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I petted my hands up and down his back. It must be the power of the scepter. It's made you see again,
but because you no longer have eyes, you can see through me."
"I don't understand."
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I swallowed, then gave him the rest of my grandfather's story. The only part I left out was the whole me
dying thing.
"You should have told me before this happened. Kalimus got off the bed, searching furiously for his
clothes. I should have been given a choice."
"I didn't exactly rape you, you know. I grabbed my own stuff and started getting dressed. Here I was,
ready to sacrifice my life for the guy and this after I'd allowed him to fuck me senseless. You'd think he
could muster up some semblance of gratitude. It wasn't until we were both fully dressed that I realized the
truth.
"You're scared."
Instead of answering, he said, Come here."
Kalimus was standing in front of one of those old standing mirrors. I came up beside him. Yeah?"
"Look in the mirror, Carter. I need to see your face."
I did.
Kalimus trailed his fingers over the bridge of my nose, across the line of my jaw.
"I knew, from the dreams, but this... He leaned in to kiss the bite wound on my neck. You're
perfection."
"Does that mean I'm forgiven?"
Kalimus sighed. You were right. I am scared. He ran his fingers through his hair. I have no idea how
this thing this Scepter of Corin even works."
"Neither do I. Guess we'll figure it out as we go along."
Kalimus opened his mouth to say something, but the splintering of the wooden door behind us cut him
off. I turned to see the brunette from the Silver Dagger the one who worked with Tina come barreling
inside.
I gathered up a blue ball of magic, ready for a fight. How the hell did you get in here?"
"Tina gave me some of her mojo, told me to come find you. She swallowed. Tina's in danger, and you
two are the only ones who can help her."
* * * *
Finding Tina wasn't hard, thanks to the barb I'd never thought to remove from under her skin. The
brunette had long since disappeared, leaving only me and Kalimus standing outside the old ruin where
we'd tracked Tina.
"You know this has got to be a trap, right? It was the third time I'd said it, but it seemed appropriate all
things considered.
"You're the one who said we had the Scepter of Corin on our side, Kalimus said. Are you having
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
second thoughts?"
Hell, yes. Seconds, thirds, and fourths, but I was in too deep now to turn back. What is this place,
anyway?"
"My father's mansion, Kalimus said. I knew without having to be told that he was seeing it through my
eyes. After Macintosh stole my legacy, he abandoned this place and built a mansion of his own."
"Do you have a plan to get inside, or were you thinking of going for the
storm-the-door-and-hope-for-the-best form of entry?"
"There's a tunnel that goes right under the building, Kalimus said, part of the same system where I've
been living since my return to this city. He managed a thin smile. My father's idea."
"Fine. I'll lead, and you use my eyes to steer."
Kalimus nodded, and we started off. Even with the darkness having settled in around us, I could see well
enough to make my way through the dense undergrowth surrounding the ruined mansion. Kalimus
pointed to a spot not far away, to what looked like a pile of fallen trees but actually turned out to be the
hidden mouth of a cave.
I grabbed a branch from near the cave's opening, then conjured enough flame to make it a torch.
Without hesitating, Kalimus and I waded into the cave.
The tunnel was tall but narrow. I hate confined spaces and was damned relieved when we reached an
overhead door leading into the mansion. Someone had obligingly thought to build stairs into the wall,
making it easy to bang our way inside. Unfortunately, Mitchell Macintosh and a passel of Jenson's goons
were waiting for us.
"My father told us you'd come, Mitchell said as the other vampires grabbed us, but I didn't think you'd
have the guts. He pointed toward a long hall. Take them into the old throne room. Father is waiting for
them."
The house was falling down around us, but even with the peeling plaster and cracked floors, it was easy
to see that the room they took us to was the throne room from my dream. Jenson was standing in the
room's center, over Tina who was lying on the floor, unmoving.
Our captors dragged us a few feet in front of Jenson, then let us go on his command. Jenson's smile was
the ugliest I'd ever seen.
"So you did come after all. Who'd have thought one worthless fairy would mean so much. He kicked
Tina, but she didn't make a sound.
"Doesn't take much of a man to harm a defenseless woman. Kalimus faced Jenson like the prince he
was. This fight is between us. Let Carter and Tina go."
"I don't think so. Jenson looked at me. You owe me two-hundred fifty thousand dollars. I think I'll let
my boys take it out of your hide. Boys, take care of Mr. Denton while I deal with Mr. de Roche."
Mitchell and the others rushed me, then. Use it, Kalimus, I screamed. Use the scepter."
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He lifted his hand, but nothing happened. Jenson was on him then, and I could do little more than watch
as Jenson pulled a knife from his belt and aimed it at Kalimus heart.
Mitchell and his boys grabbed me before I could help him, and that's when a prickling itch started under
my skin. At first I didn't know what was happening, but as a burst of power unlike anything I'd ever
known began to throb from the center of my body, I realized in an instant of startling clarity that my
grandfather had misinterpreted the prophecy.
I didn't hold half the Scepter of Corin. Iwas the Scepter of Corin. Closing my eyes, I threw back my
head and allowed the power to blast out of my chest.
Dying is an interesting experience. All that white light, feeling of peace crap is true, but I didn't see Jesus
and Grandma standing at the end of a tunnel. Instead, I saw a dark haired man and a petite blonde
woman waiting not ten feet away, watching me. I knew without having to ask that they were Kalimus
parents.
It was as if the three of us were standing behind a clear screen, watching what was happening on the
other side. My body was lying on the floor, pure light shining from my every pore. Mitchell and his boys
were flung against the walls, disintegrating before my eyes. I barely spared them a glance as I watched
the energy surge forward to engulf Jenson and Kalimus.
I tried to move forward, to pull Kalimus out of the way, but his father stopped me with a surprisingly
solid hand on my shoulder.
"My son is perfectly safe, he said. Just watch and see."
Sure enough, the scepter's power bypassed Kalimus all together. It grabbed hold of Jenson, and though
I should have been horrified, I felt nothing but satisfaction as he dissolved into a bloody puddle on the
floor.
"What happens now? I said as Kalimus mother came over to join us. I mean, I get that I'm dead and
all, but..."
"If you think he's going to let you go, you've sorely underestimated my son. This, from Kalimus mother.
She pointed one slender finger to where Kalimus was feeling his way over to my body. I was still lying on [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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I petted my hands up and down his back. It must be the power of the scepter. It's made you see again,
but because you no longer have eyes, you can see through me."
"I don't understand."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
I swallowed, then gave him the rest of my grandfather's story. The only part I left out was the whole me
dying thing.
"You should have told me before this happened. Kalimus got off the bed, searching furiously for his
clothes. I should have been given a choice."
"I didn't exactly rape you, you know. I grabbed my own stuff and started getting dressed. Here I was,
ready to sacrifice my life for the guy and this after I'd allowed him to fuck me senseless. You'd think he
could muster up some semblance of gratitude. It wasn't until we were both fully dressed that I realized the
truth.
"You're scared."
Instead of answering, he said, Come here."
Kalimus was standing in front of one of those old standing mirrors. I came up beside him. Yeah?"
"Look in the mirror, Carter. I need to see your face."
I did.
Kalimus trailed his fingers over the bridge of my nose, across the line of my jaw.
"I knew, from the dreams, but this... He leaned in to kiss the bite wound on my neck. You're
perfection."
"Does that mean I'm forgiven?"
Kalimus sighed. You were right. I am scared. He ran his fingers through his hair. I have no idea how
this thing this Scepter of Corin even works."
"Neither do I. Guess we'll figure it out as we go along."
Kalimus opened his mouth to say something, but the splintering of the wooden door behind us cut him
off. I turned to see the brunette from the Silver Dagger the one who worked with Tina come barreling
inside.
I gathered up a blue ball of magic, ready for a fight. How the hell did you get in here?"
"Tina gave me some of her mojo, told me to come find you. She swallowed. Tina's in danger, and you
two are the only ones who can help her."
* * * *
Finding Tina wasn't hard, thanks to the barb I'd never thought to remove from under her skin. The
brunette had long since disappeared, leaving only me and Kalimus standing outside the old ruin where
we'd tracked Tina.
"You know this has got to be a trap, right? It was the third time I'd said it, but it seemed appropriate all
things considered.
"You're the one who said we had the Scepter of Corin on our side, Kalimus said. Are you having
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
second thoughts?"
Hell, yes. Seconds, thirds, and fourths, but I was in too deep now to turn back. What is this place,
anyway?"
"My father's mansion, Kalimus said. I knew without having to be told that he was seeing it through my
eyes. After Macintosh stole my legacy, he abandoned this place and built a mansion of his own."
"Do you have a plan to get inside, or were you thinking of going for the
storm-the-door-and-hope-for-the-best form of entry?"
"There's a tunnel that goes right under the building, Kalimus said, part of the same system where I've
been living since my return to this city. He managed a thin smile. My father's idea."
"Fine. I'll lead, and you use my eyes to steer."
Kalimus nodded, and we started off. Even with the darkness having settled in around us, I could see well
enough to make my way through the dense undergrowth surrounding the ruined mansion. Kalimus
pointed to a spot not far away, to what looked like a pile of fallen trees but actually turned out to be the
hidden mouth of a cave.
I grabbed a branch from near the cave's opening, then conjured enough flame to make it a torch.
Without hesitating, Kalimus and I waded into the cave.
The tunnel was tall but narrow. I hate confined spaces and was damned relieved when we reached an
overhead door leading into the mansion. Someone had obligingly thought to build stairs into the wall,
making it easy to bang our way inside. Unfortunately, Mitchell Macintosh and a passel of Jenson's goons
were waiting for us.
"My father told us you'd come, Mitchell said as the other vampires grabbed us, but I didn't think you'd
have the guts. He pointed toward a long hall. Take them into the old throne room. Father is waiting for
them."
The house was falling down around us, but even with the peeling plaster and cracked floors, it was easy
to see that the room they took us to was the throne room from my dream. Jenson was standing in the
room's center, over Tina who was lying on the floor, unmoving.
Our captors dragged us a few feet in front of Jenson, then let us go on his command. Jenson's smile was
the ugliest I'd ever seen.
"So you did come after all. Who'd have thought one worthless fairy would mean so much. He kicked
Tina, but she didn't make a sound.
"Doesn't take much of a man to harm a defenseless woman. Kalimus faced Jenson like the prince he
was. This fight is between us. Let Carter and Tina go."
"I don't think so. Jenson looked at me. You owe me two-hundred fifty thousand dollars. I think I'll let
my boys take it out of your hide. Boys, take care of Mr. Denton while I deal with Mr. de Roche."
Mitchell and the others rushed me, then. Use it, Kalimus, I screamed. Use the scepter."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
He lifted his hand, but nothing happened. Jenson was on him then, and I could do little more than watch
as Jenson pulled a knife from his belt and aimed it at Kalimus heart.
Mitchell and his boys grabbed me before I could help him, and that's when a prickling itch started under
my skin. At first I didn't know what was happening, but as a burst of power unlike anything I'd ever
known began to throb from the center of my body, I realized in an instant of startling clarity that my
grandfather had misinterpreted the prophecy.
I didn't hold half the Scepter of Corin. Iwas the Scepter of Corin. Closing my eyes, I threw back my
head and allowed the power to blast out of my chest.
Dying is an interesting experience. All that white light, feeling of peace crap is true, but I didn't see Jesus
and Grandma standing at the end of a tunnel. Instead, I saw a dark haired man and a petite blonde
woman waiting not ten feet away, watching me. I knew without having to ask that they were Kalimus
parents.
It was as if the three of us were standing behind a clear screen, watching what was happening on the
other side. My body was lying on the floor, pure light shining from my every pore. Mitchell and his boys
were flung against the walls, disintegrating before my eyes. I barely spared them a glance as I watched
the energy surge forward to engulf Jenson and Kalimus.
I tried to move forward, to pull Kalimus out of the way, but his father stopped me with a surprisingly
solid hand on my shoulder.
"My son is perfectly safe, he said. Just watch and see."
Sure enough, the scepter's power bypassed Kalimus all together. It grabbed hold of Jenson, and though
I should have been horrified, I felt nothing but satisfaction as he dissolved into a bloody puddle on the
floor.
"What happens now? I said as Kalimus mother came over to join us. I mean, I get that I'm dead and
all, but..."
"If you think he's going to let you go, you've sorely underestimated my son. This, from Kalimus mother.
She pointed one slender finger to where Kalimus was feeling his way over to my body. I was still lying on [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]