Soulblade (21 page)

“Uh?” Pimples lifted his rifle, but he didn’t seem to know where to aim.

Cas waved for him to lower it as the branches closed in above them. A trunk that had been leaning away from her flier returned to a straight position, halting less than a foot from the wing.

“I think he moved the trees to make a spot for us to land,” Cas said as the trunks settled, all returning to an upright position. When they’d landed, she hadn’t realized they had all been leaning away to form a clearing.

“Yes, he did,” Tylie said brightly. “I want to learn how to talk to the trees the way he does. I’m already learning about mammals. And insects. And birds. And Tolie’s snakes.” She grinned, as if chatting with snakes was quite delightful. “But trees don’t have brains. I’m still trying to figure out how he talks to them.”

Cas was more concerned than impressed by the idea of talking to trees, especially since their fliers were effectively trapped now. She did not think they could escape without Phelistoth’s help, and that made her uncomfortable.

Pimples stepped close, bumping her elbow with his. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Cas sighed. “Yes.”

Phelistoth looked over at them. “I risk much to be here, helping you.”

“We appreciate your help,” Cas made herself say.

However dubious this landing spot, they were only a couple of miles from the city now—they had flown over it on the way here, the lamp-lit bridges stretching out like spider webs on either side of the river, where the majority of the population seemed centered. If this location put them closer to Tolemek and the others, that was a good thing. If she had to, she would steal saws and cut their fliers free.

“Good,” Phelistoth said. “If Yisharnesh senses me, she will attack. It is not breeding season. She has no need for a male, and it is likely she has claimed this as her territory.”

“This?” Pimples looked at the gloom all around them. “The city? The river?”

“The continent.”

“Oh, is that all?”

“There are few dragons remaining in the world. There are continents enough for all the golds.” It was too dark to see facial expressions, but his tone conveyed his displeasure at that idea, or maybe at the idea that there was not a continent for a silver dragon?

Cas had no idea about dragon politics, other than that silvers were weaker than golds. She did know Angulus wouldn’t be happy to hear that a dragon had “claimed” his continent. Which dragon would that be? Bhrava Saruth? The one who thought himself a god?

“Will she sense you here when she’s this close?” Cas asked. “And do you know if she’s working with the Cofah emperor? I saw them talking. I assume that’s what they were doing.”

“What?” Phelistoth asked sharply.

“It—uhm,
she
was flying alongside the emperor’s airship, circling it, and they seemed to be communicating with each other. You didn’t know?”

“I do not know why she is here. Tylie is using her power to hide my aura from Yisharnesh.”

“She can do that?” Pimples asked, looking at Tylie, who was crouching near the trunk of a tree. The darkness made it hard to tell, but she appeared to be stroking its bark.

“She has many gifts.” Phelistoth turned toward her.

She looked back at him, and they stared at each other. Having some private conversation?

“Phel wishes to spy upon the emperor and see what’s going on between him and the female dragon,” Tylie said.

“Spy?” Cas frowned. A second ago, Phelistoth hadn’t wanted anything to do with the female dragon. What had changed? Just the information Cas had shared about the meeting.

“Yes, but I’ve asked him to take us into the city first, to find Tolie.”

Cas did not know how far to trust the dragon, but she nodded and said, “Good. I want to find him too. Do you know where he is?”

“Captured,” Tylie said, her shoulders drooping.

Cas had been afraid of that. What if his captors—imperial soldiers or local guards?—had taken the crystal from him and someone recognized it and knew it was an Iskandian military item? Worse, what if Tolemek himself was in danger? The emperor had tried to hire her father to assassinate him. If he found out Tolemek was right here in town, he was sure to send men down to finish the job.

“Are Kaika and Quataldo with him?” Cas asked.

“I’m not sure. Phel?”

Phelistoth was frowning, gazing into the distance, and did not answer. Something hooted from across water that spread out to one side, but the marsh had been nearly silent since they’d landed. Cas suspected that had more to do with his presence than with the noise from the fliers.

Tylie walked over and touched his arm. “Phel?”

“A woman is alone in the marsh,” he said. “An oddity.”

A dangerous oddity, given all the deadly animals here. Even with her marksmanship skills, Cas would not have felt comfortable walking around out here at night alone.

“Can you take us to her?” she asked. “Maybe she can give us some information on how best to get into the city.”

“Yes,” Pimples said. “Maybe we can rescue her.”

Cas arched her eyebrows. “Rescue her? Because she’s a woman alone, you automatically assume she needs rescuing?”

“Er, no. But, come on. This place is scary. Would you wander around here alone? Even with your sniper rifle?”

“What if she’s a shaman?”

Pimples blinked a few times.

“Let’s go find out.” Tylie smiled. “I would love to meet more magic users. I miss Sardelle. And Jaxi.” She and Phelistoth headed into the trees, the decision made.

“I just want a guide,” Cas mumbled, shouldering her pack. Her experience with shamans was limited, but they always seemed to come to Iskandia in the company of aggressive Cofah, so she was predisposed not to like them. She would keep her rifle ready.

Cas and Pimples let Phelistoth lead. Cas was content to follow him since he was going in the direction of the city, and after a murmured request from Tylie, he conjured a small silver sphere of light that hung in the air over his shoulder. Pimples trotted ahead and peered around him whenever they came to a turn or the top of a hill. He was either looking for tree houses, or he was excited by the idea of rescuing some maiden.

Phelistoth stopped at the edge of a pool that disappeared into the mist in all directions. A rope and wood bridge stretched away from the bank.

He bent low, considering the construction. “So frail. A dragon could snap this by accident with a tail flick.”

“You could fly us across the swamp if you’re worried about it,” Tylie said.

Phelistoth gazed past her shoulder to Cas and Pimples, peering disdainfully down his nose at them. “We will walk.”

“I think we’ve been rejected as unworthy to fly on a dragon’s back,” Pimples murmured to Cas as they followed Phelistoth and Tylie onto the bridge, the ropes creaking ominously.

“Fine with me,” Cas said. “I prefer my flier.”

At first, the bridge stretched across the water in darkness broken only by Phelistoth’s light, but after they came to a small island with other bridges stretching away from it, the support posts started to carry lanterns. Strange lanterns that glowed with soft blue flames that could not be natural.

“The woman comes this way,” Phelistoth said when they came to a second island, this one having a few fishing dinghies tied on a beach, as well as two more bridges that disappeared into the darkness to the sides.

Pimples pointed upward toward a hut perched in the branches of a species of tree that Cas did not recognize. It had big, sturdy branches that easily supported the structure. Several of the floorboards were missing, and a jagged hole opened up on one wall. A window? Or evidence of an attack? It looked like a cannonball had gone through it.

“Not the most impressive architecture,” Cas commented.

“No,” Pimples agreed, but he scampered to the side and climbed wooden slats nailed to the trunk in the guise of a ladder. He stuck his head inside. With Phelistoth and his magical light continuing along the bridge, Pimples couldn’t have seen much, but he said, “It’s empty,” his voice echoing hollowly. “There are some supplies up here. Food and a bucket of water. Kind of odd. Aren’t we only a mile or so out from the city?”

“I don’t know, but our dragon is leaving. Come on.” Cas jogged to catch up with Phelistoth and Tylie.

As she reached them, a shot rang out from ahead. Cas jerked her rifle up, though she couldn’t see anything yet. The lighting was too intermittent to drive the shadows far from the bridges, and the mist hanging in the air further muted the illumination.

“It’s the woman, isn’t it?” Tylie gripped Phelistoth’s arm. “Is she all right?”

Phelistoth merely tilted his head, perhaps studying the darkness ahead with his magic.

Another shot rang out, and an animal screeched. The bridge trembled as Pimples ran to catch up with them, his boots hammering the wooden planks. Phelistoth had stopped—maybe he didn’t know about rescuing maidens—so Cas pushed past him.

“We’ll go ahead,” she said. She had intended to lead, but Pimples thundered past her, nearly knocking her from the bridge.

Cas jogged after him, feeling more cautious as she wondered at the possibility of traps. She also wondered if Pimples would be so quick to race ahead if Phelistoth had proclaimed a
man
was wandering the bridges alone.

When he stopped abruptly and lifted his rifle, Cas frowned, unable to see around him. At her height, her nose was even with his shoulder blades. Pimples fired at something. His target roared, and the bridge rocked, water lapping onto the boards.

“Kneel,” Cas ordered, wanting to see and be able to shoot if necessary.

Pimples dropped to one knee as he cranked the lever on his rifle to load another round. More shadows than light lay ahead, but Cas could see enough. A cloaked figure crouched in the center of the wood planks, firing at something huge leaping over the bridge and snapping at her with a giant maw. As Cas lifted her rifle, the long creature surged out of the water again. The woman dropped to her belly, avoiding being knocked off the bridge—barely.

Cas fired, pegging the creature in the side as it soared over its target, narrowly missing. Pimples fired at the same time. Cas was certain of her aim and thought Pimples’ bullet had hit, too, but when the predator splashed into the water, it immediately swam in a curve, coming back to launch itself again.

Pimples sprang from his crouch and ran toward the cloaked figure. She had rolled onto her side and was aiming her rifle toward the churning water. Cas had only taken a few steps when the creature surged above the surface again. This time, it didn’t leap over its target. It slammed into the bridge. The woman got a shot off as wood snapped and shattered, but was then hurled into the water on the other side. Pimples yelled and jumped in after her.

Cas fired three times in rapid succession, aiming at the creature’s big head. It had grown tangled in the bridge, its jaw caught around boards. It shook its head, trying to extract its fangs from the wood. The bridge bucked and heaved, and Cas worried she would be in the water next to Pimples in a second.

Her bullets found the creature’s head—it looked like one of the giant alligators, though the shadows still made it hard to pick out details, and those were definitely wings flailing at the water. It broke free from the bridge and dropped below the surface of the water. Cas did not know if it was hurt and would flee, or if it meant to swim under the bridge so it could reach Pimples and the woman.

She sprinted forward, her rifle still to the crook of her shoulder as she hoped the bridge would hold. Splashes sounded to either side of her, and she had the sense of more creatures swimming toward the battle. More alligators? She grimaced. Her bullets hadn’t done noticeable damage to the first.

The water in front of the woman stirred, and she flailed, scrambling backward. “It’s coming!”

A part of Cas’s brain registered that she understood the words and that they had been uttered with a Cofah accent at the same time as she took aim and fired again. The winged alligator had come up between the bridge and Pimples. He pushed the woman further back, trying to keep her safe while he traded his rifle for a dagger. He plunged down at the head arrowing toward them. Cas wanted to shoot at it, the most immediate threat for them, but she could see what Pimples couldn’t, that two more alligators were coming in from farther out in the water, heading straight for him and the woman.

Cas fired at each of them as Pimples grappled with the first one—its maw opened wide, fangs looming only inches from Pimples’ face. He jammed his knife into the top of the alligator’s mouth. One of the creatures Cas had struck jerked its head about and paused in its attack. The second kept swimming toward the woman.

“Dragon,” she barked, not daring to look away to see if Phelistoth was anywhere close. “We could use some help.”

She had no sooner uttered the words than a giant shape flew past her, the air stirred by its wings almost enough to knock Cas from the bridge. Phelistoth, back in dragon form, reached the battle and plucked the charging alligator from the water as if it weighed no more than a fish. Bone crunched as his long neck whipped up and his jaw crushed the creature. He snapped his head and let go. The alligator sailed twenty-five meters before splashing down on the other side of the bridge.

Pimples, in the middle of wrestling with the first alligator, disappeared under the surface. His adversary was under the water now, too, and Cas had nothing to aim at. Feeling useless, she sprinted as close as she could to where boards had been torn from the rope framework of the bridge. The water churned around where Pimples had been. She pointed her rifle, waiting for a target, the right target. All she needed was a split second.

The woman was still fighting, treading water and turning in a circle, bashing the butt of her rifle down whenever she saw—or thought she saw—something. Maybe the alligator was bumping her with its tail. Whatever it was doing, it didn’t come back to the surface. Sweat dripped down the sides of Cas’s face. She was aware of Phelistoth killing another alligator in the distance, but she didn’t take her eyes from the water next to the woman. It crossed her mind to jump in and try to find Pimples down there, but what could she do in a grappling match with an alligator that weighed five times as much as she did?