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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
hold it together. "Why not one merciful stroke?"
Talons looked at him tight-lipped. "Hate."
"Too much hatred's been bred into Angrim and Beltria.
This is what comes of it."
Eurus arrived, settled into a chair, stroking Lukasz's forehead in a futile
gesture of comfort. The duke's skin was clammy, his face faintly blue around
the lips. "He's nearly gone. There's nothing anyone can do. Only a lifemage
could save him. And there aren't left. They're all dead. We had one in
Varsyava. She was butchered five years ago."
Talons threw back her head and shouted, "Dynarien!
Dynarien! Dynarien!"
Her husband appeared in a shimmer of golden light on the far side of the bed.
Dynarien wore his golden armor, chain mail, and a golden breastplate with his
device of an eagle holding blue roses in its claws and a wreath of blue roses
around it. His red gold hair hung loose and wild about his
Blood Harvest [Dark Brothers of the Light Book VII]
by Janrae Frank
355
broad shoulders. A belt with two long blades girded his slender waist and a
longsword hung at his shoulder. He glared balefully at the room as if
answering a call to battle, spied
Talons standing beside the bed where a small bloodied boy lay, and his
expression softened.
A gasp went up from the watchers. Berran thought his heart would plunge into
his throat the way it caught and hammered in a rapid exchange of still and
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busy. He could sense the brightly burning divine energies surrounding the
newcomer.
"The Twice-Born Son!" Eurus slipped from his chair, and dropped to one knee,
his old bones creaking. "Holy One."
"A god," Berran gasped. "She's summoned a god."
"Help my friend Lukasz..." Talons said.
Dynarien grasped Lukasz's wrist and Read him, his eyes growing grave. "I can
strengthen him a bit, but I can't heal him. I need donors." The Twice-Born Son
of Willodarus pushed up his sleeve and pressed his forearm to Lukasz's. He
cast Shared Life and the boy breathed easier, his heart steadied as the divine
energies flooded him along with a transfusion of blood.
Talons understood, having been part of such scenes before. "Eurus, match the
blood types to Lukasz's and allow those who match into here."
Eurus rose from the floor and stepped into the parlor where he found
Warenhari, Vernados, and three other Dreslin myn. He Read them. "Go into him,
two at a time."
Then Eurus moved to the door into the corridor where many people were
gathered, drawn by the sight or the word
Blood Harvest [Dark Brothers of the Light Book VII]
by Janrae Frank
356
of what had happened, soldiers, servants, and a scattering of noblewomen.
Eurus shouted at the crowd. "Form a line. If you wish to help save your duke,
form a line. I can only Read you one at a time."
Hartmut and Yevhen arrived. The old steward blanched when he saw all the blood
coating Lukasz and the wounds in the duke's body. It was even worse than he
had imagined listening to Yevhen. His face twisted and an anguished moan
escaped his throat. He dragged a chair to the bedside and gripped Lukasz's
limp hand, tears streaming down his face.
"You can't die, boy. You can't."
Yevhen and six members of the palace guard immediately started ordering the
crowd into a line. The captain pulled
Eskild aside and whispered into his ear something that no one else heard.
"It's happened. Put our plan into action."
Eskild nodded and departed in a hurry.
Eurus Read each of them, turning away those who were not compatible with
Lukasz's blood type, ordering them to return to their chambers or back to
their tasks, and sending those who matched into Dynarien. Everyone from
servants to nobles clamored to be allowed to help, but Eurus had to refuse
most of them because Lukasz's blood type was so uncommon. Dynarien stabilized
him, despite the fact that
Gunther's blade still protruded from his chest and Eurus was afraid to pull it
lest it cause Lukasz to bleed worse.
Dynarien's eyes went distant, thinking furiously. "I'll fetch
Britlyn."
Then Dynarien vanished as he had come.
* * * *
Blood Harvest [Dark Brothers of the Light Book VII]
by Janrae Frank
357
Brainerd emerged from the stables and watched Talons carrying Lukasz toward
the palace with Berran struggling to keep up. Anger at Gunther threaded him.
If the boy had done as he was told, the bitch would not yet know the
schvartzer was dead and still be searching for him. Gunther and his friends
had wasted precious time butchering the little bastard rather than hiding him.
A small crowd had already begun to form around them, and only Berran's shouts
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and curses were making them give way. Brainerd crossed the courtyard to the
gathered people who were beginning to trail after Talons and Berran.
"What's going on?"
A servant turned a tearful face to him. "Someone murdered the young duke."
Brainerd formed a mask of concern over his features.
"Dear god."
"His poor body is torn by terrible wounds."
"What kind of monster would do such a thing?" Brainerd growled.
"Someone without a heart."
Brainerd hurried on to find Hartmut. However, he failed to find the mon in
either his study or his offices, so the armsmaster guessed that someone must
have already informed the old mon and Hartmut would most likely be sitting
with Lukasz's body.
Foolish old mon, weeping over the mongrel bastard no doubt
.
Blood Harvest [Dark Brothers of the Light Book VII]
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358
An unusual number of the palace guard appeared to be heading for the royal
wing, Brainerd wondered at that. There were far too many of them to have been
summoned to protect Lukasz's remains. If they were looking for Gunther, they
would not find him: the youth had to be safely hidden in the Kill Room by
then. The further he traveled, the more crowded the corridor became, until he
found himself held back by sheer numbers of the curious and worried four doors
from Lukasz's chambers.
Brainerd heard Captain Yevhen and several soldiers trying to disperse the
crowd. He started shoving his way through them and finally reached Lukasz's
door.
"I need to get inside," Brainerd told Yevhen.
Captain Yevhen eyed him coldly. "You're not allowed in."
"Don't be foolish. If something has happened to the boy, I
need to know."
"Hartmut specifically excluded you."
"At least tell me what's going on."
"It isn't for me to say."
"Everyone is saying the duke is dead."
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| Cytat |
Dobre pomysły nie mają przeszłości, mają tylko przyszłość. Robert Mallet
De minimis - o najmniejszych rzeczach.
Dobroć jest ważniejsza niż mądrość, a uznanie tej prawdy to pierwszy krok do mądrości. Theodore Isaac Rubin
Dobro to tylko to, co szlachetne, zło to tylko to, co haniebne.
Dla człowieka nie tylko świat otaczający jest zagadką; jest on nią sam dla siebie. I z obu tajemnic bardziej dręczącą wydaje się ta druga. Antoni Kępiński (1918-1972)
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