30. Nemesis
NEMESIS
Irene
Itook a peek into the narrow corridor stretching in front of me, and the sight wasn’t cheerful. My moment of bravado seemed rather foolish now.
“Careful.” Alex held my hand until I crossed the threshold of the entrance and he couldn’t follow me.
His pain was so potent that it reached me as if I could detect his feelings.
Our bond was taut like the rope of a wire walker, and the worry in his gaze almost made me change my mind. But the urge to find Rothbart was stronger than my doubts. I’d always thought I didn’t care about revenge, but a side of me looked forward to confronting him and, yes, killing him.
I waved at Alex, who was leaning against the wall, and went on.
“Lady Irene, are you sure?” Morquen had none of Darius’s cheeky attitude.
“Very sure.”
“Take care of her,” Alex all but growled.
Morquen swallowed hard. “Who’s going to take care of me?”
Just as Graves had told us, the corridor widened after a few yards and gave way to a dimly lit passageway that smelt of rotten vegetables and humidity. The floor was slippery, and now and then squeaks sounded from the dark.
Rothbart lived like the rat he was.
“This place is filthy.” Morquen tiptoed around a dark pool on the ground that could be anything from water to blood.
“Perhaps we should keep quiet. We don’t want to warn Rothbart of our presence.”
He held up a hand and nodded. “Fine,” he whispered. “But as a sorcerer, he will sense our magic when we get too close. His minions are another matter.”
“That makes sense.” But it wasn’t reassuring.
I released my wili powers, and the glow coming out of me shed more light in the tunnel. Not that there was much to see apart from dark walls and an arched ceiling.
I freed my soul searching power as well, trying to detect any feelings. They might warn me if Rothbart or one of his minions was close.
The sound of my footsteps was loud in the confined space. Instead, Morquen didn’t make any noise; I had to give him that. His feelings were all over the place though—worry, fear, disgust, and annoyance.
I carried on slowly, pausing at every corner and wondering if I should turn back.
A rushed, excited feeling reached me, but it didn’t belong to Morquen or me. Whoever it was, they were happy for some reason. I focused on the bursting feeling.
But the happiness had an unusual flavour. It lacked layers because, aside from it, I didn’t catch anything else. Beneath a single, strong emotion, there was always a jumble of different, less prominent sensations. Even children had complicated auras.
“What is it?” Morquen whispered.
“Someone is coming.”
The feeling grew stronger. The person was getting closer. I reduced the light and hid in a nook. The person should appear at any moment. The happiness was so strong as to be palpable.
Something brushed my ankle, and I bit down a scream. My light came out on instinct, illuminating a rat with what looked like a sausage in its mouth.
I slouched my shoulders. It was a rat. I’d experienced a rat’s feelings. That was a first. And who would have thought rats could be so happy? One might be envious of such sheer happiness.
Morquen flattened himself against the wall, an expression of sheer horror on his face. His aura glowed with different colours like Darius’s, but golden and silver were predominant.
I waved him on.
At the end of the tunnel, I reached a wide room furnished with a sofa, plush armchairs, and even shelves full of books.
A fire crackled in the large fireplace made of sturdy red bricks.
The room looked like any sitting room, if not for the stone arches opening to the tunnels and the lack of windows.
I remained hidden in a dark corner. From each side of the room, a tunnel started, leading who knew where. Graves had told us there were only two access points, but here the tunnels were many.
Darius should be close or heading this way. I searched the room for feelings and detected mild curiosity. It came muffled. Another rat? Then a quick shot of pain and a gasp—both not mine.
“You should be dead.” The deep voice came from behind me.
I jumped and pivoted at the same time, white light bursting off me in every direction.
Rothbart stood a few yards from me, watching me. Same diamond-coloured eyes, strong build, and ruthless expression as I remembered.
The finely tailored dark suit he wore was worthy of a gentleman, and his charm was undeniable. It’d fooled me once. It wouldn’t fool me again.
Morquen lay motionless on the ground. His head was turned to the side, so I couldn’t see his face, but there was no blood. His aura glowed with a dim light. He was alive but unconscious. So much for defending me.
“I didn’t…” I licked my dry lips, thinking frantically of what to do.
Rothbart gave me a polite bow of his head. “You’re a soul searcher. I spotted you immediately. Hiding my emotions isn’t a magical power, in case you were wondering. It’s a technique from the Far East I learnt from a master in meditation. It’s very relaxing.”
I forced myself not to step back from him. I was here to fight him, not to run.
“You aren’t human anymore, but you should be dead.” He scratched his unshaven chin, raking a slow glance over me.
“So should you.” I wished my voice didn’t quiver.
“You aren’t the first one who told me that.” He became thoughtful as if genuinely interested in me. “Why are you here? If it’s for your money—”
“I don’t care about the money!” Seriously?
“Good. Then what?”
I gathered all my energy and prepared to throw one of my blasts. White light radiated from me, which betrayed what I was about to do.
He straightened. A quick flicker of orange-red surprise slithered through his aura. He produced a ball of green light right when I was releasing my power.
The two shots of energy clashed midway and entwined with a loud noise of broken glass. Green and white sparks flew in every direction like fireworks. The ugliness of the tunnel—the slimy walls, jutting stones, and chipped floor—became clear in all its grimness.
He pushed harder, and the green glow moved closer to me, filling the air with the smell of burnt mint.
My energy dwindled. I’d never sustained a white blast for more than a few seconds, and he was shoving my glow backwards.
Sweat dampened my neck in the effort to fight him back.
It was like tackling a bear. A tremor started in my legs, and I couldn’t go on.
My power diminished and died while I ran in the opposite direction.
The green light shot at me; it cut through my jacket and reached my shoulder. I cried out as the slash burnt my skin. Warm blood spilt down my back.
“Is that all?” Rothbart followed me at a slow pace. “One blast of light and then you run? I’m afraid I’m not impressed.” He sounded genuinely disappointed.
Panting in the middle of the sitting room, I chose a tunnel and darted down it.
Where was Darius? Were there other exits? Was I alone?
My white light glowed on and off as I tried to control my breathing to regain energy.
I ended up in a smoky room where five men were playing cards around a table.
The smoke from the cigarettes filled the tunnel with the smell of tobacco.
Jugs of beer were scattered everywhere, and half-eaten sandwiches and pork pies added to the miserable sight.
Silence dropped, and several heads turned towards me when I came to a squeaking halt. So many of them, all stronger than I was. Fear left a bitter taste in my mouth.
“Who are you?” one asked.
“What a pleasant surprise!” Another one stood up.
“Finally some fun.”
They all stood up. Five of them.
Rothbart stopped next to me, a smug expression on his face.
“You chose the wrong tunnel, darling. This place is like life. One wrong turn, and you’re doomed forever.
” He flourished a hand towards his men. “Gentlemen, she’s yours.
Just don’t kill her. I want her to remember every single moment for the rest of her life. ”
I swallowed past the knot in my throat as I summoned my power, but the previous discharge had depleted me. Unbidden, the vile emotions of the thugs overwhelmed me and choked me. Too much cruelty and evil were painful to bear. My stomach churned, and my head grew dizzy.
The men came closer in their swagger, reeking of tobacco and ale. I started to flee, but Rothbart grabbed me, gripping my arms viciously.
“You came here of your own free will.” He bared his teeth. “And now you’re staying.” He shoved me towards the thugs, and I was thrown into a man’s arms.
I gagged at his smell of cheap whisky and sweat.
He seized my chin hard, making me whimper. “You aren’t my type, but you’ll do.”
From my pocket, I unsheathed the silver dagger Myrtha had given me and stabbed him in the neck without thinking. A strength I hadn’t known I was capable of producing erupted from me.
The man gurgled when I withdrew the blade. An expression of surprise contorted his face. Blood oozed from the deep gash in his neck. He dropped to his knees in front of me like a penitent before he fell flat on the floor.
The others yelled, their auras filling with shock and so much anger as to make me almost throw up. Rothbart’s fury scratched my skin. It was the first time that I’d sensed his feelings deeply.
He moved towards me as a wave of energy poured over me. Wilis gained their energy from killing evil men, and I’d done just that.
I embraced the warm flow of renewed strength as glittering light shone around me. My mind became clear. My sight sharpened. My body flourished with power. Magic flowed in my veins, and the sensation was so elating that I laughed.
This time, when I released a new blast, it had the force of a dynamite explosion. Blinding white light filled the chamber, obliterating the darkness.
Rothbart and his men were tossed away yards from me. Some hit the walls and dropped to the floor with loud thuds. Others spun around in the air before collapsing in heaps of limbs at odd angles. Grunts and the sound of bones breaking echoed off the domed ceiling.
Another mighty, huge shot of pure energy replenished me as the men died. Being engulfed by fresh power was like falling in love. The world seemed less dark and more hopeful, and I was reborn. Every inch of my body brimmed with energy, and my blood rushed more quickly.
I stared at my glowing hands, a laugh bubbling out of me although I was aware that dead people surrounded me. The sensation of being strong and invincible was intoxicating. The cut on my shoulder healed in an instant.
It was the first time I’d truly embraced my wili power. Myrtha had told me that gaining energy was incredible, but I hadn’t fully understood her until now.
When the light dimmed and only tiny silver stars remained dancing on my skin, the devastation of my blast became clear.
Not one of the men was alive. The table lay broken on the floor. The chairs had been smashed, and beer pooled on the floor among glass shards. Rothbart was the only one standing.
But then again, I supposed that killing a sorcerer wasn’t an easy feat. But I was up to the challenge.