Ascendancy of the Last - Lisa Smedman [87]
Perhaps-loath as Kвras was to think this-it was Vhaeraun who had been tricked. Or rather, outmaneuvered by Ghaunadaur. The Ancient One must have learned of the Masked Lord's plans, and taken advantage of them. And Kвras had been the one who had set this in motion.
He stood, racked by indecision. Should he try to undo what had been done? He was ill prepared for a prolonged battle against multiple foes. He had his dagger, a few magical trinkets, and his prayers. Cavatina, slayer of Selvetarm, was much better suited to make a stand in front of the portal and prevent the fanatics from passing through it. Yet what if the Darksong Knight didn't even reach the ruined temple? She might have slain a demigod, but that didn't ensure she would always be triumphant. It had been a near thing for her, atop the Acropolis. She'd only survived that battle with his help.
"Masked Lord," Kвras prayed. "Is it your will the breach be opened? Have you-" He hesitated, then forced himself to say it. "Have you allied yourself with the Ancient One?"
This time, the god answered. Not in words, but in the distant peal of a hunting horn. That alone wouldn't have convinced Kвras; it might have been one of the priestesses, signaling the others. But as the horn sounded, a rectangle of darkness with two eyeholes appeared in the air a short distance away, within the tunnel leading to the ruined temple. The bottom of this "mask" fluttered, as if the mouth behind it were lending its breath to the hunting horn's peal. Dots of angry red blazed where the eyes would have been.
That decided it. Kвras wouldn't run. He'd fight.
Just as he turned in that direction, a fanatic ran out of the tunnel Kвras had been making for. Kвras whipped up his dagger-but checked his throw as he recognized pink eyes.
"Valdas!" he cried. "You made it through!"
Valdas halted at the spot where the three tunnels converged. He was still disguised in the green robes and eye-embossed tabard of House Abbylan. His face was bare. He nodded at the other tunnels behind Kвras. "Can we reach Skullport through that?"
"Yes, but-"
"Good. Let's get going. The tunnel behind me is choked with oozes."
Kвras heard the wet slap of an ooze on stone, from somewhere behind Valdar. Would it be possible to get by it and reach the ruined temple? He pointed in the direction Valdar had just come. "We need to go back and stop the fanatics from entering Qiluй's trap, or they'll summon Ghaunadaur's avatar to the Promenade."
"They will?" Valdar's pink eyes glittered. He laughed. "That's perfect! It will take care of whatever priestesses the oozes and slimes miss."
"But we'll lose the temple," Kвras protested. "We need it as a base to rebuild our faith."
"We don't need it. From here, we move on-and keep moving. Infiltrate Ghaunadaur's temple in Skullport, and persuade the fanatics there to summon an avatar. Scour that city clean. Then we'll do the same in Eryndlyn. After that, we'll lure Ghaunadaur through one of the portals of Sschindylryn, and then-"
"But…" Kвras felt his face grow cold, under his mask. "Our target is the matriarchies and their temples. Ghaunadaur's avatar will devour everyone-male and female alike. Who's going to be left to convert if-"
Valdar leaned closer. Kвras could smell the sweat that clung to his dark skin. "I want to kill those spider-kissing bitches. Make them pay. Any male who didn't have the guts to tie on the mask before now deserves to die with them."
"I see," Kвras said. And he did. Valdar was insane. He didn't want to build-only destroy. It didn't matter to Valdar that he'd entered into what amounted to an unholy alliance with Ghaunadaur's fanatics. Nor did he care what ultimately became of the drow. Whatever had happened in that crystal-lined cavern on the night that Eilistraee's and Vhaeraun's realms joined had twisted Valdar, made him blind to the consequences of his actions. He'd yanked the mask up over Kвras's eyes as well. Until now.