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"All the others told me what a fine heart it was, how beautifully preserved They thought to please me

Irrylath told me it was only ood It’s why he was els, only Irrylath never lied"

The Witch’s knifelike nails dru it They sounded like death beetles clicking in the walls Taste it, the pearl was telling her, that I ht, Aeriel touched a few grains of the Witch’s dust to her tongue, and a sharp sensation went through her like a pinprick It was the bitterest thing she had ever known It tasted like despair The pearl diot about it instantly as a sleeper, waking, forgets a dreahed

"My heart fell away into dust long ago I hadn’t realized it would do that when I cut it out The crystal was supposed to preserve it Well, I was very young at sorcery then But no reat a burden to bear withlost the other’s train of thought Across the Void? But Oriencor only laughed and turned back to the

"Ah," she said softly "So it starts"

Aeriel caught in her breath Hastily she replaced the Witch’s box in its niche and went to join Oriencor at the casement

"Your lady’s ar down, Aeriel saw the great crescent advancing now, coreen Zaold-coees from Avaric, the rose-skinned people of Rani and the teal-colored folk of Elver, dark Mariners, Isterners with plum-colored skin, and the cinnamon-colored wanderers of the desert lands All at once, Aeriel understood what their yellow banner was Above theht of Solstar

Beside her at the , Oriencor lifted her gaze Winged figures--half a dozen of the, she coin"

12

Seventh Son

With a start, Aeriel took note for the first tih above the palace hovered six darkangels: manlike but deathly pallid of skin Their eyes had no color; their flesh was all fallen in They were bloodless, heartless, soulless things The dozen black wings upon the back of each icarus thrashed in a furious, silent stornal, precisely as hawks, they turned and fell through the air toward the approaching are Adamantine Behind him, Syllva’s arm swept up, then dropped The yellow banner dipped, and with a shout, the Istern and Westron troops surged to ed Ions taking to the air, unbridled Avarclon a aloft, his silver wings flashing as the darkangels swept lower Then the two arether, and all was a wash of confusion

How long she stood watching, Aeriel had no notion Solstar seeht her snatches and glimpses of battle, far more vivid and detailed than if she had watched with eyes alone: two of the Witch’s creatures locked in coirl of Za a cluster of eyeless trolls with daggers She saw the Lady Syllva surrounded by her boomen, harassed by a relentless swarm of black birds Despite the rhuks, the Istern women sent volley after volley of arrows over their own forces’ heads into the midst of the enemy beyond Halfway across the field, the Ma’a sticks, engaged in furious battle with the Witch’s spotted jackals

The field spread out below Aeriel like a great patternless sea of aniainst itself in waves Yet while Syllva’s fighters could act only individually, following as best they could the shouted orders of their commanders and the blare of warhorns, the Witch’s forces wereable to discern a them no apparent coo, what to do

Soon the pale girl found herself tre tapestry below Over and over, she saw contingents of Syllva’s forces preparing to close in on pockets of the foe--yet alh they could not possibly have seen the closing trap froround Abruptly, Aeriel becaht turn, forward, all of you Hurry! Hack your way through or you’ll be cut off Captain of rhuks, take wing Harry the booht, left flank Trolls, forward, now"

The Witch’s eyes were riveted, her concentration fierce She was not watching single fighters as, in the beginning, Aeriel had done Of that Aeriel grewthe pattern--no, she eaving the pattern! The pale girl listened in growing horror Could Oriencor really be controlling every warrior in her huge warhost? Were they all her catspaas her power so great? Staring down at the battlefield, Aeriel felt cold panic nearly overwhelly, Syllva’s troops were losing ground Over their heads wheeled Irrylath, shouting orders, sounding his warhorn, directing reinforcereatest His bridleless round and skewered theht in his teeth Horse and rider seeain till the Witch’s creatures fled before theht step, the lorelei’s vast hoard was forcing the s the allies so that they had no roo their weapons

Irrylath called to his steed to take hi the fray Below hi to break clear of the surrounding vise Dirks and half-swords flashing, they es to drive the enemy back A swar her frouard wheeled and hacked, hard-pressed<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>