Page 96 of Tell No Tales
"No," he said. "That was an act of restoring balance." Niall had once explained it that way, and Vadim couldn't disagree. When he'd restored the kitten to his body, there was no give or take of power. "You slept soundly. Did destroying the undead creatures sap your energy?"
Klaus shrugged. "I'd say the excellent sex did that."
Vadim shoved the rest of his sandwich in his mouth to avoid making a comment.
"It's not the same," Klaus said softly. "It takes more energy, depending on the number of them, but it wasn't as taxing as when Niall called the thunderstorm."
Niall hadn't just created a thunderstorm. He'd healed Klaus, kept the storm raging over Coryn's ship long enough for them to flee, and he'd called the sharks. After all that, he'd only slept through part of the return trip to Aquarion. Vadim had knocked himself out for two weeks after draining a 40-man naval vessel.
"I almost wish Niall was here, but then Efren would be here, and he'd be insufferable." Vadim smirked. "'How do you know it's acceptable to kill the undead?' He would say. 'They didn't consent to being made, but maybe they don't want to die, either!'"
Klaus laughed, the intended effect of Vadim's horrible impersonation. "Maybe if we sacrifice them to his beloved sharks, he would be more understanding?"
"Maybe." The clock in the academy's tower chimed the three-quarter bell. They had fifteen minutes to get to the palace. He dusted crumbs off his legs and stood, offering Klaus his hand. "It's time to go."
"No." Klaus cupped his face in his hands and kissed him long and deep. "Now it's time."
When Vadim opened the door for the others waiting in the hallway to enter the room, they didn't seem to notice his red face. Perhaps they were too anxious to comment. Even Nola seemed tense, despite her history of leading city raids and attacking more naval ships thanStarlight Specter.
Vadim needed the freedom to cast a death weave at a moment's notice, so he didn't wear his gloves. Nola motioned for Vadim to take hold of Martiz, but Martiz screamed and fought until Vadim released his arm. They didn't need the extra noise all the way to the palace. He motioned for Roy and Ray to each grab an arm, and they escorted the former healer, still bound with ropes between his hands and feet. The sound of his shuffling grated on Vadim's last nerve, but it couldn't be helped.
Even with the added footfalls from Martiz, Trin, and the twins, the narrow stairs and underground tunnels seemed eerily quiet. Nola led the way with her water globe, but Vadim had stashed his pen light in his pocket to prepare for the worst. If they needed to split up, he didn't want to stumble back to the dorms in the dark.
When they reached the panel in Hugo's room, Klaus confirmed it was empty. Even Hugo's guards were gone, which was a good sign. Nola ushered the boys through first, with Martiz between them. They stopped at the edge of the screen, and Klaus swore under his breath. "Fucking suppression amulets."
A cruel laugh echoed in the expansive bedroom, even with the thick tapestries and rich fabrics draped over the bed.
"Look at the rats scurrying out of the walls."
Fanidra leaned against the far wall with her arms crossed over her middle. She was wearing a black leather executioner's outfit, the kind meant to hide blood stains. Vadim had also stuck with black for most of his wardrobe, though most shied away from his white hair long before they saw his clothing. Fanidra's hair was nothing more than white stubble covering her scalp, so perhaps she needed the fashion statement more than he did.
"When Hugo said you lot came in through a secret passage," she said, "I didn't believe him."
She was the only one in the room. How she expected to stop them by herself was beyond him.
"Where's Hugo?" Vadim asked.
"You'll see him soon enough," she said. "Guards!"
Before Vadim could react, someone grabbed his wrists and yanked his arms behind his back. Cold silver snapped into place, and he lost connection to his power. The sensation had always been both a curse and a relief. Now, it was a huge fucking annoyance. How the fuck had mundane guards gotten behind them? He hadn't heard them.
Klaus tried to pull away from the guard tying the rope around his wrists, but they shoved him to the ground. One had to hold his shoulders while the other held his hands together. A third finally stepped in to tie the rope.
Rope would be easy enough to untie, if they got a chance.
"Cuff him in iron, you fools."
Fuck. There went that chance.
"He's no fire weaver," a guard said.
Fanidra scoffed. "He was resourceful enough to free himself and the spectral weaver we needed. Humor me."
Another guard stepped forward and snapped the iron restraints into place. Behind Vadim, the others were all trussed up with far less struggle than Klaus had shown, their elements contained by similar shackles. Yvette's were silver, same as Vadim's. Nola's were wood. It would take an earth weaver to break her free, since they were designed from a single piece of wood and molded to fit her the moment someone slid them over her hands.
Trin, Roy, and Ray all wore gold shackles. Vadim wondered how many of the palace's golden trinkets had been melted down to make restraints. He had never seen three golden pairs together in the same place, but Coryn would need them the most if her much-needed earth weavers wouldn't come willingly.
"Come along," Fanidra said. "Coryn's almost done scolding Hugo."
