[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
At the front of the fort, Matthew gave a nod, and soldiers opened the gates. Before Cyclops could
follow, they closed behind us.
I told Jack I wouldn t leave. Matthew?
He didn t answer, just continued leading me down a rocky trail, lower and lower as the mist thickened.
Um, we re getting close to the shore.
Still surface.
The trail had opened up into a beach area, similar to the one across the river. Is it safe here? Wary, I
gazed around. I d bet kids had once come here, drinking beer and swimming on hot, sunny days.
I missed those days so bitterly I could weep.
TERROR FROM THE ABYSS!
The call boomed in my head. What is this, Matthew? I wrested my hand from his.
At the beach s edge, a section of water rose.
I m introducing you to . . . the High Priestess.
15
When the Priestess had said we d meet again, I thought she d meant far in the future some distant clash.
Not later the same night!
That rising water morphed, taking on shape. The details grew finer and finer until the outline of a girl
emerged.
Farewell, Fool, the water girl said.
I turned to Matthew.
Gone.
Damn it! I turned back to the Priestess. Though she wouldn t remember our skirmish, the feel of her
tentacles was fresh in my mind. Are you going to attack me out of the blue? Again.
Not at present. Though every attack of mine must be out of the blue, no? How could water sound
amused? Have we peace between us for this meeting?
I recalled Selena s guppy comment. The Priestess hadn t killed me, was instead calling a meeting.
Maybe she could become an ally. We have peace.
The water morphed again, taking the shape of an oval, like a mirror. As the ripples stilled, a firelit
temple came into view. The oval had become a window for me to see through!
Sitting upon a coral throne was a girl about my age with luminous fawn-colored eyes, flawless ebony
skin, and long black hair braided over her shoulder. She wore frothy white robes (sea-foam?), iridescent
blue opera-length gloves, and a glittering crown of water. A golden trident stretched over her lap.
She was spellbinding.
Hail Tar Ro, Empress.
Huh? Hail Tar Ro to you too?
What is your given name for this game? Her words were warmly accented, the rhythms calling to
mind balmy breezes and faraway places.
I m Evie Greene.
Something unseen skittered around her throne. A real tentacle? I m Circe Rémire. Water sluiced
down stone walls behind her. Was her temple underwater?
Until I learned her location, I couldn t fight her even if I wanted to. You re here, but you re not here.
I can inhabit certain bodies of water. For instance, if the Empress followed a stream from Death s lair,
I could follow her.
She d been watching me. How s that possible?
How is any of this possible? She waved a sparkly blue arm at her temple.
My eyes widened. She wasn t wearing gloves. Dazzling scales ran up her forearms, ending with a
dainty blue fin at each elbow.
If I d deemed Lark cool to have a bird of prey with a little leather helmet, Circe s scales were right up
there.
The game makes the impossible possible.
Witches and angels and devils and time travel. My head spun. I needed to get back to Jack. To feed
Tess.
I understand you had an eventful night. Circe literally didn t know the half of it. A grand clash amid
that mortal army. She seemed to be settling in for a big fat chat.
Was the Priestess lonely? As Death had been?
Eventful, I agreed, peering at her hand. No markings. Do you know what happened to the Lovers
icon? More of that creepy skittering sounded. I couldn t see what was at her feet and maybe that was a
good thing?
Their icon is right where it should be. As are the two you wear.
Odd way to answer. I never want another. I plan to stop this game.
She tilted her head, giving me what might have been a sad smile. You always had a high regard for
yourself.
How would you know that? I thought no one but the Fool had memories of past lives.
My previous incarnation cast a spell, allowing me to relive my memories through trances. Who needs
a chronicler when you have firsthand information?
A spell? Are you a witch?
It depends who you ask, she said wryly. Did the Fool give you your memories? In visions and
dreams?
He did. I ve been accessing them slowly.
Wise. I view mine for ten minutes a day, every day without fail.
She came across as so disciplined and with-it. Unlike me. I could go weeks without a vision, then
binge-watch. No wonder my brain felt like jelly.
With each memory, I better appreciate how epic this game is, she continued. It shapes the history of
gods and man, yet the Empress doesn t want to play anymore? There s no stopping it, Evie Greene.
Because it s impossible? You just said the game makes the impossible possible. When the alternative
is murdering kids, I ve got to try.
Did you try? She gave my hand a knowing look. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]