Page 82 of Shadow Throne King
Let this end let this end let this end let this end let this end.
Tallu crushed his hands together, smothering the electricity and the voice with it.
We were in darkness; Tallu had absorbed everything, including the electricity in the lamp I had been holding. I dropped the lamp and stilled my body, standing tense and waiting for the slightest sound.
Nothing. Beside me, Tallu was panting, and I reached out, catching hold of his shoulder and using it to guide me up to his face, where I cradled his cheeks between my hands.
“Tallu,” I whispered.
Moisture dripped over my fingers as I rubbed my thumbs over his sharp cheekbones. His body shuddered, convulsing, although he didn’t make a single sound.
When his body stopped jerking, he blew out a breath, raising his hands to cover my own. In the darkness, he whispered, “This is what the war was like. Bodies that should have been at rest, should have been allowed back to their families, were forced to live again and again, unable to find peace even in death.”
He gasped, the rush of air cool against my damp fingers.
“Tallu, we must move.” Around us, the walls had begun to glow, the slight luminescence in some of the rocks giving me just enough light to see his outline.
He nodded, reaching down and sending a spark back into the lamp. I bent to pick it up, and he turned his face away, wiping at the tears on his cheeks.
He coughed, covering it with his sleeve, and when he pulled his hand away, blood stained the hem of it. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to say nothing. What could I say? We had no time right now, and he was fixed on this quest to save his brother.
Grabbing his elbow, I dragged him behind me as we climbed further up. When I couldn’t stand the quiet anymore, I asked, “I wonder if the insects can only control the living body?”
“What?” Tallu’s voice was hoarse from tears.
“Yes, they controlled the headless corpse that Krustau sent to the Mountainside Palace—but it wasn’t a real control. It was an amateur puppeteer pulling strings. It wasn’t like the corpses back there or like the monsters we fought. It definitely wasn’t like Asahi. Maybe that’s why the Shadow King is interested in Maki. If Maki can bring men back to life, the insects can control them.” I was guessing, grasping at straws.
Or maybe he just wanted Maki’s knowledge—if he went to war with the Imperium, he would only benefit from having General Maki’s vast understanding of imperial warfare.
Ahead, Lerolian held up a hand. “There are men in the tunnel. Let me go ahead and see who they are.”
In one second, Tallu had extinguished the electric light, the snap of electricity disappearing into his skin with a whisper ofkeep him safe.
I began to understand why the imperial court had believed Tallu had more spies than fish in the sea. If he could walk into a room knowing all the details of a secret meeting, why wouldn’t they think his network was so vast that any member of court could be part of it?
I pushed Tallu back, forcing him against the wall of the tunnel, positioning my body in front of his.
“It’s Vostop,” Lerolian called. If he had been alive, his voice would have echoed. “He has men with him.”
I tensed, crouching low and drawing my blade silently. Tallu tried to move, but I used my free hand to hold him back against the wall, forcing his body into stillness. When he tried again, I fisted my fingers in his shirt, trying to convey my worry. Understanding what I was trying to say silently, Tallu relaxed in place, and I let myself close my eyes, listening for the first sounds of attack.
Instead, a voice called down the tunnel, “I am glad you understood my message, Emperor Tallu. May we come forward?”
Nineteen
Under my hand, Tallu jerked, his body pulling tight. I leaned forward on the balls of my feet, readying myself to move, my mind making calculations at the same time.
Vostop had been the one to tell us about the tunnel, but that might have been a trap in itself. Of course, if we hadn’t known about the tunnel, it was possible that the Dogs might not have been prepared for the creatures, and they might have overrun the Lakeshore Palace.
Another point on the “this is a massive trap,and we would be foolish to trust him” side was that he had managed to get the Emperor of the Southern Imperium alone, in the depths of the mountains of Krustau. There was no rescue coming; even if the Kennelmaster managed to rally servants, they would still have to get all the way here and then find us.
Years of training told me it would only take a couple of minutes to kill us.
“I understand your hesitance,” Vostop said. His voice echoed unnaturally, bouncing off the stone. “But Empress Koque and Prince Hallu are quite eager to see you.”
Tallu put his hand on top of mine, squeezing my fingers. I tightened my hand into a fist in warning, and he stroked his thumb across the back of my hand.
Closing my eyes, I released him, letting Tallu step forward.