Part 56 (1/2)
There was an audible crack as the bone snapped between the Rashad's powerful jaws. The man cried out in pain and fell to the ground. Ravi took another step towards him, bearing his teeth as a warning to remain still.
L'iam, on the other hand, was just as distracted as his opponent by Adesina's sudden reappearance. The s.h.i.+mat disarmed the L'avan prince and swept his feet out from underneath him.
Adesina s.n.a.t.c.hed one of her throwing knives from her belt and hurled it at L'iam's attacker. The knife struck him in the heart, killing him instantly.
L'iam slowly got to his feet and looked at his young companion. ”Thank you.”
She brushed the thanks aside, keeping to business. ”Ravi, stay here and watch those two,” she said, pointing to the wounded s.h.i.+mat. ”We are going to find the right cell.”
Her guardian didn't look very happy with the arrangement, but nodded anyway. She gestured to the ball of light floating above their heads, and it settled into her palm once more.
Ravi's night vision far exceeded that of a human's, so she knew that he would be fine if she took her makes.h.i.+ft torch with her.
As the two L'avan walked down the dank corridors, L'iam reached over and took Adesina's hand. It seemed a natural gesture between the two of them now.
”Are you injured? That woman appears to be set on murdering you.”
A humorless smile crossed her face. ”She has been ever since we were children.”
He frowned. ”Why?”
She shrugged. ”Jealousy, perhaps.”
Adesina went up on her toes to gaze through a window in one of the closed prison doors, but it was empty. When she glanced back at L'iam, he had an amused expression on his face.
She returned the look. ”Well, I suppose I did nothing to endear myself to her.”
He chuckled hoa.r.s.ely, ”I thought not.”
In the corner farthest away from the stairway, there was a heavy wooden door with a padlock on the bolt.
L'iam placed a hand on the door and nodded to Adesina. ”One person.”
After the earlier events, she was suspicious. ”s.h.i.+mat?”
A pause was followed by a slow shake of the head. ”There is so much pain in the soulaI am certain it is a prisoner.”
She took a deep breath before flicking the ball of light upward and leaning forward to pick the lock. It was slightly more difficult to open than the previous one, but not enough to stop the determined young woman.
Drawing her Blood Sword as a precaution, Adesina drew back the bolt and swung the door open.
A ragged figure lay s.h.i.+vering on the icy stone floor, and the prisoner flinched away from the light, s.h.i.+elding it's eyes and cowering in antic.i.p.ation of pain. His face was swollen and discolored from numerous beatings, but Adesina could still recognize the face of the man she had seen in the High City.
She was surprised to find she couldn't move. Her feet felt like they were glued to the floor, and her heart was racing in circles. She struggled to fight back the tears that were forming in her eyes as she looked at the man she had been searching for her whole life.
He squinted and stared at the two silhouettes, trying to discern their faces. ”Kendan?”
Adesina's heart skipped a beat. Why would her father think that L'iam was Kendan? Was it possible that her former Shar had been telling the truth?
L'iam took a few steps forward and knelt beside the prisoner. ”No, Me'shan. It is I, L'iam.”
Me'shan couldn't believe his eyes. ”L'iam? What are you doing here? How is this possible?”
The young man smiled, unashamed of the tears that coursed down his cheeks. ”We are here to rescue you! E'nes, Sa'jan and myselfa”
It was clear that he was waiting for Adesina to reveal herself, but she was still frozen in a sea of emotion.
”E'nes is here? Where is he?” the prisoner asked.
He nodded. ”He is one level up, rescuing the other L'avan who have been captured by the s.h.i.+mat.”
Me'shan still didn't seem to understand. ”Howa?”
The L'avan prince's smile grew softer. ”Well, we had quite a bit of help.”
Not knowing what else to do, Adesina gestured to the ball of energy, calling it to rest in her hand. The light illuminated her face, and Me'shan gasped at the sight of his daughter.
”Ma'eve!”
”Her name is Adesina,” L'iam corrected gently.
He shook his head in disbelief. ”I never thought you would come. You should not have come.”
Me'shan got to his feet shakily, taking the few steps between him and his daughter. He placed a worn hand on her cheek, as if he couldn't believe she was real.
”So beautiful. Just like your mother.”
She could barely find her voice. ”Father,” she whispered.
His eyes drank her in, as if he too had been waiting for this moment for many, many years.
As much as she wanted to savor the moment, the s.h.i.+mat in her urged for haste. The others would be waiting for them in the stables.
Chapter Forty-eight: The Laboratories.
E'nes watched as Ravi sprinted away from them, frozen in the horror that they had been discovered. It was Sa'jan that spurred him into action.
”Hurry, E'nes!”
Together they ran down the steep, spiral stairs to the level just below. They burst through the door and stumbled straight into a surprised guard.
Sa'jan reacted the fastest, summoning his vyala. He slowed the movements of the guard, then grabbed the dagger at his side and drove it into the s.h.i.+mat's chest. The young guard fell to his knees and then flat on the ground. The L'avan didn't even pause to look at the fallen form before moving on.
E'nes shuddered as he stepped over the body. ”I do not think I will ever get used to such a sight.”
His companion set his mouth in determination. ”It is not a matter of getting used to it. It is remembering that an alarm is sounding and we have work to do.”