Tymora's Luck - Kate Novak [81]
"Not that I ever succeeded in killing her when she was a mere mortal, unable to cast any magic at all," Jas said bitterly.
With no comforting reply to offer her friend, Holly changed the subject. "What did you mean about Joel knowing about mariliths for the same reason he knew about alu-fiends and succubi?" she asked.
"Well, I'm assuming there are all sorts of books describing monsters and fiends in the library of that fancy barding college Joel attended as a boy," Jas said. She draped a friendly arm around the bard's shoulder. "Am I right, matey?" she asked Joel.
"Yes, of course," Holly said. "We had such a tome at the church where I learned to read and write," the paladin said. "But why don't you remember all the creatures?" she asked the bard.
Joel could feel a blush rising to his face. "It's not important," he insisted.
"Assuming boys haven't changed that much since I was a girl," Jas said, "I'll bet that book in your church and the book in the barding college both open naturally to certain pages, usually pages with pictures of fiends and monsters who mimic the looks of very attractive women."
"It's important to arm oneself with knowledge of an enemy to which one might be particularly susceptible," Joel pointed out self-defensively. Holly laughed.
"Too bad Walinda wasn't in that book," Jas said, giving the bard's shoulders a sisterly squeeze.
Joel had to nod in agreement. If he'd known when he'd first met Walinda what he knew now, he'd have never made any sort of alliance with her. Yet here he was, forced to do so again. Holly looked back down at the Bastion of Hate. "This isn't good," the paladin said grimly.
"It's Iyachtu Xvim's realm," Jas retorted. "It's not supposed to be good."
"Not that," Holly said. "This whole situation. It's going to be a bloodbath."
"Of a bunch of evil, lawless creatures," Jas pointed out.
"It's still not right," Holly said, shaking her head, "whatever kind of creatures they are."
"You're too softhearted," Jas declared.
"So only the just deserve justice? Only the good deserve goodness? Is that what you think?" Holly asked sadly.
"That's right," Jas replied. There wasn't a shred of doubt in her tone, but her voice cracked, and Joel knew she was thinking of Walinda's torture and murder of her friends.
"Holly, there's nothing we can do about it," Joel said. "Walinda is going to use those creatures, and they're letting themselves be used."
"So what now?" Jas asked.
"I presume the marilith is advising Walinda on how best to attack. When they've come to a decision, we attack."
"We should be there to hear their plans. Maybe we can influence them," Holly said, taking a step in the direction of the canyon floor.
"Not me," Jas said. "I'm not going to be involved in any plan of Walinda's. If she knows what's good for her, she won't trust me in any event. I'll make my own plans for this fight. When you're ready to begin, you let me know. Send out a ray of light from the finder's stone in my direction and I'll join you. Just make sure you're not with Walinda when you summon me."
The winged woman took off from the ridge and disappeared into the darkness.
Holly began sliding back down into the canyon. Joel followed behind more slowly, distracted by a new worry. Holly hadn't been looking at Jas before she'd flown off, so the paladin hadn't noticed what Joel had seen. Jas's eyes had glowed like an owl's-the way they did when the dark stalker was taking control of her. The bard said nothing to the paladin, because he wasn't certain he hadn't imagined it; it might have been a trick of the malignant red light that pervaded the atmosphere.
Even if I'm right, he thought, there isn't a thing I can do about it.
Act Three Scene 3
When Holly and Joel went to look at the Bastion of Hate, Emilo remained behind to keep an eye on Walinda. No one in the party had bothered to explain to the kender why they all seemed to dislike the priestess so, but