He sensed that the light was now a massive sphere, hovering just behind the two stone stele of the portal. Perhaps it would stay there, as a warning. Perhaps he could just creep away.
But before he could move, the light exploded from the cliff-face. Daniel felt the thunderous roar of its vibration engulf him, paralysing him with cold fire. His body was hurled backwards and upwards.
Frantically, Daniel tried to beat his borrowed wings, but a searing hurricane held him in its grip. He was travelling up above the earth at great speed, up and up, towards the stars. Then, the constellation of Orion hung before him. It was empty of captives now. Shemyaza’s soul had once hung here for ten millennia. It was a part of him. Surely he could hear Daniel’s inner voice in this place?
‘Shem, where are you? You said you would be with me. You knew I would fail, but you still used me to test the water. Do you feel nothing for me? Or are you just afraid of these lonely stars, which could be your prison once more? If I could wake the Shamir for you, my king, I would, but I know now that the serpent will allow no other but you before its eyes.’
As if in response, the stars of Orion grew blindingly bright, and Daniel felt himself being repelled by an invisible thrust of force. It sent him plummeting downwards, and as he fell, his body filled up with liquid fire. His feathers were scorched away. He could feel his vitals burning, devoured by the caustic fluid.
Daniel screamed and fell. Stars rushed by him, and the mocking laughter of invisible entities rang through the void. He saw blazing angels rise up, shrieking, in a maelstrom of oily wings, and then the great deluge engulfed the world.
He sank into the fiery flood and his head hit stone. He closed his eyes, roaring with pain and fear. Light. Flames. Screams. Darkness.
Silence.
‘Hush now. It’s over.’
Daniel opened his eyes to the blaze of a host of candles, in Shem’s room at High Crag. He felt like vomiting and doubled up, clutching his stomach. Shem’s hand lay upon his shoulder as he choked and writhed upon the carpet.
‘I’m sorry, Daniel. I knew it would be bad for you, because of your gift of sight. But it’s over now. Straighten up. There’s no pain.’
Daniel looked up into Shem’s face and saw in it both sorrow and repletion. How could Shem have taken satisfaction from his agony? It was obscene.
‘Peverel Othman is not dead in you,’ he gasped and crawled towards the bed. He wanted to lie down on his belly on something soft and yielding.
Shem helped him climb up. ‘I’ll run you a hot bath. Lie there for now.’
Daniel laughed weakly. This was absurd. Moments ago, he had soared in another world. Now it was necessary to see to frail human needs. Daniel realised, for the first time, what a hindrance flesh could be.
When the bath was ready, Shem lifted Daniel in his arms and carried him to the water. ‘I didn’t want to see you like that,’ Daniel said. ‘It isn’t really you.’
Shem lowered him gently into the bath. ‘Daniel, you must face the fact that it is part of me.’
When the warm water touched his skin, Daniel could not repress a cry of pain. ‘It’s too hot! You’re burning me!’
Shem lifted him just above the water. ‘No, it’s not, Daniel. It’s just an effect of the transference. For a while, your senses will be heightened, but this will pass.’
Daniel dug his fingers into Shem’s arms as his body entered the water. His eyes spun with light and the room revolved around him, as if he was drunk. He glanced at the sparkling taps, and it seemed they were alive. He could see the soul of the metal. Smells assaulted his senses: the overpowering aroma of the soap, the animal products within it stinking of dung and rancid fat; the scent of the water itself, describing the nature of its elementals.
Shem held onto him. ‘Ride it, Daniel. Absorb it. Take control. The first time is always like this, at least for those who truly deserve the fruit.’
Daniel closed his eyes, panting for breath. He leaned over the side of the bath so that Shem could hold him. ‘It’s horrible! I can’t live like this!’
Shem stroked his hair. ‘Take deep breaths, come on. It’ll pass. I promise you.’
Daniel hung gasping in Shem’s arms for half an hour before the sensations began to subside. Gradually, he was able to repress the images and information that came to him. It was, he realised, like experiencing a visualisation in reality. The water had gone cold, but he pushed himself away from Shem’s arms and lay back in the bath. He felt as if his skin was covered in grit and mud and blood. Shem turned on the hot tap and scorching water gushed over Daniel’s feet. He winced and laughed, and Shem stirred the water with his hands.
‘Relax,’ Shem said. He stroked Daniel’s hair one last time, then stood up and went to the washbasin. As if they were ordinary people in an ordinary life, he began to clean his teeth. Daniel chuckled uncontrollably at this sight.
Shem spat into the basin. ‘You look young again,’ he said, which sobered Daniel up.
‘I’m not though,’ he answered.
Shem wiped his mouth on a towel, then came to sit on the end of the bath again. ‘Tell me what you saw when you were flying.’
Daniel took a sponge off the side of the bath, and dunked it into the water. He squeezed it out over his chest, watching the shining streams. He wasn’t sure whether he wanted to talk about what he’d seen.
Shem reached for one of his feet, squeezed it. ‘Daniel. Tell me.’
‘All right. I saw the Garden, Kharsag. I was a child and I lived there, but my mother sent me to work for you. What does that mean?’
Shem sat on the edge of the bath. ‘You have always been my vizier. We lived together in Kharsag a long, long time ago. I thought you knew this.’
Daniel rubbed water over his chest. ‘Sort of. But, in that case, I can’t have been human.’
Shem stood up. ‘No.’ He appeared uncomfortable. ‘You were Grigori.’
‘Then why am I human now?’
Shem laughed coldly. ‘Fate’s mordant humour, I expect. As Ishtahar is kept from me, so are you, in a different kind of way.’ He sat down again. ‘But I have done a little tonight towards fighting that.’
‘Longevity is not being Grigori,’ Daniel said.
‘It is the best we can do,’ Shem replied. ‘What else did you see?’
Daniel told him as much as he could remember. ‘You passed the feathered cloak to me. Why?’
Shem shrugged. ‘You needed it to fly.’
Daniel shook his head slowly. ‘No, you wanted to pass responsibility to me. I can’t be you, Shem. I am your vizier, but I cannot undertake your tasks. What is all this serpent business anyway?’
Shem sighed. ‘Something the Parzupheim wants me to do. I expect we’ll find out soon.’
‘Well, when we do, don’t send me in first like a canary to test the air. It won’t work.’
Shem smiled. ‘I can’t help it. I sometimes think you’re more powerful than I’ll ever be.’
Daniel pulled a scornful face. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. And don’t be lazy.’ He winced. ‘God, I ache.’
After the bath, Daniel sat on the bed, wrapped in a towel, helping Shem eat his supper. They talked about Owen and Lily, what should be done. Daniel was privately amazed Shem had become concerned about the twins again, although he took care not to show his feelings. Only a few days ago, Shem hadn’t appeared bothered whether any of them lived or died, but now he seemed to have forgotten the way he’d behaved in the Assembly Rooms. Daniel spoke candidly about Taziel, and what had happened on the night they’d left London. Shem agreed that another Grigori faction must have taken the twins, and that for the moment, they were not in any danger. But that might change. ‘You must try to find them,’ Shem said. ‘Call to Lily. I’m sure she will hear you.’
Daniel noticed that when they spoke of the Winters, only Lily was mentioned by name. He found he didn’t want to talk about Owen, which troubled him. It was wrong to blame Owen for all that had happened in Little Moo
r. Othman had been the perpetrator, Owen a victim. Yet here Daniel sat, gazing at the monster himself, full of love and awe, while Owen lay in a stupor somewhere, his mind in ruins. Daniel realised he was angry that Owen had been too weak to resist Othman’s dominion. Did some cruel part of him now believe that Owen deserved what had happened to him? Since fleeing the north, Daniel had spent little time thinking deeply about the past or his feelings about it. Taking a deep breath, he asked. ‘How much can you remember of Peverel Othman?’
Shem gave him a shrewd glance. ‘I can remember most of what happened in Little Moor, although more as an observer than a participant. Before that...’ He shrugged. ‘It’s fragmented. Peverel Othman didn’t want to admit who you were.’
‘I know. You wanted to kill me because you feared I would make you remember who you really were, although I don’t think you realised that at the time.’
Shem shook his head. ‘No, Daniel, you are wrong. I didn’t want to kill you. Your death was simply a necessary component of a particular ritual, as was Owen’s role. There were no deeper motives, no real excuse or explanation. I needed a sacrificial victim, and you were the most suitable candidate, that’s all.’
Daniel did not wholly agree, but elected not to argue about it. ‘But for Ishtahar, I would be dead now.’
Shem made an angry sound. ‘But for Ishtahar?’ He shook his head. ‘I’m not sure about that. Why did she call us to this place? What is it she wants of us here? If she lives, where is she now?’
‘I’ve seen her,’ Daniel said. ‘She speaks to me in dreams and it was she who persuaded me to come to you. A few days ago, I was angry with you, and confused, but Ishtahar told me what I should do. After seeing her, all the negative feelings I had seemed petty and trivial.’
‘I might have projected all that to you,’ Shem said. ‘The part of myself that despised Peverel Othman might also have conjured her up in Little Moor. An illusion to prevent me doing the unspeakable.’
Daniel reached for his hand. ‘I don’t believe so. Shem, she will be there for you one day. I think she’s there for you now, but not as a woman of flesh and blood.’
Shem touched his face with the ends of his fingers. ‘Kind Daniel,’ he said sadly. ‘I know you want to believe that for me, but at the moment, I have only you. Of course I want you both, but how many people are lucky enough to have their desires fulfilled? I can see and touch you. Ishtahar is only a beautiful ghost.’ He sighed. ‘By Anu, I have no right to touch you, no right to accept your love and loyalty. If you had any sense, you’d spit on me now.’
Daniel couldn’t repress a laugh. ‘You don’t mean that! As you pointed out a short time ago, the dark side is a part of you I have to accept.’
Shem took both of Daniel’s hands in his own. ‘You have always been there for me Daniel. I don’t deserve it. Your spirit has waited to be reborn into this time to help me. Part of me feels I should deny myself any closeness with you, because I want to punish myself for what I did, but...’ He shook his head and smiled. ‘Please come here.’ He pulled Daniel into his arms and held him close. ‘You feel so alive.’
‘Less so than I was before I came here,’ Daniel said dryly. ‘You hurt me, Shem.’
‘I couldn’t help it.’
‘Then I want you to make me a promise.’ He pulled away a little. ‘You must never hurt me again. Never. Will you promise me that? No matter what instincts and compulsions burst out of Shemyaza, Shem must remember his word.’
Shem nodded. ‘I will never hurt you.’
Daniel wasn’t entirely convinced by this, but felt it had been necessary to make Shem aware he was not wholly submissive. He felt a little like the keeper of an unpredictable wild beast, beautiful in its unchained splendour, purring and rubbing against him, but liable to turn on him without warning.
Shem sighed and rested his cheek on Daniel’s head. ‘I wanted to begin work tonight, but mentally I’m too exhausted. How do you feel?’
‘I think we should sleep,’ Daniel answered, ‘and start searching for Lily and Owen tomorrow.’
Daniel got into bed and Shem blew out all the candles. The room was full of drifting skeins of smoke, visible in the soft moonlight that came in through the gaps in the curtains. The air reeked of the temple aroma of wax. Looking at Shem’s slim white body coming towards him, Daniel thought, I cannot believe I have some influence over this being. I can speak to him and touch him. He is here, with me, and he needs me. Ishtahar must have had thoughts like these, all those thousands of years ago.
Shem got into the bed and took Daniel in his arms. ‘You have healed me,’ he said. ‘Only a short while ago, merely the thought of touching someone seemed to scald me.’
‘You’ve healed yourself,’ Daniel said.
‘I want to make love to you properly.’
‘Well you can’t, and you’ve only yourself to blame.’
Shem laughed. ‘You are saying “no” to me. How unusual. Do you really want to deny yourself pleasure?’
‘I want to deny myself discomfort.’
‘Daniel, you’ve suffered from having only unimaginative lovers. Let me teach you a little.’
‘I will, but not now.’
Shem laughed. ‘You are fighting me. I can feel your desire.’ But he did not push the matter.
Chapter Twenty
Revealing the Viper
The Conclave of the Pelleth sat around the table in the Penhaligon kitchen. The atmosphere was tense, and there was a significant absence. The place where Tamara usually sat was empty. Meggie and Betsy had convened a meeting and had deliberately refrained from inviting Tamara.
‘We have a sad business to attend to,’ Meggie said.
Lissie, Rachel and Jessie glanced at the empty seat, their faces set in grim expressions to express their loyalty to the elders of the Conclave and to show plainly they were no part of Tamara’s rebellion. Agatha sat with her chin resting virtually on her chest. She looked afraid. Meggie thought that perhaps the child was too young to have to cope with problems such as this, but as she was a member of the Conclave, her presence was mandatory. The laws of the Pelleth decreed it.
Meggie laced her fingers together on the tabletop. ‘The matter is this. Tamara Trewlynn has betrayed us.’
The company uttered soft sounds of shock, although none of them were really surprised by Meggie’s statement.
‘What’s happened?’ Jessie asked, her eyes round. Everyone felt guilty, even those who were innocent. That was the trouble with dishonesty, its taint spread wide. It bred distrust.
‘Betsy had a dream,’ Meggie said. ‘In it, she saw Tamara cavorting with Grigori. She heard her revile the Pelleth and curse our names. We have consulted the cards and the crystal on this matter, and there is no doubt in our minds that Tamara has her own plans for the Shining One. She has been a quick, little viper among us, and now has slipped free.’
‘What must we do?’ Lissie asked. ‘Should we bind her?’ There was sinister implication behind her words.
Meggie shook her head. ‘We shall protect ourselves, but other than that, we must turn our backs on the traitor. I feel she is deluding herself and is no threat to our plans. Let her go her own way. It will accomplish nothing, other than to burn her fingers down to the bone.’
‘Have you confronted her?’ asked Lissie.
‘No. I would not give her that much satisfaction. From this moment forth, Tamara Trewlynn is a stranger to us. I must forbid any of you to make contact with her, or even acknowledge her should she cross your paths.’
All the company nodded, even Agatha, whose small face was composed in a solemn and uncannily understanding expression.
‘There is more,’ Betsy intoned from the other end of the table.
Meggie sighed. ‘Yes, I’m afraid there is. It seems that Tamara has beguiled Delmar. He’s been working for her.’
All the women voiced their disgust. ‘What?’
‘But how?’
‘That’s appalling!’
/> Agatha uttered a wail, ‘No, not Del!’
Meggie let them rant for a few seconds, then raised her hands for quiet. ‘There is nothing we can do. He is contaminated now, poor mite.’
‘How did you find out about it?’ asked Jessie.
‘Well, I did have a word with him,’ Meggie replied. ‘I’ve had suspicions for a while that he’s not been quite right, and asked him what was bothering him. He acted dumb and confused, but I could smell his fear. So I pressed him further. He panicked and blabbered something about “it’s to be a surprise. It’s for you.” Then he said the thing that shocked me most. “I don’t like the salamanders, though. They scare me.” Naturally, I questioned him further and he clammed up, but let drop enough for me to work out that the little viper has been working in Mermaid’s Cove and taking Delmar with her.’
This revelation conjured a further shocked ripple of sound around the table.
‘She suggested working there not long ago!’ Rachel said.
Meggie nodded. ‘Yes. When we disagreed with her suggestion, she obviously decided to follow it up on her own.’
‘Fool!’ Rachel said. ‘She’ll be in terrible danger. The Grigori guardians will attach themselves to her like dark elementals. They’ll destroy her.’
Again Meggie nodded. ‘That is a distinct possibility. Anyway, I did wonder whether we could save Delmar, bring him back to us, and followed him several times after school. On each occasion he went straight to Tamara’s cottage. I can only assume he goes there every day.’ She sighed. ‘Poor lamb. I pity him. He’s innocent, caught up in something he can’t understand. But because he has worked on Grigori soil and has Tamara’s paw prints all over him, I cannot risk having him work with us any longer. We must have no link with the deserter. Delmar is lost to us, my sisters.’
‘But we can’t be without an oracle!’ Jessie exclaimed.
‘I know,’ Meggie answered. ‘But we must trust in the Shining Ones. They will provide for us. Until then, we must continue to prime the sites in readiness for the Advent. Shemyaza is very close to us now, and the night of the solstice draws nigh. We mustn’t lose heart because some of our number are abandoning us. This is perhaps a natural result of Shemyaza’s frequency. He is Change, and the effect of his proximity is that our weakest links will be broken away. We must comfort ourselves with the knowledge that we are best rid of them.’