Depths of Madness - Erik Scott De Bie [24]
The shadowdancer shook her arm. "A nick. Hardly worth worrying about."
"The wight's draining touch… Slip's power to heal a damaged spirit-"
"Save it for someone who needs it," Twilight said, interrupting her. Her eyes remained distant-staring at the object of her malice.
Taslin saw, on the other side of the room, similarly isolated from the others, that Davoren sat glaring at Twilight. The girl returned the gaze in kind, spinning her sword with more conviction than before. Red-black blood still smeared her cheek. Perhaps she was not such a child after all.
The priestess glided cautiously to Davoren's side. The warlock sat slumped, his face still a flood of gore. He didn't look up as she approached.
"Davoren," she said. No reply. "I have come to heal you. Corellon's gifts…"
"Are neither required nor desired," the warlock said icily. He spat, and blood dripped from his lips. He shifted and winced in pain. "Be gone, and take your feeble tricks with you. I care nothing for the whimsy of a naive, spoiled god or his whores."
The blasphemy rankled, but Taslin suppressed her anger. She turned on her heel and walked two steps, then stopped.
"I… I've also come to… thank you, Davoren," Taslin said. "You saved Asson and myself, and for that you have my grat-"
"I don't want your sniveling gratitude." He still stared at Twilight.
Taslin stiffened. A hand went to her sword, but it would be dishonorable to draw on a foe in such pitiable state. "What do you desire, then?" she asked.
"Your respect or your fear," Davoren said. "I -don't much care which."
"You shall have neither," Taslin said. Her hand tightened on the hilt. "Ever."
There was a pause.
"Well, then," Davoren said. "Go back to your decrepit sack of bones, and leave me in peace from your whining. Have I earned that much?"
As Taslin walked away, she decided she hated him.
They made camp in the ruined mausoleum where they had fought the wights. They could have pushed on, but all were tired and Asson needed rest badly. He also begged for time to study his grimoire.
Leaving Taslin in charge, Twilight and Slip-the least wounded and stealthiest of the bunch-searched the other rooms of the crypt, but found them cleared of any residents. They chose not to disturb any of the sarcophagi, lest they discover more defenders. Had Twilight been alone, she might have done just that to see what treasures she might find, but she had a band of squabblers to look out for. And after Arandon, her heart wasn't in it.
In their search of the crypt, the women found little more than dust and ash, a great many claw marks, and a series of runes carved on the walls and sarcophagi, filled in with something that looked like dried blood. They looked much like the symbol they had seen earlier on the stairs, but Twilight prevented Slip from springing any traps.
By the time they return, Twilight and Slip found the others engaged in a familiar activity: bickering. A part of her supposed it wasn't so bad-they couldn't be panicked and fearful if they were busy. Still, it grated.
"If not for me, none of you would be alive," growled Davoren. His face was still horribly cut, but the bleeding had subsided. It made him even uglier.
"And if not for Corellon's might," countered Taslin, "the first rush of those creatures would have overwhelmed us and slain you. Your art could hold only so many."
Davoren seized on the approaching elf and halfling for more bolts to loose. "If your accursed cave shrimp had paid attention, I would have destroyed them all." He clenched his fist. "If you blade swingers knew your role and served your purpose-"
"Hey," cried Slip. "I'm no one's accursed cave shrimp but my own!"
Twilight wasted no breath protesting the argument.
Instead, she walked into their midst and shoved Taslin bodily away. The sun elf staggered, dumbfounded. Twilight put a finger in her face. " 'Twas your insults that took us off our guard," she said. "Asson's injury is your fault. Take responsibility for your own actions, sun."
Taslin stared.
"And Davoren," Twilight said. "Try and focus, if your little