Michael Foster - She Who Has No Name

‘Neither did I, Your Majesty. Suffice to say,I have talked to your husband at length and I am sure it is true. I wanted to tell you, so you can prepare to meet him. But please be warned: he is not the same man he once was. While Edmond Calais still exists, he is also partially Andor Ferse. They are merged as one, but your husband is by far the dominant spirit. I must say, it has changed him in many ways.’

The Empress retook her seat and looked deep within her thoughts. Samuel let her sit quietly, until she looked up once again.

‘What will we do?’

‘We have come to save you, but we cannot act just yet. The Paatin Queen is strong and she has you stashed within a nest of her wizards. As soon as I find a way, I will come for you.’

‘Who else is with you?’

‘There are only a few of us,and we are internedwithin her palace. Only Lord Lomar is still free.’

At the sound of his name, the Empress looked up, full of hope. ‘Lomar? He is with you?’

‘Yes, although I have not been able to reach him since I was captured. He followed your captors all the way from Cintar in an attempt to free you.’

‘That is good. I must warn you,there were magicians amongst those that captured me.’

‘It would have been the Paatin wizards. Did you see any of them?’

‘Not at all. I was overcome quickly. They used spells and tonics to keep us subdued. I remember only sparse moments-we were confined tightly, secreted away in some tiny space, I believe. It was not until we reached the desert city itself that we were allowed to regain our senses. We spoke with that wretched witch, but,since then,I have not been able to make a single one of these barbarians understand me.’

Samuel then sensed the familiar presence of Utik’cah climbing the stairs towards them. ‘It’s a relief to see that you and the young Emperor have been welltreated. Our guide returns, so it seems our time is already over.’

The Empress nodded knowingly and they waited patiently for Utik’cah to reappear at the door.

‘Apologies, Your Highness,Lord Samuel. It appears out visit will be cut short. A storm is approaching and Alahativa instructed that I return you both before evening, so we must hurry.’

Samuel nodded and stood and the Koian woman shadowed him. ‘It has been a pleasure to see you, Your Majesty. Until we meet again.’

‘Thank you, Samuel,’ Empress Lillith returned, and threw a dark scowl towards the desert-man in her door.

Utik’cah almost boundeddown the stairs and Samuel could not help but follow suit, sensing the urgency in his actions. They had barely reached the tethered line of camels, all sitting and chewing with their jutting,yellow teeth, when Utik’cah was shouting at his team to depart. His men scurried about and began ordering the stubborn animals to their feet.

Samuel had no sooner mounted with the Koian woman clinging behind him, than the desert-men began shouting and starting out the gates. Samuel held on fiercely to the sun-warmed saddle. Already, he could sense the energies of the desert in turmoil. Looking over his shoulder, he could feel the storm approaching-a great tyrant of power rampaging in the distance.

They were only about halfway back to Hol when the desert-men began looking even more anxious. All of a sudden, they began shouting and pulling their camels aside and desperately pulling the bundles from the animals’ backs. Samuel was left not knowing what to do, until Utik’cah came scrambling towards them.

‘Get down! Get down!’ he called.

Samuel slipped from the high saddle and landed spryly on the golden sand, but he had forgotten about the Koian woman latched onto him, and she came sprawling down behind him, head first. He ignored her curses and splutterings as he interrogated Utik’cah.

‘What’s going on?’ he asked with concern.

‘The storm is upon us. It is greater and faster than we expected. We should not have left Yi’sit, but it is too late to go back now. We musttake shelter at once!’

The men had already thrown down some leathers and canvases and had started constructing a number of small, rounded, sturdy-looking tents. Utik’cah grabbed Samuel and the Koian woman roughly and dragged them to the first one that was readied.

‘No matter what happens, wait inside,’ he told them. ‘Sit still and we will come for you when we can.’

Samuel was about to ask what he meant, when a shrill scream sounded and something obscured the sun. Day became dusk as Samuel turned and saw a wall of darkness falling upon them,a storm-front of wind and sand that blocked out the very sun. Utik’cah gave them a shove and they were both insidewhenthe shadow struck. It was a sudden transition from the clamour and panic of the desert-men outside, to an unspeakable howling of wind and shaking of their tent, as if maddened banshees had descended upon them. Their refuge was tiny and Samuel was pressed against one side with the Koian against him. The struts and framework that kept the structure intact rattled and shook violently. The windward side of the tent began to bend in and Samuel could feel the soft sand pushing in upon them.

‘What’s happening?’ the woman beside him asked, but Samuel only hushed her impatiently.

There was no sound of the men outside; indeed,there was no sound other than the overpowering roaring of the wind and,after only a few minutes,a dark line had begun tracing its way up the tent as the sand piled up around them.

As timewore on, Samuel grew increasingly worried, for the line continued to rise and the light dimmed with each moment. Finally, as the creeping line reached the top of their shelter, they were left in utter blackness. Their only solace was that the noise of the storm was now muffled so as to be bearable.

‘Magician?’ came a muted whimper from beside him. ‘I’m afraid.’

‘Just be quiet,’ he told her. ‘We will wait for the storm to subside. Then Utik’cah will come to find us.’

She bumped against him as she struggled to be comfortable.

‘Sit still!’ he told her, for the tent was already deformed under the weight of the sand, and he did not relish the thought of their shelter collapsing beneath itand suffocating them.

‘I need air!’ she hissed back at him, and he could sense that she had sat up.

He did the same and his head bumped into the roof-such a thin barrier to maintain their tiny bubble of sanctuary within the sand. He sat quietly, listening for the others, but all he could hear was her breathing,faster and more urgent.

‘Breath slowly,’ he told her. ‘If you keep that up you will use all of our air.’

‘It is my air to use!’ she barked back at him, but he had no reply for such a statement.

They sat long in the darkness, waiting for some sign of rescue. It was hot and Samuel could feet condensation on the inside material when he brushed against it. Distantly, the storm continued to murmur, whispering its secrets in some timeless,unintelligible tongue.

‘Why did you lie to your Queen, Magician?’ she said after some time, breaking the silence.

‘Empress Lillith? What do you mean? I did not lie to her. What do you know? You cannot even understand when we speak.’

‘I don’t understand the words but I understand your tone and the expressions on your face. The word for Paatin is the same in any tongue, and I have heard you call me a witch enough times to know that sound. You spoke as if you disliked the Paatin witch, yet you have bedded her and continue to do so.’

‘Only to get what we need. It is not something the Empress needed to know.’

‘I think you lie to yourself, also,’ she told him. ‘It is not something you were forced to do. You choseto doso willingly.’

A moment of silence.

‘It helps our cause,’ said Samuel.