She flicked opened the top and tilted the vial toward Zarina's glass.
"I do know you better!" The vehemence in Zarina's voice stayed Vreva's hand. "I don't consider you a suspect. After we first met aboard the Bloody Scourge, I asked around about you. You did know Templeton. Everyone denied that you could ever do such a thing. Then I met you here, and realized that they were right."
Vreva breathed deep with relief. She returned the vial unused to its cubby, left the glasses sitting on the sideboard, and turned back to Zarina. "So tell the Pactbroker that I'm not a suspect."
"He wouldn't believe me."
"And why does it matter what he believes?"
Zarina groaned as if Vreva's words were knives in her flesh. "His beliefs matter because I have a contract to fulfill, a duty to perform." She approached Vreva, her features fixed in anguish. "If Sayyid accuses me of neglecting my duty, and insists that I end our relationship, I have no choice! I must ...end it. If I don't, he'll charge me with breach of contract, and have me replaced."
"That's ridiculous!" A new inquisitor could be disastrous. "I thought I was helping you, not hindering."
"You do distract me." Zarina's voice cracked with emotion. "Our time together ...what I feel for you ...has changed me, Vreva. All I can think about is your mouth on mine, your hands touching me. I close my eyes, and I see your face. I pray to Abadar, and I hear your voice answering."
Vreva opened her mouth, but could think of no words to answer Zarina's declaration. She'd heard similar from drunken slavers or lustful captains, but never with such conviction. The emotion in Zarina's revelation set her pulse pounding in her ears. Love ...Calistria save me. She marshaled her nerves. A long moment passed before she could speak again, but when she did, it was with a voice as strong and sharp as steel.
"You say that I distract you from your duty, but ask yourself this, Inquisitor Capoli: where would your investigation be if you had not asked me for help?"
"I ...I don't know." Confusion vied with distress on Zarina's face.
"Would you have collected half as much information about the interplay of power, money, and influence in the Fleshfairs, if you hadn't worked with me?"
"Probably not."
"Have you not gained valuable insights through the information I've provided to you?"
"Of course I have, but ...what if Sayyid—"
"Shhh." Vreva pressed two fingers to the inquisitor's lips and lowered her voice to a husky whisper. "All you have to do is report the truth. We've done nothing wrong. They must realize that our relationship provides more help to your investigation than hindrance. If Sayyid is so foolish as to order you to leave me, I daresay we'll both weep, but worrying about it will do no good."
"I ...suppose that's true." Zarina's eyes glistened with unshed tears.
"Of course it's true, but regardless of what happens later, there is one thing we can do now."
"What?"
"We can make this moment seem like a lifetime."
The tears spilled, and Vreva brushed them away. Zarina heaved a deep, ragged breath and, finally, her lips twitched into a sorrowful smile. "I love you, Vreva Jhafae."
"And I, you, Zarina Capoli." The truth, or a lie? As Zarina pulled her close, and their lips met in a desperate kiss, Vreva realized that she truly didn't know.
Chapter Eleven
The Lure of Sea and Stars
Why do only some galaxies take the spiral form?" Celeste moved her point of magnification to the right and scratched down another set of coordinates. In her view, the two interacting spiral galaxies shone against the heavens, arms glittering with stars arcing out from brilliant hubs.
"You ask questions for which there are no answers, Celeste." Astrus shifted as he peered at the spot she'd magnified. "There could be a thousand possible explanations, from physical forces like gravity, or the rotational effect that makes water swirl down a drain, to the will of some capricious god."
"There are answers, Astrus." She completed a sketch of the two dancing galaxies. Although she was learning much from Astrus, his condescending attitude and reticence to share had worn thin. "We may not know them, but there is an answer to every question one can pose."
"You press the bounds of science and enter the realm of philosophy."
"I don't think so. If you don't ask questions, how can you ever expect to learn?" Celeste shifted the focus again until a lone galaxy shone bright in her sight. This one was strangely shaped, one of its arms warped in a tighter curve than the other. "For instance, this galaxy appears lopsided. What might cause this perturbation?"
"I've seen this before. I have theories, but nothing to substantiate them."
"You're too cautious." Celeste waited a long moment, but he remained silent. She had shared with him all she knew of cometary motion and celestial navigation, but he continued to hoard his own knowledge. "Are you afraid I'll ridicule your theories?"
"No. I just don't want to lead you astray. My opinions are not facts. We must all formulate our own theories from the evidence we gather."
"I disagree." She sketched the warped galaxy and jotted down its coordinates. "Just as your suggestion that we coordinate our resources to better defend the Observatory was a wise one, pooling knowledge is key to the development of more robust theories. Torius always says that two heads are better than one."
Astrus shifted again, staring up at the asymmetrical galaxy. "Torius is a typical human, concerned only with his own gain. He uses you to further his own ends, Celeste. This is as clear as the stars in the sky."
"On that, I can assure you that you're mistaken, Astrus!" Celeste rose up onto her coils, her view of the heavens dashed in her annoyance. She tolerated the other naga's maligning of humans in an effort to keep the peace, but this disparagement of Torius was too much. "Torius has saved my life on multiple occasions, at great risk to his own safety."
"Because you're valuable to him as a navigator."
She had had enough of his bigoted attitude. It was time he really understood how different their views on humans were. "No, he did it because we love one another."
Astrus reeled back, flaring his upper body, his expression of bemusement devolving into one of shock.
"That surprises you?"
"It more than surprises me, Celeste. It ...It's ...aberrant."
Celeste shuddered in anger. "Our arrangement to share knowledge does not give you the right to judge me."
"I'm not judging you, Celeste. I'm just worried that this human might be clouding your mind with some type of magic. Are you sure he's not—"
"The only magic Torius has used on me is honesty and devotion."
"Devotion?" Astrus's lips curled in a sneer. "I hardly call it devoted to consign you to my care and traipse off without even a backward glance."
"Your care?" She bristled again. "What makes you think for a moment that I need your care, Astrus?"
"Your Captain came to me before he left and asked me to look after you."
"What?" Celeste shook her head. Torius would never do that. He knew full well that she could take care of herself. But why would Astrus lie to her about this? "I don't believe you!"
"It's no secret that he visited my tent just before he left. Ask your people." Astrus swayed in the naga equivalent of a shrug. "Perhaps this human is not as enamored of you as you are of him."
"You're wrong, Astrus. Torius and I—"
A piercing note shattered the quiet night—the wail of the conch horn from the lookout stationed on the nearby rocky outcrop.
"The alarm!" Her argument with Astrus forgotten, Celeste heard the shouts of the sentries posted around the camp as they called all to arms. A flare of orange caught her eye as several fire arrows arced toward the camp. Most landed without effect, snuffing out in the dry soil, but a few struck true, igniting two tents and a heap of canvas-covered supplies.
"Where—" Celeste scanned the darkness in the direction of the attack. She spied the glow of a torch and saw a few figures loping
through the brush. She shook her head, perplexed. "There are too few for a real assault."
A howling cry of mayhem sounded from the opposite direction, solving the mystery. The few words she understood screamed for blood, destruction, and death. Now she saw them, figures large and small, charging through the scrubby brush—not toward the camp, but toward the Observatory.
"Brigid Zelegan!" Astrus spat the name like a curse. "She means to fulfill her demented prophecy!"
Celeste hissed as she reared up. The Observatory was unique in the world, its value inestimable. She could not allow it to be destroyed by some lunatic. "Alert the defenders, Astrus! The arrows were a distraction! We've got to prevent them from reaching the Observatory!"
"Celeste! No! Let the humans fight! We need to—"
Celeste didn't hear what Astrus thought they needed to do. She launched herself off the platform and slithered straight at the onrushing cultists, a blinding bolt of crackling electricity streaking out before her. The bolt cut a line through the murderous throng, scattering foes in gobbets of charred meat. The attackers slowed their headlong charge, close enough now that Celeste could see them clearly, a motley assortment of humans, hyenafolk, the little dog-gremlins called pugwampis, and half-breeds of all types. They shuffled forward, glaring dubiously at her as she reared high on her coils, alone and unafraid of their superior numbers.
Now that I've got your attention.
Hissing and writhing her coils, Celeste shimmered her scales. The pearlescent glow rivaled the moon itself, drawing every eye. The creatures stumbled to a halt, staring at her in rapt awe. Several shook off the hypnotic effect, but still appeared daunted by the display. Celeste hoped they stayed that way long enough for help to arrive. Far behind her, shouts rang out, and she heard Dukkol bellow, "Stargazers!"
A feral roar shook the air, and a tall figure shoved forward from the rear of the enemy.
Brigid Zelegan. The priestess of Rovagug towered over her adherents, the light of Celeste's shimmering scales glittering from hundreds of small metal skulls that dangled from her leather armor.
"Kill the serpent!" The priestess glared at Celeste with eyes that seemed to focus on a world beyond Golarion, beyond sanity.
Celeste continued to writhe, maintaining her hypnotic hold over those in the fore, and those behind still seemed reluctant to push ahead. Zelegan pointed her axe at the ground between them and spat out an unholy invocation as if the very words burned her mouth. Though Celeste couldn't understand the spell, she recognized the language as the tongue of demons. The very air between them trembled and stretched until, with a sharp rending sound, a black void opened.
The creature that stepped through looked like an emaciated humanoid, save for a wedge-shaped head, a single hook-like horn, and a whip of a tail. Celeste wrinkled her nose at the stench of the acrid exudate that dripped from its taut, leathery skin to hiss and smoke on the ground. Considering the creatures deadly claws and teeth, the spear it held in one hand seemed superfluous.
A demon! Celeste watched nervously as it turned to the priestess. No words passed between the two, but there was obviously some kind of communication. Zelegan waved her axe at the encampment, then pointed it directly at Celeste. The demon turned its head to survey the camp before focusing on Celeste. Its lips curled back from rows of needle teeth, and it nodded once to Zelegan.
Celeste didn't know what this creature was capable of, and wasn't about to wait around to find out. She stopped writhing her coils and cast forth another blinding bolt of lightning.
The demon vanished. Destroyed or sent back to wherever it came from, she couldn't tell, but there was nothing left. The spear of electricity struck Zelegan as well, but Rovagug's priestess stood unaffected, a spider web of blue-white radiance arcing between the little metal skulls that adorned her armor. Only the troops behind the priestess suffered, several blasted into piles of blackened flesh. Zelegan snarled in rage and hurled vile epithets at her followers.
The followers of Rovagug charged.
Before Celeste could cast another spell, however, agony lanced through her back. Twisting her sinuous body, she struck reflexively at her covert assailant. Somehow, the demon had gotten behind her. Her mouth burned as she buried her fangs in the demon's leathery hide. She withdrew and reared back, spitting the creature's acidic slime from her blistered lips. The demon wrenched its blade from her scales and drew back for another thrust, unaffected by her poison.
Thankfully, the second thrust skittered across her thick scales without penetrating, giving her a moment to cast another spell. Twin spears of searing flame struck the demon square in the face. The foul slime bubbled and hissed, but the magic did little damage.
What in heaven and hell? Celeste curled away from a slashing sweep of its claws and slithered back. Zelegan's troops pounded up behind her, but she couldn't afford to turn her back on this demon. In desperation, she cast a flight of magical motes at it. The glowing projectiles punched through the demon's hide, the impacts spattering caustic slime and black blood.
Finally! she thought, gratified that something could hurt this creature.
The demon advanced with its spear as the battle cries of Zelegan's forces raged right behind Celeste. She was caught between two foes, with little hope of winning free.
"Fire all!"
Dukkol's shout from the Observatory platform and the buzz of airborne crossbow bolts sounded like music to Celeste's ears. Several of the bolts pierced the demon, and others zipped past to dissuade the attackers behind her. Glancing beyond the demon, she saw the Stargazers and several others lined up on the platform quickly reloading their crossbows.
Utilizing the distraction, Celeste cast a spell she rarely used. Her coils blurred into motion, propelling her around the ravening demon toward her allies. She slithered atop the Observatory platform and joined the line of Stargazers, relieved to be among friends, and satisfied that she had slowed their foes long enough for the others to form up.
She spared a glance about the platform. Beside the Stargazers stood Quizzik, the gnome Pathfinder, and his few people. Despite his short stature, the Pathfinder stood in the front line, yelling wildly at the advancing horde and clutching a pair of glass bottles. These he threw into the midst of Zelegan's forces. The resulting explosions lit the night and sent pugwampis and hyenafolk flying. Behind their line stood the two Desnan clerics, both of them chanting and clutching their glowing holy symbols. A shimmering glow spread out to engulf the rank of defenders, and Celeste felt her spirits lift.
According to the coordinated defense plan, Astrus's larger group would defend their rear, but that space was empty. Looking back toward the camp, she saw the naga's followers huddled around Astrus, advancing slowly. She wondered at their delay, then realized that the naga had taken the time to alter his form, for he appeared human even to her. Celeste's secret was out, since her illusion had lapsed, but Astrus apparently intended to keep his true nature hidden.
"Volley fire!"
At Dukkol's order, another buzzing swarm of crossbow bolts zipped into the mad priestess's howling forces. Celeste hurled a flight of magical motes at the demon, and saw a similar but lesser flight streak from well behind the defensive line—Astrus's meager contribution. Zelegan drove her troops, urging them into a blood-crazed frenzy. There would be no time for a third volley before the fiends were upon them.
"Cutlasses and boarding axes!" Celeste ordered, readying yet another spell for the demon. But as she prepared to loose her magic, the creature vanished once again. "Damn!" She twisted around to prevent another stab in the back, but the demon wasn't behind her.
"Where the hell?" Dukkol sounded worried at the demon's sudden disappearance.
"Repel boarders, Dukkol. Don't let them take the platform! I'll deal with the slime demon."
"Aye!" The dwarf drew his axe and waved his forces forward. "With me!"
As the Stargazers formed up on the edge of the platform, Celeste scanned the area between the Observatory and
the encampment. There was nothing to see save Astrus advancing slowly behind his dozens of followers. Then she caught a reflection of the light of a burning tent on slimy skin. She fired off her spell, and the magical motes tore through the night—right at Astrus.
The naga's eyes widened in fear, but the missiles shot past him, missing by inches, to impact on the demon's slimy hide. Astrus turned and loosed his own spell, catching the demon right in the face. One eye blasted to bloody ruin, the demon hissed and thrust its spear, missing Astrus by a slightly wider margin than Celeste's spell. While the creature reeled back for another strike, both nagas fired off volleys of magical energy. The barrage struck unerringly, and the demon fell into a riddled heap of bone and caustic slime.
Before Celeste could breathe a sigh of relief, hideous laughter rose on the air, as if a swarm of mad imps found the demon's demise hilarious. But even as she turned to face it, a wave of terror chilled her blood.
Brigid Zelegan stood with her axe raised high while the tiny skulls on her armor cackled madly, their silvery jaws all bobbing like insane skeletal spectators enjoying the mayhem. About half of the defenders staggered back from the melee, and some even dropped their weapons. The attackers surged onto the platform in a wave of jagged blades, sharp claws, and snapping teeth.
Celeste retreated with the others, pausing only to bury her fangs in a hyena-man's furred throat. We need reinforcements! Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Astrus's forces still huddled well beyond the platform. Her fear washed away in a flood of anger.
Coward!
"Forward, Astrus!" She saw reluctance in his eyes. Shooting him a glare that would have hulled a Chelish warship, she bellowed, "Forward! Or by the stars, I'll blast you to cinders where you stand!"
Astrus gaped at her for a moment, but then gave a half-hearted order. "Forward! Defend the Observatory!" His followers obeyed, though with little enthusiasm.
Furious, Celeste turned back to the battle—and recoiled in horror. Zelegan's forces had gained a foothold on the platform, and in the fore charged a creature undergoing a dreadful transformation. Some foul magic melted its face into seething slime, tentacles, and insectile legs. Defenders reeled before the monstrosity. Celeste withstood the visceral desire to flee and called forth her own magic. Twin spears of searing flame charred the writhing visage to a crisp, and the creature fell in a smoldering heap.
Pirate's Promise Page 14
