The Broken Song

Chapter Thirty-Three

—The Well—

There was nothing. She had been through everything, ripped the lair apart, destroyed what little possessions Tal'Dovah had, and began burning the piles of corpses strewn about the cavern. But there was no clue, no trace to tell Lulu where Tal'Dovah had gone. It made her wonder, had Tal'Dovah left of her own accord, or had that bitch, Kellaran, taken her along with The Voice?

The thought made her blood boil. Lulu let out another frustrated scream and tossed the few ancient tomes left into the burning fire that now consumed the crooked tower of bodies. She was the one with the score to settle with Tal'Dovah. She was the one who deserved to destroy her once and for all. But of course, Kellaran would come to save The Voice and ruin her moment of revenge.

Her eyes fell on Ephine's arm still dangling out of the tower. Her bracelet shone perfectly in the firelight. Lulu remembered the day she had given it to her. She closed her eyes and the memory was conjured instantly. Though she tried to push it away, her heart would not let her. She recalled each detail with exquisite clarity, and in the burning silence, she began to cry.

But, the moment the cold tears slipped from her face, her eyes flew open and her fists clenched so tightly her nails drew blood. Tears would solve nothing. Anger, no, rage, that was her only tool, the only thing necessary to keep moving forward. Whether Tal'Dovah had left of her own choosing or Kellaran had taken her, Lulu would find them both. She didn't need to cry.

All she needed was to kill a bitch or two.

******

"You know, she's invincible, right?" Lady Teressa told him for the third time in as many minutes. Thancred tried to drown her out, but she was impossible to ignore. Every time he quickened his steps so did she, matching him stride for stride down the dark, death-infested tunnels. "She told me about her adventures, all the places she's been, all the monsters she's fought. There's nothing she can't do. I'm sure Tal'Dovah's already dead by now, and Lulu is coming up with a plan to fight the Sorceress. She's completely invincible."

"Oh, yes," Thancred tossed derisively over his shoulder. "Because if ever there was a reliable narrator on Lulu's life, it would most certainly be Lulu herself."

"What?"

He didn't have to turn and look to know the utterly confused look she was currently giving him. Sarcasm and non-direct thoughts seemed to go straight over the lady's head. Though she was, somewhat, pleasant to look at, Thancred couldn't think of a single reason Lulu had chosen to dote upon the noblewoman. Her naivety wouldn't interest a woman like Lulu for long, and he liked to think he had seen enough of the true woman underneath to know she searched for the meaningful and the extraordinary. Teressa could hardly interest her. Though sweet, she lacked any real knowledge or personality of her own to be an attractive companion.

Her confusion, however, was short lived. In the next second, he heard a sharp intake of breath, and, then, she was pushing past him with surprising strength for her size. Thancred looked up to see Lulu was not far ahead, her back turned to the entrance of the cavernous space. Teressa's heavy footfalls seemed to startle her, her body whipping around as though she expected an attack. Her eyes were wild and unfocused. It made Thancred worried to see her in such a state. When Teressa reached her, Lulu numbly received the lady, not reacting at all when the other woman threw her arms around her neck. Thancred stopped several feet from them and watched the awkward exchange. Lulu said nothing, but Teressa seemed not to notice as she rushed to express her excitement.

"I was worried I wouldn't catch up! Did you find her yet?" Teressa asked, her eyes alight with exhilaration as she practically bounced on her toes. "This is a creepy cave. I've never been anywhere this dangerous before!"