[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
"Are you all right?" Malthus walked over and sat down at the table across from
him. "You should eat more of that.
Aisha and Merissa are going to worry if you don't start eating better."
Claw glared at Malthus. "I'm fine. I'm just not hungry,"
Claw growled. "Fianait and Searlait have already been in to lecture me. I'd
eat more if they'd let me do more."
Malthus nodded thoughtfully, glanced down and to the side with a small smile.
"But it will be difficult to convince them."
Kissie appeared with the bottle of wine, and set it on the table. Seeing
Malthus, she asked him, "Will you be having some?"
"Yes, I would like that."
Claw started on his third glass of wine while Malthus harassed him into eating
half of the lamb. Once Kissie returned with a glass for Malthus, they both sat
drinking.
"No more than two glasses," Malthus said, covering his glass as Claw tried to
refill it again. "I'm driving into Hell's
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Widow to pick up a few things. Merissa and your sisters made a list for me.
Clodagh wants a few things for the camp."
"You come and go more than anyone else," Claw observed.
"That's because I'm coming and going for other people."
Claw's eyes narrowed. "And you've never run into any trouble."
Kynyr's War [Lycan Blood Vol. IV]
by Janrae Frank
186
Malthus pulled at the long, drooping ends of his mustache and his beard before
answering, considering his reply. He could taste Claw's pain. Seeing the old
bastard drinking the cursed wine had been a pleasant surprise. "I wouldn't say
that. I've had to hide from the Queen a few times, and the
Sharani have stopped me more than once."
"For months, young wolves have been killed not far from the bridge. Arrows
poisoned with Devil's Silver and other arcane shit. Yet, you come through
unscathed, time and again."
"It's a valid question." Kynyr Maguire had entered the room without Malthus
hearing him.
"Remember I was a scout and forager for a kandoyarin company. I'm trained to
handle situations like this one."
Malthus downed his glass and stood to leave. "I must be on my way. I want to
get there before dark."
Malthus left the Blue Room, and Claw gestured at Kynyr to close the door.
Kynyr did so, and joined Claw at the table. "Kandoyarin or not, he's either
damned lucky, or he's part of the problem."
"His decision to go there seemed rather sudden." Claw pinched the corners of
his eyes. "You think he knows you're planning a trip there?"
"We've kept it under wraps ... no, I don't think he knows."
"Be careful."
"As careful as I can."
Claw reached in his pocket and came out with a ring that he placed in Kynyr's
hand. "Before I forget again, I want you to have this."
Kynyr's War [Lycan Blood Vol. IV]
by Janrae Frank
187
Kynyr stared at the ring for several moments, his throat tightening. "That's
Tarrant's signet ring?"
"Yeah. It's yours by right. Wear it for me?" Claw gave him an
uncharacteristically beseeching look that cut Kynyr to the heart. "I'm dying,
Kynyr. Grant me this much before I die.
Wear the ring."
Every fiber of Kynyr's being cried out to refuse, but he could not bring
himself to do so. He slipped the ring onto his right hand. "I'll wear it."
Claw's expression faded into a grimace and he dug his hand into his left arm.
Kynyr's brow knit. "Are you all right?"
"Just tired. I tire too easy these days. I'll get a nap." Claw rang for the
servants to help him back to bed.
* * * *
Darmyk lay in his bed, staring out the window. He wanted to go back to his
treehouse, but his mother would not allow it yet. Everyone seemed worried that
the vampire would get him again. He always cried when they said it was a
vampire that attacked him; he wanted so desperately to tell them that it had
been Ros. He had a hard time sleeping because he imagined that she would drain
him in the night.
His nightmares caused him to wet his bed some nights, so his mother now had
the servants putting pads beneath his sheets. That humiliated Darmyk and made
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
everything worse.
Six times a day they brought him a glass of blood and juice.
Claw's visits became the highlight of every day for him. A
troll hunt had been suggested and some of the guards were
Kynyr's War [Lycan Blood Vol. IV]
by Janrae Frank
188
riding out each day to ask the farmers if any had been sighted. Troll blood
and flesh had been suggested as medicine for Darmyk if he did not improve
faster. The idea of eating a troll did not appeal to Darmyk at all.
His eyes filled up with tears. "Kenly's dead. Grandpa's dying. I hate them."
"Darmyk, don't say those things." Merissa's dress swished as she entered the
room and sat down on the edge of the bed. "We don't know that Kenly's dead and
your grandpa isn't dying. He's getting better. Just like you are."
The boy swallowed and said nothing.
"You must stop blaming everything on Malthus. He's a good mon and he cares
about you."
Darmyk turned his face away. "He hits me."
"Only because he wants you to be a good cub."
"I am a good cub. Grandpa says so."
"Sweetheart, you're making it very hard on me when you keep telling people
that you hate Malthus."
"He's not my father."
"Darmyk, your father doesn't want you!" Merissa spoke before she could stop
herself.
The boy burst into tears. Merissa gathered him into her arms and held him
while they both wept.
* * * *
Heironim's renovations of the Scarlet Petticoat pleased
Malthus as he strode through. The boards on the veranda had been replaced, as
had most of the furnishings. Lewd paintings adorned the walls of the foyer,
setting the mood for obscene
Kynyr's War [Lycan Blood Vol. IV]
by Janrae Frank
189 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl szkicerysunki.xlx.pl
"Are you all right?" Malthus walked over and sat down at the table across from
him. "You should eat more of that.
Aisha and Merissa are going to worry if you don't start eating better."
Claw glared at Malthus. "I'm fine. I'm just not hungry,"
Claw growled. "Fianait and Searlait have already been in to lecture me. I'd
eat more if they'd let me do more."
Malthus nodded thoughtfully, glanced down and to the side with a small smile.
"But it will be difficult to convince them."
Kissie appeared with the bottle of wine, and set it on the table. Seeing
Malthus, she asked him, "Will you be having some?"
"Yes, I would like that."
Claw started on his third glass of wine while Malthus harassed him into eating
half of the lamb. Once Kissie returned with a glass for Malthus, they both sat
drinking.
"No more than two glasses," Malthus said, covering his glass as Claw tried to
refill it again. "I'm driving into Hell's
Page 87
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Widow to pick up a few things. Merissa and your sisters made a list for me.
Clodagh wants a few things for the camp."
"You come and go more than anyone else," Claw observed.
"That's because I'm coming and going for other people."
Claw's eyes narrowed. "And you've never run into any trouble."
Kynyr's War [Lycan Blood Vol. IV]
by Janrae Frank
186
Malthus pulled at the long, drooping ends of his mustache and his beard before
answering, considering his reply. He could taste Claw's pain. Seeing the old
bastard drinking the cursed wine had been a pleasant surprise. "I wouldn't say
that. I've had to hide from the Queen a few times, and the
Sharani have stopped me more than once."
"For months, young wolves have been killed not far from the bridge. Arrows
poisoned with Devil's Silver and other arcane shit. Yet, you come through
unscathed, time and again."
"It's a valid question." Kynyr Maguire had entered the room without Malthus
hearing him.
"Remember I was a scout and forager for a kandoyarin company. I'm trained to
handle situations like this one."
Malthus downed his glass and stood to leave. "I must be on my way. I want to
get there before dark."
Malthus left the Blue Room, and Claw gestured at Kynyr to close the door.
Kynyr did so, and joined Claw at the table. "Kandoyarin or not, he's either
damned lucky, or he's part of the problem."
"His decision to go there seemed rather sudden." Claw pinched the corners of
his eyes. "You think he knows you're planning a trip there?"
"We've kept it under wraps ... no, I don't think he knows."
"Be careful."
"As careful as I can."
Claw reached in his pocket and came out with a ring that he placed in Kynyr's
hand. "Before I forget again, I want you to have this."
Kynyr's War [Lycan Blood Vol. IV]
by Janrae Frank
187
Kynyr stared at the ring for several moments, his throat tightening. "That's
Tarrant's signet ring?"
"Yeah. It's yours by right. Wear it for me?" Claw gave him an
uncharacteristically beseeching look that cut Kynyr to the heart. "I'm dying,
Kynyr. Grant me this much before I die.
Wear the ring."
Every fiber of Kynyr's being cried out to refuse, but he could not bring
himself to do so. He slipped the ring onto his right hand. "I'll wear it."
Claw's expression faded into a grimace and he dug his hand into his left arm.
Kynyr's brow knit. "Are you all right?"
"Just tired. I tire too easy these days. I'll get a nap." Claw rang for the
servants to help him back to bed.
* * * *
Darmyk lay in his bed, staring out the window. He wanted to go back to his
treehouse, but his mother would not allow it yet. Everyone seemed worried that
the vampire would get him again. He always cried when they said it was a
vampire that attacked him; he wanted so desperately to tell them that it had
been Ros. He had a hard time sleeping because he imagined that she would drain
him in the night.
His nightmares caused him to wet his bed some nights, so his mother now had
the servants putting pads beneath his sheets. That humiliated Darmyk and made
Page 88
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
everything worse.
Six times a day they brought him a glass of blood and juice.
Claw's visits became the highlight of every day for him. A
troll hunt had been suggested and some of the guards were
Kynyr's War [Lycan Blood Vol. IV]
by Janrae Frank
188
riding out each day to ask the farmers if any had been sighted. Troll blood
and flesh had been suggested as medicine for Darmyk if he did not improve
faster. The idea of eating a troll did not appeal to Darmyk at all.
His eyes filled up with tears. "Kenly's dead. Grandpa's dying. I hate them."
"Darmyk, don't say those things." Merissa's dress swished as she entered the
room and sat down on the edge of the bed. "We don't know that Kenly's dead and
your grandpa isn't dying. He's getting better. Just like you are."
The boy swallowed and said nothing.
"You must stop blaming everything on Malthus. He's a good mon and he cares
about you."
Darmyk turned his face away. "He hits me."
"Only because he wants you to be a good cub."
"I am a good cub. Grandpa says so."
"Sweetheart, you're making it very hard on me when you keep telling people
that you hate Malthus."
"He's not my father."
"Darmyk, your father doesn't want you!" Merissa spoke before she could stop
herself.
The boy burst into tears. Merissa gathered him into her arms and held him
while they both wept.
* * * *
Heironim's renovations of the Scarlet Petticoat pleased
Malthus as he strode through. The boards on the veranda had been replaced, as
had most of the furnishings. Lewd paintings adorned the walls of the foyer,
setting the mood for obscene
Kynyr's War [Lycan Blood Vol. IV]
by Janrae Frank
189 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]