Taste of Darkness
Page 75
Odd asked, “What can I do?”
“Save the...” I gestured to the girl next to me.
“Sorry, Avry. She’s dead. What else can I do?”
“Wait.”
“For what?”
I opened my eyes and met his gaze.
“Oh.” He sat back on his heels. “That’s unacceptable.” Odd took my hand.
He wasn’t a magician, so he didn’t have any power to share, but his presence soothed me. I closed my eyes.
“Do you know about Kerrick’s...er...problem?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry for giving the guy a hard time about disappearing. That’s rough. He should be here instead of me. I can’t help you. Well, except to ramble on, trying to keep you awake. Avry, are you still with me?”
“Yes.”
“Good. ’Cause if you die, Kerrick’s going to kill me. Probably strangle me with some vines. Or have a tree fall on top of me. Or feed me to a Death Lily.”
I shook my head.
“Easy for you to say. You didn’t see his face when he couldn’t come in here with me. Too bad that he’s missing out on this...unique smell, and I hear soaking in sewer water is great for the skin. My butt’s going to be baby soft.”
Despite the burning pain, I smiled at Odd’s well-meaning prattle.
A vibration rippled the water. I squeezed Odd’s hand, shushing him. The distant sound of boots clattered on the stone. Odd extinguished the lantern.
“Company,” Odd whispered, letting go of my hand.
I opened my eyes. Blackness pressed on me. As the drumming grew louder a faint light filled the tunnels. Odd stood in front of me. He held his sword, but the tip of the blade pointed down.
“This way,” a voice called.
“Keep up,” another said.
The light brightened, filling the main tunnel and leaking into ours. Would they spot us?
Odd pressed against the wall. “Don’t move.”
That wouldn’t be a problem. The brightness and sound increased in small jumps. Each time I blinked, it seemed they’d hopped closer. A few minutes ago I wouldn’t have cared if I was discovered, but I still struggled to breathe. The searing pain was a good sign. And of course, I didn’t want Odd caught.
When the torches came into view, I flinched. Two priests held them close to the ground, illuminating the obvious tracks of two thousand plus people. Hopefully, they wouldn’t notice the few heading in this direction.
The priests paused, sweeping the torches back and forth. I longed to stifle my rasping. With his dark uniform, Odd blended in. And the filthy muck coated my exposed skin and stained my brown robe black. Perhaps they’d view me as a lump of discarded garbage. It matched how I felt.
After a lifetime, they moved on. They streamed past the entrance to our tunnel. Not as many as I’d expected. Had they sent others aboveground? Would they rally their troops to get between the women and the border?
“Avry? Still with me?” Odd whispered.
“Yes.”
“Can I pick you up? We really need to get out of here.”
“Jael,” I said.
“General Jael? What about her?”
“She’s here.”
Odd cursed. “All the more reason to leave.”
“Let me try.” Since there was nothing wrong with my legs, I tucked them under me, then pushed with my arms to straighten. Every inch of my chest flared with such pain, I gasped.
Odd reached under my arms and lifted me to my feet. I yowled. My world spun and my legs refused to hold me up. If Odd hadn’t kept his grip, I would have toppled.
“Guess I can’t carry you over my shoulder,” Odd said.
“No. Give me...a minute.”
“Hell, Avry, you’re gonna need a few days. Sorry about this.” He adjusted his grip, sweeping me into his arms like a baby.
Pain pulsed to my extremities and back again. Noise and sensations faded to a buzz and I might have blacked out. Hard to tell when inside a pitch-dark tunnel.
“Can you see?” I asked Odd once I regained my senses.
“No.”
“Then how—”
“Hush, I’m counting steps.”
Oh. A rubbing sound accompanied a slight vibration along his left arm. His shoulder must be in contact with the wall. Smart.
After a while, I dozed in his arms. When he stopped to rest, I was jolted awake.
“Still with me?” he asked.
“Yes.” I drew half a gulp of air. “And I think I’m past the danger.”
Odd squeezed me to his chest. “Thank the creator.”
I yelped. “Still in lots of pain, though.”
“Oh, sorry.” He relaxed his arms.
“I can try to walk.”
“No.”
“Worried about those vines?” I teased.
“No,” Odd said in a flat tone.
I longed to see his expression. After a few more minutes, Odd lurched to his feet and continued. He navigated with confidence. Impressive, considering he hated tunnels.
Fresh air laced with the scent of living green roused me. Odd slowed, probably thinking the same thing as me. Where was Jael? And what did Kerrick do when the priests had exited the duct? I hoped he’d stayed hidden, avoiding them both. But he might have attacked them in order to protect the escaping women.
My pain forgotten, I worried about Kerrick. “Careful.”
Odd crept to the edge and peeked out, then grunted in either admiration or in disbelief. He stepped clear. The weak rays of dawn shone on the priests all trapped in vines. They struggled and shouted to no avail.
“Save the...” I gestured to the girl next to me.
“Sorry, Avry. She’s dead. What else can I do?”
“Wait.”
“For what?”
I opened my eyes and met his gaze.
“Oh.” He sat back on his heels. “That’s unacceptable.” Odd took my hand.
He wasn’t a magician, so he didn’t have any power to share, but his presence soothed me. I closed my eyes.
“Do you know about Kerrick’s...er...problem?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry for giving the guy a hard time about disappearing. That’s rough. He should be here instead of me. I can’t help you. Well, except to ramble on, trying to keep you awake. Avry, are you still with me?”
“Yes.”
“Good. ’Cause if you die, Kerrick’s going to kill me. Probably strangle me with some vines. Or have a tree fall on top of me. Or feed me to a Death Lily.”
I shook my head.
“Easy for you to say. You didn’t see his face when he couldn’t come in here with me. Too bad that he’s missing out on this...unique smell, and I hear soaking in sewer water is great for the skin. My butt’s going to be baby soft.”
Despite the burning pain, I smiled at Odd’s well-meaning prattle.
A vibration rippled the water. I squeezed Odd’s hand, shushing him. The distant sound of boots clattered on the stone. Odd extinguished the lantern.
“Company,” Odd whispered, letting go of my hand.
I opened my eyes. Blackness pressed on me. As the drumming grew louder a faint light filled the tunnels. Odd stood in front of me. He held his sword, but the tip of the blade pointed down.
“This way,” a voice called.
“Keep up,” another said.
The light brightened, filling the main tunnel and leaking into ours. Would they spot us?
Odd pressed against the wall. “Don’t move.”
That wouldn’t be a problem. The brightness and sound increased in small jumps. Each time I blinked, it seemed they’d hopped closer. A few minutes ago I wouldn’t have cared if I was discovered, but I still struggled to breathe. The searing pain was a good sign. And of course, I didn’t want Odd caught.
When the torches came into view, I flinched. Two priests held them close to the ground, illuminating the obvious tracks of two thousand plus people. Hopefully, they wouldn’t notice the few heading in this direction.
The priests paused, sweeping the torches back and forth. I longed to stifle my rasping. With his dark uniform, Odd blended in. And the filthy muck coated my exposed skin and stained my brown robe black. Perhaps they’d view me as a lump of discarded garbage. It matched how I felt.
After a lifetime, they moved on. They streamed past the entrance to our tunnel. Not as many as I’d expected. Had they sent others aboveground? Would they rally their troops to get between the women and the border?
“Avry? Still with me?” Odd whispered.
“Yes.”
“Can I pick you up? We really need to get out of here.”
“Jael,” I said.
“General Jael? What about her?”
“She’s here.”
Odd cursed. “All the more reason to leave.”
“Let me try.” Since there was nothing wrong with my legs, I tucked them under me, then pushed with my arms to straighten. Every inch of my chest flared with such pain, I gasped.
Odd reached under my arms and lifted me to my feet. I yowled. My world spun and my legs refused to hold me up. If Odd hadn’t kept his grip, I would have toppled.
“Guess I can’t carry you over my shoulder,” Odd said.
“No. Give me...a minute.”
“Hell, Avry, you’re gonna need a few days. Sorry about this.” He adjusted his grip, sweeping me into his arms like a baby.
Pain pulsed to my extremities and back again. Noise and sensations faded to a buzz and I might have blacked out. Hard to tell when inside a pitch-dark tunnel.
“Can you see?” I asked Odd once I regained my senses.
“No.”
“Then how—”
“Hush, I’m counting steps.”
Oh. A rubbing sound accompanied a slight vibration along his left arm. His shoulder must be in contact with the wall. Smart.
After a while, I dozed in his arms. When he stopped to rest, I was jolted awake.
“Still with me?” he asked.
“Yes.” I drew half a gulp of air. “And I think I’m past the danger.”
Odd squeezed me to his chest. “Thank the creator.”
I yelped. “Still in lots of pain, though.”
“Oh, sorry.” He relaxed his arms.
“I can try to walk.”
“No.”
“Worried about those vines?” I teased.
“No,” Odd said in a flat tone.
I longed to see his expression. After a few more minutes, Odd lurched to his feet and continued. He navigated with confidence. Impressive, considering he hated tunnels.
Fresh air laced with the scent of living green roused me. Odd slowed, probably thinking the same thing as me. Where was Jael? And what did Kerrick do when the priests had exited the duct? I hoped he’d stayed hidden, avoiding them both. But he might have attacked them in order to protect the escaping women.
My pain forgotten, I worried about Kerrick. “Careful.”
Odd crept to the edge and peeked out, then grunted in either admiration or in disbelief. He stepped clear. The weak rays of dawn shone on the priests all trapped in vines. They struggled and shouted to no avail.
