Jackal Among Snakes

Chapter 91

Argrave awoke feeling refreshed. Sleep had come easier than he expected it to. At the very least, his body could sleep when he needed to.

All of that changed when he tried to move.

At once, his legs and back groaned, sore and achy from the intense yesterday. His shoulders felt bruised from the backpack, his feet still vaguely protested, and his thighs and calves were both taxed beyond compare. He tried to sit up, but even his core was sore.

“Jesus,” he huffed while leaning up. He felt something stuck in his throat and coughed. His cough was wet and unpleasant, and after he’d finished hacking, he spent some time clearing his throat. He was only able to breathe normally again after he pounded his chest.

“You okay?” Anneliese asked.

Argrave looked up at her. She had a book in her lap as she leaned up against the wall. She looked a mess, just as Argrave felt—her long white hair was braided tightly, yet still dirtied and matted.

“I’m fine,” Argrave waved his hand. “Just my throat, I think. Probably slept with my mouth open.”

Anneliese nodded. “Rare for me to wake before you.”

“Wish it would happen more often, frankly,” Argrave said, rubbing his eyes. “Any notable occurrences, Galamon?” he raised his head, looking towards the doorway.

“Nothing I could hear. Gave up on the smelling. Useless here—the debased blood of the Guardians consumes that sense,” he answered, returning to his usual brevity.

“Alright.” Argrave raised himself to his feet, and a piece of a broken shelf that had stuck to his clothes fell off him, clattering against the stone. “Part of me wishes someone would just break down the door. Kill off some of the uncertainty, at the very least.”

“It’s tempting to think like that,” Galamon stood. “Spent two days in a glacial cave, once, hiding out from enemies after things… went awry. Wanted nothing more than to do something stupid, force something to happen. You can’t, though.”

“I know,” Argrave sighed. “Alright. We have quite a conundrum on our hands, the way I see it. Kept me up a long while, thinking about how I was going to pull my head free of this vice before it slammed shut.”

“Given the circumstances… perhaps the aforementioned diplomacy with the vampires would be our best option,” Anneliese posited. “I am not sure they know three of their own died at our hands.”

Galamon looked ready to protest, but Argrave interjected himself before he could do so.

“I don’t really care to find out what the vampires know,” Argrave shook his head. “My overconfidence landed us in this situation in the first place. We left ourselves in the hands of a greater power, and this greater power proved to be unreasonable. The same might happen again, and I doubt we’d have an easy go escaping from vampires.”

Galamon nodded contentedly, and Anneliese looked to have no rebuttal. Argrave stepped away, placing his hand on the shelf blocking the door. He drummed his fingers on it, lost in thought. With a sudden realization, he frowned and turned around.

he said in annoyance.

gaze. That, alone, told him

me lay down some things we might be able to

#####

against a bar for support. His face looked locked in a permanent scowl, and when coupled

the metal shone with dancing light—enchantments. They were wide enough to accommodate entry. Though the area the man resided in was filthy, stained with blood and battered

point, his fingers bent as though meeting an invisible wall. He kept pushing his hand forward until his fingers formed a fist, and then he

man did not blink or breathe, staring at his hand. He raised a nail up, scratching at the barrier between the metal bars. Though his nails slid along what was blocking passage, no sound came, as though what

sound echoed out in the room, and the man quickly turned his

the man called out, voice almost a

room, taking his place just behind Namara. He had

questioned sharply, turning his head back

Stonepetal Sentinels have

voice a low rasp. “Their

They’re watching the entrance. Their

repeated.

a noise,” Vizer said, walking up beside the bars. “Thunder, they said.

“Where?” Namara questioned.

together. “Within. And neither Raid, Ardis, nor Gavin

Namara said. He finally turned away from the metal bars, some vigor returned to his eyes. “Something’s in here with us. But that something… the

of the others know,” said Vizer. “We can

countered Namara, voice a disdainful snarl. “No. We need no complications. Send one of our own out, rouse the blood of some of the Guardians. Lure the

to emerge from hiding in a timely fashion,” Vizer countered, wringing his hands tightly. “If we lure Guardians, those things will settle inside the higher floors. They’ll need

dwindling more and more as the years pass by. It’s intolerable.” Namara glanced at Vizer. “See it done. Use someone reliable—someone used to trekking in

walked away. Namara turned back towards the metal bars, staring at the library

#####

crate, speaking to Anneliese and Galamon. “We’re headed into the heart of the vampire’s

it,” Galamon shook his head. “But I dislike this entire situation. It’s the best

decision,” Argrave said with a positive spin. “Won’t exactly be easy to get inside.” Argrave reached into his back pocket and pulled free a medallion bearing an owl on the front. “Remember this?

nodded. “I do. It is a badge signifying membership to the Order of the Gray Owl. It allows one inside the Tower of the Gray Owl or its subsidiary

stowed his badge away. “The important thing is that it links to your magic fingerprint. This tradition of using one’s magic signature… it wasn’t started

“…the lower levels require a badge of that sort, just

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