Part 35 (2/2)

”Four, four and a half minutes now.”

Nika's hand clenched on his arm, but that was the only sign she gave of the pain he knew she felt. She didn't make a sound.

When she spoke, she was out of breath. ”Right. She's to our right.”

Madoc nodded. ”We'll go when you're ready.”

She swallowed and straightened her stance. ”I'm ready now.”

Madoc didn't fight her. As much as he hated this, it was the only way.

He led them into the carved tunnel. It was a tight squeeze in several places, but they all fit through. There were more than a dozen men and women trailing behind him, ready and eager to have this rescue finished.

The tunnel angled down; then ahead, he saw it open up. He stopped and turned to Drake, who was immediately behind Nika. ”I'll go check it out,” he whispered. To Nika, he said, ”Stay put a sec. I'll be right back.”

To her credit, she didn't argue. He could sense her agitation and fear, along with the sure knowledge that the pain would be back again all too soon.

Madoc moved forward as silently as he could, hugging one wall. He peered into the room, powering up his vision so he could see more clearly.

It was a sleeping chamber. Dozens of Synestryn lay huddled in piles like puppies. He didn't recognize them. He was used to seeing fur and scales, but these thingsa”whatever they werea”had mostly bare skin instead. They were vaguely humanoid, though larger than most men, maybe seven feet if they stood up on their hind legs. Their hands and feet were huge, and their wide heads bristled with stiff tufts of hair. Beside each pile of creatures, several swords were propped against debris or the cave wall.

The swords were battered, rusty, and pitted with use, but the fact that they were there at all was disturbing. Since when did monsters start using weapons instead of teeth and claws?

There was no sign of Tori, but across the cavern, there was a tunnel leading off to the right.

Madoc went back to the group. ”There's a cavern up ahead full of sleeping somethings. We're going to have to go through them.”

”How many?” asked Drake.

”Thirty or forty.”

”Any friendlies in there?” asked Helen.

”No.”

”How big is the room?” asked Drake.

”Maybe twenty by thirty or so.”

Helen smiled. ”I got this. Hang back.”

She and Drake moved ahead. A few seconds later, there was a burst of orange light, a whoosh of heat, and the sound of animalistic screams. Smoke drifted down the tunnel, but Gilda lifted a hand and it flowed over their heads toward the exit.

Nika hissed in pain and grabbed hold of Madoc's arm hard. ”There's some kind of commotion around Tori. I think they know we're here.”

Drake and Helen came back a minute later. ”Room's clear. I wouldn't breathe the smoke, though.”

”I'll blow the smoke away from us,” said Gilda. ”Let's just get this over with. If we don't retrieve her before sunset, they could move her where we'll never find her.”

”We can't let that happen,” said Nika, panting.

”Can you walk?” asked Madoc. He sensed she wasn't fighting the pain, but letting it ina”it was the only link she had to Tori, but it was nearly incapacitating.

She nodded, so Madoc helped support her weight, following Drake and Helen into the chamber.

Burned corpses lay in charred heaps, as if they hadn't even had time to move before they died. Clearly, Helen's ability had grown since she'd partnered with Drake nearly a year ago. Madoc would hate to be on the receiving end of the power she wielded.

They moved into the next tunnel and had gone a few feet when Nicholas said, ”We've got movement behind us.”

”Nicholas, you, Liam, and the other single men guard our escape,” ordered Angus. ”We have to keep moving.”

Nika was leaning on him harder now, and he could feel pain tightening her body more with every step. ”We're getting closer,” she whispered. ”I can feel her.”

Behind them, the sound of combat began. The snarl of Synestryn and the thud of steel on bone grew louder as their only known exit was compromised. Ahead of them, a high, feminine scream of pain echoed off the rock walls.

Tori had tried to stay strong. She'd tried not to call out for Nika, but she'd failed. The pain had been too much to stand, and with each wrenching spasm of her body, she'd grown weaker and less able to block Nika out.

Zillah had her strapped down on a metal table, unable to move. Her knees were pinned against her chest to make room for the thing to come out. Around her Synestryn demons crouched in eagerness, as if waiting for a meal. Maybe that was what she'd become if this birth killed her. She had no idea.

We're here. Hold on. Nika's voice came through like cool, clear water flowing over her.

”She's here,” said Maura. ”Finally. And once I have Nika, I'm sure Andra won't be far behind. Lovely.”

Panic skittered through Tori, clawing at her. Run, she tried to shout in her mind, but she wasn't sure whether Nika could hear her. She couldn't focus with so much pain wringing her out. She was sure that the thing inside her was going to twist her in two.

”Guards,” ordered Zillah in an almost metallic hiss of breath. ”Kill the men. Without them, the women will be ours for the taking.”

Tori couldn't see how many guards there were, but at least twenty were in her line of sight and she could hear more of them moving around. There were too many. There was no way Nika was going to be able to get through.

Run. Please, she shouted again, praying Nika would listen.

Maura frowned for a moment, tilting her blond head to the side as if listening. ”Kill Angus first or Gilda will finish us all.”

”No sentimentality for your own father?” asked Zillah.

Maura's face went hard, cold. ”None. Kill him.”

Another spasm of pain gripped Tori's body, wringing a scream from her. It stole the breath from her chest and locked up her lungs. Something clenched hard deep inside her and everything else disappeared in the face of so much pain. All her defenses went down. Nika appeared in her mind, strong and rea.s.suring.

Tori gripped onto that feeling like a lifeline. She knew her time was up. The thing was coming. Nika hadn't been able to save her, but at least she was here now. At least Tori didn't have to die alone.

Nika stumbled as the connection she had with Tori flared to life, stronger than it had ever been before. Pain was her sister's whole world, but Nika focused on shutting that out so she could concentrate enough to figure out how to save her.

Madoc helped her steady herself on her feet. ”Do you need to stop?”

”No. She's ahead. Close.”

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