Read Online Blade Of The Vampire King (Book 4) by Lucas Thorn - Free Book Online

you.”
    “Rescuing me?”
    “From your kidnapper. Evil bastard, he's supposed to be.” Her lip curled slightly as she looked over at the young man. “Doesn't look very scary right now, though.”
    Keeping her movements deliberate, she began sliding her weapons into their sheaths as the young woman eyed her fallen companion with a worried glance.
    “You seem to know a lot,” the young axewoman said.
    The elf's grin was slight. “A wise feller once said that a person's life can often depend on a mere scrap of information.”
    Melganaderna raised an eyebrow at the warlock, who shrugged. “Don't ask me,” he said. “We only met up again a few hours ago. And she's never really been the sort of person who shares her thoughts. I didn't know anything about you until a few minutes ago.”
    “Hemlock,” the young axewoman told the elf. “That's his name. Martin Hemlock. We grew up together. And whatever he's growing into, it certainly isn't my kidnapper. Do I look kidnapped to you?”
    The elf glanced at the battleaxe again, wondering how heavy the enchanted weapon was.
    It looked heavy.
    “No,” she said. “Not really.”
    Melganaderna snorted. “Kidnapped. Shit. That'd be my cousin's story. Always good at stories, he was. Especially for my father. Always whispering into his ear. Bastard. No, Nysta. This is worse than a kidnapping. This is an escape. An escape from everything the throne of Cornelia has come to stand for. By rights, it should be mine. It never would have been, though. Scarrow already saw to that. But he wants me back. Wants to parade me like a trophy in front of the Council. Wants Rule himself to bless our union so he can legitimise his claim. Then he can finally say he owns me, body and soul.” The fury simmered in her dark eyes, and the elf was surprised to feel a twinge of respect for the young woman. “He'll never get that satisfaction. I'll kill him, and anyone else who tries to take me back. My heart lies with someone else. It always has.”
    Moaning, Hemlock rolled onto his side. Let out a few soft moans.
    Chukshene glanced at Melganaderna and shook his head. Then turned to the elf. “He's not good. Something in this place is affecting him.”
    “He was fine until we made it to the caves at the back of the tunnel,” Melganaderna said. “Happy, even. He loves to study things. And that door out the front made him jump around like a kid. He says it's older than anything he's ever seen before. I tried taking him back outside, but he refuses. He says we have to go further. But we couldn't move fast. He wasn't able to stand for long. Then we had to hide from the Accepted.”
    “Accepted?” Nysta's eyes narrowed at the word.
    “Yes. They were searching the caves. There's a cleric with them. I thought he'd find us, but Hem managed to keep us hidden. It was casting that spell which drained him so much.”
    “He'll be fine,” the warlock said, brushing his hands against his robe. “I think he just needs a bit more rest. I've seen this kind of thing in apprentices who cast too much in a short time.”
    The young axewoman seemed to relax a little. “Thank you, mage.”
    “Yeah,” Chukshene's words stumbled across his lips. “Well. Sure. Any time, I guess. I suppose we can wait with you, for a short while. Make sure he's okay. We're headed inside, too, you know. I mean, it's not a race. But I'm worried what that cleric might find. And what he'd do with what he finds. This place is special. A place of power.”
    “That's what Hem said.”
    “He's right. And we have to stop that bastard cleric from disturbing anything.”
    Nysta snorted. “That'd be your job. Wouldn't it, 'lock? The looting?”
    “Let's not get into that again,” he muttered.
    Sliding the last of her knives home, the elf looked at the mail-clad axewoman again. Could see the concern on her young face as she watched Hemlock's chest rise and fall in a ragged rhythm.
    “That's a big axe,” the elf said. Her fingers explored