darkened blade_ A fallen blade novel - Kelly McCullough Page 0,117
spell on that finger is going bad. Besides, one of the key things I’m going to have to learn if I’m going to become a good First Blade is to trust other people to know their jobs. Siri and Kelos are both at least as good at this stuff as I am. Second guessing them is a waste of time we don’t have.
Truth. He gave a little mental sigh, and I could feel him working himself up to tell me something he didn’t think I’d want to hear. You do realize that if we go all the way in and don’t kill the Son of Heaven, getting out will be a major problem?
It’s occurred to me, yes. But . . . But what? Really? I know that he deserves death, Triss. I know it all the way down to my toes, but I still can’t bear the idea of all the other deaths his will bring. That’s part of why I have to go in regardless of my misgivings. If I don’t actually face him, I will never be able to make the decision to kill him.
You’re trying to force your own hand—give yourself no choice but to kill him.
Maybe I am.
What will that do to you? And what if it doesn’t work? What if you get in there and you can’t kill him?
I don’t know, Triss, I really don’t know. But this is the only way I can see forward. I just wish I could leave Faran with Siri.
Absolutely not!
What? Why?
Because I won’t see you commit suicide. If you left Faran behind I would know that you had no intention of coming back, whatever lies you might tell yourself about the thing. I’ve seen you give up on yourself, but never on her. No. Faran comes, or we don’t go in at all.
Maybe you’re right. Will you back me?
You know I will. Always and to the end.
Then I guess it’s time we put the play in motion.
I walked back to the others. “So, when do we hit them?”
“I vote for tomorrow night,” said Siri. “I wish we could go now, given the rapid decay on that thing, but it’s late, you’re visibly exhausted from your travels, and the rest of us need a good day’s sleep before we’re in top form, too.”
“Siri’s right all around,” said Kelos. “We need a break, but we can’t afford to wait even a minute longer than we have to after that.”
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “All right, people, get some sleep. Tomorrow we face the Son of Heaven.”
21
“You played me?” I demanded. “Again?”
“You say that like you’re surprised,” said Kelos. “Now, are you going to take advantage of the opportunity I’ve opened up, or are you going to let hurt feelings make you throw away the one good chance we have at the Son of Heaven?” Then he ducked back through the hole in the wall.
Step back a moment in time to Kelos leading us to an air shaft on top of a poorly cared-for shrine built to propitiate the Spirit of Jealousy. . . .
Where the High Lords and Ladies of Heaven like Shan or Athera had mighty temples in the heart of the precinct, the more minor inhabitants of the Celestial Kingdom had to settle for lesser placement and inferior shrines. Some of them weren’t even granted the courtesy title of “god” though they were said to come of the same stock as their more powerful peers. Jealousy, with his hideously painted face and furry back, was such a one.
“This will be the perfect place to hole up for a few hours.” Kelos gestured for us to precede him down the air shaft. “It’s exceedingly rare for any but the priests to make offerings to Jealousy. The shrine would have made a good secondary fallback but for one thing.”
“What’s that?” I asked a few moments later as he joined us in the circular room below.
An apelike stone idol hunched in the center of the floor, glaring enviously toward the door and the deeps of the precinct beyond. We had all lowered our shrouds far enough to expose our faces, but Triss remained in his dormant state for the moment. There was no point in waking him up until I was sure we had a secure place to settle in and wait out the hours till dawn.
“Let me show you.” Kelos reached for the low pedestal beneath the crouching Spirit of Jealousy.