Master of Chains - Jess Lebow [112]
* * * * *
Giselle led the Broken Spear through the winding hallways of Zerith Hold. Neither she nor any of the men with her had ever been inside the building. They had no idea where they were going and even less of an idea where Ryder would be.
They had dealt quickly with the guards at the rear entrance. There were surprisingly few of them there, and Curtis's invisibility spell had given the Spear an advantage.
But as they worked their way through the stone corridors, Giselle began to grow nervous. This wasn't right. They hadn't encountered anyone. The halls were empty. The rooms were empty. There was no one home.
"This feels like a trap," she said to no one in particular.
"I don't think so," replied Curtis. "No. I really don't think so."
"Why not?"
"Well," said the illusionist, "they didn't know we were coming. How could they set a trap, if they didn't know we were coming?"
Giselle thought about this as they continued to run through the halls of the second floor. "Maybe they did," she said finally. "We don't know what Nazeem told them. He might have tipped them off about us."
"I doubt it," replied Curtis.
"How can you be so sure?" asked Giselle.
"I can't," replied the illusionist.
Giselle threw up her hands. "If this isn't a trap, then where is everyone?"
"Outside," said Curtis.
"What?" Giselle stopped running and looked the skinny man in the face.
Curtis smiled and pointed at the window in the far wall.
Giselle sprinted over to the edge and looked down through the warped glass at the huge battle raging below.
"When did you know they were out there?"
Curtis shrugged. "The first time we passed a window." He thought about it. "Yes, on the first floor, after we passed through the dining hall."
Giselle turned and took off toward the stairs. "Then why didn't you say something?"
"No one asked me," said Curtis.
"Come on," she growled at the rest of the Broken Spear. Then she bolted down the stairs.
Two flights later, Giselle found the entrance hall and the open front door that led out into the courtyard. She couldn't make heads or tails of any of it. Pockets of fighting were scattered all over the place. The bodies of dead men lay on the ground, their blood staining the flagstones. And though he looked far different than he had the last time they had been together, in the middle of the swirling madness, Giselle spotted what she was looking for.
"Ryder," she said, smiling. "He's alive." Lifting her sword high in the air, she shouted the Broken Spear's ululating war cry. "Yie, yie, yie, yie, yie!"
The other warriors behind her did the same, filling the entire courtyard with the bouncing sound.
Then they charged into the fray.
* * * * *
Ryder stood facing Montauk, a chain swinging in each hand. Behind him, Liam held off the vampires coming from the other direction.
"I never did like you," said the master of chains.
Montauk smiled. "That's funny," he said. "I thought I'd had you killed."
Ryder nodded. "I'll hand it to you. I never would have guessed it was you."
Ryder's chain lashed out, wrapping around Montauk's sword arm. He pulled, attempting to disarm the man before caving his head in. But Montauk proved to be much stronger than Ryder, and he pulled back on the chain with the force of an elephant. Ryder was jerked forward and sent sprawling onto his belly at Montauk's feet.
"How could you have guessed?" taunted Montauk. "You with your miserably short lifespan."
Ryder tried to get to his feet, but Montauk stepped on his back, holding him to the ground with one foot.
"But I suppose I should be thanking you for opening the gate." Montauk laughed. "Then again-" He stepped down hard, crushing Ryder's ribs against the flagstones- "It's far more enjoyable to kill you again."
Ryder struggled to get free, but Montauk was just too strong. His chest felt as if it were going to collapse, and his ears were ringing. The muscles along his ribcage burned from being stretched. The harder Montauk pushed, the louder