Knight Rising by Jason Hamilton

Author:Jason Hamilton [Hamilton, Jason]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Story Hobby Media
Published: 2019-09-29T16:00:00+00:00

20

George started from a restless sleep as the doors to his cell opened with a scrape that echoed through the underground hall.

“Come,” said a woman’s voice. He recognized it as Envy, the woman they had met earlier. “You’ve been selected as today’s entertainment.”

“E-entertainment?” he couldn’t stop the waver in his voice. What did that entail? It could not be good, considering this place.

“Yes,” said Envy, and he could practically hear her sneer. “Duessa wants you to prove yourself, to show her that you are worthy of being her knight.”

For the briefest of seconds, a jolt of excitement lanced through him, only to be replaced moments later with revulsion, not only of the prospect of being Duessa’s knight, but also from the fact he had once wanted to.

“Well she can find entertainment somewhere else,” he said, trying to sound braver than he felt. “I am not one to be thrown about like a baited bear.”

The woman laughed. “It’s funny that you think you have a choice. I can see why she likes you. Perhaps if she finds you inadequate, I might take a turn.”

He did not like the tone of her voice. Nevertheless, he stayed where he was. Envy didn’t appear to have anyone near her, there were no guards. If she wanted him to come out, she would have to call them and drag him out. He was no longer Duessa’s puppet.

A sudden pain around his neck and he found himself wide-eyed and struggling to breathe. His eyes found Envy, and to his horror, her arm was outstretched and grown longer than humanly possible. It stretched across the cell, all the way to where he lay at its back. It was her hand that clutched at his throat.

“You will come with me, or I will strangle you here,” she said. Her voice was no longer sweet, but raspy and thin like that of a witch in some children’s story. She pulled at his neck, and his body rose unwillingly with it.

He gasped for air and clutched at the sinuous arm clamped around his throat, even as his body moved from the back of the cell to the front, his toes lightly scraping against the ground as he went.

Envy brought him closer, and her face no longer showed any signs of beauty. Deep lines covered that face, and her skin was a pale gray. She pulled him in, tilting her head and observing his struggles. His face grew hot as blood rushed to it.

“Someone wants to see you,” said Envy in a quieter tone, her voice back to what it once was.

Someone to see him? Did she mean Duessa? From her tone, it sounded like someone different, but no one knew him in here. Had Una somehow run afoul of this place and asked for him? The last thing he wanted was for Una to come here. This place was cursed, and he had walked right into it.

Reluctantly, but with little other choice, he followed Envy out of the dungeon. The light caused him to blink upon exiting.

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