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Not knowing if the dark elf was alive or dead, I summoned Sindari. It was definitely time for hishelp.
As the mist formed, I patted down the dark elf. She didn’t move. I found two vials of blood in her pocket and two that were clearer. The kraken’s blood and venom, Ihoped.
I jammed them into my collection kit as I glanced through the still-open door. Surprisingly, a tiny one-person submarine rested in a pool of water in the chamber. So that was how she’d gotten out to the kraken—and not been soaking wet when she cameback.
You are supposed to bring me into this realmbeforeyou slay the enemy,Sindariremarked.
Another clang sounded, closer this time. My throat was starting to burn, and my nostrils itched. Despite holding my breath, I must have caught a whiff of that vapor before itevaporated.
There’ll be enemies aplenty soon. We have to find the alchemylab.
Do you know where thatis?
No.I started to leave, but the clear dome-shaped lid was up on the submarine, and a voice spoke from a speakerinside.
“As soon as you complete the task, hurry to the lab. I’m mixing the charcoal and blood now for the midnight ritual. Priestess Yena is eager to thank Yemeli-lor and Baklinor-ten for their gift by officially bringing them into thecult.”
“If that’s the alchemist, that means she’ll be waiting for us. Let’s hope we can get a sample of her blood and get outquickly.”
Sindari was facing the tunnel.We’ll first have to deal with two dark elves that are heading thisway.
Nobody was in sight yet, but I trusted his ears.Not if they don’t seeus.
I tapped my cloaking charm again to make sure it was still active and checked the ground for wet footprints. My clothes weren’t anywhere near dry, but I’d stoppeddripping.
I shall do my best to hide myself, but if we must walk right past them, they may see through both of our magics.Sindari faded even to my eyes, appearing more like a silver apparition than the usual solidtiger.
As we headed down the tunnel, I listened for the thud of footfalls. Then I remembered these were elves. They would move lightly, perhaps without asound.
When we reached a bend, my night-vision charm allowed me to pick out movement in the pitch blackness ahead. Two cloaked and hoodedfigures.
With Fezzik in hand, I plastered my back to the wall and held my breath. Would elven ears be keen enough to pick up the sound of my heartbeating?
Sindari melted against the opposite wall, and I lost sight ofhim.
The dark elves ran closer, aware that something was up, but they didn’t look at me. One’s step faltered, and he reached for a gun at his belt as his gaze searched the opposite wall. Did he senseSindari?
As soon as they reached the bend, his buddy hit him in the arm and pointed. They’d spotted the female dark elf crumpled on the floor, the door open to the submarine chamber. The one who’d sensed Sindari forgot about him or was distracted. Their jogs turned to sprints, and they ran pastus.
I waited, reminded that they might hear my steps if they were close, until they were almost to her, then ran in the opposite direction. Sindari trotted at my side. We passed through an openhatchway.
Distant thuds and clangs reverberated from walls that had changed from uniform gray cement near the lake to a mix of ancient brick, stone, and cracked cement. At one point, a giant pipe made up one of the sides of the tunnel, and we also passed the missing door and cracked glass window of some old storefront. The whole place smelled dank andwet.
I sense a great deal of magic ahead, both powerful people and powerful artifacts,Sindarireported.
Ideally, we’ll avoid all of that and detour to the alchemy lab.I led the way through a second hatchway, and then things got complicated. A four-way intersection offered three options.Any idea which way? Can you smellchemicals?
Wouldn’t chemicals be locked away incontainers?
I don’t know, but isn’t your sense of smellamazing?
All of me is amazing. But I still don’t smellchemicals.
What about blood? She’s mixing blood and charcoal for some ceremony to welcome new evil minions into the cult.I was fairly certain the names the speaker had mentioned were the same names Zav had shared, the criminals he wanted me to retrieve along with his broken-egg platter. Later, I’d happily let him know they were down here, but I was just here for blood. There would be no side trips to run errands fordragons.
An inner emotion that didn’t seem to be my own oozed disapproval at this line of thinking. I gritted my teeth, annoyed that Zav had imprinted some compulsion on me, that stupid eagerness to pleasehim.
I smell much blood.Sindari twitched histail.
