A Light In the Darkness by Heather Sutherlin

Author:Heather Sutherlin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: quest, healer, magic, light, adventure, wizard, Frog Princess, prince, Narnia, E.D. Baker, C.S. Lewis, clean
Publisher: Sutherlin Books
Published: 2012-08-05T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve: Seeking the Alaith

DEEP IN THE MOUNTAINS to the northeast, Duggan approached his master's lair filled with dread. He had escaped the terrible, blinding light, but not unscathed. His body ached with a pain he had not felt for many years, but the fear he carried with him now outweighed it all. After discovering the healer they had been seeking for so long, Duggan had done the one thing that was not allowed—he had lost her.

As he climbed through the stone entrance beneath a moonless sky and followed the winding staircase deeper and deeper into the mountain, Keardun’s anger pulsed in the air around him. It became a heavy burden he carried with him in the darkness.

As Duggan reached the stone floor at the bottom, despair and self-loathing crowded out all other thought. His hands reached for the dagger at his belt, pulled it loose, and drug it slowly to his chest. His mind raced with dark thoughts, each compelling him to end his life and release him into the blackness of the beyond.

The wizard crouched on the floor, the cold weight of his master’s anger pressing into him from above, his dagger ready to plunge. Beads of perspiration broke out on his brow, his lungs burned for air as the pressure increased.

"I am displeased, Duggan."

The whispered voice held such rage and malice. Duggan shook under the pressure, his arm ready to break beneath him if he was forced to hold himself up a moment longer.

"You found the girl and let her get away."

A long silence seemed a punishment in itself as Duggan cowered in fear, waiting for Keardun’s judgement.

"What do you suppose I should do with you now? You have proven yourself to be useless."

Duggan closed his eyes tightly and waited for the end. He could think of nothing else now except for the death that his mind told him he deserved.

Without warning, he was released from the invisible force that threatened to crush him. He lay panting on the floor, sweat dripping from his brow. The cold dagger fell with a resounding clatter onto the stone floor.

"I want you to find her and bring her to me, Duggan. She must not be allowed to finish her work for Loian. I have spent too many years keeping them contained to allow our efforts to be undone now. Do you understand me, wizard?"

The voice was but a sinister whisper in his ear, but Duggan nodded all the same.

"Oh, and Duggan, this time...don't come back without her."

Keardun withdrew, taking with him the painful cold and fear that seemed to follow him everywhere. Duggan sighed in relief, alone with his thoughts. Then, he scrambled to his feet and up the stairs. When the wizard finally returned to the mountain air, he took a deep breath, desperate to regain his composure.

Darkness lay like a cloak over the small town of Hanreegan, which was barely visible down the mountain's slope. This time there was no music, no bands playing, no laughter or late night parties.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.