Free The Forbidden Library by David Alastair Hayden Page B

was flowing out. “Those were the rules. It was fair fight and a deal is a deal.”
    “You burned him away like the machine! You knew that would happen. You knew you would beat him!”
    “I thought it might happen, yes. But I was far from certain. He could’ve killed me and won easily at any point. I was no match for him physically. If he had killed me instead of feeding, the storm energies would never have touched him. Some restraint from him and you could’ve feasted on all of us. But that was his choice.”
    War Chief Sudorga pleaded with Lady Umora. “He followed the rules. You made a deal.”
    “You risk war between our peoples,” she seethed.
    “We had an agreement,” Sudorga replied. “And we didn’t interfere.”
    “He’s your ally, Sudorga, and he deceived us!”
    “Enough!” Turesobei shouted, eyes narrowing. “I have had enough! This will end. I’m exhausted, cold, wounded, bleeding, half-dead, and trapped in an alien land, perhaps forever. I’ve had enough. War Chief Sudorga, would you please withdraw from the commons. Take my companions with you.”
    “Sobei,” Iniru said, “I don’t think —”
    “I said go.”
    “I’m staying with you,” she said.
    “You’re a liability right now. Go, Iniru. Live. Protect Shoma and Zai. Please.”
    Her nostrils flared with irritation, but she nodded and backed away. War Chief Sudorga started to say something, but Turesobei shook his head. The goronku withdrew. The gathered reitsu closed on Turesobei, Motekeru, and the wolfhounds.
    “You cannot defeat us,” Lady Umora said.
    Turesobei patted Motekeru on the back. “Are you ready?”
    “We will kill them all, master,” he replied in his deep mechanical tones. “We should’ve done it this way from the start. These … reitsu … no better than beasts. No honor.”
    “You are the ones without honor,” Umora said.
    “We followed your rules,” Turesobei said, looking not at her but the other reitsu. “Your actions now bring dishonor upon you.”
    Lady Umora brandished the white-steel knife. “I do not fear the machine, and I do not fear you.”
    “They have a white-steel blade,” Turesobei said to Motekeru. “They think they can kill you with it.”
    “That little knife? Barely worth mentioning.”
    “It would take quite a lot of stabs, I should think.”
    “Many stabs,” Motekeru replied. “It would be better for slicing cheese than harming me.”
    Lady Umora hesitated. The other reitsu stopped moving forward. It was time for Turesobei to throw in one more element to give them doubt.
    “Lu Bei!”
    From the pack on the mount, the fetch popped out and zoomed overhead, circling downward until he hovered beside Turesobei. Attempting a growl that was more of a high-pitched whine, the fetch cast sparks between his palms, menacingly. The reitsu wouldn’t know how little power those sparks carried.
    “Master, I am ready to wipe the ice with the blood of these creatures.” Lu Bei bowed toward Lady Umora. “You will die first, lady. Those without honor always die first.”
    Lady Umora backed away, snarling, as did the other reitsu. A grizzled wraith with stringy hair stepped in front of her.
    “The elders have voted, Lady Umora. You are hereby removed from power. You have brought dishonor to us and you’re risking many lives. A deal is a deal.” He turned to Turesobei. “Leave here, boy. Never return to our lands. If you do, your life is forfeit, no matter the cost to us.”
    Turesobei bowed. “Thank you for honoring the bargain.”
    “Are you sure it wouldn’t be better to kill them, master?” Motekeru asked.
    “A deal is a deal.”
    “As you wish, master.”
    The reitsu parted and allowed them to pass. Turesobei, Motekeru, and the hounds joined the goronku who were gathered around their mounts. 
    Lu Bei zoomed around Motekeru. “You haven’t forgotten how to play the game.”
    “I would have killed them,” Motekeru replied.
    “That’s what makes you such a good