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Danny grabbed at the woman s bloodied hand on his
chest, but it was like trying to lift a timber,  Stop it! I order
you to stop feeding.
 You are my Brother s favorite, I do not take orders from
you. He has betrayed the Dominion. He has attacked the Dark
Lord. His life is forfeit.
Tal slowly shook his head and lowered his eyes unable to
meet the hopeful, sorrowful gaze.  They& broke something
inside me, Danny. I can t find all of the pieces. Even now, I
feel the priests seeking me. You have to let me go.
 I need you.
 & thank him& . Tal grabbed Denais hand, grimacing in
pain as more of his life force drew away,  Protect the Dark
Lord.
337 Derekica Snake
 I know of the sacrifice you made to my Brother. For
that, as long as my Champion breathes, I will defend Lord
Danvos.
Tal face grimaced once more, then it was as if his spirit
faded to nothingness.
 The priests of light know that their weapon is
compromised. The blood drenched woman closed her eyes,
 They do not know that he is vanquished. They will not wait
for nightfall. Serve my Brother well, and my champion and I
will do the same.
Danny rocked back hard as the vision that had been cast
him back into his world. Tal lay on the stone floor that they
had once shared as a bedroom. There should have been blood.
Kev bent over and picked up a chain off the floor.
 Milord& 
There should be blood.
 Lord Danny& 
She took that too.
 Danny& 
Danny pushed himself off the floor. There was a slight
ache were the blade had pierced through. Blood coated the
wall where he had been stuck like a moth on a pin. It took two
tries to get Denais from Tal s body, more from the heft of the
blade rather than otherworldly resistance. It took three steps
to get to Kev. He pressed the hilt into the other man s chest.
 Thank you& you saved my life.
 Milord& the Commander& 
 That wasn t Tal. The Commander would never have
harmed me. This was a Rider trick. Kev held out the silver
The Black Tower 338
tear drop. Danny looked down at it and his eyes hardened.  I
don t need that any more. Get everyone in the courtyard. The
Riders are coming and everyone needs to leave.
The other guards who had crowded into room turned and
started back down the stairs.  You two, take this down to the
alter room.
Kev still held the bare blade in his hand. The silver tear
drop dangled, swinging in the pale light of morning.
Flash& flash& flash. Danny turned and looked out of the
window, was it only dawn.  Milord& ?
 Get your gear and get back to the Tower, I will need you
at my side before noon. The Illumination is coming.
 & and you need all the swords you can get.
 No& just hers.
Kev paused as Danny left the chamber following the
soldiers and the body down into the alter room. He turned and
looked back at the spot where the Commander had fallen.
There had been a second when the air had shimmered. Denais
had let him see her. {You are once again his Shield& prepare
yourself for battle}
 That was the Commander& .I felt his heart stop. His
fist closed painfully around the warm orb.
Denais was silent.
 What have we done?
{Set loose the Dark Hound of Destruction. Prepare
yourself. He will need you.}
339 Derekica Snake
Chapter 18: End Game
The people gathered in the courtyard murmuring,
muttering whispering about the commotion of the early morn.
All the voices stopped at once when Kev, Espy s bastard
walked out of the Tower. Edan held Talos tightly to him. Kev
was pale, almost white and shaken. Something had happened.
A sorrel gelding was brought forward and held by one of the
guard as Kev slipped on. For a moment, Edan caught his
eyes& something horribly wrong& then Kev whirled the
horse and kicked it into motion back to the east.
 Talos& can you?
 He s sad& .just as sad when mama left us. Shall I sing
to him?
More guards came out of the tower in full battle gear.
This was not well.
 Papa?
 No, Talos, don t sing for him today. I think he needs to
be sad. Don t talk to him in your way today. I don t think he
would like that.
 But, I don t want him to be lonely& 
The guard stepped back and the Dark Lord walked out
into the brightening light of day. Blood caked his chest, ran
down his arm staining the pale linen almost a dark purple. An
angry red welt stood out like a scar on his pale skin across his
throat. The assembly gasped in surprise then the voices rose
in anger. Eyes turned after Kev but Edan knew& . By the
gods& 
The Black Tower 340
Lord Danny raised his arms and the voices trailed off.
 Some of you saw the Commander ride in to the Dominion
last night.
Voices rose up again& in excited whispers. Everyone
knew that the Dark Lord wasn t himself since the harvest
attack.
 It was a trick. He was an Illumination assassin.
The silence was deafening.  Without Kev s protection, I
would not be here now. The Commander,  the Lord s Hound
was lost to us in the first attack. This assassin is a sign of the
Freelord s and the Illumination s desperation. They are
coming today.
The crowd roared in anger. Edan could feel the waves of
it rising..
 It is not safe. I want all of you to leave the Dominion.
Danny raised his hands again,  You are not running from the
Illumination and their Riders of Light. You ll be running from
me. Our boundaries are set. Anything within those walls
without the mark of the Darkness will die today. Even the
guard jerked in wariness,  Take only what you can carry.
They already know their assassin failed. They are on their
way. For you own sakes, leave now and don t stop.
Edan looked around and handed Talos to Mira. Danny
had already turned and was making his way back into the
Tower.  Milord!
 Take Talos with you. Keep him safe. I ll try to keep this
from him& but just get him away.
 You can t stand against the Riders alone.
 I won t be alone. Kev& .
341 Derekica Snake
 Just the two of you? This is madness.
 I owe you and Talos apologies. If I had done my duty
when Tal first disappeared, Ona and the others would still be
alive.
 You couldn t have known.
 The Darkness knew what the Illumination was capable
of. I ignored it out of fear and desperation& and look where
our Dominion is now.
 What are you going to do?
Edan involuntarily took a step backwards as he met the
Dark Lord s glaze,  I m going to end it.
Deep in the bowels of the Tower the soldiers deposited
the body of the Commander on the alter. None of them were
able to look at the sad face of their Dark Lord as he came in
and stared down at the corpse.  Everyone leaves. Nothing
stays behind. I ll tell the animals to go.
 Milord& ..
 I ll see you tomorrow Milos& 
 How will we know& 
 The horses will know& get everyone out now. The
Illumination is on the move. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]