filling her belly on his lifeblood.
For as long as Irkalla believed he loved her, the woman he’d decided would fill his lonely heart would be safe.
CHAPTER
7
G untram reached down to offer Simon a hand, grasping it and heaving him over the edge of the parapet. Ducking down, they huddled for a moment with their backs against the crenellated wall while they caught their breath. They sat hidden by the shadows cast by a huge moon hovering over the tall dunes in the distance.
The climb up the sandstone wall had invigorated him, allowing him to expend some of the pent-up energy his worry and frustration had built up. As always, the physical challenge left him feeling relaxed despite the danger pressing closer, making it easier to think.
Wiping his sweaty face with his sleeve, he took stock of where they sat.
The walkway at the top of the fortress was approximately ten feet wide and stretched the length of a long curtain wall. No guards were within sight or scent—not patrolling the walkway or stationed in the tall parapets at the corners of the fortification, which seemed odd. Why build a wall if you didn’t have enemies ready to invade?
“Where do we go from here?” he whispered to Simon, who was taking a little longer to catch his breath.
Simon reached out and gripped his forearm, then dragged himself up. “We’ll head to one of the towers and make our way down to the city streets.”
“Are there no guards?”
“Not the sort you’re expecting, I imagine,” Simon murmured. “Guards patrol inside the city. Anzu-birds keep watch from above—and occasionally the lillum, especially nasty creatures. Keep an eye peeled toward the sky.” Taking another deep breath, he shoved away from the wall. “Come, we have to keep moving.”
Crouching to keep their heads below the top of the wall, they hurried down the wallwalk to the nearest tower. Guntram paused at the doorway, peering down the dark, spiraling stone steps. Simon gave him a shove from behind. “Keep moving. We’ll have no problems until we’re inside the fortress.”
Guntram took him at his word. The mage had been right so far. Ducking, he entered the stairs and felt a hot breeze whipping upward, evaporating the rest of the sweat beading on his forehead.
Stealthily, they hurried down the darkened tower toward the street, with Guntram wondering all the while about a for-tress free from watchful guards. Unease crept along his spine. Guntram didn’t like surprises, and wished he’d had more time to learn about the terrain and the dangers lurking before he’d come.
At the bottom of the steps, a doorway opened directly onto a city block. Pausing again, he hugged the door frame and peered up and down the narrow cobblestone street, not unlike those he’d walked in medieval townships. The smells that assaulted his nose were familiar as well: urine, feces, decaying bodies. He wrinkled his nose in disgust.
However, it was the sounds of the place that sent a chill up his spine. Low, mournful wails and cries rose in the air. Crackling crunches emanated from darkened doors and alleyways—like bones being ground by powerful jaws.
“Don’t stop now,” Simon said, shoving him again.
They kept close to the outer curtain wall. On the opposite side of the street were doorways leading into multistoried houses and establishments. Huddled on stoops and in corners were lumpy bodies dressed in ragged, filth-encrusted clothing.
Simon darted across the street to one doorway. Guntram followed.
Simon pulled a leather bag from a pocket and extracted two gold coins, purchasing smelly robes from two men huddled close whose dry-eyed gazes didn’t see beyond the shiny coins.
Guntram grimaced when Simon passed him one of the robes, but didn’t hesitate to pull it on to hide his clothing. Now, they looked just like the rest of the pitiful creatures hiding in the shadowed doorways.
Then they were off again, Simon keeping his back to the wall, his gaze lifting to the
For as long as Irkalla believed he loved her, the woman he’d decided would fill his lonely heart would be safe.
CHAPTER
7
G untram reached down to offer Simon a hand, grasping it and heaving him over the edge of the parapet. Ducking down, they huddled for a moment with their backs against the crenellated wall while they caught their breath. They sat hidden by the shadows cast by a huge moon hovering over the tall dunes in the distance.
The climb up the sandstone wall had invigorated him, allowing him to expend some of the pent-up energy his worry and frustration had built up. As always, the physical challenge left him feeling relaxed despite the danger pressing closer, making it easier to think.
Wiping his sweaty face with his sleeve, he took stock of where they sat.
The walkway at the top of the fortress was approximately ten feet wide and stretched the length of a long curtain wall. No guards were within sight or scent—not patrolling the walkway or stationed in the tall parapets at the corners of the fortification, which seemed odd. Why build a wall if you didn’t have enemies ready to invade?
“Where do we go from here?” he whispered to Simon, who was taking a little longer to catch his breath.
Simon reached out and gripped his forearm, then dragged himself up. “We’ll head to one of the towers and make our way down to the city streets.”
“Are there no guards?”
“Not the sort you’re expecting, I imagine,” Simon murmured. “Guards patrol inside the city. Anzu-birds keep watch from above—and occasionally the lillum, especially nasty creatures. Keep an eye peeled toward the sky.” Taking another deep breath, he shoved away from the wall. “Come, we have to keep moving.”
Crouching to keep their heads below the top of the wall, they hurried down the wallwalk to the nearest tower. Guntram paused at the doorway, peering down the dark, spiraling stone steps. Simon gave him a shove from behind. “Keep moving. We’ll have no problems until we’re inside the fortress.”
Guntram took him at his word. The mage had been right so far. Ducking, he entered the stairs and felt a hot breeze whipping upward, evaporating the rest of the sweat beading on his forehead.
Stealthily, they hurried down the darkened tower toward the street, with Guntram wondering all the while about a for-tress free from watchful guards. Unease crept along his spine. Guntram didn’t like surprises, and wished he’d had more time to learn about the terrain and the dangers lurking before he’d come.
At the bottom of the steps, a doorway opened directly onto a city block. Pausing again, he hugged the door frame and peered up and down the narrow cobblestone street, not unlike those he’d walked in medieval townships. The smells that assaulted his nose were familiar as well: urine, feces, decaying bodies. He wrinkled his nose in disgust.
However, it was the sounds of the place that sent a chill up his spine. Low, mournful wails and cries rose in the air. Crackling crunches emanated from darkened doors and alleyways—like bones being ground by powerful jaws.
“Don’t stop now,” Simon said, shoving him again.
They kept close to the outer curtain wall. On the opposite side of the street were doorways leading into multistoried houses and establishments. Huddled on stoops and in corners were lumpy bodies dressed in ragged, filth-encrusted clothing.
Simon darted across the street to one doorway. Guntram followed.
Simon pulled a leather bag from a pocket and extracted two gold coins, purchasing smelly robes from two men huddled close whose dry-eyed gazes didn’t see beyond the shiny coins.
Guntram grimaced when Simon passed him one of the robes, but didn’t hesitate to pull it on to hide his clothing. Now, they looked just like the rest of the pitiful creatures hiding in the shadowed doorways.
Then they were off again, Simon keeping his back to the wall, his gaze lifting to the
Similar Books
