Gypsy Legends by D.A. McGrath

Author:D.A. McGrath
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: shapeshifter, coming of age, preteen, survival stories, superhero, paranormal, multicultural
Publisher: D.A. McGrath
Published: 2018-12-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Two men stand in the corridor outside the basement door. They look exhausted – and extremely grumpy.

“Hurry up,” one of the men says to his comrade, who is wiggling the key in the lock. The man grumbles something under his breath before yanking at the key. The door opens. The two men drag their latest victim, an unconscious mongrel, into the dark basement then leave quickly before it can wake – or any of the other dogs inside can react. Locking the door, they stride along the corridor and up the stairs. The temperature rises as they enter the ground floor. The brightness of the well-lit foyer makes them blink after the gloom of the cellar. The butler is waiting for them.

“He wants to see you both,” the butler says and the men nod reluctantly. They follow the butler up a grand staircase to a heavyset door that leads to his office. The butler knocks on the door.

“Come,” says a voice from inside. The men repress a shudder of fear as the butler opens the door and steps back to let them enter. They step through. The door is closed behind them. Tentatively, they approach their lord, Danior. He’s standing at the window, gazing out at the view. He turns towards them as they approach.

“You brought another specimen?” he asks.

The men nod.

“Is it ... promising?”

“This one fought hard,” replies one of the men. “He almost got away.”

“Hmm,” replies Danior.

The men swallow nervously.

“So, we don’t know for sure whether we have him?”

The men glance at each other. They’re not sure whether an answer is expected. The silence lengthens. Danior glares at the men. He knows they’re frightened of him and he’s enjoying their discomfort. But time is of the essence. Plans have been in place for months, every action leading up to this. Tomorrow, I will strike against the council, and I can’t afford for anyone to get in my way.

“Call Simon,” Danior says. “We’ll do the ceremony this evening.”

The men nod eagerly and turn for the door. After they’ve left, Danior settles into an ornate chair. He’s so close to achieving his life-long dream he can almost taste it. Excitement builds inside him. This time tomorrow, I’ll be master of the Gypsies. I’ll turn them into a force to be reckoned with. I’ll bring us back to our former glory, when outsiders feared and respected us. I’ll make us strong, rich and powerful – all the things we deserve after hundreds of years of persecution. His mind drifts back to where it all started, on his grandfather’s deathbed. Purodad’s shallow breaths rattled through his chest. He shook with weakness. “Remember, chavo, remember what I taught you. Never forget.”

These had been his last words to Danior. And Danior had never forgotten. Even though he’d been only six years old, he remembered the beating his grandfather had taken at the hands of the gaujos. How the men had taunted Danior when he tried to protect his purodad. How his grandfather had never been the same afterwards.

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