Read Online Night Kings: The Complete Anthology by Gregory Blackman - Free Book Online
Authors: Gregory Blackman
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life. He changed along with the red wolf and
soon father and son stood together in the forest.
“I’m not in need of your constant
interference!” Lukas bellowed with hands raised in anger. He waited
for his father’s response, but none was given outside an ill-omened
stare from the man that raised him.
The red-haired Bernhard Wendish turned from
his unclothed son and disappeared into the shadows. It was some
time before he returned with a sack in one hand and an axe in the
other.
“If you want to fight someone, you can fight
me,” his father said. “Not one of those undead abominations.”
He raised the axe above his head in a
threatening fashion and powered it deep into the tree next to
Lukas.
“You don’t walk into a den of our mortal
enemies,” growled Bernhard as he dared Lukas to grasp hold of the
weapon. “You don’t get to do that to your mother. You don’t get to
do that to me. You want to throw your life away? Do it with a shred
of honor!”
He beat on his chest and beckoned for the
young contender to claim his birthright and take on the role of
leader of their pack. It was an honored custom, one that usually
happened much later in life, but Bernhard knew that if his son
continued along this path it would be an honor not received.
“Take it and face me!” Bernhard roared.
“No,” an addled Lukas said. His lips quivered
and fingers trembled in trepidation of what might come to pass. The
sweat beaded down his brow and clouded his already crimson hazed
vision. The lady called for him, beckoned him to pick up the
weapon, but still he could not.
“Yes,” seethed Bernhard with bloodlust in his
eyes. “You’ll do as I command.”
“No.”
“Take it!” his father bellowed.
“No!”
He grabbed onto the axe his father had so
deeply sunk into the tree, and with one tumultuous pull, he
released the weapon from his wooden bindings. And when it looked as
if Lukas was ready to cleave his father in two, he switched his
grip on the weapon and handed it to Bernhard handle first.
Bernhard promptly accepted the axe, and with
a satisfied smile he tossed the sack he’d carried over towards his
careworn flesh and blood. His bluff had paid off handsomely, but he
couldn’t help but worry there was a very real chance that axe
might’ve found a way into his chest.
“This is your fault,” Lukas said with no mind
on the clothes beside him. “All of it.”
“If you’re going to speak the truth,” replied
Bernhard, “then speak the whole truth.”
“You sent me to that forest!” Lukas was teary
eyed, enthralled with one that wouldn’t come to his aid, and ready
to drop down to his knees in despair. “You sent me to that reaper.
Did you have a hand in its death? Is that what the lady wants from
me?”
“She wants nothing but death and decay,” his
father answered. “Do not slip into her web of lies. I heard of a
gathering on the outskirts of town the night of the reaper’s death.
When I sent you to sniff the scent it wasn’t a body I expected you
to find.”
“And so you had me bring along the mayor’s
daughter?” Lukas pounded his fist on the stone beneath him and
further slipped into the lady’s embrace. “Don’t tell me you wanted
her there for moral support. She’s my friend… she was my
friend, not that you gave a damn about that. You just went and did
whatever you could to slight Salem’s beloved mayor in secrecy.
Isn’t that right?”
“You know little of what you speak,” Bernhard
said. “It’s the possession that speaks through you.”
Lukas dropped to a knee and howled to the
moon, as if ready to change right then and there. “Oh, eat crow.
I’m so damned sick of that word.”
“I’ll let that slip since you’re under
another’s spell,” Bernhard said as a low rumble emanated from his
belly. “She is killing you, my boy, and she will see the job done
unless you release yourself of her burden.”
“Do you know her?” Lukas asked.
“I know those of
soon father and son stood together in the forest.
“I’m not in need of your constant
interference!” Lukas bellowed with hands raised in anger. He waited
for his father’s response, but none was given outside an ill-omened
stare from the man that raised him.
The red-haired Bernhard Wendish turned from
his unclothed son and disappeared into the shadows. It was some
time before he returned with a sack in one hand and an axe in the
other.
“If you want to fight someone, you can fight
me,” his father said. “Not one of those undead abominations.”
He raised the axe above his head in a
threatening fashion and powered it deep into the tree next to
Lukas.
“You don’t walk into a den of our mortal
enemies,” growled Bernhard as he dared Lukas to grasp hold of the
weapon. “You don’t get to do that to your mother. You don’t get to
do that to me. You want to throw your life away? Do it with a shred
of honor!”
He beat on his chest and beckoned for the
young contender to claim his birthright and take on the role of
leader of their pack. It was an honored custom, one that usually
happened much later in life, but Bernhard knew that if his son
continued along this path it would be an honor not received.
“Take it and face me!” Bernhard roared.
“No,” an addled Lukas said. His lips quivered
and fingers trembled in trepidation of what might come to pass. The
sweat beaded down his brow and clouded his already crimson hazed
vision. The lady called for him, beckoned him to pick up the
weapon, but still he could not.
“Yes,” seethed Bernhard with bloodlust in his
eyes. “You’ll do as I command.”
“No.”
“Take it!” his father bellowed.
“No!”
He grabbed onto the axe his father had so
deeply sunk into the tree, and with one tumultuous pull, he
released the weapon from his wooden bindings. And when it looked as
if Lukas was ready to cleave his father in two, he switched his
grip on the weapon and handed it to Bernhard handle first.
Bernhard promptly accepted the axe, and with
a satisfied smile he tossed the sack he’d carried over towards his
careworn flesh and blood. His bluff had paid off handsomely, but he
couldn’t help but worry there was a very real chance that axe
might’ve found a way into his chest.
“This is your fault,” Lukas said with no mind
on the clothes beside him. “All of it.”
“If you’re going to speak the truth,” replied
Bernhard, “then speak the whole truth.”
“You sent me to that forest!” Lukas was teary
eyed, enthralled with one that wouldn’t come to his aid, and ready
to drop down to his knees in despair. “You sent me to that reaper.
Did you have a hand in its death? Is that what the lady wants from
me?”
“She wants nothing but death and decay,” his
father answered. “Do not slip into her web of lies. I heard of a
gathering on the outskirts of town the night of the reaper’s death.
When I sent you to sniff the scent it wasn’t a body I expected you
to find.”
“And so you had me bring along the mayor’s
daughter?” Lukas pounded his fist on the stone beneath him and
further slipped into the lady’s embrace. “Don’t tell me you wanted
her there for moral support. She’s my friend… she was my
friend, not that you gave a damn about that. You just went and did
whatever you could to slight Salem’s beloved mayor in secrecy.
Isn’t that right?”
“You know little of what you speak,” Bernhard
said. “It’s the possession that speaks through you.”
Lukas dropped to a knee and howled to the
moon, as if ready to change right then and there. “Oh, eat crow.
I’m so damned sick of that word.”
“I’ll let that slip since you’re under
another’s spell,” Bernhard said as a low rumble emanated from his
belly. “She is killing you, my boy, and she will see the job done
unless you release yourself of her burden.”
“Do you know her?” Lukas asked.
“I know those of
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