Bedlam's Bard by Mercedes Lackey; Ellen Guon

Author:Mercedes Lackey; Ellen Guon
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science Fiction, General, Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Epic
ISBN: 9781416532828
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: 1992-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Beth focused on her fingerings like a mantra; kept her eyes squeezed shut to keep her attention on one thing.

The music.

Caught up in the melody, Beth could feel the currents of power dancing around her, tendrils of magic like a living creature, weaving and darting in strange patterns.

This—this is almost better than sex. Witchcraft never felt anything like this.

She smiled. Her eyes were still closed, and she concentrated on the music. Her hand moved lightly upon the guitar, fingerpicking a quick-running counterpoint to complement Eric’s melodic line.

Lovely work, Banyon. For a while, I wasn’t certain if this was going to play, but this sounds—feels just right. Like everything is coming together, fusing, creating something new and wonderful—something truly enchanted.

Then she heard something else, a distant noise like pieces of metal clanging together. Beth opened her eyes, looking past Allie and Jim, towards the edge of the circle.

And her heart stopped beating.

The sunlit meadow had been transformed into something from one of her nightmares: a shadowy glen surrounded by billowing black fog, from which half-glimpsed creatures appeared, attacking the elven warriors, then fading away.

Beyond the elves she could see another figure in bluish-silver armor, battling sword against sword with Eldenor; and a blonde woman, kneeling motionless on the ground.

Somehow, in a way she didn’t quite understand, Beth could sense the flow of power between Perenor and Ria, as the elf-lord drew strength and will from the sorceress.

Perenor. And his bitch daughter. They’ve found us—

And the bodies, littering the ground: Val, the lovely silver-haired elven woman, with claw marks across her face and throat, an armored swordsman, his turquoise breastplate nearly buckled in two, as if some immense force had crushed him like an insect in its grip.

They’re working their way past the defenders, trying to get at us—at Eric—

She realized that she had stopped playing, and forced her fingers to continue, even as Perenor’s sword bit deeply into Eldenor’s side. The purple-mohawked warrior staggered back, into the murky depths of the unnatural fog.

Something, a creature that Beth’s mind refused to admit could exist, reached out and dragged Eldenor back into the darkness.

Not even the music could mask his screaming.

Oh God—please, no—this can’t be happening—

Her hands were shaking so much she could barely hold on to the guitar, much less play the chords. As Eldenor’s screams faded, Perenor looked across the meadow at the band.

His jade-green eyes met Beth’s through the slits of his helm. He moved toward her.

Then Korendil was between them, sword raised, forcing Perenor back with a wild flurry of blows.

For a moment Beth thought that Kory had a chance, that he could defeat the elf-lord. Then Perenor recovered his balance and counterattacked.

She could barely hear the music over the clashing of blades, the combatants’ harsh breathing, the distant howling of the mist-creatures and the war cries of the elves; as Perenor forced Kory back a step, then another, and another, all the time moving closer to the band.

Edged steel clattered in strike after strike as Korendil fought grimly.

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