StarLaughter hesitated, her face closed, then she motioned StarGrace forward, and they leaned down ungracious hands to help Faraday up.

StarGrace limped slightly, adjusting her feet from talons to flesh and then back again.

Qeteb's foot never found its mark. Even as it drove down on Ur's form, a white blur flew in from one side, and Qeteb found himself driven to the ground, and rolling desperately to avoid the weight of the thing that had attacked him.

His companion Demons were having their own problems with two other white beasts that had driven them fifteen or eighteen paces back with the strength of their attack.

Ur rose to her feet, her movements once again those of an arthritic old woman. She put the pot carefully to one side, and methodically dusted down her gown.

She completely ignored the sound of the battle going on about her.

Finally, robe and hair in order, Ur picked up the pot, settled it comfortably in her arm, and said: "I'm ready now."

As one the three icebears backed towards her, keeping their snarling heads weaving in the Demons'

direction.

"A pretty trick," Qeteb said, "but one not guaranteed to serve you forever."

One of the icebear's forms changed, resolving itself into a tall, elegant woman, her hair grey and iced with silver.

"All magic is not dead," she whispered, "and even amid death, Qeteb, you must surely remember that resurrection is always possible."

The Midday Demon had endured enough. Drawing upon all of his strength, all his power, every trick he'd ever learned, he rolled back his head, his visor opening with a snap.

Black smoke issued from within, roiling about his head.

"A very pretty trick," Urbeth whispered, "but none of us, I fear, have the patience to wait about to see what it does."

She extended her arms, and the other two bears, as Ur, crowded close.

"You took your time, sister," Ur said, and Urbeth's face tightened.

Above Qeteb's head the black smoke formed itself into a snake's head.

"I have no time for a discussion of my faults now," Urbeth said, as she enveloped the four of them in a blinding snowstorm.

Qeteb's death leaped forward with the speed and accuracy of a striking viper, but it bit nothing save empty air.

The two women and the icebears had vanished.

Chapter 29

Family Relations

StarDrifter found Zenith wandering down one of the more isolated corridors of their palace complex in Sanctuary, and wondered at the furtive — almost half guilty — look she gave as she recognised him and reluctantly stopped.

She carefully replaced her furtive expression with a warm and almost genuine smile.

But the hesitancy was still there. StarDrifter could see it crowding the depths of her beautiful eyes.

"Hello, Zenith," he said, and reached out to take some of the pile of linens from her arms. "Let me help you with these."

"But I thought... Axis would need you."

StarDrifter laughed. "Axis? Need me? Never! He has an army, the Lake Guard and thousands of willing winged men and women to aid him. He does not need me."

Since DragonStar's departure Axis had lost no time in searching out an — any — escape route from Sanctuary. The bridge couldn't have been the only way ... could it?

"And has anyone had any luck?"

"Zenith, it's only been a few hours. And Sanctuary ..." StarDrifter lapsed into silence as he fell into step beside Zenith. Sanctuary was massive. It apparently stretched into infinity. All the reports StarDrifter had ever heard from those Icarii who'd flown as far as they could was that it just stretched, and stretched

... and stretched. There was no "end". There was no back wall let alone a back door with a helpful sign saying Use In Case Of Emergency.

"And Sanctuary hides its secrets well," StarDrifter finally finished, rather lamely. "As do you. What have you been up to? No-one has seen you for the past few days."

Where have you been? Who have you been with?

"I've been keeping myself busy," Zenith said, her tone as false as her words.

"Stop," StarDrifter said. He dropped his pile of linens on the floor, took the pile from Zenith's arms and threw them to one side, and grasped her hands in his.

She stiffened, and a look of mild panic entered her eyes. "You said you wouldn't," she said.

"Wouldn't what? Love you? I cannot help that, nor stop it. Zenith ... what's going on?"

She looked away, her eyes desperately searching for something else she could legitimately look at.

In this barest of corridors there was nothing, and so Zenith reluctantly looked back into StarDrifter's face.

"Who have you been with?" he asked, very low. His hands tightened fractionally.

She briefly closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and answered with all the courage she had.

"WolfStar."

"What! What!" StarDrifter let go her hands and stepped back in shock and utter anger. "Why WolfStar? Why?"

Zenith's eyes filled with tears, and she clasped her hands. "StarDrifter, I wanted to end it. I needed to see him, and come to terms with how I felt about him."

"And have you?" StarDrifter's face had gone completely white, but his eyes blazed with such rage that Zenith barely restrained herself from running away.

"I have found ... I have found it easy to spend time with him," she whispered.

StarDrifter was so profoundly shocked that he was incapable of speech. She found it easy to spend time with WolfStar and not with him?

"It has been good to be able to talk things through with him."