonai. Panope was also called the Witch of the Sea, which I thought appropriate given her a.s.sociation with the three hags I planned on killing.

Males were prohibited from taking part in the Panopeic rites. Good thing. As it was, my poor brain felt permanently damaged at having to see Alessandra in all her bare-naked glory. Like most Elysians, she wasn't shy when it came to baring all; they often gathered in the baths naked as the day they were born, eating, conversing, as though nothing was out of the ordinary-though for them nothing was.

It made me wonder about her origins. Some race of Elysian, possibly? The fact that nudity didn't faze her was a clue I cataloged with all the others.

Sandra took the gown offered to her. "Besides, Charlie, it wouldn't kill you to let your feminine side out once in a while."

"Uh . . . I believe my feminine side is out right now for all the world to see," I grumbled. "And what the h.e.l.l is that supposed to mean anyway?"

She laughed. "You're just grumpy because I had fun last night and you didn't."

My glare was cut short by water over my head. I stopped myself halfway into spinning around and decking the attendant. f.u.c.k, that was cold! I swiped a hand down my face. "I hate you," I told the oracle with as much menace as I could manage.

She tossed a c.o.c.ky look over her bare shoulder. "It was good, too."

I rolled my eyes and pulled the gown over my head. Yeah, if only she knew the night I had. Hers obviously had been nothing but pleasure while mine had been . . . brutal. Whatever. I refused to let her bait me and tried to ignore her constant hints at her amazing night.

As I tugged the gown over my wet skin and arranged it correctly, I realized it left part of my mark visible. I glanced over my shoulder, trying to see how much was actually exposed.

"Charlie." Sandra stood downstream, waiting in the bend.

For a moment I was struck by the scene: her wet black hair spilling down her back, the white gown with its hem floating in the water around her calves, the blossoms in her hand, the trees that lined the mossy banks with their thin, fragile-looking limbs and the delicate leaves . . . Like a painting, a scene straight out of some Renaissance artist's dream of G.o.ddesses and ancient rites.

Then her eyebrow arched and one corner of her red lips dipped down, ruining the whole picture. The attendant handed me a bowl filled with white blossoms, which I was to carry down the winding stream, releasing them as I contemplated the gifts of the G.o.ddess, asked for her blessing, and offered her my grat.i.tude. Blah, blah, blah.

I tugged on the shoulder of the gown with one hand and balanced the bowl in the other. Well, at least we were the last to go, I thought as I picked my way along the mostly sandy bottom of the stream. And I sure as h.e.l.l wasn't backing out now.

Once I caught up to Sandra, who looked as though she was taking instructions seriously, I poked her in the back to get her attention.

"What?"

"How well can you see my mark?" I asked, turning around.

"Fairly well. But I'm standing right by you. Don't sweat it," Sandra said, moving on. "You're the least important person here, so you'll be in the back where no one will notice you."

Gee, don't mince words, Sandra.

"Now, hush. We're supposed to reflect on the G.o.ddess and the connection we make from us to the water and to the sea."

The chant of Tibetan monks came to mind and I couldn't help but say, "Should I start Om-ing?"

She tossed a flat, unamused look my way and then returned her attention to the procession. After a few minutes, Sandra said thoughtfully as she walked, "I want your word on something, Charlie." She glanced over her shoulder to make sure I was listening. "If anything were to happen to me . . . Promise to take me back home to Atlanta. Tuni will know what to do."

The goose b.u.mps that slid over my skin had nothing to do with the cold. Sandra was worried, which was understandable, especially for someone who could always see the future and now couldn't. "I will," I promised.

"You swear?" Her eyes narrowed as she stopped to look at me.

"I swear. Cross my heart and everything. Will you do the same for me if you can?"

"Of course."

As we continued walking, I mulled over her request. Did she know something she wasn't saying? Or was she just concerned? Neither thought was comforting.

Eventually, we came to a high rocky ridge topped with trees where the stream disappeared into the large opening of a cave. My feet were completely numb from the cold.

"We're close to the sea now," Sandra said over her shoulder, though it was unnecessary. As soon as we entered into the dark cave, I smelled the salt water and heard the faint echo of waves from some distant place up ahead.

At first it was pitch-black inside, and I was glad the sandy bottom allowed us to walk without much trouble. Light soon came, however, in the form of sunlight, which shot through random holes in the cave ceiling, making gossamer shafts straight to the water. The small waves our pa.s.sing made reflected light in ripples on the water and along the caves walls.

The mood changed, taking on a quiet reverence. Occasional murmurs from the procession goers drifted back to us in solemn tones.

My senses sharpened. We had to be getting closer to the Circe now. I took the opportunity to scan the cave walls, looking for any pa.s.sageways and hoping-waiting-for my mark to warm. We were entering the Circe's lair, where they did their dirty work, where Hank most likely was being held.

A song had begun, rising softly over the sound of the waves, the natural acoustics of the cave giving it added volume and significance.

Finally, the proverbial light at the end of a tunnel slowly appeared and we came to an enormous chamber the size of a large department store. The main source of light was a ma.s.sive opening at the far end of the cave that extended into the sea itself. A few stories high and wide, it provided plenty of light and allowed in the constant push and ebb of the sea. Rocks and ledges jutted up from the seafloor, creating pools within the cave that stayed filled with water. Time had eroded a small beachlike area where the floor of the cave met one of the large pools.

Some of the calmer pools were crystal clear and the bottoms glittered. The closer I came, I realized why. Gold, jewels, and other treasures littered the sandy floor.

Sandra tugged on my arm. We moved out of the stream where it met with the sea and onto the smooth flat rock that made up about half the chamber's natural floor.

Tucked back against the wall was an altar behind which the Circe had gathered, but my attention locked almost immediately onto the narrow opening behind them. Without a doubt, I knew I had to get inside that pa.s.sageway.

What followed next was a tediously slow sequence of events. First came a song-a beautiful long song. After the song, offerings were made to the deity, which explained all the underwater treasure. Alessandra and I tossed our flowers into the sea, and they floated with the hundreds of others, making a pretty web of white blossoms on the water.

Once the rites were over, the procession filed out of the cave, going back up the stream the way it had come. The Circe crossed the floor, heading our way.

"Thank you for coming, oracle," Arethusa said.

Calliadne took her turn. "Your presence pleases Panope."

"Come. Let us retire to our sanctum." Ephyra gestured toward the pa.s.sageway.

"I am likewise honored to take part in the rites. Your hospitality is most kind." Alessandra turned to me and the question not voiced was what they were going to do with me: invite me along or make me wait in the chamber?

The Circe exchanged glances, odd ones that made me wonder if they communicated telepathically. And then they stared at my arm and warnings fired through my brain.

"Your servant's markings." Their eyes didn't stray from my right arm. "Where did she get them?"

"They are . . . unusual."

Alessandra didn't miss a beat-and after the whole "Carly Madison" thing, I feared what would come out of her mouth next. "They were given to her by the jinn who trained her to be my bodyguard. They are ancient jinn markings."

Relief slid down my spine. Well done, Sandra. Well done. Using the jinn was genius because very few Elysians ever bothered themselves with Charbydon practices and rites.

"She may accompany you," Calliadne said at length, "but must wait outside the sanctum once we enter."

Alessandra and I bowed. "Most kind," she said.

I followed them into the pa.s.sageway. Finally. It took most of my focus to bank my emotions and aura so the Circe wouldn't feel anything suspicious coming from me, and concentrate on my surroundings.

Dressed only in the gown, I was at a serious disadvantage. The length could easily get tangled in my legs. I had no shoes, no weapons, no power to draw on unless I wanted a visit from Sachath. So that pretty much left my fists, my training, and my ability to think on my feet.

The pa.s.sageway made a serpentine path through the gray rock. The air was cool and damp, but it warmed the farther we went back into the earth. I found it strange, if this was indeed the Circe's dwelling, that there were no guards and no real security system-well, at least the kind I could see; crafting was another matter entirely. They could have this entire place protected with wards and traps.

Unless they had gotten complacent. In the thousand years since the Circe had risen to fame and control, there hadn't really been any challenges to their power. Who did they need protection from? Everyone here adored them. And, maybe, the lack of guards was for a reason. Like the fact that they didn't want anyone knowing the evil they did down here.

We walked single file until we came to a round chamber. There were three doors facing us. Calliadne opened the center door and motioned to Alessandra. "Our sanctum is this way."

Ephyra turned to me. "You must wait here."

I wasn't surprised by this, but I was shocked at the level of worry I felt for Sandra. The idea of her being alone with the Circe filled me with a very real, very acute sense of dread. I made a step forward. She couldn't go alone. I was her bodyguard, after all, and- She stepped in front of me, pressing a hand into my shoulder. The smile of encouragement she tried to give me failed miserably. "I'll be fine. There's a bench there by the wall. Just wait for me here." She was trying to hide it, but she was afraid. I knew her well enough now to know that, and I knew her well enough to care. And I felt very strongly about not wanting her to go. "Sit and rest," Alessandra went on, squaring her shoulders and taking on an imperious tone. "There is much work for you to do when I return."

I dipped my head and moved back, not liking it one bit. It went against every single protective instinct I had. My fists closed tightly and I clenched my teeth so I wouldn't say anything out of character for an oracle employee. But, G.o.d, I wanted to.

Sandra couldn't see her fate or mine; she had no way of knowing if she'd be safe. But we did know we were too close now to screw things up. With that thought holding me back, I remained silent. As the Circe ushered her through the door, Sandra glanced over her shoulder and the look in her otherworldly eyes gave me chills. Regret. Resignation. Friendship.

We'd truly become friends. And she'd just left with three of the most powerful creatures in siren history.

f.u.c.k. I rubbed a hand down my face, eyeing the room and trying to figure out what the h.e.l.l to do next. I paced. The absence of intel made me bristle. If I knew where Hank was being held, how many guards patrolled the area, I could make a plan. But as it stood, I didn't have the luxury of schematics and intel. And I had to act.

The look in Sandra's eyes had been haunting. What the h.e.l.l had she been thinking? Or maybe I was hyped-up to the point that I was exaggerating things, seeing emotions that weren't really there.

We'd worked hard to get here, and I wasn't going to ruin it now by running after them. The Circe wanted a reading from the famous oracle, nothing more. Sandra was far too famous and loved; harming her would cause a three-world uproar, and the Circe were too smart to bring in that kind of scrutiny. They had a good thing going, after all.

Putting the worries aside, I turned my focus to the left and right doors. They were unguarded, but it could be quite different on the other side. And there was a very good chance that each door was warded. I should be able to tell once I touched them.

If confronted, I'd just lie my way through. It'd be perfectly reasonable to claim I was looking for the restroom. Had to be one around there somewhere. Even sirens had to pee.

I chose the door on the left, which did not exude any crafting signatures like a ward, but it was locked. "Okay. Door on the right it is, then." Also locked.

Great. The only door that wasn't locked was the center one. Enough time had pa.s.sed that the hallway should be clear-at least from the Circe. I grabbed the handle and pulled it back slowly to peek inside. A long hallway with smooth walls and floor stretched out before me. I squeezed inside and eased the door closed.

I was pretty sure the farther I went, the more confusing this place would get. The Circe's own labyrinth, I thought, coming to a fork in the hall. Muted voices echoed from somewhere down the left pa.s.sageway, so I took the right.

About twenty steps in, warmth flooded the mark on my shoulder.