“All of these gargoyles are controlled by a faction to which I once belonged,” Shannon explained, hurrying toward a spiral staircase on the wall’s opposite end. “If you or the Drum Tower is ever endangered, you must bring all the male cacographers here. That brute down by the Sataal Landing will obey your commands. You’re to bring the boys here to the compluvium and hide them; it’s a large place and the gargoyles know many secret nooks.”
Nicodemus swallowed. “Endangered by what? The murderer? The sentinels?”
“I’ll answer in a moment,” Shannon huffed. “First let’s be clear about what you are to do. Come.” They reached the spiral staircase and hurried down the narrow steps. Azure had to bob her head to keep a clear view of where they were going.
At the bottom of the stairs stood a gated tunnel leading into a building Nicodemus didn’t recognize.
Using a few Numinous passwords, Shannon opened the gate and pulled it wide. “If danger finds you even in the compluvium, lead the boys through here.” Azure whistled nervously as they stepped into the tunnel. “Watch your head.”
The tunnel proved to be both dark and long. But together master and apprentice trudged through ankle-deep water to another gate. Shannon sprang the lock and led Nicodemus onto a short walkway that faced the sheer rock face of the Pinnacle Mountains.
They had come onto Starhaven’s easternmost wall.
Shannon hurried along the walkway to the Spindle Bridge’s landing. Standing beside the bridge was another of the four-armed, hawk-headed gargoyles.
Shannon stopped before the gargoyle and turned to his apprentice. “You are to bring the boys to this construct. He guards a system of constructs and spells we call the Fool’s Ladder. It’s the only way out of Starhaven beside the front gate. If need be, you can escape into the forest and then lead the boys down to Gray’s Crossing.” He withdrew a pouch from his robes and tossed it to Nicodemus.
When the younger man caught the bag, it clinked. “Magister!” he exclaimed while peering inside. “There’s enough gold here to buy the whole town of Gray’s Crossing.”
“Hopefully there’s enough to buy escape or protection.”
“But shouldn’t I just find you if there’s danger?”
“There might not be time to find me.” He closed his blind eyes and rubbed them. “Besides, if you truly are in danger, it will be because I am dead.”
THE BLADE FLASHING toward Deirdre’s throat was spotted with rust.
She leaped backward, gracefully finding new footing on the narrow steps. Her opponent’s crude white hood still covered his face. She wondered how the creature saw. She also wondered why he had risked an attack inside Starhaven, where he could not use magic.
The thing advanced with a backhand stroke. She met the blade with a parry of her right bar. The force of the creature’s blow nearly knocked thebar from her hand. The thing possessed strength that rivaled her own. She threw a quick overhand slash with her left bar.
The creature brought up his left arm in time to save his head.
The steel bar smashed into the thing’s forearm with enough force to crack a boulder. But there was no crunch of bone. The rod sank two inches into the arm and stuck.
The creature twisted away. In her shock, Deirdre lost her grip on the bar and it slid from her fingers. The monster lunged at her with another thrust.
Deirdre danced away but caught her heel and toppled backward onto the stairs. The creature raised the sword overhead; her bar was still stuck in his forearm.
Clay! she realized. The damned thing was made out of clay!
The greatsword flew downward. Deirdre rolled right and heard the weapon crash against the step beside her. When she looked up, the blade was again flashing toward her.
With both hands, she threw up her remaining bar. Steel met steel with a deafening clang. She kicked down, slamming her heel into the thing’s knee. Any blood-and-bone joint would have snapped, but she felt the creature’s flesh give.
The thing collapsed with a whistling shriek, but she could tell that the kick had not done lasting damage.
Somehow the creature had known she had no magic or blade. Being made of clay, the monster faced no danger from blunt weapons no matter how powerfully wielded. Only if she could find the author’s true body could she kill the creature.
Wasting no time renewing her attack, Deirdre struggled to her feet and ran up the stairs.
“DEAD?” NICODEMUS SAID. “Magister, why would you be dead?”