AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Lord Cole pulled on a rope in the
corner of the room. The chimes of a bell echoed through the air. He’s calling for help.
Arnolo came at Mara again, teeth gritted and hate-filled eyes. A truncheon spun in circles as it left Arnolo’s hand. Mara had time to think about catching it, but ducked instead, slipped the swing of the next truncheon, and passed close to Arnolo, first running the blade underneath his armpit, then stabbing him in the back three times.
Arnolo kept coming, and Mara continued to dodge and stab the big man until he eventually dropped to one knee.
Arnolo looked at his blood-soaked hands, then at Mara. “What are you?” he whispered.
Mara leant into Arnolo’s bloody ear. “Death.” Then stepped away as Arnolo slumped to the floor.
“Help!” Lord Cole shouted again and again from the corner.
Mara took his time walking to Lord Cole.
Lord Cole dropped to his knees. “Please, spare me. The king. It was the king. He wants the Shadows stopped. He wants their power… their control of things… to save the city. I was following orders to have you detained. I did not wish you any harm.”
Mara smiled. “You cannot harm me. Nobody can, not anymore.”
Lord Cole rocked back onto his arse and shuffled into the corner. “Please, all the gold in the city. It is yours, all yours. My children, I have children. A wife. Allow me to take them from this place. I will never return.”
Mara stepped back. “Stand up.”
Lord Cole wiped at his teary eyes and struggled to his feet. “I… I am eternally grateful… I –”
“The window.”
“I… I don’t understand.”
“Go to the window.”
Lord Cole coughed and snorted as he walked to the window. “Please… I –”
“Fly. Fly to your children.”
“Please. Anything, I will give you anything.”
The Beast stepped past Mara and placed a hand on Lord Cole’s outstretched arm. Lord Cole’s face wrinkled up, fresh tears leaking from his eyes. He turned, climbed onto the stone ledge below the window, then without another word, he jumped.
Mara looked out at the blue sky, the forest in the distance, and the mountains beyond that. No one would bother him there. I’ll be alone. He stepped forward to look down. A crowd had gathered around Lord Cole, some of them pointing up at Mara.
Mara imagined chaos, people fighting, stealing, burning, and killing. He looked toward the Wane compound. I will free them. Chaos. All the people will suffer. Like I did. They all deserve to suffer.
He looked back toward the wild. Somewhere deep inside Mara, a voice called out to him. It told him to leave now, to be alone. It was the old him, Scab. He didn’t want to hurt anyone, only help them. Nobody ever helped me. He pushed the voice away. “These people had their chance.”
Silas followed dark spots of meat blood along a damp candlelit corridor. There was muffled conversation ahead, along with what had to be the thumps of a cleaver chopping meat.
He reached a closed door. He’d have to open it to follow the blood trail or take the stairs to his right. He couldn’t risk being seen, especially without a disguise. The stairs it is.
The stairs were steep and tight, and at the top, he found another closed door. He paused. There was a noise in the distance. A party? These rich folk love them.
He slowly opened the slightest gap in the door. Nothing. Just a brightly lit corridor lined with random pieces of garish art and furniture. He looked at his black clothes. He’d stick out like a sore thumb if anyone saw him. He listened hard. Muffled shouts came from above, nothing close by.
He slipped into the corridor, pretty much halfway along it. Unlike most, Talon’s prison was found at the top of the castle, rather than a dungeon setting. He headed right toward the upward stairs.
The clinking of armoured footfall at speed came up the stairs behind Silas. With no choice, he entered the first door he saw. A much-needed stroke of luck saw it to be an empty library.
Ear pressed to the door, it sounded like at least four of them, panting as they jogged. He looked out. The guards’ polished armour looked like it had never seen a day’s combat. They turned left at the end of the corridor. Silas followed, heart pounding. If anyone came out of a door while he was out in the open, he’d have to kill them. No more blood, please.
