Page 36 of Mattox
“Yes. Some. A few, but a lot of them are rubble.” She made a wide, sweeping motion with her hand. “There are people everywhere.”
“Dead?”
“No. Their bodies still radiate heat. They’re alive.” She looked over at him with those strange, double-pupiled eyes. “I think they took refuge amid some of the wreckage.”
The battle lord made a waving motion with an arm. “Cole, go check the barracks and the stables. Have anyone you find start looking for survivors. See if you can’t do a roll call.”
“Check.” Mastin took off with Paas in tow.
“Warren, take a torch and notify the people in the apartments that it’s safe to come out of hiding. Have them help you search for survivors, too.”
“Check. Want me to have them do a head count? See who’s missing or dead?”
“Good idea. I think the sooner we begin doing that, the better.”
“Will do. Lucien, can you give me a hand?”
“Johna and I are right behind you,” the battle prince answered. “But first I need to grab another torch.”
“No need. We’re coming with you,” Nevo informed them, indicating himself and Mistelle.
“Want me and Echo to begin excavating our guests?” Renken queried in a jesting tone.
“Yeah. Atty and I are going over to the main hall to see if it’s still standing. Send whoever you find there.”
Watching the group split and take off, Yulen was aware of Atty coming up behind him. She stopped and pressed her body against his arm and hip. “I wish I knew what time it is,” he admitted.
“Hard to tell without the stars and the moon for reference, but I’m guessing it might not yet be midnight.” Grasping his arm, she leaned heavily against him and pressed her forehead to his bicep. “The night is relatively young. There are still many hours until daybreak.”
“At which time we’ll get to see the full extent of the destruction facing us,” he murmured dejectedly.
“We’ll rebuild. We’ll get through this. We have before, and we will again,” Atty whispered.
“Do you think you’ll be leaving at first light?” Fortune gently inquired.
“If there are enough horses, yes.”
A sound came from their right. Fortune hurried back into the dungeon to retrieve another torch. Once he returned, he held it aloft to reveal a group of people huddled not far away. As Johna had remarked, they were using a portion of what appeared to be a roof to shield themselves. The Mutah hunter started toward them, when Yulen stopped him for a moment.
“Fortune, I’ll take care of them. Can you go check on the Mutah encampments for us, please?”
“I’ll go with him,” Atty offered.
“Thank you, my love.” He tenderly stroked her hair. “I’ll be heading over to our lodge to see how Mother, Liam, and Iain fared. I’ll meet you at the main hall, if it’s still there.”
“If it’s not?”
“You’ll know where I’ll be.”
He felt her smile against his arm before kissing it, then watched the two take off in the direction of the southern wall. Casting one more look at the solid black sky, he turned to get one more torch from the dungeon, and tried to prepare himself for what unknown horrors lay ahead.
19
Awake
Pain awoke him. Blinking, Mattox realized he was alive. Alive, and in full control of his wits, thank the heavens. But where? He squinted and tried to pierce the blackness surrounding him, but it was a useless effort. It was dark as hell, and just as silent. No wind. No hooting owls or the scratchings from nocturnal animals. Not even bugs made a noise.
Mattox refused to move anything until he could correctly assess where he was, and how he was lying. Anything he did might alert something or someone that he was cognizant.
