All Spell Breaks Loose

Chigaru Mal’Salin was now wearing Tam’s spare suit of armor, and Mychael had on the leather and matte steel armor Chigaru had worn from Mid—and had dinted and torn bouncing down the chute from the temple. Tam’s armor was a little big on Chigaru, but that could be taken care of for the most part by cinching the straps a little tighter. Mychael looked like… Well, he looked like his armor had shrunk and he hadn’t. So he’d put on the pieces that marginally fit, and tossed the others aside. Fortunately, both he and Chigaru had kept the padded garments they’d worn underneath their armor. While I liked seeing Mychael naked, I didn’t want him going into battle that way.

Tam was not happy. “Mychael, I want you to take my armor. I can—”

“For the last time, no. Now that the prince is here, we don’t need a ‘Guardian elf hero’ to vouch for our sincerity with the prisoners. Chigaru needs to look like a king, and you’re his chief mage and chancellor; you need to look the part. Those people need to know who to follow. I’m just an elf here to do the dirty work.” He flashed a quick, boyish grin. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll go shopping when I get upstairs. The first Khrynsani guard who’s my size will have my undivided attention.”

“Your Majesty, I want you to hang back at first when we attack,” Imala said.

Chigaru bristled. “I will not be seen as a coward—”

“It’s not cowardly; it’s tactical. We need you intact for the prisoners’ sakes. You wouldn’t inspire anyone with a bolt or two sticking out of you.”

The prince didn’t argue. A miracle. Hopefully, it was just the first one we’d get in the next few hours.

“The important prisoners are usually kept on the first level, near the main guard station,” Imala continued to Chigaru. “That means warded gates and a lot of guards. Unfortunately, that’s not a guarantee—the VIPs being kept on the first level, that is. However, plenty of guards are guaranteed. That’s why I want you to hang back.”

“No one will be masking their magic up there,” Tam added. “As long as we don’t blow out a wall, anything we do should blend in with the noise.”

“And if things get ugly?” Chigaru asked.

“We blow out a wall—and anything else with the poor judgment to get between us and those prisoners.”

“Damn right, we do,” Piaras said.

Instantly every eye was on him.

The kid glanced around in confusion. “Uh… damn right, we don’t?”

Mychael cleared his throat. “Cadet?”

“Sir?”

“Just stay close.” Mychael held up one finger, quickly followed by a second one. “And obey orders. Got it?”

Piaras grinned broadly. “Got it, sir!”

The kid was way too enthusiastic for anyone’s safety. Best we could hope for was to point him in the right direction and cut him loose. Mychael caught my eye for the briefest instant. He wasn’t smiling anymore. I didn’t need any mind-reading bond to tell me what he knew—the navinem could start wearing off soon for Piaras and Chigaru. Considering where we were going and whom we’d be running into, I wanted them to hold on to that navinem-fueled confidence for as long as possible. I didn’t want Piaras to be cocky, but I at least wanted him to think he could survive. The power of suggestion was a potent thing.

I caught Piaras’s eyes. “Let’s get in and get it done, so you can brag to Phaelan about what you did.”

The only Khrynsani we encountered had been the dead ones down near the dragon lair. That was the good news. On the downside, it looked like no one had cleaned this tunnel since it’d been made, and the local spider population had been busy for the entire time. The Khrynsani who’d chased Chigaru down here had obviously come in another way. Between the webs and the dust, not sneezing was not an option. Kesyn had assured us that the walls down here were thick, but I was a loud sneezer. Really loud.

I had no clue what this space had been built for. Tam and Mychael’s shoulders brushed both sides of the tunnel. We went up a flight of narrow and entirely too steep stairs cut into the stone. Though to say that centuries ago someone intentionally cut these would be an insult to every stonemason who ever lived.

Tam finally stopped and so did we. He spoke in the barest whisper, though we all could hear him just fine. “We’re level with the dungeons. Stick to the plan.”

“Unless the plan sticks it to us,” Chigaru just had to add.

“Then we drop back to Plan B.”

I didn’t remember that one. “Which is?”

“Kill as many of them as we can.”

I’d heard that Plan B more than once. Fortunately, I lived through those times to get to hear it yet again. I also knew the second part of Plan B. Tam thoughtfully neglected to say it, though we all knew what it was.

Don’t be taken alive.

Piaras was standing perfectly still, peering intently at something in the shadows. “There’s a red toad over there—and two more farther down this side tunnel.”

My hand immediately went to my bandoleer. “How big are they?”

“Normal size. They look weird, though.”

“Do they have smooth skin?” Kesyn asked.

“Yes, sir. And green eyes, I think.”

“Go tell them to ‘ka’lit pri’chis talmat.’”

“Uh… pardon?”

Kesyn rolled his eyes and said it again.

Piaras repeated the incantation, but flubbed the last word.

“Don’t hurt yourself, son. It’s ‘ka’lit pri’chis talmat.’”

“Ka’lit pri’chis talmat.”

“That’s it. Now go tell that to the toads.”

Piaras took one step, then stopped. “What are they?”

“Khrynsani have been known to use those critters as spies down here. If their eyes had turned red, a Khrynsani guard topside would be seeing what the toads see—namely us.” Kesyn shooed his hand at Piaras. “Go on, now. That little spell will take care of everything.”

“Yes, sir.” Piaras went to do as told.

“Get close enough—and get your aim right,” Kesyn called after him.

Tam was laughing as quietly as he could manage. “You didn’t tell him those toads are going to explode.”

Kesyn gave him an impish little grin. “I thought I’d let that be a surprise.”

A startled yelp came from the side tunnel.

Kesyn took a quick bite from his chunk of stinky cheese. “He knows now.”

Piaras returned and shot Kesyn a dirty look. The old goblin smiled and raised his cheese in salute.

“Imala and I will take a look first,” Tam said. “See what we’re walking into. Then we’ll take it from there.”

According to Tam’s memory, the tunnel ended in a storage alcove about twenty paces from the guard station. Imala said she’d heard that the captain of the guard used to scare the hell out of the dungeon guards with surprise inspections. This was no inspection, but I sure hoped it was a surprise.

For them, not us.

Tam and Imala were gone less than five minutes. When they returned, their expressions were neutral, though Imala was fighting a smile.

“Good news?” Mychael asked.

“For once,” she said. “There are six guards at the station. Only two are mages. A short stair leads up from the guard station to the temple’s main levels. There’s a locked and warded gate at the top.”

“At least two guards are posted outside the gate,” Tam said. “One will be a high-level prison mage and qualified to disable the wards for anyone who wants to see a prisoner. More good news is that they’re using the same wards as the palace dungeon, which I’m familiar with. Those wards take thirty seconds to lower, a minute