Shifting Stars by Gary Stringer (best fiction books of all time txt) 📗

“…Co-operation with wizards and druids from across the spectrum is one thing, but including clerics as well?”

“You’re opposed?” Cat wondered.

“On the contrary,” Dreya shook her head, “I’m fascinated by the idea. Imagine the power that could be gained from such a joining of magic! As you say, your staff seems to indicate that such a thing is possible. I’m just not sure even my ambition stretches that far. But this isn’t about including clerics in the Council or some grand joining of power. This is just about me joining hands with one cleric of Light, and for the sake of this one magical experiment, your friend has my invitation if she’s willing.”

Cat threw her arms around her friend. “Thank you!” she cried. “You never cease to amaze me,” she said, breaking the hug. Dreya seemed startled by the physical contact but did not object to it. “I really must stop underestimating you. Dreya the Dark inviting a cleric of Light into her home – whatever will the neighbours think?”

Dreya shrugged. “With any luck, it’ll confuse the hell out of them.”

“They might start to think you’ve turned nice!” Cat pointed out with a wink.

Dreya pulled a face. “There’s no need to be insulting, Cat!”

*****

When Cat sent a sympathic message to Mandalee, extending Dreya’s invitation, the power of the negative response almost knocked her off her feet. She’d never felt anything like this when she’d touched her friend’s mind before: Mandalee was furious. At first, Catriona thought it must be Dreya or the Black Tower she was objecting to. Sympathic communication wasn’t always clear on details, but when Cat projected ‘friendship,’ there was no doubt whatsoever. It wasn’t Dreya that Mandalee had a problem with – it was Catriona.

Honestly, Dreya’s power word could not have stunned her more forcefully. So much so, a concerned Dreya gently guided her friend to the chair so she could catch her breath. When Cat tried to project ‘negative understanding,’ all she got back was ‘LATER’ and then she felt Mandalee slam her mental doors shut, putting Cat in mind of the time Renjaf had done that, physically, and nearly broken her nose. This hurt far more. The emotional freefall, going from having such a fantastic time with Dreya to the fear that she was somehow losing Mandalee was too much for her, and she burst into tears.

Chapter 19

When Mandalee eventually turned up, she was in quite the state. Her clothes were blackened and torn, with patches of dried blood absorbed into the fabric. Her eyes were red-rimmed and bloodshot. She was limping slightly, favouring her left leg and she was visibly exhausted, practically ready to drop.

“Mandalee!” Cat cried, momentarily too frozen to move. “What happened?”

The cleric snorted, “Like you care!”

“How can you say that?” Catriona gasped. “Of course I care, I’m your friend!”

“Yeah, I used to think that,” she muttered. Then when Cat moved to apply druid healing, she yelled, “Don’t you dare! You don’t get to erase this and say it all worked out in the end.”

“What—?”

“I needed you, Catriona!” Mandalee emphasised her full name, which she’d never used since the day they met. Her message was clear: ‘Your friends call you “Cat” but I’m not that anymore.’ “I needed your help, but you were too busy with ‘her’!” she spat, pointing at Dreya.

“Hey, don’t drag me into this,” Dreya objected. “It’s not like I’m keeping Cat prisoner if there’s somewhere else she needs to be.”

“You’re right,” Mandalee accepted. “I almost hoped you were keeping her prisoner.” To Catriona, she added, “I almost believed that was why you suddenly asked for my help.”

“What? No, it’s nothing like that, it’s just about my staff…”

“…Of course it is!” Mandalee rolled her eyes. “It’s always about your bloody staff!”

“Look, Mandalee, I only need you for an experiment—”

Mandalee laughed without humour.

“You are unbelievable! You only need me for an experiment! Otherwise, you have no use for me anymore? Well, that’s perfectly clear, thank you.”

“You know I didn’t mean it like that!” Cat protested. Then realising the leopard was missing, she gasped in horror, fearing the worst. “Wait, where’s Shyleen?”

“She’ll pull through. Not that I’d bring her to this gods’ forsaken place, anyway.”

“Pull through? You mean she’s hurt?”

“I paid for a group of druid healers to tend her.”

“You paid?” Cat was incredulous. “Why wouldn’t you just ask me?”

Mandalee fixed her with her bloodshot eyes, and spat, “I needed help I could rely on!”

“Mandalee, why are you acting like this?”

“Why?” Mandalee demanded, incredulously. “You know why…” she trailed off, seeing Cat’s blank look. “Dear gods,” she breathed, “you really don’t remember, do you?”

“Remember what?” Cat asked. “Mandalee, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Mandalee finally relented to being helped inside the Black Tower, where she could sit down.

*****

Mandalee explained how she’d been contracted to kill a demon that was terrorising a town some fifty miles from the Black Tower, not far from Compton, where she’d first met Catriona. Only about an hour away as the falcon flew. From the reports, it seemed like it was a Greater Demon from one of the lower planes, and almost certainly the most powerful she had ever faced. The other odd thing was that demons of that kind didn’t usually climb up from the depths on their own, which suggested it had been summoned. That, in turn, meant a wizard. With any luck, she could avoid the wizard and just take out the demon. After all, that was her job.

She had occasionally been contracted to kill a summoned mid-level demon before. Last time, the wizard himself had hired her when the demon he’d been studying broke free of his magical containment. Still, there was always the danger that a wizard could be angry at the interference, in which case, given the power of this demon, Mandalee was going to need help to defend herself. She hadn’t fought a wizard before, but she knew her friend had.

She had discussed all of this with Catriona when the