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I HAD A TERRIBLE FEELING that they were herding me upward. That, or they figured I would collapse if I kept climbing.
I was close to collapse already, my lungs heaving and the taste of blood in my mouth. I was no quitter. If they wanted me, they’d have to come and get me.
On my way.
Really? I breathed a sigh of relief as I turned the last spiral in the staircase and then gasped. If the level below had been rich, this level was palatial. The boardwalk wasn’t boards but woven metal strands in vine-like patterns. The rail along the edge was equally decadent and by the knot-and-scrollwork around every door and window and the carved friezes on the walls, I had a terrible feeling that this might be the kind of place where a king would live.
There were only about a hundred people standing around the railings on this level. Their song seemed to be almost a trance. But their guards were alert. They were charging towards me.
Nice work, fellas. Who said that guards were unobservant?
I turned. Better to take my chances below. Movement made me stop just in time. The pair of guards from below were rounding the last turn on the spiral staircase.
Skies and flaming stars! I was in trouble now!
Language!
She could say whatever she wanted, but she wasn’t here.
I told you I was coming, I just need to work on a great disguise, so no one recognizes me ...
Yeah, you work on disguises, I’ll work on not dying.
I was going so quickly now that my feet were slipping and skidding on the icy woven walkway. I nearly skidded into a girl with flowing golden hair and huge eyes. Her mouth formed a perfect ‘O’ but there was no time to admire pretty faces. I was surrounded.
The purple of Shabren’s robes rose over the lip of the staircase.
There was only one path left to me – the nearest arm leading to that center platform. I was already squirming inside as my feet hit the edge of it.
If you are going to die, do it spectacularly. Like everything in life, you have a better chance of pulling it off if you add the right level of drama.
What do you mean ‘pull it off’? We all die.
I mean that if I can, I’ll find a way to cheat death.
If that was possible, no one in Ko’Torenth would ever die. I feel like I should walk through this city blindfolded and with wool in my ears. No one is who they pretend to be!
I sped up, my lungs screaming in protest as I raced down the arm. Something was digging into my chest uncomfortably. What was that?
The spider! I’d forgotten about it in my hurry. I reached into my shirt, fumbling for it as I ran. There!
I pulled it out of my shirt. It was hot to the touch and glowing.
Uh oh. I never wanted to be in a place that made magic things start working again. That was for heroes and I was definitely not hero material.
I should throw it off the side of the arch. And yet, somehow, I couldn’t bring myself to do that. I knew this thing could shoot lightning. I’d seen it before, hadn’t I? Maybe it could shoot a little lightning for me.
Be careful! Things that are done remain done. You can’t un-kill someone.
Oh, trust me. I won’t want to.
Have you ever killed?
I’d gotten pretty close.
You won’t like it. When you kill someone, it feels a bit like cheating.
I liked cheating. I did it at every conceivable opportunity.
And yet, here you are being faithful and loyal when you could just turn the rest of us in for the reward.
Shabren stepped onto the arm. I could finally hear him.
“I knew you’d be trouble,” he said. “The second I saw you, I knew you were a street curr.”
His flattery would get him nowhere. I backed up as I fumbled with the spider.
“You’re dipping your toes in pools that you have no business even knowing about. Hand me that artifact.”
Yeah, and I’d go ahead and give him the axe, too. Did he always deal with idiots or did he really think he could charm me out of my only weapons?
The tiger’s eye pendant on my chest vibrated.
“Do you know what it means to step on this walkway, boy? Do you know what will happen when your feet hit the Ko’tor’kaen?”
I didn’t even know what that word meant. Now, how did this thing work? You pointed it at your enemy ... I lifted the spider up, aiming the legs at Shabren.
“This is the seat of judgment, boy. This place was made to judge truth. And you are no son of truth.”
So, what? If I had to guess, I’d say that the only truthful person in this city was Saboraak and she was no one’s son.
Your acknowledgment means a lot to me.
Uh huh. Enough to fly up here and get me out of this mess?
I’m stuck here. I can’t leave until Zyla returns.
Just get me out of here before Shabren remembers he can do those lightning tricks.
“The Ko’tor’kaen judges the destiny of a soul. And on this day – the Festival of Lights – the day that Ko’Torenth celebrates how each person holds within him a spark of Truth – on this day, walking onto that platform has a special significance.”
“Did you know that you look smaller without your pet rug?” I asked. It wasn’t my best insult, but I was feeling a little out of my depths.
I took another step backward and stumbled slightly. It was a step down. I pulled my other foot down to quickly stabilize. Whew. It didn’t feel like I’d hurt my ankles. That was a close one!
When I looked back up, Shabren’s eyes were wide with shock.