Page 31 of Obsidian Dream
There had been no hint.No sign, but there was something else down there with them, but it was gone just as quickly as it had arrived.
Idris let out a pitiful gasp that sounded like he was closer to death than life.Whatever or whoever had attacked him hadn’t intended to kill him outright.Talik stared for a moment longer as the guards rushed to save him.He wanted to tell them not to bother, but if a miracle occurred and Idris survived, he may have more information for them.Ninhursag may not want him anymore, but Idris was a fountain of knowledge they needed to exploit.
Talik didn’t know what was more fucked up, that a minuscule part of him wished Idris could still be saved or that he welcomed Idris’s death.
***
TALIK
“That was a waste oftime,” Khalida stated as she turned toward him, disgust dripping off every word as the main doors locked behind them.“Did you notice anything useful?”
They had quietly left Idris’s prison among the loud commotion, leaving him under the ministrations of the guards trying to save him.Just outside the door, they stood watch, in case something else happened.
“No.Nothing that we haven’t uncovered already,” Talik answered.Khalida may trust her guards, but he wasn’t as sure they couldn’t be influenced or corrupted like Idris or Chaucer.
If Dante had taught him anything through the years, it was that everyone had a price.Truthfully, he hadn’t expected Idris to reveal any new information.Seeing Idris, and how far he had fallen, was a brutal reminder that he had never known the Atlantean—not if Idris had first encountered Ninhursag centuries before Talik had met him.
Khalida let out another disgusted sigh as she turned on her heels and strode toward the stairs.She appeared to be on a mission.Talik followed quietly behind.
“Idris would prefer to die than reveal information against the Anki and his precious Ninhursag,” Khalida mused as she tapped her hip.Halfway up the winding staircase, the muted lights cast her in an angelic glow.
“What makes you say that?”Talik asked.He didn’t entirely disagree with the comment.
Khalida turned, her expression dark.“Zealots and true believers are always the same, whether they are Atlantean or human.They will die and kill for their cause.”
She turned back, her hair swishing as she took the steps two at a time and disappeared.
What they had observed had all been for show.A stark reminder to Idris that he was expendable, and for the observers, that the power the Anki wielded was immense.
It didn’t take long to reach Khalida at the top of the stairs.She waited with her arms crossed.Except for a handful of guards stationed along the walls, the open hall was empty, and the bright red lights were a visual reminder the security cameras were watching their every move.If anything happened, the entire hall and the dungeon would be locked down and isolated from the rest of the Arx as a precaution or until they had neutralized the threat.
“Will he survive??”Khalida softly asked.
“He will survive, if his masters believe he is still useful,” Talik said.
To the rest of the world, Idris had died in an unfortunate accident during the Jimourt, and now House Azaes was organizing a burial that reflected the status Idris had as a beloved scholar.It was easier to lie to the Atlanteans than explain the truth.
Khalida flexed her hand, brushing her hip.He walked toward her until they were standing side by side, forcing her to gaze at him.She reluctantly turned and glared at him.Talik held his breath.She looked fucking gorgeous, all righteous and about to do violence.
Her eyes narrowed.“We need to stop these vile gods once and for all.”
“The catacombs under Rome.”
“I don’t entirely agree with Dante’s theory.Idris could have been turned at any point.”
Talik couldn’t disagree with her logic, but they had no other idea, or starting point.“Do you have a better idea?”
“We still need to search the Arx.There might be something here that will give us an insight into how the wayfarers and the serpopards could infiltrate the tunnel system without us being aware of their existence,” Khalida said.
“Chaucer can search for it while he is under the supervision of one of your immortals, someone you trust.We may as well make him useful while you have him under house arrest.”
Khalida chuckled, the sound dangerously low.“Unofficial house arrest.As far as House Mneseus is concerned, Chaucer is just enjoying a studious break here.”
Talik snorted.The lie would be almost unbelievable if it hadn’t been backed by Dante.“If we get lucky, Chaucer may get eaten by a serpopard, and we can live happily ever after.”
Her silver-blonde hair glowed in the darkness, bright enough that he didn’t need the yellow crystals lighting the way.Khalida turned, but he grabbed her arm.Electricity ran through him as he hesitantly let go of her before she stabbed him.
She stared at his hand and then raised a perfect eyebrow.A haughty aristocrat look on her face, silently telling him he had crossed a line.
