Darkness Holds the Son by D.L. Gardner

Author:D.L. Gardner
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Epic Fantasy, dragons, sword and sorcery, magic
Publisher: D.L. Gardner
Published: 2022-04-14T00:00:00+00:00

The King’s Witness

“OPEN IT ALL THE WAY,” Jareth whispered to the wizard.

Chase gave the king one leery glimpse, took a deep breath, and with his hands crossed over his chest, his fingers barely visible, he made a fist. The power tingled, but it was his power, not the stolen charms. He let the energy surge for only a moment and then burst open his hands, releasing the magic in a gush of vapor. It fell over the floor and seeped between the cracks, opening the trap door with a steady creak.

“Don’t,” Barin ordered as Jareth adjusted his crossbow on his back and reached for the rail of the ladder that led into the chasm. “We’ll tackle this sensibly. You have no idea what’s in there! You don’t even know if that’s where your children are.”

Jareth glared at him, and then ignored his warnings.

“Jareth,” Lorica screamed. “Don’t!”

But Jareth had already disappeared. Chase quickly jumped in after him and in an instant the trap door slammed shut, leaving King Barin, Anna, and Lorica staring hopelessly at the eerie mist entering the room through the cracks.

The rage in Barin swelled. What secrets had Anna been keeping? He spun around and faced her, his pulse pounding, knuckles white from clenching his sword, “This is your father’s house! You live here! What do you know about this?”

Anna’s face paled. She opened her mouth to speak but instead raced out of the room. He followed her, pushing a door open that she had slammed in his face, the door to a bedroom, possibly hers.

“Don’t, Barin. I had nothing to do with that trap door. I don’t know where my parents are nor Lorica’s children, nor the servants. I have no clue as to where anyone went. I swear!”

“I don’t believe you. They were here when you left. Your parents had to have confided in you of their plans. I command you to tell me, as your king, Anna!”

Her tears fell on her lap, her eyes, red—weeping eyes that cut his heart in half. What had she done to him? Had she betrayed him?

“I only know a few things, but I had nothing to do with the children missing,” she moaned, taking a kerchief from her drawer by the bed.

Barin drew a breath. It hurt to look at her, so he walked to the window and looked out over the courtyard Lord Sylvester had made for himself. Fashioned much in the manner of his own castle with a rotunda, a rose garden now asleep with only a few blooms scattered about their beds, a stable and huge arena across the way that seemed empty. Lord Sylvester had set himself up well, like a king.

“What do you know?” he asked quietly.

“I know that there was a portal to another realm with tunnels that go under the river, and which span miles and miles of territory, even under the mountain ranges and eventually lead into Casdamia. I know that there is magic and evil spirits who live in those tunnels and it’s very dangerous to travel through there unless you are.

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