Amelia centered herself in front of the kolagro and reached for it while facing WroOth. "I'm just doing what I have to do."
"Step away from the kolagro."
"What?" Amelia twisted the kolagro free. "I don't know what you're talking about?"
"It doesn't matter anyway," WroOth said. "The kolagro can only be removed by one of the Nalenths or the Paras. Unless someone forgot to fasten it in properly. So step away."
"The kolagro was gone when I got here," Amelia said.
WroOth pressed his lips in a thin line. "Oh, dear heart. You're starting to disappoint me."
Amelia stepped to the side, keeping the kolagro behind her back. "Look for yourself."
WroOth rolled his eyes. "Show me your hands then, and stop moving. Did you at least bring Inale to Polfradon?"
"Inale is safe."
WroOth's eyebrow arched. "No, she isn't. Where is she?"
How did he even know that? Amelia inched away. "She is."
"You are no longer amusing me. If Inale is in danger, we need to get her."
"She is as safe as she can be right now. Nothing is particularly safe, I guess, but I wouldn't let anything happen to her. Now if you want me to go get her, I will, but you stay here."
"No. The only thing you are worse at than lying is picking your spots." He nodded toward the floor.
Amelia still held the kolagro behind her back, but the skin on the back of her neck tightened. Adrenaline pulsed in her veins. Something was behind her. She'd missed it. Taking her eyes off WroOth would be a bad idea, but—a blast of hot breath struck the back of her neck. It smelled like dead fish and rotten meat.
"I command these creatures, as does my brother," WroOth said, holding up his hand. "And as much fun as our little encounters have been, they will now end quite horrifically if you don't cooperate. So give me the kolagro and tell me where I can find Inale."
Amelia shook her head, her motion slow and deliberate. "You and your brothers will destroy everything I love. I can't let that happen."
WroOth pointed behind her. "I think you can. Have a look."
Amelia let her glance hinge to the side. Sure enough, a crudon stood on all fours behind her. It was almost at her eye level, its black nose twitching as it sniffed. Two of the other crudons also stirred. One yawned, stretching out its wide paws like a dog waking from a nap.
"I give the word and those crudons start taking pieces of you." WroOth stepped forward, his hand in the air, his eyes no longer laughing. "Is Inale at least here in Polfradon?"
"No," Amelia said.
WroOth shook his head with sharp annoyance. "Don't take my mirth for weakness. I can be as cruel as my brothers. Crueler if the mood takes me, and it just might. I'm no longer interested in playing games."
Amelia continued to edge around the table. Even if both hands weren't occupied with the kolagro, her gun would only cause bigger problems now that she had lost the element of surprise and the crudons were already stirring or awake. "Well, I'm not in the mood to play either, so if you'll excuse me, I'll take this and go."
She'd dealt with wild animals on many occasions, and predators smelled fear. Sometimes that didn't make a difference. In some cases, they just attacked. It would be much worse if she stepped on one of the crudon's paws. She needed her eyes. And though it was one of the most terrifying thing she had ever done, she turned her back on WroOth while sliding the kolagro around to her front and headed toward the door.
The crudon snorted and shook its head, blinking its yellow eyes. It sniffed her again.
"Did you just turn your back on me?" WroOth's voice cut through her.
Amelia resisted the urge to look over her shoulder. She stepped over one of the crudons.
"Well, you are the stubborn one," WroOth said. The tone of his voice had changed. He sounded as if he was enjoying it again. "Unfortunately for you, so am I. Delorme, crudons. Get up."
At once, all the other crudons snapped awake, snarling and growling. Amelia halted. Running was the worst thing to do right now. Stay calm, she thought. Stay calm. The crudons fanned out in typical pack behavior, sizing her up and pacing the floor.
The alpha bounded in front of her, its hackles raised, quills bristling along its spine, yellow teeth bared. Instinct urged Amelia to run, but she fought it. She kept her gaze down as the crudon's head came closer. It sniffed her, saliva dripping from its jaws and staining the floor.
"Now," WroOth said. "Turn around. Walk back to me, and give me the kolagro. Otherwise, I will have them tear your legs off."
Amelia turned her head. WroOth wasn't joking. Hopefully, Elonumato would protect her because there was only one way now. "No," she said. "I won't." Then, turning her gaze back to the crudon, she took a deep breath and stepped toward the door.
The crudon continued to growl and sniff as did the others, but they did not attack. Their bodies remained tense, muscles flexed, waiting for the command.
"Delorme, crudons," WroOth said, his voice deadly. "Take her legs."
The crudons growled again. But as Amelia moved past them, they did nothing.
Shocked, Amelia kept walking. They weren't attacking. It was a miracle!
"Delorme, crudons," WroOth said again, his voice louder. "Take her legs."
One of the crudons shook its head and bellowed. But as Amelia walked, none made another move toward her. At most a few shifted their weight. The door was less than an arm's length away. Amelia unfastened the lock and grasped the knob.
"At least bite her, you worthless clots!" WroOth shouted.
Turning the handle, Amelia pulled the door open and stepped out into the vacant hallway.
"You are all as helpful as fur rugs, and when I get back, that is exactly what you're going to be." WroOth started forward. "Amelia, get back in here now. You don't want me to catch you."
"Why else would I be running?" Amelia asked. She jerked the door closed just as WroOth vaulted over the table. She grabbed one of the torch stands and slid it through the wide door handles and against the wall. Then, clutching the kolagro close, she ran back around the corner toward the shaft she had escaped from.
The doors thudded behind her, the wood shaking. WroOth shouted from the other side. Grabbing the tapestry, Amelia pushed it back, opened the door, and set the kolagro inside.
The wood of the door splintered.
In that moment, Amelia knew she had to make a decision. It was a fifty-fifty chance WroOth would come her way. If he did, it would be over. He'd get her and the kolagro. Without the kolagro, at least they couldn't restore the Tue-Rah.
Amelia closed the passage door, shoved the tapestry into place, and stopped it from swinging. The coarse yarn fibers clung to her sweating palms. She turned and ran.
The doors broke apart, and WroOth leaped through. None of the crudons followed him. Amelia glanced back long enough to gauge her danger. WroOth hadn't transformed. But even in his human form, he was fast.
Amelia pumped her arms, running as fast as she could. She took the corner sharply, hugging close to the wall. The footsteps behind her increased as well. WroOth was gaining. He would catch her soon enough.
She took another sharp turn, grabbed the first closed door, flung it open, and dashed inside. She slammed it shut, looking for a lock of some kind. The room was dark, and it took her eyes a moment to adjust. It appeared to be some sort of study suite. A strange silver and green light emanated from the back of the room, and a man stood with his back to the door in front of the light. "Whoever you are, you had better be out of this room before I finish with this, or you'll pay for it with your life."
Amelia choked on her breath. The man was Naatos.
21
Conversations with a Dying Brother
Short of another room of crudons, Amelia could not imagine choosing a worse room than one with Naatos. But with WroOth so close behind her, she didn't dare leave. The one good thing was that the room was well-furnished. Amelia ducked behind one of the dark-blue couches, sliding down agains
t the wall as the door slammed open again.
Naatos jerked back from the light. The silver and green light expanded, then vanished. "I warned—WroOth, what are you doing here?"
WroOth jumped onto the couch on the other side of the room and peered over the back. "That woman is here." He pushed the couch back and ripped a tapestry from the wall.
Amelia covered her mouth, grateful he'd started on the other side of the room. There wasn't any other place to hide now.
"Your crudons are worthless," WroOth continued. "A simple command like 'take off her legs' or 'bite her' shouldn't be that hard to follow." He pulled another tapestry free and flung it into the middle of the room.
"WroOth." Naatos wiped his hands with a coal-colored cloth and pushed a drawer back in.
WroOth flung another chair. It toppled over, cracking against the wall.
"WroOth!" Naatos said again, louder this time. "What woman? Why are you chasing a woman?"
"Amelia. And I am chasing her because your crudons wouldn't even nibble her. She stole the kolagro."
"What?"
The deadliness in Naatos's voice chilled Amelia. She was so glad that she had hidden the kolagro in the passage. Closing her eyes, she drew in a quiet breath.
"That Neyeb woman. The one who pretended to be a Machat. She's here. And she's stolen the kolagro."
Amelia discovered a ventilation shaft with a silk panel over the opening behind her. It wasn't the same as the passages she had been in earlier, but it would get her out of there. Slipping her fingernail under the edge of the first fastener, Amelia pried it off.
"And she ran in here? You're certain."
"She's in here."
"She won't be leaving then. Make sure the door is locked."
"If it's at all possible, don't kill—"
"No." Naatos held up his hand, his voice stern. "You have no say in this. I will deal with her. She may be amusing to you, but I will deal with her. For now, guard the doors." He tossed the rag onto the desk and set his arms akimbo. "Amelia—"
"Oh. And Inale is in Polfradon too," WroOth said.
Amelia froze. How could he know that? How was he figuring these things out?
"Where?" Naatos demanded.
"She didn't say. She's just here. Amelia knows. So don't kill her right away."
"Amelia," Naatos said again, louder this time. "We know you're in here. It's not as if you have any place to go."
The room had many places to hide. There was even another door on the far side next to Naatos. Not that she could get anywhere else, but it would help keep Naatos distracted. The only light came from a single torch that hung in the back corner near his work space. Shadows winked along the walls, catching on the stacked books, artifacts, and animal bones.
Amelia struggled to control her breaths, fearing that even her heartbeat would be heard. She slipped off the next fastener.
"Amelia, if you do not surrender now, I will make you suffer. You're expecting that, I imagine. Particularly after your display earlier." Naatos started forward. "I normally don't show much leniency, but there are extenuating circumstances here. And, though it goes against my better judgment, I will give you yet another chance. It would be such a shame to waste your life. So come out. Talk to me. I can be reasonable. You don't have to die. You don't even have to suffer. Much."
Amelia pried off the third fastener. Her heart hammered faster. Naatos righted the chair WroOth had thrown. "Of course, if you decide to make this difficult, I will make you suffer in ways you can only imagine. No living person knows the Neyeb psyche better than I. The worst of your nightmares will not have prepared you for what I will do to you. Or rather…what they will do to you. You have ten seconds to show yourself."
Please count out loud, Amelia thought. She closed her eyes. If he counted, she could move in time with his words and disguise the sound of her movements. The couch she hid behind would only offer shelter for so long.
But Naatos said nothing. The silence pounded in the room. It crushed in around Amelia, throbbing through her body. The pressure intensified most in her elmis, begging her to scratch and dig at them.
"Time's up," Naatos said, his voice little more than a low whisper.
A piece of furniture crashed against the wall. Amelia cringed and ripped the panel off. Without checking to see if there was anything else in the shaft, she crawled inside. No welcoming bits of lichen lit the way. She had only her sense of touch. This particular passage was so narrow and low to the ground she had to slither on her stomach.
Behind her, the search continued. Furniture crashed. Something shattered. Amelia struck something firm, smooth, and soft. Another ventilation panel.
Amelia pressed her hands against it. The bottom gave slightly. Any minute now, Naatos and WroOth would discover that open ventilation shaft. And then…
She didn't want to think about it. Knotting up her fist, she punched the silk screen. The edges tore, and the fasteners popped. The screen fell to the floor. Beyond the opening was a bedroom. Amelia pulled herself out, grateful that the opening hadn't been smaller. Her gloves had torn in the vent, exposing part of her elmis.
A baritone voice rose from the bed. "Would you care to explain yourself?"
Amelia gritted her teeth together. AaQar. How could her fortune be this bad?
AaQar sat up in the simple rope bed, his white brow arched as he looked at her.
Maybe he didn't remember her. Amelia dusted the dirt and sand from her jeans and bowed her head. "Oh, the servant shaft was closed. I took a wrong turn. My apologies for disturbing you, Lord Para. I'll just be leaving then."
AaQar started to rise from the bed. But as he did, he fell back with a groan.
"Are you all right?" Amelia caught herself before she went closer. She should be moving toward the door. But the more compassionate part of her demanded she stay. AaQar looked ghastly, and his all white features, white hair, and pale silver-blue robes did nothing to alter that impression.
"What does it matter to you?" AaQar sighed. "What does it matter to anyone?" He put his hand against the bedpost and pulled himself up but collapsed. He groaned.
"Where are you trying to go?"
"To get some water, if you must know."
A clay pitcher sat on the bureau beside her. Amelia poured the cool water into the wooden mug and took it to him.
AaQar regarded her suspiciously, half resting on his arm. "You are strangely accommodating for an intruder."
"Like I said, I took a wrong turn. I don't mean any harm." Amelia stepped back.
Something crashed in the next room. "Get the guards," Naatos shouted.
Amelia scratched behind her ear. Even without her own tension, she felt some weight coming from AaQar. A sadness. Something horrible had happened to him. "I don't mean to be rude," Amelia said hesitantly. "But I thought Vawtrians could heal themselves."
"Well, you are rude, and yes, they can. Most of the time. I'm dying, woman. By my own choice, so save your pity."
"What?" Amelia frowned. This made little sense. If she was supposed to kill him, how could he be killing himself? "You are one of the Lord Paras. Aren't you invincible? Don't you want—"
"Power unlimited? Responsibilities untold?" AaQar took a drink. He looked up as more furniture crashed and more shouts sounded. AaQar shook his head. "You've been annoying my brothers again, haven't you, Amelia?"
"I—"
"I'm dying, not blind and amnesiac." AaQar sighed. "Stay awhile. I'm an old man, more in soul than years, and I would appreciate the company."
"You aren't expecting more company, are you?" Amelia glanced at the door. She had an incredible opportunity to get information now, particularly given how little she knew about Vawtrians. She also had a straight shot to the door. But that shaft…How long before Naatos or WroOth discovered it?
Booted footsteps resounded down the hall.
Perhaps it was safer to wait here.
"What choice do you have?" AaQar motioned to the bench by the shaf
t. "You might as well take your rest. Have something to drink if you like. There's only water. It's all I ever drink anymore." His voice was surprisingly strong despite the gauntness in his face. "You have nothing to fear from me."
"How can you be dying though?" Amelia asked. She didn't sit. Moving to that bench put her in a less defensible position.
"Let's make this more interesting." AaQar gave her a half-smile, blinking his heavy-lidded eyes. "You ask a question, and I'll answer truthfully. But only if you answer my questions truthfully."
What was AaQar's game? Amelia studied him, more curious than uneasy. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because I am lonely. And because we both know that if you run into either Naatos or WroOth at this time, it would only cause further problems. Naatos is obsessed with the Neyeb, and you've riled WroOth to the point that he's essentially worthless. So you will wait with me until things calm down, and then you can slip out to tell your little friends that fighting us will only get them all killed."
Amelia lifted her head, her muscles tightening. "I have no—"
"Yes, your friends. Don't try to deceive me, Amelia. You're a Neyeb." AaQar paused, his smile quirking up. "Has no one told you that a Neyeb's eye color flickers when she lies?" A laugh wisped from his lips as he motioned toward the mirror. "Look for yourself."
Amelia turned carefully, keeping AaQar in her peripheral vision until she could see him in the reflection. The large mirror had no frame. It was little more than a polished piece of glass, but she saw herself clearly.
"My name is Jacinda," she said. Her eyes, normally dark brown, changed. For the briefest moment, the red flecks in her irises brightened to crimson. It appeared and vanished so quickly that it could have been a trick of the light or mind, easy to overlook if someone didn't know what they were looking for. "I weigh a hundred and five pounds." Again, that flash. "My name is Amelia." There was no flash this time. Perhaps it was because it was her name now. "I am twenty-five." Again, the flash.
Identity Revealed: The Tue-Rah Chronicles Page 20