Read Online Elyon by Ted Dekker - Free Book Online

relaxed his fist.
    Reyan nodded pointedly toward the trees. “We brought in a dozen albinos, General.”
    More albinos? They were getting harder to find by the day. “Where?”
    “More of Jordan of Southern’s brood. Apparently the Eramites drove them out. We await your command to execute them.”
    A test. Only Cassak would be so bold as to test Marak by forcing him to order an execution just to see if he would do it. He must have set this up so Reyan would have to ask. The captain was making a point to the men. And to his general. Since when did Cassak question Marak’s abilities?
    Something was wrong. He’d never been so angry with his friend in his life, and never had Cassak had cause or desire to doubt him. It all started with Jordan and Rona, didn’t it?
    Or . . . did it?
    Reyan cleared his throat. “General?”
    On instinct he checked his pocket for the medallion. It was . . . gone.
    Marak snarled. “Execute them.”
    He stalked off without waiting for a reply, grabbing Darsal by the scruff on the way and dragging her off into the trees.

eight
    E lyon, why is he manhandling me? The fire?
    Marak glanced over his shoulder. He loomed over her. Close. So close . . .
    “Where’s the amulet? Are you trying to ruin me?” He straightened and turned toward her, his eyes drilling her. He wanted her to say it. To admit it.
    Darsal couldn’t help but feel startled. Marak fully expected nothing but the truth from her. An albino. Had she made so much progress?
    She crossed her arms and looked Marak in the eye. She didn’t know what Marak was talking about. For all she knew this was a ruse so he could say he’d already interrogated her before conducting his real search. Her sense of vengeance flared over the con demned albinos, equally met with the utter despair of his deception and the shocking revelation of his trust.
    Her mind caught up. She couldn’t save the albinos. She could keep this thread of trust. “You want the truth.”
    Marak’s arms folded over his chest. Her heart skipped a beat. Did he really trust her so much? The general was so close. And now—now everything seemed to hinge on her answer.
    She drew a breath. Let his newfound trust in her sink in. “I didn’t take the amulet, my general.”
    His fist curled. “Someone did.”
    “It wasn’t me. Ask your captain.”
    “Cassak is my best friend,” he said. But his eyes betrayed doubt. Marak considered his albino slave more trustworthy than his Scab captain now?
    Darsal backed off. Marak was irrational when it came to those close to him. Irrational enough to accuse his best friend of stealing from him. “It still wasn’t me.”
    “And the fire?”
    “I just needed out of the room. I wasn’t trying to burn the place to the ground.”
    And for that she thought he might either break down or explode.
    “Neither Josef nor Sucrow has it?”
    Marak cleared his throat. “Both claim innocence. My guess is the bloody priest, but he’s got someone else holding it.”
    “You want me to steal it from him?”
    He didn’t answer immediately. For a full minute she stared at his back. She started to reach for his arm, but he turned back around.
    “In the lair, if something were to happen, you wouldn’t be able to run.”
    Her brow furrowed. Surely he didn’t think her a coward. She studied his eyes. No, no, it was something else. “Now, there’s a change of subject.”
    “I can handle the priest,” he said.
    He had not answered her question. Silent affirmation? Denial?
    Marak withdrew something small and silver from his pocket, then stooped and reached for her leg. Darsal jerked. Kicked, out of habit. Marak stilled, and something in his expression twisted. With an uneven breath, Darsal willed herself to relax.
    “What are you doing?” she demanded.
    Her general lifted her foot to his knee and unlocked the shackle. He then did the same with the other. For a moment he stayed there, kneeling with her sandaled foot on his knee, key and open