Pool of Radiance_ Ruins of Myth Drannor - Carrie Bebris [74]
Corran paused at that declaration. “What do you know of the cult?”
“More than you do, human! The Freth betrayed my kinfolk to the archmage and her minions. She uses a foul pool to trap my people’s souls, then feeds their blood to a dracolich and enslaves their bodies. We despise Kya Mordrayn and her wicked cult even more than we loathe the traitorous Freth!” The drow’s voice, which had risen to a fever pitch, suddenly turned cold as ice. “Hate is the song in our blood. It is all that lives in us now. We have sworn to release the souls of our kin into true death, even at the cost of own lives.”
Corran studied the dark elf as she spoke, remaining calm in the wake of her passion. “What do you propose?”
“This chasm blocks your path. A cult sorcerer nearby blocks ours. He wields a magical device called the Staff of Sunlight-fatal to us but harmless to surface-dwellers. Agree to kill him, and I will lower the drawbridge. Claim the staff to use against the Freth-I care not. Just stay away from us.”
Kestrel listened to the dark elf’s proposal with growing wariness. Seven drow couldn’t take on one sorcerer? When Corran looked to the group for opinions, she shook her head. “Either they’re lying about how many cultists wait ahead or this sorcerer is more powerful than any we’ve faced so far. They’re looking for spell fodder. After we take him on, they’ll step over our dead bodies and continue on their way.”
“I disagree,” Corran declared. “His staff puts them at a disadvantage we won’t suffer.”
“So they say! Even if that’s true, how do we know they won’t betray us after we defeat him?”
Durwyn cleared his throat. “Kestrel’s got a point. The woman said herself that dark elves aren’t even loyal to each other.”
“It does them no good to betray us,” said Ghleanna. “We fight a common foe.”
Irritated that Ghleanna sided with Corran, Kestrel listened to Jarial and Faeril’s opinions and grew still more agitated. Except for Durwyn, they all favored the paladin. After their treatment at Razherrt’s hands, how could they even consider allying with a group of dark elves?
“These drow are more concerned about their zombie kin than stopping the cult,” she said, her voice rising louder than she intended. “Didn’t you hear her? They want to release the Kilsek’s souls, not battle Mordrayn. How does that help us?”
“Once my people enter true death, they will no longer pose a threat to you,” the drow leader responded. “Know this: Before we’re done I fully intend for the archmage to know the sensation of her blood draining from her body.”
Kestrel studied the dark elf as intensely as she could across the gap. The drow leader stood proud and confident, apparently unperturbed by the rogue’s scrutiny. “How do we know we can trust you?” Kestrel called. “You haven’t even given us your name.”
“Nathlilik, first daughter of the House of Kilsek. And you don’t.” She shrugged. “Accept our proposal or not, humans. You’re the ones who need to cross this chasm.”
The way Nathlilik used the word “human” as if it were a racial slur made Kestrel grind her teeth. She turned to Corran and the others. “To hell with them. We’ll find another way across. I can use my grappling hooks to-”
“We accept,” Corran called to Nathlilik. “Lower the bridge.”
Kestrel gasped involuntarily. “But-”
“You’re outvoted, Kestrel. And we can’t afford for Nathlilik to change her mind while we waste time arguing.”
So now her opinions were merely a waste of time? She fairly shook with anger at this latest example of the paladin’s high-handedness. How dare he just shut her up? She glared at Corran, ready to unleash a stream of epithets when, entirely unbidden, Caalenfaire’s final words entered her head. Do not let conflict between you threaten your mission.
With one final, very uncharitable thought toward Corran D’Arcey, she swallowed her ire. Nathlilik had begun lowering the drawbridge, and they needed to present a united front to the drow band. If anyone’s egoism crippled their quest, it