The Destroyer Book 4 by Michael-Scott Earle Read Free Book Online Page B

armor back on. But the pain never leaves me. I do not need to eat or drink anymore. The Elements keep me alive now. Isn’t it wonderful?”
    She turned to the silent generals and glowered at them. Each squirmed uncomfortably and looked away, like a cowed dog.
    “This is how they are now, Kaiyer.” She turned back to me and took the few steps between us. She sat down on my lap sideways and flung her armored right arm over my shoulders. Her claws dug into my right bicep and she snuggled against my torso. “They don’t argue anymore, they just do as I tell them, like good little pets. Sometimes I miss our debates around the map table. But I do prefer it this way. I had to hold their hands through everything in the war."
    “That isn’t true.” Anger spat the words out of my mouth and I temporarily forgot my dire situation.
    “Kaiyer! There is some life in you yet. But your opinion hardly matters. If my previous statement applies to anyone, it would be you. I managed the entire army in the end, didn’t I? Oh sure, we had your name and presence, but everyone pretty much did as I said. Even you.” She tapped her finger on my nose playfully during the last sentence. Then she held her hand out behind her.
    “Malek! I am tired of listening to you wheeze. Give me back my sword.” He nodded and reached up feebly to grasp the blade's hilt. He tugged once, twice, and a third time but the weapon didn’t budge from the wall. His eyes met mine and I could see the pain and suffering in them. Thayer stood a few feet from the long-haired man and we exchanged glances. I nodded to him and he moved toward Malek and raised his hand.
    “Wait!” Shlara hissed violently. “Did I say you could help him?”
    “No,” Thayer responded. The big man suddenly looked half his size.
    “Pull the sword out, you useless piece of shit.” Shlara stood up from my lap and addressed Malek with enough venom to melt granite. “You were always so fucking weak. Always complaining about why you couldn’t have all the pretty little things you wanted. Always so jealous of Thayer’s might, Alexia’s cunning, Gorbanni’s bravery, and Kaiyer’s charisma. You never did anything useful unless one of us listened to your ridiculous complaints, patted you on the head, and told you that you were a good little boy. Pull the fucking sword out and hand it to me. Now!”
    Malek seemed to recover a bit of his strength and gritted his teeth. His hands reached up to the pommel and he pulled, yanked, gasped, and finally broke the weapon free of the wall. Then he slid it out of his chest and coughed a pint of blood out onto the table. I had been impaled by weapons many times, and while we healed very quickly, the pain was still there and our minds believed such an injury was fatal.
    He collapsed on the table with a wet sigh. Then the only sound in the room was his labored breathing and the dripping of the blood that flowed from his chest wound onto the tile. Then he stood up and walked toward Shlara, finally handing her sword back to her, hilt first. She took the weapon, wiped his blood off of its blade with the clean sleeves of his garment, and sheathed it.
    “That is a good boy,” she said with mock warmth as she patted him on the head. I expected my spirited friend to lash out at her, attack her, scream at her, something. He would never have tolerated this treatment from anyone, not even her. Instead he sighed, almost gratefully at her touch, and returned to his spot at the table.
    What the fuck was going on? Shlara was intimidating, monstrous even, and clearly strong. But there was no way she could stand against the combined might of Gorbanni, Alexia, Thayer, and Malek. I did not understand why they were allowing this.
    “What were we talking about before Malek rudely interrupted us with his breathing?” She tapped her mouth guard again a few times. “Ahhh yes! You see Kaiyer, everything is perfect now. The Elvens are gone, you are mine, and the future is