Obsidian Ridge - Jess Lebow [111]
He stood in front of the private chamber, the corpses of the black beasts at his feet. He had tracked Quinn to this very room. Had seen Xeries disarm him and place him in custody behind that door. All he had to do now, to claim his prize, was to open it and walk through.
His skin tingled with anticipation. His mind raced with the tantalizing excitement that was to be his revenge. Gripping his blade tightly in one hand, Jallal Tasca released the lever, and the heavy stone door swung wide.
Charging inside, he skidded to a stop in front of a smashed coffin.
His shout rattled the skin of the desiccated corpses, all but one neatly arranged in coffins on the wall.
The room was empty. Quinn was gone.
Grabbing the lip of the first coffin with his powerful hands, Jallal began climbing up the wall to the hole near the ceiling.
He would find Quinn, and when he did, he would make the man suffer. Oh yes. The Claw would beg him for death, and Jallal would oblige.
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The Matron was appalled.
Arriving at Klarsamryn, she expected to find the king dead and her assassins in control. Instead, she found them fighting by his side. Did she have to do everything herself?
The beasts from the Obsidian Ridge had also picked this moment to attack the palace. But that was no concern of hers. There would be time enough to deal with them once she controlled the throne. She would negotiate with this Xeries fellow. Every man had his price, and she was certain they could come to some sort of an arrangement that would make everyone happy.
Right now, however, she was not even close to happy.
"The goddess Waukeen is not at all pleased!" she screamed, her voice piercing the air.
The battle raged in front of her. Her assassins engaged the black beasts, none paying attention to her orders or displeasure.
Pointing her finger at the closest of her minions, she cast a spell.
"Kill the king," she commanded.
The assassin turned away from the beast he was fighting and headed deeper into the fray to do her bidding.
"Kill the king," she commanded again and again, continuing to direct the energies of her prayer.
More and more of her men followed her command, until finally she had turned the tide far enough in her favor that she no longer needed her magic to compel her assassins.
"Kill the king!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, her words bellowing over the field of battle.
The assassins responded to her orders, now aware of the Matron and her desires.
As they had once been swayed by the courageous words of their king, they were now swayed by the fear of retribution from their mistress.
"If he cannot be controlled, then he must be eliminated," said the Matron. "Korox, I will have your head on a stake before this day is out."
Chapter Thirty-Six
Quinn and Mariko climbed out of the chamber into a lava tube right behind the wall. Once they were all free, Evelyne started down the corridor.
"This is the way we came in," said Evelyne. "I figure it'll be the way out as well."
Mariko followed, but Quinn did not.
"You two go on," he said. "I must finish my mission."
"Your mission?" asked Evelyne. "We got your girl. What more do you want?"
"I told the king I'd take down the citadel, and I think I know how to do it."
"The huge rubies you told me about?" asked Mariko through the mimmio.
"That's right," replied Quinn. "I'm going to destroy them and this place with it."
"We'll go with you," said Maliko.
Quinn took her by the arms and gave her a long, slow kiss. "Your father will need your help. Go to him. I'll be right behind you."
"But…"
Quinn cut her off with another long kiss. "No time to argue. Your father is in danger, and he may think that I've betrayed him. Find him. Protect him. Then we can be together-when this is all over."
"Listen to your man, honey," said Evelyne. "We'll get to getting, and he'll do whatever it is that a man's got to do. Leave the romance part for later."
There was a screeching sound behind them,