Read Online Demon Lord IV - Lord of Shadows by T C Southwell - Free Book Online Page A

but Kayos isn't mortal."
    Kayos leant
over Bane and placed his hands on the swelling, closing his eyes.
Blue fire flared where his hands touched the Demon Lord, and Shevra
held her breath as a soft golden glow appeared under his palms,
growing brighter. It sank into Bane's head, then a flare of blue
pushed Kayos' hands back, holding the golden glow at bay. The girl
who held Bane's hand bit her lip, staring down at him with
anguished eyes. Kayos frowned, and the golden light brightened
further.
    Patrin
whispered, "What's he doing?"
    "Healing
him."
    "I know that.
But what's causing the blue light?"
    "Kayos is a
light god, Bane is dark. The two powers are incompatible."
    "Why would a
-"
    Shevra raised
a finger to her lips. "Hush."
    Kayos pressed
his hands to Bane's temple. The golden light was now deep under
Bane's skin, rimmed with blue fire. Clearly Kayos was struggling,
forcing back the dark power that lurked just under Bane's skin, but
slowly he was succeeding. After several more minutes, he raised his
hands and sat back to study his handiwork. The swelling and cut had
vanished.
    Patrin
muttered, "That's incredible."
    The girl
stroked Bane's hair, and Shevra noticed the two older men, one
standing against the wall, frowning, then other kneeling beside the
cot.
    Kayos turned
to her. "Who are you?"
    Shevra knelt.
"Shevra, Great One. A fire dancer."
    Patrin stared
down at her, then followed her example and fell to one knee, bowing
his head. "I'm Patrin, a doctor. I was tending to... your
friend."
    "A doctor,"
Kayos mused. "You could not have helped him."
    "I tried, My
Lord."
    Kayos looked
down at Bane. "He went there to help your people, against his very
nature. Who called him?"
    "I did, My
Lord," Sherva admitted.
    "How did you
learn his name?"
    "He told me,
after he saved the people of my village."
    Kayos sighed.
"Syrin's meddling again. If he does not awaken soon, it will
jeopardise all our plans. Foolish child."
     
    Vorkon glared
around at the encampment. His entourage of demons and black mages
surrounded him, the latter still looking queasy from their Move. He
spied the canvas tent that he had seen in the Eye, and strode over
to it, burning it away with a blast of fire. His gaze swept the
empty cot, which still bore the indentation of Bane's body.
    "He was
here!"
    The mages
retreated from his ire. "Perhaps he recovered, My Lord?"
    "No. His
injury was dire. His mortal body has failed him yet again. I saw
him in the Eye, only a moment ago, unconscious. In the time that it
took to dismiss the Eye and come here, he could not have recovered
and Moved." He paused, considering. "Someone took him, and it could
only have been the light god, which means that he is now in one of
the temples, and vulnerable."
    He turned to
the group of warlocks. "Each of you will take a slave and go to a
temple. Send the slave to snuff out the white fire. Be cautious. Do
not alert the light god to your presence, and do not confront him.
He can kill you. He will sense that you have snuffed out the white
flame, and flee, but once all the temples are powerless, he will
have nowhere to run."
    "But what if
the tar'merin has recovered? Since they are in league, the light
god will heal him."
    "That is why
we must be swift." Vorkon turned to a group of earth demons. "Bring
me eight humans."
    Five demons
sank into the ground, and the mages glanced at each other with
ill-concealed dismay. Vorkon knew from experience that Moving was
bad enough when solo, but taking another person would require twice
as much power and cause twice as much illness. Each of the mages
was doubtless hoping that one of the others would have the courage
to point this out to him, and that he would come up with a
different plan, but none dared, and he had no other plan to offer.
He had no sympathy for them. They were his servants and would do as
he commanded, or die.
    Now he
regretted that he had been so engrossed in Drayshina's torture when
he had sensed the use of the dark power that he