The Twins of Noremway Parish by Eric R. Johnston Read Free Book Online Page B

off together and disappeared into the dark. He turned back to the wolves behind them—they were gone too. All the myriad creatures of the night were gone, leaving only the scent of blood behind. “Sorry I lost my supper, Decon.”
    “ I didn’t notice; I was fixated on the demons. Either way, let’s go.” They continued on to where they assumed the Watermans were. When they found them, they discovered there were still wolves feeding on the bodies. Tomias and Lynn were clearly dead. Decon and Plague stopped and pulled their knives. “Move aside, wolves!” Decon ordered as Plague yelled “Get away!” and waved his knife as he ran toward them. A wolf leapt at him and missed, but knocked the lantern from his hand. The dry grass immediately went up in flames.
    Decon thought he’d command the wolves again ( Dammit, Bart, why didn’t you just let me handle this! he thought), but they were already scattering from the flames.
    “ We gotta get out of here,” Plague said.
    “ Ya think? Smooth move, by the way.”
    “ Sorry. Got rid of the wolves though,” Plague said. “My way.”
    “ Your ‘incompetently frightened and flailing’ way. I had this; the wolves would have gone away. I think they were here to ensure we found the bodies–just a hunch. I know there is something I’m forgetting. It’s happened twice today. There was something important on my mind. It’s there one minute and gone the next.”
    “ Well, you took care of those creatures. I wanted to help too. I wanted to do something other than vomit all over myself.” The fire was roaring all around them and they needed to move fast.
    “ We still have to retrieve their bodies, Bart. Help with that. We can’t let Tomias and especially Lynn burn in this blaze.” They rushed to the bodies as the flames spread around them. They were clearly dead; Tomias’s throat and abdomen were ripped out. What was left of his limbs only hung by threads of thin flesh to the rest of the body, and his face was entirely gone. Lynn was in even worse shape. Both arms were gone, and her abdomen was completely torn out. The baby was missing.
    “ Is there even enough left to take with us?” Plague asked. “I mean seriously. Don’t give me any of your metaphysical excuses for doing pointless things.”
    “ That’s fair,” Decon said, slightly offended, but at the same time agreeing with Plague that there was really nothing left of Tomias or Lynn, or the baby. But as they both turned to leave the fiery field, they heard the cries of a child.
    “ You hear that?”
    “ Aye, by the balls o’ the dragon, I hear it, Decon.”
    The friar cringed at the crude use of language, but forgave the doctor for his verbal transgression. It was a common figure of speech in the parish anyway. They both followed the cries and found a bleeding newborn baby in a part of the field untouched by fire. The bite marks on the sides of its head indicated it was dragged to this place. Bite marks covered its right arm and leg as well, and its chest looked almost crushed. “Bart, we need to get this child to the infirmary; time for you to work your magic.”
    “ You know as well as I do, Decon, a child in this condition won’t survive long no matter what ‘magic’ I perform. He must first be baptized. If the Waterman heir dies in my care without proper baptism, I will be run out of town. You know this. I defer to your ‘magic’ on this account.”
    “ Agreed.”
    They ran to the carriage. The horse, Jasper, was waiting, and had gorged himself on the surrounding grass. Well, at least we don’t have to feed Jasper tonight , Decon thought as he climbed aboard. No blessing, no matter how small, should be passed over without gratitude . They left the farm, leaving the Watermans’ bodies to burn in the flames as they sped to the cathedral.

Chapter 4
     
    Bartholomew Plague stared at the moon as Jasper drove the carriage back to the cathedral faster than he’d ever done before. The baby in his