[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
this many skiths. This is an attack. An organized one. Even I
know this many skiths don t just appear on their own. Especially not this far
north.
Nico had to acknowledge she was right. Someone had herded these skiths to
attack the Jinnfaire. The
people on the ground were mostly defenseless against such fierce creatures.
Only dragons could adequately defend against an army of skiths, with their
fire. It was the one thing skiths were afraid of.
But the Jinn claimed there were black dragons among them. Perhaps there would
be enough to defend the huge number of people at the
Jinnfaire. He wasn t sure, but it really was their only shot.
Nico, you have to help them!
I don t want to leave you.
But you have to. You must.
Nico sighed with resignation. He knew what he had to do.
You re right.
Nico flew in a circle above Riki for a moment more, wishing he could kiss her,
knowing he couldn t.
Stay right there, sweetheart. Don t move a muscle. You should be safe from the
skiths where you are, so don t try to go anywhere else, all right?
Page 86
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Believe me, I won t move an inch. I m still shaking too badly, for one thing.
Her little chuckle carried through her thoughts. Sweet Mother!
How he loved this woman.
All right. I ll be back as soon as possible, with help. Stay right where you
are and remember that I love you more than anything in this world.
His thoughts softened as he turned to wing away toward the Jinn encampment.
Without you, I m lost, Riki. Stay safe for me, my dearest love.
I love you too, Nico. Warn the people, then hurry back to me.
Riki sat in the tree, content to be safe for the moment from the spitting
skiths so far below. Most had given up on her, but a few still lingered at the
base of her tree, keeping her penned. The rest were moving steadily toward the
Jinn encampment and that worried her. Those people had little to defend
themselves against such a massive incursion of the deadly creatures.
But they claimed to have a few dragons among their number. She d seen one
already when Estella changed right in front of her. So they had some
protection, at least. They would probably need Riki s healing skills when it
was over though. People and dragons were sure to be injured and would do all
she could to help heal them. They d been so kind to her, she wanted to help
them in return.
Is that you, little witch?
A sickening, slithering voice sounded through her mind in a perversion of the
way she communicated with Nico. Riki looked around for the source of the
voice. Someone was watching her. Fear skittered through her already
adrenaline-charged body.
Come, little witch.
She would swear it was Lucan s voice.
Come home to me, little witch, or my brothers will sever your head and eat
your entrails.
She felt the anger rising with the words, but where were they coming from?
Lucan was nowhere to be seen. In fact, she couldn t see one single human
within range of her high perch. The only living things left in the area were
skiths. All the animals had fled before the evil creatures or been eaten.
Then Riki noticed one skith in particular seemed to be watching her. The
others slithered around below the tree in a mass of scaly flesh, but this one
stood apart, its slitted eyes trained on her. It made her skin crawl.
This was where the voice originated. Could Lucan somehow channel his thoughts
through the skiths? The idea was terrifying, but it explained why these skiths
were so far north and why they were heading en masse toward the Jinn
encampment without a single human soldier driving them.
Lucan was controlling the skiths.
It was the only explanation.
Loralie had warned of this, in her oblique way, all those months ago.
She d told Lucan, in Riki s presence, how he might discover a way to
communicate with and control the creatures with which he was blending his
essence. Lucan had crowed in delight at the thought, but Riki had always felt
the significant look Loralie gave her was meant as a sort of warning.
She hadn t understood it at the time, but many things she d seen and heard
back then, were starting to make a horrific sort of sense.
Lucan could not only control the skiths, but he could see through their eyes.
And he d found her. He knew exactly where she was. Panic set in until she
realized she was well and truly stuck in this tree. To move was suicide. To
stay was even worse. Lucan would send his men to recapture her and who knows
Page 87
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
what tortures he would think up when he finally had her back in his control.
Despair washed over her. The only choice she had left was how she
would die. Should she wait to be recaptured and let Lucan kill her by slow
degrees over the course of what could easily be years? Or should she jump and
end it quick, letting a skith sever her head?
Anger rose up to smother the fear Lucan struck in her soul. There was another
choice.
Defiance.
And this time she wasn t alone. Nico would help her. He would return for her
any moment, and the Jinn had promised their aid as well. She could do this.
She could stand up to Lucan for the first time in her life, and she knew there
would be others standing with her, if she needed them. She wasn t alone
anymore.
Damn you! she screamed at the evil creature. Damn you to the seven hells
and back again!
Anger bubbled up and with it came the heat and fire of the dragon. Never
before had it been so close to the surface, though she recognized it as the
power that had lain dormant in her soul all her life. Only now, she could tap
into it.
Riki reveled in the fire, letting the power bathe her soul in its purity.
Renewed, she opened her eyes and pointed to the skith.
Flames shot from her outstretched hand, shocking her. But it felt right.
The flame was real enough, but it did not burn her, for it was her, part of
of her very soul.
Calling on the fire of her dragon nature, Riki poured all she had into the
flame, sending it to the skith through which Lucan watched, reveling in its
screams of death.
The other skiths scattered, slithering away from the flame that burned pure
and hot. This was magical flame and it consumed only the skith, leaving the
forest around it unburned.
Riki felt triumph rage through her. She d just killed a creature that should
never have lived in the first place. For some reason, that knowledge made her
feel good, though she d never taken a life before. Riki had been taught as a
child that all life was sacred, but she d learned the hard way some things
were too evil to live.
Lucan was one of those. Skiths were another.
Killing the skith didn t fill her with the dread she expected. Instead, she
felt& not exactly happy& but rather, justified. She felt the rightness of her
actions and would shed no tears over it.
Skiths were just& wrong. She felt it in her soul. They didn t belong to this
world and should never have been created.
That was it. That s the secret knowledge that clicked into place, though she
had no idea how she knew it. Skiths were no creatures of nature. No, they d
been created by wizards, and evil wizards at that.
Riki didn t know where the knowledge came from, but she didn t question it. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl akte20.pev.pl
this many skiths. This is an attack. An organized one. Even I
know this many skiths don t just appear on their own. Especially not this far
north.
Nico had to acknowledge she was right. Someone had herded these skiths to
attack the Jinnfaire. The
people on the ground were mostly defenseless against such fierce creatures.
Only dragons could adequately defend against an army of skiths, with their
fire. It was the one thing skiths were afraid of.
But the Jinn claimed there were black dragons among them. Perhaps there would
be enough to defend the huge number of people at the
Jinnfaire. He wasn t sure, but it really was their only shot.
Nico, you have to help them!
I don t want to leave you.
But you have to. You must.
Nico sighed with resignation. He knew what he had to do.
You re right.
Nico flew in a circle above Riki for a moment more, wishing he could kiss her,
knowing he couldn t.
Stay right there, sweetheart. Don t move a muscle. You should be safe from the
skiths where you are, so don t try to go anywhere else, all right?
Page 86
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Believe me, I won t move an inch. I m still shaking too badly, for one thing.
Her little chuckle carried through her thoughts. Sweet Mother!
How he loved this woman.
All right. I ll be back as soon as possible, with help. Stay right where you
are and remember that I love you more than anything in this world.
His thoughts softened as he turned to wing away toward the Jinn encampment.
Without you, I m lost, Riki. Stay safe for me, my dearest love.
I love you too, Nico. Warn the people, then hurry back to me.
Riki sat in the tree, content to be safe for the moment from the spitting
skiths so far below. Most had given up on her, but a few still lingered at the
base of her tree, keeping her penned. The rest were moving steadily toward the
Jinn encampment and that worried her. Those people had little to defend
themselves against such a massive incursion of the deadly creatures.
But they claimed to have a few dragons among their number. She d seen one
already when Estella changed right in front of her. So they had some
protection, at least. They would probably need Riki s healing skills when it
was over though. People and dragons were sure to be injured and would do all
she could to help heal them. They d been so kind to her, she wanted to help
them in return.
Is that you, little witch?
A sickening, slithering voice sounded through her mind in a perversion of the
way she communicated with Nico. Riki looked around for the source of the
voice. Someone was watching her. Fear skittered through her already
adrenaline-charged body.
Come, little witch.
She would swear it was Lucan s voice.
Come home to me, little witch, or my brothers will sever your head and eat
your entrails.
She felt the anger rising with the words, but where were they coming from?
Lucan was nowhere to be seen. In fact, she couldn t see one single human
within range of her high perch. The only living things left in the area were
skiths. All the animals had fled before the evil creatures or been eaten.
Then Riki noticed one skith in particular seemed to be watching her. The
others slithered around below the tree in a mass of scaly flesh, but this one
stood apart, its slitted eyes trained on her. It made her skin crawl.
This was where the voice originated. Could Lucan somehow channel his thoughts
through the skiths? The idea was terrifying, but it explained why these skiths
were so far north and why they were heading en masse toward the Jinn
encampment without a single human soldier driving them.
Lucan was controlling the skiths.
It was the only explanation.
Loralie had warned of this, in her oblique way, all those months ago.
She d told Lucan, in Riki s presence, how he might discover a way to
communicate with and control the creatures with which he was blending his
essence. Lucan had crowed in delight at the thought, but Riki had always felt
the significant look Loralie gave her was meant as a sort of warning.
She hadn t understood it at the time, but many things she d seen and heard
back then, were starting to make a horrific sort of sense.
Lucan could not only control the skiths, but he could see through their eyes.
And he d found her. He knew exactly where she was. Panic set in until she
realized she was well and truly stuck in this tree. To move was suicide. To
stay was even worse. Lucan would send his men to recapture her and who knows
Page 87
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
what tortures he would think up when he finally had her back in his control.
Despair washed over her. The only choice she had left was how she
would die. Should she wait to be recaptured and let Lucan kill her by slow
degrees over the course of what could easily be years? Or should she jump and
end it quick, letting a skith sever her head?
Anger rose up to smother the fear Lucan struck in her soul. There was another
choice.
Defiance.
And this time she wasn t alone. Nico would help her. He would return for her
any moment, and the Jinn had promised their aid as well. She could do this.
She could stand up to Lucan for the first time in her life, and she knew there
would be others standing with her, if she needed them. She wasn t alone
anymore.
Damn you! she screamed at the evil creature. Damn you to the seven hells
and back again!
Anger bubbled up and with it came the heat and fire of the dragon. Never
before had it been so close to the surface, though she recognized it as the
power that had lain dormant in her soul all her life. Only now, she could tap
into it.
Riki reveled in the fire, letting the power bathe her soul in its purity.
Renewed, she opened her eyes and pointed to the skith.
Flames shot from her outstretched hand, shocking her. But it felt right.
The flame was real enough, but it did not burn her, for it was her, part of
of her very soul.
Calling on the fire of her dragon nature, Riki poured all she had into the
flame, sending it to the skith through which Lucan watched, reveling in its
screams of death.
The other skiths scattered, slithering away from the flame that burned pure
and hot. This was magical flame and it consumed only the skith, leaving the
forest around it unburned.
Riki felt triumph rage through her. She d just killed a creature that should
never have lived in the first place. For some reason, that knowledge made her
feel good, though she d never taken a life before. Riki had been taught as a
child that all life was sacred, but she d learned the hard way some things
were too evil to live.
Lucan was one of those. Skiths were another.
Killing the skith didn t fill her with the dread she expected. Instead, she
felt& not exactly happy& but rather, justified. She felt the rightness of her
actions and would shed no tears over it.
Skiths were just& wrong. She felt it in her soul. They didn t belong to this
world and should never have been created.
That was it. That s the secret knowledge that clicked into place, though she
had no idea how she knew it. Skiths were no creatures of nature. No, they d
been created by wizards, and evil wizards at that.
Riki didn t know where the knowledge came from, but she didn t question it. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]