Free Born Of Darkness (Book 7) by William King

sarcophagus lay. He checked the angles of attack from the aisles of treasure chests.
    None of the dogs, not even Fang, wanted to get close to the coffin. Rodric glanced around fearfully. He had clearly never seen the hounds behave this way before.
    Rhiana moved over to Kormak’s side. Shadows danced away from the flickering torch. He noticed how clean the edge of the pearl’s glow was compared to the constant shifting of the pool of torchlight’s boundaries.
    “Well, it’s open, you were right about that much,” said Gerd, bending to inspect the coffin. He squinted at the runes.
    “You’re probably right about them being binding signs although I have no idea what some of the other ones are for.” Gerd leaned closer and gestured for Rhiana to bring the light closer. “It looks like some of them have been damaged.”
    “Deliberately?” Kormak asked.
    “Take a look for yourself.”
    Some of the runes were defaced. It was possible someone had done that with a chisel when they were attempting to open the coffin. He said as much.
    “Maybe,” said Gerd. “But who would do that? All of the sailors know they would be skinned alive for tampering with the Treasure Fleet’s cargo. Why take the risk?”
    “Because they were greedy,” Kormak said.
    “Royal Marines guard those chests,” Gerd said. “No one is more loyal to the King-Emperor.”
    “Still they can be tempted, like any other man.”
    “Maybe but it does not make any sense. Why this particular thing, a coffin, why not a casket of jewellery?”
    “Because they wanted the seals broken and whatever was in it to get out,” Kormak suggested.
    Rhiana said, “Cargoes get tossed against each other, particularly when the seas are rough. You’ve seen what a storm on the World Ocean is like, Kormak. This might all have been an accident.”
    “When it comes to Old Ones being unleashed I don’t believe in accidents,” Kormak said.
    “It doesn’t mean they can’t happen,” said Rhiana.
    Gerd shrugged. “Does not really matter. Someone tampered with the coffin or it was smashed open by accident. The main thing is that whatever was within it got out and we need to find it.”
    “The coffin could have been tampered with here in the vault,” Kormak said.
    “By who? The chancellor? That old man served the bloody King for twenty years and the king’s father before him for twenty-five more. He was no more likely to take anything from here than I am.”
    “So it’s a fifty-fifty chance then,” said Kormak.
    “I suppose you think that’s funny.”
    “Well, I know you need the gold, Gerd. You’ve told me often enough since you got to the palace.”
    “If the sarcophagus was damaged, it might be mentioned on the manifest,” Rhiana said. “The Admiral would have had to sign for it and he would have to certify that it arrived in the same condition as it set out. It’s his responsibility after all.
    “More bloody paperwork,” muttered Gerd.
    “Did I just hear you volunteering to check it,” said Kormak.
    “Still looking for ways to skive off, I see.”
    Fang had returned to where the chancellor’s body lay. He sniffed and growled. He seemed to have screwed up his courage. The other Shadowhounds clustered around him. Their tails were down but their teeth were bared.
    “Looks like Fang has picked up a scent,” said Rodric. He looked at the abbot, then at the dogs, then at his feet.
    Gerd glanced at Kormak. “I know what you’re going to say,” he said.
    “We’d best see what we can find,” said Kormak.
    ***
    Rodric moved slowly over to his hounds. “Now boy, seek,” he said. His voice was low and encouraging, like a man talking to a nervous child. “Seek!”
    Fang sniffed. His nose wrinkled as if he did not like what he smelled. His ears pricked up and his lips drew back in a snarl and he began to move forward. “Balthus, Slasher, follow Fang! You’re not going to let yourself be shown up by the runt of the litter, are you?”
    With visible