Eira’s magic flared, but her eyes met Cullen and Olivin’s. They stood on a sloping ramp that descended into the depths beneath the wall. They were keeping her from tumbling flat onto her face.
“Thanks.” Eira accepted their help, her wriggling far from graceful, but still effective. She didn’t summon her magic to soften her landing, not wanting to have too many different pulses of power that could alert the patrolling Pillars.
Alyss was behind, feet first. Eira took her delay as a sign of her closing up the house opposite. But the seconds ticked by in Eira’s mind. The two minutes Ducot had warned them of had flown by. She’d be seen if she didn’t?—
With a push, Alyss practically threw herself off the upper ledge. Olivin and Cullen were still at the ready, helping ease her down. She must’ve known they were there, and assumed their help, as her focus remained on closing up where they had just entered from.
“Did anyone see you?” Eira was conscious about how her words might echo in the tunnel they now found themselves in.
“I don’t think so.” Alyss shook her head. “But it was close.”
“No alarm is a good sign,” Cullen said hopefully.
“Let’s work on getting out the other side.” Olivin remained ever focused on the task.
“What about Ducot?” Alyss scanned the tunnel.
At that moment, a frantically squeaking mole raced toward them. It leapt and landed as a man. Ducot was still running and wasn’t slowing.
The rest of them took it as a clear sign and followed the untold instruction. They dashed down the tunnel.
“Pillars. Coming. Hide,” Ducot panted. The effort of keeping his words soft was as strenuous as running.
“Where are we going?” Eira asked, trying to keep her voice as quiet as possible. Their footsteps were already too much of a risk.
“It’s a dead end ahead.” Alyss didn’t even try to blot the worry from her voice.
The tunnel ended in a large, underground storeroom. Eira wondered if these were part of the network Alyss had sensed earlier. For a second, they were all dazed, staring at the flashfires.
“Look at all of them…”
“Carsovia still got out a shipment?” Ducot had hate in his voice. “What was the point of any of it?”
“They’re flashfires, not flash beads.” Eira’s mind was moving faster than her feet had just been. “Carsovia is just like the Pillars—they wouldn’t want to be seen as weak so they?—”
There was no time to finish. Footsteps echoed down to them. Pillars were almost upon them.
37
“Cullen, Alyss with me. Ducot, Olivin together. Hide. Illusion,” Eira instructed hastily.
Ducot and Olivin wedged themselves behind one of the racks of flashfires. Eira followed their lead, doing the same. Olivin’s glyph winked out of existence and the world was plunged into darkness right as she wove her own illusion.
For a few breaths, there was nothing. Then, a new light bloomed.
Two armored Swords of Light marched into the storeroom. But their expressions were dull. Almost bored. The stockier one had flaming red hair; the other was of narrow frame with pale features.
“I’m not sure why he wants us to get these,” Red Hair said.
“Because Hokoh fell and there’s been sightings of movement in the bay. He says an attack is soon.”
“I know Hokoh fell.” A roll of his eyes. “What I’m saying is, I don’t know what we’re going to be able to do with these without flash beads, and there’s not enough to go around.”
“We will ignite them with the faith of Yargen. Those who walk in her glory have nothing to fear, and possess all the might they need.” The one with the pale eyes had a reverent tone.
“You don’t honestly buy all that ‘his powers of Yargen’ do you? You know it’s just flash beads and theatrics…and putting anyone to death who would?—”
Pale Eyes turned on his friend, pushing him into the rack Eira, Cullen, and Alyss had positioned themselves behind. The rack’s supports dug into Alyss’s shoulder and she physically bit back a scream. Eira squeezed her hand, meeting her friend’s pained eyes.
