Shadow of the Otherverse (The Last Whisper of the Gods Saga Book 3) by James Berardinelli Page A
Authors: James Berardinelli
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for oblivion.
She found a high rock overlooking the ocean and launched herself toward the water in a long, graceful arc. Moments later, she was diving deep into the darkness, headed for what she thought of as her “swimming channel.” As she passed some of the larger sea creatures, she spared a greeting for them. They were hers to command; even the ones normally considered dangerous to humans were docile around her.
It was cool in the ocean’s depths and, even during the day, there was little light. Neither condition bothered Alicia. A capability of her magical association with her element imparted her with the ability to “see” even when there was no light. Sight wasn’t an important sense here, however. There were no predators stalking her and no legitimate sources of danger. She traveled by instinct and, when she veered off course, the fish let her know.
It occurred to Alicia that this was the first time in her life when she had truly been alone . In her childhood, she had always been surrounded by guards, governesses, tutors, servants, and the ever-present Vagrum. During her brief tenure as The Wizard’s Bride, she had been watched by Ferguson’s lackeys. On her trip to the Ibitsal portal, she had been accompanied by companions. After that, Sorial had always been there. Even when they set the trap for Ariel and were apart for several days, they had been close enough so he could have reached her in moments if she had needed him. Now, even racing through the earth, it would take him over a week to achieve her location. Out here, she truly was by herself. The realization was daunting and empowering. This trip would reveal who she was to herself.
A part of her worried that the journey might be wasted. She had no idea what to expect from the library and Ferguson hadn’t confided much except that it contained enough documents to dwarf Azarak’s collection of scrolls and tomes. The repository of wizardly knowledge contained volumes penned by men elevated by the passage of years to myth and others who had vanished into obscurity. If what she was looking for couldn’t be found there, it probably didn’t exist. But it was the matter of finding it that concerned Alicia. There was no librarian to point her in the right direction and little in the way of organization. By his own admission, Ferguson had spent years in the library and she suspected it had been the same for Justin. Although her search was specific while theirs had been general, could she succeed in a matter of weeks? Or would she leave more confounded and frustrated than when she entered?
By mid-afternoon, Alicia knew she was getting close to land. The seascape had changed. Not only was the water more shallow but the kinds of fish were different. During her journey, she had become knowledgeable about many of the creatures that inhabited the ocean and their preferred habitats. Not wanting to emerge in an area that could be physically hazardous, Alicia used her rapport with the creatures of water to guide her toward a “soft” beach.
When she emerged from the shallows, she was unprepared for what greeted her beyond the narrow stretch of crushed rock that formed a buffer between crashing waves and land. Alicia had seen vegetation before, but not like this. The profusion of green was astounding. These were huge, vibrant trees, towering three or four times higher than anything she had previously encountered. And there were so many of them… The jungle spread out as far as her eyes could see to the north and south with only the snail of brown beach dividing the ocean’s cerulean from the immense emerald canopy.
Where to go from here? Her instincts said south, but she knew her sense of direction was unreliable. She had spent so much time worrying about how long it would take her to find the necessary texts in the library that she hadn’t considered the ramifications of a prolonged search for the structure. Knowing it was situated by the seaside was a
She found a high rock overlooking the ocean and launched herself toward the water in a long, graceful arc. Moments later, she was diving deep into the darkness, headed for what she thought of as her “swimming channel.” As she passed some of the larger sea creatures, she spared a greeting for them. They were hers to command; even the ones normally considered dangerous to humans were docile around her.
It was cool in the ocean’s depths and, even during the day, there was little light. Neither condition bothered Alicia. A capability of her magical association with her element imparted her with the ability to “see” even when there was no light. Sight wasn’t an important sense here, however. There were no predators stalking her and no legitimate sources of danger. She traveled by instinct and, when she veered off course, the fish let her know.
It occurred to Alicia that this was the first time in her life when she had truly been alone . In her childhood, she had always been surrounded by guards, governesses, tutors, servants, and the ever-present Vagrum. During her brief tenure as The Wizard’s Bride, she had been watched by Ferguson’s lackeys. On her trip to the Ibitsal portal, she had been accompanied by companions. After that, Sorial had always been there. Even when they set the trap for Ariel and were apart for several days, they had been close enough so he could have reached her in moments if she had needed him. Now, even racing through the earth, it would take him over a week to achieve her location. Out here, she truly was by herself. The realization was daunting and empowering. This trip would reveal who she was to herself.
A part of her worried that the journey might be wasted. She had no idea what to expect from the library and Ferguson hadn’t confided much except that it contained enough documents to dwarf Azarak’s collection of scrolls and tomes. The repository of wizardly knowledge contained volumes penned by men elevated by the passage of years to myth and others who had vanished into obscurity. If what she was looking for couldn’t be found there, it probably didn’t exist. But it was the matter of finding it that concerned Alicia. There was no librarian to point her in the right direction and little in the way of organization. By his own admission, Ferguson had spent years in the library and she suspected it had been the same for Justin. Although her search was specific while theirs had been general, could she succeed in a matter of weeks? Or would she leave more confounded and frustrated than when she entered?
By mid-afternoon, Alicia knew she was getting close to land. The seascape had changed. Not only was the water more shallow but the kinds of fish were different. During her journey, she had become knowledgeable about many of the creatures that inhabited the ocean and their preferred habitats. Not wanting to emerge in an area that could be physically hazardous, Alicia used her rapport with the creatures of water to guide her toward a “soft” beach.
When she emerged from the shallows, she was unprepared for what greeted her beyond the narrow stretch of crushed rock that formed a buffer between crashing waves and land. Alicia had seen vegetation before, but not like this. The profusion of green was astounding. These were huge, vibrant trees, towering three or four times higher than anything she had previously encountered. And there were so many of them… The jungle spread out as far as her eyes could see to the north and south with only the snail of brown beach dividing the ocean’s cerulean from the immense emerald canopy.
Where to go from here? Her instincts said south, but she knew her sense of direction was unreliable. She had spent so much time worrying about how long it would take her to find the necessary texts in the library that she hadn’t considered the ramifications of a prolonged search for the structure. Knowing it was situated by the seaside was a
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