The Shattered Land_ The Dreaming Dark - Keith Baker [52]
Daine had no idea what the old man was talking about, but something about this speech sent a shiver down his spine. The old man’s voice had power, but there was something fundamentally repellent about him. There was no emotion in his gaze, just cold calculation. This man might worship dragons, but looking into his eyes, Daine knew that to the priest he was no more significant than a worm.
“We have, good priest,” Lakashtai said. She met Sakhesh’s gaze, and Daine caught the faintest gleam of green light burning in her eyes. “We set sail tomorrow for the city of Trolanport. We have done well in our travels, and we wish to make offerings to Kol Korran and Olladra to thank them for their bounty and to ensure our safe return.”
She gestured at the empty air beside her, and for an instant Daine saw a host of servants, laden with coffers brimming with coins, gems and platters of rich foods. He blinked, and the image vanished.
“As you can see, we have brought a variety of goods,” Lakashtai continued. “Some we wish to sacrifice directly to the Sovereigns themselves, but it was our hope that you would guide us through the ritual of Olladra’s Feast—joining in the celebration, of course. Naturally, we would make a donation to the temple to compensate you for your time.”
Maru Sakhesh stared at the space she had indicated, and his eyes widened. “As Olladra wills!” he said cheerfully. “It is not my place to refuse her bounty.” He indicated a heavy wooden table at the very center of the chamber. “Let me sort through your goods, and then we can begin.”
It is done, came Lakashtai’s thoughts. He has a strong mind—I do not know how long I can maintain this vision. Move swiftly and as silently as possible. Sound may break the trance.
Sakhesh was inspecting the row of servants that existed only in his mind, sniffing at imaginary delicacies.
Pierce, Lei—you can both hear me? Daine thought. Affirmations quickly followed. Flail out, Pierce—if we encounter enemies, it will be close quarters. You take the rear. Lei, you’re with me. Watch floor and door for any sort of defenses. Any opposition, I want you back behind Pierce. Understood? Go!
There was a large wooden door at the far end of the room. Lei examined it and nodded. Daine grasped the door and pulled gently—there was the faintest creak of old hinges, but nothing the priest would hear over his loud conversation with Lakashtai and her imaginary companions. Daine ducked through, leading with the point of his sword, but there was no one on the other side—just a spiral staircase dropping down beneath the temple.
Daine gestured with his dagger, and Lei cautiously stepped past him, moving slowly down the stairs.
Normally, it would have been Pierce leading the way; the warforged was built for stealth and speed and could withstand the most punishment if it came to a battle, but Gerrion had warned them to expect magical countermeasures. As she made her way down the stairs, Lei cleared her mind of all stray thought. Her task was much like listening for a sound on the edge of hearing, a slight tone that an untrained listener would never notice. What she sought could not be caught with eye or ear. It was something that could only be felt in the mind: a shiver in the soul, the faintest trace of the unnatural in the air. It was beyond most people, but Lei had shaped flows of magical energy as a child, and she could she sense the world hidden in the shadows of reality.
She paused at the bottom of the stairs, stopping the others with a sharp gesture. Had she truly felt it, or was it just an echo in her imagination? She reached out with her thoughts, sending the faintest pulse of mystical energy through the air. Suddenly a web of pale blue light burst into view—a dizzying pattern of glowing lines and words in the script of dragons, forming a wide circle that completely blocked the narrow hallway.
Glyph, she warned the others. It was a spell frozen in time, waiting to unleash its power on any creature that passed over it. The seal could hold any number of unpleasant effects. It might paralyze