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21
Val?Sindari prompted again. He faced a metal door, the alchemist’slab.
Gulping, I forced myself to step back from the balcony and join him. Maybe once we got a sample of the alchemist’s blood, I could find a way to rescue the girl. I had grenades. If I threw them all, was it possible I could slip in through the chaos and reach her? And then somehow find a way back out of that chamber? With so many dark elves down there, it was a daunting prospect, but I wouldn’t let myself give up on the idea. Hopefully, the girl had sometime.
I joined Sindari, determination and anger making meshake.
The tunnels were cool, but sweat beaded on my forehead. My throat burned, as if the crimson vapor from that vial had seared off all the cilia and some of the flesh. My lungs were tight, too, affected by the vapor or maybe just unhappy with the mildewy undertone of this place. I was tempted to use my inhaler again, but I was only supposed to do that every few hours, not every twenty minutes. Besides, its soft puff might be loud enough for those keen elven ears to pickup.
I tried to ease the door aside, but it didn’t budge. Once again, my lock-picking charm came to the rescue. After applying it, I slid the door asideeasily.
Sindari charged in, almost bumping me out of the way. He flew through the air and smashed into the startled female dark elf turning toward us. Synaru-van? It had tobe.
I jumped inside, glimpsing counters full of vials and equipment in a lab twice as large as Zoltan’s as I rushed to close the door, hoping it was soundproof. Especially when the alchemist shrieked a curse and dropped two glass flasks as Sindari plowed into her. They shattered on the cementfloor.
Wincing, I threw a deadbolt on the door, though I doubted it would keep out the rest of the dark elves for long, and pulled out Chopper andFezzik.
Sindari had caught Synaru-van off-guard, and she lay on her back under him, arms and legs pinned under his paws. She struggled and spat in his face, but he was strong enough to keep her down. Numerous tools and pouches were attached to her belt, and I rushed forward to yank themoff.
“Sorry to intrude,” I said as she glared daggers at me, “but I’m in need of a sample of your blood and also to know why you and your people poisoned my boss. Oh, and if you already have an antidote handy, that would be great. I doubt that dragon is going to give me any of his blood. He’s super uptight aboutit.”
She spat at me. I jerked my head back to avoid the phlegmy wad, then patted down the slick oddly-textured black robe she wore to make sure she didn’t have pockets full ofweapons.
“You are the Ruin Bringer,” Synaru-van said in realization. “You have delivered yourself to us?” She lost her ire and frustration andcackled.
I liked it better when she’d been spittingmad.
“You were the only one in that organization that my people thought would get in the way of our plans, but we weren’t sure if we could kill you. If we killed your employer, and bribed someone to close your office, we thought you wouldquit.”
Great, confirmation that Willard had only been targeted because ofme.
“But now you’re here in our lair. You’ll never escape.” She laughed so hard that tears came to her creepy yelloweyes.
Someone pounded at thedoor.
Do you want me to bite her head off?Sindariasked.
Yes, but I didn’t say that. I gripped the mad elf’s shoulder. “If there’s an antidote, tell me, and I’ll keep my tiger from eatingyou.”
Someone pounded again and tried to shove the door aside. Synaru-van kept laughing. What anut.
Keep holding her down.I dug a syringe out of Zoltan’s samplekit.
Synaru-van spotted it, and her humor shifted to rage. “You think I’ll let you take myblood?”
“I sure hope so.” I shoved her sleeve up as she renewed her bucking and thrashing againstSindari.
As I struggled to hold her arm down and find a vein, I expected her to fling a magical attack at him—or me—any second. It took three stabs to get the needle into her vein, and she shrieked at theindignation.
“What are your plans anyway? Our office wasn’t even bothering your people.” I hadn’t even known they’d existed two daysago…
She calmed, focusing on Sindari, and I sensed a psionic blast targeting him. There was the attack I’d expected. He shook his head and growled without releasingher.
Shouts came from the tunnel. I only had a half a syringe of blood, but I pulled out the needle and capped it. It would have to beenough.
Synaru-van’s mad yellow eyes turned toward me, and I knew she would launch her next psionic attack my way. I stuffed my syringe in the kit and pocketedit.
The wave of power came not from her but from behind. The deadbolt snapped as the door flew open, banging against thewall.
