Free Diviner by Bryan Davis Page A

influence. His hold on her had become too strong. She had very nearly shown him sympathy—that longing to touch him with tenderness had risen without a thought. Somehow she had to break loose. She had to avoid becoming a dark-hearted, fawning servant like Zena.
    As she imagined the dark-eyed sorceress, a violent shudder ran through her body. She would
not
become like her! She would die first.
    Koren scooped up some snow and quenched her thirst before facing the castle. With new determination firming her lips, she ascended the stairs leading to the entryway. Every step felt like walking on broken pottery. Obeying that monster grated her conscience. She would rather chew rocks, but the pain-streaked cries of her fellow slaves urged her onward.
    After entering, she headed straight for the stairway and began the descent toward the star chamber. Again the whisperers assaulted her ears.
    “How much gunpowder did you put in? We need enough to blow that scourge out of the sky.”
    “Arxad, when you teach the new generation, do not pass on the secrets of human weaponry. They need genetics and the principles of light. Nothing more.”
    “Beware. If you try to manufacture a Starlighter from the genetic code, the result could be disastrous. Allow the Creator to bring her to us at the right time.”
    Koren drank in the words. Now they seemed more coherent, as if they had aligned in order to grant her knowledge. Was this Brinella’s doing? Probably not. She didn’t seem to have much control over the messages she provided. The only other option seemed to be the white dragon, but how could he send messages to Exodus?
    When Koren arrived at the star chamber, she leaned over and massaged her legs. Could she take much more of this? Muscle cramps and fatigue might do her in before Taushin could.
    Inside the chamber, Brinella sat in her human form, her head hanging low. An aura surrounded her, dim but noticeable. Various colors flashed across her face, new tales building up within the imprisoned Starlighter.
    “I knew you would come back,” she said without looking up.
    Koren stepped over to the wound and spoke into it. “How did you know?”
    Brinella raised her head and aimed her stare through the hole. “I know stubbornness when I see it. You didn’t get what you wanted, so you have returned with a new scheme to obtain it.”
    “Maybe I’m stubborn,” Koren said, allowing her tone to grow firm, “but maybe someone else is, too. If you would just listen to me for a minute, I could —”
    “Listen to a sorceress?” Brinella straightened and crossed her arms over her chest. Indistinct images painted her face with splotches of green, purple, and red. “I should say not. If I learned anything from Alaph, it’s not to listen to a charmer’s guile.”
    Koren cringed. The label hurt, but how could she protest? She really was a charmer. Still, this girl must know she was one herself. It seemed that she held out bait for Koren to take, daring her to object.
    Lowering her voice to a whisper, Koren gave in, hoping her gentle tone would calm Brinella’s ire. “Why do you call me a charmer? Don’t
your
gifts charm people?”
    New colors, deeper and richer, turned Brinella’s face into a tapestry of royal splendor. “A charmer enthralls, hypnotizes, or distracts to get what she wants. I am a prophetess who draws people into a net of love in order to give them what they need.”
    “A net?” Koren imagined Taushin casting a net over her head and dragging her away. “That sounds like just another form of slavery.”
    “A Starlighter’s net draws those who already want to serve the Creator, but since they are enslaved to another master, a powerful force is necessary if they are to sever their bonds. The net bypasses all others—those who wish to stay enslaved. And there are many, though they may outwardly deny it, because it is easier to be led along by chains than it is to love and sacrifice in freedom.”
    Koren cast a furtive