“You look like shit,” Pixie hissed.
“I feel great, actually.”
“Clave, what happened to you?" I asked, trying to keep the fear out of my voice.
He turned to me, the red glow in his eyes seeming to intensify. “I died, Lan,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “But death is not the end for someone like me.”
I felt my heart skip a beat. Who could have possibly killed the ruthless, all powerful Clave of Deo?
“What do you mean?” Gam asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Clave gave him a cold smile. “I mean that death is just a minor inconvenience for someone who has the power to manipulate the forces of the universe.”
“I think what he means is who did you in?” Pixie asked, squinting her eyes.
“Oh, I’m sure Gam has an idea,” he said, his eyes turning to Gam.
“W-what?”
“I saw the entire thing…” Clave said as I released him. Letting go of my hug, I took a few steps back, the sudden change on Clave’s face making me scared.
“You let a human walk away…”
“H-h-hu-man?!”
“The same human who was traveling with that arcane mage. The same arcane mage who killed my sister…”
“Hold on, Clover is dead?!” I gasped.
“She is, and Gam let the man who killed her walk away…”
Gam backed himself against the wagon, his heart practically beating out of his chest. “W-w-w-wait a minute! You did, too!” he said, accusing Clave. Big mistake.
“No I didn’t. I always cover my options. I had a shadow clone follow them, while I followed you. But I was there from the start, from when that human disguised as a fae pointed that blade behind your back. I heard everything, Gam, and it’s because of you Lanette and Pixie were captured…”
“What’s going on?” I said confused, my head turning back and forth between the sweaty Gam and the visibly upset Clave.
“Your heart isn’t with the Deo, it never was. It was with my sister, but now that she’s gone, all you are is fucking dead weight. And I can’t have that.”
“No, please!” Gam said, dropping to his knees and folding his hands for mercy. “I apologize! I was rambling! I don’t know what had gotten into me! It was the burden of coming up empty and falling short day in and day out! I was desperate for a win!” Gam trailed off, his voice quivering with emotion.
“And you found that in betraying your comrades?”
“I am weak…” he blubbered, streaks of tears falling from his face. “Please, forgive me…”
“A traitor in the making. To be honest, I wasn’t surprised. I always had a feeling you hated my guts. Well, the feeling is mutual, Gam.”
“Master, no! I don’t! I admire you! I envy you! Everything you do is for Mavriel! You are the emperor that our mother Mavriel needs!”
“Hmm.” Clave tilted his head up, considering Gam’s plea for mercy. “I’ll let you live, Gam,” he finally said. “But you need to understand that this is your warning. Disobey me again, and you won’t be so lucky.”
Gam nodded frantically. “Yes, Master, I understand! I won’t let you down again!”
“I know you won’t,” Clave grinned, his hand stroking Gam’s leather helmet before Gam’s face began to sink. Right then and there I knew what Clave planned to do, and so did Gam by the looks of it. But it was too late. Shadow webs poured from Clave’s finger tips, enveloping Gam’s head like a net. They gripped his skull tight, burrowing down into his skin. In under three seconds, Gams’ face turned purple and blue, and then the pressure from the shadows caved it, chunks of Gam’s head exploding on us.
I winced, shielding my eyes with my arm from the splatter of blood, while Pixie crossed her arms over her chest and chuckled at Gam’s death. “Good riddance! He wasn’t for the cause!”
Clave turned to me and Pixie as Gam’s body fell to the ground, his face instantly softening. “Well, now that we’ve taken out the trash, we can get back to business!” he said, brushing his hands together. “We need to find that human and his mage and make him pay for what they did to my sister.”
“Do you know where they are?” Pixie asked.
“A general idea. My shadow clone couldn’t venture too far. They are in Ezdalise. And they are after the true location of the codex.”
My eyes jumped. “Are you serious?!”
“I saw them whip up a locator spell. It’s legit.”
My heart raced with excitement. We were actually going to secure the big daddy book of spells!
“Let’s get moving,” he said, Clave walking down the field of bodies again.
“But what about the bodies?” I asked, gesturing to the dead men lying on the ground.
Pixie shrugged. “Leave them. The crows will take care of them.”
“No.” Clave followed, picking up a burning stick of wood from the campfire and handing it to me. “We make it look like a dragon attack.” He smiled. “After we loot them.”
“Brilliant, big brother!” I giggled. “You always have the best ideas!”
