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

can crush you atany moment. Why else would he send his weakened servants in tofight in the capital, to harass your allies? He could easily havespared the power to make them stronger. Just a bit more and theywould have handily destroyed the Princess’s followers.”

“Speaking of which…” I began, lettingmy words trail off.

“They made it to Lancaster,” Karenthassured me. “Your creatures didn’t molest them, whether by purechance or because of your instructions I do not know. Tremont didhis best to trap them within the World Road, but despite hisefforts, and the assistance of the weakened Dark Gods, he failed.Well… mostly failed.”

I raised an eyebrow; sometimes Karenthneeded dramatic pauses and a bit of encouragement to tell his talesto their fullest.

“Your knight, Thornbear, was slainduring the escape.” He said bluntly.

My eyes bulged. At least they felt asif they did. “What?!”

He relayed the basic facts quickly andwithout showing the slightest hint of enjoyment, although Isuspected Karenth secretly reveled in the news.

“How did you learn this?”

“Second hand, my lord. I overheardsome of Tremont’s servants discussing it after the fact. He wascrushed by the gate stone that guards the path toLancaster.”

The gates that I had designed. “Theydon’t move swiftly enough to trap someone,” I argued.

“From what I heard, he attempted tokeep it from closing. The good duke decided to flood the road whileyour family and friends were still within,” explainedKarenth.

The gate stones were immensemonoliths, and if one was blocked in its course, the force of theenchantment would add extra pressure. They drew upon the God-Stone…no one, not even a Knight of Stone could hope to stop or even delaytheir closing. I had built them to be absolute. “You said theothers escaped. Was Dorian last?”

“First, my lord, he held the gate fora short while—until it crushed him.”

How my friend had managedsuch a thing, I couldn’t comprehend. My emotions were a stormwithin me, and I found myself clutching at that disbelief to avoidfacing them. This was my fault. I builtthose gates, and I gave their control away. I was pacing now. Anger and sorrow warred for my attention,but since my eyes no longer had the power to provide tears, Ileaned toward the former.

“Someone is going to regret this,” Iannounced.

“Given the situation, that is morelikely to be you than Mal’goroth,” advised Millicenth beforeadding, “Master.”

A sudden impulse to giveseveral painful orders caught in my throat. Again, I was nearlyundone by violent thoughts. This isn’t whoI am. Taking a deliberate breath, Iignored her and faced Karenth, “What advice would you giveme?”

“Go to Lancaster, claim your family,and disappear. The path of least suffering would be hiding for aslong as possible,” he said immediately.

“You think it impossible towin?”

He nodded. It was so patently obviousthat it didn’t require an explanation.

“Currently, his minions and allies arefocused firmly upon my home territory and the capital, the twoareas I am most closely connected to. If I move to intervene oroverturn his plans, what do you think will happen?” I askedsuddenly. I had an idea of my own, but I wanted an outsideopinion.

Millicenth interrupted, “It dependsupon your effectiveness. Fight poorly, and he will enjoy the show.Upset the apple-cart, and he will move to crush you moredirectly.”

Her words echoed my thoughts. “So… ifI take your meaning correctly, if I seem to be winning you thinkhe’ll intervene, otherwise, he’ll just let me flounder aboutindefinitely.” I paused a moment before continuing, “That being thecase, I shall have to divide his attention. Draw him in onedirection, while defeating his allies absolutely in theother.”

“They will have some method ofsummoning or communicating,” countered Karenth. “If you overwhelmhis minions, he could answer their pleas for help within a veryshort period of time.”

I smiled, “Then I’ll make certain theycannot call him.”

The looks on their facesquickly confirmed my guesses regarding their thoughts. Despitetheir dealings with me in the past, they thought I was utterlyinsane. This time they might beright, I thought privately.

“Give me your hands,” I said, pointingat Doron and Millicenth. Once I had them firmly in my grasp, Ibegan siphoning away some of their strength.

“Why?” asked Doron.

“I need it more than you do,” Ireplied. “I will leave you both with more than enough to handleyour assigned tasks, something close to half of what you havenow.”

Millicenth gave me a pouty expression,“What will you do with us, my lord?”

“What you were created to do,” Istated firmly. “You will follow my family to Lancaster or Cameron,and once you find them, you will heal and support my wife andfriends in whatever means they ask of you. You, Doron, will bolsterthe strength of their warriors. The Knights of Stone are few andscattered. You will tip the scales back in their favor.”

Their eyes widened in shock. No onestill living knew their original purposes—until now.

I held up a finger, silencing thembefore they could ask. “What I know and how I know it, is my ownbusiness. You will do as I say, and you will follow Karenth’sdirection when you are in doubt. He will coordinate and be theprimary information gatherer.”

“Once you find them,” I told Karenth,“you will submit yourself to my wife’s authority. In her absence,you will defer to whoever among them is in charge, whether that beAriadne, one of my knights, Lady Rose—you get the idea.”

He nodded, “Do you have any messagesfor them?”

Something ached inside,but it felt foreign, as though I had developed indigestion. Iignored it. “Nothing personal,” I answered. Tell them I love them. “They need tofind the Prathions first, if they are still alive. Their skillswill be most useful if my people are to survive. After that, theirnext course should be to take refuge in Cameron Castle. Walterknows how to operate the defenses there.”

Karenth winced, remembering hisassault on me at my home. “I hate to argue, but even as formidableas your handiwork is, it won’t keep Mal’goroth out.”

“It will be more than sufficient forhis lackeys, though,” I offered. “If, or when, Mal’goroth shows up,Penny knows how to get them to safety.”

“This is also informationthat…”

“You don’t need to know,” I finishedfor him.

“And how you plan to deal with hispeople within the capital…”

“You’ll find out later,” Isupplied. “For now, I have given you