Crusader. Sara Douglass
her time the Icarii had used Talon Spike mainly as a summer retreat, a pleasure palace. Consequently, the very fabric of the mountain had been consecrated to the pursuits of pleasure: seduction nests, silken spaces for sleeping, great soaring halls for singing and flight dances. Even the walls had been steeped in music and laughter.
Now all was grey and silent. StarLaughter realised that this was largely due to the cessation of the Star Dance — the Icarii had breathed life into the mountain almost exclusively through the enchantments they’d woven from the Star Dance — but she could also see that Talon Spike had been put to a more sober purpose over past times.
She passed chambers that were more ascetic than luxurious — and what Icarii ever enjoyed asceticism? She walked into some of the lower halls that were filled with stacks of books and parchments, rather than silken banners and musical instruments. She glanced through sleeping chambers that had beds designed for one (for one!) rather than two.
StarLaughter paused in the doorway of one chamber and shuddered. It looked almost as if … as if the mountain had been used as a centre of learning and study rather than pleasure!
“Well, at least Qeteb did nothing but good here when he destroyed,” she muttered, continuing on down the corridor. “Learning! What had come over the Icarii!”
Despite the depressing degree of soberness and asceticism, StarLaughter finally found what she’d been looking for in a chamber only two levels above the basement: a chest of silken wraps. She sighed with pleasure as she lifted out a scarlet robe edged with beaten gold, and she hastily shed her tattered and bloodstained blue robe and put on the scarlet one.
StarLaughter wasn’t sure how her blue robe had got so befouled, nor why she’d allowed herself to continue wearing it for so long.
There was a mirror to one side and StarLaughter stood contentedly and preened, smoothing the material over her body, twisting this way and that in admiration.
How many birdmen had lusted after this body? WolfStar certainly, and StarLaughter knew that many other birdmen had wanted her as well. Had she ever indulged any of their lustings? StarLaughter’s brow creased. No. No, she hadn’t … had she? She’d always been true to WolfStar.
That’s why Fate would bind them together again.
StarLaughter laughed, immersed in her beauty and the feel of the robe. WolfStar would not be able to resist her!
After a few more admiring moments, StarLaughter continued on her way. The corridors and stairwells were clear this deep in, and she had no trouble finding the basements.
They were dank and cold, but StarLaughter could feel the power that remained here. It was a residual power, as if the enchantments were fading after whatever they protected had been removed, but it was enough, and StarLaughter knew that Qeteb, or any of the other Demons, would not be able to spy her out here.
“It is not a palace fit for me,” she observed, but sank down gracefully in the centre of the chamber, folding her legs underneath her and her wings against her back.
She faced the door, and waited.
And as she waited she allowed herself to further remember, and she laughed very softly, remembering the first time WolfStar and she had made love.
Many hours passed, and StarLaughter succumbed to her lethargy. She dozed, for how long she could not tell, but when she came to awareness again, she sensed she was no longer alone.
StarLaughter raised her head and stared toward the door.
A young Icarii birdwoman stood there. She had white wings and fair, translucent skin, but their beauty was absorbed and murdered by the black gown she wore. She had fine gold hair that curled about her forehead, violet eyes and a full and sensuous mouth, but her beauty was spoiled by the expression of sadness that she wore, almost as a cloak over her depressing robe.
“Hello, StarGrace,” StarLaughter said. “I have been expecting you.”
StarGrace nodded, but said nothing, and she walked further into the chamber.
She had a peculiar gait, almost as if she were walking on claws rather than feet.
StarLaughter tilted her head to one side and regarded StarGrace. It was a positive sign that StarGrace appeared so: the Hawkchilds could transform themselves back into a semblance of their former selves, but generally it did not suit them.
Revenge always required a much darker mien.
But here was StarGrace in at least a semblance of her former self, although StarLaughter could see she’d left her feet taloned and the material of the robe shifted from feather to cloth with every movement of the eye. And since StarGrace had returned to her former appearance, that meant only one thing: StarGrace was willing to talk, and to talk on StarLaughter’s terms.
“Qeteb sent you to hunt me down?” StarLaughter said.
“Yes.” StarGrace’s voice was husky, almost whispery.
“How did you find me?”
“I haunted these corridors, too. Remember?”
StarLaughter nodded. StarGrace was her niece, daughter of CloudBurst, WolfStar’s younger brother. StarGrace had spent many years in Talon Spike as well, and as a SunSoar, close to the Talon, she would have known about these basements.
“I knew this would be the only place you could hide,” StarGrace continued.
“And yet you did not tell this to Qeteb,” StarLaughter said. She wanted to smile — now she knew she could manipulate the Hawkchilds! — but realised the folly of revealing her triumph too soon, and so kept her face impassive.
StarGrace had moved to within a pace of StarLaughter, and now she extended a hand — StarLaughter noted that it, too, was in the shape of a claw — to help StarLaughter rise.
“I wanted to hear what you had to say,” StarGrace said, and StarLaughter nodded.
She brushed out her gown, and spoke. “I have become disenchanted with Qeteb and the Demons.”
“Questors,” corrected StarGrace.
“No,” StarLaughter said firmly. “Not Questors. Demons.” She shrugged. “Although, in truth, the semantics of the matter bothers me little. Demons or Questors, they aided us when no-one else would, and gave us succour and hope.”
“This is true.”
“They said they would return us to Tencendor so we could revenge ourselves on WolfStar.”
“This is true.”
“But have they done this?”
StarGrace was silent, regarding StarLaughter thoughtfully.
“We are back in Tencendor, true — but look what they have done to it!”
“I don’t think that the ruin of Tencendor means much to our plans for —”
“And do they let us do what we need to do?” StarLaughter continued, putting as much emotion and conviction into her voice as she was able. “Why can’t they let us go to hunt down WolfStar? Stars knows it is the only reason we continue to exist!”
StarGrace shifted from foot to foot (claw to claw), and blinked. She cocked her head to one side, thinking.
“It was the only thing that kept us going through our frightful deaths and then through thousands of years drifting in space!” StarLaughter grabbed the front of StarGrace’s robe and gave her a little shake. “We are nothing without a fulfilment for our revenge!”
StarGrace finally nodded. “What do you want?”
“Will you tell Qeteb that you could not find me?”
“What?” StarGrace cocked her head, then tipped it to the other side, regarding StarLaughter almost as a mouse she might like to gobble