The glass in front of his face fogged up as he panicked.
I have to kill them, or they won’t let me out, but how? His breathing came in shallow rapid gasps, and then he realized the answer. Fire.
The bugs crawling on him were becoming still, as though resting. Perhaps they were frustrated at being unable to reach their next meal. But then Blake activated his shield tattoos, to protect himself from the flames he was about to create. His personal shield pressed the mail outward, inflating it almost like a balloon. At the same time the krytek became frenzied as their tiny bodies absorbed some of the magic.
And then the pressure from his shield caused the fine mesh to tear.
The chamber was filled with a bloom of fire, and many of the krytek were incinerated, even as they absorbed the aythar that fed the flame. But some survived, and a few found their way through the tear in Blake’s protective suit. They ate through his enchanted shield and then he felt them burrowing under his skin.
His screams lasted almost ten minutes before his lungs were too damaged to hold air.
Ryan and Violet watched in horror from the other side of the stone wall. For once, having magesight was not a blessing.
“What do we do?!” asked Violet frantically.
Ryan had slid down, his back against the stone door and his masked face down. Nothing. We can do nothing. He’s already dead.
“I can still hear him!”
He put his hands, metal and living, over his ears to block the sounds, He’s dead.
***
Sometime later, when the sounds had stopped and their hearts had slowed, when frantic terror had congealed into cold dread, Violet spoke, “What do we do now? It’s ruined. We can’t open the door. Blake’s dead and we have a room full of monsters we can’t access.”
Ryan didn’t answer, but after a moment he pointed along the wall. Her eyes followed along until they spotted a small metal plate mounted innocuously there. It was an identical match to the one that had been built into the end of the coffin.
“Is that what I think it is?” she asked.
He nodded. It was an access plate, designed to mount the apparatus he had built to extract and seal the krytek, one by one, into small glass stasis boxes. He had shown Violet how it worked already, using the one on the stone sarcophagus to demonstrate. That’s plan B, he said solemnly. The entire inner chamber is just like the coffin, only larger.
She stared at it for a minute, before addressing him again, her voice accusing, “You thought of everything, didn’t you?”
No, he replied sadly, or Blake would still be alive.
Violet’s anger swelled, and then died. She was just as much to blame as he was. She cried for a while, and Ryan wished he could do the same. Finally, when her chest stopped heaving, she laughed morbidly, “Sarah was right.”
About what? asked Ryan.
“We should have used Ian.”
Chapter 29
“Her body is reacting to the child,” said Koralltis.
Lyralliantha frowned, “Reacting, how?”
“The defensive part of her body, what the ancient humans called the ‘immune system’, sees the child as foreign. It is attacking the proteins that spill into her blood stream. The end-result is excessive clotting and it creates problems for her organs. If it continues it will eventually kill her,” he explained.
“But the pregnancy is almost over,” said Lyra. “She only has three or four weeks left. Surely she can last that long.”
“Doubtful,” replied the Prathion lore-warden. “There is also the chance that the reaction will become severe enough to damage the child directly.”
“What can be done?” asked Kate nervously. Most of the conversation was being held in Barion, for her benefit, but the two She’Har kept switching to Erollith for parts of it, so she was confused.
“We must remove the child,” said Koralltis directing his words to her.
“No!”
“You will die otherwise, and probably your child as well,” he countered.
“If there’s any chance of saving her I want to continue carrying her,” said Kate with deadly conviction.
The lore-warden’s expression softened, “You misunderstand me. I believe I can save both of you by taking her out now.”
“What?”
“Your child is more developed than you realize. With the proper care I can keep her alive. The biggest risk is that she may not be able to breathe effectively, but with some preparation I can handle that as well,” he answered.
Kate turned her eyes to Lyra, “Is this true?”
“It is beyond my experience, but if Koralltis says it can be done then it can. He would not lie,” said Lyralliantha reassuringly.
“Please be aware,” added the Prathion, “I can make no guarantee. There are still things that can go wrong, but I believe your offspring will have a much better chance of survival this way.”
Kate looked back and forth between the two of them fearfully, a question in her eyes, but finally Lyra met her gaze and nodded. Firming up her resolve Kate made her decision, “Then do what you can.”
The Prathion She’Har nodded, “I will return home to prepare. Give me two days and then I will take you to the Prathion Grove.”
***
The next morning Lyralliantha was surprised when she found Ryan at the bedroom door. She gave him a patient look, waiting for whatever he had to say.
The First would like to speak with you.
“Emma could easily have found me herself,” replied Lyra mildly confused.
Alone, added Ryan. If you will follow me. He gestured toward the hallway, his metal arm flexing with almost perfect precision.
Lyra frowned, noting Anthony’s presence outside the door. “I’m rather busy tending to Kate right now. She needs complete bedrest. It would be far easier if she could simply come here.”
It would be better if you came immediately, responded Ryan.
Lyra set the empty pitcher she held aside and turned back to the room, “I’ll be back shortly, Kate.” When she stepped into the hall Ryan led the way and Anthony fell into step behind her.
It felt odd. Nothing about their mannerisms was normal, but she kept that observation to herself. When they reached the council chamber Ryan opened the door and held it for her, but did not enter after her. She walked in to find Emma sitting on the elevated seat, looking down on her. The doors closed behind her. They were alone.
“They were acting rather strangely,” said Lyra casually to Emma.
Emma’s lips formed a flat line as she watched her. After a moment she spoke, “You brought a She’Har lore-warden to Albamarl yesterday.”
Since it was a simple statement with no question, Lyralliantha didn’t reply. She watched Emma with calm eyes. The young woman looked tense, or perhaps angry. But why?
“I’m waiting for an explanation,” said Emma.
“Oh. Forgive me, I still miss some of the unspoken elements of human dialogue,” apologized Lyra. “He came to examine Kate. She’s having difficulty with her pregnancy.”
“Why didn’t you bring this to my attention first?”
“You’ve been very busy, nor did I think you had any experience in this regard. Do you think you could help her?” asked Lyra.
“The pregnancy is not my concern,” said Emma flatly. “I was referring to you bringing a lore-warden here without my permission.”
Lyra’s expression was quizzical, “I was not aware I needed your permission.”
Emma’s eyes hardened, “You know very well that Tyrion did not want your pregnancy or Kate’s to be made known to your people.”
“Koralltis is of the Prathion Grove,” Lyra informed her. “He is not ‘my people’.”
“That makes it even worse,” said Emma, spitting the words out as though they were distasteful. “Explain yourself.”
Lyralliantha’s stomach fluttered, whether from the baby moving or as a reaction to the tension in the room, she wasn’t sure. The
young woman in front of her felt dangerous. The aura of aythar around her was practically sputtering with her agitation. “Kate is in trouble. Her pregnancy is killing her. I sought Koralltis’ advice because he is the most skillful healer among any of the She’Har groves. Was I wrong to do so?”
“You have endangered everything we are working for.”
Lyra frowned, “I do not even know what you are doing. How could I know that?”
Emma stood, increasing her height advantage even more, “You know that Tyrion’s intentions are antithetical to the She’Har. For reasons I still do not understand he trusted you, but I have serious doubts in that regard. Do not give me more.”
“The Illeniel Grove, my people,” stressed Lyralliantha, “have allied themselves with him. I have been told to give him any aid necessary. Furthermore, he is my kianthi, even if that were not the case, my loyalty to him comes first for me.”
“You have already said that Koralltis is of the Prathion Grove,” noted Emma angrily. “He cannot be trusted.”
“He has never done me a disservice before,” said Lyra, “and his people are allied with the Illeniel Grove. He would do nothing to harm us, unless he had good reason.”
“If he were to learn too much, he might have such a reason,” said Emma. “You will not invite him here again.”
“He already plans to come back in a few days,” said Lyralliantha.
“Then you need to discourage him from doing so,” ordered Emma.
“Do you not care what happens to Kate, or her child?” challenged Lyra.
“That is not my concern,” said Emma coldly.
“It is Tyrion’s concern,” she countered.
“He is not here. I am!” said Emma, her voice rising. “If you care about your child, you would be wise to take that into account.”
A flush came to Lyralliantha’s cheeks as the threat registered. A number of arguments rose to her mind but she held her tongue. Butting heads with Emma would accomplish nothing and might provoke the woman to violence. She felt a coldness in the pit of her stomach, a sensation that was unusual for her. Fear. In the past she had had little to provoke such a feeling, but now she had things she did not want to lose, Kate, her baby, her family.
Lowering her eyes, she answered submissively, “I will make certain he does not return. Is there anything else you wish of me?”
Emma stared at her, “That will suffice for now.”
“Am I permitted to leave then? Kate needs me.”
“You may leave,” said Emma dismissively, but before the She’Har woman could reach the door she spoke again, “Lyra…”
“If you ever betray us, if I even think you have betrayed us, I’ll make sure you die first. Do you understand me?”
Lyralliantha didn’t answer, merely nodding faintly and continuing on her way. I have been threatened before, and he was much better at it than you are.
Chapter 30
Kate hadn’t slept properly in days. If someone had asked her she’d have said that she hadn’t slept at all, but apparently that wasn’t entirely true. The hand shaking her shoulder was unexpected.
“Mmmm, what?” she asked groggily.
“Wake up, Kate. We have to go,” said Lyra urgently.
A sharp pain in her side woke her up more thoroughly than any amount of shaking would have. Gritting her teeth, she answered, “Go where?”
“I’m taking you to Koralltis.”
“It’s the middle of the night. Can’t it wait until morning?” Kate’s leg was cramping and she was all too aware of her bladder now that she was awake. I’ll never get back to sleep now.
A hand stroked her forehead, “No, it can’t. Emma has decided that I’m a traitor for bringing a lore-warden here. She won’t let him come again and she won’t let you leave to see him unless we sneak out.”
Kate tried to take a deep breath and had to settle for a shallow one. “We can go tomorrow. If she objects, I’ll tell her that’s just too bad.”
“You underestimate her resolve,” said Lyra. “She will kill me if she thinks we are endangering her secret plan. I don’t know if that extends to you as well, but if you don’t get help you’ll die anyway.”
It sounded ridiculous to Kate’s ears, but she could hear the seriousness in Lyra’s tone. The She’Har woman truly believed their lives were at risk. Her first instinct was to tell her not to bother then. Why should Lyra endanger herself and her baby? But Kate was carrying her own child, and that shifted her priorities, even above the wellbeing of her friend. She felt selfish as she replied, “Can you get us out unseen?”
“Possibly.” Lyra had no real idea, but she doubted the Illeniel Elders had planned for her to die. Her own prescience was narrowly defined and didn’t extend far enough to tell her, but she felt that the time had come. Somehow it would work out. “Let me help you up.”
Standing was a chore. Dressing was a nightmare, but Lyra was extremely patient. Twenty minutes later they were almost ready, except for one thing. “I have to pee,” said Kate.
The privies were out of the question, and the chamber pot was an extreme challenge in her condition, but Lyra solved the problem by creating a spellwoven chair that held the pot beneath her while she sat.
“Are you ready now?” asked Lyra.
“Until I need to go again in a few minutes,” said Kate, attempting to put some humor in her tone. Lyra missed it.
“I’m having similar problems,” she replied, “but we just have to make it to the Grove.”
That was at least a half an hour walk, if they were unencumbered. Unencumbered was not an adjective that Kate would apply to either of them anymore, whether their hands were empty or not. Just the thought of that walk made her want to cry with frustration. Her legs were swollen to the point that her skin felt as if it might split. Putting on a confident air she didn’t feel she answered, “We had better get started then.”
They encountered their first problem as soon as they reached the front door.
“What about the guards on the wall?” asked Kate before they stepped outside.
“We walk past them,” said Lyra.
“Won’t they report us?”
“Maybe not until morning,” suggested Lyra. “We aren’t outsiders after all.”
It was a valid point, and Kate was still considering it when a voice behind her nearly made her jump out of her skin. “They have orders to stop you if you try to leave.”
“Layla!” yelped Kate. “Don’t do that!”
The former warden had been invisible to them until a moment before. The expression on her face was far from humorous. “In fact, I’ve been ordered to keep a close watch on your movements as well.”
“The obvious question, then,” began Lyra, “is what do you intend to do concerning that order?”
“I would like to come with you,” she answered immediately.
“But…,” Kate started to protest.
“I know,” said Layla reassuringly. “Someone has to take care of Inara for you, and I can’t leave Eldin.”
The two children were over a year old now, but they still required a lot of looking after, a burden that had fallen largely on Layla since Kate had become increasingly bedridden. The woman had never seemed particularly maternal before, but motherhood had changed her. She was still an odd parent from Kate’s viewpoint, but she was fiercely protective.
“Perhaps you can get us past the watchers,” suggested Lyra.
“That I can do,” said the older woman, “but I need an explanation for letting you out of my sight. Otherwise Emma might decide that I’m a traitor as well.”
“You followed us, but somehow we discovered you and overpowered you…” started Kate.
Layla shook her head negatively.
“They will know she hid us, else the watchers would have seen us leaving,” Lyra explained.
“That, and no one will believe that you overpowered me,” said the former warden with a wry grin.
Lyralliantha frowned
, “I know many battle magics.”
“That you have probably never used,” finished Layla. “Have you even been in a fight before?”
“I am not afraid to fight,” said Lyra calmly.
“I believe you,” said Layla, “and that’s a good start, but lack of experience is a big problem. You wouldn’t stand a chance unless you took me completely by surprise.”
“Maybe we should just bring the children too,” suggested Kate. “Then Layla could come with us.”
They considered their options for several minutes before deciding there was no other practical choice. Once they had resolved themselves they moved quickly. It was tempting to pack things to take with them but Lyra assured Kate that the Prathions would have anything they might need.
Lyra carried Inara and Layla held Eldin, while Kate went empty handed. It was all she could do just to walk. Cloaked in a shield that made them invisible to sight, sound, and magesight, they left the house and picked their way carefully toward the gate that led beyond the wall around the compound.
They could still talk within the shield, but there was no light and Kate nearly fell several times. Eventually she put her hands on Lyra’s waist, letting the more surefooted woman lead her. She felt embarrassed to be so completely dependent on her friend, and even worse, she already needed to pee again.
“I think we are almost there,” Layla notified them. “Let me look and see for certain. I’d rather walk through the gate than into one of the walls.” Making a tiny hole for visible light she peeked at their surroundings.
“There are two watchers atop the wall on either side. The gate is directly ahead, and it’s still open.”
Another twenty feet and they passed through the archway, and then everything began to go wrong.
“What was that?” asked Lyra suddenly.
Kate hadn’t noticed anything, but apparently Layla had, for she replied, “We just crossed another veil. They’re overlapping.”
“Veil?” asked Kate.
“Another Prathion invisibility shield,” clarified the former warden. “They’re next to us but we still can’t see one another since they’re only overlapping a little bit.” Layla chewed her lip. “But they undoubtedly know we’re here, just like I know they’re there.”
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