Amber and Blood - Margaret Weis [72]
She stood gazing down sorrowfully at Rhys. Her face was puffy from crying, her cheeks grubby with tears and soot.
“You’re right, Nightshade,” she said. “This is my fault.”
She looked so frightened and unhappy that Nightshade felt lower than a worm’s belly.
“Mina, I didn’t mean to yell at you—” he began.
Mina wasn’t listening. She knelt down and kissed Rhys on his cheek. “You’ll feel better now,” she said softly. “I’m sorry. So sorry. But you won’t have to take care of me anymore.”
And, before Nightshade could do or say anything, she grabbed up the scrip with the blessed artifacts and ran off.
“Mina!” Nightshade cried after her. “Don’t be stupid!”
Mina kept running, and he lost sight of her in the smoke.
“Mina!” Rhys called. “Come back!”
His voice was strong. His eyes were alert and clear, and he was gaining some color back into his face.
“Rhys! You’re better!” Nightshade cried gleefully.
Rhys tried to stand up, but he was still bound by the magical golden bands and he fell back, frustrated.
“Nightshade, you have to go after Mina!”
Nightshade just stood there.
Rhys sighed. “My friend, I know—”
“She’s right, Rhys!” Nightshade stated. “The fire, the fiends from the grave, Krell hurting you—it’s all her fault. The fighting, the dying—that’s her fault, too! And I’m not leaving you to go after her. Krell will wake up any minute and even though your head’s healed, you’re still stuck in these magical bands. And Krell said he was going to kill you!”
Rhys looked up at him. “You’re the only one I can count on, my friend. The only one I can trust. You must find Mina and bring her back here to the temple. If I’m … not around … the Abbot will know what to do.”
Nightshade’s lower lip started to tremble. “Rhys, don’t make me—”
Rhys smiled. “Nightshade, I’m not making you do anything. I’m asking you—as a friend.”
Nightshade glared at him.
“That’s not fair!” he said crossly. “All right, I’m going.” He shook his finger at Rhys. “But before I go chasing after that brat, I’m going to find someone to help you! Then I’ll look for Mina. Maybe,” he added under his breath.
He cast a quick glance at Krell, who was still unconscious, but probably wouldn’t be for much longer. Once the spell wore off, Krell would feel strong as ever and twice as mad, and three times more determined to kill Rhys.
“Atta, you stay with him,” Nightshade said, petting the dog.
“Atta, go with Nightshade,” Rhys ordered
The dog sprang to her feet and shook herself all over. Nightshade cast Rhys one last glance, begging him to reconsider.
“Don’t worry about me, my friend,” Rhys said, reassuring. “I am in Majere’s care. Go find Mina.”
Nightshade shook his head and then ran off. He followed the direction Mina had taken, which was, of course, the very worst direction possible. She’d run out the front of the temple, heading right for the street and the battle.
Nightshade raced heedlessly through the garden, with Atta running behind, both of them trampling the flowers and vegetables that were all covered with soot anyway. He could barely see anything in the smoke, and it made him cough. He kept running, coughing and waving his hand at the smoke. Atta was snorting and sneezing.
When he reached the street, he was thankful to find the air was clearer. The wind was blowing the smoke in a different direction. Nightshade searched for Mina and, more important, someone to save Rhys.
That was going to prove difficult. Nightshade came to a dead stop and stared in dismay. Temple Row was clogged with people fighting, and things were in such confusion he couldn’t make out which side was which. Men wearing the livery of the town guard were trying to bring down a raging minotaur. Not far from them, paladins of Kiri-Jolith in their shining armor battled spell-chanting clerics wearing black robes and hoods. All around him, people lay on the ground, some of them shrieking in pain, others not moving.
The fires still burned. As Nightshade watched, the temple of Sargonnas collapsed in a heap of burning rubble and flames flared from the roof of the temple of