Depths of Madness - Erik Scott De Bie [86]
What was he thinking? Had the world gone mad?
"Please!" Slip moaned. "Don't let this happen! Please!"
"Silence, traitor," hissed Twilight without taking her eyes off Gargan.
"Come, Twilight," said Davoren. As he spoke, he inched his way toward Slip, lying huddled and helpless. "Together we can slay them. We no longer need their aid."
The elf should have retorted but she did not, causing Liet to gape. Was she considering it?
Liet looked at Davoren. Lightning crackled around the warlock's scepter and flames licked his hands. Liet realized that if he did nothing, one of his friends would die.
And with that realization, something snapped inside him.
All the times he had watched Twilight confront the warlock fearlessly, all the wry smiles, throwing herself over Slip, all the memories of Twilight's courage came back to him in a single white-hot moment of bravery, and swelled into something inside that Liet had never imagined.
"No," he commanded. He stepped in Davoren's way.
All other sound in the cavern withered into silence. Twilight stared at him.
The warlock snickered, but Liet stayed firm. "I won't say it again."
"I see." Davoren slit his eyes. "The boy thinks he's pretty enough and wily enough to split our fearsome leader, so that makes him worthwhile, eh? Allow me to explain how that isn't-"
"Enough talk," said Liet. He drew his battered, chipped sword and pointed it at Davoren's face. "You want to kill us, do you? Then do it now."
"Suddenly he's become brave," Davoren said, irritation in his eyes.
"Only braver than a coward," said Liet.
The warlock's eyes burned at him and his face contorted. Flames licked about fingers curled into talons. Davoren's face promised swift death and-
And went pale. The warlock's eyes widened, he backed away, and his gaze slid from Liet, as though he saw something that genuinely frightened him. He backed away and those red eyes showed real terror, and… something else. Pain. Hurt.
Liet felt a tingle in the back of his mind. Was this ability to frighten the warlock, whose unholy power dwarfed Liet's mediocre swordsmanship, a manifestation of that potential Twilight saw in him? Did he have a sorcerer's potential? Was he a hero?
He realized it didn't matter. All that mattered was that he had stood between Davoren and Slip, and the warlock backed down. Now he posed no threat to…
"Twilight!" Liet said suddenly. She spun where she stood, facing both halfling and goliath with sword drawn, murderous fury in her eyes. "Don't do this! Slip's innocent! We all are! There's no spy! You're being ridiculous!"
"Lies," Twilight growled. "You all passed the test. She's the only one who could have escaped-the only one whose word wasn't tested. She's a liar and a traitor! She's the only one it could be! The only one!"
No, Twilight, she's not, Liet thought suddenly. She's the only one except-
"Except yourself, filliken,"Davoren said. Liet glared and the warlock receded as before, but he kept a hand on the scepter at his waist.
A trifle unnerved but more worried for Twilight, Liet turned back only to see that the damage had been done. Twilight had gone paler than usual and her lip trembled, righting against a cruel thought-a grave doubt. Liet felt his heart clench in his chest, torn between love and not a little fear that maybe, just maybe, the warlock was right.
Perhaps she saw it in Liet's eyes, or perhaps she thought the same. Her shoulders slumped and all emotion vanished from her face. She appraised Liet more as a dull blade than a companion, or even a living thing, and his stomach knotted.
"Very well," she said slowly. "The halfling may indeed be innocent, but-"
"Thank you, Mistress!" Slip threw herself down and kissed Twilight's ragged boots. "Thank-"
Twilight shoved the halfling away with a foot, eyeing hei. "But I won't trust her."