by Gregory Ashe
Chapter 74
On one of the upper terraces, Siniq-elb watched one of the blurred figures settle into the features of the bearded man. He dropped to the ground, a blade glittering in the lantern light as it protruded from his stomach. Ayde turned toward the Cenarbasin woman; the fight was over. A Cenarbasin had no chance against one of the tair’s Renewed.
“Help me lift her,” Siniq-elb said to Vas. He put his arms under Mece and lifted her easily. Then, propping the crutches under his arms, he tried to push himself up with his stumps. The pain was excruciating, and he dropped back to his knees almost immediately. He might be able to balance himself on the on the severed limbs, but that took only a fraction of his weight; trying to stand had felt like he was going to push the bone through the still-tender flesh.
Vas stood there, his dark eyes watching Siniq-elb.
“Help me, Father take you,” Siniq-elb said.
“You can’t carry her and use the crutches,” Vas said. His injured arm hung limp at one side; for the first time, Siniq-elb realized that Ayde, in her coercion, had damaged Vas’s shoulder even further. “Put her over my good shoulder.”
Siniq-elb laid Mece’s torso over Vas’s shoulder and leaned back. With a nasal moan, Vas pushed himself to his feet, his jowls jiggling. Two steps toward the stairs and he wavered like a tree being felled.
“Put her down,” Siniq-elb said. He slapped one palm on the ground, the shock of it traveling to his teeth. “Just put her down if you can’t do it.”
Another nasal sound from Vas and he slumped to his knees. Siniq-elb had hurt his feelings again, but he didn’t care. Not now, not when the other man’s weakness was going to get them all killed. There had to be a way out of here, a way to get Mece out of the underground chamber and back into the temple. Although if the army really were attacking the temple . . .
The significance of Ayde’s words sunk in. The army had attacked the temple. Sword-Bearer Qilic had turned against the tair.
He was a rebel.
A part of Siniq-elb thrilled at the thought of the tair being thrown down, but he couldn’t keep from feeling disgust for the Sword-bearer, who had sold out both Siniq-elb and the god he had sworn to serve. There was no time to sort out his feelings, though.
“Put her on my back,” Siniq-elb said. “I’ll crawl.”
“That will take forever,” Vas said, panting as he lay on the ground next to Mece. Two paces and the man was already winded, tair help them both.
“Let’s get started now,” Siniq-elb said. “While our beloved lap-esis is still busy with the Cenarbasin.”
“Too late,” Vas said.