"He will."
"Then what can we do?" Kara asked. She was amazed that she'd included herself with Warrick. Had she come to understand the man, to see that he wasn't the monster she'd once thought? Did she think she could actually help him in any way?
Warrick continued pacing. "Let me think."
"There has to be some way to keep that knowledge around," she said. "Something that Krinir won't find out about. You can't see everything in the Webs of Fate, can you?"
Warrick nodded. "There are too many strands to see every possibility."
"Then we can find a way to conceal this from him."
"I wish I had your optimism," he said. "But you don't know who we're dealing with. Krinir is more powerful than you can imagine. He'll see anything we're planning. He'll be prepared for it." He sighed deeply. "It will be a while before we reach him. That should give me time to think of something. For now, we should find our way out of these caves."
There was a strange look in his eyes, the kind of look she'd seen only from people who cared about her. But Warrick couldn't possibly care about her. She was merely a tool for him, just like anybody else.
"I think I know the way," he said. "Follow me. I can't promise this path will be safe. I'm just following my instincts. My memories of this place still feel a bit scattered."
As they started walking, Kara said, "How did we just happen to end up in this place? It seems far too coincidental."
"We are both incredibly strong Weavers. We pull the strands of the Webs into what others might call coincidences. Do you think it's a coincidence that you happened to be one of the few who survived Crayden? Do you think it's a coincidence that you were sent here to the Shadowed Land? That I guided myself to you when I was sent to the Shadowed Land?"
She glared at him. "Don't remind me about Crayden."
"I'm sorry," he said. "I really am. I wish there'd been another way."
"Can you tell me now? Why was Crayden so necessary?"
She expected him to continue walking. Instead, he stopped and looked her in the eyes. "If I hadn't destroyed Crayden, we wouldn't be here right now. You never would have agreed to accompany Nadia to Woodsville. Ander never would have taken up the mission to send me to the Shadowed Land."
"So that's how you ended up here."
"There's also somebody else we're going to meet up with soon who wouldn't be here. Someone you know."
"Who?" she demanded.
He smiled, and it looked natural this time. "Can't I have a little fun?"
"You're not allowed to have fun. You've killed too many people."
"Do you have to remind me of that so often? I feel enough guilt as it is. It isn't easy for me to take people's lives. Every time I kill somebody, I'm leaving a child without a parent, a husband without a wife, a person without their best friend. I know how that feels, and I hate it. But I have a job to do, now more than ever. I can't let guilt get in the way."
For a moment, she felt the inclination to reach out a hand and comfort him, but then she decided against it. It didn't matter how much he hated killing. He'd still done it, and he didn't deserve her compassion. He deserved every bit of guilt he endured.
"Please tell me who we're going to be meeting up with," she said.
"You'll probably find this a bit ironic. It's Rik."
She gave him a tired look. "You expect me to believe that Rik is here in the Shadowed Land, and that he'd just happen to cross paths with us?"
"He's a Weaver, too. Many Weavers were among those who survived Crayden. I've rarely seen such collections of Weavers in one place." He returned the same look she'd given him. "And why couldn't he be here in the Shadowed Land? Perhaps he encountered another Silver Wisp in the ruins, and he's been here the whole time. That isn't true, but it could have happened."
She sighed. "I suppose you're right."
At this point, nothing could surprise Kara anymore. Her life since Crayden had been a series of increasingly unlikely events. Perhaps she was a Weaver. No other explanation made sense. She didn't know if she liked that or not.
Warrick led her along the wall of the chamber, stopping occasionally as if searching his memory for a map of this place. Soon they reached a smaller passage at the other side of the vast chamber. Warrick entered this passage, Kara trailing after him. Now Warrick seemed to have fallen into one of his silent moods. Perhaps he could only reveal so much at once.
Kara had so many questions, but she figured she'd have a chance to ask them at some point. Even then, Warrick would reveal only what he wanted.
The passage twisted along for what felt like miles. They didn't encounter any monsters, which seemed unusual. This was the Shadowed Land after all.
"Why's this place so empty?" she asked, breaking a long silence.
"I don't know, but it bothers me."
They stepped out of the passage and into an open chamber much smaller than the last one. Kara could at least see all the walls, but that wasn't where her eyes went.
No, she was looking at the massive creature directly in front of them. It looked as if somebody had created something halfway between a snake and a bird. It stood perhaps a hundred feet tall, with a mouth that could easily swallow a person whole. Of course, it didn't need to do that, not with the dozens of sword-like teeth that filled its mouth.
For the moment, it was asleep.
"We should sneak past," Warrick whispered. "I could probably handle it, but there's no point risking you getting hurt."
Strange. She almost could have sworn she heard real concern in his voice. Concern for her as a human being and not as a mere tool. But then she cast those thoughts aside. However much Warrick had opened up to her, he was still a monster.
"There's one major problem with that plan," Kara said. "There's no way out."
Warrick surveyed the chamber. "Well, there is, but it's on the other side of the monster."
"Do you think we can still sneak past it?"
"We'll have to try."
Kara didn't like hearing the doubt in Warrick's voice. He was perhaps the most powerful sorcerer in the world. If he feared this monster, that was a bad sign. Then again, perhaps he didn't fear for himself; he feared for her, as strange as that sounded.
They inched closer to the monster, remaining silent. Each footstep seemed to echo in the chamber. Kara's entire body felt tense, and her heart climbed into her throat.
The monster did not stir.
They stood about twenty feet from the monster, and it remained asleep. Warrick took a few steps closer, motioning for Kara to follow. Her legs felt as if they'd turned to lead, but she forced herself to move. Moments after she started, she accidentally kicked a loose rock. It made a horrible clattering sound as it rolled closer to the monster.
The monster still did not move.
Heart pounding, she followed Warrick to the monster's other side. There was a small gap behind the monster, but they would be dangerously close to it. One misstep would surely awaken the creature.
Warrick stopped next to the rocky wall and gestured for Kara to go ahead of him. She stood only a few feet from the monster, and she could see the exit to her left, directly behind the creature. All she had to do was sneak her way there. Once they entered the passage, the monster would be too large to follow them.
Her heart pounded in her ears as she slipped into the small space between the monster and the wall. At any moment, she expected the beast to stir, but it didn't. She could hear its breathing, though—a sound like thunder.
Warrick remained where he was, probably to fight the monster if it woke up. She wasn't worried about him because he could surely handle a beast this size.
At last, she slipped into the passage. She walked far enough that the monster would pose no threat, then leaned against the rock wall, trembling.
Soon Warrick entered the passage. He stopped beside her. "You handled that quite well."
"I feel like I'm gonna throw up."
"That is quite a monster," he sai
d. "There's no shame in being scared."
Once again, Kara couldn't believe her ears. Warrick's words had nothing to do with how she might be useful according to the Webs of Fate. No, those were the words of someone who cared about her, who understood that she needed a little support right now.
"Thank you," she said, and she meant it.
Warrick nodded. "Are you ready to get going again?"
"Yes," she said, though she didn't feel ready. Warrick nodded again, and they started along the dark, twisting passage. He had to conjure another handheld flame. Its orange light danced against the wall, casting ghostly shadows.
The passage continued for what seemed an eternity. At first, it seemed like another boring passage, but then Kara felt a low rumble. They both stopped, but the rumble didn't sound again.
Kara kept checking her surroundings, but didn't see anything. Then the rumble returned, much stronger this time. Whatever it was, it grew steadily closer. Still, she could see nothing in the darkness beyond Warrick's light.
The ground exploded in front of them.
A giant snakelike head emerged from the ground right between Kara and Warrick. The force of the explosion knocked Kara backward. She scrambled away from the head, but she wasn't fast enough. The creature's tongue lashed out like a frog's and wrapped itself around her.
A moment later, she was in the creature's mouth. Its fangs sank into her shoulders, sending searing pain through her entire body.
Then it closed its mouth, plunging her into darkness.
Chapter 27: A Tyrant and a Healer
Kara tried to use her sword to cut her way out of the creature, but the space was too confined. She couldn't breathe and knew she had a minute, maybe two, before she'd have no chance of saving herself. Maybe Warrick was out there, trying to save her, but she couldn't depend on him.
Her sword was in her hand, pinned beneath her back. The beast's body forced her deeper into its stomach. She felt a slight tingle, probably its digestive juices. The sudden slickness of those juices gave her the chance she needed. Her sword came free from beneath her.
Already, her lungs felt as if they'd explode. She tried to ignore her rising panic as she slashed at the stomach wall with her sword. The beast shook with a mighty tremor, but she hadn't done enough damage. She slashed again and again and again, but she couldn't get enough room to create the hole she needed.
She kept slashing, feeling as if she were moments from passing out. How long had she been without air? It was no use. She was going to die.
Then she felt it—a convulsion sending her back toward the mouth. The beast's convulsions grew stronger and stronger, and soon she went flying out of its mouth. The damage she'd inflicted must have injured the creature just enough that it vomited her back up.
She lay on the ground, gasping for air, scrambling away from the monster. For the moment, it didn't appear intent on trying to eat her again. If she'd done as much damage as she thought she did, it probably wouldn't want to eat anything for a long time.
Kara took in great breaths, but it didn't feel like enough. The world seemed too dark, and everything was spinning around her. Her shoulders felt as if they were on fire. Was the venom from the monster's fangs going to kill her even though she'd escaped its belly?
She lay her head down on the rocky ground. It felt like a good time to die.
A magnificent glow filled the tunnel, as bright as the sun she barely remembered. The cave rumbled. The air vibrated with energy. Her head felt as heavy as a boulder, but she turned to see what was happening.
Warrick stood in front of the beast, unleashing a barrage of spells. It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. She felt his anger, his determination to save her. The air glowed the most brilliant orange she'd ever seen. Distantly, the sounds of hissing and shrieking reached her, but the world had taken on a dreamlike quality. Her eyes could barely stay open.
Then the light died down. She realized now that she felt very cold. The venom burned in her veins, but the rest of her felt as if she'd fallen into an icy pond. Was this how it felt to die?
Hands touched her, but she barely noticed them. The world had grown blurry. Everything was fading into nothing. She wanted to thank Warrick for his effort, but she couldn't speak, couldn't move. If this was dying, it wasn't that bad. At least she'd get to see her family again. After all, any dreams of seeing Nadia had been dreams, nothing more.
In death, she could finally leave the Shadowed Land.
But then the world came back into focus. Her pain slowly subsided. As her vision cleared, she looked up into Warrick's eyes and saw the fierce determination there. He'd pressed his hands to her shoulders, intent on saving her. She felt a strange tenderness in his touch.
Finally, she could croak out a few words. "Am I gonna be all right?"
Warrick sounded breathless. "It was close, but yes."
"Did you kill it?"
"It's dead."
"Good."
He leaned closer to her, cradling her in his arms as he sat on the rocky ground. She could barely see him in the dim light coming from some distant source, but she knew what he wanted. He leaned close as if to kiss her, but then he pulled away.
"You really smell awful," he said.
She wasn't sure if she should feel relieved that he didn't kiss her, or upset. "Well, I was just in the belly of a monster. What did you expect?"
"Can you stand?"
"I think so." But when she tried to stand, her legs collapsed.
"Let me help you." He offered a hand, and she took it. With his help, she got to her feet shakily. She wavered a bit and used the cave wall until her balance steadied.
Then she glared at him. "Don't ever think about kissing me again."
"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."
"Just don't let it happen again."
"Don't worry," he said, sounding a little annoyed. "I won't."
"Good. Now that we have that cleared up, we should get moving again."
"Are you ready to travel?" he asked, frowning with genuine concern. Kara nodded, and they started walking. He had to steady her balance a few times, but soon she felt close to normal—or at least as normal as she could feel after everything she'd just experienced.
"I never knew you were such a talented healer," she said.
"It was actually one of my earliest talents. It's very common in my family." He chuckled in amusement. "Not what you expected from an evil tyrant, is it?"
Kara used a hand to steady herself against the wall. "When it comes to you, I've learned not to rely on my expectations."
"I understand why you still don't like me."
"Good."
"Is that all?" he asked. "Good?"
"What else need I say?"
"Nothing, I suppose."
"Good."
"I did just save your life," he said. "Again."
"Thank you. I appreciate that."
"But you can't forgive me, can you?"
"No," she said as they rounded a bend in the passage. "Why should I?"
"You shouldn't."
"Good. Now that that's settled, can we end this conversation?"
"All right," he said. She could detect the anger and impatience in his voice, but he didn't press the subject. Was he simply trying to show her he could listen to her requests? She knew now that he felt something for her, and she didn't like it. It was better if they stayed away from anything approaching that subject. There could never be anything between them.
Not after Crayden.
A scream echoed through the passage. To Warrick's credit, he didn't hesitate; he sprinted toward the sound. Kara followed as fast as she could, but her legs still felt a little weak. They rounded twists and turns, eventually reaching a dark area where Warrick had to use magic to light their way.
The scream sounded again, louder. It was a woman.
Kara stumbled a few times, but she did reach the spot where Warrick had stopped. A young woman with pale blond hair lay on th
e ground, trembling. Warrick was not looking at her. Instead, he had fixed his gaze on the passage ahead.
"Stay back," he said. "There's something very evil here."
Kara couldn't see anything, but she felt the cold. It was everywhere, making her skin prickle.
"You all right?" she asked the young woman. "What's your name?"
The young woman had wrapped her arms around herself as if that could protect her from whatever was coming. Her voice came out as a hoarse whisper. "Eliza."
"It's going to be all right, Eliza," Kara said, though she had no idea if that was the truth. "The man with me—he's a very powerful sorcerer. He'll protect us." But she wasn't sure that was true either. Warrick would surely protect her, but would he protect Eliza as well? After all, she may not hold the same importance for him, and however much Kara's opinion of him might have changed, she knew he was still a cold man who viewed people as tools, not friends.
Lightning burst from Warrick's fingertips, colliding with some shadowy creature hovering a few feet away. The creature shrieked, then dissipated in a cloud of smoke.
Warrick turned back to Kara and Eliza. "It's gone."
"What was that?" Kara asked.
"No idea. Something that needed to be destroyed. This is the Shadowed Land, where even I don't know everything we'll encounter."
"That was terrifying," Eliza said. "But now that it's gone, we can help Rik."
Kara's stomach twisted. "Did you say Rik?"
"Yes. Do you know him?"
"He's a young man with red hair, isn't he?"
Eliza raised her eyebrows. "Yes."
"Then I knew him back home. Where is he?"
She pointed back up the passage. "That thing did something to him. It seemed like he turned to stone. I've never seen anything like it."
Warrick had already started in that direction, so Kara and Eliza hastened to follow. It didn't take them long to find Rik. He lay facedown on the rocky ground. Warrick knelt beside him and turned him over. His eyes could still move, but that was it. Kara could imagine the thoughts running through his mind. Had he recognized Warrick?
The Gilded Empire Page 18
