City of Towers_ The Dreaming Dark - Keith Baker [122]
“Lei!”
No response.
Even from across the room, Daine could feel the creature’s power, the mental force that was holding Lei entranced. Its presence was overwhelming. It was as if he were seeing through the thing’s glowing golden eyes, as if he were preparing to drain Lei’s very life. Daine could almost taste Lei’s brain, both the delicious flesh and the far more exquisite memories within. He knew that the instant she died, her essence—her spirit, her dragonmark, all that she was—would be drawn away, captured in crystal and ready to be processed. The sensation passed, and Daine’s thoughts were his own again.
Teral was cackling and chittering to himself, rubbing his hands together. “Mine soon,” he muttered. “Her soul mine, yes, mine.”
Curiosity overcame Daine’s horror and he spoke. “But why? Why would that monster share power with you?”
Teral’s eyes were mad and gleaming, and Daine wasn’t sure the councilor even knew he was speaking. “Chyrassk is a child of madness, an emissary of the age to come,” Teral said, his eyes gleaming. “He feeds on thoughts and minds, but he is not of this world, and he cannot devour a human soul. But I have no such limitations. Chyrassk will consume her flesh, but her spirit will be mine. Yes.”
Lei moved slightly as the mind flayer caught her head with its tendrils. Daine could stand no more.
“Lei!” he cried, putting every ounce of energy into his voice. “Wake up now!”
It worked. Teral drew in a sharp breath as Lei jerked her head to the side, pulling free of the monster’s grip. The creature paused, and Daine could feel its frustration. A restless mind was less savory for the devourer. Again, its thoughts flooded through his mind, and he could see Lei’s face as Chyrassk darted in for a second attack.
“Kazha zar!” Lei cried.
The air rippled, and Lei vanished. Chryassk’s piercing tongue whipped through empty air. The enchantment Lei had woven into her glove could only be used once and its range was limited, but it was enough. Slipping through space and time, Lei reappeared an instant later in the dark corner of the room, standing over her pack.
Surprised as he was, Teral recovered quickly. But Daine knew what enchantments Lei had prepared, and he was already in motion. Calling on every ounce of strength, he pulled himself up, straining against the chains, and lashed out with his legs, catching Teral by the throat and hurling him to the ground.
“Do it!” he called to Lei.
Daine’s blow had stunned Teral, but only for a moment. He was already rising to his feet. Chyrassk spun to face them, its anger a stabbing pain in their minds, and Hugal and the others were sprinting across the hall, claws and blades glittering in the faint light. A moment was all Lei needed.
Grabbing her pack, she threw open the central compartment, folding out the cloth funnel that allowed her to fit large objects into the extradimensional pocket.
“Now!” she cried.
Pierce emerged, his massive bow in hand, and loosed an arrow the moment he cleared the portal. The feral boy charging Lei fell with an arrow through his knee.
But Pierce was not alone. Two smaller warforged, swift-moving scouts with swords fused to their arms, darted through the portal in his wake. Lei and Daine had found three of these ’forged damaged and inert in the ruins of Cyre, and Lei had been carrying them with her for months. Last night, she had finally managed to get two of them working. They were battered and worn, and Lei’s enchantments would not hold for long, but for the moment they could fight.
They charged Councilor Teral. The warped councilor was unnaturally swift and strong, but two warforged were a challenge for any warrior, and being made from metal and wood, the ’forged were immune to Teral’s paralytic venom. Teral hissed and cursed, dodging a blade and planting a powerful kick in the stomach of one of the scouts.
Once the ’forged were released, Lei rummaged in the side pocket of the pack. Daine had worn his sword to