The Shadow Games: The Chronicles of Arianthem VI Read Free Page A

her feet.
    Judging by the insane fury in the creature’s eyes, Raine knew there was no negotiating with the vampyr. So she flipped the dagger in her hand then hurled it with tremendous force so that it pierced the woman in the throat and pinned her to the wall. Simultaneously, an arrow pierced the right arm, then another the left, so that the little girl scrambled free and ran to her mother. Then two more arrows struck down the thrall. Raine glanced to the doorway where Feyden stood, having already notched a third arrow, poised should it be needed.
    It was not. The vampyr struggled and gurgled, but could not free herself from the impaled objects. Lorifal strode over to the creature, his great axe resting on his shoulder.
    “Is this your ‘messenger?’”
    Raine shook her head. “No, there’s another in the bedroom.”
    “Good,” Lorifal said, and with a tremendous swing of his axe, he decapitated the creature. The head screamed as it fell to the ground, smoked, then turned to a small heap of black ash. The body emitted black smoke, then it, too, turned to ash which fell to the floor. There was the shape of a headless body outlined in black on the wall.
    “And this one?” Lorifal asked.
    “That’s just a thrall. Put her out of her misery.” And the great axe did so, creating another pile of black ash. Feyden retrieved the arrows impaled in the wall, checked them for their integrity, then slid them back into his quiver.
    Raine turned to the serving woman who was clutching both children to her.
    “Are there any more of them?
    “No,” the woman said, trembling.
    “Are any of you bitten?” Raine asked, glancing meaningfully to the little girl.
    “No,” the woman said, shaking her head. “I checked her. And she shows no signs.” The woman looked fearfully at Raine’s forearm, where the reddened, swollen wound was clearly visible. “But you were.”
    Raine glanced at the wound, dismissing it. “They cannot harm me,” she said, then corrected herself. “Well, they can harm me as that did hurt. But they cannot turn me.”
    “How is that possible?” the woman asked. Although there were enchantments that could ward off the vampyrism, and poultices that could stop the spread if applied quickly enough, she did not know of anyone who could ignore a vampyr’s bite without consequence.
    “The gods watch over me,” Raine said, but there was a trace of sarcasm in her voice. One god in particular watched over her, but that malevolent attention was not protective in nature.
    “How long have you been here?” Feyden asked.
    “I—, I’m not sure,” the woman said. “I think it has been several months. Those foul creatures took us, and they cut me….” She held out her arms for inspection, revealing numerous small slices across the veins, “and they…”
    She trailed off again, unable to continue, but Raine understood. The vampyres had kept her alive and captive to feed off her.
    “Did they harm your children?”
    “No, but that seemed only a matter of time.”
    Raine was relieved. By the look in that man’s eyes, that time was almost upon that little girl.
    “We’ll get you to safety. Gather your things.”
    The woman and children went into a small room off to the side, returning a short time later with a pitiful amount of belongings, barely a bundle. Raine took one last look in on the unconscious innkeeper, and Feyden peered over her shoulder.
    “Should I ask why that one is naked?”
    “I have to use whatever tactics present themselves,” Raine replied, a trace of color in her cheeks. “You know how unpredictable these creatures are.”
    Raine donned her armor, dragged the innkeeper out of the tavern, then burned the building to the ground. Feyden and Lorifal both carried a child and Raine half-carried the woman. They reached a small village by morning, delivering the family to safety. Raine tossed the woman a bag of coin that would feed her children for ten years, and waved off her gratitude,