SHE WALKED with the grace of one with intimate familiarity of the lands surrounding her, although she had only seen them dimly in the mind of the person she sought. Many deaths had occurred at this place, each one of them a beacon of light to guide her way. The ones who had done the killing were still walking about, arranging bodies onto makeshift wooden structures to be burned, lest their souls become trapped in the ebb and flow of the cycle. Only they knew nothing of the cycle, aside from the time they had spent with the shells that must occasionally rise from the grave and feast.
But it was all part of a greater plan—a plan that these people would never comprehend.
The deep hood she wore kept many of her features hidden, but the woman was unconcerned with being seen. The words of what had once been powerful incantations had been spoken before she entered the realm of man. Using such power was quite taxing, as it technically no longer existed, but precautions such as these were often necessary when one chose to go grave robbing.
The hooded woman approached the pyre that held the young man. His heart had been pierced; the wound had been responsible for his death. She was pleased that his face still had a tinge of color, which meant that there was still enough time to take him where he must go. Furthermore, she was thankful that the fools who had destroyed this place had not yet bothered to set his pyre alight.
Lifting the limp body was a simple enough task, for the rare magic coursing through the air offered more than one benefit. She brought the young one close to her, wrapping her cloak around the both of them to maintain the effects of the magic.
She wasted no time once he was secure. Only hours remained until the transformation would take place. He had to be lying in a very special place when that occurred, or a lifetime of careful planning would be lost.
She was too meticulous for that.
“There now,” she whispered, stroking his long, black hair. “You still have more to offer this world, young one.”
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The Winterstone Plague: Book 1 of The Carrion Cycle
Copyright © 2014 David Scroggins
All rights reserved.
Published: July 10, 2014
Cover by Keith Draws
Edited by E. Berland
The right of David Scroggins to be identified as author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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