Dark Realm: Book 5 Circles of Light series by E.M. Sinclair

graceful
acceptance of this temporary promotion.
    ‘I am waiting for final
information which will set our plans in action. I will summon you
again at darkfall.’
    When all but Peshan had
left her chamber, Lerran got to her feet. She moved with an easy
elegance, going through an archway to her most private rooms. She
turned to speak to her brother when one of the windows blew
open.
    ‘I do wish you wouldn’t
do that, Hag,’ sighed the First Daughter of Dark. A raucous cackle
made her wince. ‘You come sooner than I’d expected. What
news?’
    The enormous raven
strutted towards Peshan, horny beak agape. Peshan moved nimbly
behind a chair and the raven screamed again. No one knew, or
remembered if they’d ever known, just why Peshan and Hag disliked
each other quite so violently.
    ‘Hag, behave.’ Lerran
spoke sharply, Darkness rippling through her voice. ‘And Peshan,
keep quiet or go away.’
    Hag shuffled her
feathers and hopped onto a table. ‘The one who screams is of the
kindred. They call themselves Great Dragons.’ Hag cackled again.
‘They are but pale shadows of Great Dragons. And I’d prefer you to
call me Anfled.’
    ‘I will name you as I
choose.’ Lerran’s eyes had begun to blaze and the raven took a step
back, knocking over an inkwell.
    ‘It is a young male. He
has lost his soul bond who is the sleeping girl I think. You told
me not to attempt the Splintered Kingdom so I can’t confirm that.
His name is Farn and the sleeper is called Tika. I took her name
from his mind but he is near insanity. He is at the house of the
ones who came from the stars long ago. Their healers can do
nothing, and his torment is crippling them worse with each
day.’
    Lerran sighed. ‘You
have done well Hag. Seola will be travelling to that land in the
next days.’
    The raven flapped
heavily to the window. ‘I’m going back there,’ she announced.
‘There’s a lot of wild magic loose.’
    ‘Wait,’ Lerran called.
‘The house where the star people live – it was marked on the maps
the last time you checked them for us?’
    ‘Yes, yes,’ Hag replied
tetchily. ‘I will no doubt meet Seola there, but I must discover
more of their magic.’
    The window was empty.
Peshan gestured and the panes swung closed.
    ‘At least Hag seems to
quite like Favrian,’ Lerran groaned. ‘I fear she would happily give
you false directions and sit cackling while you struggled for your
life.’
    Peshan emerged from
behind the chair. ‘Hag will behave when she must.’
    ‘You could sound more
convinced,’ his sister retorted.
    They both stood by the
window looking inland over the town to the lesser hills, which in
turn rose to distant peaks. The Barrier Range was perhaps one
hundred and twenty leagues north, and Kelshan City twice that
distance beyond. Lerran hoped Veranta’s forces would take at least
a full moon to march that far, but even so she disliked these
problems arising together.
    ‘That damn man,’ she
muttered.
    ‘The one called
Namolos?’ asked Peshan.
    Lerran nodded. ‘I still
believe I was right to conceal us from him but perhaps I could have
disrupted his plans sooner. I was remiss in not realising what he
was aiming for.’
    ‘Is there no chance of
contacting him now?’
    ‘He has managed to trap
himself. He was ensnared by that fragment of evil that took form as
Cho Petak.’
    Peshan frowned. ‘The
ruler of Drogoya?’
    ‘I have watchers who
tell me the evil has burst. It should drain itself out like poison
from an abscess, but still it bears watching.’
    Peshan slid his arm
across Lerran’s shoulders, resting his cheek against the side of
her head. ‘I wish I could take more of your burden sweet
sister.’
    ‘I know. And your care
gives me strength. Now, go on and let me speak with
Dabray.’
    Peshan kissed her cheek
and was gone. Lerran closed her eyes, pressed her hands palm to
palm, and vanished from her high rooms. She reappeared deep in the
very roots of the mountain that was the