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

but acarmine glimmer caught his notice and reaching out he found what hesought. With trembling fingers he gingerly picked up the giantruby-like stone that had been Dorian’s heart. He slid it into hispouch before anyone could notice.

Steps in the gravel told Gram hismother was close and turning, he accepted her embrace. EliseThornbear joined them a second later, and together they mourned,wife, mother, son and even infant daughter, though it would be manyyears before little Irene could fully understand herloss.

Chapter 31

The sunrise was slow and unremarkable;a slow lightening of the horizon with little of the colorfulpigmentation that poets and lovers are so fond of. It had beenthree days since my last leave-taking, and I had arrived in the weehours of the morning.

If Karenth had followed myinstructions, he would be arriving any minute.

I waited patiently, senses alert. Inparticular, I was watching for the appearance of several powerfulbeings. It was almost half an hour after the sun broke over thehorizon before I was rewarded with their arrival.

A smile crept over my face when Isensed them. I had fed a few hours before, and my emotions werefully functional, so my sense of satisfaction was enjoyable. Theywere trying to cloak their presence, muting the brightness of theiraythar. None of them had anything like the gift that the Prathionshad, so the best they managed was to dim themselves to an almosthuman level.

It might have fooled an unsuspectingwizard, one less sensitive, or less skilled. I was none of thosethings, and I was expecting them in any case.

I sat quietly on a long wooden benchin one of the royal gardens at the palace. There were no wizards inthe capital, and while Tremont did have a number of what I thoughtof as ‘god-seeds’ guarding the place, none of them were near enoughto spot me. Flying down to have a meeting in the garden by thepalace seemed an appropriate way to start the plan to get rid ofthe usurper.

Two men and one woman approached, allof them cloaked and covered. The morning air was crisp, but theywere more concealed than the weather called for. “Can I help you?”I asked as they stopped in front of my bench. The garden was emptybut for the four of us.

Abandoning their attempts at disguise,they tossed their hoods back, and I felt their aythar wash over me.One of the men was Karenth, the other was Doron, and standing withthem was Millicenth. The power they radiated had probably alertedevery sensitive being in the city. The weight of it seemed to pressdown upon me even through the protection of the armor I still wore.In the past I might have felt fear, but being dead, I was nowimmune to some worries.

“You were a fool to trust Karenth,mortal,” said Doron, gloating. “You have delivered yourself intoour hands.” He leaned forward, seeking to use his still excessivebody size to intimidate. He had obviously gained little in the wayof wits since our last meeting.

Millicenth looked more properly wary,but she still felt secure with the two other gods besideher.

Not daring to wait, I uttered twostrange, seemingly nonsensical phrases. Both of my new guestsstiffened as they recognized the words. “How?” askedMillicenth.

I was in no mood to answer questions.“How is of no consequence,” I replied. “You are mine now, just asKarenth is. Bend your knees if you understand me.” Gratifyingly,both Doron and Millicenth genuflected.

“You meant them, right?” asked Karenthwith a sardonic smile.

“I did,” I clarified for him, then Ispoke to the others once more, “Rise. There is much todiscuss.”

“Karenth was your tool all along,”murmured Millicenth, thinking aloud.

“He was,” I agreed, “and now you areas well. If by some miracle I succeed, then I will grant you whatyou wish when this is done.”

“You think you understand our desires,mortal?” she asked with a curious glance. Her eyes had changedcolor, swirling into a sea green.

“He is no longer mortal,” declaredDoron, staring at me with interest.

She dismissed her dimmer companion’sremark with a wave of her hand, “His current state is not thepoint. His existence has been short and ephemeral until now.”Focusing on me again, she continued, “Tell me, dead man, what doyou think we should desire?”

Her attitude annoyed me to no end, andfor a moment I was tempted to punish her. My control was absolute,which enabled me to humiliate her in any number of ways, but Irestrained myself. She was too intelligent to be brought to heelwith childish punishments. “I can unmake you,” I repliedsimply.

“Should that frighten us?” sheanswered in teasing voice.

“It wasn’t a threat,” I explained,“but rather the reward you most desire.”

The Lady of the Evening Star’s eyeswidened at that pronouncement, but rather than admit defeat, hermind turned to clever rebuttals. I could see the wheels turning inher head. Before she could begin another line of discussion, I cuther off, “No more wordplay. From this point forward, you will speakto me with respect and focus your will and efforts towardfurthering my goals.” I repeated my command for Doron’s benefit aswell.

Both of them bowed, “Yes,Master.”

I really should have beenan evil villain, I thoughtsuddenly. It could have been a lot of funif I had gone this route from the early days. For the hundredth time, I thought of my family, remindingmyself of my reasons. Too late to turnover a new leaf now, I guess.

“Before we get started, I need someinformation. Do any of you know anything that could tell me whereMal’goroth is?”

Doron shook his head mutely, andMillicenth replied with a simple, “No, Master.”

Karenth was moreforthcoming, “We have no inkling of where he is, but we do know ofa few places where he isn’t.”

“Elaborate.”

The former god of justice nodded andbegan to pace as he graced us with his wisdom, “We know for certainthat he is not within Albamarl, and while he has committed some ofhis forces to causing mischief in Lancaster and Cameron, I don’tbelieve he is there either.”

“Your reasons?” I asked.

“Again, I think it is a simple matterof enjoyment. Mal’goroth shares something of the same temperamentas I. He has been playing a game of cat and mouse with you toextend his entertainment. He is well aware that he