by Liam Reese
The shade of her mother drifted close, her misty eyes staring directly into those of her daughter.
“Trust me, child,” she said gently. “Lay your hand on the table, there are some spirits here who wish to speak with your father.”
Collise became aware of a host of other people, spirits like her mother, all staring at her from the far side of the altar. They all had a similar expression painted on their face, eager expectation.
“Come now, Collise,” Deremona said. “Let us take him from inside your mind.”
Collise took a step forward, her hand rising towards the table. A second step brought her halfway to touching its cold surface. Two more and she was there, hand hovering above the glowing metalwork as she looked at her mother’s ghostly face.
“Trust me, child,” her mother said. “Trust me more than I ever deserved in life and know I love you.”
Collise let her hand drop.
Tiernon snapped awake.
Collise screamed as molten barbs ripped into her brain. Tiernon clung to her with every ounce of will his addled, broken mind could muster but thousands of spirits pulled at him. Shadowy figures leaped from the table, gripping Tiernon’s spirit from inside Collise and dragging him free.
She could hear his screams matching her own as he was slowly pulled down her neck, into her shoulder and through her arm into the altar. The agony cut into Collise and her screams echoed through the old building as her father tried in vain to stay inside her body. Eventually she felt the last searing agony leave her hand and wrenched it from the surface of the altar, falling back and panting as the pain left her.
Collise looked up to see the spirit of a middle aged man floating above the altar. He was balding and wrinkled with a cruel mouth and nasty eyes.
Tiernon. She thought.
He was confused and bewildered as he stared back at her but turned as someone else appeared at his side. Her mother floated next to Tiernon, looking angrier and more fierce than she ever had in life.
“I’ve waited for this,” Deremona growled in a horrific voice.
Her spirit dived at Tiernon’s own and he flinched as she smashed through him, ripping a piece of his spirit and taking it with her. Another woman appeared and slammed through Tiernon, tearing another section from him as he screamed an echoing scream.
After that it became a frenzy of people, each one ripping a piece from Tiernon’s shade, systematically tearing him to pieces as he screamed and screamed, his eyes wide with fear and pain.
“A fitting end for him,” Deremona said from beside her daughter. “And now, my love, I must leave.”
“But I don’t want to be alone!” Collise cried.
“And you won’t be,” her mother said gently as her spirit faded. “Trust in Besmir.”
Epilogue
Soft, sweet smelling grass cushioned her body as she lay in the warmth of the sun. Without opening her eyes she lay there basking in the glow as she tried to identify as many of the animals around her as she could from their calls.
An Orm warbler trilled his song to announce her presence at the same time as a Day Singer whistled to the rising sun, her song complex and almost worshipful. She managed to recognize a few more as she lay there but there were many more she did not know the names of and more still she had never heard before.
Keluse opened her eyes, blinking as the sun-bright world came to her. The greenest of green foliage waved lazily above her head. An immense oak tree spreading gnarled and thick branches to shade her from the brightest of the sun’s rays. Her keen eyes picked out a squirrel as it bounded up the trunk and out along one of the branches bent on some errand. Birds flew from branch to branch, their plumage ranging from dull browns to outrageous orange, red and blue.
She sat up and stared at the seemingly endless grassland she was at the edge of. Herds of cattle and deer roamed freely across the greensward, tearing at the grass and flowers as she scanned the horizon. The forest at her back looked to have patches of as many species of tree as there were, from pine and spruce to red leaved things she had never seen before.
Her memory jerked and she recalled the searing agony as Besmir had plunged his sword into her chest. Her hands automatically felt there but there was no injury and no pain. Keluse stood, her brain just about coming to the conclusion she was in the afterlife.
“I’m dead,” she said aloud.
She stared about, realizing, apart from the wildlife, she was also alone.
Heart heavy Keluse started to walk. Not knowing where to go she trudged along the edge of the forest, her eyes flicking from one bright flower to the next. Scents came to her, the perfume from so many flowers, the mushroom-like scent of damp leaves from the forest floor and the musky scent of animals who were more than happy to approach her.
How many of these did I send here?
Her morose thought died as she looked up to see a lone figure trotting towards her. Her heart leaped in her chest at the thought of who it had to be and tears of joy rolled down her face as soon as it was confirmed.
He was as rangy as he had been in life. Tall and thin with his black hair and pale skin, Ranyor sprinted through the grass towards her.
Keluse started to run too, grass stems and leaves whipping at her calves as she pounded for her husband. They halted a few feet apart, wordlessly staring at each other for a few seconds before wrapping their arms around each other tightly. Her mouth found his and she thrilled at the feel of him as they kissed for the first time in a decade.
“Hello,” Ranyor said, panting his hot breath over her face.
“Hello you,” Keluse mumbled, not quite able to believe he was here.
“I don’t think I will ever let you go,” Ranyor said, pulling another kiss from her mouth.
“Fine by me,” Keluse said.
Everyone who was not engaged in nefarious deeds lined the streets of Morantine to welcome the royal family home, with one exception. Collise wrung her hands as she paced the length of the sitting room, nervously awaiting the return of the man who might decide to slay her.
Every time she reached the window she peered out, hoping and not hoping to see him drawing nearer. Half of her wanted him to arrive and deal her fate while the other half wanted him to be called away again. The crowds were cheering and waving flags in anticipation of his return but Collise felt sick.
She tried to sit but her body would not remain still so she stood up and began pacing across the room again. From window to door and back again, waiting for King Besmir to come home.
Outside the cheering grew in volume and Collise knew he must be getting closer. She pressed her head against the window trying to get a glimpse of him as he rode slowly down Kings Avenue. Her brain refused to believe what she saw at first and Collise had to concentrate to be sure she was seeing what she was.
He was riding a massive cat!
The queen had one, too, and Prince Joranas rode with his mother as all three waved and smiled at the people who had come out to greet them. Collise watched as he slowly made his way home, to the house she had tried to steal, the kingdom she had tried to steal and nerves almost got the better of her as she ran for the door. Collise pulled it open, ready to flee but realized she still did not have anywhere to go and closed it again.
Eventually she could hear voices in the hallway beyond and closed her eyes as she heard Branisi’s muffled voice talking quickly. A deeper voice replied and then she heard footsteps approaching.
Collise darted about, trying to find the best place to be when he opened the door. Should she sit in the chair, stand by the window or beside the fire? The choice was taken from her as she was halfway between window and hearth when the door opened.
Collise froze as she was confronted by a tall, bearded man. He wore brown trousers and jacket with a simple shirt, all of it unadorned save for the white stag that was his emblem. Calf length, brown boots graced his feet and he wore a sword at his hip.
Collise trembled at the thought of that cold blade
sliding into her flesh.
Following him into the room, Queen Arteera peered curiously at Collise, her dark hair looking lighter than the young girl had thought. She wore a red velvet dress that came up to her neck and almost all the way to the floor, protecting her from the chill air. Her expression was one of guarded curiosity as she regarded Collise as if she was an animal prone to attacking.
Prince Joranas came in next, also looking at Collise but with much more interest than wariness. He had changed since Collise had seen him in the city, he was taller and the chubbiness of youth had faded, something had happened to his hair and skin while he had been away as they were both changed.
Collise stood for a heartbeat as she took all this in then fell to her knees before them.
“Please don’t kill me, majesty!” She begged.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she waited for whatever King Besmir was about to do. Her soft sobs echoed around the room as she knelt there. Collise had no idea what he was about to do to her but she was more than surprised when she felt strong hands lifting her to her feet. She opened her teary eyes to see the king standing before her.
“Hello, cousin,” he said.
End of Book – Please Read This
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Acknowledgments
Without these amazing people the book would not be the book it is today, Thank you so much!
Heidi Dobson
Duel With A Demoness
(Huntsman’s Fate: Book 2)
Liam Reese
© 2018
Disclaimer
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and events are all fictitious for the reader’s pleasure. Any similarities to real people, places, events, living or dead are all coincidental.
This book contains sexually explicit content that is intended for ADULTS ONLY (+18).