The Curse of Pirini Lilapa (GotC #2)

Part I: Chapter 15, The Blood Chambers

“Zigarda. Zain.” Zakk bent down over Zain. Blood came in spurts from his neck. You stupid fool!

“We can’t lose him.”

Zakk sheathed his sword and tore a piece of Zain’s clothing and covered his neck. Zain’s eyes were closed. While gently applying pressure to stop the bleeding, Zakk put fingers to Zain’s wrist. “He has a pulse.”

“You two there. . .” Dr. Cere pointed to two large men in red snakesuits. “Take that one to the Blood Chambers. Tell them he needs his blood clotted immediately.” Dr. Cere stopped before the one called the Star Slinger, now, just a man in a pool of blood with a morning star by his side. The doctor glanced around the still room. “Take the rest to the Blood Chambers as well. They can be specimens.”

Zakk looked at his sword, Viper, named for the two tips at the blade’s top that looked like a snake’s tongue. Now, with blood on it, Zain’s blood, it had bit another victim. Unintentionally though. Stupid Zain!

One-by-one those who remained alive marched past, looking at either the Star Slinger or the ones who betrayed them.

A man who barely looked fourteen shouted from the procession.  “Hector, you’ll pay for this. All of you will. Lord Vangle will hang the three of you.”

Hector massaged his bloody face, while he stood next to his two friends. “Lord Vangle will be dead within a year’s time,” Hector shot back. “The dead can’t kill the living.”

None of them gave him much of a stare. Until a man with glasses on a thin nose glanced his way. He surveyed Zakk up and down and then turned his head back to the ground. Zakk snarled a lip and looked at the man with a bloody face. Too much of a loud mouth. When the man glanced back, Zakk turned his gaze towards Dr. Cere.

“Will Zain live?” Zigarda asked.

“If they get him to the Blood Chambers in time.” Dr. Cere seemed unconcerned about it. Instead, he busied his time with sticking syringes into the Star Slinger’s body and withdrawing multiple samples of blood.

“I didn’t lure him all the way here for him to not be alive. We need him for his father.”

“I understand that, Victor. There is nothing we can do at the moment, except hope he gets taken there in time.”

Zigarda coughed. “Why did you let him do that?”

“You were killing his troops after they already surrendered. How was I supposed to know he was going to break down and attempt to slice his own throat?” Zakk sheathed Viper and raised his other arm.

“I thought you knew him.” Dr. Cere stole a glance at Zakk and looked back to the dead body before him.

“Before the Trials. I don’t know what’s changed him.” Zakk folded his arms.

“None of that matters either of you. What matters is that Zain changes his father’s mind about the jewels.” Zigarda drank from his vial.

“The Meeting of the Twelve is coming, Eska’s apprentice will be leaving the Core at some point, and those jewels need to be with him when he attends.” Cere rose and called over one of the skinchangers.

“I have yet to see the correlation.”

“You will, Edwyn. You will. Pirini Lilapa is almost upon us.” Zigarda coughed. “The Twelve will tremble.”

“How are ve to know that Pirini Lilapa will affect zem?”

“It affects everyone, fool! No one is safe. And besides he told us it would.” Zigarda looked to Yuan.