Sinister Magic: An Urban Fantasy Dragon Series (Death Before Dragons #1) - Lindsay Buroker Page 0,84
Since I’d been hit in the solar plexus often, I could sympathize, but I didn’t have time to wait.
Surprisingly, she dropped to her knees, her hands flexing in pain. Her palm and knuckles were burned, as if that stuff had been fire—or acid. She pitched onto her side, wheezing now, and I backed farther from that stained wall. The crimson vapor had dissipated, but had she inhaled a lungful? Was it poisonous? Or deadly?
Her yellow eyes rolled back in her head, her pale hair spread out like a mop around her.
A distant clang echoed down the tunnel. Like a door or hatch opening and hitting a wall. It was far off, but I was sure I’d have company soon.
Not knowing if the dark elf was alive or dead, I summoned Sindari. It was definitely time for his help.
As the mist formed, I patted down the dark elf. She didn’t move. I found two vials of blood in her pocket and two that were clearer. The kraken’s blood and venom, I hoped.
I jammed them into my collection kit as I glanced through the still-open door. Surprisingly, a tiny one-person submarine rested in a pool of water in the chamber. So that was how she’d gotten out to the kraken—and not been soaking wet when she came back.
You are supposed to bring me into this realm before you slay the enemy, Sindari remarked.
Another clang sounded, closer this time. My throat was starting to burn, and my nostrils itched. Despite holding my breath, I must have caught a whiff of that vapor before it evaporated.
There’ll be enemies aplenty soon. We have to find the alchemy lab.
Do you know where that is?
No. I started to leave, but the clear dome-shaped lid was up on the submarine, and a voice spoke from a speaker inside.
“As soon as you complete the task, hurry to the lab. I’m mixing the charcoal and blood now for the midnight ritual. Priestess Yena is eager to thank Yemeli-lor and Baklinor-ten for their gift by officially bringing them into the cult.”
“If that’s the alchemist, that means she’ll be waiting for us. Let’s hope we can get a sample of her blood and get out quickly.”
Sindari was facing the tunnel. We’ll first have to deal with two dark elves that are heading this way.
Nobody was in sight yet, but I trusted his ears. Not if they don’t see us.
I tapped my cloaking charm again to make sure it was still active and checked the ground for wet footprints. My clothes weren’t anywhere near dry, but I’d stopped dripping.
I shall do my best to hide myself, but if we must walk right past them, they may see through both of our magics. Sindari faded even to my eyes, appearing more like a silver apparition than the usual solid tiger.
As we headed down the tunnel, I listened for the thud of footfalls. Then I remembered these were elves. They would move lightly, perhaps without a sound.
When we reached a bend, my night-vision charm allowed me to pick out movement in the pitch blackness ahead. Two cloaked and hooded figures.
With Fezzik in hand, I plastered my back to the wall and held my breath. Would elven ears be keen enough to pick up the sound of my heart beating?
Sindari melted against the opposite wall, and I lost sight of him.
The dark elves ran closer, aware that something was up, but they didn’t look at me. One’s step faltered, and he reached for a gun at his belt as his gaze searched the opposite wall. Did he sense Sindari?
As soon as they reached the bend, his buddy hit him in the arm and pointed. They’d spotted the female dark elf crumpled on the floor, the door open to the submarine chamber. The one who’d sensed Sindari forgot about him or was distracted. Their jogs turned to sprints, and they ran past us.
I waited, reminded that they might hear my steps if they were close, until they were almost to her, then ran in the opposite direction. Sindari trotted at my side. We passed through an open hatchway.
Distant thuds and clangs reverberated from walls that had changed from uniform gray cement near the lake to a mix of ancient brick, stone, and cracked cement. At one point, a giant pipe made up one of the sides of the tunnel, and we also passed the missing door and cracked glass window of some old storefront. The whole place smelled dank and wet.