Vash is left behind

Iylaine soon saw the source of the scream that had sounded near her room: one of the elf women who had tended her lay in the corridor in a puddle of her own blood, her neck sliced nearly in two.

Vash and Kiv and the other elf walked past her body without even a glance, but Iylaine was horrified. She hoped it had been the other elf that had killed her, and not her sweet, friendly cousin Kiv. But Kiv’s sword too was streaked with blood, and she had to suppose that he had killed someone, if not this woman.

Certainly she saw many of his possible victims as they walked. Though she had grown up among it, she had never seen violent death. She could not conceive of it now, though it lay before her eyes. Somehow sweet, friendly Kiv had slashed at these living elves with all the heartless efficiency of a peasant in the field wielding his scythe against the grain. She wondered whether Vash could do such a thing, or the tall elf who held her so gently.

When they had gone some great distance, Iylaine realized that the light ahead was not the cold white light of the glowing orbs that hung in the corridors, but the flickering, golden light of fire. Shus carried her around a corner in time for her to see Kiv kick the limp arm of a dead woman out of the way, and then they stepped into a tall chamber that was unlike anything she had seen before, even in the castle of the King.

The walls seemed to be gilded, and they glowed softly, reflecting the light of two braziers at the far end of the room. There were a few low couches, and a cushioned stool against the far wall stood beneath a glittering canopy.

But the elves did not seem interested in the magnificence of the place, and Iylaine saw only the bodies that lay all about the floor. There was so much blood on the painted tiles that they were obliged to walk carefully through it. Somehow these four elves with their two swords had killed dozens of others. The smell of warm blood was so strong here that Iylaine pressed her nose against the neck of the elf who carried her, though he was a stranger to her.

Iylaine did not know where they were going, but when they had nearly reached the far wall, they all stopped. She twisted her head around and saw why: the elf she most hated had stepped out from behind a screen in a shadowy corner.

“Lar!” Vash growled. “Shíyamó séyérú aldakhla tsakhrín así.”

And then the dark elf stepped out from behind the other.

“He’s bad!” Iylaine cried.

“Clever girl!” the elf smiled.

“Dan pú la?” Vash asked.

“Khírrólóí dalkhörrón.”

“Kílós ksérrlarr!” Kiv snarled and slashed at him with his sword.

But the sword slid noiselessly across his neck, and the elf only turned his head to look at Kiv with a bemused half-​​smile. The other elf laughed aloud.

“Púl úrín la?” Vash shouted.

“Khórrí dalrú.”

“What are they saying?” Iylaine whimpered.

Shus was already stepping slowly around behind Kiv and heading towards the far wall. “Quiet, cousin,” he whispered.

“Óléll téksaríshrú alúrín–” Vash began, but then he choked and clutched at his throat.

“Ní ënívrí alúrú,” the dark elf said with a mocking politeness.

“Ní kémrú allarél!” Shus shouted at the others.

“Núsh!” Kiv cried anxiously.

“What are you saying? What’s happening?” Iylaine wailed.

“Ní lír!” the fourth elf said desperately. “Ní lír! Ní kémrí alérris alarú! Ní pú arín dalas!”

“Óléll,” the dark elf said coolly. “Pú dalash.”

At this, the elf she hated stopped laughing and seemed almost confused.

“Núsh!” Kiv cried again.

“Ní lír!” the fourth elf repeated frantically. “Ní lír! Ní lír! Ní dalas arín!”

Vash fell to his knees, still holding his throat with one hand, but with the other he waved at them, as if he meant to wave them away.

“Vash!” Iylaine cried and tried to struggle away from the elf who held her. He had stopped moving now, and only stared at Vash with a horrified fascination.

“Túlsín allérr alsúrínti,” the dark elf said to the four of them.

Vash’s head bobbed as if he was trying to nod, and he waved again.

Iylaine felt as if her lungs were bursting. She had enough air in them for two. If only she could get to Vash, she knew she could help him breathe – but the elf would not let her go. She kicked her feet and struggled with him, but she was very weak, and he was very strong.

“Sórú allérríríntí,” Shus said to the others.

“What are you saying?” Iylaine cried. “Let me go!”

“Óléll lérríríntí,” Kiv said. He and the other elf turned abruptly away from Vash and walked past her and Shus towards the far wall, and Shus turned to follow them.

The dog-​​elf only stared after them as if he didn’t know what to do. There was not a trace of a sneer left in him.

“Vash!” Iylaine cried desperately. “Don’t leave him! You can’t leave him! Why don’t you fight him!”

Vash lifted a hand to her briefly, as if to wave goodbye to her – or to wave her away. Then the hand fell upon the hand of the dark elf. He was pleading for air – pleading for his life.

The elf stood as grim as a statue, unmoving and unmoved.

Iylaine pounded on Shus with all of her remaining strength. She could not believe they would leave him behind. She could not even see where they were going: they were walking into an empty corner.

She turned her head in time to see Kiv walk through the wall and disappear. At the very instant she realized there must be a hidden door, the door was plainly revealed to her eyes. There was another passage, lit with other glowing orbs, leading upwards now, towards the sky and towards the sun.

She looked back at Vash a last time and saw the dark elf lift his boot and lay it on Vash’s shoulder. She saw him push her cousin over onto his back; she saw him fall, and she saw him lie still.