Read Online Ghost Dagger by Jonathan Moeller - Free Book Online
Authors: Jonathan Moeller
Tags: Fantasy
Ads: Link
it for us. Reunite us with our son, after so long."
Caina gave a short, sharp nod. She could never have children of her own, not after what Maglarion had done to her. But she could reunite those grieving mothers with their captured children. She could make sure no slaver took a child ever again.
She could return Nicolai to his mother and father.
Caina stepped forward, reached for the door, and stopped.
"I've seen this before," she murmured.
Ark frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, for the gods' sake!" said Tanya. "Must you be so truculent? Just open the damned door already!"
"It's not locked," said Caina, turning to face Tanya. "Why don't you open it? He's your son. Go and open the door."
"You have to be the one to open it!" said Tanya, her voice rising. "It's the most important thing in the world. Open that door right now or my son will die!"
"I have seen this door before, I’m sure of it" muttered Caina. She had seen that door in her father's library and the ballroom where she had danced with Alastair.
But her father's library had burned, and Maglarion had blasted the ballroom to rubble.
"Help me," pleaded Tanya. "Help me save my..."
Then Caina remembered a dagger made from the same silvery metal as the door.
"Shut up," said Caina.
Tanya flinched, and rage flashed across Ark's face.
"How dare you?" said Tanya. "My son is in there, and you'll leave him to die!"
"No, he's not," said Caina, "because none of this is real."
"What are you talking about?" said Ark.
"This is a dream," said Caina. "Made by the dagger Tormalus dug up below Reorn's hall. And," she looked over Ark and Tanya, "I think one of you is actually Helena. Probably Tanya."
"You've gone mad," said Tanya, "utterly..."
Caina yanked a throwing knife from her belt and flung it at Tanya.
Ark bellowed in fury, but Tanya disappeared in a silvery blur. She reappeared a dozen yards away as the knife bounced off the brick wall.
"Ark!" shouted Tanya. "Stop her! She's trying to kill me!"
Ark surged forward and seized Caina by the throat, slamming her against the wall. Caina felt herself choke, felt pain explode through her chest and the back of her head.
"Put her through the door!" said Tanya. "I command it!"
Ark heaved Caina towards the door. She struggled, but his hands held her in an iron grip. Caina tried to wrench her arms free from his grasp, tried to kick him, but it was like fighting a mountain...
But it wasn't real.
This was only a dream.
She remembered how Tanya - or the woman wearing Tanya's form - had moved across the room in a heartbeat. No one could move like that, not even with the aid of sorcery. But in a dream, who could say what was possible?
And if Helena could control the dream...why could Caina not do so as well?
She concentrated, ignoring the pain, ignoring the ache in her bones. The pain wasn't real. Ark wasn't real. None of this was real.
She pulled herself away from him...and his fingers parted like water.
Caina stepped back, her breathing slow and steady. Ark bellowed in rage and came at her again, and Caina reached up with one hand. She caught his fist and held it there. His hand was twice the size of hers, his arm a solid column of muscle, yet she held it in place as easily as the hand of a small child.
Then Caina punched him in the chest with her free hand.
Ark rocketed upward, exploding through the ceiling, and soared into the air. She caught a brief glimpse of him, a distant speck in the blue sky, and then he vanished.
Caina turned back to Tanya.
"You may as well drop the disguise," she said. "I know who you are."
Tanya rippled, like a reflection caught in the water, and she vanished.
In her place stood Helena, face twisted with livid fury.
"How did you do that?" hissed Helena. "Neither Tormalus nor Maelana could see past the illusions I spun. They walked through the door without hesitation."
"If you were trying to lure me through that door," said Caina, "you did a poor job of
Caina gave a short, sharp nod. She could never have children of her own, not after what Maglarion had done to her. But she could reunite those grieving mothers with their captured children. She could make sure no slaver took a child ever again.
She could return Nicolai to his mother and father.
Caina stepped forward, reached for the door, and stopped.
"I've seen this before," she murmured.
Ark frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, for the gods' sake!" said Tanya. "Must you be so truculent? Just open the damned door already!"
"It's not locked," said Caina, turning to face Tanya. "Why don't you open it? He's your son. Go and open the door."
"You have to be the one to open it!" said Tanya, her voice rising. "It's the most important thing in the world. Open that door right now or my son will die!"
"I have seen this door before, I’m sure of it" muttered Caina. She had seen that door in her father's library and the ballroom where she had danced with Alastair.
But her father's library had burned, and Maglarion had blasted the ballroom to rubble.
"Help me," pleaded Tanya. "Help me save my..."
Then Caina remembered a dagger made from the same silvery metal as the door.
"Shut up," said Caina.
Tanya flinched, and rage flashed across Ark's face.
"How dare you?" said Tanya. "My son is in there, and you'll leave him to die!"
"No, he's not," said Caina, "because none of this is real."
"What are you talking about?" said Ark.
"This is a dream," said Caina. "Made by the dagger Tormalus dug up below Reorn's hall. And," she looked over Ark and Tanya, "I think one of you is actually Helena. Probably Tanya."
"You've gone mad," said Tanya, "utterly..."
Caina yanked a throwing knife from her belt and flung it at Tanya.
Ark bellowed in fury, but Tanya disappeared in a silvery blur. She reappeared a dozen yards away as the knife bounced off the brick wall.
"Ark!" shouted Tanya. "Stop her! She's trying to kill me!"
Ark surged forward and seized Caina by the throat, slamming her against the wall. Caina felt herself choke, felt pain explode through her chest and the back of her head.
"Put her through the door!" said Tanya. "I command it!"
Ark heaved Caina towards the door. She struggled, but his hands held her in an iron grip. Caina tried to wrench her arms free from his grasp, tried to kick him, but it was like fighting a mountain...
But it wasn't real.
This was only a dream.
She remembered how Tanya - or the woman wearing Tanya's form - had moved across the room in a heartbeat. No one could move like that, not even with the aid of sorcery. But in a dream, who could say what was possible?
And if Helena could control the dream...why could Caina not do so as well?
She concentrated, ignoring the pain, ignoring the ache in her bones. The pain wasn't real. Ark wasn't real. None of this was real.
She pulled herself away from him...and his fingers parted like water.
Caina stepped back, her breathing slow and steady. Ark bellowed in rage and came at her again, and Caina reached up with one hand. She caught his fist and held it there. His hand was twice the size of hers, his arm a solid column of muscle, yet she held it in place as easily as the hand of a small child.
Then Caina punched him in the chest with her free hand.
Ark rocketed upward, exploding through the ceiling, and soared into the air. She caught a brief glimpse of him, a distant speck in the blue sky, and then he vanished.
Caina turned back to Tanya.
"You may as well drop the disguise," she said. "I know who you are."
Tanya rippled, like a reflection caught in the water, and she vanished.
In her place stood Helena, face twisted with livid fury.
"How did you do that?" hissed Helena. "Neither Tormalus nor Maelana could see past the illusions I spun. They walked through the door without hesitation."
"If you were trying to lure me through that door," said Caina, "you did a poor job of
Similar Books
