Annon swung his legs over the rim of the sarcophagus. “I do not wish to do this, but I think the only way to escape will be through those doors.” He pointed to the ones across the room with the markings that said BASILIDES. “It leads into the Scourgelands.”
“It does,” Lukias answered gruffly, shaking his head and holding up his hands warningly. “It is death to cross that gate. There is another way out.”
“Where?” Khiara asked.
“The same way the Arch-Rike arrived. There is magic here—a portal controlled by Tay al-Ard spirits. The soldiers are arriving through it as we speak. I noticed you survived the Calcatrix lair by extinguishing the light spheres. Clever move. Darkness is the way to cross that way unharmed. The chamber is vast. If we can get there quickly, we can hide and wait for the soldiers to pass. There will be a few left to guard the way back, of course, but between us I think it won’t be a problem. We reach the Tay al-Ard and then go.”
“Where?” Annon asked.
“Wherever you desire,” Lukias replied with a grin. “It can only take you somewhere you have been before. You will choose the destination, Annon.” He pursed his lips. “I see by your expressions you still doubt me. How else can I prove my loyalty? If I wanted you captured, I would have only done nothing. The torc was the only way to escape the serpents. I gave you the activation word.” He tossed his hands. “What else can I do? The soldiers are coming. If we argue much longer, we are all dead.”
Annon glanced at Khiara. Her expression was still fierce but it was slowly calmed as her thoughts conceded his points. She nodded curtly.
“Lead on,” Annon said. He shoved the outer doors open all the way and released his mental control of the torc, allowing the stones to cool and subside. “The chamber will be swarming with snakes in a moment. We best hurry.”
Lukias gave him a cunning smile and shook his head. “I hadn’t even thought of that. Well done. Come.”
With the release of the torc’s magic, Nizeera padded off the stone lid and came after them as they exited. Feeling the urgency of the moment, they proceeded to run back to the Calcatrix chamber. Annon sent Nizeera ahead to scout and she willingly did, darting ahead of the others with her longer stride. It was still shut and she waited while they caught up.
They reached the doors and stopped to catch their breath. Annon wiped sweat from his brow and listened at the door. A pang of sadness stabbed him, realizing that Erasmus was no longer with them. A prediction would have been handy at the moment. He shoved aside the mounting grief and pulled at the doors, leading into darkness.
“Take my hands,” Lukias said, offering his to both of them. “I know the safe path in the dark. The cat can smell us easy enough. We need to hide quickly.”
As the door shut behind them, they were immersed in utter blackness. Their boots crunched on the broken shards from the glass spheres. Lukias took them to the right, keeping along the edge of the wall. Each step echoed on the cold stone. Above, they heard the flutter of wings and a sickly clucking sound from the creatures lurking above. Hisses came as well. Annon remembered the pain from their talons and started to tremble.
“Sshhh,” Lukias warned, slowing. “Do you hear it?”
They come, Nizeera thought to Annon. The ground trembles with it.
“They are almost here,” Annon whispered.
“Against the wall and crouch low. We dare not move with all the glass.”
They all hunkered down in the darkness. Moments later, light split the wall across the chamber, knifing into their eyes. Annon shielded his face, his breath quickening. A mass of leather-hard boots clomped into the room. A few held strange torches, not made of pitch or flame, but with a strange crystal at the top. The light did not radiate, strangely, but seemed to gather like honey to a stick. They heard a voice warn to follow the lead lights and not wander off. The sound of marching men filled the chamber, causing wave after wave of vibration to tremble the floor. The scraping and grating of the broken shards ground beneath dozens of boots caused an uncomfortable shiver up Annon’s spine. Mutters and oaths came from the mass of men. Links from hauberks jingled. The cooing from the Calcatrix above intensified, as if they were hungry for human flesh below, but could not see.
The marching reached the far doors and again light spilled into the chamber. Annon caught a glimpse of a black cassock and silver hair. The marching continued and then the doors closed and darkness reigned again.
“Good,” Lukias whispered at last. “It will not take long for them to reach the other chamber. We must go.”
Lukias pulled on their hands and they rose and quickly walked along the outer edge. “I will let go of your hands now,” Lukias said. “I need to feel for the door. We can’t risk missing it. Follow my footsteps.” Once the grip was lost, Annon felt like a ship without a rudder. He grabbed Khiara’s arm so that the two of them wouldn’t stumble against each other in the dark. Nizeera prowled behind Lukias until he found the gap in the stone he was looking for.