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

“It gets better,” Moira informed him.“He is also the locus, the focal point for the shiggreth. Todestroy them completely we will have to destroy him.”

Penny flinched visibly at thatpronouncement, but Dorian spoke first, “Wait! He’s their leadernow?”

“That is my best guess,” she answered,“though I saw no direct evidence of it while I was withhim.”

“If he’s still Mordecai, or if he is acopy of Mordecai, shouldn’t he be helping us?” askedDorian.

“He may want to,” began Moira, “butthere are a couple of reasons why we shouldn’t put the same trustin him that you would in the man he once was.”

Penny broke in, “Dorian’s mother toldme that he helped a woman after he attacked her. That sounds to meas though he still retains some of his old self.”

“Let me explain,” said Moira. “TheShe’Har woman has modified the magic that sustains him. She’s boundhim to her will. While I don’t think her intentions are necessarilymalign, her priorities are different than ours. As you noticed, hevirtually ignored everyone here. He must satisfy her demands beforehis own. At the moment that means he must reunite her with herlover.”

“Is this the purpose you mentionedearlier?” said Stephen.

Moira nodded. “Exactly. Her goal,Mordecai’s first priority, is the rebirth of the She’Harrace.”

“The same race that nearly wiped usout two thousand years ago,” noted Penny. “The same race thatcreated Mal’goroth, who is still trying to finish thejob.”

“Remind me again. Why did we let himleave with her?” asked Dorian.

The twins had snuck back into the roomunnoticed. Moira Illeniel spoke up unexpectedly, “We couldn’t havestopped him. He’s more powerful than anything you can imaginenow.”

Dorian looked down at the small girl,“Lass, I’ve fought the things we used to call gods—up close andpersonal. I can imagine quite a bit.”

Penny’s daughter didn’t waver, “Takewhat you imagine, and multiply it.”

“Maybe he’ll take care of Mal’gorothfor us then,” suggested Stephen.

Moira Centyr grimaced, “I think that’swhat he wants, but he felt that Mal’goroth was at least an order ofmagnitude more powerful than anything he could hope to dealwith.”

Penny spoke, “This is all beside thepoint. We know that we’re facing something too powerful for us tofight. The question is whether we can trust Mordecai, orBrexus—whatever you want to call him.”

Dorian was gritting his teeth now. “Asmuch as I hate what’s become of him, Mother thinks we should trusthim. I’ve never gone wrong putting my faith in himbefore.”

“There is more you should know,” saidMoira Centyr. “There is a reason that only Centyr wizards were ableto create magically sentient minds. Those crafted by other familieswere invariably unstable. I was able to observe him up close forseveral days. His personality is eroding. We may be able to trusthis intentions now, but his sanity won’t last.”

Matthew spoke then, “You’re wrong!He’ll save us.”

Everyone turned to the boy speaking,pity and condescension in their eyes. All eyes but one pair; MoiraIlleniel stood beside her brother and added, “Don’t look at Matthewthat way. He’s right. I spoke with Daddy—in here.” She pointed toher forehead. “He won’t let us down.”

Stephen Balistair patted her gently,“Child, he isn’t your father anymore.”

“He is!” she growled, jerking her headaway.

Ariadne rose from her seat then. “Wewill not gain anything by arguing. A choice must be made, and itmust fall to me to decide. If Mordecai turns against us, all islikely to be lost. If he is with us, and we are mistrustful, he mayfail. Therefore we will trust him.” As she spoke her personalitychanged, and no one was left in any doubt about who actually spoke.It wasn’t Ariadne the woman, but the Queen of Lothion who hadpronounced her judgment.

Rose Thornbear stepped in with a trayof scones. She had missed the entire discussion, but her ears hadcaught Ariadne’s tone. “Did I miss something?” sheasked.

Dorian groaned. “I’ll catch you uplater Rose.”

She looked at himdoubtfully.

“What?” Dorian said.

“You always leave important thingsout, dear,” replied Rose sweetly. Her eyes turned instead to Pennyand Ariadne. “I’m sure the ladies will explain things morecompletely.”

Everyone laughed while Dorian frownedat her. “Have it your way,” he said grumpily.

***

Later that evening Rose found herhusband looking over his equipment in the bedroom. They hadreturned to the Illeniel house after he had escaped from thepalace. For obvious reasons it was one of the only truly safeplaces they could stay in the city.

He held his breastplate in one hand,examining it in the light.

“You haven’t even managed to scratchit yet,” she remarked. The breastplate was part of the armor thatMordecai had crafted to replace the set that had been destroyedwhen Dorian fought Karenth previously. “Is it really worth yourtime to go over it again and again, love?”

Dorian shrugged, “Old habits die hard.Better to be sure, than die from a mistaken assumption.”

Rose watched him silently for a fewminutes before broaching the topic that was bothering her. “Istonight really wise?”

Her husband had gotten as far asinspecting his great sword by that point. He set it aside and gaveher his full attention. “I doubt the word ‘wise’, really applies toanything that has occurred the past few days.”

Ariadne had planned a strike againstTremont’s troops during the dark hours before dawn. One of the mainbodies of the usurper’s mercenaries was currently occupying themain bailey that controlled the city’s east gate. Coincidentallythat was also the place traditionally occupied by the LordHightower, Rose’s father. No one had seen him since the takeover,although they had liberated some of his men at arms.

The soldiers who had been poisonedwere recovering, those who hadn’t been slain by the invaders.According to Elise, the poison used was meant to sicken andincapacitate rather than kill.

“You know what I’m asking,” shesaid.

“We’re still outnumbered at least fourto one, but we know the layout of the city’s defenses intimately,and we’re already inside the walls. If we wait Tremont willsolidify his hold on the city and be able to bring more troops tobear. Each day also increases the chance that he will find the safehouses where we’ve hidden what remains of our guardsmen. Once thathappens we’ll lose our ability to fight back,” explained Dorian.“Time is not on our side.”

“Shouldn’t we abandon the city andfind a better time and place