Chapter 27
SINAN
S inan trudged through a knee-deep section of the river, sending up a prayer to the Lady of Shadows for the souls of Abarsam and his son.
Baahir’s cloak was a marvel of aquamancy.
He had needed to alternate walking through the shallows and swimming when the river grew deeper, but he appeared to be one with the water while wearing the garment.
Its material had also kept Sinan warm during his scouting expedition, absorbing water from his clothing and leaving him relatively dry.
Once, when he slipped and cut his hand on a river rock, the wound had sealed up as he pull the sleeve of the kaftan over it.
As the sun’s last rays glinted off the stream’s surface, he arrived at the bend of the river where he had left his companions and stepped out onto the bank. Gallmau leaned out from the underbrush, his face breaking into a relieved smile.
The Azhdarchid attack and Valentina’s capture had ended their argument, at least. Sinan wasn’t sure Meri would forgive him, but as long as she recovered from the awful effects of using her Gift to try and help the medica, she could yell at him all she wanted.
He pushed his hood back and moved to join Gallmau.
“How is she?” Sinan knelt by the speed fighter, who was asleep, carefully positioned on a bedroll.
After Valentina had been taken, he and Gallmau had carried Meri into the shelter of the trees and ignored her mumbled insistence, between bouts of retching, that they needed to leave her behind so they could rescue the medica.
Instead, Sinan had left her cradled in Gallmau’s arms, determined to follow the river to the caves they guessed their enemies were camped in.
“Better than a few hours ago.” Gallmau searched Sinan’s face as he smoothed his hand over Meri’s forehead. “I could ask you the same question.”
“Valentina’s a prisoner, but she didn’t appear to be hurt.
” Sinan hadn’t wanted to give the two Tomb Fighters false hope, but the Archaic animals’ behavior only made sense if the beast master controlling them wanted the medica alive.
“The Azhdarchid and her two flaplings were guarding her in one of the caves, along with at least a dozen armed men. I saw her near the entrance once, with someone in a velvet cloak who was probably a woman.”
Gallmau sucked in a breath. “Do you think it was Rixende?”
Sinan nodded. “It has to be her, although I couldn’t see her face. She and Valentina were calm and talking to one another, but that’s about all I could tell before they went back inside.”
Sinan glanced down at Meri. The rest of his scouting report wasn’t good news at all, and they needed the Lioness of Abdju back in fighting form.
He had no idea if he could use the healing sigils interwoven in the threads of Baahir’s kaftan to help Meri—after all, he couldn’t even summon shadow—but the power the sigils on the cloth had taken from hours in the river was incredible.
He lifted the cuff of his kaftan and rested it over an ugly scrape on Meri’s arm. The fabric began to sweat out tiny beads of moisture which pooled on her skin. Then the water evaporated away, leaving a faint healed scar.
“You can use Baahir’s coat to make yourself invisible and control its healing magic?” Gallmau beamed at him, drawing the wrong conclusion from this small display of power.
Sinan shook his head. “Like Meri’s curved swords, its aquamancy is designed so anyone can use it.”
Even one of the Blessed crippled by the effects of Amor Vitriol, he wanted to add. Instead, he pressed the sleeve of the blue garment against Meri’s forehead, hoping to counter the effects of Meri using her speed too soon.
“Gallmau, I told you to wake me up earlier.” Meri blinked her eyes open, her voice groggy, and then turned her head to focus on Sinan. He pulled his hand away from her as if burned, but she surprised him with a relieved half-smile. “I’m glad you’re back. Now tell me everything.”
After quickly recounting his sighting of Valentina and Rixende, Sinan summarized what he had learned.
“I saw more than a dozen Shields—or armed soldiers who look like them.” Sinan lifted his garment’s sleeve off Meri’s head and ran the fabric though his fingers, marveling at its craftmanship as he despaired over the loss of his necromancy.
“I didn’t see anyone who could be one of the Blessed, but the beast master has to be in one of the caves if the Azhdarchids are there. ”
“Rixende and Valentina are in the same location.” Meri sat up, her voice now brisk and forceful. “If we create a diversion we can rescue both of them and get out. We don’t need to take on the whole camp.”
“There are the Azhdarchids to worry about.” Gallmau fumbled for a water canteen and pushed it at Meri, nodding at her to drink. “Three, instead of one.”
“They nest together after sundown, according to Valentina.” Sinan picked up a few twigs and leaves, and began to set up a crude map, much as Gallmau had after they left the lodge.
“There are several of the caves in use. One lower one is being used as a stable for the horses, with a guard posted in front. There’s another next to it that’s a barracks for the men.
Above those is the cave where the Azhdarchids are guarding Valentina and Rixende.
Then there’s this opening in the cliff which is the highest in elevation”—he motioned to a rock he had placed on the ground—“and overlooks the river. I’m pretty sure that’s where our mages are. ”
“We don’t even know how many witches we’re facing, much less what they can do.” Meri’s initial enthusiasm for battle settled into a clear-eyed analysis of the situation. “We’re going to need one hell of a distraction.”
“Cliona tried to kill me so I couldn’t play a role in any attempt to rescue Rixende.
” Sinan ran his hand over his chin and the unfamiliar stubble that had grown in since he had lost his Blessing and his powers.
He hated being so useless. “They might panic about the Prince of Shadows attacking them, but I can’t help you with my necromancy.
Even Gallmau has had more luck summoning a corpus animatum than I’ve had doing the simplest death magic. ”
Gallmau stared down at the crude map, and his somber expression broke into a broad grin.
“Speaking of your creepy magic, give me those eyeballs again. I’ve got an idea.”