Castle of Blood (Warhammer Horror) by C L Werner

Author:C L Werner [Werner, C L]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Warhammer Horror
Published: 2019-11-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter VII

Roald watched the iron heating in the fire. He wasn’t a squeamish man, but he did consider such things to be dirty and sordid. The kind of work he paid people to do for him, not perform on his own. He sent a contemptuous glance at Lothar. Of course the alchemist would have a few of his vile potions among his effects, such as the one that had subdued Alrik, but he didn’t happen to have any of the ingredients for the mixture he claimed could compel anyone to answer questions put to them.

‘Be sensible, damn you!’ Roald spun around and glared at the duardin. Alrik was bound hand and foot, sitting in the same seat Goswin had sat in hours ago. There was no fear in the cogsmith’s gaze, only an insolent defiance that to the baron felt like a personal affront.

‘It is foolish of you to stay quiet,’ Hiltrude said, her tone more diplomatic than Roald’s. She was always like that, always adopting a manner that would make her appear more controlled and commanding than her husband. ‘Brond has become the daemon’s new host. That means you are its next victim. Time is short for all of us, but even more so for you.’

Hartmann dropped to his knees beside Alrik. ‘You’ve got to tell us how to get past the traps,’ he implored. ‘None of us are poor. We’ll pay you handsomely–’

‘Stop grovelling,’ Roald snarled. ‘You won’t make an impression on him that way. He’s already made it clear he doesn’t care about money.’ He withdrew the iron from the fire. The faint glow around its pronged tip wasn’t to his satisfaction, so he thrust it back into the flames.

Abarahm paced behind Alrik’s chair, the aelf’s clothing rippling with an uncanny motion, as though it were woven from oceanic waves. ‘The duardin are renowned for their stubbornness,’ he said. ‘It will be useless to threaten him. Even more to torture him.’

‘I must agree,’ Thilo said. He walked towards Roald. ‘If we lower ourselves to this kind of thing… what does that make us?’

Roald’s eyes were cold when he answered. ‘Alive. And that is all that matters right now.’ He glanced over at Hiltrude, but the baroness had nothing to add. Liebgarde was sitting at the far end of the room, putting as much distance between herself and Alrik as she could. She was always timid, Roald reflected. That was Hiltrude’s fault, for pampering her too much.

‘There is the chance the witch hunter could find a way to stop the daemon,’ Lothar suggested. ‘Men in that profession are not without their own abilities.’

‘The only person here Klueger cares about saving is that girl,’ Roald said. He turned towards Inge. ‘Is that not so, Frau Hausler? If not for your daughter, would that man have dared pass through Sieghard’s quarantine?’

Inge met the baron’s sharp gaze. ‘I often advised her against associating with that man. They’re a fearsome breed. I wanted better things for her, a loftier future. But right now I thank Sigmar for the bond between them.

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