Demons End (Tremble Island) by Lynn Ray Lewis Read Free Book Online

needle teeth to open to speak. Finally the creature gained enough strength to share his master’s words.
    “Greetings to Lord Tremble from the Prince of Demons, Leroi. I am to request your assistance in a matter of the Lord of Morlien Hall. Leroi is tired of finding innocent souls dropped at his door after Lord Pudding, er, Lord Borland has visited great evil upon their bodies. The lord believes that his actions will reflect his evil and appease the demon.” He shook his pointed head and yawned. “Pardon, my Lord, I have flown from yester afternoon nonstop, and will be returning as soon as I finish giving you the information, and returning with your answer.” Nord nodded and the message continued.
    “It has come to my master’s attention that the lord has been hunting a child for his latest bout of evil. Leroi says that if the man harms an innocent child, he will kill your Lord Borland, his minion, Flitch, any followers that are a party to such, and deal with your wrath after the fact.
    “Let me add something to this at the risk of rising your ire. If you had not removed Koler from the island, my master would not be so overrun with blackened souls. The evil ones would meet the demon sooner than what is happening. The pit is full of those that are the worst offenders, but my master mourns his inability to deal with all of those that are still alive and waiting their turn at his mercy. The Prince has honor, you know, he will await your decision for my timely return. Lord Borland and his right hand must be stopped.” He bowed his head at each of the lords before him and closed his eyes, falling instantly asleep.
    “I am being taken to task for removing a disagreeable demon, because he is needed to keep the balance of good and evil?” He looked to Nord and saw his brother’s frown. “If the bastard had defended himself, or given an explanation for his actions, we would not be discussing this. In all likelihood we would be finding a new lord to replace Borland and enjoy the fall months at home by a warm fire, instead of being forced to travel with an army and a mate that is plotting her next attack on our manly body parts.”
    Nord could put one misery out of their hands, thankfully the ship that carried Koler was lying in the harbor at the foot of the cliff where Tremble Castle was built. It had dropped anchor this morning, and the captain told Nord that they had not been allowed to leave the ship at their port of call on the mainland, once the inspectors had discovered Koler lying in the hull of the ship. The demon was within reach. If they could get him to speak civilly, and come to an understanding, perhaps he could be released to assist Leroi in the gathering of blackened souls. The brothers tried so hard to maintain the balance of beings, that it sometimes escaped them when the lines between balance and need blurred.
    He grinned at Lion. “Come, brother, let us take this problem one step at a time. A surprise awaits you at the shipyard, one I believe you will welcome.”
    *****
    Koler was not surprised to see the Lords of Tremble entering the hull of the ship. After the last two ports that had refused to allow him to be ported onto their land, he felt the odds of being returned to his home were good. All he needed was transport to the island, and he would resume his life. He wondered how Leroi had fared in his absence, but knew the boy had done as much as he could to maintain the balance of good and evil. After months at sea, he had learned a thing or two himself.
    One thing was that he could not abide saltwater. The stuff burned and sizzled his skin. The second thing he learned was that he had been both stupid and arrogant in dealing with the Lords of Tremble. He considered them to be his equals and not his Liege Lords. He refused to state his reasons, believing they had no right to question his decisions. The knowledge that his arrogance was the reason for his incarceration was a tough stone to swallow. It