Extinction - Lisa Smedman [20]
As soon as he was certain Quenthel could no longer see him, Pharaun bent and offered Danifae his hand. She gave him a calculating look, as if deciding whether to vent her pent-up anger upon him, then she allowed him to help her rise. He supported her into the tunnel, then turned and spoke the words to a spell before hurrying after her.
Belshazu shook its remaining pincer at Pharaun's back.
"I will see you again, mage," it roared.
Pharaun chuckled as he scrambled up the tunnel and said, "When Hell unfreezes, Belshazu."
Which it was unlikely to do, since Pharaun had just cast a permanency spell upon the ice.
Chapter Six
The surface world was cloaked in darkness by the time Ryld emerged from the tunnel. He had traveled for some time after leaving the others in the cavern. A full moon hung above the tree-tops, half hidden by clouds but still casting so much light that it impeded his darkvision. The snow that covered the ruined temple was covered with footprints, but Ryld was able to pick out those belonging to the cleric and warriors of House Jaelre. They led in one direction only-into the tunnel. The escaped cleric hadn't returned that way.
Ryld scanned the trees, searching for any sign that more of House Jaelre's warriors might be lurking in the forest. Seeing none, he crept out of the tunnel mouth.
A moment later he heard a soft, melodic whistle. It was a tune he recognized.
"Halisstra?" he whispered.
Halisstra negated the spell that had rendered her invisible and rushed, over to embrace him.
"Ryld!" she exclaimed. "I thought you weren't coming back."
He tried to ask why she'd doubted him, but she pressed her lips against his, kissing him. For several long moments he returned her embrace, feverishly drinking in her scent and taste. She was alive! Then he remembered the warriors he'd killed-and the cleric who had gotten away.
"We can't stay here," he told her. "House Jaelre is on our trail. I ran into one of their scouting parties below."
"I know," she said, surprising him. "I saw three of them pass through the woods, just after sunset. I made some noise, and they were drawn this way. They didn't find me, even though they searched for a long time after finding my gloves."
"I'm glad," Ryld whispered fiercely. "No need to worry about them now, though. They're dead."
He heard her draw a sharp breath and thought she was reacting to his words. Then he realized that it was his grip on her arm that had prompted the gasp. She was wounded. Turning her arm, he saw a puncture just below the spot where the sleeve of her chain mail ended. The wound had been healed-probably by magic-but freshly so, since it still pained her.
"I think I got your gloves back," he said. "What happened?"
"Stirges. Dozens of them, but they're dead now."
"How?"
"I blasted them with magic, then made myself invisible."
"With your lyre?"
When Halisstra shook her head and grinned, Ryld blinked in surprise.
"How, then?" he asked. "Has Lolth reawakened?"
Halisstra laughed scornfully and said, "Let's check. Are you awake, Lolth? Can you see this?"
Smiling fiercely, she made a blasphemous gesture, flipping her hand palm-up, fingers curled in the sign for a dead spider.
Ryld cringed, but several heartbeats later, when nothing happened, he slowly allowed himself to relax.
Halisstra smiled and patted the hilt of the sword she'd taken from Eilistraee's cleric.
"I've found a new way to work my magic. I don't need my lyre-or Lolth-any more."
Ryld nodded, disturbed not so much by her blasphemy but by the fear of what would follow. Above them hung the moon-symbol of the god who had driven Lolth out of Arvandor. Was Halisstra about to be claimed by Corellon or one of the other surface gods?
Trying to ignore his own question, Ryld glared at the ruins of the creator god's temple.
"We should get moving," he said, more harshly than he'd intended. "This place is dangerous."
Halisstra stared at him a moment, then nodded and said, "Let's go."
With a quick motion