The Unforgiven by A. Katie Rose

Author:A. Katie Rose
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, terrorism, prophecy, shapeshifter, minotaurs, centaurs, magic adventure, novel epic saga, witch and magic, adventure action fantasy
Publisher: A. Katie Rose

CHAPTER 10

Dra’agor

Outsmarted. Defeated. Again.

Vanyar and Princess Yummy galloped out of the river valley, and out of my sight, leaving their dead mounts behind. Ducking into a canyon half-hidden by a thicket, he carried her on his broad Centaur back into the jagged mountains. Escaped. Gone. Just like that. Damn. That boy was good.

Blaez’s outraged shriek in my ear deflated my admiration of Vanyar. “You let them escape? You fool! How could you let them escape?”

I sighed, rubbed my ear, and tried unsuccessfully to quell the nausea rising in my belly. The magic powers I used, and especially the evil I conjured up from hell itself, gave rise to the sickness I learned to associate with the boy’s sacrifice. Squinting down into the gloaming, I tried to recall exactly how I conjured the damned thing. I seemed to remember the incantation coming to me, as though someone stood beside me and breathed it into my ear.

No matter. It’s here and it’ll kill Malik and his surviving Atani. Malik. Another weird story, I thought, frowning. I know, I know, the river broke him into pieces. Vanyar may have dragged him up before he drowned, but no, and I mean no creature could survive the river falling on him. No matter how strong a beast he was.

Conquering his mind wasn’t easy. I only survived the task because I took him completely by surprise. A very old spell, one long forbidden by the Great Elders before the ancient Mage Wars, rose to my hand. I don’t know where it came from, but I used it just the same. I entered his consciousness with all the stealth of a silent bat winging onto its brainless prey. My will overpowered his. He started up in alarm, but my stolen magic forced him into subservience. He recognized me and what I was there for: his death. He was powerless to prevent it, however.

I told him to stand in the river, and he obeyed me. When Van sought to intervene, I clenched down on my will. Stand, I commanded. You will do as I say. Stand in the river. Let none convince you to move. That he obeyed me, that the spell worked, shocked me to my core. Might this work on my father? Imagine the possibilities.

Once inside and in control, I found Malik not just intelligent, but that he possessed a mind as great, if not greater, than many of our geniuses. In strict, disciplinary control of himself, he owned no thoughts that ran counter to honor, loyalty, compassion and a high-regard for King and country.

Malik stood for everything I didn’t, and despised all I stood for. Who was the better man? Malik certainly. But, folks, who was alive and free, and who looked to become demon dinner? I glanced, uncaring, down at the sight of Malik and his pals fighting my monster, and stroked my finger down the scar on my cheek. I owe you that one, Malik, may you rot in hell forever.

Turning away, I tried not to hurl what little lay in my belly.

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.