Read Online Give the Devil His Due (The Sanheim Chronicles, Book Three) by Rob Blackwell - Free Book Online
Book: Give the Devil His Due (The Sanheim Chronicles, Book Three) by Rob Blackwell
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Authors: Rob Blackwell
Tags: Samhain, urban fantasy series, The Sanheim Chronicles: Book Three, Sleepy Hollow, Headless Horseman, Sanheim, supernatural thriller
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Kyle Thompson. Turn back now and get out.
The Horseman laughed out loud at that, felt it echo through the empty building. Clearly, it was a trap. There were no officers here, pathetically attempting to stop him. He was more intrigued than alarmed. He walked through the dark offices, and waited for the trap to spring.
Get out now, you fool , the voice said again.
He ignored it. Above all else, the Horseman remembered that voice. He remembered a scared little man fleeing from him in a car. And he remembered watching his head sail away from his body, parting them forever in a sea of blood. He was not one to take orders from such a creature. The woman, that was different. She was “the last,” and he knew he must honor her. He could remember kneeling to her in the dirt.
The Horseman stopped in front of the room where he knew his prey waited. Perhaps it was a trick and he wouldn’t be there. The Horseman couldn’t see the sense in that, didn’t understand why such a subterfuge would be necessary or wise. He would find Kieran and kill him, no matter where he hid. He may have forgotten much, but he remembered that.
He raised his leg and kicked in the door, which had been barely reattached to its hinges since his last visit here. The door crumbled before him.
The Headless Horseman drew his sword and walked into the room to find the man who had murdered him.
*****
Kieran watched the Horseman burst through the door, sword in hand. He was scared, but ready. He knew explanations wouldn’t work. He nodded at Tim and knelt on the ground. He lay his hands on the floor and stretched out his neck as far as it would go. He didn’t know exactly how people used to prepare for the guillotine, but he imagined it was like this.
Kieran could only see the Horseman’s boots and watched as they came forward. He heard him tear off the cell door like it was no obstacle to him. Kieran wanted to look up and fought down the urge to beg. This would either work or it wouldn’t. This was the hardest part of his plan. He could never predict human behavior.
Still, there was an upside if she did decapitate him — at least he wouldn’t have to worry and scheme any longer. He thought that might be a relief.
The Horseman stood in front of him and Kieran closed his eyes. He did the one thing that didn’t come naturally to him: he waited to die.
The Horseman stood in front of him for what felt like years instead of minutes. Kieran kept waiting for some kind of movement to tell him what was going on. If he had to guess, he would have said the Horseman was internally debating something. But since he had his eyes closed, Kieran just had to assume what was going on.
Finally, after what felt like a brief lifetime, the Horseman raised his sword. He positioned himself for the killing blow. Kieran didn’t move. At this stage, running wouldn’t help him. He had gambled and lost.
But just as the Horseman seemed about to bring down the sword, Kieran heard Tim shout from the corner where he stood anxiously waiting.
“Stop!” Tim shouted. “Kate, don’t do this.”
It didn’t work. The sword came crashing down toward Kieran. He didn’t move his head to see it, but he could practically hear the blade slicing through the air. He tensed his muscles involuntarily, wondering only how much it would hurt.
But the blade stopped just above Kieran’s neck in what seemed like defiance of the laws of physics. Instead of taking off his head, the Horseman cut a small notch into Kieran’s skin, forcing him to cry out. The ghost leaned down and picked Kieran up by his shirt, holding him at arm’s length. Kieran dangled in the air.
“Ugh,” Kieran managed and he tried to hold onto the Horseman’s arm.
The Horseman tossed Kieran against the cement wall, where he slumped to the ground. Dazed, Kieran watched as Tim ran forward and leapt unto the Horseman’s back. But without a neck to grab on to or a head to use for leverage, the Horseman easily
The Horseman laughed out loud at that, felt it echo through the empty building. Clearly, it was a trap. There were no officers here, pathetically attempting to stop him. He was more intrigued than alarmed. He walked through the dark offices, and waited for the trap to spring.
Get out now, you fool , the voice said again.
He ignored it. Above all else, the Horseman remembered that voice. He remembered a scared little man fleeing from him in a car. And he remembered watching his head sail away from his body, parting them forever in a sea of blood. He was not one to take orders from such a creature. The woman, that was different. She was “the last,” and he knew he must honor her. He could remember kneeling to her in the dirt.
The Horseman stopped in front of the room where he knew his prey waited. Perhaps it was a trick and he wouldn’t be there. The Horseman couldn’t see the sense in that, didn’t understand why such a subterfuge would be necessary or wise. He would find Kieran and kill him, no matter where he hid. He may have forgotten much, but he remembered that.
He raised his leg and kicked in the door, which had been barely reattached to its hinges since his last visit here. The door crumbled before him.
The Headless Horseman drew his sword and walked into the room to find the man who had murdered him.
*****
Kieran watched the Horseman burst through the door, sword in hand. He was scared, but ready. He knew explanations wouldn’t work. He nodded at Tim and knelt on the ground. He lay his hands on the floor and stretched out his neck as far as it would go. He didn’t know exactly how people used to prepare for the guillotine, but he imagined it was like this.
Kieran could only see the Horseman’s boots and watched as they came forward. He heard him tear off the cell door like it was no obstacle to him. Kieran wanted to look up and fought down the urge to beg. This would either work or it wouldn’t. This was the hardest part of his plan. He could never predict human behavior.
Still, there was an upside if she did decapitate him — at least he wouldn’t have to worry and scheme any longer. He thought that might be a relief.
The Horseman stood in front of him and Kieran closed his eyes. He did the one thing that didn’t come naturally to him: he waited to die.
The Horseman stood in front of him for what felt like years instead of minutes. Kieran kept waiting for some kind of movement to tell him what was going on. If he had to guess, he would have said the Horseman was internally debating something. But since he had his eyes closed, Kieran just had to assume what was going on.
Finally, after what felt like a brief lifetime, the Horseman raised his sword. He positioned himself for the killing blow. Kieran didn’t move. At this stage, running wouldn’t help him. He had gambled and lost.
But just as the Horseman seemed about to bring down the sword, Kieran heard Tim shout from the corner where he stood anxiously waiting.
“Stop!” Tim shouted. “Kate, don’t do this.”
It didn’t work. The sword came crashing down toward Kieran. He didn’t move his head to see it, but he could practically hear the blade slicing through the air. He tensed his muscles involuntarily, wondering only how much it would hurt.
But the blade stopped just above Kieran’s neck in what seemed like defiance of the laws of physics. Instead of taking off his head, the Horseman cut a small notch into Kieran’s skin, forcing him to cry out. The ghost leaned down and picked Kieran up by his shirt, holding him at arm’s length. Kieran dangled in the air.
“Ugh,” Kieran managed and he tried to hold onto the Horseman’s arm.
The Horseman tossed Kieran against the cement wall, where he slumped to the ground. Dazed, Kieran watched as Tim ran forward and leapt unto the Horseman’s back. But without a neck to grab on to or a head to use for leverage, the Horseman easily
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