Read Online Blood and Snow 8: Telltale Kisses by Rashelle Workman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rashelle Workman
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and worked with elves, dwarves with dwarves, gremlins with gremlins, vampires with vampires, fairies with fairies. It was the way life went. Order was kept by adherence to the rules. Yet in the heart of the enormous mountain, those lines were crossed—blurred into extinction. Didn’t these creatures understand they were messing with age-old laws? Surely, at some point, their blatant disregard would destroy them.
“I know what you’re thinking.” Titan stepped off the stairs onto a metal hallway. “Do you?” I asked, joining him.
He nodded. “You’re wondering how I can allow a war to rage above while this goes on below.”
“That is curious,” I agreed noncommittally.
“This mountain, and what goes on down here, is of the upmost importance. Devoran and his band of elves think to take the mountain, believing it belongs to them. But, if they were to gain control, they would discover our secrets, and Devoran would never let the science continue.” His face grew angry. “The elven King is ancient, and set in his ways. I won’t allow him to destroy everything we’ve worked for in the name of old-fashioned beliefs.”
I understood Titan’s passion. I held the same beliefs for the quest I was on, to save magic, but I doubted what Titan was doing down here would matter in the long run. I’d heard the term, Science , thrown around at the last Council meeting. The word meant little to me. “What else do you do down here?” I asked.
“Let me show you.” He glanced over and smiled.
I blew out my breath in frustration.
“You believe I’m heartless, uncaring. Is that it? You’re wondering how I can put science above the lives of my people.”
“Something like that,” I acknowledged.
“The reason is simple. Down here we take emotion out of the equation. We take a problem and use science, along with magic, to solve it. Up there,” he pointed one of his thick fingers toward the ceiling, but I understood he meant above ground. “The trolls and the elves fight over an imaginary line, an important line, yes, but a line nonetheless. The elves only desire power. We aren’t oppressing them. They have plenty of food and shelter. It doesn’t matter. They fight because one of the elven chieftains believes a troll chieftain should give him more land. He says his land is far greater, and that it’s unfair.”
Titan threw up his hands, flashing long, unkempt armpit hair. “They don’t realize if they would work together, use the resources from each side to benefit the other, their lives would be far better.” He spun in a slow circle, his arms extended wide. “This, down here, is the true power. Down here, we have harmony, accord, a group of intelligent beings working toward the betterment of the entire world.” He moved toward one of the corridors. “Come with me. I want to show you something.”
As Titan walked, he continued talking, “You probably think none of this has anything to do with you. Vampires are lucky they can’t die of disease.” He raised a finger, “But other magical creatures can, and you, Silindra, have the equivocal title of Earth’s Queen.” He waved his hands in a circle. “All of this should matter to you. Once you’ve seen what we do, perhaps you’ll encourage more vampires to join our cause.”
I wanted to snort in disgust. Instead I said, “What kinds of sicknesses?” I wanted to take the focus off what I wouldn’t do, and turn it toward what he found so fascinating about this place.
He gave a knowing smile. “The top rung houses the center for disease control. One ailment our scientists are working on is the loss of fairy wings at half a millennium. Did you know that happens?”
Worry formed in my belly. Ryden wasn’t a fairy, but a pixilette. Still, I wondered if she ever got sick? If her wings would fall off. I’d never known her to be ill. “I didn’t,” I answered quietly, still lost in my own thoughts.
“We’ve discovered it’s a degenerative
“I know what you’re thinking.” Titan stepped off the stairs onto a metal hallway. “Do you?” I asked, joining him.
He nodded. “You’re wondering how I can allow a war to rage above while this goes on below.”
“That is curious,” I agreed noncommittally.
“This mountain, and what goes on down here, is of the upmost importance. Devoran and his band of elves think to take the mountain, believing it belongs to them. But, if they were to gain control, they would discover our secrets, and Devoran would never let the science continue.” His face grew angry. “The elven King is ancient, and set in his ways. I won’t allow him to destroy everything we’ve worked for in the name of old-fashioned beliefs.”
I understood Titan’s passion. I held the same beliefs for the quest I was on, to save magic, but I doubted what Titan was doing down here would matter in the long run. I’d heard the term, Science , thrown around at the last Council meeting. The word meant little to me. “What else do you do down here?” I asked.
“Let me show you.” He glanced over and smiled.
I blew out my breath in frustration.
“You believe I’m heartless, uncaring. Is that it? You’re wondering how I can put science above the lives of my people.”
“Something like that,” I acknowledged.
“The reason is simple. Down here we take emotion out of the equation. We take a problem and use science, along with magic, to solve it. Up there,” he pointed one of his thick fingers toward the ceiling, but I understood he meant above ground. “The trolls and the elves fight over an imaginary line, an important line, yes, but a line nonetheless. The elves only desire power. We aren’t oppressing them. They have plenty of food and shelter. It doesn’t matter. They fight because one of the elven chieftains believes a troll chieftain should give him more land. He says his land is far greater, and that it’s unfair.”
Titan threw up his hands, flashing long, unkempt armpit hair. “They don’t realize if they would work together, use the resources from each side to benefit the other, their lives would be far better.” He spun in a slow circle, his arms extended wide. “This, down here, is the true power. Down here, we have harmony, accord, a group of intelligent beings working toward the betterment of the entire world.” He moved toward one of the corridors. “Come with me. I want to show you something.”
As Titan walked, he continued talking, “You probably think none of this has anything to do with you. Vampires are lucky they can’t die of disease.” He raised a finger, “But other magical creatures can, and you, Silindra, have the equivocal title of Earth’s Queen.” He waved his hands in a circle. “All of this should matter to you. Once you’ve seen what we do, perhaps you’ll encourage more vampires to join our cause.”
I wanted to snort in disgust. Instead I said, “What kinds of sicknesses?” I wanted to take the focus off what I wouldn’t do, and turn it toward what he found so fascinating about this place.
He gave a knowing smile. “The top rung houses the center for disease control. One ailment our scientists are working on is the loss of fairy wings at half a millennium. Did you know that happens?”
Worry formed in my belly. Ryden wasn’t a fairy, but a pixilette. Still, I wondered if she ever got sick? If her wings would fall off. I’d never known her to be ill. “I didn’t,” I answered quietly, still lost in my own thoughts.
“We’ve discovered it’s a degenerative
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