The Tide of Ages (The Mira Brand Adventures Book 2) by Crane Robert J

Author:Crane, Robert J. [Crane, Robert J.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Ostiagard Press
Published: 2017-08-23T04:00:00+00:00

17

The swamp petered out more gradually than it had started. It was the sort of slow fade that you didn’t notice until looking back in hindsight. At some point, the moisture in the earth decreased until it was a fine peat. The vines had long since sputtered out by then, another realization I only made when Bub sheathed his sword.

We caught sight of the temple in stripes through trees, hewn in the same green stone. Although I squinted, I could not make out any damage to the structure’s sides that might permit us quick entry. That was a positive and negative rolled into one. Negative because the last one had afforded us a great shortcut; positive because no shortcut for us also meant no shortcut for Borrick.

“Almost there,” Carson heaved. “We’re almost—”

Then the three of us burst out, closely followed by Heidi.

I juddered to a stop, caught for a moment in taking it in. This one was much squatter than the other, and more traditionally pyramid-shaped too. Perched at the very edge of a peninsula, its far walls did not just kiss the edge of the water, but rose out of it.

Moored at its side was a boat.

For a fraction of a second, I hoped that it was Bub’s.

Then I remembered that life does not grant your wishes so readily, and sucked in a breath. Borrick was here. Had been for some time, by the looks: the sails were tucked away, and there was no activity on the deck, or anywhere around it. No streaks of yellow betraying the marachti—

Which meant they were already inside.

My moment’s reverie snapped. Surging forward, I drew even with Carson, then past.

“He’s here,” he wheezed at me.

“I see that,” I said. Damn it, the bursts of speed I’d put on this afternoon had really sapped me. That I was on the verge of another fight too …

“Where’s the entrance?” I asked Bub as we powered across the peninsula. “Do we have to climb?”

“Ground level,” he replied. “Cut in the stones. There.”

He pointed, and I squinted. Hard to see, vision bouncing up and down and occluded by drips of sweat making their way down my face.

I thought I spied the dark smear that Bub indicated though, and charged at it like a bull making for a waving red rag.

“Anything you can tell us,” I breathed, “about what’s inside?”

“Haven’t been in before,” said Bub.

“Well,” I said, feet pounding across the dirty strip of ground, “only one way to find out.”

We sprinted, closing the last of the distance to the temple. The carved opening widened, darkness within … and then we were through. A bubble of light popped! into being, sending rippling illumination across the square hallway we hammered down, footsteps echoing—

“They’re definitely here,” said Carson. “They’ve tracked sand in.” He pointed; unnatural track marks dotted the floor in front of us.

Resisting the urge to bite off a Heidi-esque reply, I just said, “I see that!”

The tunnel forked … and then we were going down a soft slope, descending into the earth.

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