Page 54 of Realm of Thieves

She eyes me over her shoulder, and though she looks worried, there’s also a hint ofI told you soin her gaze.

“We should start running,” she says, snapping her pouch shut and putting her swords back in the sheaths at her back. Though Ishouldn’t, though there are far more pressing things to think about, the sight of her standing in Kolbeck-crested armor, with the wind whipping her lavender hair free from her bun, and the fire tornado burning and spinning in the background, I feel momentarily dumbstruck. Awed. Like I’m seeing an actual goddess come to life, and my first instinct is to get down and kneel.

“Andor,” she says, her voice sharp now, bringing me out of my momentary lapse in reality as she runs to me and tugs at my arm. “Now!”

I nod, feeling strangely dizzy, and I turn, running quickly along the valley floor toward the narrow entrance that feels more far away than I remember. I hold back enough to keep pace with Brynla, not wanting to leave her behind in the dust if I apply my full speed.

We’re only a few yards from the exit out of the valley when suddenly the air pressure changes and the sky rumbles with thunder, shaking the ground beneath us, enough that Brynla nearly falls and I grab her arm to hold her up.

Flames ten feet high appear at our only way out, making us skid to a stop. From above, the dark, ashy clouds reach down like a spiraling hand, and I watch in a mix of dread and fascination as the spiral and the fire connect.

In seconds the fire roars, whipping up high and fast, racing up to the sky, the heat blasting my face.

“Fuck!” I cry out, grabbing Brynla’s hand to make sure I don’t lose her and whirling around to see that the fire tornado that we were originally running from has spread into three, swirling across the valley floor to greet us. I look up the sides of the rift to see which one will be easiest to climb, only to notice the mass of dust, miles high and wide, coming from the east, lightning flashing sporadically.

“Sandstorm,” Brynla says grimly.

There isn’t much time to think.

“The caves,” I tell her. “We have to run for the caves!”

Brynla’s fear-widened eyes look over to them. They seem so far away right now. I don’t know how we’re going to outrun fire tornadoes coming from either direction, or a massive sandstorm, but we’re going to have to try.

“Lemi!” Brynla shouts at him. “Go back to the ship. Shift back to the ship and stay there. Wait for us to return.”

Lemi barks but Brynla yells back. “Go, Lemi! To the ship. Now!”

His ears flatten, a sad look on his face, and then he disappears into thin air.

Still holding on to her arm, I start running as fast as she can keep up, pulling her along. The heat from the tornadoes is coming from both sides of us now, the wind whipping us into each other as we run. The roar is getting louder, covering up the sound of the pumice rock crunching underfoot, the harsh sound of our breathing.

I dare to look behind me and all I see is flames.

I glance at Brynla and she holds my gaze for a moment.

“You can make it if you let me go,” she manages to say, her voice barely heard above the din.

I just shake my head.

Never.

We keep running until we hit the slope that leads up to the ridge of caves. I have to let go of her, needing both my hands to climb up the loose scree and sand, sliding backward a few times until I finally reach the hard ridge and get to my feet, reaching down and pulling Brynla up the rest of the way.

The fire tornadoes meet each other below us, combining into a supersize one, just as the sandstorm is almost upon them. One would hope the storm would put the fire out, but before it does it’s going to push a wall of flames out of the valley floor and right into us.

I pull Brynla along and into the nearest cave, the opening narrow, barely wide enough for us to fit through. I guide her in first, thencome after and push her down to the ground, my body going over hers just as flames surge outside, shooting inside the cave above our heads.

Brynla screams and I keep her covered, the flames licking inside, though we’re both protected by our fire-resistant armor. I hold her tight; I don’t even think that I’m breathing, I’m just praying to the goddesses and waiting to survive.

But then the heat withdraws and in its place comes sand.

I get off Brynla and crawl forward, trying to seek more shelter. The cave opens up a little and hooks around the corner. I know there’s a chance that sycledrages could be nesting in here, but they would have attacked us by now.

“This way!” I yell at her, trying not to get a mouthful of sand. I wait until she crawls beside me, then pull her over to the side so we’re both sitting against the wall, out of the wind and sand that blow past, swirling and gathering in the unseen depths of the cave.

“Are you all right?” I ask her, keeping my voice loud enough to be heard against the infernal roar of the sandstorm.

She nods. “Yeah. Just a little sore but I’m okay. I think the eggs are crushed.”

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