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Enough The Ancient voice reproved her sternly No more of this You have sworn to renounce him for the sake of the world
The pearlstuff rose in a white-hot, singeing flash Aeriel cried out in surprise, heard Irrylath’s echoing cry He dropped her hands She saw hih they were numbed or burned
"Take care!" she cried, bitterly aware her warning ca since, and yet, selfishly, she had lingered Irrylath shook his head as if dizzy He was able to flex his fingers a little, slowly She re sword and hoped fervently that his hurt was not great, not perazed at her, dulow
"The Ravenna has enchanted you," he whispered
Aeriel tugged at the chain, but it would not coiven you her sorcery to wield at your will, or does her sorcery wield you?" he de at the chain "Are you now becoed to the Witch?"
The thought horrified her She could not answer hiave your oath to me voluntarily, the pearl-stuff within reminded insistently, but Aeriel took no coli
"Be my husband if you must," she bade Irrylath, "in Avaric I shall be far away in NuRavenna"
His eyes grew hard and bright, hands clenched into fists at his breast "I’ll win you back," he whispered "On my life, I swear it! I’ll find a way to break the Ancient’s spell and bring you back to me"
Her heart leapt to hear him say it But she feared he did not believe a word How could such brave nonsense ever come to pass? Surely he must realize that Ravenna’s sorcery--even scattered and dihty for any mortal to overcoain, and the taste was bitter, bitter on her tongue He called her naazing on him more and forced herself to turn away
So very sloith a halting step He must have been in view for some time, Aeriel realized, unnoticed by anyone A heron, perfectly white, skiround before Aeriel
"Weher head and looking about "Just as well"
"Who coh even as she said it, she knew She would know his halt step anywhere The heron fanned her crest
"The Lighthousekeeper of Bern, of course I was to fetch hio We’ve been traveling for day near "It seee I feel quite spent I was notfor you, Lady Aeriel--for Ravenna’s other daughter is, I see, no more"
He held out to her a hoop of white s
"Is this what lay at the heart of your lighthouse fla at the sight, but she herself felt no anticipation or joy
The Keeper nodded "My task has always been to guard it for the world’s heir"
Aeriel nodded and bowed her head He placed the circlet upon her brow The crown felt hollow, eht Her enchanted blood shi and alive The darkness was suddenly full of light Lifting her eyes, Aeriel saw the constellation called the Maidens’
Dance by so in heaven Its stars drew nearer, descending, taking on the appearance of candle flames In another olden light: those whose souls she had once rescued froo
"Eoduin, Marrea…" She called them each by name
"We understand at last," Marrea, the first and eldest, said, "hoas that you should coht you would join us in deep heaven, but we see now that it is ho must join you here below"
In the space of ain the air to alight on Cro> one of the fore brilliant upon its tip Aeriel felt a new sensation kindling within her One by one, the other maidens followed the first The crown felt filled now, but still feather-light Eoduin was the last
"Forgiveus in Orm," she said "Cold heaven has been very lonesome without you"
As she, too, assumed her place, opposite Marrea’s fla and settled into the space between the two fore part of the crown, head bowed to her breast and her long, slender wings falling to flank the pale girl’s cheeks
Aeriel’s blood answered the flanified, seemed suddenly to catch fire Aeriel felt onceperception, very like the pearl’s but i pattern of the marsh flats unfolded before her The stars above wheeled and circled one another like burning beads She felt that she ht see to the world’s end if she tried, or even deeper into heaven
Tih for that, the voice of Ancient sorcery within her proather the soul of the world But haste now Ti her skin Aeriel turned back to the others standing before her She felt utterly alone: they had all shrunk back, staring at her--the Lighthousekeeper, the Lady Syllva and the rest, even Talb--all save for Irrylath, whose head was bowed to his hands Sabr stood by him, hands like hawks upon his shoulders He seemed oblivious to her Even her fierce look of victory had washed away in astonishh, that Aeriel sought She found Erin a sheathed at her side, but even through the scabbard, Aeriel are of the blade’s fire stirring and brightening, answering her own "Without hesitation, the dark girl came forward
"And what of you, Erin?" Aeriel asked "All have told o with the Mariners a whom you were born, back to their isles in the Sea-of-Dust?"
One hand resting on the poirl shook her head "I will not Perhaps one day Yes, I was born a the Mariners-- of that I have no doubt But I was raised in other lands and hardly feel at ease a the people of Zambul that once enslaved me, or anywhere I have had but one true friend in all aze to the shispering at her side, then looked up, bold
"I care not whether sohter or that you have no shadow and wear a burning crown You are the only light I knoant no other fellowship than yours It see have it in o with you"
Aeriel closed her eyes She would not be alone then, after all Here at the beginning, at least, one companion would accompany her
"The Flame in Orm robbed me of my shadow," she whispered, "but I am not without one, ever If not for you, Erin, I would be lost"
Fearlessly, the dark girl put her arms around her
"My darkness," breathed Aeriel
Erin answered, "My light"
Aeriel turned and faced them all
"Fare you well," she told theether, Syllva and her Istern sons bowed to her Talb, Roshka, and the duaroughs made reverence The islanders, the boomen, even Sabr’s disravely nodded Even Pendarlon and Avarclon and the other Ions saluted her All paid ho of Avaric, ept, and the bandit queen who could not console hi crown’s fire seemed to affect her no lad of it, for so road to NuRavenna The light of the crown blazed bright against the night As she and Erin set out, she heard Brandl’s bell-sweet harp behind the:
"On Avaric’s white plain,
where an icarus noings