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homes will be built on your land.
Destroy them and others will be erected, and so it will go on. There will be
no everlasting peace.'
Alda sighed audibly, accepting that Sabat told the truth. Revenge would
eventually be the only thing left to the last of the Oke Priests.
'What the fuck's going on?' Kent sat up, rubbed his bruised jaw and slowly it
all came back to him. 'Hey, Sabat, you hit me! Are you crazy, everybody
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sitting in a bloody circle in the nude and . . . hey, who's this guy and
what's he doing here?'
'This is Alda, Arch-Druid of an ancient order.' Sabat made the introduction
sound like it was a perfectly ordinary meeting and the old man was expected to
be present. 'We've all cooled down and are trying to talk things over.'
You're all mad, Kent thought, but declined to voice his opinion. It was bloody
cold sitting here but he wasn't going to risk breaking up the party again. He
smoothed his jaw with his fingers, felt the swelling, but bore Sabat no
resentment. Strange how he had hated him in those last few seconds just before
he had passed out; as though his mind had not been his own. ...
'Well, it's up to you, Alda,' Sabat spoke abruptly, a matter-of-fact tone that
he might have used at any meeting that had gone on too long. 'Call your Oke
Priests off and I'll take up the fight against the corrupt ones. But I don't
want you harbouring any ideas about getting even with me over what's happened
so far because you started all this; I only fought back.'
'I cannot call off the old ones who demand revenge and sacrifice in mortal
blood!' Alda's voice was a whine, his tone an apology to Sabat. 'Oh that I
could, but it is not possible.'
'Why not?'
'Because I am not high priest of all the Oke Priests, for there have been many
since my time. Centuries have passed and Alda has been but a legend to those
who came after him. I was not strong enough; others who were more cruel than I
followed and pandered to the cries of the rabble for blood and more blood.
This land is soaked in blood but that is as nothing compared with that which
will be spilled now!'
There is no way of avoiding it?' Sabat's face was grim. Kent had paled also.
'Only by giving back the land to the Oke Priests.'
'And if I do that?'
'Then the killings and the madness will cease. But I cannot safeguard you
Sabat for that is beyond my power. Give the spirits back that which is
rightfully theirs and this carnage will cease. Shyaena will help you. But we
must be revenged ... do you hear me, Sabat? The Oke Priests must be revengedr
The light dimmed again, then went out. Only then did Sabat notice a faint
greyness creeping into the room through the chinks in the curtains. Dawn was
nigh and Alda could remain no longer. He was gone as though he had never been.
'Well, I guess we don't need the pentagram any longer,' Sabat strode across
and switched on the light, began retrieving his clothes. 'Everybody can get
dressed now.'
None of them spoke until they were all fully clad. The central heating seemed
to be working again, Sabat decided as he checked the nearest radiator.
'I'll make some coffee,' Sheenah avoided Sabat's gaze, went through into the
kitchen and began searching the cupboards.
'I guess you hate me like hell after last night,' Sabat followed her in and
closed the door behind him. It was the nearest he was ever likely to get to an
apology.
'I thought maybe it was the other way round,' she managed a faint smile, her
lower lip trembling. 'After all, I tried to kill you. I lied to you, set up a
trap for you.'
'Simply because you are Shyaena, offspring of Alda reborn,' Sabat slipped an
arm around her. 'I have a similar problem. I am possessed by my brother
Quentin's soul which sometimes makes me do things I wouldn't do under normal
circumstances. However, I need to know how you and I stand now.'
'I will not try to kill you again,' she looked him full in the face, 'and
neither will Alda because he has promised. Only Alda has control over me. But
it is right what he says, the spirits of the old Oke Priests are powerful. It
is a tidal wave of wrath and blood which can only be stemmed by giving them
back their sacred land. But we also have to stay alive, for surely their anger
will be directed towards me as well now that I have joined forces with you.'
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