Briar Blackwood's Grimmest of Fairytales by Roderick Timothy

Author:Roderick, Timothy [Roderick, Timothy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-78279-923-8
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing
Published: 2015-04-24T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Damarius smiled like someone who had something dark brewing just below his neatly manicured exterior. “Well, then,” he said. He strode ahead with his robes billowing impressively behind him. “On a little adventure, are we?”

Briar, Dax, and Sherman shuffled together between the flanking, spear-carrying soldiers. Sherman looked more worried than ever and this didn’t help Briar feel any better about what was happening. “Sir, I neglected to introduce myself,” Sherman finally said.

“Did you? I hadn’t noticed,” the king’s advisor replied. Damarius finally decided that smiling was too much effort. And seeing that there was no king to witness his words or deeds, he suddenly seemed even darker and heavier than before—like the clouds that gather before a torrential rain.

“Yes, well, my name is Sherman Herbclaw, dillywig teacher of enchantments. Perhaps my name is familiar to you—?”

Damarius saw no need to turn, but kept his stride down the flickering torch-lit inner passageways. “The name is as unfamiliar to me as you will soon be with the light of the sun—”

“Yes—” Sherman went on nervously. “Well, you should know that my charges and I would not make suitable company for the king, his court, nor the night’s festivities. We are simple folk from the Squirrel’s Province—”

“Fascinating,” Damarius tossed out.

“You wouldn’t want to be responsible for marring His Majesty’s’ reputation—especially on such a joyous occasion, now would you?” Sherman tried.

Damarius stopped at an arched wooden door. He fitted an iron key into the lock and with a rusty clank, the door groaned open. “Don’t be modest,” he said. He widened a smile that looked like he had too many teeth. “The Lady Orpion and her entourage will welcome you all with open arms this evening. Of that I am sure.”

Damarius’ face fell like it was full of wet sand. His gazed at them with a cold, flat indifference. He signaled the guards, who then roughly shoved the lot of them into the chamber.

“Tonight shall be an event that none will soon forget,” Damarius said. Then he slammed the door shut. Briar ran to it, but it was already locked.

Dax looked ill and incurable. “When the Lady Orpion sees you, she’ll know who you are.” Then he turned to Sherman. “I thought you were friends with Cole. Why is this happening?”

“I—I don’t understand it myself,” Sherman admitted.

“Oh God. I just want to throw that asshole egg against someone’s front door,” Dax said.

“There must be a way out,” Sherman said. He inspected the high stone walls behind several of the faded tapestries for hidden openings.

In the center of the room was a bed fitted with sumptuous linens and thick, opulent pillows. The walls were higher than two men—one standing atop the others’ shoulders, but they had no windows. They were, however, fitted with several small torches to give the room some vacillating light.

“Use magic,” Briar said.

Dax joined in. “Yeah, what the hell, Sherman? You’re supposed to be Mr. Hot-Shot Lord of the Rings. Well, it’s time to pull a rabbit out of a hat and get us out of here.

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