Vhok tried to absorb what the angel was saying. “Why would one of you do this?” he asked. “What can become of the Living Vessel afterward?”
“The mind and spirit of another being can inhabit our body,” Tauran answered. “It’s not the same as the powerful arcane magic you are more familiar with. It’s more of a divine melding. I cannot adequately explain it.”
Already, Kaanyr’s mind churned with the possibilities. “That is very interesting,” he said. “So what has become of Zasian? Where is his original mind?”
Tauran shrugged as best as he could in his restraints. “I do not know,” he said. “Perhaps it’s also in there somewhere, buried and unable to react to us. Perhaps it has been eradicated or is cast out on the Astral, adrift and bodiless. I barely understand all of the ramifications of the magical surge that wreaked so much havoc on the universe. The fate of one man no longer seems so consequential.”
Kaanyr chuckled, finally at the moment of truth. “Perhaps for you,” he said. “But unless you have forgotten, my fate is inextricably tied to Zasian, through you. We have unresolved issues.”
Tauran coughed again. “You are right, cambion. I agreed to free you should you successfully aid me in stopping the priest of Cyric—”
“Or should it no longer be relevant.”
“Indeed.” Tauran drew a deep breath and said, “I gave my word. I free you of your obligation.”
Vhok felt the magical shackles fall away from him at last. He wanted to stretch, to crow, to shout “Freedom!” at the top of his lungs. He wanted to draw his sword and run it through the damnable angel who had caused him so much trouble. Instead, he merely grinned.
“Kaanyr,” Aliisza said, giving him a warning look. “Do not.”
The cambion smirked at her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said playfully. “I was merely savoring the moment of release.”
“We must help them get out of here,” Aliisza said. “They will not survive this place.”
“And take them where?” Kaanyr asked, his voice growing cold. “We do not ourselves know where we are, and the odds are not good that we would survive if we tried.” He stood and looked down at her. “At least, the odds aren’t good for the four of you. The angel is dying, Zasian is nothing but a shell of a human being, hardly more than a halfwit child, and …” His anger and glee subsided. “And you can no longer draw on your power, lover. You’ve become a liability.”
Aliisza stared at him. He wasn’t sure whether she was on the verge of crying or screaming at him. “No,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Kaanyr, don’t.”
A pang of regret sent a chill through him. No, he insisted, shrugging it off. It’s time.
“Vhok,” Tauran said. “You have done so many right things. Don’t undo all that now.”
Kaanyr ignored him. “I thought I wanted what we used to have, Aliisza. When we were talking earlier, and when I watched you fight, I recalled how good we were together, and I yearned for those days to return.” His voice had become gentle, but it grew stronger, cold once more. “But I realize now that such can never be again. You are not the cunning trickster I loved back in the dwarven halls. Your time spent in the heavens changed you. Even if I were inclined to try to fight through all that, to guide you back to the crafty minx I remember, magic is killing you. Frankly, I don’t want to watch you waste away as your power eats you alive.”
Aliisza said nothing, but tears ran down her cheeks, and she looked as though he had just rammed his blade through her gut.
“No,” he continued, tuning Aliisza’s soft sobs out, “the odds are pretty low that the five of us could escape here together. I, on the other hand, have many options. I think I will honor the bargain I made with Vhissilka the marilith. I like my chances much better that way.”
“You bastard!” Kael shouted, struggling to get to the cambion. “I’ll kill you!”
Vhok laughed as he drew his sword once more. “I ought to kill you now,” he said, “but it’s just too much fun watching you flounder around in those chains.”
He launched a series of feints at Kael’s head, got the half-drow off-balance, then kicked the knight’s legs out from beneath him. Kael went down in a heap and grunted in pain as his head bounced hard against the stone floor.
“Kaanyr!” Aliisza cried out as she struggled to where her son lay panting. “Leave him alone!” she growled as she hovered over him protectively.
“You see?” Vhok said, feeling anger rise. “That’s what I’m talking about, lover. Always more worried about them than me. I sure won’t miss that.”
Then he bent down and looked her squarely in the eye. “Would you sacrifice yourself, use the last of your ‘immeasurable power,’ to strike the killing blow on me right now? Do you even have anything left to expend?”
Aliisza returned his gaze with a hateful glare. “Yes,” she said in a voice barely above a whisper. She reached one hand up toward him. “Come here and let me show—” The strain of her effort sent her into another coughing fit, and she crumpled down again atop Kael.
“That’s what I thought,” Vhok said, rising again. He saluted the four of them with his blade, eager to get out of there before Aliisza decided to try again to unleash her fury at him. He truly didn’t want to have to be the one to kill her. “It’s been grand,” he said, then he turned and departed.
It was, for a brief moment, very hard not to turn and look back at Aliisza one last time.
Aliisza remained draped over Kael for several long moments. The agony of Kaanyr’s words washed through her over and over again, mingling with the physical pain of her dying body. During all the years she had been his consort and his lieutenant, she had known he might turn on her one day. She had never imagined it could hurt so much.
The prophetic words of a conversation, spoken long before and in a very distant place, came unbidden into her mind. “It’s dangerous, caring for others,” she had said at the time. “You leave yourself open to … to pain.”
“Yes,” Tauran had replied so long ago. “It is hard to care for others, because you give something of yourself in the process. And you fear that it will come back to injure you if you let it. Everything we do in life, we do out of fear. Fear of betrayal; fear of pain. In the end, those fears materialize despite our efforts.”
“Despite our efforts,” she repeated, fighting the tears as she buried her face in her hands atop Kael’s chest. I’ve tried it both Kaanyr’s way and Tauran’s, and despite everything, this is how it ends. In pain and misery. Why did I bother? That had been her reply so long ago, too, when she and Tauran had discussed the vulnerability of caring in that enchanted garden.
She repeated the question aloud. “Why bother living at all? How does making myself vulnerable change anything? It only makes it worse!”
She felt a cool touch upon the back of her neck. She started, at first fearing that Kaanyr had returned, but his touch had always burned with his inner fiendish fire. She shifted around as best as she could and found Zasian kneeling next to her.
“You’re hurt,” he said. He shifted his hand to her forehead, then blessed comfort poured into her. The pain in her gut faded somewhat, and she felt renewed strength return to her limbs.
Zasian looked pained as he withdrew his hand. “You’re dying,” he said simply. “But not yet. I’ve helped.”
Aliisza looked back at the priest and smiled. “Thank you,” she said. Such kindness from …
Zasian sat still and stared beyond her, at nothing.
“You called me your son,” Kael said.
Aliisza blinked and sat up. “What?” she asked, sniffing and wiping her eyes.
“When you first arrived,” Kael answered. “You told that thing”—the half-drow jerked his head in the direction of the gorilla-demon—“to ‘get away from my son!’ You’ve never called me that before.”
Aliisza shook her head. “So? I don’t understand.”
“I think he’s trying to answer
your question,” Tauran said, his voice very weak. “It’s why you—why all of us—bother.”
“Exactly,” Kael said. “I’m sorry for what Vhok said to you. He’s a fool. I’m proud to have you as a mother.”
Aliisza smiled faintly. Kael smiled back, and gladness welled up inside her, pushing aside some of the hurt Kaanyr had inflicted upon her. He’s my son, she beamed. And he’s proud of it.
But they were still doomed. Kaanyr had made good on his promise to punish Tauran and Kael for their manipulations. He was free, and they were all trapped, dying in a deep hole in the ground.
“How could you do that?” Aliisza demanded, turning to where the angel panted, his eyes closed. His blond curls lay plastered against his pale skin, soaked in sweat. He looked terrible. “How could you free him like that? You’ve just sealed our fates,” she said, anguish welling up once more.
“I had no choice,” Tauran replied. “I gave him my word. A guarantee of my own well-being was not part of the bargain.”
“Tauran, that’s insane!” Kael said from across the room. “Surely there was some way you could have maintained the letter of the agreement a little longer. Are you that ready to die?”
“Death may be a blessing for me after everything that’s happened,” Tauran murmured. “The demons will not slay me for a long time, if they can help it.”
“No,” Aliisza said, fighting to control her emotions. “I won’t let that happen.”
Tuaran opened his eyes and looked at her. “I welcome whatever intervention you wish to provide, but it is as Kaanyr said. Where are we to go?”
“We can still try, damn you!” Kael said. “If you just want to lie there and wait for them to come for you, then you’re not the creature I believed in. That’s not the Tauran I know.”
Tauran closed his eyes again and sighed wearily. “Would that I could still be that person for you, my friend. But too much has been lost. I cannot muster the strength or will to continue the fight.”
“Nonsense,” Aliisza said, rising to her feet. “That’s this place talking. You’re succumbing to it.” She tried to adapt a brusque, practical tone, but inside, she fought to avoid falling apart. Kaanyr had everything he wanted, had every advantage. And he had been right; they were all liabilities.
Maybe he’ll come to his senses, she hoped. Maybe he’ll reconsider. Then that false hope vanished. She knew nothing would change the cambion’s mind. He had been through too much. Too much suffering, too much humiliation. He intended to extract a heavy toll from everyone who had gotten in his way, everyone who had thwarted even a tiny bit of his ambition. The four of them would be nothing, trying to stand against him.
Something inside Aliisza resolved itself then. Something powerful, something that had lain in wait for her to finally see the universe as it really was. Kaanyr’s words had stuck with her. Would you sacrifice yourself? he had asked.
He’s a fool, she realized. He will never understand. I’d rather die with these two by my side than waste another moment grieving over him.
Clarity had come.
Aliisza knew what she must do.
She knelt next to Kael and muttered a simple spell, touching the locking mechanism of his manacles as she did. An audible click accompanied the shackles coming apart and dropping from his wrists. A wave of pain shot through Aliisza’s gut as her blue glow filled the cave, and she doubled over for a moment, gasping. When the discomfort subsided, she manipulated the spell a second time, freeing the knight’s legs.
Kael stared at her. “Is it bad?” he asked, and the gentle concern in his eyes warmed Aliisza’s heart.
Aliisza smiled. “No,” she lied. She reached out and caressed his face. “I’m fine.”
The half-drow snorted. “The Hells you are,” he said. “You look like you’re about to pass out.”
Aliisza shook her head and resumed her officious attitude. “There’s no time for worrying about me,” she replied. “We’ve got to get Tauran free and out of here. This place is killing him.”
Kael stared at her for a moment, but then he nodded. “I’ll do it,” he said. “Whatever you’ve got in mind, get started. Vhok won’t be long in returning to finish his betrayal.”
Aliisza shuddered, hearing her son’s words. He’s not blaming me, she insisted. He’s just right. Swallowing the guilt, she stood and headed toward the tunnel leading out. “I’m going to find your weapons,” she said softly. “I’ll be back soon.” With that, she left them.
Kaanyr, she thought as she prowled along the passage, why did you do this to me? I did still love you, you fool. She grimaced. No more grieving! It’s done. Deal with the ones who still care. Swallowing the growing lump in her throat, the half-fiend continued on.
She reached an intersection and slowed, listening. Things had grown quiet since the commotion of the devils’ invasion. Aliisza assumed the demons had been triumphant, but she wondered how high a price they had paid for their victory.
The more of them dead, the better, she decided. Fewer for me to deal with.
Satisfied that nothing was nearby that would cause her trouble, Aliisza braced herself against a wall and manipulated innate magic once more. The crash of agony lasted only a moment. When the blue emanation subsided and she had caught her breath, she could sense in which direction Kael’s sword lay. She scurried around a bend in the tunnel and followed her internal compass.
It took her several wrong turns and a few retreats to avoid being seen by others before she found the chamber where her son’s sword had been discarded. The cavern was small, much like the one Tauran, Kael, and Zasian had been imprisoned within, and it had only one entrance. It lay at the end of a narrow passage with a few other, similar chambers lining either side of it. The demons had been using the chambers as refuse storage. They stank of filth and decay.
Aliisza stood at the edge of the chamber and peered around at the trash and bones, the foul sewage and carcasses. Her magical guidance suggested that the blade lay on one side, and when she went to that spot, she found it, carelessly tossed atop a heap of other waste. Tauran’s mace sat nearby. In fact, all of the trio’s equipment was there.
She began to gather it up, then paused, struck by an idea.
Aliisza stacked her companion’s weapons and other gear in a neat pile near the entrance to the chamber, and then sucked in air to prepare herself for the onslaught of pain. She summoned a shimmering blue doorway, gasped at what the magic did to her insides, and then stepped through.
She found herself in the chamber where Tauran, Kael, and Zasian waited. She did not dispel the doorway.
Kael knelt next to Tauran, trying to help the angel sit up. Kael had managed to remove the bindings that had held Tauran immobile. Even so, Tauran was a sorry sight. Zasian still sat nearby, staring across the room at nothing in particular. The bodies of the fiends that had rushed into the room remained there too.
“Did you find them?” Kael asked, rising to his feet.
Aliisza nodded. “Come,” she said. “Let’s get out of here before Kaanyr comes back.”
The half-drow frowned. “Where are we going?” he asked. “We’ll just be trapped somewhere else in this godsforsaken place.”
“Maybe,” Aliisza replied, “but it will buy us some time to figure out a way to escape. Help Tauran. I’ll get Zasian.”
Mother and son each took a companion. Aliisza got the priest to his feet and found it easy to guide him where she wished. She steered Zasian toward the doorway, while Kael followed her, supporting the ailing angel with an arm around his waist.
“I hear someone coming down the passage,” Kael whispered. “Hurry!”
Aliisza stepped through the magical portal and then moved away from its twin at the other end, making room for the other two following behind. Once Kael and Tauran passed through the door, she released the magic and the doorway winked out.
“Ugh,” Kael said, wrinkling his nose. “I didn’t think we could find something that smelled worse than that big
ape back there, but I was wrong.”
“Your things are over there,” Aliisza said, pointing.
Kael positioned Tauran near a wall where the angel could support himself. Then the knight reached for his sword. “Thank Torm,” he murmured. “It feels good to have this in my hands again.” After hefting the blade and feeling its familiar weight, he bent down and pulled Tauran’s mace from the pile. “Here,” he said, holding it out for the angel.
Tauran took the holy weapon. He slipped it into his belt, but the weight of the mace seemed to make him sag even more. “Thank you,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Kael turned back to Aliisza, who had guided Zasian to a relatively clean spot on the floor and had bid him to sit. “Now what?” he asked. “Tauran and the priest are in no condition to fight, and you and I cannot defeat the whole horde ourselves. Even after the battle with the devils, there’s bound to be too many of them crawling through here. So what do we do?”
Aliisza bit her lip in thought. She turned to Tauran. “You can’t move us?” she asked, fearing she already knew the answer.
The celestial shook his drooping head. “Even if I had the strength,” he said, fighting back a coughing spell, “I am still cut off from Tyr. He has not seen fit to grant me his blessings yet.”
“Then I’ll just have to do it myself,” Aliisza said uncertainly. “How hard can it be to make a doorway back out into the Astral Plane?”
“That may not make things any better,” Kael said. “Who knows what is lurking out there? Especially considering how stirred up everything is after the destruction.”
Aliisza gave her son a pointed look. “Do you have any better ideas?” When Kael shook his head, she said, “Then it’s our only option. If we can get Tauran out of here, he might start healing.”
Kael gave a sigh of uncertainty, but he nodded. “Give it a try,” he said. “Staying here is certain death.”
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