Heirs of Destiny Box Set by Andy Peloquin

Author:Andy Peloquin [Peloquin, Andy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Fantasy Fiends Publishing Inc.
Published: 2019-08-05T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirty

Evren forced down the twinge of anxiety in his gut. He’d memorized enough of the tunnels’ layout to have a decent idea which way he needed to go to ascend to the Cultivator’s Tier. But if there was someone in the Serenii passages, he might run into trouble on his way.

Slow and cautious, he told himself. He slipped one of his jambiya from its sheath and held it in a reversed grip, blade pressed against his forearm. The sleeves of his simple Earaqi tunic hid the steel, preventing it from glinting in the dim light, yet he could strike out in an instant if threatened.

Drawing in a deep breath, he closed his eyes and listened to the sounds around him. Beyond the steady thump, thumping of his heartbeat, the tunnels were all but silent. Not even a whisper of wind met his ears.

Yet he had heard someone moving through the passages ahead of him. The question is, where?

He remained motionless for a full minute, his breathing quiet, ears attuned to even the slightest hint of movement.

There! A faint but clearly discernible sound: the scuffing of sandals or boots on stone, straight ahead, in the direction he needed to go to reach the Cultivator’s Tier. A moment later, the sound came again, followed by more.

He stifled a curse. Not just one, but multiple people ahead of me.

The presence of people in the tunnels meant he had to find a longer route or try to slip past them unnoticed. He didn’t know his way well enough to try an alternate path, so his only choice was to go through.

Thankfully, the darkness of the tunnels made creeping along a simple matter. As long as he remained on the wall opposite the glowing gemstones, he’d have no problem staying hidden in shadow. It took effort to move quietly, to keep his boots or his clothing from making noise, but he managed to keep his pace slow and steady.

Doubt nagged at the back of his mind as he slipped toward the source of the sound. Who, exactly, would be using these passages? According to Kodyn, few people outside of the Temple of Whispers knew of the Serenii tunnels beneath Shalandra. A handful of Keeper’s Priests numbered among that few. And, they’d guessed, the Gatherers as well.

Keeper’s teeth! Realization struck him like a sledgehammer to the face. What if it’s the Gatherers?

The cultists had somehow found a way to get around Shalandra unseen. The day they’d attacked Suroth’s mansion, they’d gotten from the hideout on the Artisan’s Tier to the Keeper’s Tier far faster than Evren or Kodyn.

Icy feet danced down his spine. What if the Gatherers have another hideout here in the tunnels? Scores of cultists had escaped after the attack on Briana’s home. No one had seen or heard of them for the last two days—they could be hiding out, licking their wounds and planning their next assault.

Evren’s jaw clenched. Not if I find out what they’re up to and stop them!

He had no illusions that he could take on an army of bloodthirsty death cultists on his own.

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