Lisa Shearin - Raine Benares 01 (44 page)

“I
can understand that.” I risked a quick glance at the wraiths, then lowered my
voice. “Not your ideal roommates either, I’d imagine.”

“All
of those here were victims, some were more innocent than others. Few are
actually evil; their greed and lust for power blinded them to the danger.”

I
thought of Ocnus. “Greed makes you stupid,” I muttered.

My
father nodded, a twinkle in his gray eyes. “Without exception. The more
powerful you are, the more blind you are to your own greed—and its
consequences.”

Sounded
just like Sarad Nukpana.

“Could
you have found a less creepy place than a crypt to hide it?”

“Under
the very noses of those looking the hardest for it. In a place they would
disdain. It was perfect.”

Apparently
Sarad Nukpana liked it well enough to meditate upstairs. I decided not to
mention that. The less creepiness I had to deal with, the better.

I
held the beacon by its diamond chain. “I believe this belongs to you. Any way I
can give it back?”

“Unfortunately,
I’m in no condition to accept it.”

Unfortunate
was right.

I
closed my hand around the disk. It was warm and oddly comforting. “Isn’t it
supposed to be attached to you forever or something?”

“I
was ambushed by mercenaries, probably hired by the Khrynsani. I escaped with my
life, but not with the beacon. The Khrynsani were close to finding the Saghred.
Too close to risk leaving it where it was. To move the stone is to risk
discovery. But to come in contact with the stone is to risk being taken.”

“And
you had to touch it to put it in the vault.”

My
father nodded.

“The
stone wanted a snack before being put to bed.”

He
laughed, a rich silvery sound. “I never thought of it that way, but you’re
exactly right. When it hungers, it will feed.”

“I
know. Prince Chigaru told me.”

My
father’s expression darkened. “A Mal’Salin.”

“Yeah,
yeah, I know. I take anything he tells me with a grain of salt—and one hand on
my nearest dagger.”

“As
well you should, but in this case he didn’t lead you astray.”

“I
know that, too. I get the feeling the Saghred’s bad to know and worse to be
around.”

His
eyes grew sorrowful. “As am I.”

I
drew a trembling breath. “Did my mother know that you were the Saghred’s
Guardian?”

“I
tried to keep that from her as well. When you’ve lived as long as I have, you
take and guard any semblance of a normal life that you can have. The Khrynsani
had picked up my trail again—and they would soon find Maranda. I protected her
in the only way I knew. I left her, drawing my pursuers with me.”

I had
a feeling where this was going. “Except they didn’t follow.”

His
expression reflected equal parts anger and sadness. “Not all of them. I only
discovered later what had happened to her—and about you.”

My
mother, alone against the Khrynsani’s best shamans. She had only been a
marginal sorceress—like me. She hadn’t stood a chance. Thanks to the Saghred, I
wasn’t so marginal anymore—and I was determined not to share her fate.

I
blinked back tears. “Why didn’t you—?”

“Try
to contact you? So you could be hunted down like your mother?”

“I
see your point.”

“I
kept watch over you, through trusted friends. Even they didn’t know the
connection. It was safer that way. But eventually, my secret was betrayed.”

“Sarad
Nukpana found out.”

“And
tracked you down. I did not want what has happened to you to happen. I am
sorry, Raine. I have tried to protect you, but there was no other way.”

I
tried to shrug. I wanted to cry. “I’m none the worse for wear.”

“None
of this should have happened. I ask for your forgiveness.”

“No
one’s been wronged,” I managed past the lump in my throat. “No need to
forgive.”

A
look of surprise passed over his flawless face, surprise and pride. “But your
life, your family, friends…”

“I
have a responsibility to my family—
all
of my family. Guarding the
Saghred is your job; I’m thinking now that it’s my job to help.”

“You’re
very brave.” Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but he appeared to be getting
more insubstantial, if that was possible.

“I
guess that makes me my father’s daughter,” I whispered.

He
smiled. “And your mother’s.” He looked up and the smile vanished.

I
looked where he was looking. I saw a gray void. He must have seen more.

“What
is it?” I asked.

“He’s
here.”

“What?
Who?”

“Sarad
Nukpana. He’s here.”

Damn.

My
father was fading. “Go now.”

I
reached out toward him. “But I don’t…”

I was
on the cold dirt floor, in Mychael’s arms, the small white stone box he had
brought with us clutched in my white-knuckled hands. The lid was closed and the
box glowed softly as if from within. The Saghred—and my father—were locked
inside. So much for how the Thief of Souls earned its nickname.

“Who
put—?” I asked him.

His
face was impassive, but pale. “You did.”

The
door to the miniature vault was still in place. I didn’t ask how. I didn’t
remember, and at this point I didn’t care.

“They’re
alive,” I told Mychael. “All of them.” I didn’t mention my father. I didn’t
know how to say it, and Prince Chigaru didn’t need to hear it.

A
light sprinkling of dirt and salt fell from the tunnel roof.

The
goblin looked up. We all did.

“We
must leave,” the prince said, his voice low and urgent.

We
didn’t need to ask why; we all knew the dirt didn’t fall by itself.

“Is
there another way out?” Mychael asked.

“None
that I know.”

Mychael
looked at Riston, and the Guardian ran silently down the corridor.

I
wrestled my way free of Mychael’s arms.

“Let
me up.”

“Can
you…?”

Standing
by myself stopped his question. I wasn’t dizzy or in the least bit weak. I was
angry, more angry than I’d ever been in my life. And that anger steadied me
more effectively than a sharp slap in the face. My mother was dead and my
father was trapped for eternity inside a rock. No hope of help. No hope of
escape. All because of the Khrynsani—and especially because of Sarad Nukpana.

Some
magic users lost their concentration when they got angry. I wasn’t one of them.

The
goblin grand shaman was in the mausoleum above us. That Riston didn’t return to
report only confirmed it, but I didn’t need to wait for confirmation. I could
feel him. I could feel the fear he brought, the pain. He would wait, and then
he would come after me. I would not die in a hole in the ground.

The
only sound was the single word Chigaru had just hissed. Its simple eloquence
summed up his opinion of our situation. I couldn’t have agreed more.

With
the Saghred clutched to my side, I started off down the corridor.

Mychael
caught my arm. I wrenched it away.

“He’s
up there,” I told him.

“Let
me go first.”

“Not
this time,” I said.

I ran
to the foot of the stairs.

Sarad
Nukpana stood at the top. He was smiling.

“There
you are, Mistress Benares. I believe you have something for me?”

The
goblin grand shaman almost sounded happy. I imagine he was. He thought this was
going to be his lucky night.

I
wasn’t entirely certain he was wrong.

The
mausoleum was more crowded than it had been when we
had left.

We
had used one light globe so as not to attract attention. The Khrynsani had
torches, a lot of them. They didn’t need to sneak. They belonged there.

They
also outnumbered us at least five to one.

Vegard
lay unmoving on the ground, his scalp bloody, his ax still in his hand. More
than a few motionless goblins shared the ground with him. The bloodied ones
were probably Vegard’s work, those with no visible marks of violence were
probably the result of Garadin and Primari Nuru’s attentions.

I saw
why Garadin had called a ceasefire. A pair of Khrynsani temple guards held
scythelike blades less than an inch from Piaras’s throat. It looked like Piaras
had made a magical contribution of his own, or tried to. I glanced at Mychael.
His face was completely impassive. No clues there.

Sarad
Nukpana held out his hand to me. I didn’t have to ask what he wanted. I looked
to Mychael. The Guardian didn’t hesitate. He nodded once, tightly.

I did
hesitate, and I certainly expressed my disbelief. “What?”

“Give
it to him.” Mychael’s voice was perfectly level, utterly controlled.

There
were two ways I could interpret that statement. One would be a lot more
enjoyable. Unfortunately, I didn’t think that was the one he meant.

“I am
gratified to see you are being reasonable, Paladin Eiliesor,” Nukpana said, his
tone equally flat. He didn’t know what Mychael was up to either. That made two
of us. Garadin looked baffled, too. Apparently it was contagious.

I did
a quick search for another option. It didn’t take long, since there wasn’t one.
Give Nukpana the Saghred and I had nothing to bargain with. But if I refused,
things would get ugly in short order, with more bloodshed a virtual guarantee.

So
what I said was, “I’ll make you a deal.”

Nukpana
sighed. “Another deal, Mistress Benares? This grows tiresome.” He gestured and
the two blades made contact with Piaras’s throat. Contact, but no blood. They
had been told to be careful. Nukpana wanted to have his cake and eat it, too.

Out
of the corner of my eye, I saw Prince Chigaru move. If there was any chance I
was going to give the Saghred to anyone, the goblin prince wanted it to be him.
Primari Nuru’s hand on his arm stopped him before the Khrynsani guards’ blades
could. From the look in their eyes, they wanted him to try it again. From Chigaru’s
expression, they’d probably get their wish.

“The
lives of my friends,” I told Nukpana. “I give you the Saghred, and you let them
leave here. Alive.”

He
glanced at Chigaru with a half smile. “Does this assurance include the
Mal’Salin in your company?”

“It
does.”

Prince
Chigaru stiffened at Primari Nuru’s side. Either he was surprised I didn’t want
Nukpana to kill him, or I’d just insulted him and committed yet another goblin
social gaffe. I didn’t have time to sort it out.

“Tell
me why I should do this,” Nukpana said.

I
didn’t expect the goblin shaman to keep his word, regardless of what he agreed
to. But if I couldn’t buy my friends’ freedom, I could at least buy some time.
I didn’t dare risk a glance at Mychael, but I thought he’d agree that buying
time was a good investment.

“From
what I understand, you still need me,” I told him. “The Saghred’s not going to
jump through hoops for you without me giving the word. Seeing my friends walk
away from here would make me happy—and a lot more willing to cooperate.”

Nukpana
went through the motions of thinking it over. I knew he wasn’t seriously
considering agreeing to anything, he was just prolonging the game. The paladin
of the Conclave Guardians, a Mal’Salin prince, a primari of the highest order,
a former Conclave mage—these were prisoners the Khrynsani could only dream of.
And then there was Piaras.

“No
deals, Mistress Benares,” Nukpana said. “But you may keep the Saghred. It is a
lovely night and but a short distance to where we need to go.” His dark eyes
were shining. “A stroll in the forest with a beautiful lady. I cannot imagine a
better way to end my trip to your city.” He glanced at Mychael, a slow smile
forming, fangs visible. “That is if the count does not mind me borrowing his
new bride. I promise to keep her undamaged for as long as possible.”

Sarad
Nukpana could have meant any number of things by that, and I knew I didn’t want
to know about any of them.

Mychael
didn’t respond, at least not with words. He was utterly still, a dangerous
stillness, so still that the only movement was the pulse in his neck. I felt
the power he barely managed to hold in check. It was primal, and what it would
have done to Sarad Nukpana would not have been pretty. Mychael didn’t need his
voice to fight Nukpana and the goblin knew it. The goblin also knew that
Mychael couldn’t risk it—at least not yet.

Nukpana
half turned to an ornately armored guard. He wasn’t about to turn his back on
Mychael, hostages or not. “Zubari, if you and your guards will take the paladin
and mage to the compound. Mistress Benares, the witch, the prince, and the
nightingale will be coming with me.”