Darach by RJ Scott Read Free Book Online

edgy, his pathetic mud Fire curling about him as his anger grew, and in a move so fast Sulien had no chance to stop him, Madoc launched himself at Guardian. Madoc was dead before he hit the floor; Guardian's retribution was swift. Pain tore through Sulien at the death of the other Councilor, but he didn't move. Amber Fire coiled around Madoc and slowly returned to Guardian, whose face was impassive.
    "I owe you nothing. Leave."
    Sulien hesitated, exchanging looks with Ephraim as to whether they should move their fellow Council member's body. Ephraim shook his head, edging towards the door without turning his back on Guardian, who was a vision of terror, his face twisted in anger and his pure amber Fire a roiling mass of light around him.
    Sulien and Ephraim bowed slightly and left the room, exchanging no words, not even after the door closed behind them.
    Each had the grieving to experience, and whilst Ephraim would do it with wine, Sulien wanted his books, his library. It was the one place he could record his own demise now. With the loss of the Cariad red, he was dying, sooner rather than later.
     
    * * * *
     
    Guardian didn't move until a good time had passed after they left. Then, sighing, he knelt beside the body of Madoc, casually casting a net of protection around him. When he was sure everything was safe he let out a big sigh of relief.
    "You can move now, old man. I think it worked," he murmured.
    Touching Madoc gently, he allowed some of his amber Fire to counteract the magik that had appeared to render Madoc dead. He let more trickle through, more than Madoc needed to rouse, enough to keep him stronger than Sulien and Ephraim, although he knew his friend would be angry with him. He always wanted to give more, enough to make his decaying Fire whole but Madoc consistently refused, just kept saying it was his time to die, he was tired, and he wanted peace as nature intended.
    "I am not old," Madoc grumbled, allowing Guardian to help him to his feet.
    Guardian chuckled. "You were incredibly convincing when you fell."
    "I can still do falling, youngling. Did he get away?"
    "The Cariad? Yes, he made it past the City walls with the… other." Guardian sat down on the ground next to Madoc, casually crossing his legs and resting his chin on his knees.
    "The man who came to find him… he was unharmed?" Madoc looked concerned, and Guardian had to remind himself Madoc's hostility in Chambers with the rest of the Council was merely an act.
    "Completely unharmed, as far as I could see."
    "I used lesser magik on the Cariad, but it pained me that I had to hurt him at all."
    Guardian held out a hand, palm upwards, and allowed a little of his Fire to collect there.
    "I am sorry you had to do that." He tried to sound confident and not let his own grief color his words, but Madoc clearly saw through him.
    "The Cariad is strong," Madoc said softly. "He healed, and the two of them are now together, the crimson Fire and the blue. As it should be."
    "Are we doing the right thing?" Guardian hated that he sounded so unsure, but Madoc didn't comment on it.
    "The library is clear enough on what needs to happen to save our world and the Otherworld. The one called Kian has found his hunter and their union is unbreakable. We can only hope that the Cariad red and the other's will fulfill the second prophecy."
    "The third part…" Guardian closed his fist around the tendrils of Fire, grief in his heart. The books that held the old stories, the Cariad stories about old magik, were hidden away from general view, but there was not one single day when Guardian didn't pore over them to find answers. The third part of this whole "balancing the two worlds" prophecy wasn't open to interpretation. It spoke of two amber Fires and a bond so intense it would defy anyone who tried to break it.
    "The amber Fires. Is that what is worrying you? There is nothing that we can do until we see for sure that any of what is written makes any kind of sense."
    "Who