Sorceress' Blood by Carl Purcell Read Free Book Online

fled
through it. Suddenly she was outside and she could feel the heat of
flames behind her. She paused, awe struck and confused. A few feet
away from her was the sign pointing towards the stables.
    “Don’t waste any time!” Rebecca turned and saw
Benjamin standing beside her. Flames were crawling up the vines that
clung to the house. “Go straight for the stables and leave.”
    “What’s going on?” Rebecca asked but she was afraid
she already knew the answer.
    “Lord Sebastian is leading the knights against the Thralls. I
was told to make sure you can escape.” Rebecca had been right
but she wished she wasn’t.
    “What am I supposed to do?”
    “Go to the stables and get out of here. You can drive, can’t
you?”
    “Of course. But—”
    “Go! And remember that there’s always a short sword under
the passenger seat.” Benjamin gave her a push and then suddenly
he had disappeared. There was another explosion from somewhere up in
the mansion and she heard glass shattering. That was all the pushing
she needed. Rebecca started running along the path, Ashley still in
her arms. Lord Sebastian Halford’s castle was burning away
behind her.
    Rebecca reached the stable. Somewhere down the path behind her there
was another explosion and she heard glass shattering again. The
Thralls weren't holding anything back in their search for Ashley. She
could only assume the house was burning up on the inside now as well.
There were three stables in all and she went into the first. A row of
cars stood waiting in the dim light. Directly next to the entrance
was an office room. Through the door, Rebecca could see keys hanging
from the wall with numbers above them. Rebecca set Ashley down and
told her:
    “Go find car number three and wait for me.” Ashley looked
up at her, full of uncertainty. Rebecca didn’t notice and went
into the office to get the keys. Ashley watched her silently and then
hesitantly ran off to find the car. She ducked down and saw a number
painted under the first car. It was number six. She checked the next
one along. Number seven. Ashley stood up and looked back at the
office. Through a window she saw Rebecca with her head down,
searching for something else. Rebecca wasn't giving up. Ashley got
her little legs moving again, faster this time. The next car she
checked was number four. She turned her head the opposite way.
    “I found it!” Ashley called out. Rebecca came over to her
with the keys and unlocked the car.
    “Good girl. Get in and put your seat belt on.” Ashley
didn’t need to be told twice; she climbed in. A switch in the
office had started opening the large doors on the front of the
stable. Rebecca started the car and put her seat belt on. The doors
opened and Rebecca saw the shaved heads of two Thralls waiting for
her. They said something but she couldn’t hear them. At that
moment adrenaline hit her and smothered her panic. Rebecca thought
quickly and switched on the car’s high beam lights. Blinded and
dazed, the Thralls lifted their arms to shield their eyes but stayed
exactly where they stood. Rebecca shifted the car into drive and
floored the pedal. They only saw one of the Thralls roll over the
front of the car. They felt the other go under the wheels and then
they didn’t see anyone at all. There was only the road and
Rebecca sped down the hill, away from Lord Sebastian’s burning
castle. Rebecca heard one more explosion from behind. Rebecca knew
that was the sound of her life shattering for the second time in a
week.
    When they pulled onto the highway and Rebecca didn’t see anyone
following her, she breathed a sigh of relief.
    “You hit them.” Ashley said softly.
    “Yeah.” There was a heavy silence for a minute. “Oh
God, I did,” Rebecca finally said. Ashley didn’t say a
word. Rebecca wanted to tell herself that they deserved it and a part
of her believed it. She wanted to tell herself that there was no
other option and a part of her believed it. But the biggest