Pierce turned back toward his comrades.
They were advancing on the horde in front of Kash's apartments, having already slain their own would-be assassins. Sev was covered in purple blood, but it didn't seem to be his own. Scythia had a small cut on her cheek. Ess and Agrathor were unscathed.
Then a shadow phased into existence at Ess's back, its katana drawn back for a thrust. Ess slipped into the aether without looking, reappeared behind the shadow, and recalled her orbs to her hand through its chest. The assassin froze mid-step, dropped its sword to the floor, then fell to its knees and onto its side.
Hadn't Ess told Pierce she couldn't fold within Testadel? Maybe this was some similar Skill he didn't know about.
The courtyard had several large halls spilling out from it, and over a dozen Monstrosities had appeared, hunched over to fit in the halls. They were all growling and slavering, muck and drool running down their fronts.
"I tire of this," said Ess.
She held both hands out to the sides, palms up. An invisible wind blew across the room, rippling her robes and hair. She closed her eyes, white lids against the black of her skin, and clenched her hands violently into fists.
The courtyard erupted into a cacophony of halted screams, no sooner uttered than cut off by the destruction of any flesh capable of creating sound. The short, horrific sound echoed across the large chamber as hundreds of werewolves and gen, and the several Monstrosities, blew apart from the inside out. It was as if their bones suddenly felt the need to be in the open air, as if the lowest layer of their skin sought the light of the outside world, as if their blood lusted for the touch of the ground. Gore hung in the air for a long moment, then fell to the floor in a splatter and splash like a hellish waterfall.
Pierce had seen a lot in his adventures, but this almost brought him to retching. As he tried to calm his stomach, he wondered why Ess hadn't just killed everything in their path this way. Did the rest of Gorgonbane even need to fight at all?
The courtyard went quiet, and Ess led the way forward, into Kash's apartments.
"Let us get your revenge," she said to Scythia.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Revenge
They found Kash in the antechamber leading deeper into his lavish apartments. He was large, grey like the forgemasters, but lanky where they were typically bulky. He had a handsome, chiseled face, but his granite skin was marred by black patches like birthmarks. He stood unnaturally still, watching them enter the room with a strangely resigned look on his face. Pierce wondered, why was he so still?
"That wasn't a very nice sound," Kash said. The movements of his mouth were stiff.
"They were not very nice men," said Ess.
"This is some enchantment you've conjured, little witch," he said casually. "I don't think I've ever been this helpless."
"The First taught me to teach myself well," she said. "I have brought someone to see you." She raised a hand to indicate Scythia.
"My pleasure," Kash mocked, blinking and smiling in place of a bow, for he clearly could not move. "What luck, the wise Lady of Gorgonbane does not deign to meet many of her subjects."
Scythia strode forward with heavy steps. "You had my husband killed," she said. "Those assassins of yours. They killed my husband, and the First."
"And you no doubt dispatched them on your way in here," Kash said. He flicked his eyes left and right, accusing the stains of red and purple blood on their armor. "Unless my eyes are mistaken."
"But the order came from you."
Pierce thought the man would have shrugged if he could.
"If they killed anyone but the First, it was merely collateral, and not of my design. Gorgonbane need not have even been there. Standing in the way of Overland's salvation was entirely your choice."
Scythia seethed and gritted her teeth. Agrathor spoke what she was no doubt thinking.
"Our salvation?" he spat drily. "Overland had just entered a time of peace, what did you think you could save?"
"Your welfare, then," said Kash. "There is something coming that you know nothing of. Over and Underlands need to be united in order to stand against it, lest we perish separately. I elected to forego the hassles of diplomacy, to be sure, but the end result would have been life and safety for us all."
Agrathor scoffed. "Safety for all those people you've already killed?"
"Have you been back to Grondell since you murdered my giants and those few battalions?" Kash asked, eyes widening. "Its residents have in large part returned, with others besides. They work day and night to restore the city, and they do it hand in hand with my people. We, of the Underlands, have taught your people to lay aside difference, race, religion, and focus on what matters most - the survival of us all. What argument can you possibly have against that?"
"It doesn't matter what foolhardy thing you believe," said Scythia. "You killed to reach your goal, murdered innocent people. You killed Axebourne."
"The Cleaver, isn't it?" asked Kash drily. "And how did he get that title?"
"All he ever did was fight to protect those less fortunate than himself. He was a giant of a man."
"And a worthy warrior," said Kash. "I won't disagree. If your Glorious Paths are real - that's not an admission of faith - I'd wager your husband is walking them now, fully forged, held tight in the hand of some heavenly knight and slaying the ethereal forces of unknown evils."
From the way his eyes moved, the way he spoke, Pierce could tell Kash would normally be talking with his hands, drawing out wide gestures to accompany his points. How had Ess bound
