68. Clash of Stone and Steel #3
“What in the name of the gods is going on?” Magdalene’s voice cut through the room, and Talyn’s heart dropped. They’d been lucky the syphon hadn’t been here before, but their luck had just run out. They needed to get out of here. Now.
Talyn turned away from the symbionts and ported back to Bressen. She threw one of his arms over her shoulder and pulled him to his feet.
“It’s time to go!” she told him.
She’d just gotten him to a standing position when the entire building began to shake, and both she and Bressen staggered sideways as the ground shifted beneath them.
“Earthquake!” Sandrian shouted as he grabbed his throne for balance.
“No,” Bressen said as a slightly maniacal grin turned up his lips. “That would be my wife.”
Talyn’s stomach flipped. Under other circumstances she might’ve been relieved to learn Cyra had arrived, but she didn’t think the Lady of Hiraeth would be as happy to see her.
First things first. They had to get out of this chamber before Sandrian or Magdalene did something drastic.
Talyn grabbed hold of Bressen, then ported to where Morland stood looking dazed. She hoped Bressen still had control of his mind as she grabbed Morland’s arm as well.
It took her three ports to get them out into the hallway, more than usual. She couldn’t port as far when bringing others with her, and she’d never tried it with two people before. She managed to port four more times down the corridor before she collapsed onto the floor.
Talyn blinked as her vision blurred. Her porting had always been the weaker of her two powers, the one that waned the quickest, and trying to take two people with her had all but drained her. Terror surged through her as she realized she couldn’t move.
“There’s no time for a nap just yet,” Bressen said as he slid his arms under her knees and around her back to pick her up.
Talyn’s head lolled onto his bare shoulder, and he started to run unsteadily.
He was still naked and barefoot, and the building continued to shake around them as Cyra tried to get to her husband.
Talyn was vaguely aware of Morland keeping pace next to them, his eyes vacant under Bressen’s mind power.
The sight the three of them must be.
What seemed like minutes later, Talyn’s vision brightened, and she realized they’d made it outside.
“Bressen!”
Cyra’s relieved voice carried across the courtyard followed by a bone-chilling roar. Cyra and Axenus hurried toward them as three stone gargoyles rampaged nearby, sending symbiont guards flying.
Talyn’s stomach somersaulted to see Samhail, but only a small part of it was joy. Most of it was pure dread. He was going to kill her, and she was too weak to fight him off or even run.
Talyn looked over Bressen’s shoulder to see Magdalene had opened a portal to the courtyard and was just stepping through it.
“Magdalene!” Cyra growled.
“Not now!” Bressen shouted. “Open a portal and get us out of here!”
Cyra’s face flashed with a moment of indecision before she turned and traced a circle in the air.
A portal flared to life, and the lady threw it open wide for Bressen to barrel through with Talyn in his arms and Morland following dutifully behind.
Talyn saw over Bressen’s shoulder that Axenus and the gargoyles were holding off Magdalene, Sandrian, and the symbionts as they made their escape.
“Retreat now!” Cyra yelled to them, and they all turned to follow her back through the portal. She closed it behind them just in time to cut off the bolt of Sandrian’s lightning that came streaking toward them.
Talyn couldn’t manage to be relieved as her gaze sought Samhail. He was still in his gargoyle form, and his glowing blue eyes fixed on her. She felt the hatred radiating off him, and regret squeezed her heart.
Bressen set Talyn down on a hard stone floor and propped her against a pillar. She didn’t recognize the room, but the three large chairs on the dais at one end suggested they might be in the Citadel at Callanus.
“Sweet gods! What happened?” Cyra cried as she knelt next to her bloody and bruised husband. “Bressen.” She laid a hand on his cheek.
He covered it with his own as they looked at each other.
“I’m alright,” he assured her.
Cyra’s head jerked toward Talyn. “You!”
Talyn jolted to see the flash of red in the lady’s eyes.
“Time for you to die!” Cyra said. Her voice cracked with emotion as she reached a hand toward Talyn, but Bressen grabbed her wrist.
“Cyra, wait-,” he started to say, but his words were cut off by a roar that shook the room and made even the lord jump.
Samhail shifted back to his human form, and Talyn gasped as he charged her. She tried to port, but she was still too weak. All she could do was press herself against the pillar and hope her death was quick.
“Samhail, no!” Bressen yelled as he put himself between her and the charging gargoyle. He grunted as Samhail’s forcefield pushed him aside.
Talyn tried once more to port, but nothing happened.
Then Samhail’s hand was around her throat and both her breath and her scream were cut off.