DAWN WAS COMING QUIETLY TO PARTHALON, BUT EVERYONEtaking refuge in the Recluse knew that the peacefulness would not last. The coming day would be momentous.
Serena stood quietly in her private chambers. Outside her balcony, the sun crept above the eastern horizon, flooding the inky sky with light. Einar and Reznik were there with her.
Serena walked over to the pink marble altar. Clarice still lay atop it, but today no red rose petals adorned the floor, the altar, or her corpse. Their scent could interfere with his formula, Reznik had warned. As an added precaution, the dead child was naked.
As she reached down to touch Clarice’s face, Serena shivered with fear and joy alike as she thought about what would soon happen. Her two servants knew better than to intrude on her private thoughts during moments such as this. Their queen had suffered much to see this day. This would be done in her way, and in her time.
Early yesterday Einar had hurried to her bearing the good news. We have done it! he said. Failee’s spell and Reznik’s accompanying potion were finally ready. They had tried it on the last five lepers remaining at the Recluse. After killing them, they had successfully revived each one.
At the queen’s insistence, five more subjects had been tested. But these persons had not been lepers. They had been female newborns, hastily abducted by Serena’s consuls from nearby towns and villages, and then flown to the Recluse by envelopers. Their terrified parents had fought back as best they could, but they stood little chance against the craft. Most died while trying to save their babies.
Under the queen’s merciless gaze, Einar and Reznik had strangled each of the wailing infants to death, then successfully brought them back to life. Only then did Serena agree to try the process on Clarice. The revived baby girls had been carried to the top of the fortress walls and tossed alive into the moat. The hungry shrews had devoured them greedily, leaving no evidence of the queen’s crimes.
Serena turned to look at Einar. She knew that time was of the essence, for the Heretics had been keeping her informed of theJin’Sai ’s quick progress across the sea. Only three hours ago they had again touched her mind to tell her that the fleet was sailing overland, and that Clarice must be brought back to life quickly. Einar and Reznik’s success had not come a moment too soon. The hiding shrews and camouflaged envelopers had also been warned of theJin’Sai ’s imminent arrival.
Serena glared into Einar’s eyes. “Are yousure?” she demanded.
Einar nodded. “As sure as we can be,” he answered. “More testing would be prudent, but we have no time. After we finish here we must see to the defense of the Recluse. Only when your child is revived and theJin’Sai has been destroyed can we finally relish our victory.”
“Very well,” she said. “You may start. But if you harm Clarice rather than give her life, I will kill you both.”
As Serena backed away, Einar and Reznik nervously approached the altar. Einar waved a hand, and Failee’s spell materialized in the air. It twinkled beautifully as it quietly hovered above the altar. As Reznik removed something from his butcher’s smock, Serena recognized it as a herbmaster’s sachet. Reznik placed the sachet on Clarice’s chest, then quietly backed away.
Einar started to recite Failee’s spell. Wispy smoke soon rose from the sachet and started to whirl into a little maelstrom. Then the maelstrom entered the skin of the child’s bare chest, leaving no mark. As they watched and waited, quiet reclaimed the room. Serena held her breath.
Suddenly Clarice’s chest started to rise and fall, and she coughed. Color quickly returned to her gray skin. Then her arms and legs wriggled about and she started crying. As tears streamed down her cheeks, she stretched her arms higher, and her blue eyes opened in an instinctual search for her mother.
Reznik looked over at Einar. Knowing better than to speak during this momentous event, Einar only smiled. The two servants humbly backed away.
Lunging for the altar, Serna lifted her squirming child and held her close. As she did, Clarice’s wispy, dark hair quietly brushed against the dead rose secured in Serena’s bosom.
Reunited at last, Serena’s heart cried out.
Crying, laughing, and then crying again, Serena turned to her mystics. Tears ran freely down her face.
“Well done,” she whispered.
She stood that way for some time, rocking her child and lovingly remembering the man who had fathered her. Clarice’s crying soon quieted into a soft gurgle.
Serena turned to the door and sharply called out. One of the trusted handmaidens she had brought from the Citadel obediently entered the room. Her name was Dagmar, and she would serve as Clarice’s nanny and wet nurse. She smiled when she saw the revived child. When Dagmar neared, Serena reluctantly handed Clarice to her. The queen gave Dagmar a grave look.
“If she perishes, you perish,” she warned ominously.
Cradling the reborn child in her arms, Dagmar bowed. “Yes, Your Grace,” she said.
Just then Serena sensed a familiar sensation start to grow in her mind. “Leave us,” she said to Dagmar.
After giving her queen another bow, the wet nurse took the gurgling child from the room. As Einar and Reznik watched, Serena went to her knees.
“I am here,”she said.
“You have done well,”thePon Q’tar said to her.“But your greatest trial is about to start. Your child has been reborn, but it is too late for you and her to flee. So now you must do everything in your power to protect her. The Black Ships approach. But the Recluse defenses are strong, so make the Conclave come to you. Defend Clarice and the Recluse with your life, if need be. Destroy the Jin’Saionce and for all.”
“On my life,”Serena answered.
When she sensed the clerics’ presence fading away, she came to her feet. Just as she was about to address Reznik and Einar, Actinius burst into the room.
“Forgive me, Your Grace!” he exclaimed. “An enveloper patrol has sighted the Black Ships! They can be seen from the tops of the castle walls!”
“I know,” Serena answered quietly, surprising them all.
The three mystics saw a look of grim determination come over their queen. They had finally given her the one thing she wanted most in the world, and they knew that she would do anything, sacrifice anything, to protect her child. She gave her servants a commanding look.
“Hurry!” she said to them. “You know your orders!” At once all four mystics ran from the room.
The battle for the Recluse was about to start.