The Scarlet Thread (Fated Destruction Book 1) by D.S. Murphy

Author:D.S. Murphy [Murphy, D.S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: k'12
Publisher: Urban Epics
Published: 2016-02-28T16:00:00+00:00

14

“It’s okay,” Sitri said, putting his palm on my shoulder. “He’s a torch. Sorry, I should have prepared you better for that. They’re on our side. You’ll see more—they’ll be on the perimeter.”

I could see now that the man wasn’t Puriel, though he could have passed for his brother. His tattoos were covered by scars that looked like they’d been seared into his flesh.

“What are they?” I asked, trying to keep my voice level. “Where do they come from?”

“They used to be hunters. Part of Zeus’s private army. When Zeus ordered them to kill his own family, the immortals and other supernatural beings, some refused.”

“Actually, that’s not right,” Sam said. “They didn’t even get a chance to refuse. That would take a deliberate, conscious choice. All they had to do was hesitate. If they don’t immediately obey every command from Zeus, without question, they get cast off. It’s like a self-destruct mechanism built into Zeus’s army. They ignite, and separate from his power.”

“Why call them torches?” I asked.

“When they first fell,” Sitri said, “there were thousands of them, falling like shooting stars, burning through the night sky. It looked like the sky was burning, and the whole world was filled with their screams. It was… a singularly unforgettable experience. Able gave them refuge. They mostly live in caves underneath Nevah.”

“But they’re on our side now?” I asked.

“Basically. Or at least, they aren’t against us.”

“Not all of them will fight to protect us,” Sam said, “and some just wallow in self-pity. I suspect, if Zeus offered them a chance to come back, to be restored… some of them would take it.”

“But then, they’re dangerous. Why let them into Nevah at all?”

“That’s the argument. Mist wants to execute all of them, as prisoners of war. Able thinks they’re harmless. They were made with Zeus’s energy, so they don’t age, but they also can’t draw on more energy, which makes them weak. Weak, compared to Able. They’re still worth ten or twenty men in battle, and half as strong as a hunter. Even if only a handful of torches fight with us, it can make a difference. A torch can play defense and keep a hunter busy for an hour. At least that’s the argument Able used the last time we brought it up. But ultimately, it’s his decision.”

“A few have lost their will to live,” Sitri said, “and they’re depressing to be around. But many of them are eager to prove their worth and value. Perhaps especially because of the distrust they’ve been shown here.”

“They’re a little like dogs,” Sam said with a shrug. “They were made to serve. Without a master, they waste away.”

I saw Sitri’s muscles tense at the comment, and a dark look crossed his face, but he recovered quickly.

“This is Eligor,” Sitri introduced me when we reached the torch. From up close, I could see how the burn scars distorted the tattoos on his arms, forming grotesque, ghostly patches of ink and flesh. It looked like he’d put them in a barrel of acid.

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