Cursor's Fury (Codex Alera #3)(256)

"Right," Tavi said.

Down the slope of the bridge, brassy horns began to blare once more-this time in a different sequence than used before. Tavi watched as Canim began to emerge from the opening in the next wall, and his heart sped up as he did.

Every single one of them wore the mantles and hoods of the ritualists. They fell into rows, clouds of greenish smoke dribbling from censers, many of them clutching long bars of iron, each end ribbed with dozens of fang-shaped steel blades. They formed the spearhead of a column of raiders, pouring out onto the bridge by the dozens. The hundreds. The thousands.

"Oh, my," Ehren said quietly.

"There," Tavi said to Kitai, barely suppressing a surge of excitement. "Coming up from the back. See the bright red armor?"

"That is he?" she asked. "Sari?"

"That's him."

Ehren said, "Signal your Knights Flora. Have them kill him when he advances. They could almost do it from here."

"Not good enough," Tavi said. "We can't simply kill him. The next ritualist down the ladder will just step into his place. We've got to discredit him, break his power, prove that whatever he promised the rest of his people, he isn't able to deliver."

"He can't deliver if there's an arrow stuck through his gizzard," Ehren pointed out. But he sighed. "You always seem to do things the hard way."

"Habit," Tavi said.

"How are you going to discredit him?"

Tavi turned and beckoned. Crassus leapt lightly down from the wall, as if the ten-foot drop did not exist. He made his way to Tavi's side through the troops and saluted him. "Captain."

Tavi walked a bit ahead of the troops, out of easy earshot. "Ready?"

"Yes, sir," Crassus said.

Tavi drew a small cloth bag from his pocket and passed it over to Crassus. The Knight Tribune opened the pouch and dumped the little red bloodstone into his hand. He stared at it for a moment, then put the gem back and pocketed it. "Sir," he said quietly. "You're sure this was in my mother's pouch."

Tavi knew he wouldn't accomplish anything by repeating himself. "I'm sorry," he told Crassus.

"It was the only such gem she had?"

"As far as I know," Tavi said.

"She's... she's ambitious," Crassus said quietly. "I know that. But I just can't believe she'd..."

Tavi grimaced. "It's possible we don't know the whole story. Maybe we're misinterpreting her actions." Tavi did not believe it for a second. But he needed Crassus to be confident, not gnawed by guilt and self-doubt.

"I just can't believe it," Crassus repeated. "Do you think she's all right?"

Tavi put a hand on Crassus' shoulder. "Tribune," he said quietly, "we can't afford to divide our focus right now. There will be plenty of time for questions after, and I swear to you that if I'm alive, we'll find her and answer them. But for now, I need you to set this aside."

Crassus closed his eyes for a moment, then shivered, a motion that reminded Tavi of a dog shaking off water. Then he opened his eyes and saluted sharply. "Yes, sir.".

Tavi returned the salute. "On your way. Good luck."

Crassus gave Tavi a forced smile, traded nods with Max, who stood with the Knights on the wall, then shot up into the sky on a sudden column of wind.

Tavi shielded his eyes from blowing droplets of water and blood and watched Crassus soar upward. Then he went back to his place in the ranks.