The Howling Delve - Jaleigh Johnson [126]
"He was always faster, more graceful, when I was all limbs and bone. Laerin taught me better. A half-elf taught me how to beat him." He slid the blade from Aazen's stomach. "A dwarf taught me how to live."
He stood up, but Balram's eyes were fixed, horrified, on his son. "Aazen," he whispered. The knife went slack in his hand.
Kail reacted, closing the space between him and Balram with speed that would indeed have made the half-elf proud. Kail's sword, wet with the son's blood, found the father's heart with no fight at all from Balram. Kali drove him back and off the ground, drawing the knife away from Varan's throat.
Balram's body hit the ground in a pool of the spilled oil. The latent flames from Meisha's fireball touched the puddle and ignited, and Balram joined the fite that slowly consumed the wood skeleton of Motel house.
Kail backed away, making no move to put out the flames. He took Aazen's aims and slung his friend's body across his shoulders. Dantane lifted Varan, and Meisha took Varan's other side as they headed for the doors.
"This way," said Meisha. She waved an arm and the flames covering the door folded aside, boiling in orange swirls. The group slipped out through the small opening into the outer yard.
"Dantane," said Kail, laying Aazen down on the grass.
Glassy-eyed, Aazen watched in resigned silence as his lifeblood soaked the green lawn. The scene reminded Kail of that day on the Esmel shore, when Haig had saved Aazen's life. Those boys were long dead, Kali rhought. "Hurry," he said.
Meisha took Varan, and Dantane handed Kail his last vial. "You should have killed him," the wizard said impassively.
"Garavin would have been disappointed if I had." Propping Aazen against his shoulder, Kail poured the healing potion down his friend's throat. Aazen choked on the concoction, but Kail held his mouth. "Swallow, damn you. You're not gone yet.
Aazen swallowed. Selune's light reflected in his eyes as he stared upward. Gradually, they cleated and swiveled around to focus on Kail. "I thought you had done it," Aazen said hoarsely. "I thought you'd killed me."
"I would have been returning the favor," Kail pointed out. "You tried to kill me."
"I had to," said Aazen, sitting unsteadily. He stared over Kail's shoulder, through the gap in the front of the house. His father was in there. He would never come out again. It took a moment for the gravity of that truth to sink into Aazen's soul.
He looked back at Kali. "If I didn't make you fight in earnest, you couldn't have won," Aazen said. "I would have killed you before you got to him." He paused, remembering. "But I never thought you would use me that way. I didn't think my father could be so distracted."
"He loved you," Kail said, "as much as he was capable. You were right about that."
Meisha looked at Aazen incredulously. "You wanted Kali to win," she accused him. "You wanted him to-" "Kill me," Aazen said. "Yes."
"Gods, why? If release was what you wanted, why didn't you kill Balram yourself?" she demanded.
"He couldn't," said Kali. He wiped his blade on the grass and resheathed it. "No more than I could accept that my father murdered Haig by his own will and took my mother from me. He was right. We were both in a cage. He wanted me to win."
"When did you figure that out?" asked Aazen.
"After we fought in the Delve," Kali said, "I suspected. I knew it later, when the portals wete unguatded. I should have known long before."
"Why didn't you kill me?"
"Because you wanted to be free of Balram. Your death wasn't necessary."
"Free," said Dantane, looking at Meisha. "To face justice?" Aazen shook his head. "To retutn to the Shadow Thieves." "No," Kail and Meisha said, almost as one. Dantane smiled.
"You will still answet for the refugees in the Delve," said Meisha, "for Varan."
"And for you," Aazen said, looking at her. "I did try to kill you. I thought I had succeeded. But now you of all people should want me to go ftee."
Meisha laughed scornfully.