Word of Traitors_ Legacy of Dhakaan - Don Bassingthwaite [145]
As her vision cleared, Ashi got a better look at the bodies of the guards. The hobgoblins weren’t dead, only unconscious. Strange glass spikes, like small knives with a point but no edge, stuck out of them, expertly thrust through gaps in their light armor into flesh beneath. The points seemed to be hollow, their insides smeared with the remnants of something thick and green-black. Midian followed her gaze, and said, “Bloodspikes. I got them from an inquisitive of House Medani.” He pointed at a patch of dark, shattered glass surrounded by a slick of shimmering fluid. “That was mine. Light to blind, improved with a burst of silence to cover up any sounds. You can tell me I’m clever.”
“You betrayed me!”
“And now I’m rescuing you!” His blue eyes hardened. “What was I supposed to do? Aureon’s quill, you left me out on the roof with Makka! I’m lucky Tariic wanted us taken alive!”
Even through her anger, she winced at the rebuke. Aruget had said Midian could take of himself—and he had—but he was right. They’d left him behind.
Midian was watching her warily, his hand hovering close to a stiff pouch on his waist. Ashi wondered if he had another of the bloodspikes in there. She pushed her fury away and sat up, her bound hands making the movement awkward.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “We shouldn’t have done that.”
“Well, I’m sorry I gave you away—and that I had to wait so long to come for you. Tariic, Daavn, and Makka have been watching me.”
He moved around behind her. Ashi heard him draw a knife and cut at her bonds. “I’ve just seen Vounn. She said Tariic has appointed you royal historian,” she said.
“I thought it would make him trust me so I’d have a chance to get to you,” said Midian. “It didn’t work quite as well as I hoped. I’m here now, though.”
The ropes parted. Ashi stretched her shoulders and rubbed her wrists. So much for worrying whether to wait for Vounn to negotiate a release or go with Aruget when he came to rescue her. She was already rescued and once more a fugitive. “How long will the guards stay unconscious?”
“Long enough, I hope.” Midian stuffed rags into the hobgoblin’s mouths and bound them hand and foot with rope from a coil produced from the cell where he had hidden. “Put them in your cell.”
She did. Even heaving them over her shoulders and dropping them onto the cold floor didn’t disturb their slumber. She pulled the sword belt off one and buckled it around her waist. “Ekhaas and Dagii are returning to Rhukaan Draal today,” she said as Midian closed and barred the cell door.
“I know,” said the gnome. “That’s the reason I was able to get away from Tariic. It’s going to be a shame to miss the party, but it will provide a distraction.”
“We need to warn them.”
He flinched at the idea. “There isn’t time.”
“We make time!” Ashi said, snapping her teeth on the words. “I sat for three days afraid Tariic was going to come and question me about the Rod of Kings. I don’t know why he didn’t, but I don’t want him to have that chance with Ekhaas or Dagii.”
Midian flinched again, and the color drained from his face. “I … uh, I know why Tariic didn’t come for you,” he said.
Ashi looked at him sharply.
He turned his eyes away. “I gave him Geth and Tenquis too.”
“What?” Ashi stepped back in shock. “How could you—? Wait. You knew where Geth was?”
“I didn’t!” Midian said, his voice rising like that of a protesting child. “After Makka caught me, I tried giving Tenquis’s name to Tariic first. I thought he’d be interested in the artificer who made the false rod, but he wanted more, and that’s when I had to turn you over to him. When Tariic’s men went to arrest Tenquis, they found Geth too. He’d been hiding with him.”
Fear struck Ashi like a cold blade. “Rond betch. So Tariic has the true rod?”
“No.” Midian shook his head. “They couldn’t find it at Tenquis’s. Geth must have hidden it.”
“And where’s Geth now?”
Midian held out his hand—and pointed down. Ashi remembered the muffled screams she’d heard from the deeper dungeon.