Sleeper Of The Wildwood Fugue (Book 7) by Charles E. Yallowitz Read Free Book Online

kill him. Imagine what she would do if she cut loose on him and his powers were unable to put up a real defense. Keeping her scared and helpless would prevent this.”
    With a tired sigh, Delvin rubs his eyes and thinks about what would happen if Nyx unleashed her full power on Stephen. An amused smirk appears on his face, but it swiftly vanishes when he remembers everyone will be standing nearby. The amount of destruction is difficult for him to imagine, so he decides that it would be nothing short of a localized obliteration of everything. Delvin shivers at the thought of Nyx killing Stephen, her friends, and anything else that happens to be in the area.
    “Even if she wasn’t scared, it wouldn’t happen. She wouldn’t want to hurt any innocent bystanders, including animals,” he claims, holding up his hand to stop Luke’s argument. “This is a pointless conversation. I was hoping you made some progress with her or found another reason she was upset. After all, she won’t talk to the rest of us about what’s on her mind. Not for any length of time.”
    “You should consider sitting down and having a serious talk with her.”
    “I tried that and all I got was deflections, avoidances, and she knocked me into a lake when I pushed too hard,” the warrior says, his voice edged with frustration. “Nyx has to find the strength to carry on and depend on us just like we depend on her. I won’t let her fall into Stephen’s hands without a fight.”
    “For the love of Uli, if Stephen is giving us this much trouble then I’m really scared about the Baron,” the half-elf claims with a crooked smile. The dour expression on the other warrior’s face causes him to clear his throat and stop smiling. “He’s strong enough to keep Stephen under his control, which means he’s worse. Going along with the idea that we’re being groomed to face the Baron, I’d be willing to bet that Stephen is supposed to force us to the level of power and teamwork we’ll need for the real battle.”
    Delvin slaps Luke on the back, his hand sweating even though the air holds a chill. “I never thought of that and I think we should share it with Nyx. Your theory means Stephen doesn’t have to be fought alone, which can give her courage.”
    The shrieks of the undead can be heard from the forest and it quickly mixes with the screams of their hapless victims. Both warriors realize that the people who are trapped in the misty forest are easy prey for the creatures that rule the Day of Darkness. Luke growls and the sensation of feathers ruffling around his neck makes him shiver in anticipation. He can smell decay and blood on the foul wind, which makes his stomach twist.
    “We should have done something,” the forest tracker whispers, his voice edged with bitterness and anger. “Those people could have been saved if we worked quicker and ventured into the forest.”
    “I hate to be a cynic here, but we couldn’t have done anything. All of us are forced to react to whatever the Baron and his agents do instead of taking the initiative,” Delvin says as he moves around Luke. With his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he can see the ladder that will lead him into the alley next to the inn. “I guess Nyx isn’t the only helpless one here. Get some sleep and we’ll head out as soon as the Day of Darkness is over.”
    Luke nods and waves to his friend, but refuses to leave the roof. Stretching his legs and crossing them beneath his body, the half-elf makes himself as comfortable as he can on the chimney. He spends several hours listening to the distant sounds of the undead hunting in the darkness.

 
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    Trinity cracks her knuckles as the pack of ghouls melts at her feet, their decaying bodies getting steadily devoured by potent acid. Her eyes glow a deep red to help her see through the pure darkness and observe the cursed forest that surrounds her. She can barely make out the separate trees even with her night vision spell, but she can see