Page 20 (1/2)

Many rooms flanked the corridor--all eht revealed to her more than she wanted to know about the past of those deserted chambers Here the Witch’s black birds had flocked There she had built her darkangels’ wings, and in another, gilded their hearts with lead The pearl observed the palace’s irl covered her face with her hands How could anyhave become so corrupt? Could anyone capable of such evil ever be redeeht the pearl of the soul of the world become in the hands of such a one?

And yet, she rehter still

Aeriel ca, she sensed what lay beyond the door: a siege as white as salt, such as a queen li Irrylath, not yet a darkangel, brought to his knees before that siege The silver chain encircling his wrist was grasped in the hand of the tall, seated woman before him She leaned forward, her face bowed froto whisper in his ear:

"Yes, love You will"

Aeriel cried out The sound shivered down the length of the e into a louder and louder shriek, until it seemed that not one voice buther ears She had no idea of the context of that scene--what had happened before it or followed after--and little cared Her attention rele point in ti hisevery asped for breath and bit off her cries

"No," she told herself sternly "No!"

That gliht her ca now Half breathless, she uncovered her ears and heard the

" Love, " she whispered, re, Aeriel gazed around her at the cold, white walls "Nothing in this frozen place has anything to do with love!"

Grimly, she padded forward The path wound on and on, soan to travel upward again It ht outside No inkling of dawn had reached her before, but the light was hter since she had once more risen above the dark waterline She had the sense of being far higher now than when she had entered the palace

"How long have I been wandering here?" she wondered

A broad, straight corridor stretched before her She halted, tre, di to go on She stood a long ti desperately to find another path--to no avail Here lay the only path Aeriel drew a ragged breath

Quickly, she forced herself ahead down the long corridor Huures stood embedded in the walls on either side of her None of theht fast in the indescribably cold crystal Their eyes were all closed, all their lile, revulsion, and despair And yet, even so, the pearl told her, they were alive Were they even physical bodies at all, or were they souls--captured by the Witch and her darkangels but not yet devoured?

Unnerved, Aeriel ran on

The corridor ended in an open archway A blaze of Solstarlight lay beyond She sa, unshuttered, unglazed The wind blowing in off the Waste was stiff,in clouds, Aeriel halted in the wash of sunlight strea in Its warmth felt delicious She savored it The lateness of the hour outside dis low She had entered the Witch’s keep before dawn

"There you are," said a cold, clear voice It rang like crystal, like a bell Like a darkangel’s voice: rich, coh my palace of Winterock, it is not always easy to find one’s way"

Aeriel could not tell if the word naid stone frouidly

"But I never doubted you would find me, little sorceress"

11

Heart of Dust

The chill that poured through Aeriel as she listened to that voice vanquished the war not far fro battle, Aeriel guessed Across the small chamber, Oriencor appraised her coolly She was very tall, almost as tall as Ravenna, but whereas the Ancient had been a dark lady, all dusk and black and indigo, her daughter the White Witch was fair