Page 112 of Suffer No Fools
"It would be a waste of earth weavers," Tovey said. "She'll make them die trying."
Hugo nodded. "It's settled, then. We're going down there. I won't let them die for no reason."
Before Stan could object, Hugo grabbed his hand and Tovey's and pulled them through space. He almost tripped over his own feet and the sword they'd buckled to his waist, but they were exactly where he wanted to be, on the academy grounds outside the tower, mere feet from the terrified earth weavers.
"Well met, good sailors!" Hugo shouted.
They cringed and backed away from the menacing undead, but the creatures didn't move.
"It's strange to be meeting you all under these circumstances. You've probably heard of me. I'm Emperor Hugo."
"The fuck you are," one shouted. "He's dead."
"Do I look like one of those creatures to you?" He risked pointing at them and drawing their attention, but they stayed where they were.
"No." A nondescript earth weaver with dirt smeared across their face stepped up to him. "You don't look like no emperor, neither. You look like a pirate."
Hugo laughed. He was dressed in the loose breeches and tunic he'd used to practice sword fighting. "I suppose I deserve that. I was rescued by pirates, after all. This is Tovey my guard and air weaver," Tovey bowed his head, "and this is Stan, my other guard and an earth weaver like you. We'd like to get you somewhere you can hide until this is over, somewhere Coryn won't find you."
"What all do we have to do for that?" the mud-smeared person asked. "You weren't much good on Stony Eel Island. If you hadn't destroyed the monolith, we would have had it out of the ground in a few days. Now, she wants us to turn this giant tower into another one."
Hugo opened his mouth to respond.
Stan stopped him, placing a hand on his arm and glancing at him with admiration and desire. "Let me."
Hugo nodded.
"You signed yourselves to Emperor Hugo's service years ago," Stan said. "When he died, those contracts became null and void, which is a good thing. Those contracts all went through Coryn, and they were written on paper. Now, you can make a new contract. Swear to be loyal citizens of Embertide, and we can take you to safety."
"Not even to him?" they asked. "Only to Embertide?"
"Aye," Stan said.
"I will always be loyal to Embertide," they said. "I never wanted to leave. That's how I ended up on Stony Eel."
The others agreed, and they all promised their loyalty. Hugo hoped they were honest. If not, he was about to leave them in a dangerous situation. Klaus was ready to destroy the first wave of the undead army standing on the academy grounds, buthe said he couldn't get them all at once. He would need to rest for a few minutes before destroying the remainder.
Hugo glanced at Stan, who smiled at him, and Tovey, who gave him a reassuring nod, and then the world around them shifted. He'd dragged all the earth weavers who had sworn fealty to him along for the ride.
They were now in the spacious room Hugo's dad had shared with Vadim when they went to the academy together. They were alone with the earth weavers. While they waited for the rest of their party to make their way from the tower, Hugo asked the injured to line up along the wall opposite the fireplace so their healers could help when they arrived.
Nola and Yvette burst in several minutes later, carrying a bucket of water and some strips of cloth for bandages. Fanidra, Efren, and Niall followed.
"Klaus and Vadim will meet us there," Yvette said, tossing Nola's water globe ahead of her to the back wall, where it hovered by the entrance to the tunnel. "We have to go."
Hugo didn't remember the rumble of the secret passage the first time he'd been here. Granted, he'd been dead, his soul hovering above his body. Now, it was overloud, silencing the chattering earth weavers.
"I remember the way to the palace," Nola said. "We'll need you to lead us to her, Your Majesty."
"Wait," the earth weaver had washed their face, but Hugo recognized the one who had spoken to him on the tower grounds. "What about us?"
"Stay here," Yvette said. "There's an earth weave to lock the passage after us. Let the death weaver and the seeker through, and then you can lock the passage again. You'll be safe until we return."
They nodded.
Satisfied with the answer, Yvette jogged to the passage. Nola and Efren made additional light globes, and then they descended into the darkness.
Hugo had never known tunnels ran beneath his city. They were deep, and the earth weaves forming them were ancient. He wished they were wider so he could walk with Stan and Tovey at his sides. He contented himself with walking single-file between them. Tovey walked before him, his back illuminated by the water globe in Hugo's hand, and Stan was a solid presence at his back.
