Jan Siegel - The witch queen

The Witch
Queen

Jan Siegel

Ballantine Books
New York

Table of Contents

Glossary

Boros (Boor-ross) Possibly derived from Boreas, the Greek name for the North Wind.

Bradachin (Brad-da-chin) From the Scots Gaelic meaning little thief. The ch is pronounced as in loch.

Cerne (Sern) The antlered god also known as Herne, Lord of the Hunt. This name, one of many, comes from Cernus, a Celtic deity about whom little is known.

Cthorn (K-thorn) An obscure name that may have some connection with the Greek chthonos, earth. Gods of the underworld are often referred to as chthonic.

Dibbuck (Dib-buk) Presumably from the Hebrew dybbuk, an evil spirit that possesses a living body, though why a house-goblin should acquire such a name is not clear. Perhaps he was considered to possess the house.

Eriost (Eri-osst) This may be a corruption of Eros, or from the Greek eris, strife. The other names mentioned for this spirit seem to come from a variety of sources. Vallorn is from valiant; Idunor from Iduna, the Norse goddess of youth; Sifril may also be Norse (Thors wife was Sif of the Golden Hair); Teagan is a Welsh name meaning beautiful; Maharac sounds like a spirit name, possibly of Indian origin; Varli may connect with Vali the Slayer.

Lopana Pthaia (Lay-oh-pa-na P-thai-a) Lopana is from the Latin mean leopardess or lioness; Pthaia is possibly from the Greek pythoness, or the Atlantean that predates it: pyth, seer.

Mallebolg (Mal-leh-bolg)

Morgus (Moor-guss) Also called Morgause or Morgawse, the half sister of Arthur. Her sibling Morgun (Morgana, Morgan Le Fay) is better known to common legend.

Nehemet (Neh-heh-met) The name sounds Egyptian, a land in which cats were revered and (it is thought) first domesticated. Bastet was the cat goddess.

Nimw (Nim-way) Also spelt Nimu, an enchantress who was in love with Merlin.

Oedaphor (Ee-da-foor) Probably from Greek, this could relate to oidema, swelling.

Pangaea (Pan-gae-a) Gaia was the Greek earth goddess; pan is a prefix meaning everything.

Skaetha (Skay-tha) There may be a connection with Skuld the Vola in the Edda, the seeress who foretold the battle of Ragnarok.

Skuldunder (Skul-dun-da) This sounds like an uncomplimentary nickname of human origin, similar to dunderhead, meaning stupid.

Sleer Bronaw (Slee-a Broh-noor) A corruption of the Scots Gaelic sleagh, spear, and bron, grief.

Sysselore (Siss-se-loor) See The Dragon Charmer.

Ysis-Astolant (Ey-siss Ass-toh-lan-tay) Isis was the Egyptian moon goddess; Astolant is probably derived from the Assyrian Ishtar, or Ashtoreth.

PRAYER

Ah, once I lived my life in every breath,

I gave my first love to a unicorn

and rode the shadows on the edge of death

and pierced my heart with his enchanted horn.

I saw the mountains soar ice-white, cloud-tall,

and moonfoam on an endless waterfall,

and felt the petals of my flesh unfold,

and mountains, waterfalls, and heartbeats rolled

down long blue valleys to a distant sea.

Oh Lord, even the pain was dear to me,

if Lord there be.

And now my life is filled with little things,

little moments crowding little days,

my thought has shackles where it once had wings

and narrow vistas overstretch my gaze,

and daily work, and daily growing care

trundle me down the road to God-knows-where

if God is there.

I fear the hour when the world turns gray

and in the hollow midnight try to pray;

mountains and waterfalls have flowed away

leaving me nothing much to say,

nothing but questions, till my thought run dry

I ask and ask, but never hear reply:

Is there a dream to set my spirit free?

In all the dead void of eternity

is there a Godand Loveand Phantasy

or only me?

Is there Another, Lord, or can there be

no God but me?

A Del Rey Book

Published by The Ballantine Publishing Group

Copyright 2002 by Jan Siegel

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by The Ballantine Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto. Originally published in Great Britain as Witchs Honour by Voyager, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. in 2002.

Del Rey is a registered trademark and the Del Rey colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.

Jan Siegel hereby asserts her moral rights to be identified as the author of this work.

www.delreydigital.com

Library of Congress Control Number: 2002105198

Interior illustrations by Eric Peterson

eISBN: 978-0-345-45481-2

v3.0

EPILOGUE:
Exit Third Witch

It was Christmas Eve. Fern had been to a party with Dane Hunter, and joined Will and Gaynor for dinner, and had one digestif too many and sung carols out of tune and returned to her flat almost happy, almost sad. She and Dane would spend Christmas Day together, but she had told him that tonight she needed to be alone. She didnt say why, and he wasnt satisfied, but he left her with a smile and a kiss, not a quarrel, because he had always sensed that certain fragility about her, the burden of secrets she would not tell. She had entrusted the red file to Gaynorafter all, manuscripts were her area of expertiseexplaining to her and Will what she intended to do. Now she sat in the drawing room with a single candle and a glass of cognac, playing a compilation of seasonal songs by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole and waiting for the hour to strike. It was barely eleven: she had time yet. Time to think, to regret, to relive all those bittersweet moments just once more. But instead her mind planed on nothingness, vacant if not at ease. Beside her, a folded newspaper told her Kaspar Walgrims case would come up for trial next year. He had an expensive lawyer and high-level contacts; she doubted he would get a long sentence. Dana Walgrim had gone to Australia and engaged herself to a beach bum. No one had ever found any trace of Luc.

Soon it will be over, she thought, and the ghoulies and ghosties will go back in the shadows, and I will live out my life in the light, even if it is an artificial light. She remembered God in His blue cape, sitting on the grass to chat, and hoped He at least would not be lost to her. He had seemed a kindly God, a comfortable God; she would like to know more of Him. And maybe, when her time came to pass the Gate, He would open the locked door in her soul, and she would have Atlantis again, and the unicorn would be there, waiting to take her home. She could not knowyou could never knowbut she must hold on to her faith, because soon faith would be all that remained. All the memoriesthe passionthe darkness and the magiceverything would be gone.

She found she had drained her glass, and replenished it, just a little way. Twas the night before Christmas, she quoted to herself, and all through the house, Not a creature was stirring... But beside the curtain, something stirred. A burglar. A goblin burglar in a crooked hat, with a sprig of holly stuck through the brim. And because he was werefolkthe last she would ever knowbecause it was Christmas, because of the holly in his hat, Fern was more than pleased to see him. Her highness sends you greeting, he said, and wishes you a merry Yuletide.