Torment and Terror by Craig Halloran Read Free Book Online Page A

fought to buckle the strap, but it was impossible with her lone hand.
    Joline’s hands shook so much that she was of no aid at all.
    Melegal rolled his eyes at her.
    “You could help, you know!” she yelled.
    “And have his blood all over my hands? I don’t think so.”
    The entire building shook. The sounds were that of a great thunderstorm outside. Eyes were wide and searching all around.
    Erin, sitting up on a table, started crying.
    Frustrated, Kam tried again to get the thief to help. “We’ve got to get out of here before this entire place comes down!”
    Just then, a pair of apparition-like figures appeared, swords in hand. The robed fighters, the Nameless Two, drifted outside of the building after Trinos.
    Still fighting with the buckle, Kam watched them go. It sounded as if the entire world was falling apart all around her. “Jasper! The baby!”
    The little sorceress picked the baby girl up and held her close. With fear-filled eyes, she held Erin over her shoulder and patted her on the back.
    Melegal yawned.
    How can he be yawning at a time like this?
    “What?” he said, sitting down in the chair. “I’ve been busy the last few days. All of this excitement fatigues me.”
    “You’re just going to sit there and do nothing?” Kam was incredulous. Infuriated. The man she loved was deader than a doornail. “I hope Scorch torments you first.”
    Finishing off another yawn, Melegal stretched his boot out and dragged the mystic sack over. Bending over, he picked up the sack and reached inside. Hand over hand, he pulled Brool out. He stuck it in the planks spike first.
    Brows buckled, Kam said to him, “Of all the stupid things to do. I hate—”
    Venir rose up with the ease of a cat and wiped the blood from his mouth with his forearm. He finished buckling his chinstrap. Coming to his feet, gently he brought Kam up by her elbow.
    She threw her arms around him.
    He gave her a quick hug in kind then stepped away.
    Melegal had his shield ready, stuffed the straps over Venir’s great arm and said, “Enjoy your nap?”
    “Heh,” Venir said, wrapping his fingers around Brool’s shaft. He looked at the dead bodies of Slom and Zurth. “Sorry I killed your new friends.”
    “Are you really?”
    “Of course not.” Venir stood like a titan armored in dark steel. Powerful. Captivating. Deadly.
    Kam had never seen him like that before. It was the man she’d often heard about but never known. The Darkslayer.
    The storm of battle still thundered all around.
    Drawn to Venir, Kam got closer to him. “What do we do?”
    “What I always do,” Venir growled.
    “Drink too much?” Melegal said.
    Venir shook his head. “It’s time to take out whatever stands between me and the underlings.”
    “Oh, the fight or die thing again,” Melegal added. “How thrilling.”
    Trinos’s body crashed into the room, coming to a stop against the bar. She struggled to rise and slipped down again.
    Scorch appeared, floating above them. He held the Nameless Two, one in each of his hands, like pieces of dead meat. He dropped them down onto the planks. Lip bleeding, he wiped his mouth and said with wroth anger, “I’ve had enough of this!”

 
     
    CHAPTER 12
     
     
    Glitch!
    Georgio rammed his sword through the belly of an underling and turned on another.
    Clashing with his, the blade sparked.
    Georgio drove a boot into its gut, lifting it up off its feet and knocking it down. He pounced. He struck. His longsword went through the underling’s mail like a hot knife through butter.
    The underling’s ruby eyes went out.
    Glitch!
    Georgio let out a roar of pain. A javelin had lanced through the back of his thigh, in one side and out the other. He turned into the vicious assault.
    Two underlings bore him into the ground. Their quick hands, filled with daggers, started stabbing him all over.
    ***
    “In the air!” Billip yelled. “In the air!”
    “Aye!” Nikkel said. He aimed the heavy crossbow high. “I see