The Howling Delve - Jaleigh Johnson [99]
Across the cavern, Kali saw Dantane flying toward him. He pulled his blade out of a Shadow Thief and moved to meet him, but another figure rose up in the wizard's path. Kali stepped aside, expecting Dantane to hurl a spell at the fool. Then he saw the tattered robes, the wild hair…
"Varan!" he heard Meisha shout, but the din of battle reduced her cry to nothing.
Dantane saw the wizard too late. He tried to pull up, but flew straight into an invisible wall. The impact sent him reeling backward. He lost control of the flight spell and fell to the cavern floor at Varan's feet.
The fire beast howled in triumph. In his mind's eye, he forced the wizard to crawl to the man lying prone on the ground.
Bring them, the beast thought. He bore down on the link between his mind and the wizard's, pressing mental tongues of flame against Varan's will. He enjoyed reducing the wizard to little more than a dog, herding his prey to exactly whete he wanted them.
Embrace our bond, the beast cooed, and heard the silent screams of the wizard ttying to resist the mental command. Join me, and witness power unimaginable. I know your thoughts. Isn't that what you've always wanted? Who would deny such a dream?
The wizard sobbed pitifully, and the beast reached out to stroke him again with fire and claws. He gloried in the ensuing screams, as the wizard went to catry out the beast's will.
Kail broke into a run, heedless of the danger. Cold dread welled up inside him. He swept aside a blade that came at his flank and kept going. He was almost to Dantane when pain exploded in the back of his neck.
Kali went down in a protective crouch. He swung around and saw the halfling reloading his sling. Aazen motioned the halfling back and stepped to block Kail's path. Behind him, Varan rolled Dantane's unconscious body over, feeling inside the wizard's robes. He removed the pottal key and turned. Kail saw his face clearly for the first time.
Vatan looked terrified.
Kali sprang up. He raised his weapon to cut a path, but Aazen was there, his blade ringing off Kail's enchanted sword. "I need him alive," Aazen said, shoving Kail back.
"He'll kill us all!" Kali swung the blade high, angling it at his best friend's head. He did it without thinking, putting killing force behind the blow.
Aazen ducked, maneuvering to attack from Kail's wounded side. Kail twisted and blocked, but was forced to tetreat a step away from Varan.
"That's it, Kail," said Aazen, stalking forward, inviting Kali to continue his attack. "This is exactly how I need you to be."
Kali swung again, bewildeted. Had Aazen gone mad as well? "Meisha!" he shouted. If she could get Varan's attention, get through to him, they might have a chance.
Varan took the key and crawled to the dark pit. Tears streamed from his good eye, and he clutched the empty socket, making pitiful mewling noises as he moved.
"Please, don't!" Varan cried as he approached the edge of the chasm. He stared down into the. dark, his terror magnified by whatever he saw. "Don't make me!" He grabbed the pouch at his neck, as if to tear it away. His hands locked into claws around the bag, and he screamed. With a violent motion, he reached inside the pouch and pulled out something small and black. Fumbling, he pressed the object against his empty socket.
It was an eye, Kail realized, but it was no human orb.
Black, with thteady gray veins bulging from the sides, the eye was too large for the space Varan intended. Kali watched, sickened, as the wizard forced the otgan into place with a howl of agony.
Varan lifted the stolen portal key in his other hand and slammed it down against the rocks. Words of power, dredged up from some unwilling place deep inside him, spilled out into the darkness.
The cavern began to shake in great, wracking tremors. Light flared, a halo that burst from the chasm, momentarily blinding everyone in