Dirt (The Dirt Trilogy) by K. F. Ridley Read Free Book Online Page B

existed. I
walk with him, wondering, while questions fill my brain. “Who’s
after my father?” I finally ask.
“To know that you are going to have to know who you are.” He
pauses for a moment and seems scared to tell me more. “Your
mother is from Durt.”
“So are you. I get that already. But…” I say with a little
agitation.
With a blink of an eye, a dark cloud comes over us like a
blanket of despair, erasing the color from every inch of sky. Any
natural movement around us stops. The world is stone still. An
enormous sense of gloom overcomes the air which is soured by a
foul odor. Rowen clutches my arm. I’ve never seen him afraid until
now. “Run!” he says as he drags me faster and faster along the path.
“They’re here.” Rowen pushes me up against a huge oak and
becomes a shield in front of me, again. Two men draped in black
cloaks step out of the shadows.
“Look what we have here,” one of them spews. “Rowen, the
sentry, protecting it. The great secret.” They both laugh at us as if
we’re pathetic.
“Phagos. You know the code. You and Duir are not supposed
to be here. You’ve crossed the line.” Rowen’s words are guarded.
“Nor is the secret! There is no code now! Nowthat you’ve
brought it here, there are no agreements. No codes!” Phagos shouts.
His deep voice echoes as his face curls with anger. Their eyes glow
bright green much like Professor Bran’s, but their faces are dark as
if they have severe sun damage. I can tell they once owned beauty
that faded away or was brutally taken from them. Their thin, light
blond hair dances freely with each movement.
“Leave at once. You are going too far, Phagos,” Rowen insists.
“Looks like you are the one who has gone too far, Sentry Boy.”
Phagos reveals his rotting jagged teeth as he
bellows a deep
disturbing cackle.
Simultaneously, the two iniquitous men pull long silver swords
from underneath their robes. Their polished blades shimmer. My
heart hammers as fear grows inside me. Rowen’s hands are empty.
I’m not any help. I’m the reason we’re in trouble. I know deep
down he’ll do whatever is necessary to keep me from the blade.
“Straif will be delighted to have the both of you. He’ll be so
pleased. The secret. Here. Finally.”
Phagos, being the apparent leader of the two, points the tip of
his sword under Rowen’s chin, lifting his head up with the knife
touching his throat ever so slightly. One small movement will
puncture his neck. Rowen stands firm between me and Phagos. He
has one hand in his back pocket and one hand on me. Phagos and
Duir reach to apprehend. Their swords close in and I see my
reflection in Duir’s blade. I get a whiff of his rank stench; the smell
of rotting wood, mold and disgust. There’s nothing else we can do.
I’ll go quietly.
Rowen releases
a
handful of
sand from his
back pocket
thrusting it into the air, causing an orange cloud to appear around
us. I rub my eyes to clear the smoke. Coughing, I’m caught off
guard by the scent of citrus. When the smoke clears, we’re at the
foot of a mountain looking over the most beautiful valley I’ve ever
seen. A meadow full of wildflowers and blooms satiate every inch
of space. The perfume is sedating filling the air with the scent of
bitterroot blossoms and chocolate. Phagos and Duir are nowhere to
be seen.
“Where are we?”
“Millseu Feraib,” Rowen says brushing the sand off his bare
arms.
I drift toward the alluring field. It calls me, pulling me like a
magnet, a force I cannot resist.
“We’ve got to get out of here and we’re not going through
there. Come on, Ashe.” He points up the mountain away from the
intoxicating valley. He grabs my arm forcing me in the other
direction, away
from Millseu Feraib. Away
from valley
that
summons me. I’ve never encountered a force so strong. It vacuums
my desires. Why is he doing this? Why doesn’t he want to go with
me?
“We’ll never get out. It’s a trap!” he insists.
I ignore him.