Darkspell (Deverry) by Kerr Katharine

Author:Kerr, Katharine [Kerr, Katharine]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9780307755858
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2010-05-20T16:00:00+00:00

SUMMER, 1063

You must never speak of “binding” a spirit into a crystal or talisman. If the spirit chooses to serve you in this way, well and good, because it will gain knowledge and power as its reward, but let us leave this talk of binding and subjugation to the Dark Path.

—The Secret Book of Cadwallon the Druid

It was a beautiful sunny day, and the sun sparkled on the waters of the River Lit. Lord Camdel, once Master of the King’s Bath, sang as he rode beside the river, just snatches of songs, jumbled in no particular order, because he was having a great deal of trouble remembering the words. He was, in fact, having trouble remembering anything at all, such as the reason he was riding through the lonely hills of the province of Yr Auddglyn. From time to time the question would occur to him, but no matter how long he pondered it, he never found an answer. It merely seemed perfectly correct that he would be there, hundreds of miles from court, with a mysterious packet of jewels in his saddlebags. He knew he’d stolen the jewels, but he could no longer remember why, or who the owner was.

“I must be drunk,” he said to his chestnut gelding. “But why am I drunk out here?”

The gelding snorted as if wondering the same thing.

A few miles on, the river road curved sharply, and as he rounded the bend, Camdel saw three men on horseback. In his muddled way he knew that they were waiting for him. Of course, it was Sarcyn and Alastyr, and that third man was doubtless some servant. Doubtless he was here to buy some opium with those jewels. At last it all made sense.

“Well met, my friend,” Alastyr said. “Are you ready to come with us?”

Camdel started to agree, but suddenly a thought came into his mind. Don’t! They’ll hurt you! The thought sounded so loudly, so urgently, that without a moment’s pause he wrenched his horse’s head around.

“Here!” Sarcyn spurred his mount after him.

Run!

Obediently Camdel kicked his horse, but just as it sprang to a gallop, it screamed in agony and reared. Camdel was thrown forward hard; he clung to its neck as it staggered. He saw a sword blade flash up and slit the horse’s throat. Barely in time, he kicked his feet free of the stirrups and rolled off as the gelding went down. He staggered up, groping for the hilt of his sword. Then a sharp blow caught him across the back of the head, and he crumpled into darkness.

“Good work, Sarcyn,” Alastyr said. “Gan, get those saddlebags! We’ve got to get on our way fast.”

“Cursed nuisance about that horse,” Sarcyn said, kneeling down by Camdel. “We’ll have to steal him another one.”

“I’ve been thinking that we should just kill him and be done with it. Things are much more dangerous than I thought they’d be. Don’t forget, there’s a war going on around here. We might meet a patrol or suchlike on the roads.

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