Knights: Book 03 - The Heart of Shadows Read Free Page B

task. I want Jace to see to Lannon's
safety."
    Jace
bowed. "I shall do my best."
    "Are
you saying I cannot protect the lad?" asked Shennen.
    "Of
course not," said Taris. "But two guards are better than one. In
fact, have Thrake accompany you as well."
    Shennen
grimaced. "Why not just send half the Knights in Dorok's Hand, then, if
you're so worried about Lannon's safety?"
    Taris
said nothing. He simply gazed at Shennen from under his hood, his green eyes
shining in the torchlight.
    Shennen
lowered his gaze. "I meant no disrespect. It shall be done."
    Taris
turned away and didn't see Shennen's scowl.
    Lannon
wanted only to return to his chamber and rest. He certainly didn't want any
part of that Dragon's remains. And Shennen seemed to be behaving a bit
strangely, and his face looked very pale. Lannon wondered if the Blue Knight
had spent too much time with those charred bones and had somehow been affected
by whatever dark sorcery lingered within them.

Chapter
2:   Knight and Dragon
    Shennen
led Lannon, Jace, and Thrake along a few dark tunnels and then down some steps
to a small chamber where the Dragon bones jutted up from a long, narrow stone
table. A pair of torches in iron holders, from which cobwebs dangled, lighted
the room. Mushrooms that stood more than two-feet tall, with purple and yellow
caps, grew in troughs in the corners, and shelves were lined with books and
strange, metal instruments. The room had a charred, damp smell, and the air
felt clammy and made Lannon's flesh crawl.
    Thrake
stood guard outside the door, while Jace stayed by Lannon' side, his pipe smoke
drifting past the boy's head. Lannon gazed at the bones in dread, memories of
the carnage the Dragon had inflicted on its foes flashing through his mind. He
was filled with revulsion and wanted to leave the chamber, but he held his
ground, waiting for Shennen's instructions.
      An intense aura of gloom and fear filled the
room, radiating from the worm-like layout of charred bones. Yet Shennen's face,
bathed in crimson from the torchlight, bore a broad grin as he stood before the
bones.
    "Amazing,
aren't they?" said Shennen, running his hand over what appeared to be a
long, curved rib bone. "The key to Tharnin."
      Jace frowned and adjusted his cloak, looking
uncomfortable, sweat on his brow. "Yes, they are extraordinary. And
apparently still quite active."
    Shennen's
breath rushed out in a sigh. "So many secrets to be discovered, Lannon, in
the bones of a Great Dragon. I would never have imagined such remains would end
up in my possession...in the possession of Dremlock."
    Lannon
nodded, but did not share Shennen's enthusiasm. While Lannon understood that
unlocking the secrets of Tharnin was essential to winning the war against the
Deep Shadow, this somehow seemed very wrong.
    The
bones were laid out with great care. They were badly charred with pieces burned
away, but enough of the beast's huge skull remained to chill Lannon's soul. The
eye sockets were dark and empty, the purple, hypnotic orbs that had seemed to
hold endless depth burned away, but the Dragon's terrible will still seemed to
emanate from them. Fangs jutted down from a long snout that seemed to be split
open in a malicious grin. Lannon was certain life still lingered there, that
the Dragon was still plotting Dremlock's downfall. His immediate thought was
that the bones should be buried deep in the earth, far from sight and mind.
    "I'll
give my opinion," said Jace, "though no one has asked for it. I think
it's too bad the White Fire didn't burn these bones completely to ash. From
what I can sense, they are extremely dangerous."
    "I
felt that way at first," said Shennen. "It's a natural response. But
the more I've studied these remains, the more I've come to realize what a
wonderful gift we have here. And Taris and Furlus fully support this
research."
    "But
this research could destroy us all," said Jace. "This is a Great
Dragon of Tharnin--a beast of all beasts and one that is supposed to