City of the Dead

TWENTY-TWO

Realizing her family's tactics would only delay the invasion of Dead End House, Sophraea flew up the stairs to Volponia's room.

Gustin was hard on her heels.

When they reached the landing just outside Volponia's door, the wizard grabbed her hands. "Look," he said.

From the tower window, Sophraea clearly saw that Rampage Stunk's men were well into the courtyard. Behind them strode the fat man. From his gestures, it appeared that he was instructing his men to herd the Carvers into the center of the yard..

Bentnor, Cadriffle, and the rest of the younger Carver males were not giving up, despite equally urgent gestures from Reye and Myemaw, who were trying to pull the family back toward the house. From this angle, Sophraea could not see the City of the Dead or the graveyard gate. But the worried glances in that direction from all the women suggested that the graveyard gate was being breached by the dead.

"I'm going to die," said Gustin, peering down into the yard. "Look at the size of Stunk's men. Look at the size of your family. I'm going to go down there and try to stop them from killing each other and end up being crushed between them. Or be overrun by corpses bent on revenge against Stunk."

He gave a huge sigh, but there was that peculiar undercurrent of joy in his voice, that bubbling excitement he always exuded in the worst situations. Just being near him made the extremely worried Sophraea feel a little more confident.

"We don't have time to stand around talking," Sophraea said as she hurried up the stairs.

"When I was small," he responded with a laugh, "I dreamed about this. Fighting a great battle in Waterdeep. Just like my guidebook promised!"

"Nobody has to die," Sophraea retorted as she reached back to grab him and drag him after her. "We will stop this somehow."

Although, at that moment, she had absolutely no idea how she could save her family.

"No," said Gustin, shaking his head just as firmly as Sophraea so often shook her head at him. "I'm going to die this afternoon and there is nothing that your huge collection of male relatives can do to me after that."

"What were you nattering about? We don't have time for this!"

"Yes we do!" announced Gustin. He grasped Sophraea's shoulders and turned her to face him. His eyes were burning a brilliant green and the hum of a small spell slipped through his smiling lips.

Sophraea felt her feet leaving the floor. Gustin's smile broadened. She floated upward until her mouth was level with Gustin's smile.

"Gustin!"

He pulled her to him. She could see nothing but the emerald sparkle of his eyes gleaming under those absurdly long lashes. "Gustin!" she squeaked again. "What were you doing?" "This," he answered. And he kissed her.