“Are there any traps, Caemorn?” Balthazar asked.
“There are many, but I will defuse them. If you would, search for alien minds, Balthazar,” Caemorn said, and even as he said this, Ryder saw a ball of light lift from the floor and enter the soul gem.
“But remember not to connect with them. They might have structures,” Ryder said, thinking immediately of Grayson. “Grayson, he–”
“Is fine. We would have said otherwise. But he caused a tidal wave to knock out two Kalys and a Marrowstalker so we sent him to rest,” Balthazar explained. “Fiona and Christian are with him.”
“A tidal wave?” Relief flooded him. He had been so glad that Grayson wasn’t anywhere near the Zradum that he hadn’t immediately worried. “How could he create a tidal wave?”
“By moving a whole lot of water. If anyone doubted the depth and breadth of an Ashyr’s power, they would be wrong to,” Balthazar said.
“Indeed,” Ryder said.
They fell into silence as all of them concentrated on the path ahead. But Ryder heard nothing. Yet he smelled… he smelled Legion and Roan. They had definitely come this way. Balthazar picked up the thought and shared it with the group. He then linked them all so they could hear one another.
If they are still ahead of us, I’m sensing no thoughts,Balthazar sent.They could be shading them from me–
Use your Kaly powers,Caemorn suggested.You may not be a Speaker to the Dead but I believe you may be able to read their minds.
You mean the souls in the soul gems? Oh, that’s rather a good idea. They would be spectators that literally could not look away for anyone that passed by,Balthazar said and then went silent for a moment.Ah, it worked! I know where they went! There was a lot of minds to sort, but–
Master is being voluble again,Elgar said.
Balthazar made a sound like a cat.Inner chamber up ahead.
Ryder saw that there was a staircase that wound upwards to their right, but the passage continued forward to a door that reminded Ryder of a church, rather like the one that he and Demos had met Grayson at. The desire to be near the young man washed over him even as he was glad that Grayson was someplace safe.
They went in there and they haven’t come out,Balthazar said.. There are no soul gems in there, Caemorn. Why?
Caemorn frowned.It was unfinished. There was nothing
I’m certain you made sure that every inch of this place was checked,Balthazar agreed.
And yet, I missed something,Caemorn sounded angry with himself.
What’s our plan?Ryder asked.
He was shifting up and down on the balls of his feet, getting ready for whatever he had to do, wondering what form he should take. But then he noted that the two werewolves werenotreacting as if they were about to go into a fight. They appeared bored.
Caemorn said,We should–
They’re gone,Ryder burst out.
What? But they haven’t left this room and the souls assure me there’s no other way out,Balthazar said.
You sense no one in there, right?Ryder asked.Well, neither do I. And the werewolves are completely bored. If they thought there was danger to you here, Caemorn, they wouldn’t be acting like that.
You are right,Caemorn said after studying the werewolves.
There are no Whispers. No stray thoughts,Elgar said.
I missed something,Balthazar frowned. He put a finger to his temple, which showed he was concentrating very hard.Imerely asked the spirits if someone had passed, but not how many someones. Three went into this room.
Ryder drew in a deep breath, but whoever this third person was, their scent was faint. It was almost as if they were only half here.
I know how they got out. They had a Wyvern with them. A powerful one,Ryder said, guessing what it had to be. He shook himself.Caemorn, what was this space used for?
I…Caemorn’s expression went blank.I do not recall making it.
