The Final Redemption by Michael Manning (little red riding hood ebook free .txt) 📕

and practical woman, I could hardlysee anyone pinning such a name on her. “And she allows this?” Iasked.

“They do not do it in front of her.She still insists on being addressed as a princess, since there hasbeen no coronation,” explained Karenth. “I cannot confirm thispersonally, but your wife received word from home that LancasterCastle has been sacked and burned. They were hoping for assistance,or at the very least help from the Prathions. To the best of ourknowledge, they have retreated to Castle Cameron.”

“What about Roland?”

“No one has seen him since the attackon Lancaster. He is presumed dead,” Karenth answered.

A variety of feelings passed faintlythrough me, sorrow, irritation, and a vague sense of anger. Foronce it seemed an advantage having my emotions muted, but I knewthere would be a reckoning the next time they returned to theirnormal levels.

“How many of the Knights of Stone arein Albamarl?”

“Just Egan, Cyhan and Dorian, butCyhan is unable to fight,” he replied.

That was my fault, of course. Istepped forward, approaching the front door of what had once beenmy house, or Mordecai’s house, depending on how you looked atthings. It was too confusing for me to keep thinking about it inthose terms.

I knocked, just as any well-manneredstranger should. Now that my questions had been answered, the magicbinding me was pushing me forward. It wouldn’t allow for anyunnecessary delays.

I waited for a minute andknocked again, hoping someone would answer. If not I might beforced to destroy the house to get inside. With the power takenfrom Karenth and an additional portion I had siphoned from theGod-Stone, I had no doubt about my ability to do so.Or I could just use a circle. The thought seemed strange for a moment, and yet I wonderedwhy it hadn’t occurred to me first.

“What do you want?”

The voice on the other side of thedoor was deep and masculine. My senses couldn’t penetrate theenchanted door, but my ears easily identified my childhood friend.Dorian was on the other side. “I am here to retrieve the She’Harwoman. I need you to let me in.”

“You aren’t welcome here. I know whoyou are,” said Dorian.

“I am Brexus,” I responded, using thename I had given before. I wondered if my daughter had shared whatMoira Centyr had told her when we departed last time.

“You can call yourself whatever thehell you want. I’m not letting you in this house,” said my stalwartfriend.

My mind was racing, but the answers itprovided weren’t helpful. “If you don’t open the door soon, I’ll beforced to break it, and there’s no delicate way to do that. Thoseyou are protecting might be injured or killed.”

“You’re bluffing,” he replied. “Eventhe Dark Gods have been unable to force their wayinside.”

“Don’t force my hand,Dorian,” I told him, clenching my hands into fists. SimultaneouslyI was gathering my will, and the words were already on the tip ofmy tongue. Whether I wanted to or not, I was about to destroy thefront of the house, and the effort would probably injure many ofthose within. Something deep within pulsed, No! Don’t do this! While I agreedwith the sentiment, it seemed foreign, as if it had come fromsomeone else. It also held a lot more implicit emotion than Icurrently had.

My hands came up to shoulder level,pointing outward, toward the door. They seemed to move of their ownvolition. Time was up, whether I wanted to wait or not.

The door opened. Dorian stood aside,one hand on the handle. He wore his full plate armor, but the helmwas under his arm. Instead, he wore a scowl on his face, and hiseyes were focused so intently that I’m sure if I had been moresensitive at the time, they might have burned holes throughme.

“Mind your manners, Dorian. He isn’twhat you think,” said an older woman’s voice from behind him. EliseThornbear stood behind her son. She looked tired, and for the firsttime, truly old. Her eyes were red and her skin sagged, where itwasn’t puffy from bruising.

What had happened toher? thought my mind, but my mouth wasmore practical. “The truth is complicated, but I am dangerousDorian. You can’t trust me at this point. Your best option is tolet me have what I want and send me on my way.”

Gareth Gaelyn was still a massivedragon and didn’t bother trying to pass the door, but everyone’seyes looked curiously at the woman who entered behind me. None ofthem recognized the Stone Lady now that she was flesh andblood—except for one.

“Mother?” said my young daughter. “Isthat really you?”

I walked past her without pause,heading for the stone sarcophagus that still remained in the hallbetween the anteroom and the kitchen. My body was unable to wait,but my magesight was firmly fixed upon Moira Centyr. Her face helda curious expression, as though she might cry but had forgottenhow.

“I told you, little one, I am notreally your mother. I am just her shadow,” answered Moira Centyr,but she put her arms around her daughter nonetheless. Her eyes werebright with welling tears.

My daughter turned her head to look atme over Moira’s shoulder, “Someone else told me that too, but Idon’t think either of you really understand. You’re a mother inevery way that matters. I’ll claim you if I want.”

Penny approached them carefully,listening to their words, a look of wonder on her face. “Are youreally her?” she asked. A man I didn’t recognize stood behindher.

Our daughter drew her in with onehand. “It really is her, Momma. This was the StoneLady.”

Their tearful reunion would have tornat my heartstrings, if they hadn’t been wrapped in heavy wool. Onceagain I was grateful for my near lack of emotion. Stretching out mygauntleted hand I spoke a word and lifted the heavy stone box thatheld Lyralliantha. It probably weighed several thousand pounds, butin my current state it might as well have been a feather.Levitating it seemed as easy as breathing had once been.

All eyes were on me as Iignored them and proceeded to maneuver Lyra toward the door. EvenMatthew had appeared, watching me from the hall. I couldn’t be surewhat Elise Thornbear or my daughter might have told them, but hisintense gaze made it clear that he thought