Part 51 (1/2)

”I wasn't.”

Chapter TEN.

Backing out of the fissure sc.r.a.ped and bruised a number of interesting new places, but given what she now knew, Diana found the pain a whole lot easier to ignore. There's was nothing like finding yourself right back at a potential apocalypse to put a bruised b.o.o.b in perspective.

”FEE, FI, FOE, FEEPER . . .”.

That didn't sound good. She poked Kris, trying to get her to move a little faster. Kris flashed her a one-finger answer.

”Feeper? What's a feeper?” The guy from the throne room, now positively identified as a Shadowlord, had become a lot harder to hear.

”IF I COULD FINIs.h.!.+”.

”Sorry.”

”NOT YET, YOU AREN'T. BUT YOU WILL BE.”.

With any luck, the punis.h.i.+ng of the unnamed Shadowlord would distract . . .

”AS I WAS SAYING; FEE, FI, FOE, FEEPER, I SMELL THE BLOOD OF A NEARBY KEEPER!”.

... or not.

Kris dropped down into the corridor.

”We have a Keeper in chains . . .” the Shadowlord began.

”NO, YOU DON'T.”.

”Yes, we . . .”

”NO.”.

”But . . .”

”YOU'RE AN IDIOT.”.

Diana stumbled as she landed, cracked her knee against the stone floor, and told herself to ignore it. ”Come on.” Grabbing Kris' hand, she dragged the mall elf into a run. ”We've got to get out of here.”

”Haven't I been saying that?”

”Yeah, but now I'm saying it.” First, up the slope. Then, when the floor leveled out, she'd follow the signature of her scattered stuff back to the throne room. After that, a fast run through the construction site and into the access corridor. Granted, the last time she'd covered that particular bit of the escape route, she was being dragged by a giant bug, but she was fairly sure she remembered the pattern of water seepage on the ceiling.

As they turned the first corner, Kris leaned in close and said, in an urgent whisper. ”Who was that talking?”

”I told you.”

”You said; oh, h.e.l.l.”