Huntress_A Paranormal Romance by Alexandra Christian

Author:Alexandra Christian [Christian, Alexandra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Falstaff Crush
Published: 2018-04-09T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Thalia burst through the first door she reached at the top of the ruined staircase. To her surprise, there was a bedchamber there. It was old and strewn with cobwebs as if it had been frozen in time and a transparent, shimmery cloth had been laid over everything. She could smell decaying flowers and the sharp stench of charred wood. An old fireplace, cold and full of ancient ashes dominated one side of the room. In the center was a large bed with the charred remains of drapes hanging around it. The coverlet was covered with dust, but Thalia could tell that it had once been magnificent. Like everything in this place, it told the tale of a lavish past. She’d never seen anything like it. Even before her life as a slayer with her tribe in Tarkin, Esa’s cottage had been no palace. It was cozy and warm. In fact, she thought that someday she’d like nothing more than to spend the rest of her days there, but there was nothing lavish or resplendent about it.

“This doesn’t make any sense,” she said aloud as she wandered around the room. “No one has lived in these ruins for a thousand years.”

“On the contrary. It’s been more than two thousand.” Thalia turned to see a chambermaid standing in the doorway. “But time doesn’t mean much in this place.” As the maid came into the light, Thalia was struck by her extraordinary beauty. Delicate features adorned pale alabaster skin. Every movement was a graceful dance as she moved across the room. She was familiar, but Thalia could not place her. Surely she would remember someone like this maid. “Does my appearance frighten my lady?”

“No,” Thalia stammered. “I was... I was frightened... yes. But only because…”

“I know. Malik can be frightening. Of course, he’s really just all bluster and arrogance. He’s really not so bad once you get to know him.”

“And you know him I suppose?”

The girl chuckled. It was a pleasant, tinkling sound that immediately made Thalia smile. “As much as anyone can know a dragon.” The chambermaid began fluttering around the room brushing the dust and grime from the furniture and opening drapes. Golden light pushed through the gloom, and Thalia began to relax. Everything looked better in the day. “You’ve very pretty.”

“Pardon?”

“You. You’re very pretty for a sacrifice.”

Thalia blushed. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

The maid laughed. “It’s just that I would not expect Tristan to give over such a pretty maiden to a hideous creature. In ancient times Sheakhol was really just a means to get rid of the poisoned lines. The deformed, prisoners, the mad. Of course, the Dragon Lords of old didn’t care much. They only meant to devour them. The meat of a lunatic was just as tasty.” Thalia felt her stomach turn. It didn’t surprise her that Tristan would throw away those he deemed unworthy. She could sense an inherent evil in the boy who was so hungry for power over Osghast. What others might mistake for nobility, Thalia had known instantly was twisted avarice.

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.