Thieves World 3 – Shadows of Sanctuary by Asprin, Robert

‘It’s done,’ he said. ‘It’s over.’ He kissed her gently. Everyone gathered

around him. He brushed the back of his hand softly down the side of Quartz’s

face, and bent down to kiss Chan.

‘Frejojani …’ He looked at them all, then, as a tear spilled down his cheek,

he wrapped himself in his wings and cried.

They held him and caressed him until the racking sobs ceased. Ashamed, he

scrubbed away the tears with the palm of his hand. Aristarchus stood nearby,

blinking his large green eyes.

‘You must think me an awful fool, Aristarchus, a fool, and weak.’

The troll shook his head. ‘I think, when I can finally believe I’m free …’ He

looked at Wess. Thank you.’

They sat beside the stream to rest and talk.

‘It’s possible that we aren’t even being followed,’ Quartz said.

‘We watched the city, till you entered the forest,’ Aerie said. ‘We saw no one

else on the river road.’

‘Then they might not have realized anyone but another flyer helped Satan escape.

If no one saw us fell the tent -‘

Wess reached into the stream and splashed her face, cupped her hand in the

water, and lifted it to her lips. The first rays of direct sunlight pierced the

branches and entered the clearing.

Her hand was still bloody. The blood was mixing with the water. She choked and

spat, lurched to her feet, and bolted. A few paces away she fell to her knees

and retched violently.

There was nothing in her stomach but bile. She crawled to the stream and

scrubbed her hands, then her face, with sand and water. She stood up again. Her

friends were staring at her, shocked.