Jig had listened as the clash of battle died, but he hadn’t really heard it. Dealing with all of these people trying to kill him must have left him more tired than he realized.

“Should we call for help?” Riana asked.

“I don’t know. If those corpses won, they might not be too eager to help us. Especially after we burned one of them up like that.”

“What happened to him anyway? Where did the fire come from?”

Knowing she couldn’t see, Jig grinned at her. “My guess is that Smudge got hungry. I haven’t fed him since yesterday.” When she didn’t say anything, he explained. “Fire-spiders like their meat cooked. Not much meat on those things, but I guess he decided it was better than starving.”

He felt bad when he thought about it. Usually Jig took much better care of Smudge. Things had been too hectic lately, that was all. He hoped he’d be able to find something better than ancient human corpses to feed to the spider.

Since he couldn’t do that from in here, Jig pounded against the marble panel with his dagger. The noise echoed in the small alcove, and Riana yelped.

“What are you doing? You said yourself that those things might still be out there.”

Jig hit the panel again. “Either something lets us out, or else you get to stay in here with me until we both die.”

A few seconds later, Riana grabbed a bone and joined him.

CHAPTER 8 - Armed to the Teeth

CHAPTER 8

Armed to the Teeth

The panel faded to shadow. Jig squinted as light pierced the blackness of the alcove. Outside he saw Darnak’s stocky silhouette waiting, club held high.

Before the panel could vanish entirely, Jig moved his stolen knife behind his back, handle toward Riana. Darnak probably wouldn’t complain that Jig had, once again, freed himself of the rope. Coming out with knife in hand would be a different thing entirely. Darnak could get a bit club-happy after a fight, and Jig had been abused enough today without adding a whack from the dwarf.

“Take it,” Jig whispered as the panel disappeared entirely. He stepped forward, placing himself in front of Riana so she could grab her knife unseen.

Which she did. Jig’s relieved grin tightened with pain as she sliced his fingers in the process.

“Thanks,” she said sweetly, too low for Darnak to hear. She slipped past Jig and smiled in passing.

Elves. They could be as bad as goblins sometimes. Jig clenched his fist to close the cut and hoped nobody would notice.

“Come on,” Darnak said. Sweat streaked his face and plastered curls of hair to his forehead, and he sported a stained red bandage on his arm. “We’ve regrouped back this way to catch our breath. Undead bastards gave us quite a fight.”