Thorne's Conquest by Matthew Cuthbert

Author:Matthew Cuthbert
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9781527247505
Published: 2019-10-12T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

“Now that,” began the tall, beautiful creature who came out from the darkness towards Barros’ weakening body, “was beautiful.” Barros did not have the energy to reply; her voice was cold, malevolent, yet with a clarity and power that reminded him of Thorne. He did not have the energy to be afraid- he had almost no energy at all. He closed his eyes, thought about sleeping, letting go, surrendering to the Aether. “No, no, no, we can’t be having that,” she said reaching out her arm and placing her icy hands on Barros’ bare chest. He felt her fingers on his soul as she worked to preserve the flicker of life in his body. He felt it grow as she lent him a strangely hollow energy, like a magic that grew and perpetuated itself from nothingness. It was oddly comforting: he almost felt dead, but with none of those terrible side-effects. “Better?” She queried in a thin, but mellifluous voice. Barros still did not have the energy to reply, he only managed a slight nod. “I must say that was a mighty display of magic: the teleportation, the self-healing. It was all rather spectacular, and those screams- utterly delightful!” Barros was rather confused.

“You?” He coughed, his broken ribs still aching. He tried to reach out to her with his mind instead. You were there?

“Oh yes. I was watching you from just up there.” She pointed to a black cloud clinging to the spire. “Very entertaining.”

How...? Why did you-

“Oh it’s rather simple you see. I can fly, and I enjoy watching little people suffer. You provided me with an excellent opportunity to do both. And I must say, terribly well done. Bravo sir, bravo!”

Why help me now? Why not-

“Leave you to die? No, no, can’t be having that- far too many people dying at the moment. You’re actually the only thing keeping me from being properly dead.”

Properly?

“Well, I can’t exactly call myself alive, now can I? But I understand- this is all so new to you. I’m not, as you mortals would say, ‘from around here.’”

Where-

“Somewhere cold and dull and awfully dark most of the time. Still, can’t complain. The sun does awful things for my complexion.”

Barros was thoughtless for a moment as his mind gave up trying to understand- she was a hallucination, nothing more, a thought of his dying mind as he was lost to the Aether. She slapped him.

“How dare you! I am as real as you, child, and you will show me the respect of acknowledging my existence.” She seemed genuinely upset. He still did not understand. She sighed. “I am sorry, I realise that it’s not very nice to hit a dying man, but I did just save your life, so I feel like I was allowed that little luxury. Now, as for stopping you die again, I am afraid there is little I can do. Blood is not really my specialty and you don’t seem to have very much left, dear.”

What you did before… I can make my own blood if you do it again.

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