AllFreeNovel
Share Us
To be completely honest, there was some family resemblance with Honor. But I thought she always looked charming when she was wicked.
Kallus’s general ducked through the flaps, straightened, only to immediately bow low. Soot and blood streaked his clothes.
“You look like hell, Caris,” Kallus said.
“You may have underestimated the people of the isle. Even without their magic.” Caris ripped off the light armor he wore and winced at a blood-soaked gouge at his shoulder, with the stub of a broken-off arrow protruding. He sank cross-legged to the floor and began to work the arrow out of the wound.
“Well, youareburning their towns and slaughtering their livestock…and occasionally their children. They’re apt to wage quite the resistance.” Kallus sounded amused. To me, he added, “I don’t interfere with how he works. He’s effective. But I don’t entirely approve.”
“I follow your orders. You want the isle subdued.” Caris finally wrenched the arrow loose. Up close, he looked younger than I’d assumed he was during the battle. His hair was drenched with sweat. “And I only murder their children if they resist.”
He sounded as if he thought it was reasonable.
Caris glanced at me, and as recognition lit in his eyes, a slow grin spread across his face. It was the crazed look that it seemed the isle was rapidly becoming familiar with, and it completely changed his appearance.
“You captured the Scourge King,” Caris sounded delighted. He put his hand over the wound, then winced as a gray fog of magic spread across his shoulder. “So will Ebba be sufficiently happy with his magic?”
“His magic is drained, Caris. That’s why he’s tied to a chair. Otherwise nothing could hold him.”
“Ah.” Caris shook off the gray fog and rose to his feet. “Cat got his tongue? I’m sure he’s got some interesting stories.”
“He’s irrelevant now. For once in his life, the Scourge king can only listen. No more of his so-called wit.”
There was something Kallus was trying to tell me. He thought there was something I could learn if I listened. But… why?
Did he think Icouldhelp Honor? Was that why he had called me unworthy?
And….after everything…did Kallus still intend to help Honor?
“Then you won’t mind if I play with him.”
Kallus shrugged. “Go ahead. But don’t take much time…”
“My troops are clearing a path to Rylow for us,” Caris promised him. “There will be no buildings or trees left to block your way—you’ll have an easy walk.”
“Then go ahead.” Kallus fluttered his hand full of wings at Caris.
When Kallus walked away, Caris fixed me with that crazed grin.
“What do you want to know?” I rasped.
“Whatever you want to tell me,” he said. “I’ll tell you when to stop.”
He raised his hand, and gray fog swirled around his hand. Then it floated across the air to me. I pressed my lips tightly closed as it swirled around my face, until my head grew light. Finally I couldn’t force my body anyway and I breathed it. The mist drove inside my nose and mouth, choking me. I tried to bring my hands up, but they were strapped behind me. I yanked the chair up with the force of my movements, the legs of the chair slamming into the ground over and over.
He shook his hand, and the mist cleared. “Tell me something good,” he said. “You had some of Ebba’s magic too, right?”
* * *
My head ached.Consciousness came back to me slowly, and I resisted it the entire time. In the dark, nothing could touch me.
In the dark, I dreamed of Honor.
But when I blinked my eyes open, Kallus’s shoes were paused in front of my face. He crouched down into my line of sight.
“Pathetic,” Kallus muttered. “I had hoped it was a trick. That you all still had magic. But you wouldn’t have let Caris take you that close to the edge of death…”
I tried to speak but my voice came out a rasp. My throat was too raw to speak.
