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

Rose handed her daughter to Elise andtook a small step toward her husband before her resolve shattered.Weeping like a child she moved beside him and tried to help liftthe great monolith that was slowly crushing him. “Help me!” sheshouted at the others. “We have to stop it! Penny, Egan, you’restrong! Help him!”

Penny and Egan both knew the door wasfar too heavy for them to make a difference, but they steppedforward and began pushing as well. They were unable to get aneffective grip but Penny knew deep down that even if they had, itwouldn’t have mattered. The door continued its descent.

“Go. Live. Rose…,” said Dorian in avoice that seemed deeper than the earth.

Gram had escaped from the adults andnow he was beside his parents. “Don’t worry Dad! We can stop this!”The door was low enough now that he could attempt to brace it aswell, not that it helped noticeably.

“You’re right, Gram!” responded MoiraIlleniel, and the others could sense a change as she began usingher power to brace the door. Water began running into the corridoras she shifted her strength and attempted to block the flood aswell as assist in lifting the gigantic gate.

The door continued tosettle farther downward, and more water escaped to wash through attheir feet. Moira Centyr watched in despair as her daughterstruggled to aid them, but even her child’s impressive strength wasnot enough. If only I were the true MoiraCentyr. If I had her power, I could find a way to stop this.Her mind raced to find a method by which ordinarywizardry could save him, but her thoughts ran frantic circlesaround themselves.

A sudden flare of lightstartled her, and it took a moment before she realized the lightshe had seen was not physical, but magical. The powerful glowindicated the presence of another wizard, but she was confused atfirst as to who was its source. Matthew!The stress has released his gift.

She watched him in wonderfor a moment. He’s strong—like his sister.No, she corrected herself,like his father.

“Let me help, Moira,” Matthew told hissister, taking her hand. The two of them locked gazes for a momentbefore returning their eyes to the stone door, and the earth beganto shake. The floor beneath the door itself splintered and crackedunder the magical pressures they were exerting, and for a longminute their power gave the others hope.

It was a false hope, however. ThoughMoira Centyr no longer had her power, she still retained hermagesight, and with it she could easily gauge the weight of thegate-stone, along with the power behind it. It would not be denied.Their best hope might have been to destroy it or find a way toderail it, but there was little time. Blood was trickling from herdaughter’s ear now, and she was certain that Matthew was alreadybeyond his limit as well. In the end she had no otherchoice.

“It’s impossible! The God-Stone powersthe gate. They’ll die if they don’t relent! You have to make themstop!” she shouted, directing her words at Penny.

Egan heard her words and nodded at theCountess, “She’s right. Take Gram, I’ll get Lady Rose.”

Without hesitation Penny left herplace and took the boy from his father’s side. He cursed and bit ather all the while. She had little time, so handing him to StephenBalistair she addressed her two oldest children, “You have to stop.It’s too great. If you force yourselves, the backlash could killyou.”

Matthew and Moira’s eyeswere glazed and they looked straight through her. Their focus wasperfect and unbreakable. Penny had seen the look a few times beforeon Mordecai’s face, usually right before something terriblehappened to him. He slept for days afterthe battle in Lancaster Castle. They might not be solucky.

Behind her, Rose was begging Sir Eganto let her remain, but she was unable to resist his powerful arms.“Please! Just let me stay. It doesn’t have to be this way. We canstop it. Please!!” Her sobbing words were full of tears anddesperation. She had abandoned any pretense at dignity. All thatremained was a woman beyond hope, facing a future of desolation andsolitude.

“Rose—don’t,” said Dorian, grating outthe words. Yanking one hand free of the door, he struggled to pushher away without cutting her with the blade on his arm. His bodyhad become a weapon and ill-suited to tender gestures.“Don’t—let—Gram—be—like—me.” The cracks in his body were widening,and the door was steadily inching downward again.

His frantic wife had dissolved to aplace beyond reason, and her voice was a constant stream ofplaintive cries, ‘I love you’s’ mixed with screams of denial, untilneither were distinguishable.

“I—love…” Dorian began, but his wordsended abruptly as his massive chest shattered, and the stone gateslid inexorably downward, grinding the remnants in its path intosmaller pieces and knocking the larger fragments aside. The twins’magic had collapsed, and they fell senseless to the ground. Bloodran from both their noses now.

Dorian Thornbear was dead.

If there were any true justice in theuniverse, a silent darkness would have covered them, to hide theirgrief and show reverence to the knight who had died. The world isunkind however; the tunnel they were in was well lit by the sameenchanted lights Mordecai had placed throughout the World Road.They stood now on the Lancaster side of the gate, in a smallfortress built less than a mile from the main castle.

The light that had been so welcomebefore now seemed harsh and cruel. Everyone but the twins nowstood, dumb with shock and overcome by emotion. Rose Thornbear wasthe first to move, shoving Sir Egan away from her with anunintelligible curse. She followed it with a more clearly spokenwarning, “If you ever lay hands on me again, I’ll see you dead!”Her anger was so great that she punctuated the scornful threat byspitting in his direction.

No one spoke, or tried to console her,though Egan attempted an apology, “I’m sorry. There was no otherway.”

Moira Centyr and Penny were examiningthe twins, fear writ plainly on both their faces—two mothers whoshared the same worry.

Unseen and unwatched, Gram Thornbearscrabbled through the stone fragments on the ground. Among thebroken paving stones were brilliant shards of razor sharp crystal,the remnants of his father. His eyes were blurred with tears,