Broken by Magic: An Epic Fantasy Adventure (Dragon Gate Book 3), page 41
Vinjo looked over at her. Had he glimpsed her thoughts?
“Then Uthari can’t torture him,” she added.
Sorath looked wistful again, but he shook his head. “Uthari would send one of his zidarr to find me, and they likely could. Or he’d reach out telepathically and threaten those I care about to force me to come back.”
“What if they couldn’t find you, telepathically or otherwise?” Sasko removed the bracelet and held it up.
“You want to give away my freshly made clandestineness creeper?” Vinjo asked. “That’s to protect you.”
“I know, and I appreciate it, but I think Sorath needs it more.” Sasko suspected Sorath would refuse to take it if she gave him an option, so she walked over and dropped it in his lap.
Sorath picked it up and held it out, trying to give it back. Sasko scooted back and lifted her hands to show she wouldn’t take it.
“He’ll question one of you if I disappear,” Sorath protested.
Ferroki hesitated, perhaps thinking through the ramifications, then shrugged. “And we’ll tell him what happened. We’re afraid for you, and Sasko was willing to give up her jewelry to keep you safe. That we would protect you shouldn’t surprise him.”
“Vinjo would be blamed for creating this,” Sorath said. “Uthari destroyed the last one. I’m positive he didn’t want more made.”
“He didn’t tell me that.” Vinjo shrugged. “And if he tortures me, it’ll slow me down on building the magical components he wants made. Speaking of that, I better get back to work before anyone gives me any details about what the colonel might do if he disappears.” He bowed to them and left the tent.
“What the colonel should do is walk back to the coast and get a ride to another continent,” Ferroki said sternly.
Sorath hesitated. “Yes, that would be the wise course of action.” He nodded more firmly. “I’ll go back to the desert and finish my memoir.”
Ferroki exchanged an exasperated look with Sasko. Neither of them believed Sorath would do that, but if they didn’t know what he would do, they couldn’t reveal his plans if they were questioned.
Sasko hoped neither she nor Ferroki were tortured because of this. She was willing to give up the stealth device for Sorath, but she didn’t want to endure excruciating pain on his behalf.
“If you’re going to do it,” Ferroki said quietly, “you should do it soon. Before anyone rakes through our thoughts and learns you have this.”
“I know, but there’s one thing I’d like to do first.” Sorath reached up and touched her cheek. “If I go AWOL, I won’t be your commanding officer anymore.”
“No, you’ll be a scruffy rogue that Uthari’s people will shoot on sight.”
“Could you ever see yourself kissing such a person?”
“Perhaps.”
They held each other’s gazes for a long moment, then looked expectantly over at Sasko.
“I guess that means I should go hold Vinjo’s wrench for him,” she said.
“I think he’d like that,” Ferroki said.
“Oh, I have no doubt.”
22
Tezi crouched with the others near the broken window of their suite as a small candle burned just inside the doorway, the curtain pushed partially aside. The bare leg, sandaled foot, and tunic hem of one guard was visible outside. Thus far, he hadn’t glanced back and noticed the candle, but Tezi couldn’t tell if it was doing anything.
Next to her, Jak and Rivlen were staring intently at it. Making the scent waft out into the hallway, Rivlen had telepathically told them. Since Tezi couldn’t smell anything, she assumed it was working.
On her other side, Tinder and Fret crouched. Everyone had their packs, including Malek’s and Jadora’s packs, with their weapons close at hand. Not in hand, because if this worked, they were going to climb out the window instead of using the door.
At first, Tezi had wondered why they couldn’t exit through the broken window whether the guards were awake or not, but numerous mages had mentioned being able to sense dragon steel. Presumably, if she and her axe tried to leave the suite, the guards would sense it. They might also sense Jak, Rivlen, and the hatchling, since they all had magic.
The sandaled foot shifted as the guard leaned against the wall.
“It’s working,” Rivlen mouthed to Jak.
He nodded.
They’d become something akin to colleagues in the past few days. Rivlen had been sparring off and on with Tezi, to help her improve with her axe, but Rivlen, Jak, and Malek tended to speak telepathically to each other and train together frequently. Mages doing mage things. Tezi wondered if Jak recognized that he was being drawn into their world, becoming one of them.
It was none of her business, but the idea distressed her. Maybe because she’d received nothing but grief from mages. She hated the idea of him turning into one of them.
The hatchling’s tail flopped out of the sling on Jak’s chest. Tezi thought he might stir and make noise—the last thing they needed were tiny dragon roars alerting the guards when they were supposed to be dozing off—but the hatchling lay bundled on his back, his reptilian eyes closed. His eyelids. Tezi hadn’t noticed it before, but Shikari had them.
The guard’s knee bent as he slumped against the wall. A thud sounded. The other one falling down?
The one they could see slid further down the wall, grunted as his butt hit the floor, and dropped his hand down. He uttered a confused moan and started to push himself up, but he only ended up slumping lower. A second later, he tipped over, his shoulder thumping to the floor, his back visible through the curtain.
Rivlen pointed to the window and led the way out. Tezi went second, her axe strapped across her back with her pack, so her hands were free. They were several levels above the arena floor, so she doubted the climb would be simple.
Outside, the air was warm and pleasant, smelling of the sea. The sandy floor of the arena lay dark, and all except a few lamps in the seating areas were out, leaving plenty of shadows to hide their descent. They’d opted for this route since, unlike the corridors and stairways of the arena, there weren’t any guards out here.
Tezi climbed carefully in the dark, lowering herself like a spider until she poked her foot downward and there was nothing to rest it on. The wall dropped off—she’d reached a doorway that led out into the seating area or back into the corridors. Rivlen crouched below, waiting.
It didn’t look too far down, but the dark made the drop treacherous. Wishing she had more natural athleticism like Tinder, Tezi pushed herself away from the wall, spreading her arms and bending her knees as she dropped. She bumped something as she landed—a statue protruding from the wall next to the doorway—and almost pitched over.
Rivlen reached out and steadied her, then pointed for her to move out of the way. For some reason, it surprised Tezi that she’d helped, but she whispered a thank you and stepped aside so Jak could jump down next.
We’re going to work together to cleave Tonovan’s head off, remember? Rivlen spoke into her mind as the others came down one at a time.
Yes.
I can’t let you trip and fall on your axe.
That’s reassuring.
Despite the gruff words, Rivlen also helped Fret when she almost tumbled into the seats. Tezi didn’t think Rivlen had plans to take their doctor into a battle against Tonovan.
This way, Rivlen told them all, then trotted down the aisle to the low wall surrounding the arena. Without hesitating, she vaulted over it and disappeared from view as she landed silently in the sand.
Tezi gripped the wall and dropped down more carefully. Rivlen was already running to the big portcullis where the deadly magical creatures were released into the arena for each match.
“Uh.” When Tezi caught up, she pointed to two other doors—normal human-sized doors—accessible from the arena floor. “Shouldn’t we try one of those?”
I can sense guards in the corridors on the bottom floor, some near those doors, Rivlen said, sticking with telepathy and holding a finger to her lips. I think we’ll be less likely to encounter people back by the animal cages.
More like the monster cages. Tezi hadn’t seen anything yet that she would consider a simple animal. What if we encounter something that wants to eat us?
Bop it on the nose with your big axe. Rivlen reached out to touch the portcullis and peer into the shadows behind it.
The starlight didn’t reach through the bars, and Tezi had no idea if any creatures were waiting for them. What if, instead of cages, everything milled about together in a pen back there?
You may need to bop these bars. They’re magical. Rivlen tapped the portcullis and eyed Tezi’s axe. Magical and strong. I guess that makes sense, since those animals are all magical. The wardens—or whatever they call themselves—wouldn’t want the creatures ripping the bars open and escaping into the arena prematurely.
The others had caught up, and Jak gazed toward one of the wooden doors, perhaps having similar thoughts to Tezi.
It’s going to make noise if I hit them with my axe, she pointed out.
I know. That’s not ideal. If we’re caught before we get Malek and Jadora out, there’s no way we’ll have a chance of escaping. He’s got the only intact disc-thing. Rivlen waved at her temple. Which may be required for us to escape the city barrier.
Rivlen gripped the bars with both hands and spread her legs, as if she would tear them apart with brute force. But she only glared at them, applying magic instead of muscle.
Seconds passed with nothing happening. Tezi wondered how long the guards would be unconscious. They’d left the candle burning, but without a mage whisking the scent out into the corridor, it might stop affecting them.
Jak rested a hand on Rivlen’s shoulder. Tezi assumed it was merely a show of support, but Rivlen inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, as if she were drawing from deep reserves.
Metal groaned, and she bent a bar upward. She pushed another one downward, then shifted two bars to the sides. Her manipulation of them made enough room for a person to crawl through the gap.
Jak lowered his hand. Rivlen looked back, held his gaze, and nodded. They only looked at each other for a moment, but a weird little magical charge seemed to hang in the air between them.
Mages.
I’ll lead. Rivlen pulled herself through the gap first.
As Tezi followed, she noticed Jak peering back toward their suite, or maybe the one above it? She hoped the sleeping guards hadn’t been discovered.
Straw littered the ground inside, crunching faintly under Tezi’s boots, and the air smelled like a stable. The opening of a wide dark passageway was visible in the back of the staging area. Faint growls and the smacking of lips came from that direction.
Jak joined Rivlen at the front of their group, and they led the rest into the passageway. Even though Tezi couldn’t sense magic, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up as they advanced into the compound. Somehow, she intuited how powerful the creatures housed within were—and that they knew her group was coming.
There weren’t any lamps, but the walls glowed a faint green as the passageway opened up on the sides, revealing something more like rooms than cages, with magical barriers for walls instead of bars.
Movement to one side made Tezi jump. A quilled feline similar to the creature Malek had battled prowled within the confines of an enclosure, yellow eyes glowing as they focused on her.
Tezi tightened her grip on her axe. She would have preferred the creatures be behind bars, solid and immutable, not something that could go up or down with a hand wave from a mage.
Soft protesting squawks came from Shikari as he peered out of his sling and into the enclosures. Jak made soft, soothing noises and tried to pet him, like one might a kitten or a puppy. The hatchling chewed on his sleeve.
Well, as long as he was doing that, he wasn’t making noise.
They came to an intersection between four enclosures holding four growling or hissing creatures that watched them. Sturdy metal double doors were set into the cement floor.
Jak pointed and spoke telepathically so they could all hear—Tezi hadn’t realized he could do that. This might lead out of the arena and maybe out of the city.
It could also lead into a zoo or heavily secured area inside the city, Rivlen replied.
I think it’s our best bet for getting out. The arena entrances will have guards.
We’ll see what Malek says when we get him. He’ll know the area down here better than we do.
Agreed. Jak peered down one of the tunnels. I think I hear people’s voices in that direction.
“Let’s hope one of them belongs to Malek,” Tezi whispered.
“I doubt it,” Tinder muttered. “He’s not very chatty.”
“I hope one of them belongs to Jadora,” Fret said. “She’s the one I’d hate to leave here.”
Jak frowned at them, though Tezi didn’t know if it was because they were speaking aloud—it wasn’t as if the mercenaries had the option to speak telepathically—or because they were denigrating his new mentor. He didn’t say, only heading off in that direction.
There are a couple of guards up ahead. Rivlen pointed to a T-intersection, two cells sunken into the wall on the far side visible, the lighting a little brighter up there. The cells were smaller than the animal enclosures. Rooms for the fighters? I can’t sense the gladiators, since none of them are magical, but I sense magical weapons and two guards with power, one in each direction up there. Rivlen gestured to the left and right passages.
We’ll try to take them by surprise, Jak replied.
Rivlen stopped and gripped his shoulder. The auras of all the creatures may be hiding us for the moment, but if we can sense the guards, they’ll sense us as we get closer.
We’ll have to fight then. I don’t see that we have a choice.
And they’ll alert their buddies, and we’ll never get out of the arena. Don’t we have any more candles? Rivlen pointed to one of the two packs she had slung over her back. It belonged to Jadora.
Jak hesitated. Yes. But if they’ll sense us, who’s going to place the candles?
Rivlen looked frankly at Tinder and Tezi.
Fret looked relieved that nobody looked at her. Tezi didn’t blame her.
I can do it, Tezi thought, hoping Rivlen was monitoring her thoughts, but won’t they sense my axe?
A lot of the gladiators in the cells have magical weapons. Rivlen waved. Unless the guards are paying sharp attention and notice it on the move, you should be fine.
Tezi frowned. What if the guards were paying sharp attention?
As Jak pulled two candles out of Jadora’s backpack, Tezi thought about leaving her axe with him, but if she was discovered and had to fight, she wanted the powerful weapon with her.
Jak handed one candle to Tezi and one to Tinder, pointing to indicate that they should split up and each set one as close to the guards as possible without being detected. Since the cells were full of gladiators, the voices promising that not all of them were sleeping, Tezi was skeptical that would be possible.
We’ll come right after you and help if you’re discovered, Rivlen told them.
Tinder grimaced, but if she had a response, it was in her head, and Tezi didn’t hear it.
As soon as we light the candles, you’ll have to hold your breath so that you won’t be affected. Place them close to the guards and back away before inhaling. It doesn’t have to be right under their feet. We can waft the air toward them. Jak nodded toward Rivlen, who was apparently the air-wafter.
Tezi eyed the intersection, doubting she would be able to hold her breath as long as this would take, but she nodded. She would do her best.
Ready? Rivlen held up a finger.
Wait until our people are almost out of sight to light the candles, Jak suggested. So they have more time to breathe.
“Breathing is good,” Tinder muttered.
Rivlen waved for them to go.
Tezi and Tinder headed toward the intersection, shoulder to shoulder, their weapons in one hand and the candles in the other. Groans reached their ears from down one of the passages, and Tezi remembered that Jadora had been taken off to be Malek’s prize. She hoped they weren’t the ones groaning and were instead ready to be broken out of their cell.
Just before Tezi and Tinder reached the intersection, Rivlen warned, Hold your breath.
Tezi inhaled deeply. The candle in her hand lit.
She peered around the corner. The passageway was empty in both directions, save for the gladiators trapped behind barriers, but there was a larger open area off to the left beyond the cells. A guard room? She hoped so.
Tinder headed toward a similar open area in the opposite direction.
Hoping none of the gladiators were watching the corridor, Tezi hurried off, careful not to make a sound. Most of the men she passed were sleeping. A couple had sex partners, but they were under the blankets with their attention occupied. Nobody was watching the corridor.
Tezi almost breathed a sigh of relief but remembered not to exhale. Her lungs were already protesting that, so she picked up her pace.
She almost missed noticing Jadora and Malek in one of the cells. They sat side by side on a bunk, Malek bare-chested and Jadora naked under a blanket she’d wrapped around herself. Thankfully, they weren’t engaged in sex, though Malek had an arm around her back, and she was leaning her head against his shoulder. Had their expressions been more relaxed or ebullient, Tezi might have thought they’d engaged in it earlier, but they looked tense and miserable.
Malek spotted Tezi and nudged Jadora. She noticed the candle right away.
With her lungs aching for air, Tezi couldn’t stop to pantomime a message to them. She only nodded, hoping to convey that she would return, and kept going.
When she reached the last cell in the corridor, the larger open room only ten feet ahead, she heard rustling and a sigh come from it. The guard?
Not wanting to risk getting closer with her magical axe, Tezi set down the candle. Hopefully, that was close enough for the air-wafting plan.
