your
wounds so quickly? I know the work of a master healer when I see
it. You were attacked by an animal, a leopard by my guess …and
someone took the time to rub some healing potions on you. Now,
interested as I’m in the healer, and we’ll get to that eventually…I
want to know who saved you from the leopard.”
Arya forced himself to laugh. “There
was no leopard. You’re letting your imagination run away with
you.”
Archan glared at Arya. “Do not lie to
me! You’ve already made the mistake of following me here. I didn’t
like that, Arya. For that, you’ll die…but I can choose to kill you
quickly or prolong the agony until you beg for death. Now, tell me.
What were you doing on the mountain? Did you find the inagimi? Tell
me everything…or the old man will die.”
Chapter
Nine
Maya slithered under a crack in the
door and surveyed the dusty room. One flashlight stood in a corner,
casting yellow shadows on the wall and illuminating the two men
sitting on chairs against the wall. One of them was Isaac. His
hands were bound behind his back. The other man was one of Archan’s
guards.
Luckily for her, he was sitting
sideward to the door and did not see her slide across the floor.
Isaac was facing the door and noticed the sly movement. His eyes
followed her as she moved into position behind the guard. His face
showed an unmistakable fear, but Maya was glad to see that he was
unharmed.
Perhaps they hadn’t begun to question
him as yet?
Maya reared up and hissed menacingly.
The guard jumped on his seat and turned around to face her. Maya
slithered under his chair and emerged on the other side. He took
out a gun—but not being used to the weapon, he was clumsy with it.
Isaac kicked it out of his hand with a sharp thrust of his foot.
The gun flew into the air. Changing shapes in mid-air, Maya lunged
across the floor and caught it neatly in her hand. She pointed it
at the guard.
“ Untie him,” she
ordered.
The man cringed, his mouth agape with
shock as he equated the presence of this beautiful woman with the
vicious cobra he’d seen. Slowly, the reality of the situation
dawned on him.
“ You…you?” He turned to face
Isaac as if to confirm his fears.
“ Untie him!” Maya repeated.
“Do it now!”
Slowly, with great reluctance, he got
up and untied Isaac’s hands. “You won’t get away,” he said, his
voice quivering. “Archan would hunt you to the end of the
world.”
He was right, Maya realized. If left
alive, he would report to Archan, confirming the news that there
indeed was an inagimi and that Isaac had information regarding it.
Not only would hers but Isaac’s life would always be in danger. Her
finger pressed the trigger ever so lightly but despite her resolve,
she could not make herself shoot a man in cold blood.
It wasn’t her way.
“ Let’s go,” she said to
Isaac instead.
Her priority was to get her grandfather
out of the warehouse alive. Once out, she would devise a strategy
to keep him as far away from Archan as possible.
Keeping her eyes on the guard, she
walked backwards and reached the door. Isaac followed and together
they closed the door behind them. It wasn’t possible to lock it
from the outside, but they placed a number of cartons in front to
bloke his exit. It would not keep him in forever, but it might buy
them a few precious minutes to plan their escape.
She held the gun in her hand and led
Isaac towards the exit.
Luckily, no one challenged their slow
but cautious progress across the warehouse. “Go,” she told Isaac
once they reached the door through which she had entered with Arya.
“There is a car parked in a grove less than a mile from the road.
The keys are under the driver’s seat. Take the gun, just in case
you run into one of Archan’s goons.” She handed him the
gun.
“ What about you?” Isaac
gripped her elbow. “I won’t leave you alone here.”
“ I’ve to find Arya. I can’t
let him fall into Archan’s hands. He
wounds so quickly? I know the work of a master healer when I see
it. You were attacked by an animal, a leopard by my guess …and
someone took the time to rub some healing potions on you. Now,
interested as I’m in the healer, and we’ll get to that eventually…I
want to know who saved you from the leopard.”
Arya forced himself to laugh. “There
was no leopard. You’re letting your imagination run away with
you.”
Archan glared at Arya. “Do not lie to
me! You’ve already made the mistake of following me here. I didn’t
like that, Arya. For that, you’ll die…but I can choose to kill you
quickly or prolong the agony until you beg for death. Now, tell me.
What were you doing on the mountain? Did you find the inagimi? Tell
me everything…or the old man will die.”
Chapter
Nine
Maya slithered under a crack in the
door and surveyed the dusty room. One flashlight stood in a corner,
casting yellow shadows on the wall and illuminating the two men
sitting on chairs against the wall. One of them was Isaac. His
hands were bound behind his back. The other man was one of Archan’s
guards.
Luckily for her, he was sitting
sideward to the door and did not see her slide across the floor.
Isaac was facing the door and noticed the sly movement. His eyes
followed her as she moved into position behind the guard. His face
showed an unmistakable fear, but Maya was glad to see that he was
unharmed.
Perhaps they hadn’t begun to question
him as yet?
Maya reared up and hissed menacingly.
The guard jumped on his seat and turned around to face her. Maya
slithered under his chair and emerged on the other side. He took
out a gun—but not being used to the weapon, he was clumsy with it.
Isaac kicked it out of his hand with a sharp thrust of his foot.
The gun flew into the air. Changing shapes in mid-air, Maya lunged
across the floor and caught it neatly in her hand. She pointed it
at the guard.
“ Untie him,” she
ordered.
The man cringed, his mouth agape with
shock as he equated the presence of this beautiful woman with the
vicious cobra he’d seen. Slowly, the reality of the situation
dawned on him.
“ You…you?” He turned to face
Isaac as if to confirm his fears.
“ Untie him!” Maya repeated.
“Do it now!”
Slowly, with great reluctance, he got
up and untied Isaac’s hands. “You won’t get away,” he said, his
voice quivering. “Archan would hunt you to the end of the
world.”
He was right, Maya realized. If left
alive, he would report to Archan, confirming the news that there
indeed was an inagimi and that Isaac had information regarding it.
Not only would hers but Isaac’s life would always be in danger. Her
finger pressed the trigger ever so lightly but despite her resolve,
she could not make herself shoot a man in cold blood.
It wasn’t her way.
“ Let’s go,” she said to
Isaac instead.
Her priority was to get her grandfather
out of the warehouse alive. Once out, she would devise a strategy
to keep him as far away from Archan as possible.
Keeping her eyes on the guard, she
walked backwards and reached the door. Isaac followed and together
they closed the door behind them. It wasn’t possible to lock it
from the outside, but they placed a number of cartons in front to
bloke his exit. It would not keep him in forever, but it might buy
them a few precious minutes to plan their escape.
She held the gun in her hand and led
Isaac towards the exit.
Luckily, no one challenged their slow
but cautious progress across the warehouse. “Go,” she told Isaac
once they reached the door through which she had entered with Arya.
“There is a car parked in a grove less than a mile from the road.
The keys are under the driver’s seat. Take the gun, just in case
you run into one of Archan’s goons.” She handed him the
gun.
“ What about you?” Isaac
gripped her elbow. “I won’t leave you alone here.”
“ I’ve to find Arya. I can’t
let him fall into Archan’s hands. He
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