Tower of Time (Island of Fog Book 12) by Keith Robinson

Author:Keith Robinson [Robinson, Keith]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Unearthly Tales
Published: 2020-05-14T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Scarlett

A man’s deep voice boomed from inside. “Enter.”

Scarlett twisted the knob, pushed the door open, and stepped inside.

Hal tiptoed forward, aware that he made faint scuffling sounds. The others spread around him producing similar noises. Overall, it probably sounded no different than a sudden gentle breeze through the woods.

They crammed in the doorway, vying to see into the darkness. A man sat in a rocking chair, easing back and forth, smoking a pipe. Though the cabin was heavily shadowed, Hal could tell the man was a brute with hair as blond as his daughter’s and just as long, pulled back and tied low on the back of his head. He had a bushy beard with flecks of grey around the chin.

He wore thick leather on his arms, with a chainmail vest covering his shoulders and torso. Bits of curved metal armor lay discarded on the floor around him where he must have torn it off just before throwing himself down in his rocker. He looked weary.

“You ready, girl?” he growled.

Scarlett nodded.

The man grunted. “Good. Cuz I ain’t doing that again. Getting too old for battle.”

“Where is it?” Scarlett said, sounding fearful.

“Back yonder. It ain’t going nowhere yet. But it’ll wake soon, and if the job ain’t done by then, then it ain’t gonna get done. What took you so long?”

“I had to fetch some firewood for Mama.”

“Hmm.”

“She thinks you’re teaching me to fish, Papa.”

The man barked a laugh. “Ha! Yup, I kinda am—but we ain’t fishing for fish.” He gripped the arms of the chair and heaved himself up with a groan. “Getting too old for battle,” he said again, this time under his breath.

Kicking aside a bloody sword, he headed for the door. Scarlett hurriedly stepped back as the huge man ducked under the door frame and into the daylight. Hal and the others backed up as well.

‘Papa’ had to be a soldier. He would look perfectly at home on a battlefield and pretty much nowhere else. He even had a scar running down his forehead—and another on the side of his neck.

As Scarlett joined him, Hal could see where she got her height and determined expression. The two were clearly father and daughter.

He gripped her shoulder, and she winced. “I can’t help with this. It has to be you. And not with that knife of yours. That ain’t the witch’s way. You have to do it with magic if you’re gonna be a real witch. Understand?”

“I know, Papa.”

“Prove it, girl. Show me how strong you are. Show me you can stand up to your mother.” He leaned closer. “It’s you and me, Scarlett. You and me. Your mother don’t want me around the house no more, and I ain’t got magic powers like she does. You hear? I need you, Scarlett. I need you by me side.”

Scarlett nodded and swallowed. “If I can do this, I’ll have the power of fire at my fingertips. She won’t dare hurt you if I have that sort of power.”

“But only if you do it right,” he insisted.

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