If it felt any easier, or more justified, she could not tell.
By then she had drifted closer to the next world. A stone circle surrounded her, a typical arrival place, and beyond that a field of tall stalks. She let the world drag her in and knew she’d arrived when warmth surrounded her. As Gabeme fell to the ground, magic swirled within her, repairing the damage from lack of air without her having to gasp.
Not sure what to do with him, she dragged him to the edge of the stone circle and left him there.
Pushing out of a world the second time was, to her relief, as easy as the first time. Yet she could see why Baluka’s lessons had failed. She had been taken between worlds often enough now that she understood what she was sensing. She propelled herself back along her path, arriving in the middle of the artists. They stepped back, allowing her room.
“He won’t bother you again,” she told them as she let go of the magic she had taken but not used. Sesse stood wringing her hands nearby. Rielle beckoned to the woman and walked out of the room, ignoring the murmurs behind her.
“What happened?” Sesse asked as they entered the corridor. “You said you couldn’t travel between worlds or fight.”
“I couldn’t. I can now. Mind reading is a handy skill sometimes.”
“Where did the rebel go?
She lengthened her stride. “He’s dead.”
“Oh. Good.”
Rielle winced. A hand touched her arm, pulled her to a stop. Sesse stared at her, her expression uncharacteristically serious, sympathy and gratitude radiating from her.
“You did a good thing, Sorcerer Rielle. A hard thing, but a necessary thing. He would have done terrible things to the people here.”
Rielle looked away. “I know.” And with Valhan gone, I may need to defend myself or others again. I will have to get used to it. Yet she did not want to stop being horrified. It was right that it shocked and sickened her, and that she would now question this death as well as Sa-Gest’s, for the rest of her life. I had better, because the day I stop is the day I deserve to die.
A voice filtered down the stairs to her from the next level. Her heart leapt as she recognised it.
“Dahli!” she exclaimed. He was alive. He had survived. She ran up the stairs and found him standing in the corridor. His expression brought her to a halt. Not because Dahli’s grief was visible, but because he looked so controlled.
He had something in his hand, she noticed. The mechanical insect. He slipped it into his coat then strode to her and held out a hand. “We must go.”
She hesitated. “What of the people here? Who will protect them?”
“They will be safe for now. We will return later.”
She took his hand. “Where are we going?” She looked at him closely, resisting the temptation to look into his mind. “Is it true?” she asked softly. “Is he…?”
He did not flinch, and his voice remained level, so it took a moment longer for her to absorb what he said.
“It is true. The Raen has been defeated.”
His grip was painfully tight. The world slipped away.
CHAPTER 24
All she could read from Dahli’s face was determination. As they reached the next world she drew a breath to speak.
“What ha—?”
Her question was cut off as they entered the place between again. Dahli’s gaze was intense, but focused on the growing whiteness.
What happened? she thought at him, remembering how Valhan was able to hear her. It might have only been because he could read her mind, but it didn’t hurt to try.
Dahli’s gaze shifted to her. Air surrounded them, but this time she didn’t pause to draw breath.
“Where are we g—?”
“Don’t speak between worlds,” he told her. “You might be heard.”
“But—”
Everything faded to white. She clenched her jaw against all the questions crowding her mind and concentrated on the place between worlds. Dahli was following a well-used path. Other paths crossed it, including one that had faded to the point where only fragments remained. Then they left the path and Dahli began to forge a new one. The substance of the place between formed whirlpools and ripples in his wake. He reached another path and followed it to the next world.
During each journey between worlds he never stayed on a single path, instead crossing from one to another, or stopping and reversing. He’s creating dead ends. A world came into sight that she recognised from earlier in their journey. He’s circling around. Are we being followed?
She experienced none of the physical sensations of fear, yet she still felt it. Only when they arrived in the next world did her heart began hammering, and her stomach knot. She pressed a hand to her heart, breathing quickly.
Dahli frowned in concern. “Do you need more time to repair the damage from lack of breathing?”
“No.” She drew in a deep breath and let it out. “Is someone pursuing us?”