Shadows of Time: Shadow Maiden Read Free Page B

sister growing up, let
alone a twin? To always have someone there for you your own age, to
play with and to love?”
    She reached down and lifted her daughter up
into her arms. An abrupt flash of lightening made Astrid hide her
face in her mother’s soft, golden hair.
    “Mama, the lightening’s come to take me
away!”
    “There, there, no one’s ever going to take
you away from me. Not ever.” Evanna gazed at her with warm, smiling
eyes. “Let me tell you a story, my love. That will make everything
better, you’ll see.”
    “Once there was a fair kingdom, with a people
just as fair. They lived in peace and loved everything that drew
breath. However one night a fierce storm came, and in that storm
was a mighty army of strange creatures no one had ever seen before.
The people were quite frightened, and did not know what to do, so
they turned to their leader, a wise, kind-eyed old king. He knew
there was no way his people would survive an attack from such
fearsome creatures, so he did a most remarkable thing. He raised
the city into the sky, high above out of the grasp of the evils on
the earth below. Do you know of what city I speak, my love?”
    “Alainia! It’s here!” Astrid glowed from her
mother’s approving nod.
    “Indeed it is. And it has been safely
dwelling in the sky ever since, and always will be.”
    Astrid stifled a yawn, her little nose
crinkling like a rabbit’s, and nuzzled closer to her mother’s
warmth.
    “Mama, where’s father?”
    “Off on one of his wild adventures. You know
how he is, my love. Remember when he camped out up in the old oak
in the courtyard for a week, all trying to find out how many leaves
were on the blasted thing. He was counting and counting until he
finally fell asleep and crashed into the rose bush below.”
    “He was covered in thorns!” They both tried
to suppress their giggles until Astrid finally gave another grand
yawn.
    “I think it’s time for someone to go to
sleep,” Evanna said, brushing her daughter’s long dark hair from
her face.
    Evanna noticed that Astrid was quick to take
her advice and was fast asleep in moments, cradled in her mother’s
arms. With a gentle smile, she laid the girl down next to her and
tucked her in. It was a few hours past midnight and she knew
tomorrow was going to be quite the day. Harvest time was right
around the corner and everyone in the farming district had seemed
to have gone insane. Her sleepy thoughts also drifted to Lestel’s
whereabouts. I really should go check to see if he’s okay. She smiled as she thought about her curious little poet, drifting
further into sleep. Maybe tomorrow.
     
     
    ***
     
     
    Lestel woke to the echoes of raspy laughter.
He was too afraid to open his eyes. What have I done? He lay
there, paralyzed by his fear, quivering like a fragile autumn
leaf.
    Open your eyes. See for yourself, there is
nothing to fear. There is worse yet to come.
    His eyes were pried open by unseen claws. He
could see the same dark room, the same desk and chair. The age-old
corpse, still rotting away like nothing had happened.
    I used to be quite handsome you know. You
could never tell now of course. I could have had any wench I wanted
and no matter how badly I treated her she would still be begging
for my return. Such a lovely feeling. Power. Something you would
know nothing about.
    Lestel tried to open his mouth to speak. His
tongue lolled around, numb and clammy. He managed to moan a single
word.
    “Whooooo?”
    I thought you would never ask. He felt
himself being dragged upright like a puppet and crashed down upon
his unsteady feet. I was once an elf. I was flesh and blood
bound together and oh so weak. I once breathed like you do now. Now
I am something entirely different. More—efficient. I have been
reborn. I am vengeance against the living.
    I am Luthen.
    And there is much to do .

Chapter Two
    “ You don’t have to do this, you know,”
Ilsie said, wringing her hands. Merrick could feel her