"Maybe we can rescue him afterward," Markus said.
Nadia felt a knot in her stomach. "I don't think there will be an afterward."
"I know," Markus said. "I just thought we should try to be optimistic."
Nadia wished she could share that sentiment, but she had known all this time that she was going to her death. No one could kill Warrick and escape.
They walked farther into the twisting cavern, keeping a brisk pace. Soon the Imperial Guards would guess where the small party was headed. Their chance at surprising Warrick dwindled with every passing second.
Soon they came to a branch in the cavern. Nadia glanced back, expecting to see Imperial Guards in pursuit, but the caves were still and silent.
"Which way?" Markus asked, peering into each passage in turn.
"I have no idea," Nadia said. Both passages looked the same, with widely spaced magical torches and fields of stalagmites and stalactites. Could she apply her intuition to this choice? She had never learned to use it consciously.
"We could always try one and hope," Markus said.
"That sounds like a terrible idea," Nadia said.
"Well, have you thought of anything better?"
"No, but I still think it's a terrible idea."
"It's all we can do," Alana said, tightening a hand around her staff. "If there are monsters, I can deal with them. After all we've been through, we can handle this place."
"Can we?" Markus asked. "I don't even know what this place is."
"It doesn't have a name," Nadia said, "but I believe Warrick created these caves as a method for people to reach his palace should the teleportation system somehow fail. They are also an obstacle. Any path other than the correct one is likely full of monsters."
Markus peered into the darkness. "You hear anything?"
"Probably just the echoes of my voice," Nadia said, but she wasn't certain of that, for she thought she had heard something else. Silently, she led the party deeper into the passage, to a place where the ground sloped steeply upward through thickening clusters of giant stalagmites
Another sound echoed. A growl?
Nadia peered up the dark slope, but saw nothing. "We should turn back. I don't like the way this feels."
"I don't feel anything," Markus said. "Alana can keep us safe if anything threatens us."
"I suppose you're right." Nadia wished they'd change their minds. They started up the slope with Alana and Markus leading the way. Nadia felt a moment of invisible resistance, then a change in the air. She dismissed it, thinking she was imagining things. Soon her legs burned, and sweat clung to her forehead.
After an arduous climb, they reached the top. Nadia peered to the right into the darkness.
Another growl. Louder. Closer.
"Maybe you were right," Markus said, turning back. As growls rumbled through the cave, they raced back to the slope. An orange glow brightened the passage. From behind them came a giant, fire-breathing monster that looked vaguely like a snake.
"What the hell is that?" Alana said as they raced down the slope, struggling for footing. Rocks crumbled away beneath them, and the cave trembled with the snake's movement. Alana sent jets of fire over her shoulder.
They didn't slow the snake.
Nadia's foot slipped, and she started sliding down the slope. Each impact with the jagged rocks felt like cutting her skin with a knife. But then Markus helped her to her feet, and they continued running as the ground rumbled more and more.
A surge of fire came toward them. Alana created a shield just in time to keep it from incinerating them, but Nadia still felt the tremendous heat.
Toward the bottom, the slope became steeper than ever. Too steep for them to run. They all tumbled forward, landing on the flat ground below with a jarring thud that knocked the wind out of Nadia. Struggling to get her breath back, she turned to watch her death.
But the snake stopped a few feet from the bottom of the slope. Fire came from its mouth but flattened out against an invisible barrier.
"Alana, are you doing that?" Nadia asked.
"No. Warrick must have created some kind of barrier."
"I actually think I might have felt that barrier," Nadia said, and Markus nodded his agreement.
"I didn't feel anything," Alana said.
Nadia considered that a moment. "Maybe it's related to our magical abilities."
"Whatever it is, it should be useful," Markus said, getting to his feet. "If we enter a passage and feel that same feeling, we'll know that we're going somewhere dangerous."
"Perhaps," Nadia said.
Markus pulled her to her feet while Alana stood on her own. The snake remained at the bottom of the slope, staring at them with large yellow eyes.
Bruised and woozy, the party traveled back to the place where the passage had branched before, and they chose the other passage. They made their way by the light of magical torches and soon came to an open chamber where three passages stood ahead of them.
"Which one now?" Markus asked.
"We'll start with the middle passage," Nadia said, and they began walking. The magical torchlight continued, brighter than before.
Nadia remained alert for any feelings of unease, for that nearly imperceptible shift in her surroundings that accompanied an invisible barrier. She felt neither, though, and soon the passage opened into a towering chamber. A narrow path ran along the walls of the chamber, spiraling gradually upward.
"I think this might take us all the way to the top of the mountain," Markus said.
"Let's hope so," Nadia said, feeling as if a weight had settled over her.
Every step they took was a step toward fulfilling her life's dream, or failing to do so. She felt the sudden urge to turn back, to abandon everything she'd ever worked for. Perhaps she could settle down in Bradenton, where she was a hero, and forget about vengeance. Would her mother expect her to die for something so improbable?
All this time, she'd approached her quest with the determination that she would never give up, but now she knew more reasons than ever to do so. Yes, they'd lost so many on this quest. Yes, Warrick oppressed the people. But that didn't mean she had to kill Warrick.
For the longest time, she'd lived only for vengeance, devoting every moment of her life to that goal. Even her friendship with Kara hadn't changed that. She'd cared more about doing her mother proud than forming a close relationship with anybody.
But now that had changed. She loved Markus and wanted a life with him. Through all these hardships, he'd stood by her side, always there to support her in her moments of weakness. And there was something about him, a sort of innocence she admired. Despite everything he'd been through, he was still Markus, the young man who'd stepped in to save her that day in the forest. He stood up for the right thing, even if it might bring him harm.
She had met him when he was trying to escape a future he didn't want. Now he was willingly marching toward a future that would most likely kill him. Yes, he'd had his moments of doubt, but he'd decided in the end that he had to do this. And so had she.
But it wasn't so easy anymore.
"I don't know if I can do this," she said quietly, worried about sharing her doubts. Would she influence the others to change their minds? Did she want that? Tears formed in her eyes, and she tried to hold them back.
For so long, she'd been strong, faking it even when she didn't feel it, but now she wanted anything other than this. Could she throw her life away now that she had something to live for?
Markus put a hand on her shoulder. "Of course you can do this. I know we probably won't succeed, but we have to try. For your mother. For Garet. For Jakob. For Kara. So many people have lost their lives for this quest. We can't disappoint them."
"How can you be so confident?" Nadia asked.
"I'm not. I'm scared to death. But you have to remember Crayden."
Tears choked her voice. "Of course. I know."
"I know it's not easy," Alana said, "but we can do this. We have t
he scrolls."
Nadia remembered that she had not yet looked at the scrolls. She called the others to a stop and unfurled the scrolls so that she could read them in their entirety and know what to do.
The instructions on the scrolls told her that she'd need to read a certain set of symbols aloud, and then the magic of the scrolls would become part of her. After that, she had to concentrate on releasing that power, and her spell would hit its target. However, she had to be careful that she directed the spell only at Warrick. It would incinerate anyone it touched.
And she had to be quick. The spell would remain charged for a few minutes at most.
She stowed the scrolls in her bag again. "I know what to do."
"And you're ready to do it?" Alana asked.
"I'm ready," she said, though she felt anything but ready. They resumed their trek up the spiraling path, which became narrower and narrower as it neared the top.
After a few more minutes, they reached a place where natural light filtered into the cave. They scooted along the narrow path and came to the exit. When Nadia stepped out of the cave, she decided she'd never been so happy to see orange evening sunlight.
If only she could have felt happier about the next part of their quest.
Maybe half a mile distant, the Golden Place stood in all its glory. Thirty or forty feet tall everywhere, with taller towers flanking its open gate. Like a castle, but more beautiful than any building she'd ever seen. The evening sun shined a brilliant orange on the golden walls.
"How much gold did he use to build that place?" Markus asked. "Couldn't some of that have gone to help the people?"
Nadia felt a hot stab of anger. "I know. I don't think it's solid gold, but that's still enough to feed countless families. As you said, Markus, in Warrick's world, some people are more equal than others." She experienced a renewed surge of determination. "That's why we have to kill him. Abuses like this can't go unpunished."
Markus nodded. "Like this. Like Crayden. Your mother. My parents."
"Like the mountains imprisoning us," Alana said. "Like these chains that bind us."
Nadia took a few deep breaths. "Let's go to the palace."
They crossed the mountain's rocky summit, a place that was strangely flat. Apart from them, no one stirred in the area, but Nadia knew the palace would be bustling with activity. Secure in his immortality, Warrick put few limits on who could enter his palace.
He will regret that today, Nadia thought, smiling although she wasn't happy.
They crossed the sturdy stone bridge leading toward the palace's open gate. A wide moat ran beneath the bridge, and Nadia thought she saw something swimming in it.
The instructions on the scrolls kept running through her head. Even more importantly, she tried to figure out how they'd get to Warrick. Yes, he was lax about security, but was he that lax?
After crossing the bridge, they stood at the entrance. Inside, people were walking back and forth, paying no attention to the small party. Most were dressed in the lavish robes of nobility, but a few wore clothes that looked more suited to traveling.
"This is the place I never thought I'd be," Nadia said.
"I don't think any of us did," Markus said.
"Well, this is our last chance to turn back," Nadia said. "The point of no return."
Alana gripped her staff firmly. "We're not turning back."
Chapter 58
Nadia's hatred intensified as they walked through the palace's gold-lined corridors. So much wealth had gone to help so few. How could Warrick dare to speak of equality?
People crowded the hallways, talking amongst themselves and going briskly about their business. Nobles. Imperial Guards. Servants. All blended into a giant mass of people. With so many demands on Warrick's time, how would they get him alone?
"This isn't what I expected," Markus said. "I thought it'd be emptier."
"Well, Warrick does actually rule from here," Nadia said. "No one can rule alone." She felt more hatred for these people who walked through the Golden Palace as though there were nothing disgusting about it. These people sought only their own personal gain.
Alana peered around the golden corridor. "We need to find a map."
They all stepped upon rich red carpets embellished with gold stitching. Magical torches cast a warm glow upon everything, accentuating the splendor of the gold. The excess.
Many of the other people in the corridors were armed, though perhaps not as much as the party, but Nadia still felt conspicuous. She might possess the key to defeating Warrick, but they couldn't risk detection.
They found a map at a nearby junction of hallways. Nadia moved close to it, checking for the throne room, Warrick's most likely location. Her father had said Warrick preferred to sit in his throne room with only the company of a steward.
"Any idea how we'll get into the throne room?" Markus asked.
"I'm still working on that," Nadia said.
They located the throne room on the map, memorized the route they'd need to take, then started walking again.
The palace's corridors branched in a neat grid pattern where everything looked the same. They passed door after door, working their way past more servants and a few Imperial Guards. To Nadia's surprise, the guardsmen didn't stop them.
After rounding a few more corners, Nadia saw the large wooden door leading to the throne room. When she saw no one waiting outside, her tense shoulders relaxed
Two men did flank the door, however, and they watched the party approach. One of them, a short young man with curly brown hair and a matching beard, stepped forward. "Do you have business with the emperor?"
To Nadia's astonishment, it was Markus who answered. "Tell the emperor that Markus, nephew of Theo, has come to reconsider his previous offer."
The man—probably the steward, though he looked young for the role—scratched his head. "And who are the two women with you?"
Nadia took a deep breath. "I am High Lady Nadia Cray, formerly of Crayden. I wish to speak to the emperor about rebuilding my city and preventing another tragedy."
"And I am Alana, formerly of the Oasis Outpost. I have information that could help the emperor in his efforts to eradicate the threat of Cyrus Middleton." She took on an earnest expression. "We've come a long way to see the emperor."
The steward nodded, opened the door, and stepped to the side. "All right. Good luck in there." He chuckled and gave them a curious look, almost as if he knew what they were doing. "I think you might need it."
"Thank you," Nadia said as she stepped through the door, feeling more than ever that she should turn back. The room stretched almost endlessly, and bright magical torchlight glowed upon the golden walls, giving the chamber a warm feeling.
In the distance, the room made an abrupt turn to the right. Somewhere beyond, Warrick was sitting on his throne, unaware that he would face death in a few minutes.
Or so Nadia prayed.
"I just had an idea," she said softly, holding out her arms to halt their progress. "I'm going to stay out of sight so that I can read the scrolls. You and Alana will have to occupy him."
"And how can we do that?" Markus asked.
"You'll have to keep him talking." She turned to Alana. "And you'll stay out of sight as well. If Markus can't distract Warrick, you'll have to use your staff."
"I understand," Alana said.
Nadia could hear the sadness in Alana's voice, for it was obvious that Warrick would kill Alana as soon as she started throwing spells at him. Alana was skilled, but not enough to stand up against Warrick.
Nadia and Alana went with Markus up to the point where the room turned to the right. Then they ducked behind one of the many pillars and peered around the corner to see that Warrick did sit at the end of the chamber. Now it all depended on Markus.
After a deep breath, Nadia started reading the scrolls.
* * * * *
Markus's heart pounded in his ears. Step by step, he made his way toward the end of the throne chamber,
toward Warrick who sat upon the golden throne, watching Markus approach. Markus could read no emotion on the emperor's face.
The urge to turn back hit Markus, and he felt as though his legs had turned to lead, weighing down his movements. The red banner of carpet running along the center of the throne room seemed to stretch forever. But Markus would reach its end.
All too soon.
Warrick sat up straighter, focusing his gaze on Markus. Once Markus reached what he thought was an appropriate distance, he got down on one knee and bowed to the emperor. He hated that he was doing it, but he had to make the sacrifice.
"You may stand, Markus," Warrick said. "Is this a sign that you've changed your mind?"
"Yes, it is, my emperor," Markus said, looking into the man's eyes. Please don't let him see through my lies.
"How did you get here, Markus? I'm curious."
"I returned to my uncle. He brought me here through the teleportation system. I thought that, after the way I spoke to you in Riverside, I should apologize to you in person." Markus was amazed at how easily the lies slipped from his mouth, but would Warrick believe them?
"A nice gesture, if it were true."
"I assure you, my emperor, it is true. I have come to my senses and realized that I should serve you."
"You are a poor liar, Markus. You're here for another reason. Don't tell me you think you can kill me. Even you would not be so foolish."
"I would think nothing of the sort, my emperor. I wish only to serve you."
"This conversation has grown tiring. Tell me what you really want."
"Why don't you believe me, my emperor?"
"Because I know you're not alone, Markus. That's a gift of my magic. I can sense that there are others in this room, hiding just out of my sight. If you were here for the reason you stated, your companions would not feel the need to hide."
Markus felt as though someone had punched him in the gut. They should have known that Warrick would see through their ruse. Markus opened his mouth to speak, but no words escaped.
Soft footsteps sounded behind him. Alana, approaching with her staff raised, launched a burst of lightning at Warrick. The emperor didn't move, watching the spell approach as though it were an annoying fly. The spell struck an invisible shield and dissipated.
Empire of Chains (World in Chains Book 1) Page 49
