Darkblade Slayer by Andy Peloquin

Author:Andy Peloquin [Peloquin, Andy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Goodreads: 40796744
Published: 2018-08-06T14:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

The Hunter narrowed his eyes at Rassek. "You're sure about this?" He motioned around him. "There's nothing here."

"That's what I said." Darillon's face creased into a well-practiced I-told-you-so expression. "Just another empty spot in the mountains."

Rassek scowled. "Well, this is bein’ where it happened, says I." He pointed to the eastern wall of the hollow. "We were makin’ camp right over there and the horses just bolted."

The Hunter glanced at the smooth grey stone Rassek had indicated. It looked identical to the rest of the cliffs.

He ground his teeth in frustration. Now what?

He couldn't backtrack, not with Sir Danna so close behind. He'd taken a gamble that this was the location where he'd find the way into Enarium. It seemed like a dead end, but he couldn't just give up based on appearances.

The Sage's words flashed through his mind. “The Serenii were ever fond of their hidden passages."

"We could always be turnin’ back," Rassek was saying. "There's no other way in, but…" The man's words trailed off as the Hunter spurred Elivast toward the spot he'd indicated.

The Hunter rode Elivast right up to the cliff and watched the horse for any indication of disturbance. Elivast stood placidly, patient and seeming unperturbed. Biting back a growl, the Hunter dismounted and looped the reins around Elivast's neck. The horse snorted and walked a short distance away as the Hunter studied the cliff face. Nothing about the stone before him seemed even the slightest bit remarkable.

He drew in a deep breath through his nose. Perhaps there would be a scent to guide him. His sensitive nostrils found nothing but the scent of granite, the strong horse smell of Elivast, and the unique scents of the four people behind him.

He pressed his hand flat against the stone, as if he could feel the way through. The demon Garanis in Malandria had used an optical illusion to conceal an opening in the stone walls. Had the Serenii done the same? He felt his way along the wall for five paces in every direction, moving his hand to knee level and as high up as he could reach.

Nothing.

He stifled the urge to growl in frustration. Think, Hunter, think! He could come up with no answer. He'd never learned the thieves' skill of finding hidden doors or passages. In Voramis, when he couldn’t get through the front door of his targets' homes, he found a way through the back door, an upper floor, or even the roof.

Perhaps that would be his way past. He stepped back and glanced up. The cliff face rose easily more than two hundred paces above his head. Even if he could somehow make the climb, none of the others could. No way they had enough rope to span the distance.

The darkening sky above the clifftops mocked him. The towering cliffs blocked out the sunlight and plunged the entire hollow in shadow. The Hunter abandoned the thought of climbing up, at least for tonight. He'd never reach the top before dark. If it came to it, he could try in the morning, but he’d use tonight to try to find another solution.

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