And she passed out as her life’s blood pumped away.
“Zanos!” shouted Astra.
“I’m trying!” he replied. “Astra- where must I stop the bleeding?”
But it was too late. Lanna was dead-and trying to pump her heart back to life would only force broken ribs to pierce her lungs. Astra stared at Zanos. “You let her die! I know she betrayed you, but-”
“No!” he exclaimed. “Astra, I wanted to kill her- not torture her! You can’t think I’d do that to any woman!’
“No,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”
More soldiers were coming down to the dungeon, bringing more wounded. Astra worked, Zanos at her side, concentrating on what she was doing right there-until finally there was not another mangled limb to set or wound to close. But soldiers were pouring down the stairs.
Followed by Vortius’ men. They seemed to flow in like a river, three and four against every defender, cutting down villagers and Lilith’s men, trampling over the bodies.
And behind them came Vortius, surrounded by four of Zanos’ gladiators-the other two lay dead, Astra found, in the corridor above.
Three soldiers swarmed over Kimma-but at the same time four more threatened Javik! Zanos tried to take two of them off the Reader while Astra drew her sword to assist Kimma.
More men came, overwhelming them.
Kimma went down.
On her back, she still struck upward with her sword, gutting one of them, who fell screaming-but his fellow ran his sword through her throat and she fell back, dead.
Not knowing even that she did it, Astra picked up Kimma’s sword with her left hand. She now had a short sword in either hand, and, as in improvising a dance, she slashed one way and then the other at her attackers, whirling, leaping-catching one in the throat, another in the belly, pirouetting in spilled blood to slice the laces holding the breastplate of the man attacking her next, then reversing her swing to slash his belly open, spilling guts.
She was wide open to Reading, living every life in that dungeon-and dying every death.
Javik was forced backward over the bodies of fallen soldiers. He fell-Zanos could not disengage from the man he was fighting-Astra whirled and struck Javik’s opponent from behind, her sword clattering off his armor, but making him miss his blow at Javik.
“Thanks!” Javik told her-but it was for naught. The man he had fallen on was still alive. Both Astra and Javik Read him pull a knife-but Javik was still
off-balance. He twisted, but slipped in blood, could not avoid the blow-
And the man stabbed him through the heart.
At the same moment, Astra drove her sword into Javik’s killer’s throat, but it was too late-the Reader’s death agony rang in her mind, heating it to fury.
Now it was Astra and Zanos against Vortius and the four gladiators. The soldiers were all dead or critically wounded. A huge black man charged Zanos. Astra Read that although Zanos had far more skill, the other had the sheer brute strength to endure beyond her husband’s capabilities after expending so much Adept power.
And Vortius had used little or none!
“Stop his heart!” she cried to Zanos.
She meant Vortius-but it was the black man who gagged and dropped like a felled ox.
The other three gladiators charged at once. Astra felt Zanos become Readable-knew that it meant his strength was wavering. Why had she expected him to help her with healing the wounded? They would all die now anyway, because he hadn’t the strength left to combat Vortius!
Zanos and Astra backed away, stumbling over the dead and the living, driven inexorably along the corridor leading to the treasure room. The light grew dim as they left the range of the torches in the infirmary area. One of the gladiators squinted, and Zanos ran him through.
Two on two-reasonable odds except that following behind came Vortius, letting his men tire out his prey, calling, “Give it up, Zanos. You can’t win-but you can stay alive, you and your pretty little wife. It would be a shame to let my men kill her, you know. I won’t even give her to them-at least not very often. I can use the services of a good Reader-I’ve missed that since Portia died.”
The light brightened as they rounded the curve into the narrow hallway near the treasure room-and the flickering torchlight gave Astra an idea. “Take them, Zanos!” she exclaimed-and as he engaged the man attacking her as well as his own, she whirled and with her right-hand sword slashed the burning top off the torch, plunging them all into darkness as it fell to the dank floor and rolled into a puddle.
In the dark, she Read, leaped, struck-one gladiator-the second-
Now Vortius-
Light returned just as she started toward him-he had used his powers to light the stub of the torch left in the holder. It wasn’t as bright as the oil-fed flame, but it was sufficient.
Astra was standing in front of Zanos. He grasped her wrist and pulled her back. “Vortius is mine,” he told her.
“Zanos, you are a fool,” said Vortius. “You have expended your powers-you cant win against me. “
And Astra felt pain clench at Zanos’ heart.
He gasped-but fought it off. The fancy tabard Vortius wore over his armor burst into flame-but he simply stood there laughing, letting it burn away to nothing.
Zanos launched himself at Vortius with his sword- but the man was wearing perfectly fitting armor with no chinks to let a sword through where it could do any good. Only his arms and legs were vulnerable-
and when Zanos slashed at his thigh the sword was easily deflected.
Zanos, you can’t win that way! thought Astra. Her husband was playing Vortius’ game. Make him play your game! But there was no use saying it aloud- she had no idea of how to force Vortius to do so.
But Zanos was too experienced a fighter to continue ineffective tactics. He was panting-gathering air into his blood while he rested for a moment, letting Vortius talk. “Why don’t you just give it up, Zanos?
You know you can’t win. Just give me your sword, and tell your wife to give me hers. Then you can help me carry the treasure back to camp before Lilith’s army gets here.”
The gambler laughed. “Did you think you could stall for time until they got here? Oh, no-I have my watchers, too, my friends. You’ve cost me six fine bodyguards this day, Zanos-so you’re going to have to do their work for them. Don’t worry-I’ll give you white lotus again. Remember how good it feels?
You’ll have no worries, no guilt over this silly little escapade. What did you hope to gain, anyway? All Lady Lilith would have done was force you into her service-so what’s the difference?”
As the gambler stepped forward, Zanos projected, “Astra-get behind him.”
But Vortius was not to be caught that easily. The moment Astra began to edge to the side, he whirled to face her. “Oh, no, my dear-we don’t-”
Zanos struck low, slicing through Vortius’ thigh- but the blood hardly trickled out, and Astra Read the wound close neatly up again as Vortius said angrily, “We’ll have to teach you a lesson, won’t we?” He held out his hand, and Zanos’ diaphragm constricted-he couldn’t breathe, and he couldn’t seem to shake it off!
Astra, though, grasped the chance to strike at Vortius’ outstretched arm-at that moment she would have been glad to cut it off, but that was far beyond her strength. Still, she produced a deep cut, and while Vortius was concentrating on healing himself, Zanos recovered.
“What is this?” demanded Vortius. “Do you think to pester me to death with gnat bites?’
Astra’s dress burst into flame!
She gasped-but had the presence of mind to drop and roll in the water on the floor, bouncing to her feet soggy but unhurt.
“Master-where are you?” came a voice from around the turn in the corridor.
“In here, men!” called Vortius-and Astra Read seven more of Vortius’ troops coming along the corridor.