The Howling Delve - Jaleigh Johnson [117]
His sword ripped out of his grasp, and the last thing Kail heard before the fire buried him was the demon's roar, a scream that sounded almost human.
Varan screamed, clawing at the punctured eyeball. He tore it out of its socket and cast it aside. The Shadow Thief guarding him skittered back a step in revulsion.
Crying, the wizard flopped onto his back. His breath hissed erratically in and out of his lungs. Blood that was not his own ran from his ruined eye socket. After a moment, he raised his hands to wipe the moisture away-blood from one eye, tears from the other. He began to laugh, a relieved, hysterical sound that echoed through the caves and brought the other thieves running.
"What happened?" asked Geroll.
"Don't know," said the guard, taking another step back just to be safe. "He just started screaming, then pulled out his own eye. Crazy bastard looks almost happy about it."
CHAPTER 28
The Howling Delve 5 Marpenoth, the
Year of Lightning Storms (1374DR)
Kali felt the weight of the demon come down and knew the battle was over. He prayed the spines would impale him and end his life quickly. If they did not-panic rose sickeningly in his throat-he would burn to death from the demon's flesh.
A silvei light filled the cavern, blinding him, but the killing weight did not follow. Kali blinked the brightness out of his eyes and strained to see. Running feet came across the bridge toward him. Dantane's wall had come down. The wizard and Aazen were coming to him, but neither wore looks of fear or alarm. If anything, their expressions were confused.
Kail rolled onto his side, still shocked at his ability to do so. A few feet away, his sword lay on the walkway.
The jarilith was gone. There was only a small puddle of blood left on the bridge. Either the demon had fallen from the bridge, or Kail had truly severed his link to this place.
"He's gone," said Dantane, echoing Kail's thoughts. He knelt beside Kali to examine his wounds. "You need healing, or you're going to die," he said.
Kail laughed. Pain flared in his abdomen. "No need to spare my delicate feelings. Tell me the truth."
"Kail! Dantane!" cried Meisha from above them. "It's Garavin!"
Garavin-his voice had cut off sometime during the flash of silver light. Kali used Dantane's arm to haul himself to his feet. Light-headed from wounds and the terror gripping his heart, he flew unsteadily to the upper bridge. Dantane flew beside him.
Out of the corner of his vision, Kail saw Aazen looking past them, up to the double doors Kail and Garavin had come through. Green portal light spilled out through the doorway. Aazen motioned to his man on the opposite bridge.
Let them go, Kail thought. Dantane was right. He wasn't in any condition to fight.
He crested the stone lip, and all thoughts of Aazen deserted him.
Garavin lay prone on the bridge. Meisha and Talal crouched beside him. The dwarf clutched his holy symbol in his hand, his eyes fixed and staring at nothing.
Kail bent, trying to pry the symbol loose, but stopped when he felt the latent heat. "What happened?" he demanded.
"It was the ghost," said Talal. "The one from the room, where we found Braedrin's body. Meisha's messenger. I saw it touch him. I don't think he's breathin' at all."
"Garavin," Kail said, taking his friend by the shoulders. There were no visible wounds on the dwarPs body. "Wake up. Wherever you are, we need you back here." He held his maimed hands in front of the dwarPs vacant eyes. "Look at this. See what a wreck I make of myself when you're not hete?" His voice cracked. "By the gods, you'd better not be dead." He leaned close and spoke in the dwarPs ear. "There are too many ghosts down hete already, old friend. Please."
Kali thought he heard a shallow push of air fill his friend's chest. Garavin's bloodshot eyes slid closed, then opened again, and something of a presence