by Cait Ashwood
Epilogue
Zaddicus sat in the saddle of a giant lizard, clinging precariously to the upper wall of the cavern where the wall met the ceiling. Only the straps on the saddle tying him to the beast kept him in place, the sticky pads on the reptile’s feet soundless on the stone. He’d been studying the people here for months, biding his time, getting to know their habits and schedules. He’d get exactly one chance at this, and it had to be perfect. Hell, if he played his cards right, he might even manage to double his catch.
He leaned forward in the saddle, the lizard steady beneath him as the glimmer of torchlight caught his eye. That would be the replacement. His hand found the crossbow resting on his lap and, with the torch to guide him, he let the bolt fly. A muffled thump was the result of his efforts and he smiled, pleased. He nudged his heels into the lizard’s side and the beast crept forward along the ceiling. Hanging upside down wasn’t the most pleasant of sensations, but it was necessary on occasion. Growing up among the creatures, Zaddicus was more than used to them.
The lizard scaled the opposite wall, climbing down without once losing its grip. Zaddicus worked at the straps securing him to the saddle and loosened them, jumping free and landing in a roll. He dragged the body of the replacement off to the side, tossing it among boulders and loose rock. So far, things couldn’t be going better.
Zad slipped back into the saddle, not bothering with the straps just yet. It wouldn’t be long before the attendant would wander out into the hall to chastise her often-late replacement. That would be his chance to slip in, undetected. He adjusted the cloth covering his mouth. The rest of his skin was coated in black paint to help him blend in. The lizard he’d stolen from the stables was a dun creature, the ugliest beast he’d ever seen. He was sure-footed, though, and always hungry. A hungry lizard was an easily controlled one, as long as you fed it.
Before long, the woman emerged, right on schedule.
“Hubert? I swear, you’d better get your ass here right this instant!” The woman paused, peering out into the gloom. “Hubert?”
Zaddicus kicked the lizard into motion, approaching from the side and slipping into the now-unguarded tunnel behind the woman. The reptile moved quickly, its tail whipping behind it the only sound its passage down the tunnel caused. Unlike Zaddicus, it had perfect night vision and the darkness of the chute was no inconvenience.
Light soon enough intruded on them and the lizard slowed, a hiss emanating from between its teeth. Its tongue flicked out, tasting the air, testing it. It lurched to the left and Zaddicus let it, the animal taking them up the wall at an angle. Below them, numerous cribs lay with an infant in each. There was only one other woman in here, now, and it appeared that she’d missed their entrance. Perfect.
Zad pulled out the tube at his waist, carefully loading a single cat’s claw dart. He tugged on the lizard’s reigns and the beast halted. He tossed it a rat for its efforts and it chopped contentedly as Zad lined up his shot.
The woman’s hand shot to her shoulder, finding the down on the dart. Before she could pull her hand away, she crumpled to the ground, asleep.
He didn’t bother to hide his grin, but he had to move quickly. He’d been in this room before, just never ready to make his move. Now, he was ready. He knew exactly which children were where, who their parents were, the strength of their bloodlines. Only, the Order wasn’t exactly accurate on a few counts. One benefit to them being struck was that, sometimes, they lost track of events. Zad thought back to the two women he’d culled from the herd, left alone all day until they were mad with need, and had, one after the other, until his seed had taken. Those two children, the newest in his line, were on opposite sides of the room.
He kneed the beast towards the girl, the need to be out of the room pressing on him with a renewed sense of urgency. He scooped her up, shoving a pacifier coated with a mild sleeping draught in her mouth to keep her quiet. She went in one of the baskets on the lizard’s sides. He was half way across the room when the alarm finally went up. The woman must have finally found Hubert. Zaddicus dug his spurs into the animal’s side and the beast hissed, leaping forward. Zad barely slowed the animal to pick up his son, repeating the pacifier business while guiding the animal up the wall and out the ventilation shaft with his knees. With both children secured, he knew he’d have mere minutes before the rest of the cavalry was picking up their trail.
Only bad side to lizards? They had one hell of a sense of smell, making it easy for them to track his path.
This particular shaft would get too narrow for him to follow all the way to the surface, but it did intersect with other paths. He’d scoped out various escape routes, but the baskets were hindering his lizard’s mobility more than he’d planned. The creature was slower than in his practice runs, and no number of rats were going to speed the damned thing up.
Dramatic exit, it is. Zad veered the animal to the right at the next intersection of passages, goading the animal on. He had to do something about those damned baskets. Zad secured the straps around his legs and threw one child into the sling around his chest. The other he carried in his arm. He cut the baskets free of the lizard and the damn thing crowed with victory.
Light appeared before them as they crested a natural rise in the tunnel, filtered and hazy, but it was daylight. The lizard, instead of slowing, picked up speed, now rustling along the passage without a thought to its safety.
A single leap took it out into mid-air before thrusting its legs out to reveal the hidden leather membranes that now snapped out to catch the updraft. Gliding like a squirrel and using its tail as a rudder, the lizard was truly as spectacular as it was ugly. Cries from below them rang out and Zad knew he’d been spotted. He didn’t have to tell the lizard where to go, this time. An opening yawned at them from across the hollow caldera and the lizard angled toward it, starting to lose altitude.
Zad held the infants to his chest and braced for the impact. Bolts and arrows whizzed past his head and he leaned as close to the lizard as he could get. The blow, when it came, made him see stars. The lizard nearly missed the landing, only its front legs hitting the opening. The rest of its body slammed against the stone, legs scrabbling madly to pull itself up the ledge.
There was no easy way to get to this opening from any other direction, as the ledge hung out over the shaft from the baths. The condensation from the rock was too slick for most lizards to keep their grip. If anyone wanted to follow him, they’d have to make the same mad dash and flight he had. Zad grinned as his mount sped toward the surface. He’d done it. With these two babes, he had the start of a new generation, one that would not be taken from him as the last had. These children would grow up his loyal, devoted servants. This time, he would succeed.
Thank You For reading
If you enjoyed the book, please leave a review on Amazon here! Self-published authors live for reviews, and it helps us out more than you could ever know.
Want the latest news from Cait? Sign up for her newsletter.
Is social media more your speed?
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Acknowledgments
There were a few more trials getting this book published than I faced the first time around. A death in the family threw a huge wrench in my schedule, and made it difficult to get the book out on time. In light of that, there are a few people I really need to thank. To my alphas Robin and Mary, who read up-to-the-minute in the same room with me so that I could implement changes immediately. To all the out-of-state phone calls they answered to discuss everything from plot holes to character outfits and everything in between. You girls kept me going when I was sure that this beast was never going to be finished on time, and kept me from giving up. There aren’t enough words to express my gratitude.
To my mother, who stayed up way past her bedtime to get me edits and comments, because I literally finished the manuscript with three days to spare. It’s been quite a few years since she’s pulled an all-nigh
ter, but I’m glad she had it in her to help out her kiddo.
To my lovely editor, who, even though she wasn’t working on this project, was still willing to answer random questions from me when I was in panic mode.
Finally, to the online panel of authors in the Indie community who answered a late-night plea for help with formatting issues. This really is the only industry I’m aware of with such a helpful culture, even among people who are technically ‘competitors’. My sanity owes you a huge thank you.
Also by Cait Ashwood
Pick up your copy on Amazon today!
Look for book three, Order of the Lily, in October of 2017.
About the Author
Fantasy and science fiction have been my lifeblood since I was too young to stay up and watch the complete episode of Star Trek: Voyager. I have several fandoms that I follow with varying amounts of rabid foaming, but it's all in good fun most of the time. If I had to pick a favorite, The Princess Bride is right at the top, well, at least as of the writing of this bio.
Aside from writing, I am also a classically trained violinist. I have a few students I teach weekly, and I really enjoy working with them. I also crochet, play D&D with friends, and, of course, read my little heart out. I have a small menagerie I manage with my husband here at home including three dogs, two cats, and six chickens. If you ever get the opportunity to keep chickens, I highly recommend them. They're a lot more entertaining than you might expect.
Some of my favorite authors include J.R. Ward, R.A. Salvatore, Anne McCaffrey, Tad Williams, Mercedes Lackey, Jean Auel, and Sherwood Smith, to name a few.
