The New Dark by Lorraine Thomson

Author:Lorraine Thomson [Thomson, Lorraine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-3-7325-3415-9
Publisher: Bastei Entertainment
Published: 2017-08-10T00:00:00+00:00

12.

Dark Passage

“A job well done, I say. What say you?”

Warm animal grease glistened on Peter’s chin as he spoke through a mouth of half-chewed meat. The candle-lit table set before him was laden with dishes, including a large platter containing the carcase of an animal Sorrel did not recognise.

The rest of the Free hunting party echoed his sentiment. The six of them were in a celebratory mood, congratulating themselves over and over as they retold the saving of Sorrel and the capture of the ferocious mutant who had taken her. She glanced at Einstein. He was still unconscious, his trussed-up body lying in the corner where he had been dragged and dropped.

The Free laughed as they egged each other on. In a matter of hours, the story had attained mythological status, the tale embellished with each telling of the fierce battle put up by the mutant monster and their bravery in overcoming him. All of this so that they may selflessly return a stolen bride to her bereft husband.

Sorrel watched and listened from the shadows at the edge of the room as the truth was turned on its head. So, this was how Martin was to save face and the Free were to save themselves. She looked down at the dish of food Peter had set on the stool beside her along with an order to eat. The bowl, made of some kind of hammered metal, contained a generous portion of thickly sliced meat carved from the carcase on the table and an assortment of greens and roots. There was easily enough for three people.

Dinawl was a place of many contrasts; there seemed to be a bountiful supply of food, yet in the streets she had seen faces hollowed out by the want of nourishment. Metal looked to be in plentiful supply, but everyone hungered for coin. Even Mara.

Sorrel could still not believe that her former friend had betrayed her and yet here she was.

Though she loathed the thought of obeying Peter’s order and the sight of the Free feasting did little for her appetite, Sorrel’s belly was empty and she did not know when she would get a chance to eat again. She picked at the meat, reluctantly at first, but the taste was so sweet she was soon delving in for more. She reminded herself that she had escaped from the Free before and she could do so again but she had to stay strong. And Einstein needed to wake up. What was wrong with him?

His eyes fluttered as she stared at him. She willed him to open them, to see her, see where they were. Did he understand anything of what had happened? The Free had shown no concern for him as they dragged him through the streets of Dinawl from the Black Boar to the inn where they were staying.

Her own protests had been brought to a sharp halt by a vicious slap from Peter, the blow hard enough to send her woozy for a moment.

“Don’t make me do it again.

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