The elf favored the girl with a half smile. “I do not receive many visitors,” she said. “The mists keep them away.”
“We came seeking shelter,” Te’oma started.
“From the sun,” the elf said. “I know. Who do you think opened the skies?”
“You forced us here?” Tan Du glared at the elf.
The gaunt wizard nodded. “I predicted your arrival. I know who you are, I know what you are, and I know what you are about.”
Tan Du frowned. “Then you should know better than to interfere.”
The elf coughed up a dry laugh as she descended the final stairs and stood before the trio of intruders. “I do not fear your lich-goddess. True power comes from the light, not the dark. She is but a shadow of what she could have been.”
Tan Du’s frown deepened to a scowl. “You blaspheme. Apologize, or I will tear your heart from your chest.”
Te’oma reached out and took Esprл’s hand. The girl did not pull away. Without taking her eyes from the wizard, Te’oma began to creep backward, a step at a time, bringing the girl with her.
The elf squinted at Tan Du. “You are a pawn and a fool. Do you not realize what you are in the presence of?”
“A dead elf,” the vampire sneered. He lashed out, and his hand closed around the wizard’s bare, thin throat.
The elf’s eyes narrowed in delight. Her smile showed all her teeth like a corpse’s rictus.
The flesh on Tan Du’s hand burned. Te’oma heard the sharp hiss of burning skin and saw smoke rising about the elf’s face.
The vampire’s eyes flung wide in terror. “What-?” he said.
He drew his hand back and stared at it, stunned. It was red and blistered as if he’d pressed it on a hot stove.
Te’oma hustled Esprл behind the wizard’s desk. She didn’t know what might happen next, but she hoped the wizard would be reluctant to attack someone hiding behind her spellbook. She held the girl to her chest, keeping Esprл from watching the pair near the stairs, but she found herself unable to avert her own eyes from the scene.
The elf chanted a few quick words and presented a pearl between her fingers. It burst forth with the heat and light of the sun.
Tan Du cowered before the light and screamed. “No!” he said. “I cannot fail! You cannot-!”
The vampire stopped protesting and turned to run. The elf followed him with the light still blazing from her hand. He stumbled into the side of the wizard’s desk opposite Te’oma and bounced off it toward the door. Esprл let out a little scream and clung to the changeling tighter. Te’oma ran a hand through her hair and shushed her gently as she craned her neck around the desk to watch the vampire flee.
As Tan Du moved, smoke curled from his bare flesh and from under his clothes. The vampire reached for the door, but it slammed shut as he did. Bellowing in frustration, he hauled at it with all his supernatural might, but it refused to give.
The vampire turned to face the elf, his body burning now, flames licking up all around him. His hair caught like a torch, and his skin blackened and began to peel away. He let loose a final agonized scream before he collapsed. Moments later, all that was left of him was a smoldering pile of ashes spilling out of his scorched clothes.
The light in the elf’s hand went out, and she turned to smile again at Te’oma and Esprл. “Now,” she said, “shall we get to know each other a bit better?”
Chapter 27
“We have to go in,” Kandler said, staring up at the mound of mist that sat in the center of the valley. From this close, it looked more like the wall of a tomb. “I’m through wasting time.”
“You can’t see a thing in there,” Deothen said. “It’s suicide.”
Kandler turned on the old knight. “You have a better plan?”
The knight nodded. “We set up positions around the place and wait for them to come out.”
Kandler goggled at Deothen. “My daughter is in there!”
“It is a sound plan.”
Frustrated, Kandler pointed at the rest of the hunters. “Do you see how many of us there are left?” The others stared at him. “There’s you, me, Burch, and three knights so green they have grass growing out of their armor.”
Sallah opened her mouth to protest, but Kandler kept talking. He stared at Deothen. “What makes you think the six of us can surround this place? And if they come out of there, how are we going to catch them? How long are we going to wait? When night falls, we won’t be able to see a thing.” Kandler pointed up at the hole in the cloud cover. “And what about that? As soon as that goes away, which could happen any second, they can just ride away again.”
Deothen raised his hands to calm the justicar. The gesture just made Kandler even more angry. “I understand why you are upset,” Deothen said, “but you must think about this clearly.”
“I’m not going to think about it like a coward.” Kandler turned to speak to the others. “I’m going in. Now.” He looked each of the knights in the eye. “Who’s with me?”
Burch raised his hand, and Kandler cracked a quick smile. “Thanks, Burch,” he said. Then he glared at the others. “Who else?”
Deothen sat on his mount in stony silence. Levritt looked to the senior knight for guidance and avoided Kandler’s stare. Brendis started to speak but then shut his mouth. He frowned at the justicar and sagged in his saddle.
“I’ll go,” Sallah said.
Surprised, Kandler nodded his thanks. “All right.”
“No, daughter,” Deothen said. “I cannot permit it.” Kandler started to respond, but Deothen cut him off. “I am your commander. I am responsible for your life and that of every other knight that rides with me.”
“Nice going so far,” Burch said. “One dead and one nearly killed.”
“You will speak to Sir Deothen with a civil tongue!” said Sallah.
Deothen ignored Burch and spoke to Kandler. “I will not permit one of my charges to risk her life needlessly.”
“But, Sir Deothen,” Sallah said, “the girl-”
“Is trapped in there with her kidnappers. They are going nowhere. We should wait for them to come to us.”
“Are we not charged with the protection of innocents?” Kandler could hear a trace of desperation creeping into Sallah’s voice.
“You are, as am I, but there are larger issues at stake here. They want the girl alive.”
“How can you be so sure of that?”
“If her life was so cheap to them, they would have killed her already. You know that, justicar.”
Kandler shook his head in frustration. “You can sit out here and argue about it all you like. I’m going in.” He nodded at the shifter and brought his horse around. “Come on, Burch.”
“Sir Deothen,” Sallah said, “should we not lend them aid? They will defy your wisdom no matter what, but can we not take advantage of that? Let me accompany them. They may need my prayers if not my sword.”
Kandler and Burch hesitated for a moment to hear what the senior knight would say. The old man’s face fell. “Very well,” he said, looking deep into Sallah s green eyes. “Do as you will, daughter. And may the Silver Flame guide your way.”
Sallah brought her horse around to face toward the wall of mist. She snapped a quick salute to Deothen and the other knights then gave Kandler a sharp nod. Without another word, they plunged into the unknown.
The gray mist curled around Kandler like a blanket. He could barely see his horse’s ears much less Burch or
