Lilith's Sword: Chronicles of Mahon Book Three by Brenda Murphy

Author:Brenda Murphy [Murphy, Brenda]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Quinby Sideshow Publications
Published: 2022-11-16T16:00:00+00:00

9

The noise of the banquet reached Reika’s ears before her vision cleared. She stood near a waist-high wall facing an unglazed window. Below her stretched green fields and farms split by a wide road. The farmers bustled about as busy as a hill of ants. In the distance, the towers of the city rose to the sky and beyond that a snow-covered volcano. She blinked and focused on her surroundings.

Ebal placed his arm around her shoulders and turned her slowly toward the sounds of raucous merriment. They stood on a dais above a massive sunken room. Above them, clouds drifted across the hazy blue sky. A fountain burbled in the middle of the chamber. A statue in the shape of a man, with water spouting from his nipples, stood above the pool.

Sunlight glinted off the water. In the pool below the statue, orange, white, and golden fish swam in lazy circles. A low wall surrounded it. Painted murals of all manner of beings intertwined in various acts of love decorated the walls. Green birds with multi-colored plumage flitted from column to column. Their squawks and whistles added to the steady din of the party below them. Reika pulled free of Ebal’s grip and stepped away from him.

She was naked save for Lilith’s sword strapped to her back. Thick leather straps held it in place. Cold metal surrounded her wrists and ankles. She lifted her hands. Delicate silver chains clinked as she moved. Rage swelled in her chest. Never had she been so bound. Ebal’s smarmy smile at her discomfort stoked her fury. “Remove these at once, Ebal. And return my clothes.”

“No. Play along. I’ll remove them when it’s time for you to kill him. Shut up and let me work. I swear by all the old gods if you ruin this, I will find a way to end you.”

Reika lowered her chin to her chest and inhaled a long breath. She blew it out slowly, centering herself. She would not falter this time. Reika lifted her hands testing the length of the chains. She could reach the hilt of Lilith’s sword. Drawing would be possible, as would fighting. Her chains gave the illusion of full restraint but, like everything else about Ebal, were false. The sword of justice, nestled between her shoulder blades, would be hidden from Ebronah’s view.

Ebal’s forced smile did not reach his eyes as he gathered the center of her chains in his hand and tugged. Reika followed him across the dais. At the far end of the platform, Ebronah lay on a low couch with his robe open. Naked women and men attended him with their hands and mouths. His eyes were closed, a blissful expression on his face. Wine cups and flasks on their sides littered the floor around the couch.

Reika studied the setting. Sweet-scented smoke of the starlight lily drifted to her from the center of the room. Overflowing tables of fruit and haunches of meat were set about the chamber. Attendants moved about, scurrying to refill platters as soon as they were emptied.

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.