The Darkslayer: Lethal Liaisons (Series 2, Book 4) (Bish and Bone Series 2)
Page 14
Hard and fast, they rode for several minutes, covering the distance three times faster than they normally would have. The horses began to slow. Beneath him, the beast’s great lungs labored. It throttled down to a walk. Venir slowed, allowing Kam and Joline to catch up. One was on one side and one on the other.
“That was something,” Joline said, spitting dust from her mouth. “Yech. That’ll teach me to leave my big mouth open.”
Kam chuckled. Nuzzling Erin to her chest, she smiled at Venir and said, “What did you think?”
“It was something, all right.” He scanned the landscape. They were miles west of the City of Three. It might as well have been a hundred. Not even patrols ventured out this far. The harsh landscape made it easy to get lost once you got too far away. “The rendezvous point is not too far ahead.”
“I don’t think I can handle all of this riding,” Joline said. “My rump hurts.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Venir said. “If not, maybe Kam can conjure you up a pillow.”
“I’ve enough pillow back there already.”
Kam giggled. “I’ll be glad to see the others. It’s good that you sent them out before us. I don’t think I could handle the waiting.” She fanned herself, eyeing the first of the rising suns. “I can really feel the heat. It’s going to be unbearable, isn’t it?”
“It won’t be so bad,” he said.
“Somehow, I don’t believe you.”
Venir eyed all of the bone trees, fire bushes, and cacti in the area. Hard clay. Large stones. Lizards darting over the cracked landscape. The Outland warmed his heart for some reason. He took in a deep breath of the toasty air. “I’ve often wondered what you might look like with a little sun on your face.”
“You have, have you?” said Kam.
Venir let out a mirthful grunt. Ahead, a rock formation started to take form. He pointed. “That’s it.”
“Great. But I suppose this is only the beginning of a very long day,” Kam said. “We’re going to become nomads, aren’t we?”
“I prefer the term Outlanders.”
“There just isn’t a very pretty way to say it, is there?” Kam hefted Erin out before her eyes. “Erin the Outlander.” Erin drooled down on her clothes. “Yes, it sounds horrible. And she’s too old to still be drooling. From her father’s side, no doubt.”
Venir forged ahead. Given what had happened earlier, he wanted to see for himself that the others were safe. Brak could handle himself well enough now, but it was Fogle he had to put even more trust in. The wizard should have been able to scurry them away from any trouble. Staring forward, he noted something odd in the landscape and grunted.
“What?” Kam said.
Standing against a backdrop of hills and great stones stood a fortified structure.
“Is that a building?” Joline said, dabbing her neck with a plum-colored scarf. “Oh, good. I’m ready for some shade.”
“That wasn’t there before,” Venir said. His back muscles began to tingle. It was a wooden structure, two stories tall, with many windows. There was a grand porch dressing the front of the building, and every window was adorned with red shutters that were closed. Compelled, he led them toward it. “Kam, do you see it?”
“I see it,” she said, gawking, “but I don’t believe it. It’s not possible.”
Right in front of the building, they came to a stop and stared. Above the closed double doors, a painted wooden sign rattled and swung in the brisk wind. It read: The Magi Roost. It was perfect in every detail, all the way up to the cracks in the windowsill. The foundation and porch were bowed, one corner crumpled, and one side sagged as if it had been dropped on the ground from the sky.
“Oh my,” Joline said, looking up and squinting her eyes. “Does that sign say what I think it does? Venir, you sure are one for surprises, aren’t you? Is this where you’ve been all this time?”
Venir swallowed a dry lump in his throat. “I didn’t do this.”
“Then who did?” Joline asked.
“I have a feeling you’ll wish you never asked,” Kam said, nudging her horse toward Venir.
The front doors swung open. An all-powerful voice spoke from within. “Come inside if you want your friends to live.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Craig Halloran resides with his family outside of his hometown of Charleston, West Virginia. When he isn’t entertaining mankind, he is seeking adventure, working out, or watching sports. To learn more about him, go to: www.thedarkslayer.com
Other Works by Craig Halloran
The Darkslayer Series 1
Wrath of the Royals (Book 1)
Blades in the Night (Book 2)
Underling Revenge (Book 3)
Danger and the Druid (Book 4)
Outrage in the Outlands (Book 5)
Chaos at the Castle (Book 6)
The Darkslayer Series 2
Bish and Bone (Book 1)
Black Blood (Book 2)
Red Death (Book 3)
Lethal Liaisons (Book 4)
Torment and Terror (Book 5)
The Chronicles of Dragon Series
The Hero, the Sword and the Dragons (Book 1)
Dragon Bones and Tombstones (Book 2)
Terror at the Temple (Book 3)
Clutch of the Cleric (Book 4)
Hunt for the Hero (Book 5)
Siege at the Settlements (Book 6)
Strife in the Sky (Book 7)
Fight and the Fury (Book 8)
War in the Winds (Book 9)
Finale (Book 10)
The Supernatural Bounty Hunter Files
Smoke Rising
I Smell Smoke
Where There’s Smoke
Smoke on the Water
Smoke and Mirrors
Holy Smoke
Up in Smoke
Smoke ’Em
Smoke Out
Zombie Impact Series
Zombie Day Care: Book 1
Zombie Rehab: Book 2
Zombie Warfare: Book 3
Connect with him at:
Facebook: The Darkslayer Report by Craig
Twitter: Craig Halloran