Read Online Promise of Wrath (The Hellequin Chronicles Book 6) by Steve McHugh - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Steve McHugh
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said, biting down on the frustration. The fact that I was so close to ending Mordred’s life meant it took every bit of discipline at my disposal to calm the rage that just being this close to him created.
When we were alone, I turned back to him. “What do you want?”
“Your help.” He spoke with the same confidence that he always showed. But there was no taunting, no need to try and get one over on me or anyone else. It was just a statement of fact.
“No. Not now, not ever.”
“Then you can go on not knowing who is behind this plot. Nanshe knows torture won’t work on me; you cannot force me to tell you anything. All you have to do is aid me, and hope I’m honest.”
“I would spit on your honesty if I thought for even one second you had any.”
Mordred stared at me, and I knew with all certainty that if he weren’t in chains, he’d try to kill me. But I needed his help if we were to figure out who was plotting an attack on Avalon.
“Why did Merlin send you here, I wonder?” Mordred asked. “I mean, I’m sure these fine people could figure this all out on their own. Maybe he doesn’t trust them? That would be interesting, wouldn’t it? Merlin accepting the Mesopotamians into the fold, but not really trusting them: that’s not a good basis for a friendship.”
“And you’d know all about friendship,” I snapped before I could stop myself. I took a deep breath and forced myself to remain calm. “I’m not doing this, Mordred. I’m not getting into an argument with you. It’s what you want, and frankly I can’t be bothered to allow you to make me angry right now. Either tell me what you want or you can rot down here.”
A smirk spread across Mordred’s face, which did little to ease my need to punch it repeatedly. “You’re not much fun anymore.”
I kept my mouth clamped shut.
Eventually he understood I wasn’t going to argue with him. “I need your help,” he said at last. “Despite the fact that I hate you and everything you stand for, I know you. I know you won’t let innocent people get hurt.”
“Since when have you cared about innocent people?”
“I care about this one.” Anger leaked into his voice a little.
“Why?”
“None of your business. Her name is Isabel. She’s currently being held here in Acre, under guard in a house close to the marina. You will find her and help her escape this place. You will do this, and she will come to no harm. Only then will I tell you what I know.”
“Who is she?”
“All you need to know is her name.”
“Actually, no, I need a little more than that. I need to know what she looks like, I need to know what she is, I need to know why she’s under guard, and I definitely need to know why you want her freed. I’m not in the habit of breaking people out of secure areas on the say-so of a madman.”
“She’s twenty-six, human; long, dark hair, olive complexion, green eyes, and her name is Isabel. That’s all you need. Go find her.”
“No.” I turned to leave.
“She’s under guard because she was caught with me. They tell me it’s for her protection. This is despite the fact that she has nothing to do with the plot, nor does she know anything about it. She was here before I arrived; she’s training to be a physician. She was just unlucky that I happened to be there when Nanshe and her guard turned up. I’d already decided to go to the authorities by then, but getting caught sped things up a little.”
“Why do you want her protection removed? What is she to you?”
Mordred was silent for several seconds. “She helped me. Telling those I was working with that I wouldn’t help them got me a lovely silver stab wound. She found my bleeding body and nursed me, even though she didn’t have to. She had no way of knowing I’m a sorcerer. I want to repay that kindness. And I don’t want her protection removed; I want her out of the city. That’s the only way she can be protected.”
It didn’t sound like the
When we were alone, I turned back to him. “What do you want?”
“Your help.” He spoke with the same confidence that he always showed. But there was no taunting, no need to try and get one over on me or anyone else. It was just a statement of fact.
“No. Not now, not ever.”
“Then you can go on not knowing who is behind this plot. Nanshe knows torture won’t work on me; you cannot force me to tell you anything. All you have to do is aid me, and hope I’m honest.”
“I would spit on your honesty if I thought for even one second you had any.”
Mordred stared at me, and I knew with all certainty that if he weren’t in chains, he’d try to kill me. But I needed his help if we were to figure out who was plotting an attack on Avalon.
“Why did Merlin send you here, I wonder?” Mordred asked. “I mean, I’m sure these fine people could figure this all out on their own. Maybe he doesn’t trust them? That would be interesting, wouldn’t it? Merlin accepting the Mesopotamians into the fold, but not really trusting them: that’s not a good basis for a friendship.”
“And you’d know all about friendship,” I snapped before I could stop myself. I took a deep breath and forced myself to remain calm. “I’m not doing this, Mordred. I’m not getting into an argument with you. It’s what you want, and frankly I can’t be bothered to allow you to make me angry right now. Either tell me what you want or you can rot down here.”
A smirk spread across Mordred’s face, which did little to ease my need to punch it repeatedly. “You’re not much fun anymore.”
I kept my mouth clamped shut.
Eventually he understood I wasn’t going to argue with him. “I need your help,” he said at last. “Despite the fact that I hate you and everything you stand for, I know you. I know you won’t let innocent people get hurt.”
“Since when have you cared about innocent people?”
“I care about this one.” Anger leaked into his voice a little.
“Why?”
“None of your business. Her name is Isabel. She’s currently being held here in Acre, under guard in a house close to the marina. You will find her and help her escape this place. You will do this, and she will come to no harm. Only then will I tell you what I know.”
“Who is she?”
“All you need to know is her name.”
“Actually, no, I need a little more than that. I need to know what she looks like, I need to know what she is, I need to know why she’s under guard, and I definitely need to know why you want her freed. I’m not in the habit of breaking people out of secure areas on the say-so of a madman.”
“She’s twenty-six, human; long, dark hair, olive complexion, green eyes, and her name is Isabel. That’s all you need. Go find her.”
“No.” I turned to leave.
“She’s under guard because she was caught with me. They tell me it’s for her protection. This is despite the fact that she has nothing to do with the plot, nor does she know anything about it. She was here before I arrived; she’s training to be a physician. She was just unlucky that I happened to be there when Nanshe and her guard turned up. I’d already decided to go to the authorities by then, but getting caught sped things up a little.”
“Why do you want her protection removed? What is she to you?”
Mordred was silent for several seconds. “She helped me. Telling those I was working with that I wouldn’t help them got me a lovely silver stab wound. She found my bleeding body and nursed me, even though she didn’t have to. She had no way of knowing I’m a sorcerer. I want to repay that kindness. And I don’t want her protection removed; I want her out of the city. That’s the only way she can be protected.”
It didn’t sound like the
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