Renegade Reborn by J. C. Fiske Read Free Book Online Page B

The Drakeness, it will replenish his red blood cells soon, and he’ll wake up. We need to get him out of here.”
    “Jack . . . I thought, I thought we were going to lose him. We still could. We’ll have to watch him, closely, even if we have to chain him up and . . . Jack, being his guardian, feeling what you did, if you hadn’t, if we hadn’t come . . .” Rolce started.
    “No, I heard his thoughts, Rolce. Even after all these years of fighting with himself, wrestling with his memories, his pain, staring into the void of despair, he has not given in. This, this was just a hiccup, a moment of weakness, a breaking point where he could no longer hide his feelings from me. I heard his thoughts when we arrived as clear as you hear me now. This ring, it may have saved his life. There was a single, ever present voice in his mind, repeating a single phrase. It’s still in my mind, just, on a constant repeat.” Jackobi said.
    “What is she saying?” Rolce asked, knowing already who the voice belonged too.
    “I’ll always love you, and as long as you’re beside me, wherever we go, I’ll have my happy ending,” Jackobi said, unable to meet Rolce’s eyes.
    “Even now, Kennis holds him up. Drakearon believed killing her would weaken him. No, in the end, it will only make him stronger.” Rolce said.
    A silence fell over them.
    “Come. The Drakes will no doubt be here again soon. Take my hand. Let us leave this place,” Jackobi said. Rolce did, and along with Gisbo, they teleported away.
     
    “That won’t hold him. We can’t, we can’t force him to stay here. Can we?” Glinda asked as Rolce and Jackobi finished binding Gisbo’s arms and legs to the walls of his grandfather’s old room. Even after all this time it still contained his old putrid stink, and dozens of broken, and empty bottles lay everywhere. It was completely left as it was when the Flarian’s left for Cledwyn city.
    “It will have to,” Rolce said.
    “But it won’t! What if he breaks out? What if that . . . thing . . . comes out of him again? What if he kills us all in our sleep?” Glinda asked.
    “What would you have me do? Put Gisbo out in a cage under the Diamond Mass like a Stonesythe?” Rolce asked.
    “YES! That’s exactly what you should do, Rolce! What I said earlier, I meant it, but, but looking at him now, well . . . well just look at him, Rolce! It’s been three years since we’ve seen him. Three! Can you honestly say, without a doubt, the Gisbo you once knew, and the Gisbo here now, is one and the same?” Glinda asked.
    “This isn’t up for debate, he’s staying,” Rolce said, eyeing her hard.
    “What isn’t up for debate? Can’t a guy get some sleep around here? What the hell is . . .” Crass Bastio started, when suddenly he froze halfway down the stairs, staring into the open door where Rolce, Jackobi, and Glinda stood beside a chained Gisbo.
    “Mother of . . . GET HIM OUT OF HERE! GET HIM OUT OF HERE, ROLCE! Or so help me, I’ll put a blade in his gut!” Crass yelled, suddenly charging across the arena, grabbing an empty whiskey bottle from the bar along the way, and shattering it as he made his way toward Gisbo.
    “Crass, Crass wait! Stop!” Glinda screamed, but Crass pushed her aside and was about to charge when suddenly, Rolce wrapped him up in a sleeper hold, hoisting him clear off the ground.
    “GRAH! DAMN IT, ROLCE! PUT ME DOWN! You’re . . . you’re too damn soft! You’re going, you’re going to . . . to . . .” Crass started, then went limp, and passed out. Rolce cradled him in his big arms and put him down gently against the entrance wall as if he were tucking a child into bed.
    “I didn’t expect that sort of reaction.” Rolce said, looking down at the unconscious Crass.
    “Can you blame him? Gisbo, when that . . . thing, came out of him, it killed his father.” Glinda started.
    “What’s going on? What’s with the shouting?” Anaka Lauran asked, coming down the stairs in a white