Page 37 of Ensii
Someone cried out and the room collectively gasped.
“Ashek!” Wasari and several Hudspethites jerked toward him, then stopped when they realized it was too late.
Kurzik’s blood spurted and his eyes went wide. He clutched Ashek’s shoulder, finally dropping the golden icon. He gasped and wheezed, face going white with shock and pain even as his neck and chest soaked crimson.
Ashek caught him, holding Kurzik carefully as the man died in his arms. He eased Kurzik to the ground, still holding on, face unreadable and unrepentant as any executioner.
He laid Kurzik on the stones, kneeling by the boy’s head. He stayed that way, watching every twitch, gasp, and straining gurgle until Kurzik’s body went motionless.
Talitha didn’t move. She had seen Ashek kill his own men before when they disobeyed him. But Kurzik was little more than a boy.
Ashek closed Kurzik’s eyes and she thought his hands shook. His fingers left bloody finger prints over the boy’s face. Ashek rocked back on his heels, head bowed over the young man’s corpse.
Whispers rippled through those gathered. “He killed his own man?”
“What manner of savagery is this?”
“What has the ensaak brought into our city?”
Finally, Ashek stood. “Emalek.”
“My lord?”
“Ready the men to attack. We’re sending this thing straight to the arms of its goddess.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Talitha nodded to Gilsazi. “The same. Where’s Zula?”
“At the postern gate, my lady. Securing the outskirts.”
“Have her send us as many more soldiers as she can spare. Immediately.”
Gilsazi bowed halfway. “As you command.” He hesitated in the direction of Ashek, standing with bloody hands over Kurzik’s body.
“Go,” Talitha repeated. “Be sure to speak with Emalek or Wasari about joining ranks with the Hudspethites.”
“As you wish.”
Talitha approached Ashek as she would a wild animal—quietly and from an angle he could see her coming. “Ashek?” He didn’t respond. “Ashek?” She touched his shoulder.
He shook her off, stepping away. “We need to kill this thing,” he growled, reminding her even more of a panther. He whirled to Debrei. “Is there a way we can kill it?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. It will be more difficult now because of this.”
“Why are we being punished for what one man did?” Talitha surveyed the body of Kurzik. Even if he had cost the lives of Ilians and Hudspethites, she hated that he had died. Ashek had acted harshly, but now was not the time to argue the matter.
“You are their leaders, are you not?” Debrei looked between Ashek and Talitha. “What they do is as much your responsibility as you can stop it. And you could have stopped this.”
“We asked him!” Talitha hissed. “Him and all the others! We did all we could!”
“Did you?” Debrei’s dark grey brow rose.
Talitha suddenly couldn’t look at the old woman. “Do you have any idea how to kill it?”
