Finally the passage straightened out, and a clear white light filled the tunnel from the other end. It wasn’t bright or harsh, but it was certainly more powerful than the dull blue glow from Bruenna’s spell. Seeing the new light reminded Glissa of exiting the blue lacuna. That time she had stepped from the tunnel to find a whole new world, one that she had thought was the stuff of legends but was in fact real.
Now she wondered what new thing she was going to find when she stepped out into the light. She didn’t know if it was possible for her entire world to be turned upside down again, but even the thought made her stopped where she stood.
“What is wrong?” asked Bosh. The deep resonant base of his voice woke the sleeping Slobad. The goblin rubbed his eyes and leaped down, standing beside the elf.
Glissa shrugged. “Last time we stepped from a tunnel like this I discovered a hollow world. What will I find this time?”
Al-Hayat had turned and come back to join the conversation. “Is finding out something new such a bad thing?”
“No,” replied Glissa, “not always.” She smiled. “But I didn’t find you at the end of a tube.”
The wolf laughed. “So everything at the end of a tube is bad?”
Glissa shrugged. “I don’t know. This is only my second tube.”
Al-Hayat stuck his muzzle against her back and urged her forward. “Maybe this one won’t be so bad.”
Bruenna appeared, her glowing blue ball now extinguished. “Don’t be so sure.”
Glissa looked up at each of her friends in turn. She’d come this far. No reason to stop now. Steeling herself, she stepped forward and out of the tunnel.
She was greeted by the back of a tall, bright metal throne sitting on a multitiered dais. The walls of the chamber were of a dark, etched metal that looked as if it had been eaten away at by acid-or something worse. Stepping out from behind the throne, Glissa spotted a pair of exceptionally tall double doors. They were closed at the moment, and they glowed around the edges with a magical red light.
“I’ve been here before,” she said.
The others filed from the tunnel. Slobad stepped up beside the elf, sticking close.
Glissa walked up the dais to touch the cushion on the seat of the throne. “We’re in the Vault of Whispers. This is Geth’s chamber.”
The double doors swung open. A rush of fog flooded in, spreading out over the floor like a wave, filling up the room from corner to corner.
Behind the fog, a pale, human-looking man stepped into the room. His bald head shone under the warm lights. A strip of metal ran over his forehead and down the back of his neck, disappearing into the folds of his gray robe.
“So nice to see you again, young Glissa,” said the man as he entered. “You really shouldn’t drop in so unexpectedly.”
Glissa pulled her sword from its sheath. “Hello, Geth. I hope that our visit this time won’t be as unpleasant for you as our last.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” replied Geth, moving around the wall, getting deeper into the chamber without getting any closer to Glissa. “I quite enjoyed our last visit.”
Glissa watched the strange, gaunt man as he circled in the room. “Yeah, I’ll bet,” she said. “So tell me, how’s your vampire?”
Geth visibly bristled. “Fine. Fine.”
Bruenna and her wizards had entered the room. They stood against the wall opposite Geth.
“And Yert?”
Geth frowned. “I’m afraid Yert is no longer with us.”
Glissa stepped down from the dais. “What did you do to him?”
Geth continued around the wall but stopped when he saw Al-Hayat come out from behind the throne. The leader of the Vault held up his hands. “Nothing. I swear.”
“Then where is he?”
Geth eyed Al-Hayat one more time, then Bosh stepped out beside the wolf. He glanced from the pair back to the human wizards then panned over to Glissa. “He met with a tragic accident.”
“Accident?”
Geth nodded. “Turns out he wasn’t much of a handler after all.” He held his hands out wide and shrugged. “I gave him a new reaper as you requested, but the poor man got caught within its grasp only a few hours after you left here.”
Glissa felt the bile inside her rise to the surface. “If you-” She took a menacing step forward, but Geth held out his finger, waving it side to side.
“You didn’t come here to check on Yert, young Glissa. So why don’t you tell me what it is you require, and perhaps we can speed your visit here.”
Glissa stopped, but she gripped the hilt of her sword tightly in both hands. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself. “All right, Geth.” She held up her hand, showing him the ring the troll had given her. “I need the last piece to the Kaldra Guardian.”
Geth took a step back. “My, my. That’s no small request.”
Glissa narrowed her eyes. “What is it you’re angling for, Geth?”
The pale man smiled. “Angling for? There is nothing that you have that I desire. Besides, I do believe I owe you for sparing the life of my vampire.”
The elf cocked her head to one side. Geth seemed entirely too happy to see her and even more happy to be helpful. “This isn’t right,” she said. “What is it that’s amusing you so much?”
“Amusing me?” Geth’s smile widened. “I’m just enjoying the irony of this. The last time you were here, you stormed in, cut the arm from my vampire, demanded that I tell you who was ransoming your life, then absconded with my vial of serum.” He held his hand up to his face, trying to hide the smile behind, but it was no use. He began to laugh. “Now you need my help. Isn’t that grand?”
“Yes, grand, Geth.” Glissa was growing impatient. “So tell me where the last piece is, or this time it won’t be your vampire who loses a limb.”
Geth tried to swallow his laughter, but he couldn’t. He held his finger in the air and began taking deep breaths in an effort to calm himself.
“Don’t you see the beauty in all of this? It’s like the cycle of life. First you are nothing. Then you’re born. You live your life, and then you die.” Geth rubbed his hands together. “If you’re lucky, you end up here in the Dross, continuing to be productive in the unlife. If you’re not, then that’s it. You’re nothing again.”
A chill ran down Glissa’s spine. This was not right. Looking back, she could tell Bruenna and her wizards were feeling the same thing. On the other side of the throne, Al-Hayat too was uncomfortable, shifting his gaze side to side, keeping himself hunched and ready to pounce.
Beside her, Slobad crouched near the ground. He looked tired, almost distracted. The plunge into the lake must have taken more out of him this time.
Only Bosh seemed unfazed by the strange situation. Then again, Bosh’s expression was always stoic, neither happy nor sad.
“All right, Geth,” said Glissa, raising her sword again and taking two large steps toward the pale man. “You can laugh about this all you want when we’re gone.”
Geth pressed himself tight up against the wall, his eyes bulging.
Glissa moved in closer, letting the tip of her blade hover just below his throat. “Tell me where the last piece is.”
“What makes you think I’ll just hand it over?”
“Only this.” Glissa whipped the tip of her blade across the gaunt man’s cheek, drawing a thick line of red blood.
Geth squealed and pulled his hands up, covering the fresh wound. The look of horror and betrayal on his face was plain.
“I spared your life once, but at the moment I’m not in such a generous mood.” She looked down at herself, covered in muck. “I’ve been through too much, haven’t slept or eaten, and I don’t trust you.” On this last word she shoved the tip of her blade again at Geth, punctuating her point.
“Okay. Okay.” Geth held up his hands in surrender. “I’ll show you.”
The ruler of the Vault placed his fingers to his lips and let out a high-pitched whistle. The acid-etched walls of his chamber tipped forward, as if an invisible giant had been holding them up and now had let go.