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

to him without hesitation, reaching out to touchthe hand that held the remnant of Thorn.

The golem was utterly still, itsgem-like eyes locked on the woman before it. Dorian’s hard faceseemed expressionless, but he watched her with focusedintensity.

“Dorian, can you hear me?” Rose askedin a calmer tone. The panic that had been in her voice a momentbefore was gone now, replaced by self-imposed control. RoseThornbear was a woman known for her intelligence and composure.Over the years she had almost never lost what Penny thought of asher most enduring quality, her ‘gentle serenity’. Today was noexception.

“Lady Rose, I think perhaps you shouldstep back,” suggested Cyhan with cold concern.

“Not now, Sir Cyhan,” she rebuked himwith a confident air of pure authority, although she never raisedher voice. Even the tiny babe in her arms had yet to become awareof the incredible tension that lay beneath her unflappableexterior. “Do you remember me, Dorian?” she continuedsoftly.

The crystalline golem stared silentlyat her before at last lifting its free hand and tapping its ownforehead in a gesture that might represent either confusion orrecognition. The question was answered when Dorian’s crude mouthopened and one long mournful word emerged, “Rrrrosssse…”

Everyone in the room had fallensilent, holding their breath as if any noise might destroy thatmoment. Rose’s voice had an almost indiscernible tremulous sound init, but the tears that had appeared on her cheeks were the proof ofher struggle to contain herself. “That’s right, sweetheart. My nameis Rose. Do you remember yours?”

“Thorrnnn…” He held up the brokensword.

“Dad?” asked Gram querulously,stepping out from behind his mother.

Dorian stared at the boy for a secondbefore reaching out to gently stroke his son’s hair. Looking backat Rose he noticed the infant in her arms for the first time, andhis face seemed to shimmer. “Rrrossse,” he croonedagain.

Rose reached out and placed her handagainst the golem’s chest, as she had done so many times beforewith her husband. “These are your children, Dorian, yourfamily.”

“Broken...,” he seemed to reply,lifting the sword again. Whether he meant the weapon itself orsomething deeper was unclear.

“The sword isn’t important, Dorian.You are. We’re going to fix this—somehow,” as she spoke Rose’s eyesdarted back, looking to Moira Centyr for some hope, but the otherwoman only shook her head.

“No one’s ever been able to changeback after going so far,” she answered reluctantly.

Tears ran freely from Rose’s eyes, butshe refused to despair. “It doesn’t matter. You’re still my Dorian.We love you no matter what happens,” and then she surprised them bystepping into the golem’s arms, leaning her head against his chestas he gently enfolded her and his infant daughter. Gram rushedforward as well, throwing his arms around his father’s hardwaist.

The world paused then, andthere were no dry eyes to be seen, but when Penny cleared herblurred vision something had changed. The creature that Rose andher children were hugging no longer glittered with crystallineperfection; its outlines had softened somehow. Even as she staredshe saw his head changing, becoming more human and gainingcolor. He’s changing!

Moira Centyr was the next to noticewith an audible gasp. “That isn’t possible.”

Dorian looked like a statue carvedfrom a rosy-hued granite now, if the sculptor had been a master.His features were fine and perfect, and now there was even theappearance of stone sculpted hair on his head.

Even as her eyes witnesseda miracle, Penny couldn’t help being reminded of her own reunionwith Mordecai over a year ago… after his transformation. Her hearttwisted with pain and guilt. I didn’tknow. I couldn’t know. I thought he was gone. She knew better now. While her husband had truly died,something of him had remained. His decency had remained, and shehad spurned him. What might have happenedif I had reacted like Rose?

The moment ended with a deep gratingnoise as the stone door that guarded the ramp tunnel from the WorldRoad descended, sealing them inside.

“Did someone do something?!” askedStephen Balistair in alarm.

“No,” responded Ariadne bluntly, “onlythe person with the control rod can open and close the doors here,unless someone is occupying the control room in thetower.”

“Where is the control rod?” askedElise Thornbear.

“The last I knew of it, my father hadit…” supplied Ariadne before finishing suddenly, “… Tremont! Thiswas a trap! He knew we would try this route. We have to move.There’s a chance he may not have sealed all the exitsyet.”

They rushed forward, forgettingeverything else in their haste. Dorian’s transformation stopped atthat point, leaving him with the appearance of a perfectly shapedgranite statue. None of them had time to think on thematter.

Peter Tucker spoke up as they quickmarched along the subterranean road, “The first gate on our leftwill be the one to Lancaster, if it’s open.”

“I see a light coming from the sideahead of us,” offered Egan. The extra light he was referring to wasless than a hundred yards from them.

“Maybe Tremont doesn’t know he canflood the tunnel,” pondered Peter openly.

“More likely he just likes to playwith his victims,” declared Cyhan before shouting, “’Ware thefront!” Large shapes were spilling into the roadway ahead of them,entering through the Lancaster gate. It took only seconds torealize from the odd shapes and forms that they were facing more ofthe fallen dark gods.

The light was good enough to easilycount their foes as they approached, if there were enough time.“There must be at least twenty of them,” said the Princess in avoice gone cold with despair.

A deep growl sounded behind them,followed by Rose’s cry of alarm, “No, Dorian!”

Pushing her away the stone warriorstarted forward. With one hand he pointed at Sir Egan and thenPenny, “Follow—behind.” His words were spoken with greatdifficulty, but his gestures were clear as he indicated that Pennyshould take the left and Egan the right as he advanced.

Waves of heat radiated around Dorianas he walked and the air shimmered. Glancing back he waved hishands for Penny and Egan to keep a greater distance, so theywidened the gap from ten feet to twenty. Dorian’s body had regainedits glassine appearance, and the long blades sprouting from hisarms had returned, growing ever longer now, and more appeared athis knees and elbows; even his skull acquired a deadly horn-likeblade.

He’s grown in sizetoo, noted Penny as she started jogging