Page 85 of Court of Treachery

Aedon glanced at the dwarven ranks, but instead of escaping that way, he dove straight for the heart of the goblins now pouring into the far end of the hall, blasting them out of his way as he disappeared into their midst and the dark caverns beyond.

“I must help them,” Harper moaned to Dimitri, threading a hand through her hair in anguish, but his grip stopped her.

“You cannot. We must go.Now. Can you not feel his anger?” For the first time, Dimitri sounded fearful.

Harper sagged in his arms and turned to him. Her voice muffled as she spoke into his chest. “If I had not given him my word, my bond, this never would have happened. My friends would have been safe from him. From me.” Harper balled her hands into fists until her fingernails dug into the skin of her palm painfully—but she did not stop. She deserved the pain. His arms tightened around her with wordless reassurance.

“Saradon would have taken it anyway,” said Dimitri harshly. “He used his sway with the goblins to keep thepaschaand hisscourge in his thrall. I will do my best within my orders to help your friends, Harper, but I can make no promises. I am bound to do what he asks of me.” Dimitri gritted his teeth.

The din rose around them as the dwarves charged from their end of the hall toward the rabble of goblins at the other. In the centre of the area, the noise was overwhelming, as overwhelming as the call to Saradon’s side. Dimitri looked between the opposing forces to either side of them, clutched Harper close, and fled into the shadows, racing back to Saradon’s side.

He was not far behind the goblin scourge. His magic filled the hall with charged crackling as he smote left and right, sending blasts into dwarven ranks and scattering them, leaving bodies in his wake. The goblins rushed forward, taking advantage of their foes’ disarray.

Dimitri and Harper materialised before Saradon, whose scowl deepened. “Where have you been?” he snarled.

“I only sought to keep her away from the goblins,” Dimitri said at once, but Saradon cut him off.

“I expect better from you, Lord Ellarian. Go forth and make sure my work is done. Kill them all!”

Dimitri bowed and vanished once more. The last thing to disappear was his reassuring hand on Harper’s own. Harper quailed, her own power and defiance a tiny light against the dark of night that threatened to extinguish her.

“I will deal with you later,” Saradon said threateningly. He extended a clawed hand toward her. Pain racked her body—and oblivion claimed her.

72

AEDON

Aedon limped into the depths of Afnirheim to where they had been imprisoned, where he hoped Brand and Erika still were. He was emotionally numb after the whirlwind of events—his torture at Harper’s hands, her position in Saradon’s captivity, the spymaster. He grimaced. A part of him relished the numbness, because he knew he would be overcome when it hit him, and he had to escape first.

Not for the first time, Aedon did not understand Dimitrius’s motivations, or machinations, but Dimitrius had promised to keep Harper safe. The sincerity in Dimitrius’s voice had given Aedon pause for thought—that there was more to this than the spymaster’s plotting. It was Dimitrius he would hold accountable if any harm befell Harper. But there was no time to think on it. Aedon pushed the thoughts from his mind, focusing on not getting lost in the maze of tunnels down into the depths of the fallen dwarven city.

Aedon pleaded with the silent heavens for the dwarven reinforcements to buy them enough time. He was certain this would be their only chance. It was that or death. He had so much to live for and did not want to meet his end in dark caverns devoid of hope and life, far from the green woods and the opensky. It gave him renewed vigour and strength to run, despite his limp, for remaining would only bring doom on them all. He only hoped Harper would remain safe until they could manage her rescue, too.

Nothing could stand before Aedon’s burning drive to leave. He blasted goblins, sending them crashing into the walls to fall upon the floor, still and prone. If nothing else, with the remnant of her fire, he could pretend Valyrea fought beside him once more. The thought of her gave him courage to defy the ordinary and manage the impossible.You are the Thief of Pelenor, Aedon reminded himself. He could escape from anywhere.

When he broke through the stone doors and into the lightless, airless prison, Brand and Erika greeted him with moans of relief. They emerged into the dim light on shaking limbs, as battered and bruised as he. Aedon grimaced when he saw them, a mixture of pity and anger consuming him at their state, but he did not have time to be righteous about it. “Come. There’s a window of opportunity. We must go!”

“What of Harper?” Brand asked as he loped through the corridors beside Aedon, his face set in a permanent grimace of pain.

“There’s no time. I’ll explain when we get out. We’ll come back for her. Trust me,” Aedon implored. Brand nodded, his calculating gaze evaluating Aedon’s unusual seriousness. Erika was in a better state than Brand, but Aedon sent what energy he thought he could spare to them both. It would not do for any of them to falter. They took any weapons they could from the corpses of goblins they passed. Brand lamented the loss of his giant blade, and Erika her two swords, but their loss would be a small price to pay for escape.

The three cut down any before them, lifted by their success, until they turned a corner and ran straight into a huge band of goblins. They scrambled backwards, bunching together as thehorde turned upon them. Brand swore. There were far too many.This is it, Aedon realised with a sinking feeling that he pushed away. They stood no chance of survival or escape.

73

DIMITRI

Dimitri was grateful for Saradon’s vague orders, for in their ambiguity, he had room for disobedience. “Kill them all.” Dimitri grinned wolfishly.He didn’t say who.He rushed through Afnirheim, obliterating any goblins he came upon with a wave of fury, but he found no solace in their deaths. Each extermination only fuelled the inferno burning within him. When would the damned scourge of creatures end? They seemed to pour from the very earth without pause, as if they spawned infinitely. Dimitri internally cursed Saradon for his foolish alliance as he smote another pack of goblins into oblivion before they realised he was there.

Up ahead, a huge rabble of them squawked and screeched, excited.Who have they found to torture now?Dimitri thought, disgusted. When he rounded the corner and perceived their prey, his snarl deepened. Brand, Erika, and Aedon were already backed into a corner, fruitlessly fending off the ever-boldening goblin attack. Dimitri’s blast of magic sent goblins reeling, stunned, before they wheeled around, chattering with rage. At the sight of him, they cowed into submission as angry power roiled toward them.

“Run!” he commanded Aedon, who prodded a confused and suspicious Erika and Brand into action. They dashed through the deserted halls and out of sight.

At their victims’ escape, the goblins let out a clamour once more, brandishing weapons and charging Dimitri. He curled his lip and sent out a giant blast of magic, bringing the tunnel down upon their heads in a cascade of thunderous noise and choking dust. Before the halls turned to silence, he was already gone—on to seek his next targets. One way or another, he would see thepascha’shorde diminished.

74

AEDON

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