were; everyone had a breaking point. And if anyone could torture you to that point quickly, it’d be Sarad Nukpana. Deidre was Cyran’s wife, but now she had to be a practical leader.
“When was he taken?” Tam asked.
“Two nights ago.”
Damn.
Tam’s expression darkened. “Nath said he’s in the temple dungeons—and that Sandrina Ghalfari was with those who ambushed him.”
“She was. Word we have received said that it was she who knew where our people were going to be that night. Sandrina was always a bright girl. A narcissistic, conniving, overdressed and underbred murderess, but bright.”
If those weren’t catfighting words, I didn’t know what were.
“Sarad and Sandrina have been locking away anyone capable of opposing him,” Deidre continued, “either directly or by their influence. Our most powerful mages and best military minds are locked in those temple dungeons.” Growing anger made her voice sharper. “We had a team trained and ready to destroy that Gate Sarad’s building outside the city. They were captured the same night as Cyran. Every last one of them are in those dungeons.”
“Do you have someone on the inside?” Imala asked.
Deidre shook her head. “Not among the dungeon guards.”
“I have two agents who—”
“Dalit and Airan?”
“Yes.”
“They’re already working with us,” Deidre said. “Airan has told me which of our people are in the general dungeon population, but the high-ranking prisoners are being kept apart from the others. That is all he was able to find out.”
“I know where those cells are,” Imala said.
“So do some of our most gifted people, both mage and mundane,” Deidre countered. “They can’t get anywhere near them.”
Tam’s smile was chilling. “They didn’t spend five years at the queen’s side and live to tell about it.”
“What does that have to do with—”
“Hiding and hearing, Mother. I know several passageways around the palace
and
the temple. Many a night I stood between the walls listening to my enemies—both court and Khrynsani—plot my death. I’m alive, most of them are not.”
“I also know of several ways into the temple,” Imala said.
“How many guards are around the Saghred?” Mychael asked.
“I can answer that one, Paladin,” Jash Masloc said. “Fifty guards around the clock since it arrived. However, those are just the ones in the temple and within sight of the altar. Unfortunatelyfor anyone’s long-term health and survival, those fifty Khrynsani weren’t taking their eyes off of the Saghred. Though I believe the Khrynsani refer to it as worship.”
Those boys definitely weren’t going to like what we wanted to do to their newest deity. Stabbing and shattering weren’t going to go over well at all. I didn’t harbor any illusions that yelling, “Hey, look! Something shiny!” would get them all to look the other way while we got destructive on their precious.
Mychael told her the plan—Kesyn Badru, the Reapers, the rock, and us. When he finished, the room was silent again, this time with shock and a healthy heaping of disbelief.
Deidre glanced at Tam, a trace of amusement in her eyes. “I must say, my darling boy, that you and your friends are taking our family’s reputation of adventurousness to the point of insanity.”
“Someone has to take the big chances.”
Deidre closed her eyes and let out a resigned sigh. Then she opened her eyes and regarded Mychael. “Paladin Eiliesor—”
“Mychael, please.”
Deidre smiled slightly. “Mychael. Isn’t there any way to avoid unleashing Armageddon? Sarad seems to have already taken care of that. Wouldn’t your plan be unnecessarily redundant?”
“If there was any other way, we would do it,” he assured her.
“And Tamnais, you believe that Kesyn Badru, the teacher you publically turned your back on and whose career you unwittingly ruined, will help you summon these Reapers.”
“He always hated Sarad, and the feeling was
“When was he taken?” Tam asked.
“Two nights ago.”
Damn.
Tam’s expression darkened. “Nath said he’s in the temple dungeons—and that Sandrina Ghalfari was with those who ambushed him.”
“She was. Word we have received said that it was she who knew where our people were going to be that night. Sandrina was always a bright girl. A narcissistic, conniving, overdressed and underbred murderess, but bright.”
If those weren’t catfighting words, I didn’t know what were.
“Sarad and Sandrina have been locking away anyone capable of opposing him,” Deidre continued, “either directly or by their influence. Our most powerful mages and best military minds are locked in those temple dungeons.” Growing anger made her voice sharper. “We had a team trained and ready to destroy that Gate Sarad’s building outside the city. They were captured the same night as Cyran. Every last one of them are in those dungeons.”
“Do you have someone on the inside?” Imala asked.
Deidre shook her head. “Not among the dungeon guards.”
“I have two agents who—”
“Dalit and Airan?”
“Yes.”
“They’re already working with us,” Deidre said. “Airan has told me which of our people are in the general dungeon population, but the high-ranking prisoners are being kept apart from the others. That is all he was able to find out.”
“I know where those cells are,” Imala said.
“So do some of our most gifted people, both mage and mundane,” Deidre countered. “They can’t get anywhere near them.”
Tam’s smile was chilling. “They didn’t spend five years at the queen’s side and live to tell about it.”
“What does that have to do with—”
“Hiding and hearing, Mother. I know several passageways around the palace
and
the temple. Many a night I stood between the walls listening to my enemies—both court and Khrynsani—plot my death. I’m alive, most of them are not.”
“I also know of several ways into the temple,” Imala said.
“How many guards are around the Saghred?” Mychael asked.
“I can answer that one, Paladin,” Jash Masloc said. “Fifty guards around the clock since it arrived. However, those are just the ones in the temple and within sight of the altar. Unfortunatelyfor anyone’s long-term health and survival, those fifty Khrynsani weren’t taking their eyes off of the Saghred. Though I believe the Khrynsani refer to it as worship.”
Those boys definitely weren’t going to like what we wanted to do to their newest deity. Stabbing and shattering weren’t going to go over well at all. I didn’t harbor any illusions that yelling, “Hey, look! Something shiny!” would get them all to look the other way while we got destructive on their precious.
Mychael told her the plan—Kesyn Badru, the Reapers, the rock, and us. When he finished, the room was silent again, this time with shock and a healthy heaping of disbelief.
Deidre glanced at Tam, a trace of amusement in her eyes. “I must say, my darling boy, that you and your friends are taking our family’s reputation of adventurousness to the point of insanity.”
“Someone has to take the big chances.”
Deidre closed her eyes and let out a resigned sigh. Then she opened her eyes and regarded Mychael. “Paladin Eiliesor—”
“Mychael, please.”
Deidre smiled slightly. “Mychael. Isn’t there any way to avoid unleashing Armageddon? Sarad seems to have already taken care of that. Wouldn’t your plan be unnecessarily redundant?”
“If there was any other way, we would do it,” he assured her.
“And Tamnais, you believe that Kesyn Badru, the teacher you publically turned your back on and whose career you unwittingly ruined, will help you summon these Reapers.”
“He always hated Sarad, and the feeling was
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