Page 11

I slept so soundly I never even heard Tarrak get up, rekindle the fire, and begin to prepare something for us to eat. I wasn’t aware of anything until he tugged at my foot, and I sat up quickly, not remembering at first where I was. I blinked at him in confusion, and he smiled.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” he said, hunching over the fire. “Get up and eat something. It helps with the cold to fill your belly.”

I pulled the furs around me and went over to sit beside him, feeling a little shy around him, though considering I’d slept on top of him all night, I shouldn’t have.

“Why is it so cold anyway? Is it this place?”

He nodded. “Yes. It’s colder here and farther north. It’s why most of the Dokkalfar live in caves.”

“I think this land is what the old mythology called Svartalfheim .”

He handed me a mug of hot tea and a big hunk of bread. “Where your King Gratin told you his fabled Sword of Light is hidden?”

I drank down some tea, and it was delicious and sweet and warmed my stomach all the way down. I tore off a big bite of bread with my teeth, suddenly feeling ravenous, and I remembered I never had gotten around to eating the night before. “Yes. He said it was in the cave of old Ludimarien, whoever that is. Have you heard of him?”

He shrugged, looking back down at the fire. I could sense that he wasn’t telling me everything, and I got a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I put down the mug of tea by my foot and stared at him. “You never told me why you came after me. Was it to take me back to your dungeons like you threatened or was it to stop me from taking the sword?”

Finally, he met my gaze with a determined look. “I’m not letting you do this, Sergey.”

“Why not?”

“What do you mean, why not? You’re trespassing on Dokkalfar territory, and the Dark Elves won’t appreciate it one bit. They’re not just going to stand meekly by while you plunder through their tombs, you know. You’re going to get yourself killed if you keep this up.”

“How do you…how do you propose to stop me?”

He rolled his eyes, and I held up a hand to stop him. “Oh, I know you’re much stronger than I am. Much more skilled with weapons. But I promise you this. You’ll have to kill me to make me stop.”

He shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. I can have you tied up and slung across my saddle in the time it takes to say the words.”

I glared at him, and he smiled. “I won't because I don’t want to hurt you, but I can’t allow this. I’m taking you home and if I have to, I’ll lock you in your room.”

I laughed. “Lock me in my room? What? Not the dungeons?”

He was beginning to lose patience with me, and that little nerve started twitching by his mouth again.

“Do I need to put you in the dungeon? I will if that’s what it takes to keep you safe, but I think you’ll find it’s much more comfortable in your room, with servants to attend to you.”

“Why won’t you let me do what I came to do? I know I can find the sword.”

“No, you don’t know anything of the sort. It’s a myth, Sergey. It was never real.”

“Then how come Glorfindel is looking for it too?”

He frowned a little. “What? What makes you think that?”

“Pavel told me. Glorfindel must think there’s some truth to the old stories. I don’t know why you think it’s not true because there’s always truth in these old legends—just look where we are now. We’re in Svartalfheim. All we have to do is find that cave.”

“If it were that easy, someone would have found it centuries ago, Sergey.”

“Not if they didn’t know or understand the riddle.”

“And you think you do.”

“I think so. Yes. Go with me, Tarrak. Help me find the sword.”

“Help you? So you can hand it over to my half-brother for him to kill me? The sword is supposed to make its owner invincible in battle. Unbeatable. Do you think so little of me?”

“No, of course not! I already told you I’m not giving the sword to Adan or his mother.”

“I’m not going to be a part of something that will bring you dishonor either. And me by association. I’m taking you back to the palace, and then when I rescue Juul and Pavel and get them home, you and I will decide where we go from here.”

“It sounds to me as if you’ve already decided.”

“Sergey.” He still couldn’t look at me and I found that telling. “We need to talk when things aren’t so chaotic. I have to get back to Adan’s castle and finish this.”

I jumped to my feet, noticing how tired and sluggish I still felt. The journey must have taken more out of me than I’d imagined it would. “Help me first then and we’ll take the castle with the Sword of Light! If you won’t go with me, then I’ll go on my own, like I’d planned. I don’t even understand why you came after me!”

He jumped to his feet too and stood looking at me across the fire. “You know why! I told you I have feelings for you that I’m struggling with. I thought you understood.”

“I don’t understand any of this!” I shouted at him, a feeling of dizziness hitting me so fast I staggered a little and almost fell in the fire. He was beside me in an instant, holding my arm.

“Sit down before you fall.”

“Before I… why? What’s happening?” I looked down at the tea I’d drunk in horror. “Did you drug me?”

“It’s a sleeping draught and nothing that will harm you. Glorfindel gave me something that will just make you sleep for a while, and when you wake up, you’ll be back at the palace. Safe again.”

I tried to swing at him, but I fell instead, or I would have if he hadn’t been there to catch me in his arms. I gasped for a deep breath, trying to fight it, but he held me close and spoke soothingly to me, trying to calm me.

“Don’t fight it, sweetheart. Just try to relax.” I gazed up at him, feeling betrayed and furious at his treachery. “I can’t have you hurt or killed, Sergey. I had to come after you to stop you for your own good. And for mine.”

Darkness fell over me like a shroud then and no matter how much I struggled against it, I couldn’t shake it off. I thought I heard him whisper to me once, though, against my ear. “Please forgive me, mortal boy.” He bent down and kissed my forehead. “Sleep now.”

****

I came fully awake perhaps two days later back in the Ice Palace, in my own room and in my own bed, but there were new iron bars on all the windows, and a new iron bar across the door. I could go anywhere I liked within my room—to the fireplace, to the window, to my desk—but not outside the door. The servants attended to my every need through some sleight of hand of their own, maybe even secret panels in the walls, for all I knew. Every need, that is, except the one to be free. They would slip in while I wasn’t awake to leave food and drink and even hot water for my bathing purposes. They were kind enough, but I was sure I was being watched, as they seemed to have an uncanny knack for knowing when I went to sleep. Then they would come to empty the chamber pot or leave my food or bath water or do whatever was necessary. I’d always known Elves had a kind of practical magic, and I guess I was seeing evidence of it firsthand.

If there were any books I wanted—except, of course, for my magic books—I had only to leave them a list, and the books would magically appear. They left me pen and paper too when I asked for it and anything else I wanted so long as it didn’t provide me a means of escape.

I was going to go mad soon if Tarrak didn’t come back and release me.

The Fae, and in particular the Fairies, were said to be allergic to iron, though it didn’t kill them. It blocked their magic, made them feel really sick, and the smell was overwhelming to them, too. I thought that was probably the reason for the iron bars on my windows and door. But I was no Fairy, so it didn’t make me ill, though it did interfere with my magic pretty effectively.

I knew this for a fact because I had already tried a few spells after lighting a fire and using a straight razor to draw a few drops of blood for a sacrifice. The servants had incongruously left the razor for me to use when I shaved, apparently not worried about me using it to cut one of their throats. Not that I ever could, since they were never around, but how could they be so sure I wouldn’t just pretend to be sleeping, leap from my bed, and kill them all? Of course, there was the fact that I wouldn’t ever do such a thing and maybe they knew it. Also, they were all Elven, so they probably could have dispatched me easily if I’d tried to attack them anyway, razor or no razor.

One morning not long after breakfast, when I had been trapped in my room for about a week, the door opened and Glorfindel sauntered in. He came right through a panel in the wall near the door, sliding it aside and closing it behind himself. He grinned at my surprise and leaned back against it, regarding me with a smile on his beautiful face. I knew those damn servants were using secret panels, damn it.

“Surprised to see me?”

“What do you want here, Fairy? To gloat?”

He smiled and took a step into the room toward me where I sat at my desk.

“Sergey, you wound me. Why would you say such a thing? It gives me no pleasure to see you locked up this way. Pavel is a good friend of mine, and it would upset him greatly to know you’re here like this. I’m the one who allowed you to escape Tarrak’s camp in the first place by sending the guard away. I never dreamed Tarrak would go after you.”

“Well, he did.”

“Yes. I underestimated his regard for you.”

I made a rude noise and gestured toward the iron bars. “Some regard.”

“He would have put anyone else in the dungeons.”

“Hmmph. At least tell me what’s happening with the siege. Has Tarrak managed to break through the gates yet?”

“No, as a matter of fact, he hasn’t. That’s why I’m here, actually. Tarrak is growing frustrated and sent me to get more men from his lords and bring them back to help. But I was thinking on the way here, and I decided that the more practical thing is to let you do what you wanted to do in the first place—find the Sword of Light and take it to him.”

“Tarrak doesn’t believe in either the sword itself or my powers to find it for him.”

He waved his hand in the air, as if to express how silly kings and their beliefs could be. “Kings aren’t always the best judges of what they need to do. That’s why they have ministers and advisors and employ wizards.”

“Like you.”

“Yes, I’m a very good wizard, as it turns out. You have no reason to hate me, you know. Again, I’m the one who arranged for the guard to leave your tent so you could escape.”

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “Why would you do that, anyway?”

“To help you. I’m not the enemy, after all. I’m not after Pavel’s job, and I’m not in love with Tarrak. More to the point, he’s not in love with me.”

I could feel the flush on my face. “What makes you think I care about whether or not either of you are in love?”

“Oh, please, Sergey. It’s obvious to everyone who looks at the two of you together. Tarrak is besotted with you, though he won’t admit it.” He shrugged. “It’s all right with me, you know. Tarrak and I aren’t suited to be together as anything but friends. We decided that long ago.”

“It doesn’t matter. Despite what Tarrak does or doesn’t feel, he wants nothing to do with any mortal.”

“Is that what he said?”

“Oh yes. He made that crystal clear.”

“Then it’s lucky for you that you aren’t one, isn’t it?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “What are you talking about?”

“Surely you don’t still think of yourself as merely human, do you?”

I stood up and glared. “What the hell are you saying? Just spit it out.”

“When you access your magic, whose name do you call on for help? Tarrak told me you asked for the help of Samael and some other demon called Ribi or Tili Boom or some such.”

I rolled my eyes and sighed. “Samael yes. But the other words are just silly magic words to help me focus. I told him that. They don’t mean anything at all, so far as I know.”

“Yes, but Samael means something. Do you know who he is?”

I shrugged. “Of course. My mother made sure I had plenty of religious instruction. According to the Bible, he was an Archangel who defied God and aligned himself with Satan. He’s a fallen angel.”

“Mentioned in your Christian Bible in Genesis, I believe. Let’s see, I think it says, ‘... when the sons of God came unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. ’”

“What are you talking about?”

“If a fallen angel lies with a daughter of men and those daughters have children, they’re known as Nephilim. From what Pavel has told me about your mother, I’m thinking she rejected the idea, but I believe she may have been a Nephilim.”

“Based on what evidence?”

He shrugged expressively. “None really. Just a feeling, but usually my feelings are accurate. Just think about it a moment. Both you and Pavel are rather disgustingly good people, but you have Infernal Magic running through you like a wide vein of gold in a mine. You, in particular, have talent in the Dark Arts and you seem to have no fear of calling on a powerful fallen angel. A demon, close to Satan himself. Is that ignorance? Foolhardiness? Or something else?”

“I don’t believe any of this.”

“No? I think your mother passed it on to the two of you, her children, and there was nothing she could do about that, no matter how much she hated the idea of what she was.”

“Passed what on to us? What are you talking about, Glorfindel?”

“Nephilim blood. I don’t think you’re a demon, Sergey. Or not exactly, anyway. I think you may be part Nephilim.”

“That’s completely insane!”

“Is it? To show their acceptance of the Nephilim, their fallen angel fathers gifted them with angel life spans but human souls. They also allowed their fallen angel powers to be passed down; however, the children were generally not able to access full powers until their eighteenth year. Does that ring any bells for you?”

I just stared at him in consternation. From the stories Pavel had told me, it was only after he went to the Quendi, when he must have been just over eighteen or nineteen years old, that he displayed any real power with his healing and his pipes. He’d thought that just being in the Quendi land itself must have magnified or intensified his powers, and he never questioned it again after that. I had been eighteen when I created all that chaos with the rabbits.

“You said these Nephilim have angel life spans, but that can’t be true. My mother didn’t live a long life. She died when she was still fairly young.”

“Your mother was a Nephilim, but she renounced any and all powers she might have inherited, according to what Pavel told me. She wanted nothing to do with them and had the priests do various ceremonies over her.”

“You mean if she hadn’t done that…”

“Who knows? Perhaps your grandfather wasn’t fully an angel but a Nephilim himself. That would have diluted the blood even further. Your mother died perhaps because of an illness or perhaps because some of the priests’ rituals actually worked and they took away all her natural defenses. As for you and Pavel, perhaps you won’t live forever, necessarily, but you’ll probably live a really, really long time. That should make Tarrak and Juul happy.”

I felt a little dazed, and besides, I wasn’t sure I believed it anyway. “But that means any magic I inherited would be Infernal.”

“Yes, it would. It is .”

“And that would make me…”

“At least part Nephilim. Like I said.”

“But what does that mean?”

“It’s hard to say, and you may have to figure it out for yourselves. You obviously have some ability to do magic, but to what extent? The Nephilim are mysterious characters that no one seems to know much about. They’re supposed to be big and strong, and at their core, they’re soldiers—warriors. Like the Archangels.”

“Pavel isn’t big. And he hates war.”

Glorfindel shrugged. “You’re only part Nephilim. You and Pavel have other influences inside you too. Pavel has his grandmother’s skills, in particular.” He folded his arms and regarded me. “Not you, though, I think.”

I just looked at him, though my mind was racing and tumbling over the possibilities. Could this be true? Were Pavel and I part Nephilim? And if we were, would that mean I might be able to convince Tarrak I would live longer than either of us ever dared to hope? Pavel had hardly aged a bit; though it had been ten years since he’d come for me, he still looked as young as I did.

“Anyway,” Glorfindel continued, “if what I suspect is true, then you should go after the Sword of Light. You might even consider making it yours. You could become Tarrak's champion. After all, Nephilim were born to be fighters. They’re descended from archangels.”

“But Tarrak…?”

“Would still be protected from his enemies. By you. His own invincible part-Nephilim warrior.”

I shook my head and fell back in my chair. “You’re talking so fast you make it hard for me to think.”

“What is there to think about? But if you must, think about how impressed Tarrak would be by you and your skill with the sword. Listen to me, Sergey, we need to go to the Dokkalfar territory. That’s where Tarrak found you, isn’t it? He told me you were deep into their territory when he finally tracked you down.”

“Yes, I was. I was looking for a specific cave.”

“The cave of Ludimarien. Yes, Tarrak told me. Were you looking or just blundering blindly about?”

“He seems to have told you everything,” I said, feeling a little jealous and resentful. He had shared very little with me.

“Not everything, but enough to know that he loves you, and he’s fighting it hard. He’s terrified that you’ll get yourself hurt or killed, yet he’s afraid to let you stay near him so he can protect you. Because if he does, then he won’t want to let you go.”

“I don’t need him to protect me.”

“You may have Nephilim blood, but you’re only just now coming into your powers, and an Elf is still much stronger. Tarrak is fierce and highly skilled in battle too. The two of you could be a formidable team.”

I liked the sound of that, but I had no idea whether or not Tarrak wanted me on his “team.” It didn’t stop me from imagining it, though.

“Well?” Glorfindel asked. “What do you think? Shall we go and find the sword? Instead of just wandering around aimlessly, I may know where the caves could actually be. I’ve been to the territory before when I was younger. I think we could figure it out.”

“We?”

“Yes, I’ll go with you. It might help a little when Tarrak finds out I’ve ignored his orders and come after you instead of sending him reinforcements.”

“You know I made a bargain with Queen Olga to give her the sword in exchange for keeping my brother and Lord Juul safe? And you know there’s still that ‘forsworn’ thing you were worried about before?”

“Yes. So?” He smiled at my expression. “I’m not an Elf either, Sergey, as you so memorably said, and I was never really concerned about any bargain you made with Queen Olga and Prince Adan. I simply said that out of loyalty to Tarrak. So, what do you think? Should we go find the sword?”

“Can you get me out of here?”

He shrugged. “Of course.”

“Then let’s not waste any more time.”