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Authors: Lisa Shearin
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goblin Guardians, so perhaps the Resistance thought Talon must have been especially kick-ass in the magic and military departments to be recruited. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw two of the female Resistance fighters giving Talon the once-over. I knew that look. Heck, I’d given that look. These ladies weren’t evaluating Talon’s military prowess. Good thing the kid didn’t notice those glances, or we’d never get him to shut up.
“Where are Mother and Father?” Tam asked his brother. “Are they safe?”
Nath hesitated, then he and Jash Masloc exchanged a tense glance.
“Where are they?” Tam’s voice promised pain to whoever had made his parents not safe.
“Mother’s fine,” Nath told him. “If being in charge of the Resistance means that you’re fine. For every one of our people the Khrynsani take, Mother and her agents kill two—or more if they can get them.”
“Impressive,” Imala murmured.
“If we had another couple of months, Mother could probably empty the Khrynsani temple.”
I spoke. “Tam, a woman who’s in charge of the Resistance and picks off Khrynsani doesn’t exactly sound like a stay-at-home mom.”
“Before she met our father, Mother was one of the finest mortekal in Rheskilia.”
“Mortekal?”
“Loosely translated as ‘noble taker of life’ or ‘righteous executioner.’”
“A mortekal doesn’t kill for money,” Imala explained. “They kill because it needs to be done. Though a mortekal will accept payment for expenses and any extenuating circumstances surrounding the target.”
“There was a serial killer in the northern provinces that neither the local law enforcement nor the garrison therecould stop,” Nath said. “The people took up a collection and hired Mother. She had the bastard’s head on a pike in a week.”
“I’ll bet you two never had a problem with bullies growing up.”
“None,” Tam said. He reached out and grabbed Nath by the shoulder. “You haven’t answered my question. Where’s Father?”
Nath’s voice stayed steady. “There was an ambush. Our latest intelligence has him imprisoned in the temple dungeons.”
“Sarad Nukpana is mine.” Tam’s words were low and calm and chilling as hell.
“You’re welcome to him, but it was Sandrina Ghalfari who did the taking.”
That name sounded familiar.
“Sarad’s mother,” Imala told me.
“That thing has a mother?” I blurted.
“Now she has joint command with Sarad,” Jash said. “His injuries prohibit him from assuming all of his duties. Plus, the scope of their plan is too large to be handled by one person alone. It seems Sarad trusts Sandrina enough to share power with her.”
“Such a nice son,” I muttered. “Until she turns her back.”
“Or until he turns his,” Tam said. “Sarad is merely insane. Sandrina is evil.”
“She’d give the demon queen a run for her money?”
Tam nodded once. “Sandrina Ghalfari poisoned and murdered my wife. She did the same to her husband to secure his title and fortune. Now she has taken my father. Her life is mine.”
The tunnel began a gradual upward slope and the ground beneath
our feet went from packed dirt to solid rock. I was relieved to see the walls and ceiling do the same thing.
When Jash Masloc stopped, we all did.
My hand crept toward my sword hilt as I peered into the dark beyond the torches’ light. Nothing but a lot of dark, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t anything inside.
“We’re coming up on the base of the city walls,” Jash said. “Sarad Nukpana has sensors anchored to the top every fifty feet.”
“To sense what?” Talon asked.
“Magic,” Jash said. “And yes, they can sense all the way down here, so push your magic down as far as it will go.”
I hoped Talon knew how to tamp. Surely, Tam had taught him how, but had the kid been listening when he did? We were about to find out the hard way.
Back when the tunnel walls were still dirt, Jash had told us the plan. If we
“Where are Mother and Father?” Tam asked his brother. “Are they safe?”
Nath hesitated, then he and Jash Masloc exchanged a tense glance.
“Where are they?” Tam’s voice promised pain to whoever had made his parents not safe.
“Mother’s fine,” Nath told him. “If being in charge of the Resistance means that you’re fine. For every one of our people the Khrynsani take, Mother and her agents kill two—or more if they can get them.”
“Impressive,” Imala murmured.
“If we had another couple of months, Mother could probably empty the Khrynsani temple.”
I spoke. “Tam, a woman who’s in charge of the Resistance and picks off Khrynsani doesn’t exactly sound like a stay-at-home mom.”
“Before she met our father, Mother was one of the finest mortekal in Rheskilia.”
“Mortekal?”
“Loosely translated as ‘noble taker of life’ or ‘righteous executioner.’”
“A mortekal doesn’t kill for money,” Imala explained. “They kill because it needs to be done. Though a mortekal will accept payment for expenses and any extenuating circumstances surrounding the target.”
“There was a serial killer in the northern provinces that neither the local law enforcement nor the garrison therecould stop,” Nath said. “The people took up a collection and hired Mother. She had the bastard’s head on a pike in a week.”
“I’ll bet you two never had a problem with bullies growing up.”
“None,” Tam said. He reached out and grabbed Nath by the shoulder. “You haven’t answered my question. Where’s Father?”
Nath’s voice stayed steady. “There was an ambush. Our latest intelligence has him imprisoned in the temple dungeons.”
“Sarad Nukpana is mine.” Tam’s words were low and calm and chilling as hell.
“You’re welcome to him, but it was Sandrina Ghalfari who did the taking.”
That name sounded familiar.
“Sarad’s mother,” Imala told me.
“That thing has a mother?” I blurted.
“Now she has joint command with Sarad,” Jash said. “His injuries prohibit him from assuming all of his duties. Plus, the scope of their plan is too large to be handled by one person alone. It seems Sarad trusts Sandrina enough to share power with her.”
“Such a nice son,” I muttered. “Until she turns her back.”
“Or until he turns his,” Tam said. “Sarad is merely insane. Sandrina is evil.”
“She’d give the demon queen a run for her money?”
Tam nodded once. “Sandrina Ghalfari poisoned and murdered my wife. She did the same to her husband to secure his title and fortune. Now she has taken my father. Her life is mine.”
The tunnel began a gradual upward slope and the ground beneath
our feet went from packed dirt to solid rock. I was relieved to see the walls and ceiling do the same thing.
When Jash Masloc stopped, we all did.
My hand crept toward my sword hilt as I peered into the dark beyond the torches’ light. Nothing but a lot of dark, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t anything inside.
“We’re coming up on the base of the city walls,” Jash said. “Sarad Nukpana has sensors anchored to the top every fifty feet.”
“To sense what?” Talon asked.
“Magic,” Jash said. “And yes, they can sense all the way down here, so push your magic down as far as it will go.”
I hoped Talon knew how to tamp. Surely, Tam had taught him how, but had the kid been listening when he did? We were about to find out the hard way.
Back when the tunnel walls were still dirt, Jash had told us the plan. If we
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