‘Yes, I know Cadel.’ Julietta replied quickly. ‘Come, let’s go.’

  A snippet of conversation stood out from the low murmur in the room.

  ‘I’m glad you lot haven’t been using your spirits.’

  ‘Spirits? You try commanding spirits with magic flying everywhere and your allies mixed in with the enemy.’ someone responded in heavily accented Manunian.

  The two men burst into laughter.

  In barely constrained anger Julietta said, ‘come, let’s go.’ she didn’t want to hear anymore of this.

  ‘And look, that man there is Lord Alain Albier! Look how they’re talking!’ The servant girl replied, oblivious to Julietta’s quickly souring mood.

  Despite herself Julietta was curious. She peered around the doorway to get a look at Lady Emerré’s brother. He was a tall, dark haired man, who stood out from the rest of the crowd with his dignified and restrained air. He was dressed well, his clothes of fine material and elegant cut. Julietta’s eye was drawn not to his clothes though, but to his arm, which was in a sling.

  ‘He seems hurt. Odd, I would have thought a mage would have healed him.’ Or perhaps they have and they are letting the final stages proceed naturally, to spare his energy and theirs... I am sure they are busy. Not that she was busy. Not at all.

  ‘Oh, yes, he was hurt in the fighting, leading his troops!’

  ‘He must be representing the Count of Monbier.’

  ‘Do you know him too?’ the girl asked, her eyes alight.

  ‘No, but I’ve met his sister.’

  ‘Who is that?’

  ‘Cadel’s wife, Lady Emerré Albier-Vayles, the shadow mage.’

  ‘Oh,’ the girl frowned, ‘Lord Alain musn’t be very happy then, Master Vayles isn’t very discreet. Oh, his lady is gone, he must have chased her away from Master Vayles.’

  ‘Lady?’

  ‘The lady who is always with the wizard when he’s here. All the other ladies are very unhappy about it. I’m not sure where she’s from.’ she frowned. ‘She’s pretty.’

  Julietta, who was somewhat disturbed by how much the servant knew about the people at the manor, was a little relieved to find something the girl didn’t know. ‘You were taking me to Linette.’

  ‘Oh, I was. Come along!’

  Julietta did not find Linette. A serving boy found Julietta, with a message from Linette. Curious as to why Linette would want to meet outside the manor, Julietta hurried through the cool night air down to an inn in the lower part of town. She pulled her coat around her tightly. In a few days it would be winter.

  Julietta was relieved when she reached the inn. It was brightly lit and warm inside and filled with the smells of cooking food. When she arrived she didn’t see Linette. She walked over to a balding man with an apron tied around his waist. He looked like he worked here.

  ‘Excuse me,’ she said, ‘do you know if Linette Arras is here?’

  ‘Who are you?’ he asked, looking her up and down slowly.

  ‘Julietta Calance, I-’

  The man nodded curtly and, taking her by the elbow, led her into the kitchen. There, sitting on a bucket by the back door, a plate of food balanced on her knee, was Linette.

  ‘Linette!’ Julietta exclaimed as the man disappeared back into the front room. ‘What are you doing here?’

  Linette smiled. ‘Do you want some dinner? It’s good!’

  ‘Uh, yes, alright.’

  They could not talk for a few moments as Linette called to one of the busy cooks to bring a plate over. They seemed happy to do it, and Julietta wondered if Linette often came here.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ Julietta asked, a plate of some spicy rice dish held in one hand.

  ‘It’s best if I move around. I might be a target now.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I think Lakasha might start targeting shadow mages personally. That’s what they were trying to do in Allonce, and I’ve been sensing things...’ she shrugged. ‘Just to be on the safe side, it’s best if I move around. And look, here’s the door!’

  ‘I see that. Are...’ Julietta wanted to ask if she would be ok, but it seemed a silly question.

  Linette smiled. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. The food’s nice, isn’t it? Different to back in MJ?’

  Julietta nodded. ‘Spicy’

  ‘They have some interesting smelling liquors too.’ she sighed. ‘Now isn’t the time to try them though.’

  ‘When is ever the time to try them, you’re a-!’

  Linette laughed. ‘I’ve never had any alcohol, but the stuff here sure does smell funny.’

  Julietta sighed in relief.

  ‘I did try dream dust though.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I was curious, so I thought if I was going to experiment I’d go the whole way.’ she shrugged, while Julietta stared on open mouthed. ‘It was weird. I don’t know how it feels for normals, but I immediately lost hold of my body. It was kinda scary... usually I have some control, but it was like I couldn’t go back and almost... almost like I was paralysed, not my body, but my soul, out there in wherever it is I go when I leave my body.’

  ‘You... you took drugs?’

  ‘I’m not trying that again, but maybe some alcohol wouldn’t be too bad.’

  ‘Linette!’ Julietta exclaimed weakly.

  ‘But not now,’ she sighed, ‘I can’t take the risk now, when I’m so badly needed with the war. I know what it feels like from the memories of others, but I’d still like to try it myself. I like to create my own memories, even if when I’m using my shadow magic I can’t tell the difference.’

  Julietta wasn’t sure what to say. Seeing her face, Linette just laughed. ‘Oh, I’m going to die anyway, Etta, I just want to experience as much as I can before I go!’

  ‘That sounds so sad.’

  ‘People have died younger than me, and I won’t feel any pain. It’ll be fine!’

  Julietta had no way to respond to that. She looked down at her plate and pushed a slice of chicken around.

  ‘How are you going, Etta? Is it better with Ariane?’

  Julietta shrugged. She didn’t really want to talk about it.

  ‘You’ll be ok, you’re very talented.’

  Julietta looked up and forced a smile. ‘Yeah. Let’s talk about something else.’ Linette didn’t know that, not really. She only knew everyone thought Julietta was talented. It wasn’t quite the same - what if everyone was... wrong?

  Julietta wasn’t sure if Linette believed her, but the other woman turned the topic to something else anyway. While they talked unhappy thoughts buzzed in Julietta’s mind.

  After a while Linette fell silent and observed Julietta quietly. ‘You know, wearing clothes can be such a hassle sometimes.’

  Julietta was surprised from her melancholy. ‘A hassle?’

  ‘I went to Chelleska once, do you remember?’

  It was a strange way of phrasing it. Somewhat uncomfortably, Julietta remembered Linette telling her she should have Linette’s memories, the same way she had hers.

  ‘Do you have... do you have all my memories?’

  Linette’s lips quirked up in a smile at the question. ‘I can’t keep them all, Julietta. I know people for a moment and then... I have to let the details go. Otherwise I’d lose myself in the memories of others, I’d forget what was mine. So the answer is no, I’ve let many go, I only kept a few. Perhaps I have them somewhere still, in the forgotten parts of my mind, along with my forgotten memories. I don’t need to remember the details though to know who you are. That’s what I keep, the sense of a person. Do you remember Chelleska?’

  Julietta shook her head, not sure she liked the idea of having someone else’s memories in her head.

  ‘No matter. Anyway, I heard they don’t wear clothes in Chelleska, so I went.’ She sighed. ‘I was misinformed.’

  ‘Of course they wear clothes in Chelleska!’

  ‘Well, a girl can hope.’ she shrugged. ‘Not only do they wear clothes, but they’re very picky about it. I can’t remember all the rules. I think you’d like it there, despite the preponderance of clothing.’

  ‘I don’t consider that a bad thing.’ she replied primly. ‘But how could I visit? Few people go to Chelleska.’

  ‘True. Maybe you could go with Asmara.’

  ‘I didn’t think she wanted to.’

  ‘She’ll probably get there eventually. It’s an interesting place, less so for shadow mages though.’

  ‘One of my professors was Chelleskan. He talked a bit about it.’

  ‘Yes.’ A slow smile unfurled on Linette’s face. ‘But not the interesting parts.’

  ‘What parts?’ Julietta couldn’t help her curiosity. ‘Why wouldn’t he tell us the interesting parts?’

  ‘Manunian mages haven’t reached the level of consciousness required yet.’ she said dismissively. ‘They are young in wisdom. Perhaps in a thousand years or so, the Manunian’s will be ready.’

  ‘A thousand years! What are you talking about?’

  ‘The Chelleskans think quite highly of themselves, and rather less of everyone else, even the Walmese, which is a nice change from the mixture of adulation and resentment from Manunians and Lakashans.’

  Julietta frowned, and Linette laughed.

  ‘I doubt they’ve even noticed this war, they’re a very inward looking people. Though considering what’s in those forests, perhaps it’s a good idea they keep their attention at home.’

  ‘Are you going to tell me about Chelleksa or not?’

  ‘I’m getting there. Just trying to paint a picture of the people. They’re friendly enough to people who arrive, Julietta, the getting there is the hard part. Friendly and superior-’

  ‘I’m surprised a shadow mage would make such generalizations about a people.’

  Linette laughed. ‘You know when I’m using my magic I can’t tell the nationality of people. But normals make generalizations all the time, even about themselves. If I told you to describe the people of Mance-Jolune I’m sure you’d come up with a couple of adjectives, wouldn’t you?’

  Julietta nodded.

  ‘And most Manunians would probably pick similar descriptors. But if you thought about it you’d find plenty of people who don’t fit that description at all, perhaps even yourself. So, they’re useless, but useful to know at the same time because they structure how people think about others and themselves. I spend a lot of time thinking about how people think. Well, Guy spends a lot of time thinking about it, and then the rest of us know about it. You’d probably like talking to him, if you ever get the chance.’ Her smiled faded. ‘Most Chelleskans think of themselves as a nice people, but generally superior to everyone else, particularly when it comes to magic. Perhaps it’s even true. You should go and find out for me.’

  ‘Ok...’ Julietta replied grudgingly.

  ‘You going to let me talk about it now?’

  Julietta nodded.

  ‘You know the forests of Chelleksa are old, right? They’re ancient, so ancient as to make the forests of Sontmor look young. The trees are old and alive, and their roots go deep. So deep they go right into the spirit world. The connection is so strong and deep even non-mages enter the spirit world when they enter those forests. So when I say it’s difficult to travel in Chelleska, it’s difficult. For myself...’ she shrugged, ‘that world is barred to me. It’s a strange thing you know, I never realised before, but I still hear and feel people when they’re with the spirits. It was strange, all those people around, but none near me... they were a lot harder to reach than those in the physical world.’

  Julietta’s eyes were big as saucers. This was not how Chelleska was described at the Collegium.

  ‘Chelleska is so much part of the spirit world they’ve built a city there. The only human city in the land of spirits. I couldn’t see it myself,’ she said, a trifle disappointed, ‘but I saw it and walked through its streets in the memories of others. It’s a city of light, glimmering like a rainbow in a world without a sun or moon. A palace rises above, like a dream. The streets and houses move with memories, hopes, dreams, and fear. Fear and anger leaves a blot on the city, like a sickness. If allowed to grow, though allowed is perhaps the wrong word, it consumes everything around it. The Chelleskans live and sleep in the spirit world, their innermost desires made real around them. Fear, anger, hate, jealousy, all these things must be tended to carefully. It’s almost like... like my shadow world made real.’ she said. ‘But I can’t go there myself. It’s a place of soaring, wonderful, beauty, your wildest dreams made real, and also your darkest nightmares. The trees wander the streets of the city. They live there with the humans, and with the other spirits who roam the city and the land around it. It changes always, except for the palace. It’s the most enduring part. It comes from the dream of the Arch-Dreamer, their ruler. Whoever can keep the palace stable rules Chelleska.’

  Linette fell silent. The sounds of the kitchen receded far from Julietta as she listened to Linette’s story.

  ‘As you can guess, Chelleska suffers from dangers that the rest of the world does not. There are physical buildings in the forest, the tree top cities. That’s what most visitors talk about, though that becomes as nothing compared to the greater part of Chelleska, dreaming within the roots of the trees. Chelleskans are trained from birth to straddle the divide between the physical and spirit worlds, so they can enter the physical forest if they need to. To the north, the forest ends and becomes a plain. It wasn’t cleared, from what I understand the forest just doesn’t feel like growing there, but it could. There’s a city there, upon the plain. They built it during a dark time in the spirit world, when it became unsafe. With no forest, the spirit world cannot be entered except by skilled mages, like the rest of the world. Likewise, spirits must obey the same rules as they do elsewhere. The ocean too, to the west... the connection is strong along the coast, but only once the water is entered, not upon the surface. The cliffs, the beaches, are also a refuge, a retreat from the spirit world.’

  After Linette finished Julietta did not speak. She slowly became aware of the inn around her, the sounds of people calling out orders, vegetables being chopped, the smells of soup cooking.

  Finally, she breathed, ‘I’ve never heard...you hear rumours but...’

  ‘Those aren’t things Chelleskans discuss. They’re of the opinion the rest of the world doesn’t have the wisdom to deal with spirits that intimately yet. If Asmara looked deep enough into her parents she’d find it there. They remember. She’s only seen them once though, accidentally, and mostly on the surface. Chelleska is an old memory for them now.’ Linette frowned, then it disappeared. ‘It’s probably for the best she wasn’t raised in Chelleksa. She would have been isolated from her people by more than fear.’

  ‘It sounds like another world.’

  ‘That’s because it is. I know you take a dim view of spirit magic, but I think you’d like Chelleska. It can be a dangerous place though.’

  With Linette’s stories of Chelleska on her thoughts her fears of failure were momentarily forgotten. When she returned to her room though they came back. She lay awake for hours, thinking about how nothing was going as she’d expected.

  CHAPTER 56

  31 Mai, 1353

  Belix had a spring in his step as he headed out into the garden. He found Emerré sitting on a stone bench by the rose bushes.

  ‘Emerré,’ he said, ‘how are you this morning?’

  She looked up with a frown on her beautiful face. As usual, her black hair was perfectly braided, her dress immaculate.

  ‘The same as yesterday, Belix.’

  ‘Will you take a walk with me?’

  She sighed and stood, her hand going to her belly. ‘I suppose I should, I cannot sit and sulk until he returns.’

  Belix gave her his arm, which she took. Despite Emerré’s irritation, he was happy. It was much more pleasant in her home now that Cadel was gone, a fact he would never admit to her. From the way she eyed him sometimes, an accusing gleam in her eyes, he thought she might suspect.

  ‘Doctor Delane will come to visit you this afternoon.’

  ‘Why? I have already seen him this week, nothing has changed, I am still pregnant.’

  ‘Yes, but just to be on the safe-’

  ‘Very well, I am in no mood to argue. Has anyone come today?’

  By anyone Belix knew she meant a messenger with news from her husband or brother.

  ‘No, not today, but you received a letter only a few days ago.’

  ‘A letter hardly makes up for his absence. The days are such a bore without him.’

  Refusing to be insulted, Belix said, ‘perhaps we should go out today? We could take a ride in the carriage.’

  Emerré sighed and did not respond. Belix knew she would come if he pushed it. It was unusual to see Emerré being anything other than calm and composed. Belix did not mind her ill mood though, it was nice to see the woman behind the mask. Besides, one of them had to miss Cadel. He could not help feeling a little guilty. If he was married to someone else, I’m sure I would not be so pleased he was not here. Besides, it doesn’t matter, she loves him, so I can imagine all I like and no harm will come of it...

  ‘Perhaps I should go to Manus.’ Emerré said.

  ‘That is a long journey, Emerré, why would you bother?’

  ‘It is closer to Cadel.’

  ‘And the King, and those men.’

  ‘Hmm. I am not used to being insulted in this fashion.’

  ‘Your uncle was upset.’ Duke Dashiell had all but forbidden Emerré from cooperating with the King, not that she would have anyway. His visit had been rushed, barely an hour, as he was on his way back to Beloire. Belix did not know him well, but clearly the man had been in an ill humour.

  ‘It is nice to see that from my uncle, I know he dislikes me.’

  ‘I can’t imagine anyone not liking you.’

  Emerré glanced at him out of the corner of an eye, it was a look that suggested she knew his secret and was not amused.

  Belix cleared his throat and turned the conversation to other matters.