ForNancyEveline,afriendtoallanimals–KHFormymum,Patricia–CC

CONTENTS

TitlePage

Dedication

Map

Chapter1

Chapter2

Chapter3

Chapter4

Chapter5

Chapter6

Chapter7

Chapter8

Chapter9

Chapter10

Chapter11

Chapter12

Chapter13

Chapter14

Chapter15

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

Copyright

CHAPTER1

Alice hurried through thenarrow streets ofCatchwood. Today wasmarketdayand thevillagewas packed with tradersfrom all over the

mountainside; boots,hooves and cart wheelsrumbled across the hard-packed mud. Aliceclutched a heavy wickerbasketandthejarsandpotswithin clanked together asshe wove through themarket-daytraffic.

She stepped aside toallow a line of mules topassand,asshedidso,shenoticed an elderly man

sitting beside her in thedoorwayofalow-ceilingedcottage,carvingachunkofwood.Alicenoddedathimpolitely as she waited, butthe man simply narrowedhiseyes,castingheralookofunconcealedsuspicion.

Aliceturnedbacktothestreet, her cheeks burningwith embarrassment andanger. She should havegrownusedtothisbynow,

buthervisits tothevillageremainedasuncomfortableasever.ShetriedtobelievewhatMoraine, hermentor,had told her: that althoughthe villagers feared hernow, they would come, intime,torespectherastheirWhisperer. But how longwould she have to wait?She was twelve years oldnow and had been livinghere, apprenticed to

Moraine,sinceshewasoldenoughtowalk.

She stared down at herboots and the mud stainsonherlong,patternedskirt– the one Moraine alwaysinsisted she wore into thevillage. When the last ofthe mules had gone by,Alice left the old man tohiswork,wishingshewerebackintheforestalready.

The market square was

a chaos of stalls andwagons. There were somany people – and somanyanimals,pullingcartsortetheredtothepostsandfencesaround theedgesofthe square. Colourfulawnings flapped in thebreeze and the stallholdersbellowed their prices,vyingforthecustomofthecrowds.Above it all stoodthe festival tree: a solitary

pine that rose up, ancientand proud. And above thetree, the autumn sky racedwithclouds.

Despite the cries of thesellers,withtheirferociousbustle and salesmanship,one fact could not behidden–mostof the stallswerepitifullyempty.Therewas simply not enoughfoodtofillthemarket.

It had been a hard

summer on the mountain.Edible plants had grownsparse, the streams andriverswereallbutemptyoffish,andthosewhohuntedrabbitanddeerwereforcedto travel further than everbefore.Infact,thevillage’smainhuntingpartyhadsetout four days ago and notyet returned. This was thefirsttimeinyearsthattheyhad missed a market day

andpeoplewerebeginningtotalk.

Aliceedgedthroughthecrowd. She hefted thewicker basket and aimedfor Sal’s grain stall, herfirst call of the day. Theshadowof the festival treeslid over her and with it,like an all-powerful tide,came the smells andsoundsofthetraders.Alicewas shoved aside by

peoplecarryinghugesacksand crates; elbows jabbedat her from every angle. Itwas simply the bustle ofmarketday–sheknewthis–buteverynudgeandpushmade her feel even lesswelcomeinthevillagethanshealreadydid.

Theseerrandswerevitalto Alice’s training as ahealer, but Alice knewthere wasmore to being a

Whisperer than quietlyproducing medicines forthe villagers. There hadbeen a time when theWhispererswererespected,and even obeyed,throughout the kingdom.Under the leadership ofQueen Amina they hadprotected Meridina fromthe Narlaw and banishedthe demon armies back tothe Darklands. Nowadays

anymentionoftheNarlawwas greeted with acondescendingshakeofthehead.Theywerelittlemorethan monsters from thehistory books, used forscaringchildren intodoingtheirchores.

Alice wished that thedemons were just ancienthistory,butsheknewbetterthan that. The missinghuntersand thechanges in

the forest were smallthings, coincidencesperhaps, but Alice felt agrowing fear thatsomething sinister wasbehind it all – and sheknew Storm and the otherwolves shared hersuspicions.

She felt a pang oflonelinessatthethoughtofStorm. But she could onlyeverenterthevillagealone.

The people of Catchwooddidn’tunderstandherbondwith Storm, and a fullygrown wolf was not awelcome guest in anyvillage.

Shearrivedat thegrainstall andmade her way tothe front. The goods ondisplayweremeagre:halfadozen loaves, a stack ofwheat-flour parcels, somesaltandasinglecoilofdry

red sausage. There wouldnormally be four or fivetimes as much, and anextra table of wheat andbarley sacks in reservebehindthestall.

Alice waited her turn,listening in as Sal finishedher conversation withanothercustomer.

“They’ve been gonefour days now…” said theboy.Hewas aboutAlice’s

age,buthisfacewasdrawnwith worry. He wore theshort leather apron of anapprentice blacksmith orcarpenter.

“Don’t you fret, Owenlad,” said Sal. “I’m surethey’ve just gone furtherout, looking for a betterhuntingground.”

“Four days, though,”said Owen. “Somethinghas to be wrong. Dad’s

never been away so longbefore.”

Sal smiledsympathetically and theboy glanced sideways atAliceasheturnedtoleave.

Alice met his gazesilently. Perhaps herecognized a similar,troubled expression onAlice’s face because henodded to her solemnlybefore he turned and

vanishedintothecrowds.“The usual, is it?” Sal

askedcheerily.Alice smiled and

nodded, putting thefrightened eyes of theapprentice boy out of hermind. She picked two jarsfrom her basket: oneointment for the gums andone powder to help withachingof the joints–bothfor Sal’s elderly father.

Alice liked Sal and hopedshe was right about thehunters – that they hadsimply extended theirsearch and would returnsoon with a healthy stockof meat to trade. But shecouldn’thelpagreeingwithOwen.

The tension she hadnoticed in the village overthe past few weeks waseven more obvious now.

The people here wereforest people, just like shewas.Theytoowouldsensethe change in thewoods –small things, hard to pindown–aswellas the lackof food and the poorhunting. To Alice itseemed as if everyoneknew something terriblewas looming, but nobodywishedtovoicetheirfears.It made her keener than

ever to return to the forestand see what news Stormhadfromthewolfpacks.

She added two poundsofflourandafistofsalttoherbasket,thankedSalandbeganpushingherwayouttowardshernext stop.Thevillagersbargedandjostledher, casting their sidelonglooksasshepassed.

Once her rounds werecomplete,Alicewasted notime in leavingCatchwoodandthemarket-daycrowdsbehind. She wove quicklytowards the north gate,noddingtotheguardasshepassed through thewall ofthick wooden stakes thatsurrounded the village.Immediately she felt thedeep relief of being backon the wild mountainside.

The breeze flowed overher, lifting her hair andcatchinginthefoldsofherskirt. The musty, humansmells of the village wereswept away, replaced bythe sweetness of the pinesand the crystallinemountainair.

Alice turned uphilltowards the trees andreached out with herWhisperer sense. The tree

line altered minutely as afamiliar grey silhouettepadded into view. Alicesmiled. She ran the rest ofthe way, swinging thebasket of supplies at herside, and plunged into theforest, letting its coolnessenvelopher.Dogwoodandsagebrush whippedharmlessly at her legs asshe ran. She ducked thelow sweeping branches of

oaks, and dodged betweenthe slender aspens andpines.

And then Storm wasthere, grey and black andgolden-eyed, nuzzling intoher. Alice ran her handsthrough the thick, soft furbehind her companion’svelvety ears. The bondbetween them pulsed withthe warmth of theirfriendship – and with

anticipation: Storm hadsomethingtotellher.You’ve heard from the

wolfpacks?Alicesaid,herwords entering Storm’smind directly. She steppedback, sensing that badnewswascoming.There’s a trail, said

Storm. Lifeless forest onthe high ridge – scorchedearth and dead trees. Itleadstothemountainpass,

totheDarklands.Alicestaredblanklyoff

into the pines. Her heartthumpedinherchest.Narlaw,shewhispered.Yes. Storm bowed her

head. We must tellMoraine. And the elders.Thevillageisindanger.

Alice nodded in a stateof shock. Generations hadpassed since the Narlawhad been banished to the

Darklands. They wereshape-shifters, beings wholived only to destroy thenatural world. Their touchhad the power to witheranything that lived. Itseemed so wrong to thinkof such things, especiallyhere in the great forest,with the trees swayinggentlyandthebirdstrillingtheir midday songsoverhead.

But the wolves did notlie. And they had smelledthescentofdemons.

Together, Alice andStorm moved swiftlythrough the forest. Theyhad no need for roads orpaths.Thiswastheirhomeand it always had been.Even before they hadmet,before they had beenjoined by the ancientWhisperer bond, they had

eachspenttheirlivesinthecool, sweet-smellingshadows of the pine trees.Alicehadbeenchosenasababy, when the sacredravenhaddroppedawhitefeather on the doorstep ofher birth home. For Stormit had been different;animals are closer to theearth than humans and areborn with the knowledgeinsidethem.ButbothAlice

and Storm had left theirfamilies and come toCatchwoodtobetrainedbyMoraine.

Alice often wonderedabout her mother andfather, and she knew thatStorm also thought aboutherownparents,sistersandbrothers out there in theroamingwolf packs of theforest. Alice felt sadsometimes, not knowing

about her family, but thiswas part of theWhispererlife, and it made her bondwith Storm all the moreprecious. As she walked,she ran her hand overStorm’sthick-furredback–a back that rose almost toherchest.Itwasnowonderthe villagers viewed herwith fear and suspicion,this young girl from theforestwhowalkedwiththe

wolves.Theycontinuedthrough

the dappled light, betweenhanging clusters of pineneedlesandtheridgedbarkof the trunks. The forestcould give you everythingyou needed to live: food,shelter, water, evenclothing – just as long asyoutooknomorethanyourequired. Greed upset thebalance of the wild. As a

Whisperer, this was thevery first thing that Alicehad been taught. And itwas the reason why therecentchangesintheforest– the lack of prey andplants – had to be takenveryseriously.

As theyapproached thesmall hollow where theircottage lay, Moraine’svoice became audible. Shewas speaking with a man,

but Alice was not closeenough to recognize hisvoice.ElderGarth,Stormtold

her. Perhaps they haveheard of the Narlawalready.Perhaps, said Alice,

throughthebond.William Garth was the

village’s chief elder. Hewas a shrewdman and heran the village well, but

Alice couldn’t helpthinking he had much toohighanopinionofhimself.As they entered theclearingtheyfoundGarth’shorse tethered to a treebeyond the small cottageand outhouses. It shiednervouslyfromStorm,andAlice reached out to thebeast with her Whisperersense, attempting to calmhim as they passed. She

could hear the deep tonesof the village elder clearlynow,alongwithMoraine’ssoft, thoughtful voice. Sheunlatched the front doorandsheandStormenteredthecottage,theirhome.

“If it’s a seasonal thingthenwemustknowwhenitends…” Garth stoppedmid-sentence as Alice andStorm appeared in thedoorway. He was seated

beside the empty fireplaceandhis jawhungopen fora second before hecomposed himself andnoddedasilentgreeting.

“Iseeyou’vefinishedatthemarket,” saidMoraine.“Elder Garth and I werediscussing the worryingchangestakingplaceintheforest.” She stood in thekitchen area that was partof the large, open living

space of the cottage.Behind her, on herfavourite perch, sat Hazel,Moraine’s tawny owlcompanion.

Alice shut the doorbehind her and noddedpolitely at the elder beforeaddressing Moraine. “Thewolf packs have foundsomething,” she said,glancing nervously atStorm. “Signs of Narlaw

moving down from themountainpass.”

Moraine narrowed hereyes.“Whatsigns?”

“Dead trees, lifelessearth. The pine sicknessseems to originate there,too.”

Morainestareddownatthe stone-tiled floor incontemplation. She calmlysmoothed the folds of herskirt,assheoftendidwhen

thinking.“The wolves are sure,”

saidAlice.“The trail leadstotheDarklands.”

Garth let out a short,incredulous laugh. “Comenow. You’re letting yourimagination get the betterofyou.TherehavebeennoNarlaw here for a hundredyears – not in all ofMeridina! They werebanished forever, despite

whatyour…animalfriendclaims.”

Storm glared at theelder, snorting impatiently,and Garth’s smile slipped.He looked to Moraine forreassurance. “Am I right?There can be no serioussuggestion of Narlaw here–notinthisdayandage.”

“You must let methink,” Moraine said,distractedly. “If the signs

areasAlicesays,then…”Garth stood up. “I

didn’t come here to listentorumours,Icamehereforhelp in returning theforestto its profitable best. Ourhunters find nothing totrade and the village issuffering. That is the onlyproblemhere.Everyschoolchild learns how theNarlaw were defeated byQueenAmina.Theycannot

return. You of all peopleshouldknowthat.”

Alice felt a rush ofanger as the elderstraightened his coat andstrode towards the door.“You can’t just ignore thesigns,” she cried. “Thewolvesknowfarmorethanwedooftheforest.IftheysaytheNarlawarecoming,then we have to dosomething! The hunters

may be in danger. We allmaybeindanger!”

Garth ignored her,turning instead toMoraineas he left. “You ought tokeepherundercontrol,”hesaid. “She’s a wild one.And when you’ve figuredout what’s really wrongwith the forest, let meknow.”

As the door thumpedshut behind him, Moraine

remaineddeepinthought.Alice rushed over,

frustration floodingthrough her like a fever.Shecouldn’tstandthewayGarth had spoken to her –as if everything she knewmeant nothing simplybecause she was youngerthanhim.“Wehavetofindthe hunters,” she said toMoraine. “Something badhas happened, I know it.

Storm knows it. We havetodosomething.”

“Wait, child, wait.”Moraineraisedherhandasif to ward off Alice’swords. “We have to think.Perhaps what the wolvessaw was caused bysomething else; a naturalsicknesswecancure.”

“But we can’t wait,”said Alice. “The huntersareoutthere.Itmaybetoo

latealready.”Moraine straightened.

“You are a novice, Alice,and you will do as I say.Unpack those provisionswhile I see to my books.There is always somethinginthemthatwillhelp.”Shestrode away into the backroom that was both herbedroom and study. Herlong, greying hair swayedas Hazel swooped silently

afterher.Alice remained in the

kitchen. She dropped thebasket on to the floor asStormcameovertoher.All we need is some

evidence that the Narlaware here, Alicewhispered.ThenMorainewillhave tobelieveusandthevillagerswill send a search partyoutforthehunters.

The thought of

disobeying Moraine madeher stomach churn withnerves, but it had to bedone. No one else wasgoingtohelpthehunters.And if the Narlaw are

coming…?Stormbegan.But she didn’t need to

finish. If the Narlaw werecoming, if they were freefrom the Darklands, thenthe village, the forest andthe whole of Meridina

wereindanger.

CHAPTER2

Alice crouched amidst thetowering pines, examiningthetrailleftbythemissinghunters. She and Stormwere halfway up themountainside already,

more than an hour intotheirsearch.WithMoraineso absorbed in her books,their exit from the cottagehad been easy. Alice hadsimply changed into herforest clothes – loosetrousers and a long, deepgreen coat – and slippedawaysilentlyintothetrees.She was sure this was theright thing to do, but herconscience bothered her

even so; she had neverdisobeyed Moraine beforeinsuchaway.

They had stopped justshortofaforkinthetrack.Therewasasmallclearingahead,inwhichlayafallenjunipertreeandthebrokenstone circle of an old firepit. Afternoon sunlightslanted through the treesand covered everything instreaks of gold and

shadow.The carpet of pine

needles was scuffedhaphazardlybybootprints,a sign that thehuntershadpaused here. Alice couldimagine them resting theirlegsandtakingsomewaterbefore resuming their huntfor deer or rabbit or boar.She rose and circled theclearing, feeling Stormnearby but unable to hear

her. She never could.Storm moved like a ghostthrough the forest, born tothe ways of stealth andsilence. Like all wolves,sheonlyletyouseeorhearherwhenshewasready.

Alicequicklyfound thehunters’onwardtrail.

“North,” she saidquietly, examining thetracks – deeper into theforest, out towards the

snowy peaks. The huntershad made no attempt toconceal their passing.Andwhyshouldthey?Theyhadnot heard the rumours ofNarlaw.

It was a cold,frightening thought. Theywere hunting for signs ofNarlaw, she and Storm –demonsfromanother land,anothertime.

She felt Storm

approaching, then hercompanion emerged fromthe trees, grey-black furlikeathundercloud.More pine sickness up

ahead, said Storm. Hergolden eyes narrowed. Wemustmovequicklyandfindthe hunters before dark ifwecan.

She started outimmediately, brushingaffectionatelyagainstAlice

as she passed. Alice dugher hand into the thickmaneoffurbehindStorm’searsand trailedher fingersalong her companion’sglossyback. Itwasagoodfeeling, knowing thatStorm was with her, thatshewasnotalone.

The trail climbedgradually through theendless marches of pine,spruce and aspen, and the

sky grew dim with theapproach of evening. Theforestshowednewsignsofsickness: clusters ofdisease-blotched trees andthenasmallbrookthathaddried up, becoming astagnant nest for flies.Soon,birdsongwasallbutgonefromtheair.

Alice heard a distanthowl and Storm paused toreturn the call.Therewere

wolves throughout thegreat forest, lone huntersand packs. Storm was setapart from her kind but,unlike Alice among thevillagers, she had retainedtheirrespect.

It was almost twilightwhen they emerged fromthe trees and followed thepath up a steepembankment into a broadvale of unhealthy,

yellowing grass. Twohundred paces away thetree line resumed, risingsharply towards a passbetween two jaggedmountain peaks. ThesenorthernpassesmarkedtheveryedgeofMeridina, thecold, craggy borderbetween the living worldandtheDarklands.

From the vale a vaststretch of the Northern

Range was visible. Alicelooked west, picking outthe ruins of forts andcastles in the foothills.Now abandoned, they hadbeen built during QueenAmina’s reign, when warhad raged against theseemingly unstoppableNarlaw.But thequeenhadbanished them, bringingpeacetoMeridinaformorethanahundredyears.

And if the Narlaw hadreturned?

Whatthen?Alice breathed the cool

mountainairintoherlungs.Responsibility would fallon her shoulders. Shewould be called upon tofight, along with all theother Whisperers ofMeridina. During theNarlaw Wars, QueenAminahadbuiltanarmyof

Whisperers, hundreds ofthem banded togetheragainst the Narlaw. Buthowmanyweretherenow?Alice had only ever metone other, and that wasMoraine. The rest werescattered,unknowntoeachother; many would beyoung and inexperiencedlike her. Alice’s trainingwas only half complete.She knew that she could

recognize a Narlaw if shecame across one – allWhispererswerebornwiththis talent; but to performthe act of banishment wasfar beyond her. Morainesaidshewastooimpulsive,that she didn’t take themeditative ways of theWhisperers seriously, tooeager to excel in combatandstealthandtobecomeawolf of the forest like her

companion.Alicewas proud of her

eagerness to act. Thetrouble was, she knewalmost nothing of theNarlaw–noonedid,ithadbeen so longago.Sowhatifthiswasahugemistake?Shewastwelveyearsold,anovice. How could shepossibly face the demonsfromoverthemountain?

Some fifty paces away

she spottedStorm, tall andrigid,beckoningher.Aliceforced all of these doubtsto the back of her mind,settingoutataflatrun.Asshe neared, Storm turnedand sped towards the treeline.Inthepines,saidStorm.When they reached the

trees there were signs ofstruggle everywhere:snappedbranches,flattened

undergrowth, footprints allover the track. Aliceskirted the edge of thescene with her heartpounding. She dropped toher knees and scoured theearthforacluetowhathadhappenedtothehunters.The tracks don’t lead

anywhere,shesaid.Demons, said Storm.

TheNarlawleavenotrace.They are not animals, not

livingthingslikewolvesorhumankind. They breatheno air, leave no tracks,buildnohomes.Theyexistonlytodestroy.

Alicetriednottoletherfearshow,thoughthebondwould carry it to Stormregardless.Thescentisstrong,said

Storm, turning uphilltowardsthemountainpass.Wewillfindthem.

Alice ran to Storm’sside.Let’sgo,shesaid.

The forest changed asthey climbed towards theshoulder of the mountain.The undergrowth thinned,rocksappearedbetweenthepines and the treesthemselvesbecamethinner,slanted and crooked. Thesickness had spread toalmost every tree here.Alice breathed heavily,

barely keeping pace withStorm, who didn’t seemtiredatall.

Then Storm stoppedabruptly beside a juttingoutcropofrock.Do you feel it? she

asked.Alice reached out with

herWhisperersense.Therewas a strange presence inthetrees.Itrushedtowardsher, taking on a sickening

intensity,asiftheairitselfwastaintedbyaskinofoil.Alice drew back, alarmedandafraid.The demons are close,

saidStorm.How close? Alice

whispered.They had climbed all

this way to find evidenceofNarlawintheforest,andnow here theywere in thefailing light, on the verge

of seeing the demonswiththeirowneyes.

Storm did not answer,instead she crept silentlypast the rocks. Alicefollowed. The slow creakof the trees was the onlysound. Shadows crowdedeverywhere,twistingasthetreesswayedgently.

Then Storm stopped inher tracks, one paw raisedabovetheground.

Weshouldgo,shesaid.Alice stopped beside

her.Ahead,onastretchoflevel forest, were severallargeboulders.Around theboulders Alice glimpsedfive or six figures. Therewas no fire, nomovementand no talk between thefigures. A foul smelldrifted on the air. Alicerecognized the silhouettesof the hunting party. She

edged forwards, but wasstoppedbyasharppulseofwarningthroughthebond.No, said Storm. We

have to get back to thevillage.But it’s them, Alice

whispered. They need ourhelp.

But even as she spokesherealizedthatthesewerenot the hunters, and thatshe and Storm had gone

toofar.The figures moved

between the boulders andAlice felt the demon taintreturn, creeping over her,polluting her senses. Shestared, chest frozen withfear, as the hunters turnedtowards her slowly. Theireyes opened to reveal asicklygreyglow.Go! Storm snapped.

Warntheelders!

What about you? Alicehissed.I’llleadthemaway,but

youmustgettothevillage!Then Storm stepped

forwards and howled, along, soul-shivering crythatwasanswered,secondslater, by one and then twoandthenawholechorusofhowls from near and far.The wolf packs werecomingtoheraid.

Alice didn’t want torun,shewantedtostayandfight, but there were sixNarlaw and just two ofthem.

She pressed a hand toStorm’s side, then brokeoff and sprinted downhillas Storm charged in theopposite direction. Alicefelt the distance growbetween them, felt thenight close in around her.

And over everything,spreadinglikeablotofinkin water, she felt theNarlaw seeking her out,coming for her down thehillside.

CHAPTER3

The trees loomed likephantomsasAliceran.Herboots slid on the litter ofpineneedles,caughtontheroots of trees. Her hearthammered and the forest

hissed and creaked andhowledaroundher.

Alice stumbled andskidded down the steeppath they had climbed justminutes ago. She listenedfor sounds of pursuit butheard only chaos inamongst the trees as thewolvesandtheNarlawtoreinalldirectionsthroughthenight.

Ahowlwentupnearby

andAliceduckedbehindacrookedpine.A lowshapeflashed through theundergrowth–awolf.Nextcame a blur of limbs,moving faster thananything Alice had everseen. Both creatures wereoutofsightinaninstant.

Alice stood andresumed her chargedownhill, hoping that thewolves could outrun the

Narlaw,thatStormwasnotintrouble.

She tripped and fell,scrambled up and keptrunning. Dusky lightreached through the treesand she stopped, breathingheavily, at the edge of thegrassy vale. Scraps ofcloud flew across the skyand the yellowed grass ofthe vale shone like copperin the half light. Straight

across was the quickestway. Alice scanned thevale and was about to runwhen she caught theslightest movement off toher left: a figure, twentypaces away along the treeline, watching the openground, waiting. Alicecrept back into deepercover.Thefigurewastall–aman–andstoodwiththeimpossiblestillnessshehad

witnessed in the Narlawcamp. This was one ofthem, a creature she hadread about and feared allher life – and it washunting.

Alice moved slowlyalong the tree line andaway from the watcher.Shedidn’tdareremovehergazefromhim,placingherboots in the undergrowthwith tortuous precision.

Then a howl split the skyelsewhere in the woods.The figure shifted. In amovement that was swiftand horrifying, theNarlawsped across the vale andwasgone.

IttookahugeeffortforAlice to calm herbreathing. What would ademon like that do to awolfifitcaughtone?Whatwould it do to Storm? Or

her?AllAlicehadtogoonwere the stories passeddown through generationsand, according to thehistories,thesedemonshadbeen fought and beaten bythearmiesofMeridina,bythegreatWhisperer,QueenAmina. But it seemed thetrue horror of the Narlawhad been lost in theretelling–theirsilenceandtheir eerie stillness,

followed by suchfrighteningburstsofspeed.

Alice peered out intothevale,thenbackintothepitch black of the forest.She had to get home. Nomatter what Moraine hadthought before, she wouldhave to believe Alice nowshe had seen the Narlawwith her own eyes. If theydidn’t warn the villagerstheneverything thewolves

had done for her wouldhavebeeninvain.Shehadto be there when Stormreturned, too. So Aliceplacedone foot in frontofthe other, quickening eachtime, until once again shewas running through theghostly forest towardshome.

The mountainside wasbroad and the wolves haddone their job well. Their

cries became distant andinfrequent. Alice hopedthat meant they hadsucceeded in drawing theNarlaw away, losing thedemons in the deep forest.The alternative was notworthconsidering.

She reached a familiarpart of the forest andpaused to catch her breathabove a shallow gully thatsheandStormhadcrossed

a thousand times before.Thesoundofherbreathingmerged with the wind inthetreetops.Alicewatchedand listened. She wasalmosthome,butshecouldnot afford to be carelessnow.

Somewhere a branchfell and cracked. Had itbeenblownbythewind,ordislodged by somethingelse? A large bird took to

the air nearby, given awayonly by the beating of itswings. Alice listened,reaching out with herWhisperersense.Shefeltapresence; not the bird, buta wolf in the gully: astrange wolf – not Storm.She made her breathingquiet and stayed utterlystill until she saw thewolf’s shadow creeping,wary and exhausted, down

the gully. If she stayedwhere she was it wouldpassbywithoutseeingher,but part of her wanted tocallout,tomaketherestofthe journey home with atleastthisunknownwolfforcompany. But to giveherself awaywould not bewise.She stayedquiet andhidden.

As the wolf passed byin the gully, Alice felt

another presence suddenlyemerge, sickening andswift. She gasped as ashadow dropped fromnowhere and a furious,howlingbattlecommenced.WolfandNarlawgrappled.The snarling and gnashingof teeth destroyed thesilence of the forest.Alicestayedlow,readytorunforherlifeasthetwoshadowsrolled and twisted below

her.Then all was still. The

wolf’scriesrecededinoneeerie final echo. TheNarlawstood,onehandonthe wolf’s limp body. Itseemed as if the wolf wasbreathing, but Alicecouldn’tbesure.

She had to go. Thedemon would see her anytimenow,surely.Butwhathappened next kept Alice

rootedtothespot.TheNarlaw–itshuman

silhouette–slowlydroppedon to its hands and knees.Its body thickened; theshadowyheadenlargedandstretched and when itmovedagain the silhouettewaspurewolf.Alicedidn’tdare to even breathe. Theshape-shifter raised itsheadandsniffedtheair.Awolf’s nose would detect

hereasily.Shegotreadytorun,backingawayfromthegully into more openground.Ithadtobenow.Ifshewasluckyshemayjustmake it home before thewolf-demoncaughther.

And if she wasunlucky?

Itwasn’tworththinkingabout. She had to gethome.Thatwasall.

Alice rose to her feet.

She stepped backwards,keepingtheNarlaw-wolfinsight.

Then a hand slippedroughly over her mouthand she was draggedbackwards.Shekickedoutuselessly. There was arhythmicwhisperinginsideher head, strange wordschanted silently that madeher legs feel suddenlyheavy, as if they were

attachedtotheforestfloor,as inanimate as treestumps. Alice recognizedthe words of the stealthwish. She glanced up andsaw the tufted outline of atawny owl on a branchabove.

Hazel.“Hush, dear,” Moraine

whispered.“Theforestwillhide us.” The incantationdidn’tfalterasshespoke.

Aliceallowedherselftobe carried away, Hazeldeftly swooping frombranch to branch abovethem. They retreated fromthe gully and the Narlawdid not follow. Theywereinvisible, a part of theforest.

Onlywhentheyreachedthe cottage did Alice feelthe weight of the stealthwish rise from her body.

She had performed thatwishonherselfbefore,buthadneverbeen the subjectofsomeoneelseusingitonher. Her body didn’t feelher own. She stumbledthrough the door andwould have fallen hadMorainenotheldher.

“Storm,” Alicemuttered. “She’s still outthere.”

“Iknow,dear.”

Moraine sat her besidethe fire, where the embersflickered grey and red.Moraine looked tired,drained by the effort oftheir escape. It took skilland strength to communewith the forest, to ask itshelp and become onewiththeearth.

“It put the wolf tosleep,”saidAlice.“Isawitchangeshape…”

Moraine nodded. “Thecottage is protected. Wemust wait until morningand then warn the villageelders.” She paused,rubbing her eyes. For aninstant she looked lost, asifshestillcouldn’tbelievewhat she had seen. “Youwere right about theNarlaw,andIamsorrythatI doubted you. But youshouldn’t have gone into

the forest like that.Anything might havehappened.”

“Storm and thewolves,”saidAlice.“Theydrewthedemonsaway.Weneedtohelpthem.”

Moraine shook herhead. “It’s far toodangerous,now.Stormwillknowwhattodo.”

Alicewanted to get up,to run back into the forest

and not stop until she hadher companion beside heragain. She couldn’t standbeing separated fromStorm, not knowing if shewas scared or hurt. ButAlicehadbeenluckytogethome and even she knewthat tosetoutagainwouldbe madness. So sheperchedonthechairbythedying fire and reached outthrough the stone walls of

the cottage, out into thethickshadowsoftheforest,feeling desperately forStorm and hoping that herfriend would return to hersoon.

CHAPTER4

The morning bell tolledslowly in the centralcourtyard of the Palace oftheSun, signalling theendof the nightwatch and thechanging of the palace

guard. Soon the city ofMeridar would wake andthepalacewouldbefullofnoise and colour, itsresidents rising to theirdailyduties.

Dawn, however, hadalreadybeenawakefortwohours.

Her head ached fromreading by candlelight,poring through the ancientbooks that Esther had left

her: books about healing,folklore and the secrets ofthe Whisperer sisterhood,scrollsofancienthistoricalevents and the war diariesofQueenAmina.

These war diaries inparticular made fordisturbing reading.Nooneknew where the Narlawhad come from, only thattheywerenotofthisworld.They had crept into

Meridina’s borderlandssome hundred years ago,targeting each isolatedtown and village, sinkingthe entire population ofthesetownsintotheghost-sleep so that no one couldflee or warn theirneighboursoftheinvasion.And the Narlawthemselves: lightning fastand as strong as threepeople. They had

overwhelmed Meridinawith their vast numbersandfoughttheirwaytothepalacegates.

A long timehadpassedsince the Narlaw Wars.QueenAminahadbanishedthe demons to theDarklands, but it remaineda vital duty of allWhisperers to protect therealm from these Narlawthat had arrived in

Meridina likeacurse fromsomeotherworld.

Dawn extinguished thecandles on her desk andrubbed her tired eyes.There was so much tolearn. If only Esther werestill with her to guide her,to help her decipher thearcane language andseparate fact frommythology.ButEstherhaddied last winter from the

long illness that hadplagued her old age, andnowDawnwas the PalaceWhisperer, the youngestMeridina had ever known.It still felt like madness,looking around at theselavish rooms. She was theforemost Whisperer inMeridina and advisor toKing Eneron, a king whowas old and frail andunwilling to faceup tohis

royalduties.Dawncrossed theroom

to thebalcony,where rosymorning light made thecityandthepalacegroundsglow. Here, looking outfrom the ornate SpiralTower, she felt as free asshe ever did these days.Onlyheredidtheweightofherresponsibilitiesbegintolighten. She pretended shewas far from the palace,

back home in theSouthlands, before herWhisperer bond had beenconfirmed,beforetheyhadcome and removed herfrom her beloved, sand-coloured hills and broughther here to be submergedinpalacelife.

Adarkshapeflashedinthe air nearby and a loud,throaty caw echoed overthe courtyards and

ornamentalgardens.Where have you been?

Dawn whispered, smiling.Are you up early or outlate?

A pair of tremendousblack wings batted the airattheendofthebalconyasEbony, Dawn’s ravencompanion, lighted on thebalustrade.Never ask a raven

where she goes at night,

Ebony replied. You maynot like the answer. Shestretched and then tuckedher wings away, cockingherheadinamusement.Allis quiet in the palace.Nothingurgenttoreport.AndPrincessOna?Ebonyhoppedalongthe

balustrade,peeringintotheanteroom at the cluttereddesk.Ona’sfine.There’sanewaddition to thatdizzy-

headed court of hers. Thesonofawealthymerchant.The princess has taken aliking to him, I think, and,as always, she is blissfullyunaware of the mess herfather is making of herfuturekingdom.

Dawn nodded. PrincessOna was the sole heir tothethroneofMeridina,butKing Eneron refused toinvolveher instateaffairs.

In fact, he had expresslybannedDawnoranyothercourtofficialfromenteringtheprincess’s chambers. Ifthings continued in thisway,Onawouldinheritthekingdom without thefaintest idea how to rule.And in the meantime, theking piled more and moreduties on to Dawn’sinexperiencedshoulders.

In the courtyard below,

the palace servants werebeginning to emerge,reminding Dawn that shewouldshortlybedueatthemorning council. Shehurriedbackinside.Iwonderwhatourdear

friend the warden has instore for us this morning,Ebony mused as she flewinsideandperchedbetweenthecarvedfigurineson themarblemantelpiece.

The palace warden,Lady Tremaine, was inchargeofthedailyrunningof the palace and had notmissedasingleopportunityto criticize Dawn. Afternine months in her role,Dawn still wasn’t able toignore the warden’switheringremarks.

She took the heavyPalace Whisperer’s robefrom its place in her

dressing chamber andslipped it on over hersouthern-style tunic andtrousers. Immediately,Ebony landed on hershoulder, her talons tightbut not sharp through thepaddingoftherobe.

As she trod the wideflagstonecorridorstowardsthe king’s councilchamber,Dawn’sheadwasawash with the details of

the day ahead. OnlyEbony’s calming presencekeptherpanicatbay.

The council chamber wasominously silent. Alone atthe vast rectangular tablesat James Valderin, theHead of the PalaceGuard.He looked up, noddingpolitely at Dawn as sheentered. Dawn took a seat

close to Valderin, feelingEbony shift impatiently onhershoulder.

The silence stretchedandDawnwasonthevergeof forcing out somepointless small talk whenthedoubledoors at the farendoftheroomburstopenand the palace wardenstrode in, closely followedby King Eneron himself.Dawn rose to her feet, as

did Valderin. They allwaited as the king ambledtotheheadofthetableandslumped into his gildedchair.

The warden glancedbrieflyatthekingtoseeif,foronce,hemightopentheproceedings according totheroyalcustom;butKingEneron simply stared,glassy-eyed, through thetall chamberwindows, out

towards the rippling flagsonthebattlementsbeyond.

“Well, then,” said thewarden. “Let us begin.”She gracefully seatedherselfat therighthandofthekingandopenedawornleather case that wasstackedneatlywithpapers.

As this was happening,Ebony switched on toDawn’sothershoulderinabriefflurryofflapping.

Lady Tremaineimmediately looked upfromherpapers.

“This is a chamber ofcouncil, not a falconryexhibition,” she snapped,staring across the table atDawn. “It would be politeif you could keep youranimalundercontrolinthepresenceoftheking.”The presence of the

king? whispered Ebony.

The king is barely presenthimself.

Dawn might havesmiled if she hadn’t beenpinioned by LadyTremaine’sferociousglare.She nodded meekly to thewarden then turned toaddressKingEneron. “Myapologies,YourGrace.Mycompanion is merelyrestless after a night spentpatrolling the palace

grounds at CaptainValderin’srequest.”

The king showed nosign of being offended byEbony’s presence, nor ofhavingheardanywordthatDawn had spoken.Unsurprisingly, it was thewarden who supplied ananswer.

“Patrolling?” shesneered. “Not verythoroughly, it seems.

Valderin, tell our residentWhisperer what happenedlastnight.”

Now it was Valderin’sturntosquirminhisseat.

“Well,” he began,turning awkwardlybetween Dawn and LadyTremaine, “the palaceaqueduct seems to havebeendamaged.The supplyoffreshwaterfromthehillspringsiscompromised.”

“Sabotage,” said LadyTremaine, banging her fiston the table andtemporarily startling thekingfromhisreverie.“Thepalace water supply hasbeendeliberately tamperedwith.”

Through the bond,Dawn felt Ebony mirrorher own embarrassment.Security was Valderin’sresponsibility, but Dawn

and Ebony had offeredtheir help and now thisdidn’tlookgoodforanyofthem.

“So,” the wardencontinued,“how,I’dliketoknow, did both Head ofGuards and ourWhisperer’s famedcompanion fail to preventsuch a dangerous act ofsabotage? Is the king’swatersupplynotworthyof

protection?”Valderin shifted in his

chair. “I’ll begin aninvestigation right away,”hesaid.

“See that you do,” thewarden barked, beforeturning her attention backto Dawn. “And I wouldthinkourPalaceWhispererhad enough to do withoutplayingat guardduty as ifitwereagame.Youshould

stick to healing andscholarly pursuits fromnow on. It’s a shameEstherdidn’tteachyouthatmuch before she passedaway.”

Dawn felt her cheeksburn. She had been tryingto help and, again, shereceived nothing butcondescension.Shewantedto stand and yell at thewarden, totellher thatshe

hadn’t asked for this joband nor did she want it.She wished Esther werestill alive, so she didn’thave to put up with thispressure and cruelty everyday – especially fromsomeone who wassupposedtobehelpingher.

From then on Dawnremained quiet, brushingoff all of the barbedcomments Lady Tremaine

had to offer. She listenedcloselyasValderinlaidoutthedetailsofthesabotagedaqueduct. It was a strangeoccurrence indeed, and noone around the counciltable could guess whomight have wanted thepalace water supplystopped.

Dawn scribbled notes,and anger anddetermination surged

through her bond withEbony.

She would go withValderin after the meetingand take a look forherself– no matter what LadyTremaine said. She was aWhisperer. Protecting thekingdom was her job, notjust poring over old booksandkeepingrecords.

When the councilended, she bowed to the

king and left the chamberfeeling as deflated andoverworkedasusual.That went well, said

Ebony, stretching herwings.

Dawn allowed herselfthe faintest of smiles,wondering for thethousandth time how onearthherlifehadgrownsocomplicated.

CHAPTER5

Alice opened her eyes tothe first dim light ofmorning. The cottage wascolourless and grey.Shadows stretched fromthe furniture and the roof

beams.“You’re awake,”

Moraine greeted her fromthe kitchen. “Good. Wemust go to the village.”She carefully placed asmall glass vial into herembroidered leathersatchel,thenanother.

Alice rubbed her tiredeyes and sat up. Her backached from her awkwardposition in the armchair

and the guilt of havingslept the night away cameuponhersuddenly.Shehadslept,warmandsafeinthecottage, whilst Storm hadbeen out in the forestrunning from the Narlaw.Alice reached out forStorm’spresence,buttherewas nothing. She glancedurgently around, and thenlooked imploringly atMoraine, who simply

shookherhead.“Not yet, my dear,”

Moraine said. “Come. Wehavetowarntheelders.”

Hazelswoopedthroughthecanopy above them,keeping watch, andMoraine’s eyes darted upto her companion as thepair silentlycommunicated. If she was

angry with Alice, she didnot show it. Alice peeredoutintothetrees.Thechilllight of dawn made theforest seem empty anddeserted. But it was notempty. There werecreaturesoutthere,demonswhose sole desire was tolay waste to themountainside.

There were no wolfcries on the morning air,

nothing but silence whenAlice reachedoutwithherWhisperer sense. To keeppanicfromrisingupinside,she concentrated on thetaskathand: toprotect thevillage and somehowbanish the Narlaw back tothe Darklands. No suchthing had been attemptedfor a hundred years.Moraine knew the theory,but she had never tested

herself against a realNarlaw.Shehadneverhadthechance.Once,Morainehadhintedat theexistenceof an elderlyWhisperer, asurvivor from QueenAmina’s time hidingsomewhere in the northernmountains. Perhaps shecould help? But this waslittle more than a rumour.To perform the act ofbanishment seemed

impossiblenow.Alice realized with a

jolt that this was whatbeing a Whisperer meant.This was what she hadbeen born for, but it filledherwithadeepandterribleapprehension. Shefollowed Moraine out ofthe trees towards thevillage. At the gate theguard straightened,surprised at their sudden

appearance.“We’re here to see the

elders,”Moraine told him.“Please tell them to ringthebellforcouncil.”

The guard stooddumbstruck as the twoWhisperers strode pasthim, Hazel gliding lowabove their heads. Alicehurried along besideMoraine, between thetightlypackedcottagesand

barns, theshutteredstablesandtheoccasionalsmokingchimney.Theycrossed themarket square, under thefestival tree to the squatgrey bell tower of thevillagehall.

As they reached theheavy,woodendoorof thehall, the guard caught upwith them. He was out ofbreath. “ElderGarth is notyet awake,” he said. “If

you could just wait in theinn,thenperhaps…”

Moraine rounded onhim. “We are here toprotect the village,” shesaid, “from the demonsnow at large in thesemountains. I suggest youunlock this door. I shallring the bell for councilmyself.”

The guard stutteredwordlessly. He was a

young man and Alice feltsorry for him. UnderMoraine’s powerful gazehe eventually fumbled akey from his tunic andclimbedthestepstounlockthe door. Inside, Morainestalked straight past therowsofbenchestothebaseofthebelltowerandbeganclimbing the tight spiralstaircase. All of herbookish uncertainty was

gonenowthatshehadseenthe Narlaw with her owneyes.

Alice made her way tothe raised platform at thefront.Herfootstepsechoedon the polished woodenfloor.Secondslaterthebelltolled urgently overhead.Three rings, then a pause,thenthreemore,thepatternrepeatedoverandover.

It didn’t take long

before a small crowd ofvillagers had formedoutside. The air hummedwith the after-song of thebell as Moraine joinedAlice at the door. Belowthem, the crowd split toallowElderWilliamGarthtothefront.

“Whatonearthisgoingon here?” He glared atthem irritably. “Please tellmeyouhavenotwokenthe

village to spread moreridiculousrumours.”

Alice stepped forwardsangrily, but Moraine shother a fearsome glance andsheheldhertongue.

“I’ve called a council,”Moraine said. “Last nightNarlaw were encounteredin the forest. They havetaken the forms of themissinghunters.”

Several of the gathered

villagers gasped. A shoutwentupaskingwhetherthehuntersstilllived.

“They are in the ghost-sleep,” Moraine replied.“Alivebut at themercyofthe Narlaw. The Narlawwho have stolen thehunters’likenessesmustbebanished from Meridinabefore the sleep can belifted.”

More anxious cries

issuedfromthecrowd,butabove them came ElderGarth’s humourlesslaughter. “Not this again,”he said. “It is nothing buthearsay, which I refuse torespond to. Especiallywhen it is spread by …wildanimals.”

“Those wild animalssavedme!”Alicecriedoutwithout thinking. “They’rethe only reason we were

able to warn you at all –youshouldbethankful!”

Garthstaredather,red-faced in shock. He turnedtoMoraine.“Howdarethischildspeaktomeinsuchaway? And how dare youenter the village hallwithout permission?Everyone go home. Goabout your business, thereisnoemergency…”

But by now there were

loud exchanges passingthrough the crowd. Therewas talk of a rescue partyfor the hunters; someclaimed this was aWhispererruse;someevencalled for the completeabandonment of thevillage.

“Quiet!” Morainebellowed over the throng.“Quiet, please! Alice isright. The wolves have

given us some time. Notmuch, sowemust prepareimmediately for a NarlawattackandsendwordtothepalaceatMeridar.”

The crowd swelled andgrew increasingly restless.Two more elders pushedtheir way to the front andjoined in secretiveconversationwithGarth.

Alice placed a hand onMoraine’s arm. “What

shouldwedo?” she asked.“Nooneislistening.”

“Wemust do our duty,dear, and protect thevillage.”

“And the banishment?”Aliceasked.

Morainesmiled,buthereyes betrayed her doubt.“We will practise,” shesaid. “Wewill send to thepalaceforhelpandwewillseekoutafriendofmine–

averyoldfriendwholiveshereinthemountains.”

“The mountains?”asked Alice. “Does yourfriendknowbanishment?”

Before Alice couldpress Moraine further, ascream rose above thenoise of the crowd,followed by a chorus ofpanicked, urgent cries.From the steps of the hallshecouldjustmakeoutthe

disturbance:peoplewavingwildly, brandishing sticksof firewood or whateverthey could lay their handson.

WasittheNarlaw?Hadtheycomealready?

A howl split the air, asoundthatAlicefeltratherthan heard. She leapedfrom the steps and bargedthrough the crowd,elbowingherwayuntilshe

wasoutintheopen,staringpast a line of armedvillagers at the threewolveswhohadarrived inthe market square. Thegrey-black fur of the leadwolfmadeherheartskip.

“Stop!” she shouted.“Stop!They’refriends!”

She charged past thevillagers and threw herarms around Storm. Relieffloodedbetweenthem.

I thought they’d takenyou, she whispered. Ithought they’d put you tosleep.Not me, said Storm.

Twoothers,butnotme.I’msogladyou’resafe,

saidAlice.Stormlickedhercheek.

And I’m glad you made itback,shesaid.Youmustbepartwolfafterall.

Alice smiled.Part wolf

or part crazy, she said. Isaw a Narlaw. It changedshape and put a wolf tosleep.Howarewegoingtofightthem,Storm?I don’t know, Storm

replied. We counted sixdemons in the forest, butmoremaycome.Soontheywillregroupandattackthevillage.Come on, said Alice.

She led Storm and the

other two wolves towardsthe hall. The crowd partedwith amurmur of awe.Atthe steps they foundMoraine deep inconversation with theelders. Garth was noddingthoughtfully. He lookedembarrassed, like a smallchild who has realized hisownfoolishness.

“Storm,” Moraine said,smiling. “Come inside,

both of you. We havemuchtodo.”

Moraine drew up a letterexplaining all that hadhappened and requestingurgent assistance. Sheaddressed it to the PalaceWhisperer in Meridar.Moraine’s signature wasjoined by that of ElderGarth. Alice was also

askedtosign.“It was you and Storm

who alerted us to thethreat,” Moraine said.“Youshouldsigntoo.”

Alicewrotehernameastidilyasshecouldwiththestiff quill pen. She hadnever signed anythingbefore and felt foolishdoing so. But Morainewatchedherwithapproval.

Storm had spoken with

the two wild wolves, whonow paced impatientlyaround the edges of thehall. The letter was sealedand fastened inside aleather tube. Storm carriedit in her jaws to the tallerand leaner wolf, and thetwo wild wolves left thehallimmediately.They are the fastest on

the mountain, Storm said.The palace will hear from

usbynightfall.Alice relayed this to

Moraineandtheelders.“Good,” Moraine said.

“Nowwemustpreparetheward.”

AlicestoodclosetoStorm,absently running her handalong her companion’ssleek back. They wereoutside the village, beside

the high protective wall.Moraine crouched on thegrass, examining thecontents of her satchel asHazel circled highoverhead.

Theyhadleft theeldersto deal with the agitatedcrowds. Every now andthen a small party ofvillagers set out from thenearby north gate. Wordwas being sent to the

isolated farms and themountainfolk were beingcalled in to the relativesafetyofthevillagewalls.

“Here,”Morainesaid.Alice took a vial of

clear liquid. She had donethis before. A protectiveward was one of the mostvitalWhispererskills.Likeall such rituals it involvedanexchange,agiftofferedto the earth and, if done

correctly,afavourobtainedin return. In this case thefavourwasprotection.

Moraine noddedsolemnly to Alice, whoreturnedthenod.Theythenset off slowly in oppositedirectionsaroundthewall.

Alice silently chantedthe arcanewords and let adropoftheliquidfalltotheground at each step.Behind her, all along the

wall,greenshootsbegantocrack the surface of thesoil.Shecontinued,deepinconcentration, speakingdirectly to the earth,reaching out with hersenses to the living worldin a way that only aWhisperercould.

The shoots grew andtwisted,waisthigh,thentoshoulderheight,clingingtothe wooden stakes of the

wall. Alice crossed pathswithMoraine,but theydidnot speak or even look upat one another. The stalksreachedthetopof thewalland small, white, star-shaped flowers began toblossom.

Alice let the liquid fall.She paced and chanted.WhenshemetMorainethesecond time the two ofthem stopped, silently

entreating the earth inperfect unison. The oldlanguagelefttheirtongues,the ritual came to an endand Moraine raised herhead.

“Can you feel it?” sheasked.

Alicenodded.Thewardwas there, a new presencein her mind as if anotherperson – a Whisperer orcompanion perhaps – had

arrived nearby. It was ashimmeringcircle,fullandstrong, and if it werebroken both she andMoraine would feel itinstantly.

“It’s broader than award should be,” Morainesaid. “Fragile. But if theNarlaw break it then atleast we will have somewarning.”

Theyleftthevillageand

headed into the woodstowards the cottage. Aliceglanced back at the newlyflowered wall. The villagehad never looked sobeautiful; or, indeed, sovulnerable.

In the cottage kitchen,Alice waited for Moraine.The forest creaked andwhispered outside, shaken

by the powerful breath ofthe wind. Storm was outthere, keeping watch withHazel. Alice imagined theNarlawdartingthroughthetrees, turning streams intomud and dust at theirtouch.Shefelttheisolationof her mountain homemore than ever. Therewouldbenohelpfromthepalace for at least twodays;untilthen,thefateof

the village depended onthem,andthemalone.

Moraine emerged fromher study. “Come,” shesaid.

Alice noticed thedifference in the wayMoraine held herself, aforcedbrisknessthatspokeof uncertainty, or evenfear.Togethertheysteppedoutintotheyard.Thewindhad grown strong,

whippingeverywhichwayandbendingthetreetopsasif they were blades ofgrass. Alice looked toStorm, who patrolledslowly at the edge of theclearing.Donotfear,saidStorm.

Youaresafe.Freetolearn.Thank you, she

whisperedback.Moraine ledhera short

way into the woods, to

wheretwowoodenbencheslayoppositeeachotherandwoven charms hung fromthetrees.

“Youhavecomeclose,”Morainesaid,takingoneofthe benches. “But you’venever fully merged withthe earth, not in the waynecessary for the act ofbanishment.”

“No,” said Alice. Thishad always been the

hardest aspect of hertraining, the one requiringmostpatienceandsubtlety.Alicetooktheotherbench,wishing that the Narlawcould be fought andbanished using physicalskills,orherknowledgeoftheforestalone.

“Like a ward or astealth wish,” Morainesaid, “you must reach outto the earth – the earth

from which all life came.But now you must reachout with your whole self,and become a channel fortheearth’sgreatpower.”

Alicenodded solemnly.She knew what wasdemanded of her and hadattempted it many times,always falling short,alwayslackingthestillnessor the concentrationrequired. She was too

easily distracted, too alertto the physical forestaround her, to Storm’sconstantpresence.Andshehad grown used toMoraine’s patient, gentleways, but she could nolongeraffordtofailatthis.Moraine could not tackletheNarlawbyherself.

Alice closed her eyes.The forest shook aroundher like an angry tide.She

tried to empty her head ofthoughts, to let the coolwind engulf her, to let thesoil merge with her feet.SheignoredStorm’sgentlyshifting presence back inthe clearing. Give in, sheurged herself, give yourwhole self to the earth.Storm receded slowly. Allshecouldhearwastheroarofthewind.Thentheearthbeneathherbegan toshine

withlife.Alicedrewcloserto its presence, letting anythought that came into herhead be dragged away bythe wind. The earth’spresence grew stronger.She opened herself to it,the life-giver and the rootof all things.Andnow thewind was gone and therewas only silence andwarmth. She was close.She felt nothing but an

immense stillness. It wasfrightening and beautiful –tobelostandtobepartofthe great earth all at once.For an instant she feltpride, like a pinprickthrough this earth trance,andthatfeelingalonemadeher concentration waver.Then a voice broke in andthe earth’s deep presencerushedaway.Aliceopenedher eyes to the jarring,

swaying forest. Morainewas standing over her,Hazellikeasentinelonheroutstretchedarm.

AndtherewasStorm.Narlaw, she said. They

have attacked a party ofvillagersattheforestedge.

Alice stood, unsteadyonherfeet.

“You were close,child.”Morainelaidahandon her shoulder. “I could

feelit.”Alicetriedtosmile,but

shewasfilledwithfear.“IwishedtosendHazel

to my friend Soraya forhelp,” said Moraine. “Butthere’s no time.” She tookAlice firmly by theshoulders. “We will go tothe villagers’ aid,” shesaid. “But if anythingshould happen… If I…Well, then you must seek

help from Soraya at BlindCrag.Doyouunderstand?”

Alice nodded, shockedat the suggestion thatsomethingmighthappentoMoraine. “If it comes tothat,I’llfindher,”shesaid.“I’llbringhelp,Ipromise.”

Moraine nodded.“Good.Now…”

Sheturned.Hazelhadalreadytaken

flight, leading the way

towards the strickenvillagers. On the harshwind,Aliceheardadistantcryofalarm.Are you ready? Storm

asked, her golden eyesglowing.I’m ready, said Alice,

thoughshedidnotfeelit.Storm snorted and

nuzzledintoher.Thentheyran together, into thewoods.

CHAPTER6

The forest flashed by,blurred and murky as if itwereadream.Alicefoughthard to stay steady on herfeet. Her attempt at theearth trance had left her

drainedanddisoriented.Moraine slowed to let

her catch up. “When wearrive, youmust stay clearof the demons,” she toldAlice. “Help the villagerstosafety.That’sall.”

“Buthowwillyoufightthemalone?”Aliceasked.

Moraine stared straightahead as she ran. “I haveprepared for this all mylife.Nowcomesthetest.”

Alice felt her heartlurch in fear. Storm andHazel were nowhere to beseen and the shouts of thevillagersweremuchloudernow, coming from a steepsection of forest up ahead,near the ruins of an oldcottage. Everything wasmovingtoofast.

“There!” Morainecalledout.

Shadows flitted

betweenthetreesandAlicefoundanewburstofspeed,a reserve of energy. Thecrumblinggreystoneofthecottagecameintoviewandshe felt Storm close by.Thenshewasthere,facetofacewiththeNarlaw.

The demon wore afamiliarform,atallwomanwith curly blonde hair –oneofthemissinghunters.But the sockets of its eyes

glowedwithunearthlygreylight and the sickeningwrongness of its presenceinvaded all of Alice’ssenses.

There were fourvillagers there, one ofwhom lay unconscious atthe Narlaw’s feet. Thedemon gripped the man’swristwithapowerfulhandand a boy,Owen from themarketplace, had the

comatosemanby the legs.A terrible tug-of-war wastakingplace.

“Get the villagersaway!”Moraineorderedasshe arrived. “Get them tosafety no matter what.”Even as she ran into thefray, Moraine had closedher eyes, beginning herapproach to the earthtrance.

Stormwent straight for

the Narlaw, snarling anddarting in to try and breakits grip on the man whileavoiding the demon’stouch.Hazel attackedwithwings spread and talonsbared. The Narlaw sweptitsfreearmthroughtheairwith awesome power andspeed, driving bothcompanions back at everyattempt.

Alice ran to where the

other two villagers stood,transfixedbythefight.Shegrabbedthefirst,anelderlyman, by the arm. “Youhavetogo!”sheshouted.

The man ignored her,simplystaringaghastatthescenebeforehim.

Alice tried the womanstanding beside him. “Gethimoutofhere,” she said.“Getbacktothevillage.”

“But my husband…”

the woman said, staringhopelesslyatthemanattheNarlaw’sfeet.

“We’llhelphim,”Alicepromised.“Butyouhavetogo.”

Owen cried out as theNarlawswungafistathimand Alice charged in tohelp free the strickenman.She grabbed the man’sright leg and hauled withall her strength. Owen

glanced across at her,wide-eyed.

“You knew?” heshouted. “You knew thedemonshadcome?”

“I tried to warn theelders,” Alice panted,struggling to maintain hergrip. “They wouldn’tlisten.”

Owenturnedawayfromher, shaking his head andgritting his teeth. The

Narlaw’s strength wasunnatural. It tookeverything theyhad just tostop it from dragging themanaway.

AliceglancedatStorm,who shot her a decisivelook.Getready,Stormsaid.Alicetightenedhergrip

and nodded toOwen,whoseemedtounderstand.

Stormpouncedwithher

jaws wide and sank themdeep into the Narlaw’swrist. The demon’s griploosened and the man slidfrom its grasp, topplingAlice and Owen in theprocess.

“Storm!”Aliceshouted.Storm stumbled away,

retching violently andshaking her head at thetasteofNarlawflesh.

The demon turned on

Storm, but Hazel renewedher swooping attacks,going for the demon’sneck, trying to keep itaway from Storm and theothers. By now Morainewas deep in the earthtrance, kneeling on theforest floor, oblivious towhat was happeningaround her. She would bereachingout,tryingtoholdthe Narlaw’s presence

close as the earthchannelledthroughher.

“Helpme!”Alice turned. It was

Owen, trying to drag thecomatose man away intothe trees on his own. Theother two villagers hadfinally fled. Alice stood,tornthreeways.Stormwashurt, the villagers neededher to help them back tosafety and Moraine was

completely exposed. Shecalled to Storm: Run!Comebackwithme!

Storm looked up; hereyes were pale, confusedby the venomous touch ofthedemon.Butsheblinkedand focused and saw theNarlaw advancing, stillharried by Hazel. Shedarted, stumbling like acub, across the clearing toAlice’sside.

Alice joined Owen andtogethertheyliftedthemanso they could carry himacrossboththeirshoulders.Storm was too disorientedtohelp.It’s all right, Alice

whispered, straining underthe weight of the man.We’ll get back to thevillage. Moraine will befine.

Butassheglancedback

she realizedwitha terriblejolt that this was not thecase.TheNarlawswungitspowerful fist and struckHazel out of the air,sending her thumping intothe stone wall of theabandoned cottage. Hazelfell to the ground with ascreech.

“No!”Alicecriedasthedemon advanced onMoraine.

She dropped theunconscious man andsprintedback.

“Stop!”criedOwen.ButAliceracedon.Moraine jerked

suddenly, shaking herhead. Her link with theearth had failed. She sawthe Narlaw only pacesawayandtriedtorisefromher knees, but it was toolate.

The demon placed ahand on her forehead andMoraine crumpledinstantly to the ground.Intotheghost-sleep.

Alice cried outbreathlesslyassheranandHazel shrieked in tormentat the sudden loss of herbondwithMoraine.

The Narlaw liftedMoraine as if she werenothingmore than a baby.

Thenitturnedandboundedaway, vanishing into theshakingpines.

CHAPTER7

Only once before hadDawn climbed to thesummit of the north wall.Yearsago,duringtheearlydaysofhertraining,Estherhad brought her here to

witness the fortificationsand the palace’s complexwaterworks. Now, as shetoileduptheexposedstonestaircase that clung to theinterior of the wall, Dawnremembered why she hadnotreturnedsince.

A dizzying distancebelow, vast water tanksfilled a courtyard that wasunder constant shadow ofthe wall and the towering

spires of the palace. Theengineers and attendantsworking at ground levelappeared like insects fromthis height. Dawn grippedtheropehandholdandtriednot to look down, placingher feet carefully on theworn stone steps. Ebonywas already at the top,peering out from thebattlements. JamesValderinwasup there too,

no stranger to theprecariouswalkwaysofthepalace’souterdefences.

Dawn reached the topand received the full blastof the wind and theglorious view all at once.The craggy hills of theuplands stretched into thedistance, where theyblurred and met with theforested mountain rangesof the far north. The

nearest of the hilltops,crowned with rocks, wasthe source of the palacewater supply. From itsnatural springs, the mainaqueduct carried waterdirectlytothepalace.Someone’s feeling

giddy,Ebonysaid,flappingontoDawn’sshoulder.Well, not all of us can

fly, Dawn replied. Shehadn’t realizedhowtightly

she’d been gripping thestonebattlements.

Valderin was halfwayalong thewallbynow,hisblue guard-captain’s capeflapping manically in thewind. Dawn set off afterhim; she couldn’t letherself be overcome byfear. Each time the windgusted,however,shefoundherself clutching at thewallbesideher.

Trust your feet, saidEbony. The parapet ismorethanwideenough.

Dawn didn’t reply.Valderin had halted upahead and was leaningthroughwhatseemedtobeahugegapinthewall.

“The aqueduct,” saidValderin as Dawnapproached. “You can seethedamageforyourself.”

Dawnpeeredcautiously

out and her head instantlybegantospin.Shefocused,ignoring her churningstomach as the wallplungedsomehundredfeetto the valley floor. Theaqueduct lay a shortdistance below, spanningthevalleyfromthehillsideto the palacewall, passingthrough to feed the watertanks. Except the waterwas not reaching thewall;

insteaditcascadedintothevalley through a raggedholeintheaqueduct.

Therewereengineersatwork already, layingwooden supports andclambering across thedamaged structure withblocksofstoneandbucketsof wet mortar. Dawn wasabout to ask how they gottherewhenshenoticed therope ladder dangling just

below her feet. A pulleysystem was being used tolower masonry and timbertotheworksite.

“Shallwe take a closerlook?”Valderinasked.

Dawn stared, aghast, atthe rope ladder.Shedidn’thave to climb down,surely. She could see wellenough from where shewas. Then she thought ofLady Tremaine. What if

word got back to her thatDawn hadn’t dared godown,orsomethingon theaqueductwasoverlooked?

“Yes,” Dawn foundherselfsaying.“Weshouldinspectthedamage.”

She took a deep breathand lowered herself on tothe first swaying rung oftheropeladder.

Her sense of dutycarried her down to the

aqueduct, somehowoverriding the horror shefelt at being suspendedoversuchaterribledrop.

As soon as she reachedsolidground,Ebonylandedonhershoulderinagestureof pride and support. Onshaky legs, Dawnapproached an engineerand requested a report onthe damage. The womanled her and Valderin to a

discardedpileofwood.“This was part of the

archsupport,”theengineertold her. “The rest of it’sdownonthevalleyfloor.”

Dawn picked up awarpedlengthoftimber.

“It looks rotten,” shesaid.

Theengineer shookherhead.“Thesesupportswerereplaced only six monthsago. Look here,” she

pointed out a strangepattern of erosion at thebroken end of the support.“It’salmostasifsomethingburnedthroughit.”

“And what could havedonethis?”Valderinasked.

The engineer shrugged.“Idon’tknow,sir.”

Dawn examined theburn marks. Somethingnudged at a memory deepinthebackofhermind.

Ebony seemed to sensethe direction of herthoughts.There are creatures

whodestroywiththeirverytouch,shesaid.

Dawn nodded. Sheglanced at Valderin, whogave her a questioninglook.

“Thank you,” Dawnsaid to theengineerbeforestriding back towards the

rope ladder, followedcloselybyValderin.

“Whatisit?”heasked.“Nothing clear enough

tospeakout loud.Firstwehave to find out who washere last night. If anyonesuspiciouswassighted.”

“The guards havealready been questioned.Onlytheusualservantsandwater-tank attendantswereseen in the vicinity. The

merchant’s son, Yusuf,passed through thecourtyardalso.”

Dawn paused with onefootontheropeladder.

“Yusuf?Whatwouldhebedoingin thispartof thepalace?”

“Lost, perhaps? He’snew to the palace,apparently.” Valderinnarrowed his eyes inthought.“No.You’reright.

Weshouldquestionhim.”Dawn nodded and

began the sickening climbback towards the loomingbattlements.

Valderin gave orders forhis guards to scour thepalace for Yusuf. He wasthe newest member ofPrincessOna’s inner circleand,ifEbonywasright,the

object of the princess’saffections.

“Wewill go straight toOna’s quarters,” Dawnsaid, striding through thebusy servants’ corridorsthatlinkedthenorthwalltotheeastwingofthepalace.She hoped the urgency oftheirsearchwouldoverruleKing Eneron’s ban oncontactwiththeprincess.

Valderin gathered a

small group of guards asthey went, so that theyarrived in the eastwingasaformidablegroup.

The tall doors that ledinto Ona’s quarters wereclosed and before themstood two of KingEneron’s personalbodyguards, theGuards oftheSun.Theirreduniformsand blazing gold helmetsgave them an imperious

look, and the sternexpressions they woresuggested a high level ofself-regard.

“Open the doors,”Valderin ordered. “We areheretoconductasearchoftheprincess’squarters.”

The king’s guardsglared, unmoving. Eachone held a tall spear. Theweapons were gold-tasselled and highly

ornamental, but theirblades looked sharp andperfectlydeadly.

“I said open thesedoors,”Valderinbarked.“IamtheHeadofGuardsandthis is a matter ofurgency!”

The guard on the leftspokefirst,atallmanwithbulging arms: “We answeronly to the king,” he said.“Noonemaypasswithout

our lord’s expresspermission.”

Valderin strodeforwards as if to force thedoorsopenhimselfandthetwo guards flashed intoaction, crossing theirspears in front of him andblockinghisway.Valderinstopped short. His ownpalace guards drew theirswords, awaiting the ordertoattack.

“How dare you takearmsagainstme!”Valderinraged.“Thereisasaboteurat large. The king himselfmay be in danger and youpresume to bar me fromthesequarters?”

“Sir,” the second guard– a short, agile-lookingwoman–spoke.“Asignedpass from the king willsuffice. Until then we areduty bound to seal these

doors.”Valderinsnortedangrily

and his guards bristledbehind him. Dawn stoodby, infuriated and scared.KingEneron’smadwishtokeephisdaughterfromtheworld was about to causebloodshed in his ownpalace. She could seeValderingrowingmoreandmore irate. His authorityhad been questioned and

his pride hurt in full viewof his own retainers. Shehadtodosomethingbeforethings escalated beyondanyone’scontrol.

“Please,” she steppedbetween the two partiesandaddressedbothsidesinwhatshehopedwasacalmand confident tone.“Commander Valderin,Guards of theSun;we areeachdoingourduty to the

king and the safety of thepalace is our sharedconcern.Iacknowledgetheking’s decree protectingtheprivacyofPrincessOnaand will seek hispermission to enter in theproper way. Our cause isurgent, however, and I, asPalace Whisperer, wouldbe grateful if you wouldallow a message to bepassed to the princess

while I seek the king’spermission.”

The king’s guardsglanced at her, barelytaking their eyes fromValderin’sguards.

“CommanderValderin,” said Dawn.“Please stand your peopledown.”

She felt adeep flushofnerves and embarrassmentat issuing such an order –

andtoamantwiceherage,a man armed andexperiencedwhereshewassimply a girl from theSouthlands.

But to her surpriseValderin stepped away,andwithanodhedrewhisguards back. Swords slidback into scabbards. Thetall spears of the SunGuard uncrossed at thedoor.

“Amessageispermittedif the emergency is true,”thewomanguardsaid.

Dawnnodded in thanksand asked politely forpaper and a quill. AsValderin led his guardsaway to expand the searchfor Yusuf, she drafted anote to Princess Ona andhanded it to the guards atthedoor.

“Please see that she

reads it immediately,”Dawnsaid.

The guard nodded andDawnstrodeawaywithherpulse racing and thesensation of having gotaway with something thatshe really shouldn’t have.Butwhatchancewasthereof the princess respondingto her letter? Very slim,Dawn thought, ifOnawasas spoilt and flightyasher

reputationsuggested.Well, said Ebony, as

theymarchedaway.IhavetosayI’mimpressed.Flattery doesn’t suit

you, Dawn whispered,smiling despite herself.Anyway, we still have thekingtodealwith.I’dbetterdo this alone. You knowhowthewardenis.

Ebonyhoppedfromoneof Dawn’s shoulder to the

other. Sadly, I do, shemuttered.With a caw, sheflappedtoanopenwindowand sprang into the air,soaringup andup towardsthe intricate curves of theSpiralTower.

The king’s reluctance toseeDawnwasno surprise.But even the wardenrecognized the importance

of finding the merchant’sson, and Dawn was soonadmitted to Eneron’schambers.

Theroomswereopulentand dark. Thick carpetscovered every inch of thefloor and candles flickeredweakly in the recessesaround thewalls.Thekingslouchedbeforeacracklingfire,barelyawake.

“Your Grace.” Dawn

curtsied. “Thank you foragreeingtoseeme.”

The king did notrespond, but continued toglowersilentlyatthedanceofflamesinthehearth.

“I have come with arequest, Your Grace.”Dawn paused, gatheringher courage. “Iwish to beadmitted toPrincessOna’schambers.”

The instant she uttered

Ona’s name a shroudseemed to lift from overthe king. He turned,shocked and angry, hishands clawing at thearmrestsofhischair.

“You request what?”Hiswordsrolledacrossthedrawingroomlikethunder.“That I – the king ofMeridina – overturn myroyaldecree?”

He lurchedup fromhis

chair, swaying on his feetas he did so. He was oldand unsteady, but heradiatedabsolutepower.

Dawn had never seenhim this way before. Shestepped back instinctively,opening her mouth, butonly a stuttering nothingemerged.

“I will not have mydaughter ruined by themachinations of you,

you…”KingEneronglaredatDawnashesearchedforthe words. “You petty,ungrateful people. Youspiteful,shallowcourtiers.”

Dawnloweredhereyes.She was frightened, butneeded to make himunderstand.Was it treasonto argue with a king? Shetook a deep breath. It hadtobesaid.

“The kingdom is in

danger, Your Grace.Princess Ona may be abletohelp.Iwouldonlyspeakwith her briefly, and Ipromise—”

“Out!” bellowed theking.“Outofmysight.”

Hestumbledbackwardsintohischairandsatdownheavily, a startledexpression breakingthrough the fury for aninstant.

“YourGrace…”“Out!”hecried.Dawncurtsiedhurriedly

and left, with KingEneron’s rage echoingbehind her. She ignoredLady Tremaine’s smugremarksassherushed,red-faced, through thereception room and awaytowards the safety andsanityoftheSpiralTower.

When Dawn arrived shewas immediately greetedby Ebony, who cameswooping across theanteroom.You have a guest,

Ebonywhispered.Afigurestoodinthefar

corner, a woman – orrather, a girl – with herbacktothedoor,dressedin

a long hooded robe thecolour of a twilit sky.Dawn closed the doorbehind her and only thendidthegirlturn.

She had blond hair,pulled back into a tightbun, and a face thatDawnrecognized immediately,althoughshehadonlyeverseen it from afar. Dawnstared mutely across thechamber for a moment

beforerecoveringherself.“Princess Ona?” she

said.“I received your

message,” said theprincess, with a tremor ofanxiety in her voice. “IsYusufwell?Ishesafe?”

Therewassuchconcernand generosity in theprincess’s gaze that Dawnfelt the immediate urge toprotect her. But to have

made it here alone andunnoticedalsoshowedtrueresourcefulness andbravery. Perhaps Ona wasnotthefrivolousyounggirlpeoplethoughthertobe.

“We’re still searchingfor Yusuf,” Dawn said.“That’s why I needed tospeak to you, to find outwhenyousawhimlast.”

Princess Ona’s eyeswidened. “I haven’t seen

him since yesterday, atnoon. We played chesstogetherandthenhelefttoarrange the re-shoeing ofhis horse at the stables.Youdon’t thinkhe’scometoharm,doyou?Icouldn’tstand it if somethinghappened to him while hewasaguestofmine.”

“I don’t know,” saidDawn. “I hope not. Butwhat you’ve told me will

help the search a greatdeal.”

Ona smiledwarily. Sheglanced at the door, as ifafraid someone mightbargeinandfindherthere.Dawnsharedtheprincess’sfears,butshecouldn’thelpthinking that it was notOna, but she who wouldfind herself in troubleshould this secret meetingbediscovered.

“We’ll search thestables right away,” saidDawn. “Perhaps now youshould return to yourquarters?”

“He’s such agentleman,” said PrincessOna, bowing her head asshe crossed towards thedoor.“Soquietandclever.Wehavetofindhim.”

Dawn nodded insympathy.ButifYusufhad

re-shoed his horse itimplied he was preparingto leave town – anotherpiece of evidence againsthim. Perhaps Ona wasdeluding herself, orperhaps the boy wassimply a skilled actor andspy.

The princess raised herhood in readiness to leaveand Dawn studied herclosely. The princess was

no fool – naïve perhaps,but certainly no fool. Shewas convinced of Yusuf’sgood nature, so maybethings were morecomplicated than theyseemed.Help her return to her

quarters unseen, Dawnwhispered to Ebony. I’llfindValderin.

Ona pressed her handintoDawn’sandDawndid

her best to smilereassuringly. Ona’sexpression was so honest,so unguarded, that Dawnfelt strangely moved byher. The princess wasscared and trying her besttobebrave.Inthatwayshewas not so different fromDawnherself.

Once Ebony andPrincess Ona were gone,Dawnmadeherwayasfast

as she could down thestairs and passageways ofthe Spiral Tower. Shestopped a palace guard ontheway and sentword forValderintomeetheratthestables. A dark feelingcrept over her as shedescended, one she couldnotignore.

The destruction of theaqueduct came back intofocus and she thought

again of those marks,searing through the strongtimber; she rememberedEsther’sslow,richvoice:ademon can destroy anylivingthingittouches.

In the lower levels ofthe palace all was inshadow, the towers andramparts blotting out thesun.ThechillDawnfeltasshe walked was different.Shewasfullofdreadanda

strange, unshakeablecertainty.

When she arrived shefound the stables alreadybusy with palace guards.Valderinhadgottherefirstandbythelookonhisfacehehadfoundsomething.

“Come,”hesaid.In an unused corner of

the sprawling stables,Yusuf was curled like ababyonabedofstraw.He

was breathing, but sofaintly he seemed barelyalive. Valderin’s guardslooked on. There was anair of confusion and fear.The horses stamped andwhinniedintheirstalls.

Dawncrouchedandlaida hand on Yusuf’sforehead. She felt for hispresence, his living being,in the way Esther hadshown her. The boy was

there, inside, but far awayand veryweak. Therewasa taint on him that madeDawnflinchaway.

This was theconfirmation of her fears:Yusuf’s form had beenstolenbyaNarlaw.

For the first time in acentury thereweredemonsinMeridina.

CHAPTER8

Dawn strode across theflagstone floor of thepalace infirmary. A nursewalked with her, a scarfcovering her nose andmouth. Just one bed was

occupiedinthiswardanditwas guarded by one ofValderin’s retainers.Anotherguardstoodsentryatthedoor.

The guard glancednervously at the nurse asthey approached. “Is hecontagious?” he asked,gesturing to the scarfmaskingherface.

The nurse said nothing,simply bending over the

unconscious boy andtouchinghisheadgentlytocheckhistemperature.

“We don’t know,” saidDawn. “But it’s best youleaveusforamoment.”

The guard nodded,making his way towardshiscolleagueattheexit.

“You see,” Dawn saidquietly.“He’salive.”

Princess Ona slid thescarf from her face and

peereddownatYusuf.“He looks peaceful,”

she said. “Are you surehe’snotinpain?”

“All the old accountssay the same thing: adreamless sleep. When hewakes he’ll feel confusedandhungry,butthat’sall.”

“If he wakes,” theprincesssaid.

“We must find theNarlaw that did this. Only

banishingitwillsavehim.”Ona touched Yusuf’s

slimdarkhand.HewasnoolderthansheorDawn.

“His father is amerchant,” Ona said, “onthedesertborders.HesentYusuf here, hundreds ofmiles north, to further hiseducation, to learn aboutthe world. He was sodifferent from everyoneelse at court, from the

youngnobles father forcedme to associate with. Notpetty or greedy orcondescending to theservants.”

ShelookedupatDawn,hereyesmistingwithtears.“He was kind. A realfriend. He didn’t deservethis.”

“I know,” said Dawn.Shetoohadbeensentfromher home in the south,

thrust into this world ofpower and politics andcourtly behaviour. She feltashamed for havingassumedYusuf’s guilt. Hehad simply been unlucky,singledoutbytheNarlaw.

“Butwe’llfindit,”Onasaid. A sudden firereplacedthesadnessinhereyes. “We’ll find thedemon and bring Yusufback to life. Swear it with

me.”Dawn felt the other

girl’s passion in her ownheart. She was the PalaceWhisperer, thedefenderofthe kingdom. She wouldnot – could not – let herpeopledown.

“I swear,” she said,holdingOna’sgaze.

A black shape intrudedonthecornerofhervision.Dawn turned. It was

Ebony, on the outsideledgeofthewindow.

“We must go,” Dawnsaid, glancing furtively atthedoortotheward.

Onanoddedandslippedthe scarf back over herface.

Ebony cawed fromoutside. The warden, shesaid. On the stairs. Sheflew past the windows,making the sunlight flash

withhershadow.“Come on,” Dawn

whispered urgently,leading Ona back acrosstheward.

But it was too late toescape unnoticed. Theironly hope was that LadyTremaine would fail torecognizeOna.

Dawn nodded at theguardsas sheandOna leftthe ward, her anxiety

barely hidden. There werefootstepsfrombelow,morethan one set. The wardenemerged before them andDawn smiled, stepping infrontofOna.

“The merchant’s son isstable,”shesaid.“Wemustexpand our search to thecity—”

“Enough,” said thewarden. “Do you take mefor a fool, girl?” She was

flanked by four Guards ofthe Sun, who blocked thestairs completely. “You,”the warden barked at oneof her guards, “escort theprincess back to herchambersandseethattheyare properly secured. Therest of you, return theWhisperer to the SpiralTower. She is to be heldthere in confinement untilsuch time as the king sees

fit.”“You can’t do that!”

Dawn said. “There is aNarlaw among us. It mustbe found and banished, Ihaveto—”

“Seizeher!”thewardencommanded.

Dawn struggled asstrong hands took hold ofher arms and dragged hertowards the stairs. Onacriedoutbehindher.

“There are no Narlawhere,” the warden droned.“Only a saboteur from theout-country who hasclearly tried to take hisownlifewithpoison.”

“That’snottrue,”Dawnshouted.“You’remakingamistake.Letmego!”

From the top of thestairs Lady Tremainesneereddownather.“Youbroke King Eneron’s

decree, Whisperer. Youwere warned to leave theprincessaloneandyethereyou are, arranging secretmeetingswithatreasonousSouthlander.”

As Dawn emerged intothe courtyard, Ebonyswoopeddownandpeckedat the guards, but therewere fourof them,heavilyarmouredandstrong.No, Dawn whispered.

You must fly. Don’t letthemtrapyou.

Ebony ascended, out ofreach. Be strong, shecalled.AWhisperer is freeeveninchains.

Dawnwentquietlywiththe guards then, watchingEbony soar ahead of her.She feared for PrincessOna,forYusuf,butmostofall for Meridina. TheNarlawwere real and they

were here among them.Thiswashowithadbegunin Queen Amina’s time,through sabotage andspying. Next would comethe attacks on theborderlands, building andbuildinguntil the invasion.ShehadtostoptheNarlawgettinganyfurther;shehadto make the king and thewarden understand beforeitwastoolate.

The afternoon faded intodusk. Dawn was broughtthe usual fine palace food.Shecalledforfreshcandlesand they were delivered.But while she studied andwroteandpuzzledoverallof the war histories at herdisposal, she was acutelyawareofthearmedsentriespositioned outside her

chamberdoors.Shewas a prisoner – a

comfortable one, but aprisoner nonetheless. Thelonging she felt to breakloose was almost aphysical pain. But Ebonyhadbeenright:evenlockedaway,Dawncouldfeelhercompanionoutthereinthesky,andthroughtheirbondcame a version of thesoaringfreedomofflight.

Ebony carried notes toCaptain Valderin, firstexplaining where Dawnwas and then suggesting awidening of the search toencompass the entire cityof Meridar. Dawn wishedshewas out there, but shewas stuck, back with herbooks, while a demon –maybe more than one –stalked the streets ofMeridar and perhaps the

palaceitself.As night fell, Dawn

foundherselftooexhaustedto read any more. Thecandles on her desk wereguttering. Ebony was out,patrolling the skies abovethe city in hopes ofsighting the demon, orpicking up its taintedpresence.

Dawn sat back in herchair and closed her eyes.

She reached out slowly,carefully, with herWhisperer sense, feelingforthelivingthingsaroundher. She had known froman early age how strongshe was. This was part ofher selection as PalaceWhisperer; a ravencompanion came only tothose of great ability. Itwas for this reason thatDawn rarely used her full

senses, not here in thepalace. There were somany people, so manyanimals, that to reach outfully was overwhelming –a giddy, disconcertingexperience.

But now itwas all thatshe wanted, to feel ifEbonywas close, to sensewhat danger lurked in theroomsandcorridorsaroundher.

Shefelttheguardsfirst,silent and stoical, then, asshepushedout further, theresidents, maids andsoldiersintheroomsbelowand to the side. Shereached further still, downinto the courtyard. Birdslingered there, darting freeamong the fruit trees andthe flowerbeds. Moreguards stood sentry at thebase of the tower, two to

eachentrance.And then, in the

courtyard, something else.A presence she didn’trecognize – still andwatchful, hidden beneaththe dense canopy of treesand shrubs on the far sideoftheopenspace.

Dawn opened her eyes,her heart quickening. Thesickness spoken of in theoldaccountshadnotcome,

but what if things weredifferent now? Thispresence, hiding from theguards, was not human –whatifitwasademon?

She rose and dashedfrom the anteroom to herbedchamber, to the smallbalcony that overlookedthe courtyard. The torchesmade a flickering patternof shadow on the walls.Dawn peered into the

foliage.Shefocusedonthepresence there. A servingmanstrodeacross theyardwith a stack of trays. Thebirdstwitteredinthetrees.

Dawn stood motionlessin the night air, graspingtherailofthebalcony.Shereached out, concentratingon that strange presence,formingwordsinhermindthe way Esther had taughther and then expressing

those words as puremeaning, as only thestrongest of Whispererscould.

She sent thewordsout:Showyourself.

Beneath an apple treethe foliage shifted, sominutelythat itcouldhavesimply been the breeze.But Dawn felt the visitingpresence stir. A pair ofeyes glowed suddenly,

shrouded in leaves, angleduptomeethergaze.

Torchlightflickeredandfor an instant she saw thelong, grey features of awolf.Therewassomethinglodgedbetweenitsjaws.

Dawnreachedouttothewolf. She could not speakwithit,butstronglyfeltitswariness and its urgentdesire to leave this noisy,crowdedplace.She feltno

hostility, and in returnprojected a wordlessmessageoffriendship.

The wolf lowered itsmuzzle and laid its burdenontheground,undercoverof the hanging leaves. Itwasacourier’stube;Dawnrecognized it now. Thewolfwasamessenger.

It backed into thefoliage. Dawn felt itspresence slink away

through the shadows.Howithadmadeitswaysodeepinto the palace she wouldnever know, only that thecreatures of the wild weremore skilful than anyhumancouldimagine.

Shememorizedthespotand returned to her study,more eager than ever forEbony’sreturn.

By midnight the couriertube lay open on Dawn’scluttered desk, its contentsunrolled and pinned flat.The message was verytroublingindeed.

There were Narlaw inthe north. A village hadbeen raided and severalcitizens taken. The villageWhisperers, Moraine andher novice, Alice,requested help from the

palace. Just like before, inQueen Amina’s time, theNarlawweretryingtotakethe outlying towns bystealth. And what wouldcome next? A full-scaleinvasion?

These were terrifyingthoughts, but they were asign that Dawn had to actquickly.

Sheaddressedanote toValderin, ordering the

dispatchofasmanyguardsas he could spare to thisnorthern village. Shewatched as Ebony carriedthe message from thetower, her black wingsmerging with the night.Then, when Ebony wasgone, Dawn remained onthebalcony,staringblindlyatthepitchdarksky.

Already theresponsibilities of palace

lifeweighedheavilyonhershoulders, but now a newkind of pressure hademerged.Historyitselfhadcomecalling; thehundred-year peace hung in thebalance.

Dawn’s mind racedwith questions:Why now?Why her? Why couldn’tEstherbeheretohelp?

Butsuchquestionswerepointless. They had no

answer.Dawnwastheyoungest

Whisperer the palace hadever known, but still shemustdoherduty.Andherdutywasclear.

There was anothercommand that she mustdispatch tonight, the likesofwhichhadnotbeenseensince Queen Amina’sreign. It was a commandbound for every corner of

Meridina, and one thatcouldnotbewritteninink.She would whisper herchosenwordstoEbonyandEbony would fly to thedeep forest, to the wildravenswhoweretheagentsof the earth itself. Onlythesewildestofbirdscouldseek out every livingWhisperer in the kingdomandpasshermessageon.

It was a dark message

fordarktimes.Asummonstoacouncil

ofwar.

CHAPTER9

For Alice, the day passedin a whirl of desperateenergy, every thought andmovement made sharp bythe shock of what hadhappenedintheforest.

Morainewasgone.And Hazel was gone,

too, deep in the forest indesperate pursuit of hercompanion.

Alice had obeyedMoraine’s last wish andescorted the villagershome, she and Owenspreading word of theNarlaw strike. Anemergencycouncilmeetinghadbeenheld,followedby

a night of fortification andplanning. Gates werereinforced, alleywaysblocked. The villagersworked through the nightand everybody who couldlift a hammer was calledinto service by the elders;but Alice knew that thesedefences would not holdfor long against a Narlawattack. She had seen thedemons move, witnessed

theirspeedandagility, felttheirterrifyingstrength.

So she had agreedanother plan with thevillage elders: to head outin search of help fromSoraya, Moraine’s oldfriend,atBlindCrag.

Alice spent the firstdark hours of the night inMoraine’sstudy,searchingthroughhermentor’snotesand belongings. Her sense

ofpanicandlossonlygrewmore intense. Loose pagescascaded to the floor andAlice struggled to steadyher emotions as shescannedfortheinformationthatsheneeded.Atlastshefound it, scrawled on thereverse side of aninventory of meadowflowers: Soraya and theBlindCrag.The directionswere cryptic, intended for

Moraine alone, but Aliceknewtheforestbetter thananyone.IfSorayacouldbefound,thenshewouldfindher.

Outside, Storm waspacing listlessly.Moonlightfellbetweenthetrees and tipped her darkfurwithflashesofsilver.I’ve got something,

Alice said, wavingMoraine’s notes. If we

leave at dawn, wemay beback here with Sorayabeforenightfall.If she is still on the

mountain, Storm replied.She snorted, agitated, stillnotherselfafter tastingtheNarlawflesh.

Alice nodded. Therewere too many factors yetunknown, too many waysinwhich they could falter.But one thing Alice did

know:shecouldnotbanishtheNarlawalone.

They agreed to rest forwhatremainedofthenightandAlice curled up in herbed inside thecottage.Sheslept fitfully. Storm’spresence came and wentthroughout the night andAlice knew that her friendwas patrolling, guardingher from what terrorsmight come at them from

the forest. She dreamed ofbeing a wolf, of runningfast and free without restand of howling into thevastness of the scent-filledsky.

At dawn Alice woke tofind Storm at her bedside.She trailed a weary handout of bed and Stormnuzzled in, her breath

warm in the chill autumnair.

Side by side,Alice andStorm set off into theforest. The first ofMoraine’s directions wassimple: north-east to thethird ridge. It was at leastan hour’s walk from thecottage,soAlicesetabriskpace. Storm loped besideher, distracted and slow.All Alice could do was

hope that the poisonouseffectswouldwearoffandthat her companion wouldbe back to normal soon.She needed Storm, and sodidthevillage.You were brave

yesterday, Alice told her.Without you the villagerswould never have made ittosafety.

Storm snorted,narrowing her eyes.When

the demons are gone fromhere, she said. Only thenwillanyonebesafe.Yes,saidAlice.Sheran

her hand softly over herfriend’sback.

The forest was eerilyempty. The trees withoutbirds or insects loomeddeathly silent all aroundthem. They went quickly,watching and listening,always ready for the

approachofthedemons.

They reached the base ofthe third ridge atmidmorning. A streammeandered through theforest here, bending andlooping around the steepcontours of land. Theyfollowed, against the flowofwateruntilitjoinedwithanother stream, one which

tumbled noisily over fist-sizedrocks.

The second ofMoraine’s instructionsrepeated over and over inAlice’s head: Go northwhere the sage andironweedgrow.

Alice picked her wayupstream,onthehuntforaclearing in the canopy.Sage grew best in thesunlight, and usually away

fromthewetriversidesoil.But this didn’t help themmuch, as ironweed wouldgrow virtually anywhere.AllAlicecoulddowasrelyon Storm’s acute sense ofsmell.

It wasn’t long beforeStorm paused, sniffing theair.There,shesaid,peering

acrossthestream.Sage.She splashed into the

streamandAlicefollowed,drenching her boots in thecoolwater.

Ontheotherside,Alicepushed her way through adense wall of foliage. SheheardStormeasilywindingthroughaheadofher.Thenshe emerged into a smallclearing, the sun slantingdownon to a thick swatheof knee-high sage fronds,scattered throughout with

the swaying blue flowersof the ironweed plant.Storm’s grey-black neckarched above the plants,proudyetstilluneasy.Apath,shesaid.North.Itleduphill,awayfrom

the stream and on to themountain.

ForjustamomentAlicelet the sun settle on herface and breathed in thesage-scented air. Then she

strodethroughtheclearing,joining Storm on thenorthboundtrail.

As they climbed higherinto the foothills, the earthbeneath their feet becamestony and dry. Soon theforest thinned to almostnothing.Alicewatched thesun approach its peak andfeltitswarmthontheback

ofherneck.Moraine’s one

remaining instructionreferred to a scree slope,and every time Alicesquinted up themountainsideshecouldseeit: a bank of loose rockfragments, high andfrighteninglysteep.

Storm didn’t wait forherwhen they reached thebaseoftheslope,bounding

instead over the shards ofrock as if it were solidground.Wait! Alice called, but

Stormwasgone.There was nothing for

it. Alice launched herselfintotheclimb.

The scree slid awaybeneath her boots and atevery step she slipped andsank. She dragged herselfonwards with her hands,

but whenever she stoppedforbreath she immediatelybegan to slide backwards.The only thing she coulddo was carry on with theenergy-sappingclimb.

Slowly Alice ascended.The summitdrewcloser, alip of rock that promisedsome sort of level ground.As shemade the final fewstridesshereachedout,butthere was a tall step of

sheerrockbetweenherandthe summit and shestruggled to reach the top.Her fingers scraped theledge and slipped back.Alice scrambled andgrabbedhold,buttherewasnostrengthleftinherarms.She couldn’t pull herselfup.

Her feet scrapeduselessly, sending anavalanche of scree down

the slope. She glanceddown. It wasmuch higherthan she’d thought. If shefell now, she would slidethe whole way withnothing to stop her beforeshecrashedintothejaggedrocksbelow.

With one last thrustAlice tried to drag herselfon to the ledge, but hermuscles failed her. Herfingers were about to give

out. She closed her eyesready for the fall andopened her mouth to cryout. But before any soundescaped her, a shadowappeared above. Storm’steethflashedandAlicefeltherself lifted by the collarofhercoat.Shegraspedattherockandrolledupontosolid ground, chestheaving,mouthworkinginsilentthanks.

I forget you two-leggedbeasts are no good atclimbing,Stormsaid.

Alicesquintedupather,still panting. Thanks, shesaid.

They were on a rockyplateau that wound alongthe crooked mountainside.Belowthemwerethegreatforested foothills, andseveral miles away thevillage could be seen, the

bell towerandfestival treestanding out against theotherwise unbroken forestcanopy. Above them themountain rose to itscraggy,snow-cappedpeak.Itwasadizzyingview.

Alicestoodandscannedthe plateau. It was a placeof prickly shrubs, stuntedtrees and boulders. Themountainside was creasedwith fissures and openings

ofallsizes,somedry,sometricklingwithwater.

AccordingtoMoraine’snotes, Soraya was heresomewhere – if she washereatall.Come on, said Alice.

Let me know if you smellanythinginteresting.

Stormpaddedalongsideher, examining these newsurroundingswithherkeeneyes. She seemed more

focused now the effects ofthe Narlaw were wearingoff.

Alice let herWhisperersense wander. Shesearchedtherecessesofthemountainside, the scrappyforeston theslopesbelow,all thewhile traversing theplateau with the sun nowshining powerfully fromthesouth.

They passed into a

shaded area, where animmense rubble ofboulders laypiled to twicethe height of their cottage.The air became still. ThenStorm suddenly stopped,herearspointedforwards.

Alice peered ahead,probingwithallhersenses.Beyond the rocks the sunwasblinding.Shesquinted,listening.

Storm’searstwitched.

“Welcome,” came aquiet voice from behindthem.

Alice spun andstumbled back towardsStorm.

Storm growled, leapingtoAlice’sside.

“No need for alarm,”the old woman said. Hersun-bakedfacecreasedintoa smile. “Come.Youmustbethirsty.”

The woman turned andseemed to vanish betweentwoboulders, downapathso narrow and shadowedthat both Alice and Stormhad missed it entirely astheyhadpassed.It’s her, whispered

Alice.Yes,Stormreplied.The woman’s presence

hovered like a ghost inAlice’sconsciousness.

Alice crept into thefissure and she and Stormtrod carefully along awinding path that led upstone steps and over tinytrickling streams. Soonthey arrived in a broadcave, into which severallargeopeningsspilledlightand air, pushing theshadows back a goodtwenty paces into themountain. Alice peered

intothedark.Therewasnoknowing how far back thecave reached, or whatlurked there beneath somanytonnesofrock.

“Sit,”Sorayasaid.Shegestured to a ledge

thathadbeendrapedwithavarietyofpatternedtextilesandlaidwithwoodencupsandawaterflask.Thecavewas furnished like a roomin a simple cottage, the

walls covered with fadedtapestries,afirepitinprideof place at the centre.There were woven charmshanging all around, likethose Moraine made backin the forest. Alice couldfeelthepowerandthecalmofthisplace.

As she perched on theledge, she discreetlystudied Soraya – thiswoman who had lived

since the Narlaw Wars, ahundredyearsbeforeAlicehadevenbeenborn.

“Come, Storm,” Sorayasaid, gesturing with anopen hand. “You shouldsit,too.”

“Youknowhername?”said Alice, as Stormapproachedtheledge.

“Of course. Morainespoke proudly of youboth.”

Alice nodded, thinkingpainfully of Moraine. Herrestless gaze was drawntowardsthedarknessattheback of the cave. DidSoraya live here alone?Didshehaveacompanion?Alice could not detect thepresence of any otherlivingthing.She fooled us before,

Storm whispered, sensingthe direction of Alice’s

thoughts.Storm was right.

Neither of them had feltSoraya’s presence as shehad approached them onthemountainside.

The old woman setherself down carefully onan age-flattened rock, andwith her small bright eyesshe watched Alice take adrinkofwater.Sheseemedto be waiting for

something.“Moraine is gone,”

Alice said. “There areNarlawintheforest.”

Sorayadippedherheadin a solitary nod. “Historyrepeats itself,” shemuttered thoughtfully.“Thewardsweset…Well,nothing lasts forever.” Shelooked up to meet Alice’sgaze. “Soyou came tomeforhelp,”shesaid.

“Thedemonstooksomevillagers, too,” said Alice.“I can’t banish theNarlawonmy own.Moraine triedtoand…”

Hereyesbegantosting.She turned away fromSoraya, reaching outinstinctivelytoStorm,whonuzzled into her hand.Aliceforcedbackthetears,annoyed with herself. Shehadn’t come all this way

just to cry in front of astranger.

“Isee,child.Isee.”“We need your help,”

Alice said. “If you’vebanished Narlaw before,youcouldsave thevillage.AndMoraine.”

Soraya rose andshuffled slowly into thecentre of the sunlit cave.Alicefeltasuddenstirringsomewhere in the dark, a

presence unfelt until now,something huge and oldand slowly awakening.Was this Soraya’scompanion? She wantedbadly to know, but didn’tdareask.

“I cannot leave thismountainside,” saidSoraya. “I am old.Unnaturally so.” Sheturned and narrowed hereyesattheslantingsun.“If

I leave Iwill certainlydie.Andthenmyonlyuseistothe wild things who willfeedonmybodyandreturnmetothebountifulearth.”

“But we need you,”Alicesaid.

If she and Stormreturned to the villagealone then all would belost. She felt giddy withfear.Moraine had told herto come here, to ask for

Soraya’s help. Surely allthis could not have beenfornothing?

“Donotdespair,child.”Soraya came towards herand pressed her hands toAlice’s cheeks. Theywerecool and unexpectedlysmooth. Her eyes shonelikeblackdiamonds.YouareaWhisperer.The words blossomed

silentlyinAlice’smind.

There is nothing youcannotlearn.

They sat together on theplateau, Alice and Soraya,in the full glare of themidday sun. Storm wasbehind them, higher upbeside the cave mouth,watching.

“This,” Soraya said toAlice. “The forest. The

mountain. The wild earth.Itisrichwithlife.Youarepart of this one livingworld, and yet, like allbeasts, you stand separatefrom it, too. Separate toobserve and to think andact as you please.But fewbeastspossessthegiftsthatyou do – or the depth ofresponsibility. Only aWhisperer mayconsciouslycommunewith

theearth.OnlyaWhisperercan sense the living thingsaround her without use ofsightorsound.AndonlyaWhisperer can banish ademon to the Darklands.We are the guardians of itall,mychild.

“Youhavebeen trainedwell by Moraine. She isstrongand learnedandshecares a great deal for thepeopleofthemountainand

for the forest itself. Butyou and she are verydifferent.”

“Ican’tconcentratelikeshe can,” Alice said. “Theearth trance… I almostheld it yesterday, but itslippedawayfromme likeitalwaysdoes.IfIcan’tdothat, how can I learn tobanish the Narlaw?”Soraya smiled, her legsdanglingfromtherockshe

had perched upon, andAlice thought howchildlike the ancientWhispererwas.

“Thereismorethanoneway to banish a demon,”Soraya said. “You mustchoose the way that isclosesttoyournature.”

Alice stared out overthe vast forest. “Mynature?”

“For you, the forest is

never silent. You cannotblock it from your mindand you refuse torelinquish your bond withStorm, not even for thepurposes of the earthtrance.”

“Is that what Morainetoldyou?”

Soraya shook her head.“It is what your presenceherehastoldme.”

“SowhatshouldIdo?”

“Where some wouldsilencetheworld,youmustreach out and open yoursenses to everything – thetrees, the air, the insectsand the birds, the tinycreeping things. YoumustholdontoStorm.Andthenyou must go further.Embrace all that you canandtheearthwilljoinwithyou.”

“AndtheNarlaw?”

“The Narlaw will be apartofthatembrace.”

Alice shivered as sheremembered the foul,sickening presence. Reachout to the Narlaw? Howcould she manage such athing?

“In a time of strife,there is no easy way,”Soraya said. “Iwas only afraction older than youwhen the Narlaw came. I

thought myself unready,unable to fight. But, likeyou, I was already aWhisperer.Ihadnochoicebuttoplaymypart.”

She placed a gentlehandonAlice’sback.

“Will you trywithme?Therearenodemonshere.Youhavenothingtofear.”

Astheafternooncameand

the sun scrolled across thesky, Alice sat above thegreat forest and tried togatherintheworld.

Soraya whispered toher. Reach further, child.Feelforthetreetops,touchthestonesintheriverbed.

Alicepushedhersensesas far as she could, andeach time she thought shehad reached her limit,Soraya found a way to

stretch them further. Thewhole valley hoveredwithin her grasp; everyliving thingwas there.Shefelt the riverwater rushingoverrocksandtheairpressagainst thewings of birds.She felt the creeping,skittering beasts of theforest like a shiftingconstellation of souls. Shefelt Soraya beside her andStorm above her on the

spur of rock. And deepwithin the mountain shefelt that other thing, theancient presence freshlywokenfromitsslumber.

She practised until hercastingofthisvastnetwasautomatic, and swift as anadder’sstrike.Itwasarushof feeling like nothing shehad known – moreoverwhelming, even, thanthe calm intensity of the

earthtrance.You have embraced the

living valley, Sorayawhisperedtoher.Theearthfeels you. You have shownit this valley like anoffering.ButtherearenoNarlaw

here,Alicewhispered.No, Soraya replied.

Thatisachallengeyouareyettoface.Alone.

Only a Whisperer cangather in the demons. Youarethechannel–theearthwillactthroughyou.Ifyouare steadfast and fearlessthenitwillbanishthem.

Alice let the valley go.The feeling rushed awayand she sat experiencingthe light and air and therock beneath her throughherfivesimplesenses.

“You see now that you

have strength,” saidSoraya.“Butyouwillneedyetmore.Thedemonsslidethrough this world likequicksilver and will doeverything to evade yourtouch. The chaos of battlewillconfusethings.”

“Iwishyoucouldcomewithme,”Alicesaid.

Soraya smiled. “So doI.”Sheglancedbackathermountain home. “But I

muststay.”

They ate a small mealtogether at the entrance tothe cave – a sweet-tastingroot and shreds of rawrabbit for Storm. Alicesensedherfriend’sanxiety,the restless desire to actthatmatchedherown.Inafew hours dusk wouldcomeandthevillagewould

be so much morevulnerable.

“We should go now,”shesaidtoSoraya.“Thankyou for the food. And for…everything.”

Soraya inclined herhead. “Do what must bedone,” she said. Her eyesglittered,steelyandbright.

Alicenodded.“I’lltry.”Soraya took them to a

secluded path that skirted

thescreeslope.Stormwentahead and Alice next,seizing her chance to askthe question that had beentroubling her since theirarrivalatBlindCrag.

“Your companion,” shesaid. “Why does she hidefromus?”

Soraya was silent for amomentbehindher.

“There are so fewWhisperersnow,”shesaid.

“Especially here at theedge of the kingdom. Doyou know how I grew soold,child?”

Aliceshookherhead.“My companion and I

have away of sharing ourtimehere.Onesleepswhilethe other watches. It is anold skill, not much used,but it has allowed us agreatdealmorelifethanisnormal. This is also the

reasonwhy I cannot leavemy home. Our link isdifferent to the one youhave with Storm. Toseparate would bring theriskofdeathtousboth.”

“It felt as if yourcompanion was waking,”said Alice. “Back in thecave.”

“Yes,” said Soraya.“And now it ismy turn tosleep. Perhaps for the last

time.”“What do you mean?”

saidAlice.She turned sharply, but

Soraya was already gone.Gonetoowashercalmandpowerful presence, asabruptlyasithadappearedthatmorning.

CHAPTER10

Theymadegoodtimebackthrough the valley, Stormtrotting a few paces aheadwithherearstwitchingandhernosesniffingtheair.

Itwasa relief forAlice

to see that Storm seemedfully recovered – Aliceneeded her by her sidetonight,readytodobattle.

The techniques she hadlearned from Soraya hadboostedherconfidence,butthey had brought newfears, too. Alice knew shecouldcasthersenseswide,thatshecouldembracevasttractsoftheforest,butwiththeNarlawinamong them

everything would bedifferent. She had no ideahow the Narlaw’s touchwould feel, or how shemight react. No matterwhat Soraya had said, shewas heading into theunknownandintodanger.

Theycontinuedintotheforest.Theskyhadcloudedoversincetheyhadleftthemountain and a dimnesshad settled between the

trees. Alice watched asStormboundedahead,noseraisedtotheair.No,shesaid.No,no,no.

She darted in anotherdirection,stillsniffing.Whatisit?Aliceasked,

runningtoherside.Fire!saidStorm.That singleword senta

boltoffearthroughAlice’sbody and she ran besideStormwith a deadly panic

inside her. She had heardtalesofbushfires,downinthearidsouthofMeridina,terrible blazes that burnedfor days on end andconsumed whole towns,wholestretchesofthewild.Buthere in thenorth, theywere unheard of. Therewas too much rain andmoisture. It simply didn’thappen.

In just a fewmoments,

though, Alice saw thatStormwasright.

Firstcamethesmoke.Itdrifted through the trees,stinging Alice’s eyes andburning her throat. Thencame the crackling,popping, creakingcacophony of the blaze.And slowly, building andbuilding,cametheheat.

Alice stopped besideStorm as the smoke-

shrouded flames flickeredinto view. Even at adistance the heat wasintense.Aliceraisedahandto shield her face andStorm darted left,becoming just a dark greysmudge in the blanket ofsmoke.Stay close! Alice

shouted.Stormcamebacktoher.

We must find a way

around.I know, said Alice.

We’ll be cut off from thevillage.

Somewhereinthemidstoftheblaze,atreecreakedandfell.Awaveofhotairrushed out and Aliceturned her back to theflames, retreating from theblast. Her eyes wateredpainfullyandevenwithherhandacrosshermouth she

tasted the hot, chokingsmokewitheverybreath.There has to be away!

saidStorm.Wait, said Alice. I’m

thinking.If we don’t go now,

we’ll be trapped.We haveto get help from thevillage!

Alice stumbled furtherfrom the blaze. She knewhow quickly a fire could

spread,andhowdeadlythesmoke and the heat were.What was more, the fireseemed to be spreadingdown the mountainside –straight towards theircottage and the village.They had to stop it. Alicethought back to hertraining; there wassomething Moraine hadtaught her, long ago,somethingpowerful…

A dousing ward! shecried, thewordscollapsingintoapainfulcoughasshespoke.We don’t have time for

that,saidStorm.It’sallwehavetimefor,

Alicesaid.The firewillbetoo large to tackle by thetime we reach the village.We have to try and stop itnow. Come. Help me. Weneed fireweed blossom,

arnica and … and doglichen!

She ran away from theblaze until gradually thesmoke thinned and shecould see the forest flooragain.Dog lichen loves the

knotsofoldoaks, shesaid.I’ll look for that. You snifffor the arnica andfireweed.

Storm darted off with

hernosetothegroundandAlice ran in search of anoakamidst thepines.Theyweresparseatthisaltitude,but there had to be one atleast.

A few seconds laterStorm raised a brief howlandAlicerantoher.Fireweed, Storm said,

before rushing off to huntforthearnica.

Alicebentandpickeda

handfuloftheshrub’slilacblossoms, stuffing thepetals into her jacketpocket. She looked up.There between the arrow-straight pines stood asmall, twisted oak. Shehurriedover andexaminedthe bark, coughing fromthe drifting shreds ofsmoke as she circled thetree.There.Onetinygreensproutingof dog lichenon

the outside of an eye-shapedknot.Shescrapeditoffwithherthumbnailandadded it to the fireweed inherpocket.Sheturnedand,through the smoke, Stormappeared, a bright yellowspray of arnica flowers inhermouth.

“That’s everything,”Alice said, breathing asshallowlyasshecould.

She took thearnicaand

found herself a large flatrockandafist-sizedpebblewith which to grind theingredientstogether.

The dousing ward wasmeant for small fires – astove or a cottage roof,even. Strictly you weremeant to scatter themixture around thecircumferenceoftheblaze.But that was impossiblehere.Therewasn’t enough

lichen in the entire forestfor that. No. Alice had adifferentplan. If shecouldignite themixture near thecentre of the blaze then,instead of eating the firefrom the outside, it might,just might, work the otherway, expanding from theepicentre, dousing theblazefromwithin.

When she told Stormtheyhadtoreachthecentre

of the fire, Storm didn’tobject.Shehadnoticedthesame thing Alice had: thestream–thetinyrivertheyhad followed to findSoraya– it floweddirectlyintotheblaze.Alicefoldedthemixtureawayinascrapofclothandtheysetoff.

Stormeasilylocatedthestream and Alice splashedin behind her.As they rantowards the heart of the

fire, Alice found herselfwishing she had four legsnot two, so she could runlow and fast below thechoking,billowingsmoke.

The forest burnedaround them. Treessplintered and fell out ofsight, sap boiled andhissed, and pine needlessparked,disintegratingintoashontheforestfloor.Theheat was almost

unbearable. Alice slid offherbeltsashandmoistenedit, wrapping it around hernose and mouth as sheswept downstream behindStorm. The smoke rolledover her. Storm flashed inand out of sight a fewpacesahead.

Just then a hideousnoise split the air. Alicelooked up. A giant pinelurched,branchesswaying,

and sheared off at thebottomofthetrunk.Storm!Alicecried.Stormleapedforwardas

the huge tree crashedacrossthestream,throwingup water, earth and flamewhere Storm had been amomentbefore.

Alice stumbledbackwards, covering hereyes.Branchesburnedandsparked all around. The

riverwasblocked.Storm!shecalledagain.But the noise was

deafening.Shereachedoutwithallhersensesandfelthercompanioninstantly.Go under, Storm said.

Quickly.Alice glanced through

herraisedhandatthefallentree. The stream hissed asburning pine needles fell.Theheatwasincredible.

You can do it, Stormsaid.

Alice took a long,burningbreathandplungedbelowthewaterline.

The stream was onlywaist deep, but that wasenough. She peeredthrough the churningwater, saw the trunkdipping inches under thesurface as if it werefloating. There was room,

but only just. She kickedout with her legs andscrambledalongthepebblyriver bed. The trunkscraped her head and shelost her handhold, floatingup towards the blazingheat. Her lungs ached,already scorched from thesmoke and now desperatefor air of any kind. Shetwistedon toherbackandused the trunk to propel

herself forward. Shesurfaced under a burningbranch and felt the flamessinge her hair before shemanaged to duck backunder. Seconds later shewasclear,risingtoherfeet,water rushing down herface and the choking hotair flowing back into herlungs.

She stumbled, butStormheldhersteady.

Alice coughed and spatwater. A circle of ash andblackened trees spread outaroundherwiththestreamatitscentre.Here,shesaid.Stormhelpedher to the

nearest bank, up on to thedead patch of forest andacrossthescorchedgroundtowards the flames. Theriver water helped againstthe searing heat, but she

feltitburningawayevenasshestood.

She took the dampparcel from her insidepocketandunfoldeditwithshaking hands. The wordscame back to her. Sheheard Moraine’s calm,thoughtful voice as shespoke them, scattering themixture into the fire. Agreen flame shot up fromthe ground. It was cool,

instantlyshieldingherfromthe burning trees. Alicechanted, calling to theearth, whispering to thelife-giving soil. Shestepped carefully aroundthe inner circle of fire,casting tiny pinches of themixture and calling up thegreen dousing flame,completingthecircle.

Thenewfireleapedup,consuming the orange

flames and making the airinside thecirclebreathableagain.Itwasworking.Thedousingfirespreadintotheforest, tree to tree, leavingthe earth to quietlysmoulderinitswake.

Alice collapsed on tothe riverbank, utterlyexhausted.Minuteslateraneerie silence fell.Only thetumbling of the streamcould be heard. The forest

firewasextinguished.Storm prowled across

the bed of ash, theepicentre of the fire. Shenosed into the charredblack flakes, the fallenbranches.There is a scent

underneath, she said.Before the fire camedemons.

Alice looked up. Areyousure?

They started this, saidStorm. There are trails. Iknowthetastenow.

Alice rose to her feet.Herbodyached.Hercheststungassheinhaled.SotheNarlawhadtriedtodestroythe forest, to isolate thevillagers.Wehavetogo,shesaid.Yes, said Storm. They

mean to take the village.Soon.

Alice nodded. Tonightthen. She would attemptwhathadnotbeendone ina hundred years: abanishmentofdemons.

CHAPTER11

Thesunwasalreadylowinthe sky when Alice andStorm approached thevillage.The palisadewallsstood tall, stillwovenwiththe star-flowered stems of

the protective ward, andthe ward itself reappearedas a shining ring at theedge of Alice’sconsciousness.

A small group ofvillagers clustered aroundthenorthgate.Theycarriedpails of water and lookedtiredandsmoke-sick.Theyturned and grew silent asAlice and Storm emergedformthetrees.

“Did you find her?”called Elder Garth,separating from the group.“Theancientone.Whereisshe?”

“She couldn’t come,”said Alice, crossing theclearing with Storm at herside.

“But the fire,” Garthstuttered. “It … itvanished.Therewasmagicdone…”

Alice strode past himtowards the open northgate. “Not magic –Whisperer craft. An oldtrickMorainetaughtme.”

A ripple of surprisespread through the groupand, for the first time,Alice caught on the facesofthevillagersnotscornordistaste, but a fearfulrespect.

The streets had been

transformed. Blockadeshad been built, patchworkwalls made of timber thatreached to the roofsof thecottages. The people hadcompletely altered theirhomes for the good of thevillage and that made herthink of her own home.Although they had dousedthe forest fire, the cottageshe shared with Morainewould have been badly

damaged. It angered hermore than ever that thesedemons could come intoher forest and destroyeverythingintheirpath.

Alicecontinuedthroughthe village. She turnedsharply, following theroute the barricades forcedhertotake.Shearrivedataparticularly narrowalleyway. It looked clear,but as she and Storm

headedthroughtowardsthemarket square a voicecalled out and a handappearedonhershoulder.

“Wait! The trap isprimed!”

Alice stopped andfound the apprentice boy,Owen,besideher.

“What do you mean?”shesaid.

Storm had stopped apace ahead, sniffing at the

muddyground.“It’s a hunting

channel,” Owen said.“They use them to trapfast-moving animals in theforest. Stand back,” hesaid.“I’llshowyou.”

Alice stepped into anopen doorway and Stormfollowed her in withnarrowed eyes. Owensqueezedpastthemintothecottageandcamebackout

with a small barrel in hisarms.

“Watch,”hesaid.He carried the barrel

back the way Alice andStorm had come, then heturned and hurled it downthe alley. As it bouncedthrough the mud beyondthe doorway there was aloud click, and from theouter wall of the cottageswung a huge net set in a

woodenframe.Thenetwasmore than two pacessquareanditwasswiftandpowerful. It crashed intothe wall of the cottage atthe end of its arc, pinningthebarrel against thewall.Owen ran and quicklywoundaropetosecurethenettothecottagewall.Thebarrelwastrapped.

Alice turned to him,impressed. “You made

this?”sheasked.Owen nodded. “I’m a

carpenter. Apprenticeactually,but…well…theNarlaw tookmy father, soI’m in charge of hisworkshopfornow.”

“It’s incredible,” Alicesaid.

Owenshrugged.“Justafootboardunderthemud,acatchandsomeheavy-dutysprings. There’s one near

thesouthgate,too,butthatwas all I could build intime.” He cast a troubledlook over towards theforest. “I’ve seen themmove,” he said. “Thedemons.They’re so strongandfast.Ithoughttrappingthem might give us achance.Giveyouachance,Imean…”

Alice nodded. Nomatter how clever and

bravethevillagerswere,nomatter how long theyfought against theNarlaw,it would always comedowntoher.You can do it, Storm

said.Youwilldoit.Alice laid a hand on

Storm’s warm, soft back.“Weshouldgotothehall,”shesaid.“Ihaveawardtoset.”

In the emergency

council meeting she andthe elders had drawn up adefence plan. Those whofelt willing and able tofight would take uppositions around thevillage,slowingtheNarlawdown, trying their best toconfuse and blind themwith lanterns and burningtorches – and now, itseemed, funnelling themtowardsOwen’s traps.The

rest of the villagers wouldstay in the hall, aroundwhich Alice would raise aprotective ward – smallerand stronger than the onesurrounding the village.Shehadnoideawhether itwouldkeeptheNarlawout,but it was the best shecoulddo.

As she and Stormcrossed the market squareit was clear that word of

their arrival had alreadyreached the village hall.Several elders came tomeet her at the bottom ofthesteps.

“It seems we have youto thank for extinguishingthe forest fire?” ElderByrne said. She was aschool teacher and hadsomething of Moraine’sgentle authority about her.She smiled, though her

facewas tightwithworry.“We have gathered peopleinside,” she said. “Come.Telluswhatyouneed.”

Alice had arranged forcertain of Moraine’sprotectivecompoundstobebroughtherewhileshewassearching for Soraya. Andthat was her first task: toset a strong ward aroundthis building, somethingthatwouldholdtheNarlaw

at bay and give her achance to attempt thebanishment. As sheclimbed the steps towardsthe hall, Alice realizedStorm was not followingher.Sheturned.Iwill callagain for the

wolf packs, Storm said.TheyfeartheNarlawmorethanevernow,butperhapssome will join us in thisfight.

Thank you, whisperedAlice.

She watched as Stormtrotted swiftly across thesquare and out of sight,hoping that her friendwould not be gone long.Thethoughtofwhatmighthappenthatnight–ofwhatshe had to do – weighedheavily on her. Herstomach fluttered withnerves and she clenched

her fists tokeepherhandsfromshaking.

Alice followed ElderByrne into thevillagehall,into the murmuring massofpeople;ahundredheadsturnedandalleyesfixedonher. Every gaze waschargedwiththedesperate,terrified need forprotection.

Evening came. The wardwasset.

Alice stood in the belltower scanning the forestcanopy–theforestthathadbeen her home for as longas she could remember,and that now was thedomainofdemons.

The fire had left a scaron themountainsidemuchlarger than she hadimagined, making clear

whatmighthavebeen.TheNarlaw truly weredestroyers of life. If theywere not stopped here,these few would spreadfrom village to village,towntotown,layingwasteto the great forest. MoreNarlawwouldcreepacrossthe passes from theDarklands, sinking moreand more people into theghost-sleep until all the

northwasintheirgrasp.Alice stared into the

deep green, the swayingtreetops burnished gold bythe setting sun. Morainewasoutthere,too.Andthevillage hunters. Theywould sleep forever if thebanishment failed, ifAlicecould not save them. Shepractised casting out withher Whisperer sense;casting out and then

withdrawinga little furthereach time, as Soraya hadtaught her. There was nosign yet of the Narlaw’sslick, unnatural presence –nor of help from thepalace.

The villagers were asrestless as ants in the hallbelow,and thebrave soulsoutinthevillageweredugin to their defensivepositions, awaiting the

onset of night and thecomingbattle.Alicesensedeach livingpresence,somepulsing with fear, somestrangely calm. She feltfear herself, like a coldstone in her stomach, butallthelivingbeingsaroundhergaveherstrength;nonemore so than the warm,familiar presence thatclimbedtowardsherupthestairsofthebelltower.

Stormappearedthroughthe opening in the floor,herfurimmediatelyruffledbythewindandhergoldeneyes shining in the halflight. Alice smiled andstepped away from theparapet. It was cold and alongnightwascoming.ButStormwaswithher,whichmeant that anything waspossible.

CHAPTER12

Far below Dawn, thestreets of Meridar glowedas if theywere the embersof some great campfire.From her balcony in theSpiralTower, shewatched

thestreetlampsflicker.Sheheardthedistantcryofthenight watchman andsmelled the faint tang ofchimney smoke. Smallflocks of birds flickeredacross themoonlitsky, thebirds Ebony had coaxedinto the search for theNarlaw spy. One by onethey had landed at theinfirmary window to viewthe sleeping form of the

merchant’sson,thenflownoff into the city skies tohunt for Yusuf’s demoncounterpart.

Dawn leaned into thebreeze. Even in calmweather, the wind up hereonthetowerwasenoughtofling her hair back like astreamer.

Somewhere in this citywas the demon and it washerjobtofindit,nomatter

what Lady Tremaineclaimed. She left thebalcony and stepped downinto therelativewarmthofher study. The messagessent from Valderin werepiled on her desk beside ahuge map of the city.Ebony had playedmessenger all night, andnotwithoutcomplaint.You should have had a

pigeon for a companion,

notaraven,shehadsaid.Dawn smiled. She was

awaitingtheresponsefromonelastmessage.NotfromValderin,butPrincessOna.

There was a heavythumpagainstthedoorandDawnstarted.Itwastime.

“Enter,”shecalled.The door swung open

and one of the red-drapedGuardsof theSun steppedinside, ushering in a

kitchenmaidwhocarriedatray of tea and bread andwas heavily wrappedagainstthenight’scold.

Dawn nodded to theguard.

“Thank you,” she saidto the maid, indicating aspace on the edge of thehugedesk.

Themaid set down hertray and began thelaborious process of

unwrapping the breadalong with a plate and awedge of cheese. Theguardsteppedbackintothecorridor with a look ofsevere boredom on hisbluntfeatures.

As soon as the doorclosed themaid looked upat Dawn. “We don’t havemuch time,” she said in alowvoice.

Dawn nodded and

removed her Whisperer’srobe as the maid did thesamewithher cloak.Theyswapped and Dawn notedwithsatisfactionthemaid’slong, black hair, nearidentical to her own. Inseconds they had changedplaces,Dawnstandingoverthenowemptytrayandthemaidinachairatthedesk,face loweredover themapanddocumentsthere.

Dawn took up the trayand, with a whisperedthank you, she headed forthedoor.Themaidnoddedin response. Dawn didn’tknow her name – a stern,thoughtful girl. She hadsimply asked Ona to sendsomeonewhomightact asa double, and Ona hadchosenwell.

The guard barely evenglancedupasDawnexited

herchambersandshefeltarush of excitement as shestrode away towards theservants’stairs.Thereweretwo more sets of guardsbefore she was safely outofthetower.Withhereyeslowered and a confident,purposeful gait, she madeit. ShehadoutwittedLadyTremaine. Now, though,the real challenge wasuponher.

Dawn met Valderin at theedge of the parade groundclose to the base of theSpiral Tower. At firstglance he seemed to havecome alone, but shenoticed other individualsidling in the shadows.Neither Valderin nor theotherswereinuniform.

“You brought some

friends,”Dawnsaid.“In case we had to

liberateyoufromthetowerbyforce,”repliedValderin.

“Thank you,” saidDawn.“Iamquitecapableofliberatingmyself.”

Valderin tilted his headin deference. “Of course.Thehuntforthedemonhasprogressed more quicklythan we expected. Yourskills are needed right

away.”“You’ve found the

Narlaw?” Dawn inhaled arapid lungful of the coldnightair.

“Yusuf’s double wassighted near the docklandsone hour ago. We havepeoplepatrollingbothsidesof the river, but there aremanyhidingplaces.”

“Have you seenEbony?”Dawnasked.

“Not since your lastmessage,”saidValderin.

They approached themainbarracksofthepalaceguards – Valderin’sterritory. Dawn peered upintothenightsky.Itlookeddifferent from groundlevel, muddied by lamplight, interrupted by somany jagged rooftops.Shecalled out silently toEbony, casting her senses

skyward, out over the cityin gentle waves. Thesleeping and the sleepless,theskulking,toilingpeopleof thecity flashed intohermind’s eye as she did so.Shewithdrew and cast outagain.

Thencametheresponseshedesired.Dawn.She felt Ebony

swoopingcloser,heard the

long, soft patter of herwings, and then the aireddiedandEbonywaswithher, talonsgentlyshufflingonhercloakedshoulder.So you dug your way

out?shesaid.Something like that,

Dawn replied. There’sbeen a sighting at thedocklands.Well then. Ebony

hopped from one shoulder

to the other, stretching herwings. I’ll meet you there.And I’ll bring my eyes inthe sky. She cawed andtook flight, vanishing intothedark.

Dawn followedValderin through theguardhouse and out into asmall yard where a coachand horses stood waiting.The animals stamped theirhooves, snorting

impatiently. Dawn feltanxiety radiate from them,something she understoodall too well. The city feltstrangetonight:birdsongatthewrong hour, all of thissecrecy and haste – and ademon. A hundred yearshad passed since theNarlaw had dared set footon the soil of Meridina.But now they were back,and it was Dawn’s watch.

Itwasshewhowouldhavetofightthem.

She climbed into thecoach along with Valderinandoneofhisguards, andwas accelerated away intothetangled,troubledstreetsofthecity.

The docklands spannedtwo sprawling regions oneither side of the river.

Bargescrowdedtheshores,so numerous sometimesthat it seemed as thoughyou could walk from oneside of the river to theother across their decks.Private,guardedpiersheldthe yachts of the wealthyand the fleets of tradevessels that carried allkinds of goods in and outof the city. Warehouses,tavernsandcustomsoffices

lined the riversides likecrooked teeth. By day itwasaplace for traders;bynight a place for thievesandsmugglers.

The coach rattled intothe heart of the EasternDocks.ThiswaswheretheNarlaw had been spotted,still in the guise of theyoung man, Yusuf. Dawnclosed her eyes to theshadowyworldthatflashed

by her. She set herWhisperer sense free andreachedoutforthefugitivedemon.

It was the birds whoguidedher.

At a bend in the rivertheyhadgathered,circling.Gulls, crows, sparrows,finches, pigeons – everytypeofbird.Inthemidstofthat maelstrom ofwheeling, darting bodies,

Dawn recognized Ebony,too.

“Up ahead!” Dawncalled to Valderin, to thecoachdriver,toanyone.

“Where?” saidValderin. “Do you see thecreature?”

“Follow the birds,” shesaid.“Quickly!”

The coach thunderedahead,tiltingonitswheels,and Dawn struggled to

maintain her vision. Withher eyes closed, themovements of the coachwere especially sickeningand she held fast to aleatherstrapattachedtothedoor.Theyswervedarounda corner and a group ofmenyelledangrilyatthem.The birds thickened intowhat seemed like a solidmass as they neared theriverbend.

“Wherenow?”Valderinasked.

Dawn scanned the darkbuildingsoftheriverfront:empty warehouses, lonefigures on the street. Thenher senses lit with thepresence of people. Twotaverns, almost side byside.Onewaspackedwithrevellers, the other quiet,but it had rooms upstairs.The throng of birds was

overwhelming and Dawndrew her senses in,concentrating on thosetaverns. She felt theNarlaw then – a sicklything, like a knot in herthroat.Sheflinchedaway.

“The second tavern,”she said to Valderin.“Upstairs. In the backcornerroom,Ithink.”

She opened her eyesand gladly let her senses

retract. Valderin wassitting forward in his seat,onehandonhisswordhiltand staring out with aserious,fixedexpressionattheapproachinginn.

“Stophere,”heorderedthedriver.

Thehorsesclatteredtoastandstill.

“Fetch the others fromthe rendezvous,” Valderinsaid to the guardwho had

riddenwiththem.The man jumped from

thecoachandsprintedintotheshadowsbesidethefirsttavern.

“Youshouldwaithere,”Valderinsaid.

Dawn shook her head,despite the fear that wasscreamingather to stay inthecoach.“You’llneedmyhelp,”shesaid.

Valderin narrowed his

eyes. He peered out intothe street. Now, with abattlecoming,Dawncouldsee hewas awarlikeman.His body was coiled andready.

“As youwish,” he saidat last. “But let us go infirst.”

Dawn nodded. Shesensed Ebony approachingand twisted as hercompanion’s wings filled

thesmallcoachwindow.You found it, Ebony

said.Thankstoyouandyour

friends up there, Dawnwhispered. How did theydoit?

Ebony stretched herneckthiswayandthat.Allanimals know whensomething’s wrong, shesaid. Pigeons, wrens,starlings … they can feel

theNarlawtoo, justnotaskeenlyasaWhisperer.Thedifficult part wasconvincingthemtoflocktothe source rather thanaway from it, but that’swhere being a palaceraven comes in useful.Even city birds respect araven.

Dawn smiled. I knewyou were good forsomething.

Ebony hopped andcraned her neck as bootsechoed on the cobblesnearby. Several shadowsbrokefromthedeeperdarkof an alleyway.Valderin’sguards,sixof themandallinplainclothes.

Valderin climbed fromthecoach.Stayclose,Dawnsaidto

Ebony as she followedValderinontothestreet.

Always,saidEbony.“The demon is in the

CrossKeys Inn,”Valderinwas saying to his guards,pointing to the second ofthe two taverns. “Upstairsat the back. Sergeant, taketwo people and locate therear entrances. Waitdownstairs until you hearmy signal.The rest ofyoucome with me and Dawn.We’ll take the direct

route.”The sergeant nodded

and her long grey hairswayedinitsponytail.Sheled her team back into theshadows. Dawn strodealongside Valderin, pastthe crowded inn and itsraucous laughter,on to thegloomy, candlelit entranceoftheCrossKeys.

Inside was only thebarmanandonepatron, an

elderly man who wasstaring vacantly into hispewter drinking mug. Thebarman straightened as ifhe had guessed right awaythat these new arrivalswere not customers, andValderinbeganquestioninghim about the number andlocation of the roomsupstairs.

Dawn edged betweenthe stained and ill-

matchingtablesandchairs.She could feel the Narlawnowwithoutevenreachingout. It hovered over herhead like an evil thought.Could it feel her too? Shesilentlyrehearsedalloftheclose-range wards that sheknew.

Upstairs the demon’spresenceshifted.

Dawn glanced at thebar.“Valderin,”shesaid.

Her gaze flashedupwards and he read hermeaning. He crossed theroomimmediately.

“Thisway,”hesaid.Dawn followed. The

three palace guards racedpast her to join theircaptain. As they rushedthrough a dim corridortowards an even dimmerstairwell,Valderinwhistledonce and his sergeant

emerged from the rear ofthebuilding.

“Wait here,” Valderinsaid. “Don’t let thedemonescape.”

Dawn climbed thestairs,lookingbackonceatthe fiercewomanguardingthe stairs with her sworddrawn. “Left,” shewhispered, reaching thelanding.

Valderin led his guards

towardsthefurthestdoor.Dawn swallowed down

her nausea and feartogether. The Narlaw wasso close now, she couldfeelitinhergut.

Valderin stopped at thedoor. For a moment therewas silence, and Dawncould hear her own racingheartbeat. Then Valderinturned to his guards,nodded three times and

kicked the door in with asplinteringcrack.

The next few secondspassedinafrenziedblur.

Dawn ran to thedoorway.Twoguardswereon the floor, a table wasoverturned and Valderinand the remaining guardwere grappling withsomething that movedmuch too quickly to behuman. Eerie grey light

shone from the demonYusuf’s eyes. His limbstwisted, lashing outviciously. He kickedagainst the wall and senthimself and his twoattackers flying across theroom.

Valderin hit his headand went down. The lastguard stood, terrified bythisunearthlycreature.TheNarlaw glared at Dawn,

pure malevolence burningonitsstolenfeatures.Thenit turned to face thewindow at the end of theroom.

Dawn instinctivelybegantochant.

The words came asnaturally as breath, longpractised with Esther. Thepower flowed through her,from the earth beneath thecobbles, from the surging

river and the trembling ofthe wooden floor. Shereachedouttotheedgesofthis grimy little room andfocused.

The Narlaw leaped forthe mottled glass of thewindow. The woodenframe was mouldy andweak, but Dawn sent herwords out like arrows,strengtheningtheward.

The Narlaw crashed

into the glass with a howlofpain and surprise as theward held. The demonscrambled to its feet,rounding on Dawn as shestood there, entranced bythe power channellingthroughher.Theroomwasacagenowandshewasinit.

As thedemoncame forher she clenched her teethand made her last

command, her lastbreathless request to thegreatearth.

The ward contracted,snapping inwards towardstheevilinitsmidst.

Dawnstumbledbackasthe demon charged. Herback hit the wall and shefell to her knees. Thedemonsprungforherwitharms outstretched. Sheclosedhereyes.

Buttheblowneverfell.Thewardclosedandthe

demonwascaught inmid-air, its eyes glowing widewith hatred, just half astrideawayfromDawn.

The sergeant thunderedinto the room then andstoppeddeadatthesight.

Dawn clambered to herfeet.“Theothers,”shesaid,barely able to breathe.“Theyneedhelp.”

The sergeant stared ather in shock, then calleddownstairs for help beforeattending to the woundedguards.

The ward crackled andhissed as the demonstruggled. It took all ofDawn’s strength to hold itinplace,butshestoodandchanted silently, staringinto thoseghost-greyeyes,not quite able to believe

whatshehaddone.

CHAPTER13

Alice kept watch from thebell tower as starsblossomed in the sky andthe forest heaved like adark ocean all around.Moreandmoreshecaught

herself glancing southtowards the Meridar road,hoping for some sign thattheircallforhelphadbeenanswered by the palace.But no soldiers came. Thevillage of Catchwood wasaloneonthemountainside.

Stormpacedbehindher,litby theflickeringyellowof a single oil lamp. Thehourscreptby.

Alice practised her

casting out. She shiveredfrom the cold wind andwith the nerves thatknotted themuscles in herstomach.StilltherewasnosignoftheNarlaw.Perhapsthey would not come.Perhaps theyhad fled.Butthese were cowardlythoughtsandAliceknewit.Whereverthedemonswerethey had to be found andbanished, otherwise

Moraine and the otherswould languish forever intheghost-sleep.

And so the nightcrawled on. Wearinesssettled over Alice,threatening to lower herinto a guilty sleep. Shepaced alongside Storm,trying to keep her sensessharp, battling theexhaustion.

Thenthemomentcame:

in the dead, dark hours,when the night was at itsthickest, the protectiveward around the villagewasbreached.

Alice felt it like thecrack of awhip inside herhead. She cried out,wordlessly.

Stormcametoher.It istime?sheasked.

Alicenodded.Thewardisbroken.

A shoutwent up in thevillage, somewhere nearthesouthgate.

Alice glanced onceacross the dark rooftopsthenrantothestairs.

“Sound the bell!” sheshouted down. “They’rehere!”

She looked back atStorm, a fresh panicfluttering inher chest.Thebell clanged furiously

below, sendingshockwaves through thewoodenfloor.Now, said Storm. You

knowyoucandoit.Alice nodded, took a

deep, deep breath andstrodebacktotheparapet.

Immediately she knewthe Narlaw were near.Therewasataintintheair,dulledslightlybythewardaroundthevillagehall,but

sickening nonetheless.Alicecasthersenseswide.

The forest felt differentat night – differentcreatures, differentmovements; even the treeswere changed.She felt thegatheredpeople in thehallbelowandthedefendersbythe wall, the wolvesprowling unseen in thenarrowstreetsand…

Thetouchofthedemon

shocked Alice out of hertrance. She flinched backfrom the parapet. It hadflashed into herconsciousness, lightningquick and brimming withmalevolence, like a ghostpassingthroughherbody.

Sothiswashowitfelt.Alice shuddered. Six

village hunters had beentakenbytheNarlaw,whichmeant there were at least

five more of thesecreatures out there. Howcould she hope to banishthemallwhenshecouldn’tbarethetouchofjustone?

The screech and crashof timber split the sky.Moreshoutswentup–thehowl of a wolf this time,too. The fighting hadbegun.

Storm tensed besideher. I should go, she said.

The wolves came at myrequest.Imustfightbesidethem.You’reright,saidAlice,

afraid all over again to beleftaloneontheroofofthetower.Remember Soraya, said

Storm. You are aWhisperer. You were bornto do this. She rubbed herneck against Alice’s sidebefore darting on to the

downwardstairway.Aliceturnedbacktothe

parapet. The sounds offighting echoed from allcornersof thevillagenow.Torchlightflashedbetweentherooftops.Shehadtoactfast, before they wereoverrun by the Narlaw.With an effort, Aliceclosed her eyes to thegrowing chaos below. Shelet her Whisperer sense

expand and wander, readythistimeforthefoultouchofthedemons.Shepushedout to the villagewall andbeyond, encompassing allof the fear and panic andangerofthesiege.

ShefelttheNarlawdartandslideacrosshersenses.They moved so quickly,impossible to pin down,alwaysslippingawayfromher. It seemeddeliberate –

they were evading hertouch. Out in the villagesomeone wailed and thenwent silent. There was acrash and a suddenpanicked shout thatbrought Alice out of hertrance.

“Here!Here!”ItwasOwen.Alice ran to the north-

facing edge of the towerand saw a lamp-lit alley

flickering with shadows.Several defenders,including Owen, stooduncertainly, staring at thesprung trap from a safedistance.

Theyhadone.TheyhadtrappedaNarlaw.

Alice peered down atthe thrashing, grey-eyeddemon. It was in the formof a young woman fromthe missing hunting party.

NowwasAlice’schance.Alice focused on that

one alleyway alone. Therewas Owen standing,excited and afraid, withtwo others. And next tothem, pinned to the wall,was thesnarling,desperatepresence of the Narlaw.Alice let her sensesswallow the four of them,the wooden cottages andthe dirt beneath their feet.

She felt the air brushthrough Owen’s hair, thetiny vibrations in the earthmadebythemovementsofhis booted companions.Shefeltthethrashing,mad,un-breathingNarlaw likeapoisoninsideher.

Andshegaveherself totheearth.

She held tight to thedemon’s presence andbegantoloseherselfinthe

trance.Herbodywasgone.Shefloatedfreewithalltheparticles and currents ofthe air. And the power ofthe earth rushed throughher,blankingeverything.

When her vision andfeeling returned she foundherself kneeling at theparapet.Sherose,herheaddizzyandbuzzing.

“You did it!” Owenshouted.“It’sgone!”

Alice steadied herself,shocked.

Shehaddoneit.She had banished a

Narlaw.But before Alice could

respondtoOwentherewasa terrible splintering noisebehind her. She spunaround and, out across therooftops,shesawthesouthgate fall, taking a longsectionofthepalisadewall

with it. Those who haddefended it fled towardstheheartofthevillageand,close behind them, withthat startling, inhumanspeed, came the Narlaw.There were too many tocountatonce.Ten,fifteen,perhaps. Certainly morethan the five Alice hadexpected. Most were inhuman form, too distantand tooquick to recognize

individually. Some camesnarling into the village intheguiseofwolves.

The villagers ran andAlice saw Storm’s wolvesdarting through theshadows, harrying thedemonsbutincapableevenof slowing them down.There were screams, criesof desperation. Alice casther senses out across thevillage and recoiled

immediately at theseething, chaoticmovements of this newband of demons. Theywere everywhere. She hadnochanceofholding themlongenoughtoperformthebanishment.

Then it struck her. Sheknewwhatshemustdo.

As she charged downthe steps of the bell towershe felt the ward around

the building tremble. TheNarlaw were testing it,trying to get in. Alicereached the main hall andthe mass of panic-riddenvillagers. The great doorsrumbled, a noise strangelydeadenedby theprotectivepower of the ward andsomehow all the morefrighteningforit.

“Whereareyougoing?”asked Elder Garth. “You

can’tleaveus!”“This is the onlyway,”

Alice said, surprisedat thecalmnessofhervoice.

She reached the doorsand the squad of armedguardsturnedtofaceher.

“Open them,” Alicesaid. “The ward will hold.They cannot pass. Notyet.”

“But…” stuttered alarge man holding a

makeshiftpike.“Just do it,” Alice

ordered. “I cannot do myworkfrominside.”

Theguardsunboltedthedoors and, after anexchange of worriedglances, flung them open,ready with their weapons.The steps were empty butAlice probed ahead.Perhaps the Narlaw wereafraid of her. They must

knowbynow that shehadbanishedoneof theirkind.She peered out into thevillagesquare.Thefestivaltree towered over a sceneof eerie calm. The airclamouredwith the soundsof battle, but the opensquarelayempty.

Alice passed throughthe ward and felt itshimmer over her. Shesteppeddownintothepure

clarity of the outside. Thedoorsslammedshutbehindherandshewasaloneoncemore.

Sheclosedhereyesandreached out to Storm.Come to me, shewhispered.

Storm howled into thenight sky and thethunderingofpawsechoedfromthewesternstreetsofthevillage.Alice strode to

the shelter of the festivaltree and in seconds Stormwasatherside,withapackof eight tough-lookingwolvesbehindher.Why did you leave the

tower? asked Storm. Shewasbreathingheavily.Ineedthedemonsclose

to me, all together, Alicesaid.It’stheonlyway.

Storm snorted, turningto the wolf pack, who

formedaringaroundthem.Something moved on a

nearby rooftop. Aliceglanced up and saw ademon leap back into theshadows. They werecautious, but they wouldcome. They would comefor Alice because theyneededhergone.

She looked around ather protectors, their earstaut and hackles raised for

thefight.Theywerestrongand fast, but againstNarlaw they were notenough. She would needtimetofocushersensesonthe demons when theycame. She needed morepeople.

“Defenders!” she criedout. “Defenders, come tome!”

Her voice flew on thewind, vanishing down the

narrow,fortifiedstreets.“Fall back to the

square!”shecried.Now her cry was

echoedbyothers.“Fallback!”“Backtothesquare!”Adoorcreakedopenon

the edgeof the square andawomandartedout.ItwasElder Byrne, brandishingan ancient, rusty-lookingsword. The wolves parted

soshecouldjoinAliceandStormwithinthecircle.

“They’re everywhere,”said the elder, breathlessandbarelyincontrolofherfear. “We can’t defendagainstthismany.”

“Wehave one chance,”saidAlice.“Ifwecanbringthem to us, keep them inoneplacefor longenough,I may be able to banishthem.That’sallIcanthink

of.It’stheonlyway.”A weary group of

defenders emerged from aside street and ran to jointhem, carrying theirlanterns, torches andmakeshift weapons.Something bolted acrossthe edgeof the square andcrashedthroughadoor.

A demon, too quick tosee.

Theywerecoming.

The last to join thembeneaththetreewasOwen.Heappearedsuddenlyfrombehind an upturned cartandjoggedtomeetAliceatthe centre of this strangeband of wolves andvillagers.

“I reset the trap,” hepanted. “But they know toavoiditnow.”

“They’re avoiding me,too,” saidAlice. “But they

willcome.Theyhaveto.”Owen nodded, peering

upatthejaggedrooftopsofthecottages.

A pair of human formsflittedacrosswithinhumanspeed.

“There are more thanwethought,”saidOwen.

Alice nodded. Shecould feel them drawingnear, making ready toattack and to place her in

theghost-sleepastheyhadMoraine. With bothWhisperers gone, thesecreatures would spreadunhindered through theforest, overrunning villageafter village and usheringmore and more of theirdestructive kind intoMeridina. She wished,again, that a battalion ofguards, armed to the teeth,would gallop into

Catchwood right then andfightthedemonsoff.

Butwishingwasnouse.A slate slid from a

nearby rooftop andshattered on the ground.The Narlaw were coming.Aliceclosedhereyes,withthe band of defendersspread around her, andmade ready for her finaltest.

The first attack was

brutal and short. ThreeNarlaw came together,knocking one manunconscious and badlyinjuring a grizzled, greywolf before Alice couldturn her Whisperer senseon them. When shemanaged to, they leapedawaylikegiantinsectsandthenvanished.

The villagers draggedthe unconscious man into

thecentreofthegroupandproppedhimupagainstthetree’s vast trunk. He wasbreathing. He wouldsurvive. The injured wolflimped on, ready for thenextattack.

He didn’t have to waitlong.

The Narlaw swarmedfromthestreetsandalleys,furtively at first and thenwith a brazen confidence,

as if they knew Alice hadno chance of banishing somanyatonce.Asthegroupof defenders tensed,preparing to fight, Alicefelt the cold,otherworldliness of thedemons creep into hermind, their desire fordestructionfocusedonher.Their grey eyes glowedwithmalignance.

She did her best to

stand tall beside Storm,Owenandtheothers.Evenif they were all sent intothe ghost-sleep right there,even if the village wastaken, then they wouldhave tried; they wouldhave fought against thedemonstogether.

That was something atleast.

The Narlaw struck.Theycamefromallangles,

closing on the groupbeneath the swayingboughsof the festival tree.The demons dodged andswerved, preventing Alicefromgraspingthem.

And then she sawMoraine.

Her heart lurched. Ofcourse itwasnotMoraine,but her likeness. Still,Alice felt suddenly anddesperately ill. The true

Moraine would be hiddensomewhere – hungry, coldandweak.And thehuntersmuchworse.

Beside her Owen criedout for his father, whoseface would also be here,twisted into evil. But sheknew that Owenunderstood too. The onlyway to save their lovedones was to banish thesecreatures.Righthere.Right

now.So Alice closed her

eyes and cast herWhisperersenseacross thesquare.

The Narlaw slippedaway from her likephantoms. She tried toembrace them, all at once,thenjustoneatatime,butit was impossible. It tookall her effort not to flinchaway from the cruelty and

destruction that theyradiated. With her eyesclosed, she witnessed thenextattackwithhersenses.The wolves and villagersshone with fear anddetermination as theydesperately fought thedemons off. Their criesseemeddistanteventhoughtheywereonlypacesaway.The demons leaped andstruckoutatthedefenders.

The defenders swung theirtorches, making thedemons recoil. A loneNarlaw broke through thecircle and Alice retreated,backtowardsthegreattree.Storm and Elder Byrneintercepted the demon andthe fight was vicious andswift. Alice tried to holdtheNarlaw inhermind, tobanish it as she had donetheoneinOwen’strap.But

the creature fled, leavingStorm panting and ElderByrne near to collapsebesideher.

Several of the villagerswere lying still on theground. The Narlaw cameinwaves,synchronizedanddistracting.Alicetriedwitheverything shehad toholdthem toher, tomake themapartofherembraceofthevillage square and

everythingelsewithinit.Thenademonpresence

wasonher,droppingdownfrom the festival tree. Sheopened her eyes and criedout.Stormspunaroundandcame rushing towardsthem, but the demon wasfaster.ItstruckAliceinthejaw and she felt herselfleave the ground, thenland, all the air rushingfrom her lungs. The

Narlaw stood over her.Alice blinked her visioninto focus and gasped intoMoraine’s face, grey-litand horribly intense. TheNarlaw lowered a handtowards Alice’s forehead.Alice tried to scrambleback, but the fall hadsappedawayherenergy.

She cast her senseswide. One last try. TheNarlaw overshadowed

everything. Where wasStorm? Where waseveryone?

Then therewas anotherpresence. Something hugeandold.

Sheknewitsomehow.TheNarlaw’scoldhand

touchedherheadandAlicesquirmed away. Shecollided with something,the tree perhaps, shecouldn’ttell.Buttherewas

nowherelefttogo.She waited for the

ghost-sleep, still tryingdesperately to snare thisone Narlaw, to hand it tothe earth for banishment.But she couldn’t hold it.She coiled into herself inabsolutefear.

Then came a roar likenothingshehadeverheard.

The demon flinchedawayandAliceopenedher

eyes. It was the presence,the ancient, hulkingpresence from Soraya’scave. She saw its thicklimbs swing and theMoraine-demon crumpledtothefloor.Itroared,ajawfull of teeth that glinted inthemoonlight.

A bear. It was the firstAlicehadeverseen,sofewwere there in the greatforest. It reared on to its

hind legs, twice the heightof a man, and roared intothenight.Thenitturnedonthe attacking group ofNarlaw, fearless and morepowerful than any otherbeast of the forest. Morepowerful than a Narlaw,even.

Alice struggled to herfeet and suddenly Stormwasatherside.She sent it, Storm said.

Soraya sent hercompanion.

For an instant Alicewondered what this mightmean for Soraya, but onlyfor an instant. The battleconsumedheronceagain.

TheNarlawhadbackedawayinconfusion,pausingtheirchaoticattack.Now,Alicewhispered.Ithadtobenow.She summoned every

scrap of energy andconcentration, openedherself completely to thechill night air and therutted earth beneath herfeet. This was it. She castout with her senses.Everything there wasbecame a part of her. Thetree, the houses and thewind. The wolves andvillagers. The Narlaw andthebear.

The demons fell on thebear all at once and Alicefelt the beast’s fury as itfought for its life. Shebrought its fearsomepresence close and theNarlaw camewith it, theirwild movements nowcontained. For a moment,to the Narlaw, she wasforgotten.

And a moment was allsheneeded.

The Narlaw sicknesswelled up in her, but theearthwastheretoo,rushingthrough her mind andbody.Shefeltastallasthefestival tree, as great andpowerful as the forestitself.Theearthsanginherheart and it burned withfury at the demons in itsmidst. In a single,obliterating moment thedemons were torn away.

Alicefeltitlikeacleansingof her soul. And then theearth trance rushed awayandshefell.

She looked up, dazed,into Storm’s golden eyes.Storm’s muzzle wasbleeding and she waspantinghard.You did it, Storm said.

They’regone.Allofthem.Alice smiled, too

exhausted to speak. Her

head felt empty and weakandtherelievedlaughterofthevillagerscametoherasif from a great distance.Where the Narlaw hadstood lay only ashyshadows on the earth,stains from their violentdeparture back to theDarklands. Alice watchedas a man she knew as thevillage butcher rose upslowly from the ghost-

sleep he had been throwninto just moments before.He was bruised and dirtyfrom the fight. Blood hadtrickled and dried on hisface.Thewholesquarewasstunnedintosilenceasthistall, white-haired manlooked about him at theremainsofthedemons.Hehadtearsinhiseyes.

CHAPTER14

The infirmary was deathlyquiet. Ebony swooped inahead of Dawn andperched at the foot ofYusuf’s bed. The realYusuf.

Lady Tremaine wasalready there, flankedbyapair of the king’s guards.Sheturnedher icygazeonDawnassheentered.

“Soyouhavereturned,”thewardensneered.“Afterdisobeying the king for asecond time I thought youwouldhavefledthecity.Itwould have been a wisercourse of action.” Sheturned to the guard at her

right side. “Take this girlintocustody.Butfindheracell in theprisonwingthistime.”

Ebony cawed andspread her wings wide asthe guard steppedforwards.

Dawnstoodherground.“You may wish to knowwhy I arranged thismeetingbefore lockingmeaway,”shesaid.

She met the warden’sgaze head-on, battling theexhaustion that she feltinside. The warden saidnothing, but the guardpaused.

“Captain,”Dawncalledout. “Would you bring theprisoner,please?”

The warden’s eyesnarrowed as she looked tothe doorway. Valderinentered and behind him

came four of his palaceguards. The demon thatthey carried was stilllocked in its final lunge,limbs outstretched and amonstrous fury on its face–thefaceofYusuf.

Thewardengaspedandher guards drew theirswords.

“TheNarlaw spy,” saidDawn. “This creaturesabotaged the viaduct and

sankPrincessOna’s friendintohispresentstate.Don’tfret.” She smiled. “I havethe demon contained in aprotectiveward.”

Valderinandtheguardswithdrew, carrying thedemon.

“But … I don’t…” thewardenmuttered.

“I am the PalaceWhisperer,”saidDawn.“Itis my task to protect this

land from the threat of theNarlaw and that is what Ihave done. You can orderme to the dungeon if youwish,butIshan’tbegoing.Ihaveworktodo.”

The warden stared,dumbstruck. She didnothing as Dawn turnedherbackandleft.

In the corridor outsideEbony flapped on toDawn’s shoulder.

Satisfying?sheasked.You could say that,

whisperedDawn.She strode along the

infirmary corridor. Withone task complete, it wasnow time to rescue Yusuffromhisghost-sleep.

Seeing the wardensquirm had been awelcome consequence ofclearing the young man’sname, but the victory was

tempered with uncertainty.Dawn had a demon tobanish, a war council toorganize,andsomehowshehad to find out exactlywhat the Narlaw wereplanning.Itwasnorandomact, thisspyinfiltratingthepalace. The demon hadcarried out an act ofsabotage, but what Dawnfearedmostwasthatithadseen how vulnerable the

kingdom was – howineffectual the king hadbecome and how PrincessOnawasutterlyunpreparedto rule in his place. If theshape-shifter hadcommunicated with othersofitskindthentheywouldwaste no time in sendingtheir hordes across fromthe Darklands. They hadalready attacked in thenorth. Where would be

next? And how long didthey have? There were somany questions thatDawnsimplycouldnotanswer.

Up ahead Valderin andhis guards reached theirdestination, leaving thecorridor through a widedoorway.DawnandEbonyentered behind them. Theroom was square, withfaded white walls and asurgeon’s table in the

centre.The guards placed the

frozenNarlawonthetable.It lay, stiff and horrifying,in its posture of attack.Dawnsteppedup, ready toremove its presence fromthekingdom.

This was her firstbanishment, but she knewshe had the power sheneeded. She had trainedlong and hard for this day

under Esther, the mostlearnedWhispererofall.

The earth trance cameto her as naturally assliding into herWhisperer’s robe. Sheclosed her eyes for amoment, savouring therush of feeling that surgedup and through her fromthelivingearth.

She reached out andfilled the room with her

senses. Valderin and hisguards stood ready allaround her, Ebony behindher on the lintel of thedoor.Andthedemonwasanauseous, quakingpresence in the centre.Dawn grasped thatpresenceandlettheearth’spowerflow.

It was over in aninstant.

Dawn opened her eyes

to thewhite-washed room.She felt dizzy, butintenselyalive.

On the surgeon’s tablethere was nothing but anashyshadow.

Ebony swept down andlanded lightly on hershoulder. It’s gone, shesaid.Youdidit.

The awe in Ebony’svoice was reflected in thestares of Valderin and his

guards.Shehaddoneit.Forthe

first time, Dawn felt asense of true belonging.She was the PalaceWhisperer, and ridding thekingdom of Narlaw waswhat shehadbeenborn todo.

CHAPTER15

The morning sun drapedthe great forest with softgolden light and the airthrilledwithbirdsong.They’re back, thought

Alice as she trampled

through the undergrowth.Thebirdsareback.

Storm had raced aheadwith the other wolves andAlicehadtoreachoutwithhersense tocheckshehadnotstrayedfromtheirtrail.Even such a gentle use ofher ability brought astrange, heady feeling.Afterlastnight–thebattleandthebanishing–shefeltso exhausted that the

slightest exertionthreatenedtotoppleher.

She could hear Owenand the other villagersfollowing her through theforest.Theyhadstruckoutin search of the missinghunters as soon as theNarlaw were banished.Alice walked painfullyslowly, often stumbling,catching her boots in thethick weeds and grasses

that tangled between thetrees. Still, none of thevillagersovertookher.Shecould sense the change inthem. Since banishing theNarlaw she was no longerAlice, the twelve-year-oldnovice from the woods.She was powerful now,someone to fearaswellasrespect.

In truth, shewas afraidof her new-found powers

asmuch as shewas proudof them. She had taken agreat leap forward but shedidnotfeelquitereadyforit; her life had changed –she had changed – andthere could be no goingback.

Afamiliarhowlbroughther back to hersurroundings. Storm. Shehad found something.Despite her exhaustion,

Alice found herselfrunning, the desire to findMoraine obliteratingeverything.

The ground dipped andanunevenwallofrockroseto her right. There weresounds of movementahead.ShesawStormfirst,peeringbackatherintenseanticipation.Then she sawtheothers.

Some of the villagers

lay on their backs, somestood and some satpropped against the trees.All were moving slowly,testing their bodies. Alicerecognized some of thehunters, scattered amongstothers she didn’t know.She heard Owen shoutbehind her, calling for hisfather.

Anowlhooted.Alice swung towards

thesourceofthesound.There was Hazel on a

low branch, her headangled in that quizzical,owlishway.

Andthere,strugglingtoherknees,wasMoraine.

Alice charged into astrongembraceandalmostknocked her mentor backtotheground.

Moraine grasped herwith weak arms. “My

dear,” she murmured.“Wherehave Ibeen?”Shelooked dazed, puzzled athavingwokeninthedepthsof the forest, but she wassmiling.

“It’s all right,” saidAlice.“You’reback.”

Morainenodded.“Yes,”shesaid.“Yes.”

Aliceheldhertight,andall around them peoplerose gradually from the

ghost-sleep, meeting theirloved ones in the brilliantlightofanewday.

Themorning waned and amistsettledontheforestastheymadetheirwayhome.Moraine recovered herstrength gradually andAlice used the journey totellherwhathadhappenedin the village. She could

sense Moraine wasdisappointed in herself –for failing at thebanishment,perhaps,orfordoubting Alice and Stormat the beginning. The painwas etched into her wearyface alongside the proudsmile she turned onAlice.When they reached theburnt part of the forestMoraine let out a gasp.Alice made to steady her

against the shock, butseeing the charred treesand her cottage halfdestroyed by the flamesseemed to raise Morainefrom her daze. Together,theysetaboutsalvagingallthey could from theremainsoftheirhome.

It was then, with themist curling through thetrees like a cruel imitationof smoke, that Alice saw

theraven.It was perched on a

twisting, fire-damagedbranch of one of the oaksthat stood beside thecottage – a dash of pureblack against the mottledforest. Alice lowered thebasket shewascarryingasshe felt the raven’spresence reach out to her.Morainesteppedup besideher and stopped, feeling it

too.Images arrived in

Alice’s mind, an ancient,wild kind of whispering.Shesawtheshiningyellowstone of the capital city ofMeridar, the flags flyingandaskyracingwithcloudand she knew withoutwords that this was asummons.

Theimagesvanished.Alicewatchedtheraven

twitch on the oak branch.Itsbeakwasagreatshiningcurve.

“A war council,”Morainesaid.

“Yes,”saidAlice.Off through the trees

there was a thump andclatter of hooves – ridersapproaching on the northroad. The raven tilted itshead and swept itself intothe sky, huge and black.

Alice watched it risebehind the forest canopy,setting the high leavesshaking as it passed. Itspresence dimmed and wasgone.

“Wait here,” saidMoraine, creepingcautiously towards theroad.

Alice followed andMoraine was about torepeat her command when

she paused and nodded.ShebeckonedAlicetojoinher,asanequal.

From a safe distancethey watched the road. Itwasjustwideenoughforacarttopassanditstretchedaway for some fifty pacesbeforevanishinginasharpturn. The thud of hoovesgrewlouderandthefirstoftheridersturnedthecornerandemergedfromthemist.

“The palace guard,”Morainewhispered.

There were at leasttwenty riders, wearingblack-plumed helmets andblackcapesatopburnishedarmour. Their horses werearmoured, too, with thickleatherpaddingdown theirnosesandflanks.

Alice steppedout on tothe road beside Moraine.The riders reined their

horses in, churning themuddysurfaceoftheroad.

“AreyouofCatchwoodvillage?” awoman’s voicebellowed down from thefirsthorse.Thegoldedgingonhercapemarkedheroutastheleader.

Alicemet the woman’ssteely blue eyes. Thoseeyes held a look of duty-bound authority, though itwas tempered by

uncertainty and deepexhaustion.

“WearetheWhisperersof that village,” Morainesaid. “It was we who sentwordoftheNarlaw.”

“Arethedemonsnear?”theguardasked.

Behind her, the rest ofthedetachmenthadformedtwodefensive lines, facingboth ways into the denseforest.

“Thedemonsaregone,”Morainesaid.“Therewasabattle. My apprentice,Alice,banishedthemtotheDarklands.”

The lead guard stareddown at Alice withunconcealed surprise.“Thislittleone?”shesaid.

Alice was about torespond to what felt likecondescension when thewoman gave an admiring

nod.“Well, it seems you

breed your girls tough inthenorth,”shesaid.

Moraine noddedproudly. She glanced atAlice. “We will bejourneying to Meridar,”she said. “A council hasbeencalled.”

The woman gaveMoraine a strange look, asif a Whisperer’s secret

knowledge was somethingnevertobeunderstood.

“Is that so?” said theguard. “Then we willsupply you with an escortwhen our task here isdone.”

Morainespokewith theguard,explainingwhathadhappenedandwhatneededto be done, but Alicecouldn’t concentrate. Sheglancedback into the trees

with a shiver. She couldfeelStorm,butnotseeher.I must leave the forest,

shewhispered.Anywhereyougo,Iwill

go,saidStorm.Alice’s heart swelled

withgratitude.Thehorsesleft themby

the roadside in athunderous rush and Alicecontinued to stare into thetrees.ShefeltStormthere,

along with the immense,shifting presence of theforest, and she held on tothem both as if they weresuddenly more preciousthanair.

They met at the villagegates at dusk – Alice,Moraine,HazelandStorm.Alice felt her owntrepidation mirrored

through the companionbond.

Theleaderofthepalaceguards came with two ofher riders and two sparehorses. The rest of theguards would stay in thevillageasagarrisontohelpdefend against furtherattack.

A small crowd hadgathered to see them off:Owen, Elder Byrne and

many of those who hadbeensavedfromtheghost-sleep. Alice accepted theirthanks with greatembarrassment. Shehugged Owen awkwardlyand then itwas time to goontheirway.

Alice clambered on toher horse, a docile, tan-coloured animal who wasnot at all bothered byStorm’s presence beside

her. Moraine mounted asmall, black stallion, withHazel perched on hershoulder staringimperiouslyaround.

At the head of thecolumn rode a lantern-bearer. The lantern threworange light across theroad, stretching the riders’shadows as they left thevillage.Aliceglancedbackto see the villagewall and

the rooftops vanish fromsight. The trees swayed inthe evening wind. Shesmelled the freshness ofthe leaves, the sweet pinesap and the richmud. Shewas leaving theonlyplaceshehad ever known, awaytowards strange lands anduncertain times.ButStormwas with her, and so sheknew that she would besafe.

The lantern swung andthe horses’ hot breathhissed into the cooleveningair.Aliceheldfastto the reins and let thecalm,patientcreaturecarryher away towards thepalace and the council ofwar.

ReadonforanextractfromWARNINGCRY

thesecondbookinthe

GuardiansoftheWildseries,

comingsoon!

The sun rose behindSleeping Rock and, as itsrays crested the summit,longshaftsoflightspearedinto the savannah – pink,orange,brilliantwhite.Theearthwoke, insectsbuzzedinto the air and the acaciatreesshiftedinthebreeze.

Nara stood at the frontofthehouse,herpack,bow

and arrows beside her andher water skin hitched toher belt. She would missthis sight. Sleeping Rockwould always be home toher, no matter how gladshewastobeleaving.

She could hear herfather in the kitchen,cleaningupafterbreakfast.Hermotherwas tending tothe cows,milking them inherquick,orderlyway;and

Nara’s sister, Kali, wasbusy cleaning out thechicken sheds andcollecting eggs to sell atthenextmarket.

All this hard workgoing on around her feltlikeareproach.NarawasaWhisperer, not a farmer.Shehadbeenchosenontheday she was born, when asinglewhite feather landedat the door of her parents’

home.Everybody knew that

Whisperers were vital tothe kingdom of Meridina,that they were healers andchannelers of the earth’spower, that theyhadsavedthe kingdom fromdestructioninthepast.Butstill Nara’s parents hadcursed the arrival of thewhite feather, along withthe raven who had

deliveredit.What good was a

Whisperer to a farmer’sdaughter?WhatusewereaWhisperer’s skills whenonly hard work andexperience could put foodonthetable?

Nara was a goodWhisperer – she couldheal, she couldcommunicate with almostanykindofanimalandshe

could set protective wardsthat kept predators at bay.Butherdaily training tookher away from the familyfarm and, at the age oftwelve, she still couldn’tmilk a cow properly, orseparate a herd formarketor plant maize that wouldgrow in the crumbly redsoiloftheirfarmland.

Although her parentsnever said so, Nara knew

she was a disappointment.Itwasclearinthewaytheyconstantly praised hersister.Kaliwasdevoted tothefarminawaythatNaranevercouldbe.

Andnow the ravenhadvisited their home onceagain. It had come like afalling shadow, bringingNara an urgent messagefromthepalaceinMeridar.She had closed her eyes

and the raven had placedimages in her mind. Shehad seen a strange, denseforest – more green thanshe had ever imagined.And between the trees shehad seen the Narlaw, theshape-shifting demons shehadlearnedsomuchaboutin her Whisperer training.In the raven’s vision theytook the forms of women,menandwolves, andNara

had felt a terrible chill runthrough her. A hundredyears had passed sincethese demons were lastbanished to theDarklands.But the raven’s messagewas clear: the Narlaw hadreturned and Nara, alongwith all of theWhisperersof Meridina, must journeyto the palace for a councilofwar.

Despite her anxiety,

Narahadneedednofurtherconvincing to leave. Shehadpackedher thingsand,onedaylater,hereshewas,readytogo.

She watched themorning light creep overthe clefts and ridges ofSleepingRock.Behindher,onthefarsideofthehouse,the cattle lowed andsnorted in their pens –those great grey cows

whose bristly chins Narahadalwayslovedtostroke.

Today she would leaveallthisbehind.Herparentsdidn’t understand theresponsibility of aWhisperer – thatNara hadbeen born to protect thewilds, and that theNarlawwere the biggest threattherehadeverbeen.

Narawasdeterminedtoshow her family who she

really was, to go fromhealer to warrior andbanishthedemonsjustlikeQueen Amina had ahundredyearsago.Shefelta ripple of fear at thethought. She had learnedthe theory of banishmentfrom Lucille, her mentor,buttobefacedwithareal,shape-shifting demon wasa different matter alltogether. They were

stronger than three mencombined and they couldsteal your form and dropyou into an endless,dreamless sleepat a singletouch…

Nara gripped her bowtightly and breathed thecool morning air. Shereached out with herWhisperer sense and felttheworldaroundher– theswayofthegrass,thebush

larksdartingoverhead.AllofthiswouldbegoneiftheNarlaw were allowed toreturn. The demons livedonlytodestroy,feedingonthe living parts of theworldasafirefeedsondrytimber.

Herjourneywouldspanthe lengthof thekingdom,up into the cold andunknown north. To wherethe ravens roosted and the

Darklands threatened frombeyondthemountains.

Paws padded lightly onthe earth behind her,reminding Nara that shewouldn’t be facing thesechallenges alone. Sheturned as her leopardcompanion, Flame,emergedfrominside.Some things are worth

rising early for, Flamesaid.

Her words rang out inNara’s mind and the bondbetween them grew warmatFlame’sapproach.Do you think they have

mornings like this in thenorth?whisperedNara.

Flame squinted into thesunrise and flicked herlong,black-tippedtail.Notlikethis,shesaid.No, said Nara.Not like

this.

Nara lay her hand onthe soft, patterned fur ofher companion’s back.Flame was slender andproud, the colour of thesavannah itself. She couldvanish in the shadows ofanyacaciatree.Acoolday, saidFlame,

flaringhernostrils.Naranodded.Therewas

a thinness to the air, theclouds gathering and

shifting.A good day for a long

walk,shesaid.Flame looked up at

Nara, those sand-colouredeyesregardingherintently.A long walk we’ll take

together,Flamesaid.Thesunhadcrestedthe

long, barren summit ofSleeping Rock and thesavannahwasdousedinitslight – the wide-spaced

acacia and date trees, thetufts of red-grass anddropseed.How cold do you think

it is in Meridar? askedNara.Colder than we could

imagine, said Flame,pacing a circle aroundNara.Well,I’mgladIpacked

my thickest blanket, saidNara.Usfur-lesscreatures

havetobecareful.Perhaps we should go,

said Flame. I don’t thinkthere’s going to be a bigfarewellparty.

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