The Tales of the Wanderer Volume One: A Book of Underrealm (The Underrealm Volumes 4) by Garrett Robinson (elon musk reading list TXT) 📕

into the house. In the back room, she opened the secret door, revealing a dank stone staircase leading into the earth. After Dellek lit a torch, Kaita followed her down the steps. Dellek held the torch high as they descended, and Kaita kept a hand on the wall to steady herself. The stone beneath her feet was slippery.

A wide chamber opened up before them. The walls had been formed by alchemists, and were lined with smooth ridges. High above, the wooden ceiling looked incredibly fragile compared to the thick rock walls, and between the boards, minute shafts of sunlight pierced the shadows, occasionally blocked as someone above walked across them.

But Kaita’s gaze was drawn immediately to the massive cauldron in the center of the room. It was more than two paces across, and shallow, and a black liquid bubbled within it, hardly illuminated by the many torches on the walls. Three Shades stood in the room, tending the cauldron nervously, careful not to touch it. They looked briefly up at the newcomers, but when Dellek gave them a nod, they returned to their tasks.

Kaita could feel the power emanating from the room. The smell was heady, powerful, intoxicating—even a bit overwhelming. For an instant, she had the mad desire to cup her hands and drink of the liquid. The magic within her bristled, sensing the energy that saturated the air. It filled her with exhilaration, anxiety, and anger in equal measure.

She knelt to look beneath the cauldron. The flames were well tended and did not quite reach the iron bottom of the cauldron. She could feel the vicious heat of them, though they were small and she was well over a pace away. Standing, she turned to Dellek.

“You are being wary not to stoke the flames too high?”

“Of course,” said Dellek.

“And it is having the desired effect?”

Dellek gave a grim smile and tossed her grey braid back over her shoulder. “Indeed, it is far more effective than we had dreamed it would be.”

“Very well,” said Kaita. “Let us return upstairs. I must speak with you privately.”

Dellek took her back up into the house, and then she climbed another staircase to take her to the second floor. The largest bedroom had a small antechamber, and within it were two chairs and a small table with some wine. Dellek poured them both a cup and gestured for Kaita to sit.

“Well?” she said. “Ever since I knew you were coming, I have wondered what this was all about.”

“I am being pursued,” said Kaita. “By a woman from Northwood named Mag and her companion, whose name is Albern.”

“Pursued?” said Dellek, arching an eyebrow. “I imagine you must not want them dead, then, or you would have used your magic.”

I want them dead more than you can believe, thought Kaita. But she nodded, as though Dellek had the right of it. “I am leading them home.”

Dellek went very still, and her eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yes,” said Kaita. “And I need them to know that that is where I am running to. But Dellek—they must not learn about anything else the Shades are doing here. Albern is a master tracker, and I came through the mountains with a party of six horse. He will have a trail leading him to Lan Shui. But I need one of your people to give them the next part of the trail.”

Dellek pursed her lips, running a finger along the edge of her wine cup. “Interesting. There are a few here who I can trust to—”

Kaita stopped her by putting a hand on her arm. “That might not be wise. This woman … Mag …” She almost winced as she remembered the pain of Mag’s strikes. “She is a killer. Whoever gives her this information could very well die.”

Dellek’s mouth twisted. “Say no more, then. I will send that boy Pantu, the one who brought you into the city today. He knows nothing of the underground chamber, and he is little more than a nuisance, anyway. Completely useless.”

That drew a small smile from Kaita. This was one reason she and Dellek got along so well. Dellek understood that, whatever Rogan might say, not everyone was worthy. Not everyone was useful. Rogan would not approve of such a course of action, but he would never know.

“Excellent,” said Kaita. “I will remain here to ensure everything goes well.”

Dellek drained the rest of her wine and stood. “It will. And now, let me get you arranged in a chamber. I imagine you could use a long sleep.”

As if the words were a spell, exhaustion came crashing down on Kaita. She had been on the road for a week, and had not had a proper rest since the battle of Northwood. “I could,” said Kaita, getting to her feet. “Thank you, Dellek.”

All is well, she thought, as Dellek led her to a small bedchamber and she began to undress herself. Come to me, my prey. Find me in Lan Shui.

After our night’s rest, we released Greto. Before we loosened the rope that held her to the tree, I fixed her with a hard look.

“We will release you now,” I told her. “You are free to go your own way, as long as you leave us alone. We will not trouble you again, and I hope we can expect the same courtesy.”

She merely spat in response. At least she did not seem to be aiming for me, this time.

“I thought you might say something like that,” I told her. “But before you decide to run home and tell your clan what transpired here today, I would bid you to remember Tiglak. He, too, thought he could rely on the mercy of your elders.”

Her eyes filled with fear at that, and I was satisfied. I untied her, and she bounded away south, in the same direction her fellows had run after our fight the day before.

“Do you really think she will leave us be?” said Mag.

“I know