Into the Shadows

by Linda K Hopkins

  “You’re the commander’s daughter,” she yelled again, and Lark could see the anger in her eyes. “I did your hair and helped you bathe!” She launched herself once more at Lark, punching her in the stomach then grabbing her by the hair. A moment later Pip pulled Cenoa away, and Lark pulled the dagger from her boot.

  “Where’s the Warrior?” Cenoa snarled.

  “Dead,” Lark replied. “And you’ll be too if you don’t let us go.”

  Cenoa froze for a moment, then laughed. “There’s no way you could have killed the Warrior,” she said. “Even a dozen Guardsmen struggle to do so!”

  “Lark, someone’s coming,” Pip hissed. “We’ve got to get out of here.” Cenoa struggled in his grasp and he clamped a hand over her mouth, then pushed her further along the tunnel and pressed her against the wall as someone walked past. Lark froze as she recognized Maura, but she did not look their way.

  Lark slowly exhaled and glanced at Pip. “What do we do with her?”

  He shrugged. “Kill her.”

  Lark’s throat tightened as she stared at him. She had already killed one person – she had no stomach to do it again, and Cenoa certainly did not deserve death. “No,” she said, taking the ribbon from her hair that Cenoa had used to secure it just a few hours before. “She’s coming with us.”

  He frowned. “That’s a ridiculous idea.”

  “If we leave her here, she’ll just tell them where we’ve gone. This way, we can be certain we won’t get lost wandering in the tunnels.” She handed him the blade. “You keep this. Use it if you have to.” She stepped closer and wrapped the ribbon around Cenoa’s mouth. She struggled violently, but after a few moments the knot was tight and the gag was secure.

  “Just be grateful it’s clean,” Lark said. She used the scarf wrapped around her waist to bind Cenoa’s hands in front of her stomach. “I really don’t want to do this,” Lark said, “but I can’t risk you alerting the Drameara. Now let’s go.”

  She wrapped the end of the scarf around her hand and tugged Cenoa forward. She stumbled, resisting, but a prick of the blade in her back had her moving forward as she glared angrily at Pip. They started down the tunnel but had only gone a few steps when Pip stopped Lark, and handing her the blade, sprinted back up the tunnel and took a dragon light from its perch on the wall. He headed back, and with a cocky grin at his own foresight, gave it to Lark as he took the blade. Lark smiled as they jogged forward, pulling a reluctant Cenoa along with them; despite everything, Pip had not lost his boyish enthusiasm. He peered into the blackness ahead of them. “So where are we going, anyway?”

  “Assuming she was telling the truth” – Lark glanced at Cenoa – “we are going to Arach’s Gate. Is that correct, Cenoa?” She smiled as Cenoa glared at her. “Excellent. To the Gate we go.”

  Epilogue

  The Ancient looked down at her warrior, appreciating his fine form. He cut a handsome figure, and soon he would be more spectacular to behold than he already was.

  “Do you see now, my Shadow Warrior, how the curse of betrayal carries from one generation to another? Like their ancestor before them, Valor’s descendants cannot be trusted. They are cursed, and must be abolished, their throne broken.”

  The Warrior looked up, his olive eyes flashing. “Betrayal runsss through their blood, I see that now,” he hissed. “Give me leave, and I’ll hunt her down and destroy her.”

  “Patience, my dear Warrior. For now, we will let the bird fly. But the time will soon come when we snare her in our trap.”

  “I’ll not rest until every one of them is destroyed.”

  She looked at him speculatively. “It is time you had a name.”

  “A name, my queen? I’ve no need of a name, asss long asss I live to serve you.”

  “And yet, I would give you a name. From now on, you’ll be known as Vengeance.”

  “Vengeance.” He said the name slowly. “It isss a good name.”

  “Are you ready to take your place at my side, Vengeance?”

  He bowed his head. “I am, mistresss.”

  She leaned forward, her long forked tongue flicking the air. “You will be spectacular, Vengeance, greater than any that has gone before you. And you will stand by my side, my equal in every way.”

  “I long for that day, Ancient One.”

  She nodded. “As do I, my beautiful warrior. Look, everything is prepared.”

  She gestured with a claw, and he turned to see a large pool of deep, red liquid. “I am eager to begin, my queen.”

  “Good.” She waved a hand, and a man stepped forward. “Lift the grill, Eighty-Three.”

  There was a winch beside the wall and Eighty-Three walked over to it, and grasping the lever with both hands, began to raise a rectangular metal grate from the pool. He stopped when it was a foot above the liquid.

  “Remove your clothes,” she commanded Vengeance.

  It only took a moment for him to stand naked before her. His tongue flicked the air, and he breathed in deeply.

  “Lie down on the grill.” He did as instructed, and Eighty-Three hurried forward with a thick chain, securing Vengeance spread-eagle on the grating. The Ancient stepped forward and stared down at him.

  “So beautiful,” she said, “and about to become even more so.” She bent her head down and flicked her tongue over him, smiling when he jerked. “You and I will know intimate pleasure,” she said.

  She leaned forward and brought her jaws to his neck, then sunk her teeth in and began to drink deeply. Minutes passed and Vengeance gave a groan. “Just a little more, my love,” she said, returning to his neck. His eyes rolled back in his head, and she pulled away and nodded to Eighty-Three.

  Grasping the lever, he lowered Vengeance into the pool. There was a jerk as Vengeance’s body touched the liquid, but the chains held him fast. He opened his mouth to scream, but the crimson liquid covered him, filling his mouth before the sound came out. The grate dropped lower, and the liquid began to bubble. The Ancient watched carefully. It was at this point that she had lost numerous warriors before, but she knew that the process could not be rushed. She waited as the liquid began to froth and boil. Her warrior would be in agony, but he would be unable to escape the binds holding him. This was the crucial moment when her blood would fill him, becoming part of him. There would be no visible sign of the change at first, but he would be forever transformed, from the inside out.

  The waves in the pool grew more violent, but still the Ancient waited, until finally she lifted a clawed paw and Eighty-Three slowly began to raise the grill. As soon as his mouth cleared the liquid, Vengeance gave a roar, and the Ancient smiled. He would be even more splendid than she had imagined.

  “Unbind him,” she commanded Eighty-Three, and he strode forward, releasing the chains with a quick flick of his fingers. Rolling on the grate, Vengeance slowly raised himself onto his hands and knees, then lifted a clawed hand and stared at it.

  “Still the same,” he rasped.

  “Patience, dear Vengeance.”

  Turning, he slowly maneuvered himself off the platform, and fell on his knees before the Ancient. “I live to serve you, my queen,” he said, hoarsely.

  She placed a paw beneath his chin and slowly raised him to his feet. “You will serve beside me, Vengeance, and from now on you’ll call me by name. You’ll call me Ashra.”

  “Ashra,” he whispered. “My life isss yoursss.”

  “Good,” she said. “Now tell me how you will deliver vengeance to my enemies.”

  The End

  Dear Reader,

  You have come to the end of Into the Shadows, but there is much more of the tale to be told. Book 2 of Shadowlands will be coming soon, but in the meantime, you can learn more about the devastating effects of Pip’s kidnapping and his escape from the dragon’s lair with Lark in Shadow Bound.

  This short installment is not to be missed and can be downloaded as my free gift to you by following this link: http
s://BookHip.com/KSFVDHQ. (You will need to provide your email in order for the correct version to be sent to you, and will you be added to my newsletter, but you can unsubscribe at any time – no hard feelings!)

  I am sure you have heard other authors mention the importance of reviews, and indeed, they can help move a writing career forward or stall it in its tracks. Reviews help bring a book to the attention of other readers, so if you enjoyed Into the Shadows, then please leave a review on Amazon.

  Linda K. Hopkins

  Acknowledgements

  It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a team to produce a book! Thanks goes to my beta readers, Attila, Michelle, Dennis, Beth Ann, and Christine, who took the time to read the manuscript – twice – and provide me with written feedback. Your comments and insights helped me to produce a better story.

  My editor, Matthew Godden, who gives me reason to believe in myself as a writer, and fixes all those annoying little errors that creep into my writing.

  And my proofreaders, Annette and Judy, who go through the manuscript with a fine toothcomb, finding all the errors that have been overlooked multiple times. Special mention also goes to Nic, who though not an official proofreader, did a remarkable job of identifying mistakes in the advance manuscript.

  Finally, my thanks goes to God, who has given me a love of reading and the gift of writing.

  More Books by Linda K. Hopkins

  For information about my other books, please visit my website at www.lindakhopkins.com. You can sign up to receive regular updates about me, my writing, and new releases. You can also connect with me on Facebook.

  About the Author

  Reading, dreaming, and writing – these were my favorite pastimes as a child, and not much has changed. I can while away an entire day with my nose buried in a book or lost in my own imagination.

  When the real world calls me back, I love to spend time with my two most favorite people in the world – my daughters. It is for them that I tell my stories.