Read Online Beyond the Crimson (The Crimson Cycle) by Danielle Martin Williams - Free Book Online
Authors: Danielle Martin Williams
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through her because she knew he was right, and for a moment she wished her son had been a daughter because then she would be free to fuss over her baby. But the thought passed quickly; this world was a terrible place for girls. Women did not have power. A daughter would be forced into a marriage as though she were merely a payment, spending her life below a man, practically a servant, just the way she was. No, it was better that her baby was a son. At least, he would be free.
She felt weaker than she ever had before , and she despised it. She handed him to the wet nurse and vowed to not hold him again because if she became attached now, there would be no letting go later.
She sighed, rolling her aching body to the side, letting only one tear slip. It hurt almost more than she could bear, but she would have to learn to not love him and the easiest way to do that, would be to hate him.
It was excruciating. The weight of his body compressed mine into the ground, armor digging into my front side while silver cups stabbed my backside, pressing together to constrict my lungs from breathing.
I gasped, desperately using the small amounts of breath I had to call out his name , but he didn’t respond. To my horror, I realized he was unconscious. I squirmed to get out from underneath him, but his weight was more than my strength.
The short breaths of oxygen I managed to gasp in weren’t enough. Colors faded into shades of gray, nearing closer to a black oblivion. Desperately fearing for my life, I gave his body one last shove , and to my amazement, this time he moved. My lungs expanded as I rolled to my side, gasping in deep breaths of air like a swimmer who had been under water for far too long, voraciously consuming the oxygen around me. My vision returned, but when I turned back around, I was certain there was no way I was seeing clearly.
It took a while to understand how he stayed elevated above ground, but then my eyes rested on the most repulsive creature I had ever seen , and it was holding Brendelon by the back of his armor at arm’s length.
It stood at least ten feet tall, hunched awkwardly over like its body had been broken but never repaired, dull green skin stretched thinly over its protruding bones, covered in thick black hair. Its face was the most disturbing feature: three bubble-like eyes popped out, placed above a long crooked nose and wide snarling mouth that revealed long yellow jagged teeth, slithering with slime.
“Brendelon!” I screamed, scrambling to my feet. “Brendelon!”
His head bobbed up, eyes slowly flutter ing open. “A troll,” he groaned, as if this were nothing more than some common inconvenience.
The monstrous three-eyed creature let out a terrifying growl, spraying thick mucus-like spit over everything within a four-foot radius , and Brendelon laughed. He actually let out a wicked laugh in the face of this horrendous beast. I would never understand his humor because he was surely moments away from his doom.
“Well, you certainly are one of the ugliest wenches I have ever woken up to!” he ridiculed.
As if understanding the words, the monster flung him backwards, knocking him into a thick tree stump with a sickening thud. He slumped to the floor on his hands and knees, shaking his head for a moment, but was quickly on his feet with his sword drawn.
“An unpleasant girl too, you ought to have at least one good quality,” he taunted, grinning once again.
The beast roared in anger, throwing its mangled hands up to its face. It stomped forward, taking a hard right swing directed at Brendelon’s head, but he ducked under the long hairy arm, missing the blow by inches, but the tree wasn’t nearly as lucky as it splintered almost in half.
The monster hissed out, using its other repugnant arm to swing down like a hammer into a nail , but Brendelon met the troll’s arm with his sword. The troll grinned a ghastly smile, as it pressed its weight down on
She felt weaker than she ever had before , and she despised it. She handed him to the wet nurse and vowed to not hold him again because if she became attached now, there would be no letting go later.
She sighed, rolling her aching body to the side, letting only one tear slip. It hurt almost more than she could bear, but she would have to learn to not love him and the easiest way to do that, would be to hate him.
It was excruciating. The weight of his body compressed mine into the ground, armor digging into my front side while silver cups stabbed my backside, pressing together to constrict my lungs from breathing.
I gasped, desperately using the small amounts of breath I had to call out his name , but he didn’t respond. To my horror, I realized he was unconscious. I squirmed to get out from underneath him, but his weight was more than my strength.
The short breaths of oxygen I managed to gasp in weren’t enough. Colors faded into shades of gray, nearing closer to a black oblivion. Desperately fearing for my life, I gave his body one last shove , and to my amazement, this time he moved. My lungs expanded as I rolled to my side, gasping in deep breaths of air like a swimmer who had been under water for far too long, voraciously consuming the oxygen around me. My vision returned, but when I turned back around, I was certain there was no way I was seeing clearly.
It took a while to understand how he stayed elevated above ground, but then my eyes rested on the most repulsive creature I had ever seen , and it was holding Brendelon by the back of his armor at arm’s length.
It stood at least ten feet tall, hunched awkwardly over like its body had been broken but never repaired, dull green skin stretched thinly over its protruding bones, covered in thick black hair. Its face was the most disturbing feature: three bubble-like eyes popped out, placed above a long crooked nose and wide snarling mouth that revealed long yellow jagged teeth, slithering with slime.
“Brendelon!” I screamed, scrambling to my feet. “Brendelon!”
His head bobbed up, eyes slowly flutter ing open. “A troll,” he groaned, as if this were nothing more than some common inconvenience.
The monstrous three-eyed creature let out a terrifying growl, spraying thick mucus-like spit over everything within a four-foot radius , and Brendelon laughed. He actually let out a wicked laugh in the face of this horrendous beast. I would never understand his humor because he was surely moments away from his doom.
“Well, you certainly are one of the ugliest wenches I have ever woken up to!” he ridiculed.
As if understanding the words, the monster flung him backwards, knocking him into a thick tree stump with a sickening thud. He slumped to the floor on his hands and knees, shaking his head for a moment, but was quickly on his feet with his sword drawn.
“An unpleasant girl too, you ought to have at least one good quality,” he taunted, grinning once again.
The beast roared in anger, throwing its mangled hands up to its face. It stomped forward, taking a hard right swing directed at Brendelon’s head, but he ducked under the long hairy arm, missing the blow by inches, but the tree wasn’t nearly as lucky as it splintered almost in half.
The monster hissed out, using its other repugnant arm to swing down like a hammer into a nail , but Brendelon met the troll’s arm with his sword. The troll grinned a ghastly smile, as it pressed its weight down on
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