Read Online Hemlock And The Dread Sorceress (Book 3) by B. Throwsnaill - Free Book Online
Authors: B. Throwsnaill
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hovering figure rose to the height of twelve feet. Bright red skin coalesced over rippling sinew and swollen, pulsing veins that nearly burst from the pressure of the venomous blood they conveyed. Yellow, fiery eyes, deep set in a head with a heavy brow and cruel, up-curved horns, glistened as they flickered to wakefulness.
“Now you’ve awakened him!” cried the Old Mother.
Hemlock , with both sabres in hand, stepped back from the large man called Boris.
“Unshackle Jasper!” she cried.
But Boris was circling away from Hemlock, hurriedly distancing himself from the demon in the center of the room.
Hemlock could detect a veritable spider web of magical restraint surrounding the demon, and this relaxed her by a few degrees. But she saw that the spells were crudely crafted and not nearly strong enough for the size and power of the demon they restrained. She had seen Safreon’s use of similar binding spells, and these paled in comparison.
“That thing is barely contained. Tored, it’s big enough to take out half the City if it gets loose. We have to take care of this,” said Hemlock.
“What do you mean by take care of it? This demon is powering half the magic spells in the Warrens!” cried the Old Mother.
“Are you insane? What are you talking about?”
“You know me. People come to me for advice and for help. Since the magic potions went away, people have suffered. I’ve eased their suffering with my magic—made possible by this demon’s imprisonment.”
Hemlock noticed Boris was creeping toward Tored and the Old Mother.
“Stop there, Boris!” she yelled.
The demon floated motionlessly, and seemed to be listening to the recent conversation with an attentiveness that further alarmed Hemlock. It was clearly intelligent. Safreon had always looked for the dumb ones. He’d said the intelligent ones were far too dangerous.
Hemlock examined the dark energy she’d detected around the Old Mother before they’d descended into the basement. She now understood what it was. It was like a series of dark chains between her and the demon, as if she had somehow tethered herself to it magically.
“What have you done here, you crazy old crone?”
The Old Mother drew up proudly , and her eyes burned with indignation. “I’ve stepped in and helped where your beloved wizards abandoned! I’ve kept the fabric of this community intact! And I’ve had no help from the likes of you!”
“Let me get this straight . You summoned this thing to help people? Do you understand what will happen if this thing gets loose?”
“There is an agreement between it and me. It doesn’t resist the binding spells I use to generate magic and power my own potions. In return, I don’t banish it back to its home plane. Apparently, it’s not very pleasant there, so it’s happy to stay right here.”
Hemlock further examined the magical energies between the demon and the Old Mother. She was skeptical that the demon could be banished by the spells the Old Mother had in place. And the soul binding spells between the two were so strong that Hemlock felt sure the demon could possess her at will.
“But it ’s growing stronger, isn’t it? What is the end game here? How will you control it once it gets too powerful—if it hasn’t already?” said Hemlock.
The Old Mother looked at the unconscious form of the young thief lying sha ckled to the floor. “I now offer it sacrifices to appease it—riff raff that will never be missed. If anything, it’s helping make the neighborhood safer!”
“That’s why you were trying to avoid detection! So you’re judge, jury and executioner, now? Don’t you understand how crazy this is? You are totally out of control, here!”
The old woman didn’t answer.
Hemlock looked at the demon again, and it regarded her in return. “Be careful what you do,” it said in a deep voice that suggested the bubbling sound of roiling,
“Now you’ve awakened him!” cried the Old Mother.
Hemlock , with both sabres in hand, stepped back from the large man called Boris.
“Unshackle Jasper!” she cried.
But Boris was circling away from Hemlock, hurriedly distancing himself from the demon in the center of the room.
Hemlock could detect a veritable spider web of magical restraint surrounding the demon, and this relaxed her by a few degrees. But she saw that the spells were crudely crafted and not nearly strong enough for the size and power of the demon they restrained. She had seen Safreon’s use of similar binding spells, and these paled in comparison.
“That thing is barely contained. Tored, it’s big enough to take out half the City if it gets loose. We have to take care of this,” said Hemlock.
“What do you mean by take care of it? This demon is powering half the magic spells in the Warrens!” cried the Old Mother.
“Are you insane? What are you talking about?”
“You know me. People come to me for advice and for help. Since the magic potions went away, people have suffered. I’ve eased their suffering with my magic—made possible by this demon’s imprisonment.”
Hemlock noticed Boris was creeping toward Tored and the Old Mother.
“Stop there, Boris!” she yelled.
The demon floated motionlessly, and seemed to be listening to the recent conversation with an attentiveness that further alarmed Hemlock. It was clearly intelligent. Safreon had always looked for the dumb ones. He’d said the intelligent ones were far too dangerous.
Hemlock examined the dark energy she’d detected around the Old Mother before they’d descended into the basement. She now understood what it was. It was like a series of dark chains between her and the demon, as if she had somehow tethered herself to it magically.
“What have you done here, you crazy old crone?”
The Old Mother drew up proudly , and her eyes burned with indignation. “I’ve stepped in and helped where your beloved wizards abandoned! I’ve kept the fabric of this community intact! And I’ve had no help from the likes of you!”
“Let me get this straight . You summoned this thing to help people? Do you understand what will happen if this thing gets loose?”
“There is an agreement between it and me. It doesn’t resist the binding spells I use to generate magic and power my own potions. In return, I don’t banish it back to its home plane. Apparently, it’s not very pleasant there, so it’s happy to stay right here.”
Hemlock further examined the magical energies between the demon and the Old Mother. She was skeptical that the demon could be banished by the spells the Old Mother had in place. And the soul binding spells between the two were so strong that Hemlock felt sure the demon could possess her at will.
“But it ’s growing stronger, isn’t it? What is the end game here? How will you control it once it gets too powerful—if it hasn’t already?” said Hemlock.
The Old Mother looked at the unconscious form of the young thief lying sha ckled to the floor. “I now offer it sacrifices to appease it—riff raff that will never be missed. If anything, it’s helping make the neighborhood safer!”
“That’s why you were trying to avoid detection! So you’re judge, jury and executioner, now? Don’t you understand how crazy this is? You are totally out of control, here!”
The old woman didn’t answer.
Hemlock looked at the demon again, and it regarded her in return. “Be careful what you do,” it said in a deep voice that suggested the bubbling sound of roiling,
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