Page 28 of Traveling with Gentlemen
"He sees us now," she said, her voice a shocking melody, so at odds with the sight of her. "He fears us now. Fears you. Run now, and you will be safe," she said.
I yanked my arm but she didn't let go, and behind me my gentlemen shouted, running closer.
"Run now, and nothing will change," she said.
I stilled at the words frowning, opening my mouth to ask, but she continued.
"Bring the mountain down," she whispered. "Break the tether. He sees us now. Run now."
A great grinding screech echoed behind me and I turned, the ground beneath us trembling as Booker shoved the lid of the casket down to the floor.
"Empty," he announced.
And with the word, the mountain trembled.
"You heard her, time to run," Ezra said.
"No!" I cried as the grip on my wrist loosened and the woman fell back into her seat, trapped in this tomb. "No, she said if we ran now, nothing would change."
"And that we'd besafe," Amon pointed out.
"It's them!" Auguste cried, spinning to face us. "It's these monsters. They're the tethers."
Jonathon turned glancing at each of the figures in turn, his brow folding as he tried to calculate the science, to understand the impossible. "How do webreakthe magic, we don't even understand—"
"Mercy," Auguste said, turning to face the male vampire.
And I understood. Not in the way Jonathon would after weeks of study and experiment and observation. I understood in the panic, and urgency, in the sorrow of the woman's voice as her words begged and warned me in equal measure.
"We kill them and whatever hold this tomb has on them," I said.
Jonathon gaped at me, blinking, but Auguste nodded, stomping toward a torch and pulling it down from the wall. Without another word, another consultation with the rest of us, he thrust the flame into the vampire, into that horrible open wound where a beating undead heart was stolen.
Auguste leapt back as the vampire in his seat burst into flame. A breeze swirled around the room, the sound of soft exhales of relief carried. The mountain groaned and a crack shattered through the vampire's alcove before a sudden cascade of stone and rubble poured down.
"This is not at all a satisfying explanation!" Jonathon shouted, but together he and Booker hurried to the demon.
Auguste rushed in my direction, waving Ezra and Amon away. "You two take care of the naga. I'll get Esther to the exit. Quickly!"
"Run now," the woman echoed through dry lips, her voice starting to reveal the centuries, growing dry and ragged. "Bring the mountain down."
I bit off a cry as the ground shook again, nearly throwing me to the floor, and another cascade of rock made the world shudder in protest. Auguste reached for the torch but I pushed him out of the way.
"Let me," I said, not understanding why but needing to be the one who helped this woman. "Who was she?"
I wasn't sure Auguste would be able to hear me over the groan and crack and crash now surrounding us. But he wrapped his arm around my waist, steadying me through the wave-like motion of the ground beneath our feet and answered in my ear.
"She must've been an oracle," Auguste said.
He sees us now.
I grinned at that, pulling the torch free, knowing that Birsha could see me, had stolen this woman's vision and power, and would know the moment that I broke his hold over her.
He fears us now.
"Good," I muttered.
I plunged the torch into the alcove, too heartsick for this woman to thrust it into her eyes. But her hair caught the flames like kindling, a sudden blaze turning her hair to fire. For a moment, I saw a new version of her, bright and full cheeks, beautiful smile, elegant body. She and I were victorious together, women Birsha could not trample. Then the fire consumed her completely, and Auguste was dragging me away, toward the hall.
