A Dance of Chaos by Dalglish David

Author:Dalglish, David [Dalglish, David]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Published: 2015-05-11T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

20

Zusa awoke to find herself chained to a wall and bathed in light. Seven torches burned in a semicircle, each one equidistant from her. Her wrists were bound behind her with metal shackles, the short chain attached to them hooked to something on the wall she could not see. Blinking at the brightness, Zusa fought through a momentary spell of dizziness. She had to regain her surroundings. She had to recover before …

“Welcome back to the waking world, Katherine.”

Muzien’s voice rolled over her like a wave, killing what little hope she’d had of escape. He knew of her ability to manipulate shadows, had seen her use it to execute the former members of the Spider Guild. There was too much light, the manacles on her wrists were too tight and too low, forcing her to a crouch. The master of the Sun Guild stood beneath one of the torches, which was suspended from the wall of the small room by a metal hook. His arms were crossed over his chest, and though his pose was relaxed as he leaned against the wall, there was nothing calm or controlled about the awful hatred in his eyes.

“Or should I call you Zusa?” he continued when she refused to acknowledge him. “I thought I’d rescued whoever you were before the religious dogma and abuse changed you, but apparently I was wrong. You’re still a slave, though the god you serve appears to have changed. You bow before the Gemcrofts now, don’t you?”

Zusa refused to give him anything. It hardly seemed to surprise him.

“I’ve dug into your past,” he said, coming closer and kneeling down so he could stare at her level. “Not hard after knowing of your connection to the Gemcrofts. You see, there’s these … whispers about Alyssa I never quite understood. A wrapped woman who helped seal her ascension by killing Yoren and Theo Kull, a lurking specter who watched after her, guarded her. I thought them merely stories or rumors, ways to make her mercenaries seem more special than they were. But you … you’ve been the one at her side, haven’t you? Her loyal shadow, her little lapdog?”

She kept her mouth shut, but her glare was answer enough. Muzien let out a sigh, and he rose back to a stand.

“So disappointing,” he said, beginning to pace, hands deep in the pockets of his coat. “Twice I’ve had you imprisoned before me, but I fear this second meeting will not go as well as the first. You had such potential, Zusa. The way you kill, it is such savage beauty to behold, yet to turn on me in my hour of need, as if a mere mask and hood would prevent me from recognizing your masterful grace … it’s as baffling as it is insulting.”

His darkened hand touched her chin, forcing her to look at him.

“I hold no doubt you’ve cast aside your faith in Karak; you never lied to me on that. But for you to be in Alyssa’s pay doesn’t feel right.

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