Accelerant by Ronie Kendig

Author:Ronie Kendig
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gilead Publishing
Published: 2016-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

29

Outside Baen’s Crossing, Kingdom of the Nine

What am I to do with that? Haegan felt sick as he stared at the seven golden heads bowed before him.

“I think you are to release them,” came Drracien’s whisper.

“How?”

“The same way you summoned them.”

“Summoned the—” Haegan jerked toward the accelerant. As he did, he recalled Drracien’s shocked look when he’d uttered the ancient words. “I didn’t—”

A roar jolted Haegan again. At this rate, his heart might surrender before the enemy did. What was the giant angry about? Because he hadn’t released him?

Eyes that were now nearly golden and matched the flowing hair, stared back with expectant patience. “Thelikor serve.”

Drracien’s shoulder was against Haegan’s now. “I think Thelikor is his name”

“You think?”

“You have a better idea?”

“I thought you were raised in the Citadel? Shouldn’t you know?”

“And who keeps bragging about the books he reads?”

Haegan stared at the giant. “Thelikor . . .”

The giant seemed to smile at hearing his name. But with that sectioned plate rather than skin, it was hard to be sure.

“I beg your mercy, Thelikor,” Haegan said.

“Thelikor serve.”

He had served. And well—killing the enemy. Routing incipients from Baen’s Crossing. “I thank you.” It was earnest. And all he could think to say.

The Drigo seemed to purr, his eyes slipping closed in apparent pleasure as he inclined his head. Relief?

“Abiassa be praised!”

Like lightning, the air crackled.

Thelikor, though a dozen feet tall and massively strong, moved swift and true, like an arrow.

It was so fast, so sudden, Haegan didn’t see the target until it was nearly too late. “Thelikor, wait!”

The giant froze, his clenched fist hovering over the ornately garbed figure of High Marshal Eftu. Arrayed behind him, a half-dozen awed Ignatieri cowered.

And Haegan knew without a doubt what he had suspected on instinct and intuition back in the Citadel. “Eftu, you’ve conspired against Abiassa.”

The proud marshal shifted and looked to the side, as if gauging his subordinates’ reaction. “No.” His hands were raised as if to protect his head from Thelikor’s fist, which had yet to drop.

Thelikor’s growl fueled Haegan’s determination. “He smells it on you.” He walked toward the marshal, who seemed frozen. If the Drigo unleashed judgment, the marshal’s arms would be twigs beneath a boulder. Another realization struck Haegan. Made him sick. Furious. “That is why the incipients were here, so close. You betrayed me.”

“No, I’m here to help.” Eftu swiped a hand over his mouth. “I—I just came beyond the wall to tell you that he’s waiting for you to release him. He’s in his heightened state, the vudd. It’s painful.” He peeked up at Thelikor. “See? I’m trying to help.”

The giant growled, louder, angrier.

Which meant the accelerant was lying again.

“No more,” came the tumbling-rocks growl of Thelikor as he reached toward Eftu, large fingers pinching at the high-collared overcloak that indicated his stature and supposed submission to Abiassa’s will, and ripped it off the marshal, dragging him backward.

Haegan resisted the urge to tell Thelikor to stop. What he did, disrobing—stripping—the high marshal was only done at the guiding of Abiassa.

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