The Serpent Bride Read online

  the Serpent Bride

  DarkGlass Mountain: BOOK ONE

  Sara Douglass

  Dedication

  For Snow

  Contents

  Dedication

  Map

  The Legend of Chaos (Kanubai)

  PART ONE

  CHAPTER ONE Margalit, the Outlands

  CHAPTER TWO Serpent’s Nest, the Outlands

  CHAPTER THREE Serpent’s Nest, the Outlands

  CHAPTER FOUR Serpent’s Nest, the Outlands

  CHAPTER FIVE The Royal Palace, Ruen, Escator

  CHAPTER SIX Palace of Aqhat, Tyranny of Isembaard

  CHAPTER SEVEN The Royal Palace, Ruen, Escator

  CHAPTER EIGHT Serpent’s Nest, and the Palace at Ruen

  PART TWO

  CHAPTER ONE Lake Juit, the Tyranny of Isembaard

  CHAPTER TWO Baron Lixel’s Residence, Margalit

  CHAPTER THREE Palace of Aqhat, Tyranny of Isembaard

  CHAPTER FOUR Baron Lixel’s Residence, Margalit

  CHAPTER FIVE Palace of Aqhat, Tyranny of Isembaard

  CHAPTER SIX Palace of Aqhat, Tyranny of Isembaard

  CHAPTER SEVEN The Royal Palace, Ruen, Escator

  CHAPTER EIGHT Palace of Aqhat, Tyranny of Isembaard

  CHAPTER NINE The Road East, Escator

  CHAPTER TEN Hairekeep, Tyranny of Isembaard

  CHAPTER ELEVEN Palace of Aqhat, Tyranny of Isembaard

  CHAPTER TWELVE West of Pelemere, Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN Pelemere, Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN Pelemere, Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN Pelemere, Central Kingdoms

  PART THREE

  CHAPTER ONE Pelemere, Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER TWO Pelemere, Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER THREE Margalit, the Outlands

  CHAPTER FOUR DarkGlass Mountain, the Tyranny of Isembaard

  CHAPTER FIVE Pelemere, the Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER SIX Pelemere, the Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER SEVEN Margalit, the Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER EIGHT Pelemere, the Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER NINE Palace of Aqhat, Tyranny of Isembaard

  CHAPTER TEN Pelemere, the Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER ELEVEN Palace of Aqhat, Tyranny of Isembaard

  CHAPTER TWELVE Pelemere, the Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN Palace of Aqhat, Tyranny of Isembaard

  PART FOUR

  CHAPTER ONE Pelemere, Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER TWO Pelemere, Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER THREE Pelemere, Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER FOUR Pelemere, Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER FIVE The Road from Pelemere to Kyros, the Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER SIX Kyros, the Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER SEVEN Kyros, the Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER EIGHT The Road from Kyros to Escator, the Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER NINE The Road from Kyros to Escator, the Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER TEN The Road from Kyros to Escator, the Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER ELEVEN The Road from Kyros to Deepend, Central Kingdoms

  CHAPTER TWELVE Aqhat and Crowhurst

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN The Tyranny of Isembaard

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN The Road from Kyros to Escator, the Central Kingdoms

  PART FIVE

  CHAPTER ONE Palace of the First, Yoyette, Coroleas

  CHAPTER TWO Palace of the First, Yoyette, Coroleas

  CHAPTER THREE FarReach Mountains, and the Northern Reaches of the Ashdod Dependency

  CHAPTER FOUR Palace of the First, Yoyette, Coroleas

  CHAPTER FIVE The FarReach Mountains

  CHAPTER SIX Palace of the First, Yoyette, Coroleas

  CHAPTER SEVEN The Southern Reaches of the FarReach Mountains

  CHAPTER EIGHT The Southern Reaches of the FarReach Mountains

  CHAPTER NINE The Town of Torinox, the Northern Borders of the FarReach Dependency

  CHAPTER TEN Palace of the First, Yoyette, Coroleas

  CHAPTER ELEVEN The Town of Torinox, the Northern Borders of the FarReach Dependency

  CHAPTER TWELVE Palace of the First, Yoyette, Coroleas

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN The Royal Palace, Ruen, Escator

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN The Royal Palace, Ruen, Escator

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN Palace of the First, Yoyette, Coroleas

  PART SIX

  CHAPTER ONE Northern Plains of Isembaard

  CHAPTER TWO Palace of the First, Yoyette, Coroleas

  CHAPTER THREE Northern Plains of Isembaard

  CHAPTER FOUR The Courtyard of the People, Yoyette, Coroleas

  CHAPTER FIVE The Widowmaker Sea, to the West of Escator

  CHAPTER SIX The River Lhyl, the Tyranny of Isembaard

  CHAPTER SEVEN The Widowmaker Sea, to the West of Escator

  CHAPTER EIGHT The Marshlands Outside Narbon, Escator

  CHAPTER NINE Crowhurst, the Far North

  CHAPTER TEN Venetia’s Hut in the Marshlands, Escator

  CHAPTER ELEVEN The Road Between Narbon and Deepend

  CHAPTER TWELVE Narbon, Escator

  PART SEVEN

  CHAPTER ONE Palace of Aqhat, Isembaard

  CHAPTER TWO Palace of Aqhat, Isembaard

  CHAPTER THREE Palace of Aqhat, Isembaard

  CHAPTER FOUR Deepend, and the Road from Deepend to the FarReach Mountains

  CHAPTER FIVE At the Foot of the FarReach Mountains

  CHAPTER SIX Palace of Aqhat, Isembaard

  CHAPTER SEVEN The Palace of Aqhat, Isembaard

  CHAPTER EIGHT The Palace of Aqhat, Isembaard

  CHAPTER NINE The Palace of Aqhat, Isembaard

  CHAPTER TEN Northern Isembaard

  CHAPTER ELEVEN The FarReach Mountains, Southern Kyros

  CHAPTER TWELVE The FarReach Mountains, Southern Kyros

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN The FarReach Mountains, Southern Kyros

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN The FarReach Mountains, Southern Kyros

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN The Palace of Aqhat, Isembaard

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN The Palace of Aqhat, Isembaard

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN DarkGlass Mountain, Isembaard

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN The Palace of Aqhat, Isembaard

  CHAPTER NINETEEN The Palace of Aqhat, Isembaard

  CHAPTER TWENTY The Palace of Aqhat, Isembaard

  PART EIGHT

  CHAPTER ONE The FarReach Mountains

  CHAPTER TWO The Palace of Aqhat, Tyranny of Isembaard

  CHAPTER THREE The Eastern Plains, Gershadi

  CHAPTER FOUR The Dependency of En-Dor, the Tyranny of Isembaard

  CHAPTER FIVE Sakkuth, Isembaard

  CHAPTER SIX Sakkuth, Isembaard

  CHAPTER SEVEN Sakkuth, Isembaard

  CHAPTER EIGHT Sakkuth, Isembaard

  CHAPTER NINE Sakkuth, Isembaard

  CHAPTER TEN Sakkuth, Isembaard

  CHAPTER ELEVEN Sakkuth, Isembaard

  CHAPTER TWELVE The Borderlands of Hosea

  PART NINE

  CHAPTER ONE Sakkuth, Isembaard

  CHAPTER TWO Salamaan Pass, Northern Kingdoms

  CHAPTER THREE Salamaan Pass, Northern Kingdoms

  CHAPTER FOUR Salamaan Pass, Northern Kingdoms

  CHAPTER FIVE Pelemere, the Northern Kingdoms

  CHAPTER SIX The Sky Peak Passes

  CHAPTER SEVEN The Sky Peak Passes

  CHAPTER EIGHT Entrance to the Sky Peak Passes, the Outlands

  CHAPTER NINE Entrance to the Sky Peak Pass, the Outlands

  CHAPTER TEN Entrance to the Sky Peak Passes, the Outlands

  GLOSSARY

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  OTHER BOOKS BY SARA DOUGLASS

  CREDITS

  COPYRIGHT

  A
BOUT THE PUBLISHER

  Map

  The Lands Beyond Tencendor

  The Legend of Chaos (Kanubai)

  In the beginning and for an infinity of time there was nothing but the darkness of Chaos, who called himself Kanubai. After a time Kanubai grew weary of his lonely existence and so he invited Light and Water to be his companions. Kanubai and Light and Water coexisted harmoniously, but one day Light and Water merged, just for an instant of time, but in that instant they conceived a child—Life.

  Kanubai was jealous of Life, for it was the child of the union of Light and Water and he had been excluded from that union. He set out to murder Life, to consume it with darkness, but Light and Water came to the defense of their child. Aided by a great mage, Light and Water defeated Kanubai in a terrible battle, and interred his remains in a deep abyss. They stoppered this abyss with a sparkling, life-giving river, which combined the best both of Light and of Water, and they hoped that Kanubai was trapped for all time.

  Trapped, but not extinguished. Every day Life was reminded of Kanubai’s continuing malignant presence by the descent of the night, when for the space of some hours the dark memory of Kanubai blanketed the land.

  Despite this daily sadness, Life prospered, and many creatures came into existence.

  For eons Kanubai lay trapped, able to do little more than darken each light-filled day with the reminder of his presence.

  But then, one day, something remarkable happened.

  Infinity visited.

  [ Part One ]

  CHAPTER ONE

  Margalit, the Outlands

  The eight-year-old girl crouched by the stone column in the atrium of her parents’ house. Clad only in a stained linen shift, she hugged her thin arms tightly about herself, her eyes wide and darting under her bedraggled and grimy fair hair.

  The house was cold and still, and the girl’s breath frosted as she hyperventilated.

  The foul liquid of rotting cadavers streaked her face and arms. For many days now the girl had crept about the house, seeking out the bodies of her parents (almost unrecognizable, four weeks after their death), rubbing the stinking, viscous liquid that had leaked from their flesh over her body, sucking it from her fingers.

  All she wanted was to die, too.

  It had been a bad month. Four weeks ago everyone in the house—save the little girl—had died within a day of the first person falling sick. Thirty-four people—not just the girl’s parents and siblings, but her three aunts, their husbands, their children, her grandmother, and the household’s servants as well—all dead from the plague.

  Just her, left alive.

  Outside gathered a frightened and angry crowd, neighbors as well as sundry other concerned citizens and council members of Margalit. They had blocked off all entrances to the house as soon as they realized plague had struck the household.

  In the initial days after everyone had died, the girl, Ishbel, screamed at the crowd outside for help, begging them to save her. She pressed her face against the glass of the windows and beat her small fists against the frames, but the hostile expressions on the faces of the crowd outside did not alter.

  They would not move to aid her.

  Instead, Ishbel heard cries demanding that the house be set alight, and all the corpses and their infection burned.

  She screamed at them again, begging them to allow her freedom.

  She wasn’t ill.

  She didn’t have the plague.

  Her skin was unmarked, her brow unfevered.

  “Please, please, let me out. Everyone is dead. I want to get out. Please…please…”

  The crowd outside had no mercy. They would not let her escape.

  Ishbel begged until she lost her voice and scraped away several of her fingernails on the wood of the front door.

  The crowd would not listen. No other house in Margalit had the plague. Just the Brunelle house. Its doors and windows would not be opened again. The house would never ring with life and laughter as once it had.

  When the girl was dead, they would burn the house, and all the corpses within it. Until then they would wait.

  Eventually Ishbel crept away from the windows and the cold, bolted doors. She could not bear the flat hostility in the eyes outside.

  All she wanted was comfort, and so she crept close to the corpse of her mother and cuddled up next to it.

  Her mother was very cold and smelled very bad, but even so Ishbel garnered some comfort from the contact with her body.

  Until the moment it began to whisper to her.

  Ishbel. Ishbel. Listen to us.

  Ishbel recoiled, terrified.

  Her mother’s corpse twitched, and it whispered again.

  Ishbel, Ishbel, listen to us. You must prepare—

  Ishbel screamed, over and over, her hands pressed against her ears, her eyes screwed shut, her body rolled into a tight ball in a corner of the room.

  Then the corpses of two of her aunts, which lay a few feet from her mother’s, also twitched and whispered.

  Ishbel, Ishbel, listen to us, our darling. Prepare, prepare, for soon the Lord of Elcho Falling shall walk again.

  A vision accompanied the horrifying whispers.

  A man, clothed in black, standing in the snow, his back to her.

  Darkness writhed about his shoulders.

  He sensed her presence, and turned his head a little, glancing at her from over his shoulder.

  Bleakness and despair, and desolation so extreme it was murderous, overwhelmed Ishbel’s entire world.

  The despair that engulfed her annihilated everything Ishbel had felt until now.

  The loss of her family, and her entrapment with their corpses, was as nothing to what this man dragged at his heels.

  Prepare, Ishbel, prepare for the coming of the Lord of Elcho Falling.

  After her mother, and her two aunts, every other corpse in the house twitched in the same mad, cold, macabre dance of death, and whispered until the words echoed about the house.

  Prepare, Ishbel, our darling, for the Lord of Elcho Falling shall walk again.

  The twitching corpses and the constant whispering drove Ishbel to the brink of insanity. She didn’t want to live. She had gone mad, here in this cold house of death, watching everyone she had ever loved putrefy before her eyes.

  Listening to their never-ending whispers.

  Prepare, our darling…for the Lord of Elcho Falling.

  She tried to starve herself, but one day she had weakened, sobbing, stuffing her mouth with moldy pastries from the kitchen.

  Then she found a knife, and drew it across her wrists, but was too weak to carve deeply, and too cowardly to bear the pain, so the blood just seeped from the thin cuts and Ishbel had not died.

  Finally, frantic, crazy, Ishbel had stuffed her ears full of wadding and crept close enough to rub the foul effluent from the cadavers of her parents over her body and face. Then she licked the foulness from her fingers, just to be sure. It made her retch and sob and then scream in horror, but she did it, because surely, surely, this way the plague would manage to take a grip in her body and kill her as mercifully fast as it had killed everyone else in her life.

  But all that had happened was that the scars on her wrists became infected, and wept a purulent discharge, and throbbed unbearably.

  Ishbel survived.

  Whenever she slept, she dreamed of the Lord of Elcho Falling, turning his head ever so slightly so that he could look at her over his shoulder, and engulfing her in sorrow and pain.

  She grew thin, her joints aching with the cold and with malnutrition, but she survived.

  Outside the crowds waited.

  Every so often Ishbel called out to them, letting them know she still existed within, because, no matter how greatly Ishbel wanted to die, she did not want to do so within an inferno.

  On this day, huddled in the atrium of the house, Ishbel began to dream about death. She looked at the great staircase that wound its way to the upper floors of the hous
e, and she wondered why she’d never before thought that all she needed to do was to climb to the top, then throw herself down.

  Very slowly, because she was now extremely weak, Ishbel crawled on her hands and knees toward the staircase. She was frail, and she would need to take it slowly to get to the top, but get there she would.