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In the lake below, the dead uint floated, head severed from its body, black blood iridescent upon the shadowy surface of the Mere A haze of acrid yellow smoke drifted over it Not far froirl still crouched upon his back, bounded onto the ledge of the castle directly beneath Aeriel The burning sword blazed in Erin’s hand Drained by even such brief contact with the glaive, Aeriel tottered
"Erin Oh, Erin," she breathed
In the sky overhead, one of Irrylath’s brothers sliced a darkangel with his hooked Istern sword
Oriencor’s lip curled in a snarl Eyes fixed on the battle in the air, she seeons below Aeriel wondered if the White Witch had even heard her crying the dark girl’s name Above, the prince of Avaric finished off his brother’s darkangel with the Edge Adamantine In silence, like its fellow, the icarus fell
"Irrylath fights well," Ravenna’s daughter rant hiels topple"
On the far shore, her troops no longer held any semblance of order Co to a stop Absorbed in the aerial battle, Oriencor re overtook Aeriel Like an overaler unable to catch and rethrow all of her round forces to falter Such numbers, Aeriel realized, must require tremendous concentration to control--and Irrylath’s betrayal had clearly shaken her
"Traitor!" the Witch ht he would desert me in the end"
Keep her distracted! Aeriel told herself Oriencor could regather her scattered battalions in a irl searched herto keep the other’s attention from the battle below
"Yes,into her voice a hard edge of confidence she did not feel "As the Ancients of Oceanus once deserted you--as did Melkior"
With a hiss, the White Witch turned fro "What do you know of Melkior, you little fool?"
Aeriel’s heart quailed beneath the ferociousness of that gaze, but she steeled herself to stand fir back, using the word she kneould cut "That he was your friend once, but he turned from you He served your mother in the end"
"My mother is dead," the White Witch snarled, "and Melkior no olarily, she made as if to turn back toward the fray Aeriel stifled the cry of protest that would betray her as surely as would Oriencor’s taking note of events below
"The Ancients abandoned you as well," Aeriel said quickly "They refused to take you with theaze flicked back to Aeriel, who struggled to maintain her appearance of calh the casement show on her face "That is why you hate the world so The Ancients’ going left you prisoner here"
Oriencor glared at Aeriel "Their leaving --" she started, then stopped herself Contemptuously, the half-Ancient bowed her white lips in a sh perhaps ht so I do not care one way or another what happens to the world when I ael fell
"You are right about the Ancients, though," Oriencor continued evenly "They brokeme Soon, however, they elcome me--they must, for I have proved myself their peer Have I not labored these thousand years to join the what the other ave a derisive snort She had turned her attention wholly away from theHurriedly, Aeriel blanked her features, lest her delight show through If only she could keep Oriencor occupied a little longer, then the allies had a chance
"The Ancients will never return here, of course," said the Witch Her tone grew fierce "So if I wish to share their coain, it is up to me Don’t you see? I ht there It is to that end I have been pillaging this planet for a thousand years"
Aeriel stared at her, ht Oriencor spoke as though Oceanus were green and blooues and horrors Unexpectedly, Ravenna’s daughter smiled her cool,of this, I see So not even she suspected hed "Good"
"She said you were killing the world for vengeance--" Aeriel began
Oriencor nodded curtly "Oh, I aed simply to ruin my mother’s work, to force her and her fellows to abandon this world I hoped they would construct new chariots and take me with them when they returned home"
Distractedly, she stroked the sill, its oddSolstar--yet, Aeriel noticed, wherever Oriencor laid her hand, the water thickened, congealing like candlewax
"But they were very stubborn," the White Witch sighed "At last I saw I must obtain the means to depart this world myself"