Of Blood and Fire, page 26
And right now, I didn’t have a whole lot of strength left, be it physical or fire.
I rubbed my arms uneasily, the heat in my fingers sending sparks skittering along my borrowed coat. “I’ll go fetch the receiver now.”
Garran nodded. “Make sure your guard is in that room before you enter, just to be safe.”
I smiled grimly. “Trust me, anyone I do not know will be surrounded in a wall of fire so fierce their fucking skin will start peeling.”
“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” Neera murmured.
I glanced at her grimly but left without comment, taking the stairs two at a time and running around to my room. The door guard acknowledged me with a salute, his eyes a little wide at the flames flickering across my hand, then opened the door.
I didn’t immediately enter. “Janis? Report.”
She appeared in the doorway and saluted. “Nothing to report, Commander. There has been no entry into the room aside from the guard delivering your items since you both left.”
“Thanks.” I entered, grabbed the receiver, and switched the thing on. After a couple of seconds, a soft bleeping began, and the arrow in the center of the screen shifted, pointing a few degrees to the west.
Relieved, I switched it off to conserve the magic that powered it, tucked it into my coat pocket, and then stripped off my harness, backpack, bow, and knife sheath. Aric would think it suspicious if I was wearing it empty, and I wanted him to do nothing more than see and savor his victory over me before I handed him defeat.
I walked back out and spotted Garran, the Prioress, and half a dozen soldiers striding toward me.
“That didn’t take long,” I said, surprised.
“Four witches for a simple spell does speed things up.” She stopped in front of me. “You must not touch the knife before you confront Aric; doing so will delete the spell and make it visible again. Had we more time... Anyway, you also must ensure the blade is secure in Damon’s flesh. I would suggest aiming for his shoulder or thigh—both are easier targets than an arm and will cause less damage than a gut wound.”
“Unless I hit a main artery and he bleeds out,” I muttered.
“Do not hit an artery,” she advised. “Turn around.”
I did so. She raised my coat and tucked the blade under my belt at the back of my pants.
“And the ring?” I said, turning back around.
She handed it to me. Energy stirred across its stony surface, then faded away. I slid it over my finger and glanced at Garran. “You’re obviously planning to come in after me, but you shouldn’t. Esan needs you alive.”
His smile was coldly determined. “Nothing and no one will stop me, however ill-advised it may be.”
“Garran—”
“Bryn,” he cut in brusquely. “Esan can afford to lose another king more than she can our drakkon queen. I am leading the retrieval team whether you like it or not.”
“And I will be with them,” the Prioress said mildly. “If your mission fails and both you and Damon are killed, then my fury will rain down on Aric so swiftly, he will pray for Vahree to take his soul.”
A tiny piece of me relaxed. Garran was a fine fighter and with six men could no doubt cope with any physical traps that might await—but the Prioress’s presence all but guaranteed survival against any non-physical traps there might be.
“Fine,” I said. “Just make sure you keep far enough back that he doesn’t hear you.”
“None of us are stupid, Bryn.”
“No, but it nevertheless makes me feel better to put it out there.”
We entered the thermae, and my gaze was instantly drawn to Damon’s dusty old boots sitting neatly under the bench, alone and forgotten. I drew in a deeper breath and released it slowly in an effort to ease the rising tide of anxiety, but failed miserably. We made our way around the dividing wall to the section that held the towels, robes, soaps, etcetera, as well as the side door for staff to use. The tunnel entrance lay on the rear wall, and while the light from the room barely lit the entrance, that was enough to reveal it was a reasonable width. Even so, given Damon’s size and weight, it was pretty obvious Aric hadn’t overtaken Damon alone, let alone dragged him through Túxn only knew how many miles of tunnel.
“Any luck, Rishi?” Garran asked.
The burly, middle-aged man nodded. “The weight of three lies to the northwest—two near a large body of water. There is also an odd deadness in the ground to the left side of where they stand that I cannot see past.”
“Another earth witch?” I asked.
“Most likely, given there is little other reason for the particular patch of ground to be sterile when the rest is not. I doubt it’s one of ours, though. Their energy is unusual.”
“‘Unusual’ is one description of Makki’s energy, but it can’t be him. Damon sent his ass back to West Arleeon days ago.”
“I am not familiar with General Makki’s energy,” Rishi said. “But as I said, this energy is not a native one.”
I glanced at Garran. “Do you know if any of his men are missing? Aside from Makki?”
“Those restrained in the main barracks remain, but it’s totally possible Aric had already sent men into the tunnels by the time you and Damon confronted him.”
Given the man was a master of forward planning, it really wouldn’t surprise me. I glanced back to Rishi. “Sorry, please continue.”
He smiled. “There is a long, narrow tunnel entrance that leads from the lake cavern, and the third man waits near its entrance, which lies about a third of a mile off the main exodus tunnel into East Arleeon. It is extremely narrow, little more than a quake fracture in the wall.”
Meaning no doubt that third man would attack the minute I’d squeezed through. Or try to, because unless he was well-protected against flames, his ass was ash. I accepted the light tube Garran handed me, gripping it tightly as I stepped into the tunnel and looked both ways. Darkness dominated in either direction.
“Head left from here,” Rishi said. “Follow the right tunnel at all intersections until you reach an intersection of three. Take the middle—it will lead you to the main exodus tunnel. Head left from there until you reach the stalactites, then move into the military zone influx tunnel that lies to the right there. The lake entrance will be on your left.”
I nodded, glanced one more time at Garran, then moved on. The tube’s light played across the tunnel’s black walls, making it appear that thousands of tiny stars danced ahead of me. The ground underfoot was smooth and even, but that wasn’t surprising if this tunnel had been created for past monarchs. Couldn’t have royal toes being stubbed, after all.
Once I’d moved past the tunnel that Makki had used to get into my room, the floor and walls got rougher but remained wide enough for me to keep a good pace. I quickly came across my first cross tunnel and went right, as directed, then dug the receiver out of my pocket and flicked it on. The arrow wavered for a few seconds and then settled on a northwest point. I was going in the right direction.
The air temperature increased the deeper into the mountain I went, and sweat started trickling down my spine and forehead. As much as I wanted to, I didn’t take my jacket off, simply because it was protecting my arms and shoulders from the occasional section where a rockfall—no doubt caused by the tremors that continued to plague this area—had severely narrowed the tunnel. I soon lost all track of time in this world of darkness and dancing stars, but did, after what seemed like ages, finally reach the three-pronged intersection. I jumped over the small stream, slid briefly on a dark patch of moss I hadn’t seen, then caught my balance and headed into the middle tunnel. It, like the previous one, was unexpectedly wide, making me suspect that at some point in our history, before the presence of these tunnels had been forgotten, an earth mage had been sent in here to work on them.
I eventually reached the evacuation tunnel that ran from Esan into the East Arleeon foothills. It was semicircular in shape and wide enough to comfortably accommodate the bovine-drawn carts that would be used for the evacuees who couldn’t walk. I stopped in the middle of it and swept the tube’s light to the right, seeing nothing, hearing nothing. Nor could I sense anything hiding in the shadows beyond the light’s reach, and yet instinct stirred uneasily. Rishi had only sensed three weights, but it would be pretty easy for someone to hide their presence if they remained closer to the evac caverns.
Aric knew what I was, what I was capable of. He wouldn’t take the chance of me being willing to kill Damon in an effort to take him out. He’d have backup, even if it was only a couple of extra men.
I swept the light across the darkness one more time, the sense that I wasn’t alone growing stronger.
Use my sight, Kaia commented. I see for you. Done before.
That we had, but generally when I was flying with her. You’re not physically here. It won’t work.
Try.
I took a deeper breath, smelling the sweat, fear, and frustration that rode me, then deepened the link between us. The cavern spun briefly around me but quickly righted as her presence in my mind became more dominant. My gaze narrowed, the two of us as one as we stared into the darkness.
No see, she said after a moment. Need my eyes, not yours.
The queen is not always right, it would appear, I said, amused.
She harrumphed. Should flame.
I’m running low on fire, Kaia—
Know. Use my fire.
You may need it—
I fed, now rest. Use my fire.
It was an order, not a suggestion. I rolled my eyes, deepened our link, then mentally reached into the flaming heart of her, where the tempest of her flames burned, and drew them forth. Fire surged through our link, thick and fierce and angry, and I quickly raised a hand to unleash it. Flesh was not meant to contain such a force for very long. A mass of fiery energy leapt from my fingers, forming an orb as it tumbled down the tunnel, growing ever wider, ever angrier, until it spanned from wall to wall.
Footsteps fleeing, then screams that quickly fell into silence. The fiery wall faded, leaving me in darkness aside from the starry light coming from the tube.
I stay linked, Kaia said. May need more flames.
I didn’t argue. I may have drawn on her strength rather than mine, but the fires had still channeled through a body that was reaching its limits of strength and endurance.
I turned left and strode on, quickly coming across what amounted to a forest of stalactites hanging from the ceiling, though the tunnel floor remained smooth and clear. I stopped again, sweeping the light across the wall to my right and spotting the smaller tunnel. My footsteps echoed as I moved in, no doubt alerting the man who waited at the entrance long before the light did. The inner tension climbed with every step I took.
I found the fracture and stopped; when Rishi had said it was narrow, he hadn’t been kidding. How they’d squeezed Damon through, I had no idea, because the rough rock was definitely going to shred my coat as I squashed through.
Of course, given there was likely an earth mage waiting in the dead spot, it was also possible this entrance had been deliberately narrowed to inconvenience me and make the task of ambushing me that much easier.
I tossed the light tube into the tunnel; it bounced on the hard black stone and rolled several feet farther on, casting crazy shadows across the walls and floor. There was no response from whoever waited on the other side. He was as silent as a ghost; I couldn’t even hear him breathing.
But he was there. Of that, I had no doubt.
Burn, Kaia said.
I smiled and took her advice, this time making sure there was no chance to scream. As the flames snuffed out, darkness fell, and I shook my head at my own stupidity. I’d forgotten to narrow the blanket and had melted the damn light tube.
I created a small fire orb and cast it into the tunnel, then eyed the narrow entrance critically, trying to find the easiest was through without any of the razor-sharp stone teeth that conveniently lined its rim cutting into my coat and down into skin. Unfortunately, there was no such thing as a path of least resistance. I sighed, then turned sideways and carefully pushed through. The teeth did indeed make short work of the coat, but, despite the odd trickle of warmth, didn’t slice down into my flesh as badly as I’d feared. To the left of the entrance, close to the wall, was a small pile of ashes. Humans really didn’t amount to much when flesh and bone were cindered.
I glanced at the deeper darkness still crowding the end of the tunnel, then raised my voice and said, “Nice try at ambushing, Aric.”
A chuckle rolled up toward me. “I guess it was too much to hope you’d be caught so easily. Come on down, Bryn, or your dear husband will pay the price.”
“How do I know he’s even alive?”
“Oh, he is, I assure you. Suffering, but alive.”
“Forgive me if I refuse to take your word for it, Aric, but deceit is one of your strong points.”
He chuckled again. A few seconds later, Damon said, “Here, drugged, in noose.”
Fury rolled through me, but I clenched my fists, digging my nails into my palm in an effort to maintain control. Aric wanted me rattled and angry because he wanted me to act rashly—it was the only possible reason for him allowing Damon to give me that much information.
Well, two could play that particular game.
“Please, do continue on down the tunnel,” he added. “We await your royal presence.”
And my royal presence couldn’t wait to burn his ass.
I pushed my orb out to the limit of my range, sweeping it from side to side as I did to ensure there was no one else in this tunnel. It might not hold all that much heat, but it could certainly set hair or clothes on fire.
I walked on. “I have a question for you, Aric.”
“Do you now?” Amusement laced his reply. “Then by all means, ask.”
“Are you working with the Mareritt and the riders?”
He laughed. “What insanity makes you ask a question such as that?”
The orb’s light now washed across the entrance into their cavern, but I couldn’t yet see them. “Your actions have led many in Esan to believe it so, especially after your fortuitous return so soon after our war room had been blown up.”
“Gayl foresaw it. It was too good an opportunity to waste.”
Anger ripped through me, but I somehow resisted the urge to unleash my flames. I needed to be closer. Needed to watch his ass burn close up rather than from a distance. “I don’t suppose you thought, even for a second, to warn my parents?”
“I don’t suppose I did.”
“Then, in many respects, you utterly deserve what has now happened, Aric, even if your people don’t.”
“And what might that be?”
I drew my sword. “Zephrine has been attacked, and your city burns.”
He laughed. “Do you truly think I would believe such a lie? I was in constant contact with my son, and they have seen no sign of the riders or indeed even the Mareritt.”
“You’ve been in these tunnels for days, Aric, and I know for a fact quill pens do not work this deep in the mountains. The riders never truly intended to hit Esan; their target was always Zephrine—the Rayabar we captured confirmed it. Apparently, they have already divided the spoils of war.”
“You lie.” It was ground out, disbelieving.
“I have no reason to lie, as it will not change what happens here tonight. A good third of your city has either been destroyed or lies under the rubble of multiple landslides.”
“Not possible,” he growled. “We were ready for them.”
“You ordered the fortress walls fortified, Aric, not the entirety of the city.”
I was close to the end of the tunnel now; light danced warmly across the lake’s shoreline, but I remained unable to see either him or Damon or even the earth mage hiding in the dead zone. I had no doubt that he—and whoever else might wait there—would attack the minute I stepped into that cavern.
“Drop your sword, Bryn. Now.”
I didn’t. I just kept on walking, tension rising, knuckles white.
Aric sighed. “Do what I say, or I will kill him.”
“No, you won’t, because he’s the only thing standing between you and death.”
I stopped a foot away from the entrance, pushed the orb deeper into the cavern, then brightened it, needing to see exactly what I was facing and where the two of them were. Warm light speared the shadows, revealing the sheer enormity of the lake and a stark, almost cathedral-like space surrounding it. Directly opposite, on a natural podium of stone, were Aric and Damon, the father behind the son, just as the Prioress had predicted. Damon’s hands and feet were tied, but there was also a thin strip of metal looped around his neck, tight enough to bruise and perhaps even restrict his breathing without drawing blood. A second but obviously very strong strip of metal ran from that to a boulder sitting very unnaturally on the edge of the dais. If it fell, it would drag Damon into the water.
Aric’s grip appeared to be the only thing stopping that from happening.
The bastard had countered the possibility of me cindering his black soul.
Not came Kaia’s comment. Metal melt, black rock melt.
Yes, but it would take a wider blanket of flame to make that happen, and I was already pushing my strength. But I’d rather risk collapse than the possibility of Damon drowning.
“As you can now see, you cannot burn me without also cindering him. Note also that he is tied to a very large and conveniently round rock,” Aric replied. “Try anything untoward, and I release the leash, the rock drops, and it will drag him in. The lake, by the way, slopes steeply away from our position. You will not save him before he drowns. Now, throw out your sword.”
Don’t, trap, earth mage here.
The words whispered into my soul, etched with pain and weariness, and my heart ached for him.
I know.
I unbuckled my sword and tossed it into the cavern. It clattered heavily on the black stone, sliding forward several feet before coming to a stop close to the edge of the lake. Which was just as well, because Túxn only knew I couldn’t swim well enough to rescue it from the depths if it had dropped in.
