Sacrifice of the Widow_ Lady Penitent - Lisa Smedman [14]
Cavatina picked up her sword. The spellgaunt raised its head groggily, empty eye sockets staring sightlessly in Cavatina’s direction as it strained to reach the magical items she still carried. A ragged tongue slimed her boot with blood. Cavatina drew her foot away and turned Demonbane point downward. Then she thrust. Chitin crunched as the point pierced the spellgaunt’s skull and scraped against the blade as she shoved it home. The monstrous spider quivered then collapsed, dead.
Cavatina put a foot on the monster’s head and yanked her sword free. She held her palm over the blade, and a quick prayer confirmed what she already knew. The weapon had been completely drained of its magic. Demonbane had slain its last foe.
She wiped the sword clean on the hem of her tunic then thrust it back into its scabbard. It stuck, momentarily, as the teeth-dented section caught on the edge of the scabbard. Cavatina forced it down. She wouldn’t be drawing it again.
She stared down at the dead spellgaunt. “Abyss take you,” she growled. “That was my mother’s sword.” She gave the lifeless body a kick.
Only then did she stop to wonder what a spellgaunt was doing there. She knew little about the creatures, but she didn’t think they were normally capable of turning themselves invisible.
Even so, it shouldn’t have been able to enter the area undetected. It was a mere animal—albeit a magical one—bereft of either a good or evil aura, but it should have triggered the alarms. Most disturbing of all, it was one of Lolth’s creatures.
That alone was cause for disturbing the temple’s battle-mistress.
Cavatina sang a prayer that ended with Iljrene’s name. When she had the battle-mistress’s attention, she sent her silent message.
I found a spellgaunt in the caverns south of the river and west of the bridge. It triggered no alarms. I killed it.
Iljrene’s voice came back at once. It sounded high and squeaky, just as it did in person. A spellgaunt couldn’t bypass the alarms on its own; someone helped it get there. Begin a search. I’ll send other patrols.
Cavatina immediately bent and inspected the spellgaunt’s corpse. Something on its back sparkled: diamond dust. Iljrene was right. Someone had helped the spellgaunt to bypass the alarms, someone capable of casting a nondetection spell. Those abjurations lasted only so long. Whoever had worked their magic on the spellgaunt would be close by.
Cavatina remembered Thaleste, waiting below.
She strode over to the broken window and peered down, but there was no sign of Thaleste. Cavatina hoped the novice was hiding behind a pillar somewhere. She cast a sending to Thaleste.
Where are you? What do you see?
The answer was a moment in coming. There’s another priestess down here. A dancer. I’m going over to talk to her.
Cavatina frowned. It wasn’t yet time for the evening devotions, and even if it had been, a dancer shouldn’t be there. Eilistraee’s faithful danced naked, save for their holy symbols. While the area was well patrolled, it still had its dangers. Venturing into it unarmored would be a foolish thing to do. Losing oneself in a dance of devotion there would be more foolish, still.
A chill slid down Cavatina’s spine as she realized what Thaleste might have just spotted. She sent a second, more urgent message.
Thaleste! That may be a yochlol in drow form! They have powerful enchantments. Get away from it!
No reply came.
Cursing, Cavatina leaped through the gap in the floor. Descending swiftly, she looked around for Thaleste. She spotted movement: Thaleste’s legs, disappearing behind a column. Someone—or something—was dragging her away.
Cavatina cursed. She should never have left the