FORBIDDEN TALENTS (48 page)

“
Which way do we go, Celia?
”
Ragni asked.

“
Are we close?
”
Saeun added.

“
Yes, though I can’t know how much the passage will twist around before we get there. We should probably lose the lights, just to be safe. As for which way we should go, neither one feels more direct than the other, so we might as well be comfortable,
”
she said, indicating the wider way.
“
Especially if most of us are going to be walking blind.
”

They lined up, with each of them holding onto a rope tied around Utta’s waist. Then, with subtle gesture and a murmured word, the Fey doused the glowing globes. The Elves were nearly as blind in the absolute darkness as the humans were. Only Utta could see well, thanks to her Talent. Celia could tell that neither Ragni nor Rovdir were happy about Utta taking the lead, but both apparently had enough sense to see she was the only logical choice and kept their mouths shut for once.

The rope jerked as each of them adapted their gait to fit their neighbors’. Celia felt as if her walk had turned into a cautious waddle, and grinned at the image of them trailing Utta like a bunch of grim, well-armed ducklings.
At least I don’t have to worry about bumping my head
. Fallir, in front of her, was much taller. If there was a clearance problem, he’d find out first.

Utta stopped.
“
Hold up,
”
she whispered.

Third in line, Celia stopped before she ran into Fallir’s back. The others accordioned up behind her.

“
What is it?
”
Fender’s whisper barely reached her ears from beyond Eksa.

Utta turned back to them.
“
We’ve come to a sharp left turn in the passage. About fifty feet down it turns right again. There’s a medallion embedded in the end wall facing us. Is that something to worry about?
”

“
Describe it,
”
Fallir commanded.

“
It’s about as wide as my two hands together. It looks like silver, and has a carving on it like two men facing away from each other.
”

“
Is there another on the wall facing the first?
”

She heard and felt Utta move.
“
Yes. Same symbols, but that one looks like it’s made of gold.
”

“
We have to go back,
”
Fallir said.

“
What? Why?
”
Celia asked. She did
not
want to go through that crack in the rock.

“
We cannot pass. The medallions are meant to warn our Dark brothers that their Light kindred are in the passage. We’ll lose all chance of surprise.
”

“
Can’t you do anything to disarm it?
”
Celia asked.

“
No. We’d trigger the alarm before we could get close enough.
”

Celia was silent. They would have to go back. Into that narrow little crack in the wall. Her hands felt clammy just thinking about it.
Shit
.

“
Which is worse—having them know we’re here, or leaving behind our packs and supplies so we can scrape through that crack?
”
Rovdir asked.
“
We don’t even know if it goes all the way. And even if it does, we could wind up squeezing out into the cavern just so they can pick us off one at a time.
”

“
We don’t have to do either,
”
Valender said feeling his way forward. It sounded like Saeun was with him.
“
Lady Saeun can destroy the medallions.
”

“
How?
”
The disbelief in Fallir’s voice was almost visible.

“
You’re sure they only detect Elves?
”
Saeun asked.

Eksa answered.
“
Yes.
”

“
Utta, will you lead me to them?
”

“
Destroy the silver one first,
”
Valender said.

The rope tugged as Utta untied herself. Celia listened as she and Saeun left them. The seconds crept by like lame snails. The dark seemed to press in on her eyes and she tried to imagine infinite space above her instead of half a mountain.

How long had they been gone?
Surely if something happened to them we’d hear it, right
?

“
Where are they?
”
Ragni breathed. Celia could almost feel him vibrating with anxiety.

Then she heard soft steps coming closer.

“
It’s done,
”
Saeun said quietly.
“
We can pass.
”

“
How did you do that?
”
Fallir demanded.

“
I destroyed them,
”
Saeun said.

“
But
how
?
”
Fallir pressed.

“
Isn’t it enough to know that I did?
”
Saeun asked.

“
No!
”

“
It will have to be,
”
Tiva’ti said.

Celia suppressed a snicker.

A little way beyond the warded passage, Fender asked her to do another Finding to tell how close they were. Her Talent sprang to life before Eksa and Fallir grasped her shoulders.

“
We must be very close,
”
Eksa said when she told them.
“
We’re inside their inner wards.
”

“
But those were the first ones we found,
”
Utta said.

“
They’re over-confident if they didn’t guard the way better than that,
”
Fallir said.
“
That could be to our benefit.
”

“
Or you missed some,
”
Fender said.

“
I missed nothing,
”
Fallir declared.

“
Eksa is right,
”
Celia interrupted them.
“
We are close.
”

“
I should go ahead to scout,
”
Utta said.
“
We don’t want to stumble over them.
”

“
Not alone you’re not,
”
Ragni said.

“
I’ll go, too,
”
Celia said.
“
The way could still branch again.
”

Fender groaned.
“
Then I’m in, too.
”

“
And me,
”
Rovdir added.

“
No. We need to move quietly,
”
Fallir said.
“
You mortals are as clumsy as a Kaldeer in rut. Eksa, Treskin, and I will go with the women.
”

Rovdir said nothing, but Celia could imagine his mutinous expression.

Fender grasped her shoulder.
“
Be careful,
”
he whispered.

They held hands as Utta led them down the passage. It branched only once, but Celia easily determined the correct way. They found no more wards. Soon Utta halted, and Fallir breathed in her ear,
“
We’ll go on alone. Stay here.
”

Celia didn’t hear them leave.
There must be enough light now for them to see by
. Light her eyes couldn’t detect. She nodded as Utta took her hand.
Hel’s bells, I hate the dark
.

An eternity later, the three Elves returned and they all made their way back to the rest of the group. They described the layout of the cavern ahead and made suggestions for deploying their forces. Celia was amazed that Rovdir and Fender agreed readily with the Elves’ plan. She certainly didn’t.

“
You can’t be serious. Do you really expect Utta, Tiva’ti, and me to just hide while you take all the risks?
”

“
Yes, I do,
”
Fender said.
“
It’s risky enough just being here. You did your part, and you did it well. Now it’s time for you to stay out of our way.
”

Astonishment washed over her at Fender’s blunt tone.

“
He’s right,
”
Tiva’ti said.

“
No he isn’t,
”
Celia whispered fiercely.
“
I can help. I’m good with a bow. He said so himself.
”

“
One, you can’t shoot into a melee where you might hit your own men. Two, you bear Lord Dahleven’s heir. It’s more important you protect him, than us,
”
Fender said.
“
And three, you promised to obey my orders.
”

Celia gritted her teeth.

“
We’ll wait,
”
Tiva’ti said leaning close to Celia’s ear,
“
until we’re needed.
”

The men and Elves left them just where the light grew enough for Celia to see dimly. The Elves went first, quickly and silently, followed by the men who moved as quietly as they could. Celia readied her bow. A few moments later the sound of battle cries and blades ringing echoed back to them.

The clamor made Celia’s skin feel too tight. She’d heard such sounds before, and remembered the bloody aftermath. She didn’t want to smell death again. Didn’t want to see faces twisted in agony. She shut her eyes, but that didn’t banish the memories.

A roar snapped her eyes open again. It sounded like a tiger’s snarl crossed with an alligator’s hiss.

“
Now. They need us.
”
Tiva’ti hurried forward.

When she reached the opening, Celia took in the scene like a snapshot. Only the near end of the cavern was lit by glow globes. On a wide, stage-like ledge across the far side of the room stood a female Elf with red scars on her neck and hands. Two stone-warriors guarded her.
Edelstena, no doubt
. Several bodies lay nearby, and beside her, a bloody man hung suspended within a granite ring set inside a larger, five-sided frame. On the broad floor below, the Light Elves fought four stone-warriors. Shards of rock lay scattered at their feet. To the left, a little apart from the others, Ragni and Che’veyo stood side by side, chanting. To the right, Dark Elves were pushing the other men back, toward a giant beast. It roared again, and lunged at the end of a fine silver chain. Celia couldn’t imagine how the delicate tether held it.

“
A firedrake,
”
Utta said. The fear in her voice told Celia all she needed to know.
“
They have no shields. They’ll be burned to death.
”

The huge creature shimmered red and gold and black like a salamander on steroids. Its neck was long and thick with sinuous muscle, but its head looked more like a warthog’s than an amphibian’s.

Tiva’ti stood off to one side, away from the fighting, but where she had a clear view of the battle.

Fender sliced through the hand of the Dark Elf he fought, then turned his attention to the firedrake. And the firedrake turned its attention to him. It opened its mouth to spit.

“
No!
”
Celia cried, and took aim.

WHEN HE HAD time for a meal at all, Dahleven tried to eat with his men; seeing him shovel down the same meager rations as theirs seemed to boost their spirits. He was on his way to the men’s mess when he heard the distant ring of swords clashing down the hall.

Alarm jolted down his spine.
Odin’s Eye
! Had the walls been breached? He changed course, running toward the sounds of battle.

“
To me! To me!
”
A woman’s voice shouted above the clanging of metal on metal.

Angrim
! He heard footsteps pelting down the hall after him and looked quickly over his shoulder. Five armsmen also answered her cry.