Mistress of the Night

CHAPTER 17

The force within the black slates hammered at Keph like pounding waves driven before a storm. He gasped and staggeredbut didn't let go. Strasus hadn't described the dark force and Keph knew his father would have! The old man thought of the book as some curiosity, some ancient artifact and nothing more.

"I spoke no lie when I said you had the potential to become one of Shar's priests," Variance had said. Was the power of the book something that reacted only to the potential of divine magic? Was it possible that even a wizard as powerful in the Art as Strasus Thingoleir had not felt the tide of darkness?

There were whispers within the darkness as well: slow, low, and powerful. He felt like he could almost make out the words within themalmost, but not quite. He strained and tried to catch what the whispers were saying. They swirled around him, a whirlpool that threatened to pull him under, to swallow him whole…

Almost like Variance's attempt to alter his memories. He clenched his teeth and thrust back against the whispers just as he had thrust back against the dark priestess.

"Get out!" he hissed. "Get out! I'm not listening to you!"

The force surged. It probed. He flung it back with all the strength of his will.

It retreated. Keph stood still and stared down at the book. It seemed heavier in his hands. His breath came in short gulps once more.

Another questing tendril of force caressed the edges of his mind. He slapped it away, then turned and stumbled out of Strasus's study. Carrying the book was like carrying a tub of water, a weight that shifted constantly and threatened to splash free at any time. Keph held it as close as he dared and made his way slowly back down the corridor of the north wing. He could feel the wards again. Instead of tugging at him, though, it was almost as if they brushed against him then shrank back like hair singed by a candle flame. Whispers swirled.

"No," he growled.

"Master Keph!"

Halfway up the grand staircase, the underbutler he'd encountered before stood and stared at him. There were other servants too, all in various stages of preparing for bed. Down in the entrance hall, the head butler, dressed in a night robe, was just emerging from the passage that led back to the servants' quarters. Some of the men were armed with knives and short swords. All of the servants were staring at him. Keph froze.

The fight with the copper falcon… how far had the sounds carried in the silent mansion?

"Stay back," Keph snarled.

"Sir," the head butler called, "what are you doing?" "I'm fixing a mistake," Keph answered. He took a slow step forward. "Get out of my way."

The underbutler already on the stairs started to retreat back down them, but the head butler moved forward and began to climb.

"That book is from your father's study. I can't let you-"

"I said get out of my way!" roared Keph.

Maybe some of the dark force of the slates had wormed its way deeper into him than he had thought. The head butler turned pale and stopped. The underbutler actually choked, pressing himself so far back against the banister that for a moment Keph thought he might fall over. All the other servants cleared away from the bottom of the stairs.

Keph tightened his grip on the book of slates and marched down the staircase. When he reached the bottom and turned to the doors, the servants parted to make an aisle for him. The entrance hall was deathly quiet.

When he opened the doors, though, sound rushed in. Yhaunn's night was alive with distant cries and screams. Many of them came from the direction of the Stiltways. Keph tottered forward. Strasus's wards had been designed to keep people out of Fourstaves House, not in. The green lines of magic that flared briefly as he walked out shimmered and shriveled just as the wards in the north wing had. The stone dogs actually cowered away from him.

Whispers crashed inside his head once more, and Keph let them crash, holding them at bay rather than thrusting them back. Staggering like a drunk man wading in the surf, he jogged into the night toward Moonshadow Hall.

Feena could hear howls. She could hear screams. She could hear Julith crying for her and the splashing as the young priestess reached into the water of the sacred pooland a shout of surprise as she leaped back.

She heard all of it a fraction of a heartbeat before. dazzling moonlight burned away the haze that had stolen her vision. Feena gaspedand in gasping, drew the moonlight into herself. Selune was inside her, burning in her flesh and blood, knitting her together, and making her whole. The touch of the goddess exploded through her. Feena threw back her head and howled not out of pain, but out of sheer joy.

The wolf within her howled right along with the woman. And somewhere in the silver brilliance of Selune's light, Feena could hear a whole chorus of wolves and beasts raising their voices along with her.

The New Moon Pact was reborn!

Feena felt stone under her feet and kicked out. She shot up through the water and into the night, still howling. Shining water streamed from the fur of her hybrid form. She felt stronger and more alive than she ever had in her life. Everything seemed brighter and more vibrant. Growling with fierce ecstasy, she threw back her head and howled at the sky.

"Feena!"

She looked downno, just across. Julith crouched beside the sacred pool and Feena stood within it. The water was no more than waist deep. But it had felt as though she had been so much deeper! She snarled in awe. There were things to be seen by moonlight

She surged forward through the water and heaved herself out of the pool. Julith was still staring at her in amazement.

"How…?"

"Later, Julith," Feena said. "There's a battle-" "Feena, you're talking!"

She froze and reached up with tremendous, clawed hands to touch her face. A wolfs muzzle, a wolfs ears, a wolfs head, and yet

"Moonmaiden's grace," Feena gasped. Her voice was deep and resonant, but she could speak just as well as she — could as a human. "Oh, Bright Lady of the Night!"

A chilling howl broke through her awe. Julith paled. Feena's head snapped around. One of the Sharrans' otherworldly dogs. The sounds of it raised the hair on her neck and all the way down her spine. Up on the rooftop, she could see Selune's clerics scrambling back.

"Julith, gather anyone you can and arm yourselves. We're taking the fight to the Sharrans!"

She didn't wait for a reply. Powerful legs drove her across the courtyard. There was no time to rush through the twisted passages that led out onto the roof from inside the temple. In one bounding leap, she jumped up and caught the lowest windowsill in the wall above the covered cloisters. Muscles rippled under her fur as she drew herself up and braced her body in the window frame.

Her claws sank into the mortar between the stones of the frame. She looked at them with surprise, then bared her teeth and swung out from the window. Digging in with fingers and toes, she scaled the wall as easily as if it were nothing more than a steep bank of earth. Six feet… ten feet… twelve… and she was racing up the pitch of Moonshadow Hall's roof toward the high walkway. All along the parapet, the iron hooks of grapples shook as Sharrans scaled the outer walls while Selunite priestesses huddled against the edge of the walkway, driven back by the unnatural horror of the black dogs' howling. They shrieked and flinched as Feena vaulted onto the walkway.

Moonshadow Hall's defenders had been reduced to frightened girls. Feena spread her hands. If she could speak in hybrid form, could she work magic as well?

"Selune be with us," she prayed. "Protect us from the terrors of the night!"

The Moonmaiden's magic swirled like a stirring song, blotting out the lingering echoes of the black dogs' howls. The priestesses gasped as renewed courage took hold of them.

"To arms, sisters!" Feena howled. "To arms!"

She whirled toward the parapetjust as the first Sharrans hurled themselves over the edge and onto the walkway in a frenzy of screaming madness.

If the sight of a werewolf startled them, they didn't show it. A surprisingly well-dressed young man flung himself at her.

"Beast!" he shrieked. "This is for Cyrume and Keph!"

He swung at her with a sword, but Feena blocked it with her arm. The blade sliced into her fleshbut without magic or silver behind it, the cut was no more than a sting. The young man's blow was unnaturally strong, though. She could almost smell the dark magic that clung to him. Growling, she caught his arm before he could swing again, then grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him in close.

"You fool!" she roared in his face. "Keph is my friend!"

The wolf in her bayed for blood, urged her to rake claws across the Sharran's flesh. She held back the savage instinct and punched instead. A jab rocked the Sharran's head back. A backhand twisted it around. If Keph could recognize the mistakes he had made and turn from Shar, maybe there was hope for the other cultists as well. When she released her grip, the young man slid down to sprawl across the walkway. Feena grabbed the next Sharran to come over the parapet and gave him the same.

Bolstered by Shar's magic, none of the cultists went down easily. Selune's faithful were better armed than the Sharrans, however. Inch by inch and blow by blow, the Sehlnites pressed them back toward the parapet until a woman's voice rolled up from below, speaking a blasphemous prayer to the Lady of Loss.

The worst of the wounds the defenders had inflicted on the Sharrans vanished. The cultists surged forward with renewed vigor. Variance! It had to be the dark priestess.

Feena cursed and leaned out over the parapets, but could see nothing in the shadows below other than the black dogs. They paced and snarled, waiting for prey to come within reach. Feena howled at them and their snarling broke into a frenzy.

Farther along the curve of the wall, though, there was trouble. The battering ram she'd heard as she spoke the oath of the New Moon Pact was swinging again at the front gates. Its dull thunder echoed in the street. Feena wrenched one of the Sharrans' grappling hooks, abandoned now, free of the parapet and charged along the walkway, rope trailing after her.

"Make way!" she shouted. "Make way!"

Another Sharran tried to stop her. She met him with a stiff arm that knocked him back off his feet and left him clutching his chest and choking. On the ground below, the black dogs shadowed her in a growing pack.

The walkway ended in a squat bell tower over the gates. The alarm bells that the acolytes had rung earlier as she lay dying in the kitchen were silenta strong defense was better than a vain hope of rescue! Feena dived inside and peered out one of the high windows. Below her, manned by ten Sharrans, the battering ram swung against the gates hard enough to send vibrations all the way up to shiver through the pads of her feet.

At least it did until the black dogs that had pursued her came bounding around the walls. The ram crashed to the ground as the cultists scattered in shock. Teeth bared, Feena set the grappling hook against the stone of the windowsill and tossed the rope out the window, then grasped it firmly and swung out herself. The dogs howled and scrapped under her like puppies begging for a dangling sausage. Feena counted five of them.

Ten feet up from the ground, she pushed away from the Wall, swinging herself out. The black dogs followed her, ugly heads swiveling and spinning. A couple of them darted after her. Feena's swing slowed and stopped as it reached the end of its arc, then started back down.

She let go of the rope and aimed straight at the ugliest of the dogs. It had time to stare at her in alarm before her full weight slammed into it. The beast went down with a yelp of surprise. The other dogs only hesitated for a heartbeat before closing on her in a frenzy of claws and teeth.

Feena's teeth were at least as big. Her claws were bigger. And because the dogs had no hope of redemption, she had no regret in letting loose all of the pent-up savagery of the wolf within her.

She tore into the first dog to come within reach, her claws shredding its slick black hide. The dog's flesh was cold and darkwhere light fell on its wounds, black blood hissed away like mist before a flame. A dank smell reached her nose. Shadowstuff. The black dogs had been summoned out of pure darkness.

When she hooked out the first dog's throat with her claws, its body faded into darkness as well. A hard kick smashed the ribs of the struggling dog she'd brought down with her leap. A third dog darted in to rip at her legs. Feena tore down blindly with her claws and took an ear, but the dog's teeth caught her arm. She howled in pain. Unlike the Sharrans' weapons, the dogs' unnatural teeth could hurt her. She lashed at the clinging dog with her free hand, tearing long strips of dark flesh from its side until it released her.

The last two dogs seized the moment to dart in at her. Feena whirled on themand dropped to all fours, changing into a wolf as easily as she had in her dream of the New Moon Pact. Another gift from Selune! Caught off guard, the darting dogs hesitated. Feena leaped at one, growling and bristling. It cringed backand she spun to the other, seizing its massive neck in her powerful jaws and wrenching hard. It staggered and shook her off, but it was bleeding shadowstuff, darkness drifting from its wounds and fading away. Feena backed off. The dog with the torn ear slunk in to join its packmates. Low snarls seething from out of their throats, all three paced forward. The outer two moved to flank her.

Feena leaped past them, straight at the dog in the center, the only one she hadn't injured yet. It reared up to meet her charge, but her weight was greater and she bowled the beast over onto its back.

One fast snap of her jaws around its throat sent it back into Shadow, but another dog leaped onto her back. Feena felt jaws closing, trying to find purchase on her neck. She twisted around, willing a change as she moved. Her wide, clawed hands caught the thing's jaws. She jerked them sharply to the side. The dog shuddered, died, and vanished.

The last dog, the one with the savaged throat, shrank back with its tail between its legs as she rose. Feena stalked toward it, growling and flexing her hands. The dog whimperedthen lunged. Feena spun out of its way and raked it deeply with her claws as it passed. It landed, spun around, and managed one last growl before it collapsed and vanished as well.

The mutter of human voices brought her around. On the far side of the abandoned battering ram, the Sharrans who had manned it stood clenched together in a frightened little pack of their own. Standing at their head, however, was a man with an eerily stiff and flawless face: Bolan!

"You've beaten shadow mastiffs, Selunite," he called, "but do you think you can take Shar's faithful?"

The Sharrans managed a weak rattling of weapons. Bolan scarcely seemed to notice. By his voice and the eyes that glared out from his unmoving face, he was half mad. Ceramic flasks and little pouches hung from a harness that crisscrossed his chest. The metallic stink of alchemy drifted off him. Feena dropped down into a defensive crouch. Bolan reached up to his harness with both hands and plucked off flasks.

"Specially created for Selunites," he said, "and for werewolves. Powdered silver ground into alchemist's fire!"

Feena growled. The other Sharrans flinched back, but Bolan stepped forward.

"Untested, it's truebut I've had so little opportunity." His arms swept back, ready to throw the flasks. "You'll be the first to experience my creation!"

"No!"

To the side of them, the doors of Moonshadow Hall swung open. Julith stood between them, a helmet on her head, a shield on her arm, and a mace at her side. Selune's symbol was in her hand.

"By the Moonmaiden," she shouted, "she shall not!"

Feena smelled the clean white breeze of the moon goddess's magic as it roared between priestess and dark priest. The flasks in Bolan's handsall of the flasks that festooned his chestshattered in a cascade of quiet popping noises. Feena saw an instant of horror in his eyes,

Then the gooey liquid that coated his hands erupted into white flame. His chest burst into flame as wellor at least those patches of it that didn't steam with acid or melt under the bite of vile poisons. Pouches caught fire and flared up in thick, greasy smoke. Bolan screamed in agony, whirling around and around.

"Shar, have mercy! Mistress of the Night, save me!"

The cultists leaped away from him as he danced. Smoke and flame spun a trail behind him.

"No! No! No"

Something burst and burned in a puff of deep violet flame. Bolan gasped and choked on it, then clutched at his throat with blazing hands. He staggered once more and pitched over onto his back.

The Sharransand Feenastared as the mingled fires of a dozen alchemical preparations consumed the fallen priest.

But the defenders of Moonshadow Hall were rushing through the gates, clergy and acolytes armed for battle and with prayers on their lips. A few of the cultists scattered with Selune's followers in pursuit. The others were surrounded in a matter of moments.

"Feena, we've won!" called Julith. The dark-haired priestess strode across the abandoned battering ram like the Moonmaiden's own warrior. "The Sharrans who reached the roof are dead or captured. We've won!"

"No," Feena growled. "There's one more Sharran to find." She held up her hand and roared, "A mace! Someone give me a mace!"

A priestess spun and tossed one to her. Feena snatched the weapon out of the air. The blessing of Selune clung to it. She growled in satisfaction.

"Stay close," she ordered Julith. "We need to find Variance."

– — amp; — There was a growl from the shadows ahead. Keph froze in alarm as one of the shadow mastiffs seemed to detach itself from the darkness. It paced toward him, growling.

"You… you stay back!" he said.

The mastiff didn't stop. Keph felt sweat run cold down the sides of his face. His arms ached from the strange weight of the book of black slates. His head pulsed with the effort of resisting its dark force and the mad whispers within. Moonshadow Hall was close. He could see the steady glow of magical moonlight above the intervening buildingsthe priestesses had all but lit up the night.

He was so close to being done with Variance, too, so close to giving her the cursed book. He tried moving to the side of the street but the shadow mastiff matched his movements.

"What is it?" Keph demanded. "What do you want?" He held out the book. "LookI'm on Variance's business. Leave me alone!"

He'd seen Variance speak freely to the beasts, but the mastiff gave no sign of having understood him. It crouched low, moving closer, but at an angle that forced Keph to step away from the wall if he wanted to keep his distance from the beast. Its growl was deep and menacing. Keph twisted around, walking backward so he could keep an eye on it.

"Stay back," he repeated.

He juggled the book into his left hand so he could reach for Quick with his right… instinct again. The Selunites still had the damned rapier! He gasped out a curse and brandished the book like a shield.

The shadow mastiff darted forward.

Keph yelped and thrust out the book.

"Get back!" he yelled Except that the words that emerged from his lips weren't his. With a sudden, hideous rush, the whispers of the book came together, blasting through the weakness of his fear to tear across his soul, and out of his mouth. Keph shouted words that grated on his ears for a fleeting moment before vanishing like bad dreams.

The shadow mastiff let out a howling wail as its body smeared out against the darkness and evaporated into a wisp of dark smoke.

Burning pain seared through Keph's hand. With a howl of his own, he tossed the book back into his right hand and stared at his left. A silvery character branded his thumbone of the characters from the black slates. He stared at it then at the book.

It seemed lighter than it had moments before. The whispers had receded slightly in his head.

He swallowed hard.

"Variance!"

Feena stalked around to the east side of Moonshadow Hall. If Bolan had commanded the attack on the temple's south, it made sense that Variance should have commanded the attack from the east. When Feena fought the Sharrans on the rooftop, that had been the direction the dark priestess's prayers had come from as well.

"Variance!" she roared again. "Come out!"

Behind her, Julith raced to keep up. Feena moved just slowly enough to allow her the chance to keep pace. Prayers of moonlight overhead cast bright, colorless pools down onto the streets and alleys around the temple wallsbut in the shadows between buildings, darkness lay deep. Feena stopped and spun around, her arms raised.

"Variance, come out! I know you're here!"

A sudden whiff of shadowstuff, much like the mastiffs, caught her nose. She whirled.

Shadows parted down a side street and a tall Calishite woman stepped into a patch of moonlight. Dusky pale skin, plain black clothes, long dark hair… the only color about Variance was the purple wink of the amethyst ring on one finger.

Though she held the sharp steel ring of a chakram in her right hand casually, her eyes were intense.

"Your continued interference is unexpected and unwelcome."

"So was your attempt to turn Yhaunn against me by sending a shadow mastiff to mutilate Cyrume's body."

Variance's eyebrows rose slightly and she said, "You guessed."

"With Keph's help." Feena jerked her head at Julith and the younger priestess nodded. She slipped down the side street, keeping wide around to one side of Variance. Feena began to circle the other way. "Where is Keph? What have you done with him?"

"He's performing a special service for Shar."

"You lie," Feena growled. "You kidnapped him. He wouldn't help you or Shar."

Variance's gaze flickered to Julith, then settled back on Feena. "You've broken my enchantment as well, then. You are extraordinary. You speak as a beast. And I saw you fight the shadow mastiffsyour form flows like water. Selune's touch is strong upon you." Her eyes narrowed. "New Moon?" she asked.

Feena caught her breath and growled, "How do you know about the New Moon Pact?"

Variance laughed and said, "Shar's archives hold many secretsespecially the lore of her enemies. And the New Moon Pact is an old enemy to the Mistress of the Night. It was old when Netheril fell." Feena caught the subtle movement as she tensed. "Your defeat will be a pleasure."

"You're already defeated, Variance," called Julith. "Your cultists are captured. Your beasts are gone."

"Girl," Variance hissed without turning around, "do you expect me to surrender to you? To seek absolution from your cold goddess? Or perhaps you think I'll flee and you can avoid a fight." She caught Feena's gaze. "Do you want that, Feena?"

Feena's hands tightened on the metal shaft of the mace.

Variance smiled and said, "I didn't think so."

She spun to spit a single, bleak word at Julith. The young priestess screamed and staggered back, her eyes wide.

"Feena! I can't see!"

Even as Julith screamed, Variance was twisting back to Feena. Her arm flicked sharply and her chakram sliced through the air.

Feena snapped up the mace and swung hard. It connected with the chakram, sending it ricocheting away. Letting loose a howl, Feena charged at Variance. Shar's priestess just reached up to snatch the chakram out of the air as it hissed by, then stepped back into the shadows.

When Feena's mace thundered through the darkness, there was nothing there. The weapon swept empty air. Variance was gone.

No, Feena knew. Not gone. Her words had been cold. She wanted a fight. At the very least, she had no intention of leaving. Feena spun around.

"Julith!" she ordered. "Stay still and keep low!"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Julith grope for the nearest wall then sink down, her shield pulled up high for protection. Feena turned and turned againthen spun around as prayer welled out of another shadow.

Variance's hand stiffened and thrust toward her. Darkness lanced from her fingertips. Feena howled as the black bolt pierced her flesh like despair given form. She staggered under the foul magic, but forced herself to her feet and charged again.

Variance unleashed a second bolt, then flung her chakram as well. Feena flung herself into a long roll across the ground. Both magic and steel passed above her and she rolled back to her knees before Variance, swinging the mace in a flawless, powerful continuation of motion.

The dark priestess stepped back into the shadows less than a heartbeat before the mace would have hammered into her. Feena's mighty swing carried her around and left her sprawling. Variance's chakram hit the wall above her and fell to the ground with a ringing clatter. Feena rolled away from it and flipped herself back up onto her feet, mace ready again.

"Stand and fight!" Feena screamed. "No."

Movement in a shadow… Feena spun, and another black bolt of despair caught her full in the chest. The pain seemed even worse, stealing her breath and leaving her doubled over.

Soft footsteps fell on the stones of the street. Feena forced herself upright as Variance stepped out into the light once more. Feena raised her mace and met the Sharran's dark gaze. Slowly, silently, they moved against each other, keeping their distance.

Halfway between them, Julith shuddered in the silence.

"Feena, what's going on?" she gasped.

Variance's gaze flickered toward her.

"No!" growled Feena.

Variance just smiled and took another stepinto a patch of shadow.

The darkness swallowed her.

"No!" Feena howled and spun around. "Moonmaiden guide me, where is"

A whiff of shadowstuff. Feena whirled, and hurled her mace into shadows not three paces from Julith.

It slammed into Variance's shoulder. She grunted and stumbled, twisted around by the impact. Feena growled and rushed at her, powerful legs pumping then kicking her into a leap. She hit Variance in a hard tackle that sent them both tumbling along the street. Feena snapped and tore at the dark priestess, but Variance was unexpectedly strong. She caught Feena's clawed hands in her own and forced them back. Her legs came up, threatening a double kick. Feena thrust herself back.

Variance stayed close. The black and purple disk of the Mistress of the Night was clenched in one hand and she shouted a prayer as her other hand darted out to touch Feena.

"Shar take you!"

Darkness closed on Feena's heart like the fist of doom. She couldn't breathe. No, she wasn't breathing. Agony tore through her, cold so bitter it burned. Shar's magic was killing her, dragging her from life into death

Feena forced a snarl through clenched teeth. "For Selune's sake, I have held death itself at bay." Her eyes snapped open to stare at Variance. "For Selune's sake, I deny death!"

The dark prayer shattered, leaving both priestesses reeling, Variance with an expression of shock on her pale face, Feena trembling with the memory of pain. Gasping and panting, they faced each other. Feena's claws spread wide. Variance's fists clenched tight.

"Stop!"

Variance froze, then turned and looked up. Feena turned as well. Higher up on the slope of the street, stood Keph Thingoleir. The young man's face was flushed and his clothes and hair were drenched in sweat. His entire body trembled, but he held his arms high above his head.

Clutched in his hands and seeming to shimmer as moonlight fell upon it was a strange black book. Keph took a slow step forward, passing out of moonlight and into shadow and the book seemed to change, silver sparks of writing emerging upon it.

The very sight of that book set Feena's teeth on edge. A tremor of unease writhed through her gut.

"Keph…" she growled in a low voice.

Variance stepped away from her and held out her hands.

"Give it to me!" the Sharran ordered. Keph didn't move.

Variance's face tensed and she shouted, "Give it to me!"

"Feena," Keph asked, his voice cracking, "is Moon-shadow Hall safe?"

Feena nodded, and Keph lowered the book and looked at Variance.

"Call off the creatures in the Stiltways," he told her. "Rax leads them now." "Then call off Rax! End this!"

Variance's eyes narrowed, but she raised her voice.

"Rax!" she called into the night. "Rax, your task is done. Take your pack and return to Shadow."

The savage howls that had been echoing from the Stiltways vanished.

Variance looked at Keph and said, "Now give me the tiles!"

"No." Keph's flushed face was hard. "Now take off your ring."

Variance hissed.

Behind Keph, shadows shifted.

"Keph!" yelled Feena in warning as two more shadow mastiffs stepped out of the darkness.

She started to leap forward, but Keph was already whirling himself. Grasping the book in his right hand he poked his left thumb out at the nearest mastiff and shouted… something. The words tore at Feena's wolf ears and left them flat against her head. Even Variance gasped. The shadow mastiff howled in terror and seemed to bleed away into nothingness. Snapping his arm around, Keph pointed at the second beast, repeating the tearing words.

It vanished as well, though its whine of fear lingered in the night. Keph looked back down at Variance.

"Take off the ring!" he commanded. "Give it to Feena!"

Eyes fixed on Keph, Variance brought her hands together and pulled the amethyst ring off her finger.

Feena's fur rose at the transformation that swept over the priestess. Fine, narrow Calishite features vanished, replaced by a broader, rounder face. Dusky pale skin turned dark… darker… black like night. Even Variance's eyes turned black, becoming deep, colorless pits of shadow. Her hair and clothes didn't shift, but when she spoke, her voice had a strange, ancient accent.

"Take it, Selunite," she snarled. "Wear it if you dare."

Feena reached over and snatched the ring from her fingers, holding it gingerly. The smell of shadowstuff was very strong.

"Now," Keph said, "get out of Yhaunn."

Variance's altered face twisted. "We had an agreement!" she said. "The tiles for your friend's life. If you break that agreement, I swear that he will not be the only one to suffer!"

"What good is fixing one mistake if I make another?" Keph replied. He paused for a moment then looked down at the book in his hands. "I hear whispers in the dark, Variance. Whispers from the slates. I don't understand them, but I hear them." He looked up and raised his thumb. Silver glimmered on the pad of it. "The whispers did this and you know what I can do with it." His eyes hardened. "What would happen ifl started repeating the whispers? Started speaking them out loud?" Feena's heart went cold.

Whispers in the dark… whispers that could be heard, but not understood. She'd heard those whispers. Dhauna Myritar had heard them as well.

Selune's warning, the truth of it, the New Moon Heresy, the New Moon Pactclues, tools, nothing morestones on the path to that moment.

Feena stepped forward numbly, letting her hybrid form fall away so that she stood in the form of a woman. She felt as if she were on the edge of a cliff that could crumble under her feet at any minute.

"Keph," she said, "don't do it. Whatever you want, whatever you're thinking, don't speak the whispers."

Keph looked at her. His eyes were shot through with red. His face was tired.

"Feena," he said, "you don't understand…"

"Keph, you have to trust me," Feena replied. "For your family's sake, believe me. Some things should never be spoken. The whispers must not be spoken."

"She understands better than you do," said Variance. The dark priestess took a slow step forward as well. "And she's right. In Shar's name, I swear it. Your friend will be safe. I will leave Yhaunn. Just give me the book and I will lock it away."

Keph's face tightened and he asked, "What if I give it to Feena and she locks it away?"

Variance stiffened. "Give it me. It's no weapon."

"Then what is it?"

Variance hesitated, then took another step forward as she said, "It-"

Out of the corner of her eyes, Feena saw moonlight fade from the dark priestess's face as she moved into a shadow. Her gut leaped.

"Keph, look out!" she shouted.

Too late. Shadows folded around Varianceand unfolded behind Keph. In less than a breath, Variance had stepped between shadows like a piece of living darkness. Her hands closed on the book and wrenched it out of Keph's grasp.

"belongs to Shar!" she cried triumphantly, stepping back and clenching the book.

Feena's stomach twisted in rage.

"Here's something else that belongs to Shar, then!" she howled.

Variance's chakram lay only feet away. Lunging, Feena swept it up. Her form changed with her anger and the arm that hurled the disk was furred and knotted with muscle. Razor-sharp steel screamed through the air just as shadows wove around Variance.

Shar's priestess gasped, staggeredand vanished. The scream of steel ended abruptly in a ringing screech. The chakram quivered in the stone wall behind the spot Variance had stood.

Keph stared in shock and asked, "Is she gone?"

Feena stalked up to the chakram and wrenched it out of the stone. Blood was smeared across it, pasting strands of long, dark hair to the metal.

"Yes," she snarled. "This time, I think she is."

"And the book?" he asked. "What about the book?"

Feena scanned the shadows. They were empty.