Depths of Madness - Erik Scott De Bie [63]
Liet saw the truth of Twilight, then-one of many. One of her masks.
He became aware of how she had lied to him. He wondered about her outrageous stories, her flippant comments, her emotions and her coldness. He wondered about her name. He thought he'd known her love, but he hadn't touched her-not inside. He wondered if there was anything true about her.
"Good even," he said, though it made his heart hurt.
"Good-bye," Twilight said, still not looking at him.
CHAPTER Fourteen
This isn't how I remember it," Twilight said softly the next morning. The six ascended the dusty steps and entered the first room of the wizard's chambers. The curved and undulating walls of stone were as her memory told her. Yet something was missing.
"Eh?" Slip asked.
To Twilight's eyes, the room was empty, and that was precisely her concern.
"Cast a scrying and see for yourself. This room's changed since last night."
Taslin lifted her hand to draw upon Corellon's blessing, but Davoren shoved it back down. "Save your power. The might of the Nine is infinite," he said.
He intoned a string of dark words. The others, excepting Twilight, flinched at the vile syllables. When Davoren had completed the chant, he cast his gaze about the room.
The sun elf favored him with a glare of pure murder. The death of Asson had changed her, and the doll seemed to have removed her last cache of setenity. Indeed, Twilight reflected- after that day and night, Taslin had been edgy, sharp, and quick to temper. Yet she was forgivable-Twilight understood heartbreak.
And as Taslin weakened, Davoren grew stronger. "Asmodeus's might is with me. I see no wards active." Davoren laughed, and Twilight wondered if she needed to cow him again. "Yet you delay?"
"That's the very matter," she said. "There should be wards active on that door"-she pointed at the opposite exit-"and possibly beyond. Something's been here before us, and it tripped the wards." She bent and scanned the floor.
"The word of a thief," Davoren observed, "is worse than worthless."
"There's no sign?" asked Liet, hunkering down beside Twilight.
Twilight shook her head. "I don't see any new tracks, nor is the dust disturbed," she said. "But I know there were wards active on that door. I saw them."
"Saw them?" scoffed the warlock. "Magic is not so simple that a gutterkiss can 'see' it. Or is there some other power you hide, filliken?"
Twilight shot an angry look at him. She thought about threatening him again, but since she hadn't followed through the first time, her threats meant much less. She rose silently and stared down the dark hallway, standing close to Liet.
"We should go back," she whispered.
"Why?" the youth asked. "We explored this way yestereve."
"Was that all that transpired yestereve, I wonder?" Davoren asked.
She wouldn't let that nettle her. "Something's come this way and lies in wait."
"How can you know that?" Taslin asked.
"Truly," said Liet. That was a shock, but Twilight buried the twinge of hurt. Of course she couldn't look offended that he didn't take her side. She almost would have preferred his comment to be vindictive, but his eyes held nothing but cold logic.
"A feeling." Twilight paused. "But I know 'tis a true one."
Davoren chuckled at her "feeling," and broke into a full laugh. "Well, we don't know that. I say we press on."
"I see no reason to turn back," said Taslin. "We have only just begun the day."
"I don't know, she could be right!" Slip said. Davoren and Taslin both glared at her. "Or… not." She looked up at Gatgan, but the goliath said nothing. Slip looked back and forth between the two opposing camps and followed his suit.
"Liet?" asked Twilight, not wanting to. "What say you?"
The youth looked at her for a long breath, rubbing at his sheathed arms. Finally, he shrugged. "If something tripped the wards and survived," he said, "logically, 'twould have attacked us as we slept, watch or no. At least we'd find a trace. Since it didn't do so, and we didn't find any sign, I say you could well be wrong.