Chapitre 61: Chapter Sixty-One: A Triad Alliance
Moon Bear watched the Ard Ri pace back and forth in front of the windows. He had seen his Emperor do this and watched his father pace back and forth in thought. The sudden change in the air alerted Moon Bear of a portal opening! It was his Emperor coming!
Ronan Affaron stopped pacing and turned to stare at a spot in the center of the audience room. He knew someone or something was coming. The murky swirl of the Shadowland portal formed, and two figures emerged. They were from the Crimson Palace! Moon Bear felt his fur stand up along his spine. Then Gaddis Anu stepped out of the portal. He looked around and spotted the Ard Ri by the windows. He nodded affably.
Ronan Affaron had never seen the Ne'Median Emperor and did not expect him to look so majestic or youthful. He nodded toward the emperor, "Welcome to Tara'Nechtan,"
Gaddis glanced around the room then glanced upward spotting Moon Bear. He motioned for the Sith to come from the rafters, "Come down and tell me what has happened!"
Ronan watched as the young Sith warrior agilely navigated the rafters and support pillars of the audience room. This was also the first time seeing a Sith this close before. It was a day of firsts for Ronan Affaron!
Moon Bear swung down, dropping lightly to his feet. He bowed before his Emperor and then looked over at the Ard Ri. He nodded toward the man then looked back at Gaddis, "Fury made it to the Arch. The Da'ark Witch was preparing to enter Arwyn when I left. She still holds the Daj captive."
Gaddis scowled. He looked to the windows where Ronan still stood. "We need Danu!"
"I am sure there will be a raven nearby," Ronan replied, he opened the nearest window and gestured for the Emperor to step up and call out for a raven messenger. "Do you think the Raven King will come?"
"I am counting on him to avail himself for such a command," Gaddis replied sending a wry smile at the Ard Ri. He whistled shrilly and waited momentarily when a large raven flew in and perched on the windowsill.
"I need you to find Li'Bann and bring her here."
"I go!" Danu croaked and was out the window and gone.
Gaddis looked to Ronan, "Now we need to have a chat!"
"That means we will need wine," Ronan replied.
Gaddis chuckled, his white teeth brilliant against his bronze-colored skin.
The two Crimson guards stood like stone pillars to either side of the portal. Ronan glanced over at them. "Are they aligned with Ne'Media?"
Gaddis shook his head. "The Brotherhood is autonomous. They are unaware of what happens in the outside world except when one of their own is endangered."
"You mean Nicodemus Fury?" Ronan guessed looking again at the sentries at the portal.
"Not Fury," Gaddis responded. "The Daj."
"The girl is of the Da'ark?" Ronan asked.
"No, Not the Da'ark," Gaddis replied. "The Dannan women are of an ancient bloodline. Far older than anyone ever suspected."
Ronan raised a hand to stop Gaddis from continuing. "Then this calls for something stronger than wine, agree?"
Gaddis nodded. "Agreed! I will tell you the plan while we wait for Danu to return with Li'Bann."
The Arch to Arwyn
Danu flew straight and true to where Li'Bann and her shadow army waited at the arch. He found a perch in a nearby oak tree and cawed his arrival. Li'Bann swung around and glared at the raven, "What do you want?"
"Ard Ri and Emperor wait for you!" Danu rasped. "Now!"
Li'Bann snarled and the shadow ribbons darted up to snare Danu. The raven was too quick and dropped from his perch to land on Li'Bann's raised fist, the shadow ribbons joining those swirling around Li'Bann. "Ard Ri says please!"
"So even the king of the Partholan begs on behalf of the Daj?" Li'Bann released Danu and turned to where the road wound into the forest. She opened the black swirling portal and signaled her escort to follow her.
Ard Ri Audience Room
Ronan Affaron set his empty cup down as the room grew cold. The Crimson Guard went from silent still sentries to alert guardians of the active portal. Gaddis stood beside Affaron as the swirl of shadows spun in the center of his audience chamber.
Li'Bann stepped from the portal with the dark trailing shadow ribbons darting out in a hundred directions, sealing the doors, and blocking the Ard Ri's guards from entering the chamber.
"We have plans to discuss," Gaddis said. He turned toward Li'Bann and held out his hand, "And very little time to waste!"
"Then let us begin our parlay to freedom, shall we?" Ronan replied and indicated they should all sit at the counsel table. Five chairs were positioned at the table, but as they all were seated, Affaron glanced out the window and then looked at the two unlikely allies sitting at his left and right, "Ordinarily I have several advisors with ready opinions."
"I think that the fewer involved the better, I have no counsel, nor does the Ne'Median emperor," Li'Bann said, the swirl of shadow ribbons floated lazily around her. "Besides, the Ard Ri needs no counsel to tell him his mind!"
"Agreed," Ronan said.
The three monarchs were now allies for the time being, and the Daj Sultana had brought them together!
Chapitre 62: Chapter Sixty-Two: A Dannan Reunion
Where is the Shai'Alomar!" Colleen yelled. She stormed through the cottage and was back in the kitchen where Fiona and Tully were tied to kitchen chairs. "Where have you hidden it!"
"How many times do we have to tell you!" Tully raged back at Colleen. "We do not have your bloody knife!"
Colleen's wild green eyes landed on Tully's battered and bruised face, she had used Fiona's rolling pin to convince him to give up the location. So far nothing neither one was talking. Now that she was in Arwyn, her Da'ark powers were weakened. But she could still wield weapons and if necessary she could still exert her thrall over whom she pleased. She rummaged through the kitchen drawers and found a meat cleaver. Colleen grunted in satisfaction and glared over her shoulder at Tully, "If you lose a few fingers or an ear, perhaps that will loosen Fiona's tongue."
"No!" Fiona screamed. "Colleen don't do this!"
"Then tell me where you've hidden the knife!" Colleen demanded.
"I don't know!" Fiona cried.
"You could never lie to me!" Colleen told Fiona, "You're lying to me now! If you don't tell me he will lose an ear!" She laid the cleaver blade against the top of Tully's ear and the side of his head. The edge was sharp and as she applied pressure, she drew blood and a groan from Tully.
"Oh, please stop this madness! Please!" Fiona cried out as she strained against the ropes that held her in her chair.
"Then. Where. Is. It!" Colleen hissed at Fiona, the blade cutting deeper into the flesh of Tully's ear.
"All right!" Fiona cried, "I'll tell you! It's in Mother's secret hiding place!"
Colleen paused. "In the apothecary?"
"Yes," Fiona said, "Just take it and go!"
"Go get it," Colleen said, and she stepped behind Fiona and yanked Fiona free, "Go get it bring it back here!"
"Don't hurt him!" Fiona pleaded with Colleen. "Please!"
"Hurry up," Colleen snapped, "Just hurry up and bring the dagger here to me!"
Fiona hurried out of the kitchen and into the apothecary, once inside the room, she looked around. To see Colleen again after so many years shocked her! She had aged but looked younger than Fiona. Fiona went over to the shelves where the leather-bound books stood in order by years. She pulled two thick books from the end of one shelf at eye level and reached back to feel for the release mechanism. She found it and pressed the metal spring latch. The entire shelf swung forward and there on a narrow shelf was the slim box containing the Shai'Alomar. She pulled it free and hurried back into the kitchen. She slammed the wooden box on the kitchen table in front of Colleen.
"There!" Fiona declared tearfully, "Take it and go!"
Colleen waved Fiona back from the table with her cleaver. Immediately Fiona moved away to edge closer to where Tully sat. He was leaning heavily against his restraints. Blood continued to slide in a thin trail down the side of his face into his beard. Luckily, Colleen had not finished the job of slicing the blacksmith's ear from his head!
"Take your prize and go!" Tully growled. His black eyes glared up through his thick brows at Colleen where she stood gazing avidly at the box Fiona had delivered.
Colleen ignored Tully and reached over and flipped the latch. She opened the box and gasped in awe at the dagger where it lay in black velvet. The blade glinted in the dull light of the kitchen lanterns. She smiled triumphantly, then turned and glared up at the cottage ceiling, "Watcher! Come here to me!"
Bracken popped up, crouching low under the kitchen table. "I here!" he said. His brown face was crinkled up in pain as he fought against the thrall Colleen exerted on him.
She felt him push back against her control. It was proving more difficult to maintain her power on the Watcher. He yielded readily enough when threatened with the prospect of her burning down the home grove and every Watcher with it!
Colleen slapped the lid shut and latched it. She turned her cold eyes on the Bracken, "Take this to the arch and hide it! If you see or hear anything you come back here instantly and report it!"
Bracken hopped up on the table, grabbed the box in his hands, and was gone.
Colleen looked over at Fiona. "Sit down! Tell me everything!"
Fiona did as she was told. Colleen had her in thrall and she could not resist! "What do you want to know?"
"Why did Maire send the girl to you?"
"She didn't want to," Fiona said. She spoke in a dispassionate and matter-of-fact tone. "But Sunny was so heartbroken over the betrayal of her fiancé. Maire didn't know what to do, so she sent her to me to help heal her. I never wanted her to discover her powers."
"It didn't take much to bend her to my will," Colleen said. "You managed to make her weak!"
"Sunny is just an innocent girl, Colleen!" Fiona declared.
Colleen scoffed at Fiona. "Innocent? You are stupid, Fiona!"
"What do you mean?" Fiona asked,
"Nicodemus Fury," Colleen replied. "She follows him around like a lovesick puppy! He is the same soulless bastard he's always been. He's using her just like he used Reyanna!"
"What?" Fiona looked horrified.
Colleen angled a hard look at Tully, "You knew what he was up to, didn't you?"
Tully remained silent. Colleen laughed. "Of course you did! But you were fine as long as he stayed away from your precious Fiona!"
"No!" Fiona said. "Nicodemus is protecting –
Colleen waved her hand at Fiona and the power of speech was paralyzed. "Now we wait!"
"Wait for what?" Tully rumbled.
"Your rescuers!" Colleen declared then scoffed at the very notion!
"That silly granddaughter of mine is coming to save you!"
Fiona wept soundlessly and mouthed the words: "Oh, please!"
Colleen laughed harshly in Fiona's face. "You foolish old woman! She is going to move the dagger for me! I know what she is, and she'll have no choice but to do what I tell her! Not if she wants to save all your miserable lives!"
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
200+ Classement
Power Stone 
0 Power
stone Vous aimerez peut-être aussi
Commentaire de paragraphe