The Amazon's Pledge Ch. 08

Ayrael's blue eyes continued glaring daggers at her sister for another moment before she abruptly turned and pulled the sack off her prisoner's head. Valuri looked weary and disheveled--her normally straight, shoulder-length black hair was a tousled mess--but otherwise, she seemed unharmed.

"She knew you would come for her, given the chance," Ayrael said. "The Inquisitrix didn't want to part with such a valuable prize, but I convinced her that the exchange would be worth it."

I swallowed heavily and tried to calm the anxious knots twisting in my gut. The pleading look in Valuri's bright green eyes was almost enough to make me sick.

"All right," I said. "So what do you want?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Ayrael said. "I want my sister back."

It had been obvious, of course, which was why I'd never really had any intention of bargaining. Then again, I suspected she hadn't, either.

"You are her Maskari now," Ayrael went on. "You put the tan'ratha around her neck--you're the only one who can ultimately set her free."

"She made the choice to bond with me," I insisted. "I didn't--"

"Tell yourself whatever lies you need to soothe your conscience, moshalim," Ayrael snarled. "But the truth is that you have taken advantage of my sister, and for that I will make you suffer."

"Enough!" Kaseya growled, unsheathing her sword. "Give us the prisoner, or we will take her from you."

Ayrael grinned. "My dear sister...nothing would please me more than watching you try."

Kaseya attacked. I barely had time to leap out of her way before she charged across the pier, her sword clutched in a two-handed grip. Ayrael waited until the last possible second to draw her own, and the two women clashed in a shower of sparks and steel.

Closing my eyes, I reached out through the Aether and conjured my spell armor, then quickly echoed the effect on Kaseya. The pier, suddenly bathed in light, would have drawn the attention of everyone on the docks even without the cries of exertion and the ringing of steel. I had no idea how long it would take the authorities to respond, but it was immediately clear that despite the bolstering power of magic, Kaseya was badly overmatched.

I didn't understand how it was possible. I had watched her fight and been awed by her technique, but compared to her sister, she seemed like a child flailing helplessly against a master duelist. Ayrael effortlessly ducked and dodged in a deadly dance that was as mesmerizing as it was horrifying. She didn't even bother clutching her sword in both hands; she simply folded her left arm behind her back like a fencer while she deflected her sister's attacks.

If you don't do something fast, Kaseya is going to get herself killed!

Gritting my teeth, I waited until their melee had drifted up the pier before I dashed over to Valuri. As much as I wanted to unleash a bolt of lightning or a ball of flame, I couldn't take the risk. I still didn't know precisely how the Inquisitrix imbued her Senosi with their magic-eating abilities, but if Ayrael truly bore the Mark of the Huntress, then my sorcery would only empower her--and even a tiny enhancement to her strength or speed would almost certainly result in Kaseya's defeat. The only reason she was still alive now was that it seemed like Ayrael was toying with her...

"We need to run," I blurted out as I dove in front of Valuri and grabbed the ropes binding her wrists behind her back. "If we can get off the pier, we'll probably bump into some knights or guardsmen that can slow her down."

I conjured a dagger-shaped beam of pure Aetheric energy into my hand and slashed her bindings. I was half tempted to stab her, not because I wanted to harm her but because her own magic-eating powers would feed off my energy. But it was entirely conceivable that the Inquisitrix had stripped her of her abilities, and I didn't want to risk hurting her for real. I cleaved apart her ankle bindings before swiftly pulling the gag from her mouth.

"You can walk, right?" I asked.

Valuri nodded. "Yes, no thanks to you."

I had already grabbed her arm and started to turn before my brain processed what she had just said. "What?"

"You left me to rot in that prison!" she hissed. "You abandoned me!"

My mouth went so dry it actually hurt to swallow. "I didn't...I mean, I couldn't..." I sighed and took a deep breath. "We can argue about this later. We need to get the hell out of here!"

"You shouldn't have come here, Jorem," Valuri said, shaking her head. "But the Inquisitrix knew you wouldn't be able to resist the bait."

The hairs on the back of my neck stood when I realized she still hadn't moved. "Val, we have to go," I said. "Please!"

"You shouldn't have come here," she repeated.

Her hand moved so quickly it was a blur. She reached into her leather boot, drew a thin metal dart, and whipped it at me--all in a single, smooth motion. My spell armor would have deflected any normal weapon, but apparently her Senosi powers were still working just fine. The dart pierced my protective mantle and burrowed into my shoulder. By the time I reflexively clutched at the wound, the poison was already flooding into my veins.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry," Valuri said, standing. "But I'm a survivor, Jorem, just like you."

I tried to respond, but my knees buckled and I collapsed onto the pier. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Ayrael disarmed Kaseya and kicked her to the ground. She was finished.

We were finished.