Depths of Madness - Erik Scott De Bie [96]
"He emptiessss you firsssst and fillssss you after," Ruuk continued unabated. "Chokessss with blood and ssssoakssss with laughter, but give him up you will, leading him to the kill."
"My lord, I do not under-" Her head felt as though it would rip itself free if her hands didn't tear it off first.
"Are the applessss in sssseasssson? Issss your essssence broken, assss is mine? Hassss the inquissssitor come? Where issss the ssssword that wassss sssstolen, the life it took, the life it killed, the life it definessss?"
"My lor-"
"For whom would you fall, child? Who would feel the blade meant for your breasssst? Who puts a ssssword in your heart?
Whosssse kissss would you sssswallow and whosssse betrayal you lament?"
In her agony, Twilight opened her mouth to cry that she did not understand, but then she went pale. She knew the answer, though she'd never heard the question.
"For whom would you fall?"
Ruuk's gazes crushed her even further. It took all her furious determination-her rage at her bettayals, her hatred of those who had loved and wronged her-to resist the crushing hands that sought to annihilate her mind, the claws that shredded her soul, and the ever-tightening chain that grasped her heart.
How could it know? Did its eyeless gaze penetrate so deep? How could it know what she didn't even know?
"For whom would you fall, daughter of foxessss?"
Twilight's lip trembled and her body screamed, but she said it anyway. "All of them!" she moaned.
The sharn paused, considering. Twilight knew that upon its whim lay her life, that of Gargan, and those of her allies. She had been a fool, trusting in chaos…
Then the agony vanished and she fell breathless to the ground. If Gargan had not darted forward to catch her, Twilight might well have split her face on the burning stones.
As the goliath cradled the limp elf, Ruuk loomed over them, its three heads gleaming hungrily. Its hands traced patterns in the air-whether meaningless or slaying spells, she knew not. Then it spoke, and Twilight could hardly believe her ears.
"Two livessss for a dearh, two deathssss for a life," the sharn said. "Sssslay him, and your companions I-I-I…" It coughed, hissing ochre magic that flowed to the ground like blood. Veins like metal ribbons stood out on its black carapace. "I free will."
"Who?" Twilight croaked. "Who must I slay, my lord?"
The sharn coiled in upon itself, hissing madly, both in pain and in hatred.
"Gessstal!" Three throats screamed in unison.
Lord Divergence gazed down into the blood, scanning the overgrown city. Their scrying swept into the great hive, as far as the sham's defenses would allow. As before, they could see only the borders of Amaunator's temple. That was far enough.
Yes, mayhap the heavy magic Ruukthalmuramaxamin kept in place would shield against farseeing. It would probably burn their eyes from their sockets or fry Gestal's mind to a blackened husk. But the way the sharn boomed-well, heavy magic did not keep sound from traveling.
Gestal heard their plan. Not that he expected anything different. For Ruukthalmuramaxamin was mad, and what lovelier madness could there be to a Sharn but predictability?
The eyes turned to a lifeless husk propped in the corner. "Time to go," they said.
CHAPTER Twenty-Two
Gestal?" Twilight dared speak back. "Who is…?" Ruukthalmuramaxamin screamed in her mind and the world went fuzzy.
"Ssssilence!" the sharn shouted with enough force to drive even Gargan to his knees. The thing lunged, mouths slavering, and the elf's heart skipped.
But death did not fall upon her. Instead, a new sound assailed her ears and a heavy mist struck her skin. Ruuk drew back, issuing an involuntary assortment of sounds ranging from growls to crows to outright coughs. Fluid trickled between the jaws of one head, which slumped down for just an