Free Demon Lord IV - Lord of Shadows by T C Southwell Page B

but the mage only
took three strides before he stopped, his eyes widening. White fire
ignited on his shoulder and swept over him, engulfing him in a
mantle of pure flame, a glimmering blue nimbus edging it. He gave a
choked cry and fell backwards, clawing at his throat as if someone
was strangling him. Kayos reappeared beside him, gazing down at
him. The mage writhed and thrashed, his lips turning blue as he
choked and gaped. He struggled to breathe, holding out his hands to
Kayos in a pleading gesture. The Grey God turned and walked back to
the room, his expression shuttered.
    Shevra's
stomach clenched as she watched the warlock's struggles lessen
until he lay still, and the white fire winked out. She glanced at
Kayos, who sat beside Bane again.
    "Is he
dead?"
    He nodded, not
looking at her. "I hate killing. Mostly, I cannot. Only mortals who
use the dark power."
    Her eyes
flicked to Bane. "Like him?"
    "Yes."
    "But you
wouldn't.."
    Kayos raised
his eyes to meet hers, their silver gaze piercing. "He is my
son."
    "I didn't know
light gods could kill at all."
    Shevra turned
to gaze down the corridor as a ruckus started in the chapel, where
the soldier had reached the wall of priestesses and began to push
his way through them. At first he thrust them aside, and they tried
to hold him back, but then he started beating them with his fists.
They endeavoured to pin his arms, but he seemed to possess inhuman
strength, hurling them aside.
    The warrior
and Patrin tried to reach the man, but the crowd of priestesses
blocked their path. Several were knocked down with pained yelps,
others started to hit the soldier with their fists. Still he forged
ahead, apparently immune to pain, and a few brought their weapons
into play, bashing him with pots and faggots. Even so, he did not
stop, although he stumbled under the blows, and blood seeped from
his hair. Bile stung Shevra's throat, and she turned away, glancing
at Kayos, who had buried his face in his hands.
    "Tell them to
kill him," he muttered. "He will not stop until he is dead."
    Shevra gulped
and ran down the corridor to the chapel. The man staggered and
reeled, his face covered in blood, his eyes wide and wild.
    "Kill him!"
she cried, and many of the women shot her disgusted, incredulous
looks. "Kayos orders it."
    The
priestesses hesitated, their faces twisted with pity and horror,
then two stepped up and stabbed the man with long kitchen knives.
He fell to his knees, blood running from the wounds in his chest
and back, still yearning towards the white flame, then fell face
down and lay still.
    Shevra went to
a window and leant out to vomit. The blood splattered priestesses
ran out, some to be sick as well, she suspected, others to change
their clothes or pray for their souls. A few, who had not taken
part in the scrimmage, remained to guard the flame, averting their
eyes from the dead man. Patrin came over to her and laid a
comforting hand on her shoulder as she huddled next to the wall, a
hand over her mouth.
    "Are you all
right?"
    "No!"
    He patted her
back. "It's horrible, I know. Even though I've seen plenty of it,
it still turns my stomach."
    "Is that
supposed to make me feel better? I'm not ashamed to be sickened by
it."
    "Nor should
you be."
    "He was from
our camp, one of your men."
    He nodded. "I
don't know his name, but I recognised him."
    Shevra brushed
past him and ran down the passage to Bane's room, needing to be in
his presence again. Somehow it was his presence that she yearned
for, not Kayos', although the Grey God's was serene and comforting,
Bane's brought her more security. Kayos still sat on the bed, his
head in his hands. He looked up when she came in.
    "He will send
more," he stated. "And we will have to kill them."
    "Couldn't you
have saved him, Lord?"
    "No. He was
under a geas, nothing could have stopped him. If you had tied him
up, he would have chewed through the ropes. He would have chewed
through his own arm."
    "You can't
lift a geas?"
    "Not a dark
one. He