"Sara Douglass - Redemption 2 - Pilgrim" - читать интересную книгу автора (Douglass Sara)

ordinary.
"How am I?" Axis said, and, stunningly, quirked his mouth in a lopsided grin. "I am Axis, and that is all I
am."
Zared stared at him, holding his gaze, still holding his hand. "Is 'just Axis' going to be enough, brother?"
"It is all we have," Azhure put in softly, and Zared shifted his gaze to her. There was still spirit in her eyes,
and determination in her face. "Just Axis" and "just Azhure" might still be enough to stop the sky from
falling in. Might.
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Zared dropped Axis' hand and nodded. "What do you know?"
"First," Axis said, "I need to know what you have here. Zared and Caelum ... together, in the one camp.
And with no knives to each other's throats. Have you made peace? And you mentioned Faraday. Have you
seen her?"
Caelum hesitated, glanced at Zared, then spoke. "Father, we fought тАФ"
"And I lost," Zared put in, and grimaced.
"I had the advantage," Caelum said, glancing again at Zared. "We agreed to unite against the threat of the
Demons. We were riding to meet you at the Ancient Barrows when ... when . . . Zared, you finish. She
spoke to you, not me."
"On the night before the Demons broke through," Zared said, "we were camped some four leagues above
these Woods. I'd been to talk with Caelum, and when I returned I found Faraday and Zenith seated at my
campfire."
"Zenith?" Azhure said. "Are you sure it was she?"
Behind her StarDrifter finally straightened from the tree trunk and showed more interest in the
conversation.
Zared frowned at her. "Yes, I am sure it was her. Why wouldn't I be?"
Azhure turned her head aside. Axis had been right then. Niah тАФ her mother тАФ was truly dead. Yet one
more grief to examine in the dead of night.
"Faraday and Zenith had just walked out of the night," Leagh said, joining the group. She linked her arm
with her husband's, and shared a brief smile with him. "They were well, and more cheerful than any I had
seen for weeks previously, or since."
"She said that we had to flee for the Woods," Zared said, "and that we'd be no more use than lambs in a
slaughterhouse if we continued on to the Barrows."
"In that she was right," Axis said. "None of us were of any use."
Unnoticed, StarDrifter had moved to linger at the outside of the group, listening.
"After some persuasion," Caelum said, "I agreed to divert the army here. If we had been caught outside ..."
"At least we have an army," Axis said, "although Stars knows what use it will be to us. And Faraday and
Zenith. Where are they now?"
"She said she and Zenith were going to the Star Gate," Zared said. "They said they had someone to meet
there. I thought it was you."
Axis shook his head. "No. And if they were in the Chamber when the Demons broke through, then they
would both be dead. No-one has the power to resist them."
"Maybe." StarDrifter now spoke up. "And maybe not. Faraday has changed, and who knows now what
enchantment she draws upon. Besides," he indicated the trees, "the forest's power, as the Avar's, has been
wounded, but not mortally. There is hope."
StarDrifter knew who it was they had gone to meet. He did not know what kind of a hope Drago provided,
but if Faraday believed in him, then StarDrifter thought he might have the courage to do likewise. Stars, but
he hoped they'd survived the Demons' arrival. Faraday might well have the power to cope with them . . . but
Zenith? StarDrifter prayed Faraday had shown the sense to keep Zenith well back. They'd not fought so
long to save her from Niah to lose her now.
"There must always be hope," Axis said quietly. "Fate always leaves a hope somewhere. And I intend to
find it."