The Lost Library of Cormanthy - Mel Odom [141]
Exhausted by his efforts, Baylee slumped to the floor when the latest earthquake hit. He tried to remain on his feet, tried to maintain his hold on the long sword, but the poison surged through his system unchecked.
"Baylee," Cordyan said, approaching him with her sword before her.
He tried to speak, but nothing came out.
He was poisoned, Xuxa said. She fluttered to the wall in front of Baylee, gazing at him worriedly.
Cordyan rummaged in the pouch at her side, coming out with a vial. She unstoppered it, then poured the contents into Baylee's mouth. He felt a warm lassitude spread through him, the sharp ache of the poison suddenly dulled. His limbs still felt heavy, but his breathing already felt less labored.
The watch lieutenant gave him another sip of the heal potion. "Drink it down."
Baylee's mind cleared, followed shortly by his vision. He forced himself to his feet with Cordyan's help. "The phylactery?" he asked.
The light from downstairs started to fade gradually. Another quake rocked the great library, letting him know who was gaining the upper hand in the battle of spells going on below.
"I don't know," the civilar answered.
I found it, Xuxa announced.
Where? Baylee stared through the gloom and found the azmyth bat as she released the wall she'd clung to.
Xuxa flapped her wings and headed into the room to Baylee's left.
The ranger stumbled in pursuit, his reflexes starting to feel more normal.
The room he entered was filled as was all the others, with volumes and volumes of books. A tall desk occupied one end of the room. A carved stone chair with a high back sat behind it.
No one was in the room.
All of the walls held items scattered amid the books. Skulls, some from real creatures and others carved from precious metals, glinted in the lantern light. Dozens of crystal balls occupied unique mounts, including the skeletal hands of men and creatures. Vases numbered the most among the items scattered along the shelves.
Where? Baylee played the lantern light over the shelves. A flicker of green caught his attention on the left.
Xuxa winged to the shelves in the center of the lantern's beam and hung upside down over a statue that must have been three feet tall. Here.
Baylee moved forward, targeting the statue of a woman with two faces, the second one occupying the space where the back of her skull should have been. She was naked, revealing twisted and broken limbs clothed in loose flesh. She held the emerald drum above her head. Her features, both sets of them, held only horror.
He moved closer, hypnotized by the beauty of the emerald drum. He didn't know how much it would be worth to a jeweler or a collector, but the burnished surface captured the light from his lantern like a fire had started deep within the emerald. He reached for the drum.
Before his hand touched the drum, a strident voice rang out behind him.
"Stay away from that!"
Baylee turned, bringing the long sword up.
Folgrim Shallowsoul floated through the door on the flying carpet. His clothing still held sparks that burned bright orange. He gestured toward the ranger.
A wall of incredible force slammed into Baylee. He flew backward, flailing to regain his balance. He rolled across the broad floor but came up on his feet.
"You're in league with that foul baelnorn," Shallowsoul said as he drifted into place behind the stone desk. The carpet landed gently beside the desk. "But you're too late to stop me from shifting this library to the astral plane where you and your kind will never find it."
Cordyan rushed for the phylactery. Before she reached it, a gust of wind blew her aside.
Baylee slipped a throwing knife from the gnomish leather. He flung it from the side, trying to mask the movement till the last possible moment. The knife flew like a dart.
The lich raised his hand and caught the knife in his skeletal fingers. He walked behind the desk without concern. "The baelnorn has killed you all," he declared