Free Hemlock And The Dread Sorceress (Book 3) by B. Throwsnaill Page A

well, then.  And I was so set upon my course that it may not have mattered if we did.  I’ve been a fool, Hemlock.”
    Hemlock grasped his hand.  “We’re all foolish, sometimes.  We both have wielded power and made bad decisions.  We have this in common, you and I.  You have to pull yourself together.  If you give up, it means I should too.  I’ve got a lot of blood on my hands.”
    “But you’re young, Hemlock.  Youthful indiscretions are more easily forgiven by those that sit in judgment and also by the harshest judge of all—ourselves.  But I am an old man, fully formed and with a lifetime of experience.  Yet, I still made this terrible error in judgment.  I have to be honest with you, I no longer trust myself.  I will understand if you choose to part ways with me.”
    “Are you kidding?  Do you see me overflowing with friends?  I’ve got my sister , Merit and you. That’s about it.  If you can’t forgive yourself for your own sake, please do it for my sake.  I need you at your full powers and fully focused.  We still have to face DuLoc, after all.”
    “My spear will always be at your command.  But council—maybe you should seek that elsewhere.”
    “Nonsense.  I trust you above all others.  And I’m not leaving your bedside until you forgive yourself.”
    “That will be a long wait.  I can’t promise that, Hemlock.  I won’t lie to you.  I may never forgive myself.”
    “Well, you’re going to be a barrel of laughs on this trip, aren’t you?  Seriously, just work through it.  Talk to me.  Talk to Mercuria, even.  You seem to get along with her.”
    “I won’t burden her with this.”
    “She’d want to know, Tored.”
    “Please don’t tell her.  If I decide to do so , I’d like it to be my decision.”
    “Fair enough.  Now , rest up and try to put this out of your mind.  We have another quest to begin come morning.”
    “I will try.”
    “One last thing. Does this have anything to do with the ghost of Umra Vyle?”
    “I think so, yes.  His malice , combined with my guilt, probably allowed his spirit to bind with me.”
    “So you’ll continue to be haunted by him?”
    “Unless I am able to forgive myself—which is very unlikely.  This is another reason why I think you should reconsider traveling with me.”
    “No way.  We’ll deal with this ghost.  Together.”

Chapter Three
    Hemlock, Tored and Mercuria walked together in the crisp morning air as the sun, still low in the morning sky, cast long and ominous shadows. 
    “So, Hemlock, I didn’t realize we were literally walking back to find Mother,” Mercuria quipped.
    “I wish we could,” said Hemlock, “but our home world won’t intersect the City for a few more years.”
    As soon as she said this, Hemlock regretted it.  Since she was the only one who could perceive the movements of the worlds through the great void, she disliked bringing attention to her ability.  It made her feel different and strange, even though her other unusual abilities didn’t affect her that way.
    Hemlock still hadn’t discussed the matter of Falignus with Tored or her sister.  She had been waiting for an opportune time, but none had presented itself, so far.
    Now is the time.
    “Look, I need to tell you both something.  There’s another thing I’m hoping to do on this trip.  I’ve sensed that Falignus is still alive a nd living on the same world as Mother.  I plan to try to bring him back to the City to help us fight DuLoc.”
    “Do you think that’s wise?” asked Tored.
    “Falignus is still alive?  The man was a monster!” cried Mercuria.
    “No, he wasn’t a monster.  I…I’m not sure what he is now, but I hope to find him and see if he’s still…a man.”
    “Assuming that he is, how do you know that he will help you against DuLoc?  Remember, he’s descended from the line of the ancient Imperator.  We’ve all listened to Merit’s histories.  He is your mortal enemy by blood, isn’t