Free Acolyte (The Wildermoor Apocalypse Book 1) by Chris Tetreault-Blay Page B

stomach was turning like never before; he felt physically sick.  He put it down to too much whiskey.  I have done the right thing.  This is my destiny, after all…   He needed had to suck it up and be a man.  His twenty-two years would not have been wasted.  He would be a god in ten more.  That was the plan.  Nobody else has a life plan like that , he thought as he slowly stood, raising his head.  Suddenly he felt an overwhelming power running through his body, like his blood carried some kind of opiate that made him invincible.
    He looked at the curtains adorning the front bay window and watched the shadows as they danced.  Something was moving outside. There was too much movement for it to be a cat or a dog and nominated walker that night.  Nothing ever happens here anymore but you are going to change all of that.
    A fresh rush of adrenaline coursed through him awakening his mind.  Finally after all these years.. .  He knew – he could feel it in his bones – that the plan was already underway, that the droves of officers were descending on 33 Exeter Street, Truman Darke trapped inside waiting to meet his fate. He may even be face down on the bloodstained carpet by now, being shackled and dragged away.
    The shadows continued to rush past the window, no apparent coherence to the dance they performed for him.  He needed to take a closer look.
    Laing walked over to the window and threw back the heavy blackout fabric, his eyes struggling to absorb the scene before him.
    Shadows were moving, slithering across the ground from all corners, alleyways, drain covers throughout the estate in front of him.  The rest of the world seemed silent, asleep and oblivious to it all.  Laing stared and marvelled at it.  He watched the dark shapes rise from the ground forming thin slivers of ash standing at various heights.  The shadows then shifted, morphed and grew in all directions, spawning other parts that resembled gnarly limbs, heavy hands, menacingly long fingers before standing proud with their bulbous, dark heads held high.
    Despite their lack of eyes they seemed to stare back at Laing. Uniformly they began to part in the middle, separating to stand in two groups.  From between them came the largest figure of all, standing over seven feet tall.  As the breeze blew through the avenue Laing noticed the shroud that covered the main figure fluttering in the wind.  The face could not be seen from under the heavy black hood but he could just make out two flaming red eyes staring back at him.  After exchanging initial welcoming glances at each other the shadows surrounded their leader and sunk to their knees bowing to this man, this creature. The Reaper then bowed his own head towards Laing from the other side of the window.
    Father Archibald had been right and the corners of Laing’s mouth curled into a wicked smile.
    The feeling of power was immeasurable.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Thirteen
     
    February 18 th 1684
     
    The remaining few hours of the night was interspersed with serious planning and long silences.  There was much to discuss but also time required for reflection for each of the three men.  Ewan was still feeling the effects of an intense day’s journey back across Wildermoor to the Franklin estate.  His back and legs were fraught with pain, for he had not dared stop to rest even for a minute for fear of not being able to find his way back again through the snow-covered clearings.
    Edward was torn between elation from having his son back safely and fear for Franklin that he would not survive the strain the search had already put upon him. The mission across the moor would be arduous searching for more obscure clues that may have already been snubbed out forever.  Edward was concerned for his son also.  He could sense that there was something troubling him, and it was rare for Ewan not to share his thoughts with his father.  Their