Born in Light Page 21

  “Not any more!” Lilith said loudly. “I know now who my enemy is. The only thing I want to do is defeat Kasimirh.”

  “And what about me? Am I no longer your enemy?”

  He looked her straight in the eye. Lilith doggedly stared back. After a few seconds Ferhdessar got up and walked towards the table. “Undo her cuffs.”

  Wolter got up and freed her from the shackles. Lilith lashed out and dived underneath Wolter’s arms. He seized her from behind and wrapped his arm around her throat.

  Ferhdessar looked at her and shook his head. He opened a little box.

  Lilith was pulling at Wolter’s arm in an attempt to break free of his grasp. It was getting harder to breathe. She calmed down a bit when she felt something cold. From the corner of her eyes she saw that Eoghan was holding a gun against her temple.

  “I’m sure that I don’t have to explain what this is,” said Ferhdessar as he slipped a silver wristband on her wrist and whispered a few spells. The wristband tightened and her arm started to tingle.

  “You know this one. I’ve tuned it so that you can’t get more than ten yards away from me. I might give you a bit more or less room from time to time.” He grabbed her right hand and slipped a wristband on that wrist as well. “This one makes sure that you can’t harm me. Let go of her.”

  Lilith screamed and fell to the floor. She was twisting and writhing.

  “I appreciate this demonstration. Now the dragon man also knows what these wristbands can do.” As he said this, Ferhdessar put bands around Az-Zhara’s wrists as well. Then he turned towards Ébha. She got one wristband. “We should have done this to women like you ages ago,” Ferhdessar hissed. “At least now you can’t touch anyone any more with that diabolical gift of yours.”

  Wolter and Eoghan removed the two prisoners and left Ferhdessar and Lilith alone. Ferhdessar sat back down, elbows on the armrests of his chair and fingers resting against each other. Lost in thought, he stared into the distance.

  “I could ask you about Kasimirh’s plans,” he said softly, “but I guess you have no knowledge of them.” He looked at her. “No matter, today is a joyful day because we have finally caught you.”

  “You’re throwing away your chance of a victory,” Lilith hissed.

  “What makes you think that you are strong enough this time?” Ferhdessar shook his head. He got up and dragged her to the corner of his tent. Lilith clenched her fists. Pain shot through her arms. She had no choice but to follow him.

  “I wanted to talk to you longer, but you make me sick just looking at you.” He pushed her to the ground and threw a blanket over her.

  Lilith immediately pulled away the blanket. “Why don’t you have me taken somewhere else?”

  “Shut up. I don’t want to see or hear you. I don’t even want to smell you.”

  Ferhdessar made a small gesture with his hand. The blanket crawled up to cover her again and wrapped itself tightly around Lilith’s face and body. She wrestled for a bit more room.

  “Calm down, Lilith. I won’t let you die. I’ll free you tomorrow to show you to my soldiers.”

  She felt his hand on her shoulder. The blanket slowly grew hard until it became a layer of wood around her.

  “Let me out! Ferhdessar!”

  She tried to move. She rolled around but that didn’t give her more room. After a while she managed to free her hand. She tapped against the wood. Then she tried to scratch her way out.

  31

  Servants were helping Ferhdessar into his armour. He couldn’t help but notice that Aida kept looking at Lilith, who was still trapped inside the wooden blanket. The maidservant laughed.

  Ferhdessar wanted to impress and inspire his army by wearing his armour. He took a look in the mirror. It was a pity that he couldn’t wear Wigg’s armour. It would definitely have made an even bigger impression on the soldiers. Unfortunately, Wigg’s armour had been left behind when they had fled the palace.

  The servants left the tent. Ferhdessar knelt beside Lilith. The sound of Lilith’s nails scratching the wood had kept him awake for most of the night. Listening to her scratching, he had wondered if Lilith was telling the truth. Afifa had mentioned before that it was possible that Kasimirh had conjured the dragon by magic. Ferhdessar hadn’t wanted to believe her. The dragon had been so close that night when he had tried to win back the palace. How could the dragon have been a fake without him noticing?

  He got the key from his pouch and let his gaze wander along the filigree lines that decorated the magical ornament. He had never used it on Lilith when she had been Yvar’s prisoner. Partly because she abhorred magic, but primarily because it gave him much more joy to find out the truth without the help of tools. He had been successful. At long last, Lilith had told him her secret.

  Ferhdessar put the key away. It wasn’t important whether Lilith was telling the truth or not. It was useful to keep her as his prisoner. Having a tamed dragon sent a powerful signal.

  He picked up the piece of bark that he had laid on Lilith. The wood changed back into the blanket. Lilith pulled it away and gasped for air. There was sweat on her forehead, and her clothes were completely soaked. There was dried blood on the fingertips of her left hand.

  “I hate you,” Lilith hissed. She moaned and grabbed the wristband.

  Ferhdessar nodded. He gave her a mug and filled it. She drank greedily while looking at him across the rim of the mug.

  As soon as she had emptied the mug, he seized her hand. “Stay close to me.”

  Lilith drew back her hand. She rubbed the wristband and asked: “How far am I allowed to go?”

  “As long as I can feel your breath, you’re safe.” Ferhdessar left the tent with Lilith close behind.

  The soldiers had gathered in the centre of the camp. There were whispers when Lilith came out of the tent. Several soldiers shouted something. Ferhdessar drew Lilith next to him.

  “Right here, I have Kasimirh’s most powerful weapon: the dragon that attacked Nadesh! By catching this monster, we have dealt Kasimirh a heavy blow. He no longer has a dragon to fight for him. Soon, Merzia will celebrate victory.”

  “Kill the monster!” someone shouted. Other people cheered.

  Lilith was startled and looked to the side. Was that Ferhdessar’s plan? To kill her in front of all these people and prove how powerful he was?

  Ferhdessar raised his hand. “Death would be too light a punishment. Rest assured that every minute of the rest of her life will be agony for her.”

  He gave Lilith a shove. She lost her balance and rolled down the hill. Her throat was squeezed shut, because she was too far away from Ferhdessar.

  “See what’s left of her!” Ferhdessar shouted. “Nothing but a helpless creature that we no longer have to fear.”

  Lilith crawled up the hill. A group of soldiers walked up to her and blocked her way. They kicked her as they called her names.

  Wolter ordered the soldiers to stop. Lilith crawled on. With every yard she could breathe more freely.

  “Have pity on her,” Ferhdessar shouted. “The dragon has lost her power. This weak woman is all that’s left of her. But we won’t have pity on Kasimirh. Soon, we’ll defeat him!”

  Lilith lay at Ferhdessar’s feet. She inhaled large gulps of air.

  “Messengers, dispatch this good news to all of our soldiers!”

  Ferhdessar looked down on Lilith and turned around. Lilith crawled to her feet as he walked into the tent. She followed him as fast as she could. Ferhdessar stopped in the middle of the tent.

  “Just let me go, Ferhdessar. Your soldiers won’t even have to know. I can fly away tonight and go to Kasimirh. By tomorrow morning you’ll be rid of your problem.”

  Aida entered with breakfast. She hesitated briefly when she saw Lilith, but when she spotted the wristbands, she walked straight past her to place the serving tray on the table. Aida curtsied to Ferhdessar and left the tent.

  Ferhdessar grabbed Lilith’s hand and adjusted the wristband. He dragged
her towards the table and pulled back a chair. “Get yourself some food,” he said as he sat down on the other side of the table.

  Lilith immediately started to eat.

  Ferhdessar looked at her for a while. He took a bit of cheese and chewed slowly.

  “Maybe you and I aren’t all that different,” Ferhdessar said. “We do both want the same thing.”

  Lilith nodded. Without saying anything, she broke off a piece of bread and stuffed it into her mouth together with a piece of meat.

  “I think we are destined to fight together, Lilith.” Ferhdessar nodded, as if to confirm his own words. “Merzia was originally founded by a sorcerer and a dragon, after all. Thibauld needed the sorcerer, and the sorcerer needed the dragon. We’re in the exact same situation. I can’t save Merzia on my own, I need you. Be honest, Lilith. Can you really defeat Kasimirh on your own?”

  Lilith shrugged. “Much has changed. I’m stronger and I’m no longer bound to Kasimirh. Am I strong enough? Time will tell.”

  “I can see the change in you, but time hasn’t stood still for Kasimirh either. Moreover, he won’t be alone when you meet him. He has gathered more sorcerers around him, a guard, and a city full of followers.”

  Ferhdessar placed a soul box on the table.

  Lilith stopped chewing. She pushed her chair back and looked up and down from the silver snail’s shell to Ferhdessar and back. She shook her head emphatically and swallowed her food.

  “This is your only chance, Lilith. You need me in order to be strong enough to kill your master.”

  “Don’t ever use that thing on me again,” Lilith said in a throaty voice. “Take it away.”

  Ferhdessar picked up the soul box and dangled it in front of his face. “It’s such a shame that I can only use it if you cooperate. With this object we can combine our forces and do what we both want.” He put the soul box away and looked at her. “I don’t think you coming to Merzia is a coincidence. The Gods have sent you here.”

  Lilith clenched her fists and grinded her teeth. She slowly shook her head. “You’re wrong, Ferhdessar. Your Gods have nothing to say about me. No God has anything to say about me. Merzia is not my concern. If you want to know whether I’m strong enough to beat Kasimirh, there’s only one way to find out.” She extended her arms towards him.

  Ferhdessar shook his head. “I can’t do that, for your own safety.”

  Lilith huffed. “You’re right, you need me to win. But I don’t need you. I will find a way to escape and do what I came to do.”

  Wolter entered. “Am I interrupting something?” he asked, glancing at Lilith.

  Ferhdessar shook his head. “This conversation was over. You can leave, Lilith.”

  Lilith took a big draught before she got up. She grabbed some bread and cheese, thought better of it, and took the entire plate. “Didn’t you know that Thibauld wasn’t bound to a human sorcerer?” she asked before she left the tent.

  32

  Lilith was sitting on the ground in the shade. Bored, she was drawing figures in the sand with a twig. She had imagined her return to Nadesh quite differently. She was resolved to fight Kasimirh, but now she was stuck in Ferhdessar’s camp. Kasimirh was so close and yet far beyond her reach.

  There were two horses standing next to her. Their reins were tied to rings in a beam. There was one ring left. That’s where my reins are attached to, Lilith thought. She wondered what the sorcerer thought she’d be able to do in this extremely well-guarded camp. Amidst all these soldiers, he might have let her wander around freely, without the wristbands.

  Time passed as Lilith sat there. She hardly dared to move. Soldiers walked by, but heeded her no attention. She liked that. What would they think if they did see her sitting here? She thought she understood; by constraining her with magic, Ferhdessar gave the soldiers the impression that she was extremely dangerous. That was how he retained the rush of victory. If Lilith were to be released, the soldiers would soon realize that the petite and crippled woman didn’t pose a threat. The victory over the dragon would quickly lose its power.

  “Eskhul.”

  Surprised, Lilith looked up at the woman who had greeted her in Naftalian. She was wearing a plain cloak and her hood concealed her face. She had a basket on one arm.

  Lilith nodded at her. “Ischem ennam?”

  The woman held out her hand. Now Lilith noticed that she was wearing a magic wristband as well. “Ischemnin Nigesanla.”

  Lilith kept holding the hand. Because of the woman’s appearance, Lilith had thought that she was a maidservant, but her hands were soft and her nails were too long. This woman didn’t do heavy labour.

  “Matalkhe?” Nigesanla asked.

  Lilith shrugged. She let go of Nigesanla’s hand. “I’m okay,” she answered in Naftalian. “You’re the woman who was married to lord Yvar, aren’t you?”

  Nigesanla nodded. She cautiously looked around. Then she sat down on the ground next to Lilith. She handed Lilith some food. “What’s it like to be a follower of lord Jakob?”

  Lilith frowned. “For other people it’s pretty good, I think. According to the scriptures, Jakobinians live a rich life. For me it was hard.” She took a bite as she drew a few lines in the sand.

  Nigesanla nodded. “I heard that Kasimirh wants to create a world in which everyone has equal access to knowledge and prosperity.”

  “Yes, that’s what he says,” Lilith replied, “but at the same time he oppresses his people and has everyone killed who disagrees with him.”

  Nigesanla was staring into the distance. Lilith wondered if she’d even heard what she had said.

  “My life in Merzia started like a fairytale,” Nigesanla said softly. “Lord Yvar respected me, and that was more than I’d ever expected from a man. Since his death, I don’t exist any more. The only thing I’m good for is to give birth to a healthy baby. After that, I can perish as far as Ferhdessar is concerned.”

  Lilith eyed her inquisitively. “And you think life with the Jakobinians is any different?”

  Nigesanla bowed her head and shrugged.

  “Kasimirh and Ferhdessar aren’t all that different, my lady.” Lilith said. “They only think of themselves and will use you for their own purposes. When you’ve outlived your usefulness, you’re just as easily discarded.”

  Nigesanla shook her head. “My brother is helping Kasimirh. Tokala has always been different from the other Naftalian men. We used to get along very well. Unfortunately, I haven’t spoken to him ever since he got married, but I always suspected he would take a different path than the one that Margal dictates. I hoped that he would take me with him. Indeed, I would’ve blindly followed him.”

  “And now he’s your enemy.”

  Nigesanla shook her head. “My brother choosing this route proves that life under Kasimirh isn’t as bad as Ferhdessar has us believe.”

  “You won’t find what you’re looking for with the Jakobinians. I’ve heard rumours that Kasimirh already tried to have you and the baby killed.”

  Nigesanla clenched her fists. “I know why Ferhdessar let me keep the baby. The Merzians value their customs. The crown has to be handed down from heir to heir. It has been that way ever since Thibauld. When my child comes of age, it’s beyond discussion that he or she becomes Merzia’s ruler.”

  “All the more reason to want your baby dead, I’d think.”

  Nigesanla shook her head. “Ferhdessar’s power is fragile. He has no more rights to the throne than any other Merzian. Somebody else will rule after his death and possibly undo everything that Ferhdessar has worked for.

  “That’s why he needs my child. Ferhdessar wants to raise it as his own. My child will be completely indoctrinated once he or she ascends the throne. That’s the only way for Ferhdessar to secure his power in the future. Generation after generation, the sorcerer’s ideas will influence Merzia’s government. The worst thing would be if I have a daughter. He’ll marry her and Ferhdessar’s blood will forever flow through the veins of Merzi
a’s rulers.”

  Lilith nodded.

  “That’s why I think Kasimirh could be interested in my child as well. It would be so much easier for him to conquer Merzia if the tradition of the succession could be maintained. Kasimirh will do the same to my child as Ferhdessar. But I might be able to enforce on Kasimirh what I can’t get from Ferhdessar: the right to play a part in the upbringing of my child.”

  “You’re betraying your husband’s people,” Lilith said.

  “No, I want to save them. I want to free the Merzian people from Ferhdessar. I think that lord Yvar wanted the same. He chose me and got me pregnant, to prevent the sorcerer from ascending the throne.” Nigesanla looked Lilith straight in the eye. “You aren’t going to betray me, are you?”

  Lilith shook her head. “Merzia is not my problem. I’ve returned to Nadesh for one reason only.”

  “You want to kill the prophet.”

  Lilith nodded.

  “Then why doesn’t Ferhdessar let you go? If he means so well, then why won’t he use the dragon?”

  “Oh, there’s nothing he’d want more than to use me,” Lilith snapped. She threw the twig into the sand. “But I won’t let him use me.”

  “I understand what you mean,” Nigesanla said. She was staring at the waves and stripes that Lilith had drawn in the sand. “Did you know that lord Yvar spoke to Jakob?”

  Lilith frowned.

  “He performed a ritual. He later told me that he had met Jakob. I believe him. He spoke so passionately about it. So Jakob is a true God.”

  “One of the twelve, according to the Merzians,” Lilith said.

  Nigesanla nodded. “But why don’t the other Gods give signs? Where is Wigg? Or Gaia? The only one I can see around me is Kyl, the God of Disaster.”

  Lilith chuckled.

  “Do you still believe in Jakob?” Nigesanla asked.

  “I wish I could say for certain that he’s a figment of Kasimirh’s imagination,” Lilith said.

  “So you do still believe in Him?”