Shade and Sorceress by Catherine Egan

Author:Catherine Egan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: sorcerer, Last Days of Tian Di, fantasy, epic, middle years, trilogy, quest, magic, girls, growing up, mothers, witches, dragons, tiger, Arctic, friendship, self-confidence
ISBN: 9781550507218
Publisher: Coteau Books

~ Chapter 12 ~

When the cave opened again Eliza was conscious only of a deep sense of peace. She knew, somehow, that all was well. Though terrible things had happened, were happening all the time, the wrongs would be righted and no lasting harm would come to anyone. She was safe, safer than she had ever been, in an embrace that took her back to her infancy. For the first time she thought she could remember her mother’s face, not just that odd, anxious-looking photograph she had given away, but her mother laughing and smiling at her.

“Eliza.” Nell was bent over her. “It’s time to go.”

There was a book next to her. Eliza picked it up. The Book of Barriers. It all came back to her then, where they were, and why. But the sense of well-being was slow to fade, and her fear still seemed a far-off thing.

Slowly, sleepily, she gathered her belongings and followed Nell out onto the ledge. As soon as they stepped out of the cave a swallow pecking at the dust turned into Charlie Ash.

“There you are, thank the Ancients!” he exclaimed, looking deeply relieved. Eliza wondered if he was relieved to find them all right or to have found his quarry. She felt a little pinch of sadness return.

“Oh, he’s still here,” said Nell, her upper lip curling slightly. “I thought we’d lost him.”

Charlie looked hurt.

“You’re all right, aye,” said Eliza to Nell, looking her friend over.

Nell nodded. “You too.”

“Lah, everyone’s all right, that’s prize,” Charlie broke in crossly. “But the Mancers have been all over this place. They saw your donkey and came and looked around. They didnay find you, obviously. They’ve split up now, headed off in different directions.”

“Where’s the donkey?” asked Eliza.

“Headed home. And we need to do the same.”

“But I didnay see the Oracle,” said Eliza. “You said you’d help me.”

“He did?” asked Nell incredulously.

“That’s not exactly what I said,” said Charlie. “If you didnay see her, it’s either because she’s nay there or she didnay want to see you. There’s not much else you can do.”

“What Oracle?” asked Nell.

Eliza gave her a highly abbreviated version of the events since they had arrived in Tian Xia, and then turned to Charlie pleadingly: “Lah, you said...I mean, the Triumvira is three beings, nay? Cannay we try to talk to the other two?”

“No,” said Charlie plainly. “The second member is the King of the Faeries. But he’ll be in the Realm of the Faeries in the west and we cannay go there. And no one knows for sure who the third being is.”

“Why cannay we go to the Realm of the Faeries?” asked Nell, who had lit up at the mention of it.

“Believe me, messing with Faeries is a sure way to get us all killed, aye,” said Charlie. “The Oracle really was your only chance. I think you can take her non-appearance in the temple as a no.”

“I’ll take a no as a no,” said Eliza stubbornly. “You said she might not be there.

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