Read Online The Crimson Claymore by Craig A. Price Jr. - Free Book Online Page A

edged forward, keeping a hand on his claymore. He knelt to the ground and brushed his gauntlets on the scattered branches. They seemed slightly out of place and crushed in the middle. He hadn’t heard anybody approach, but someone had stepped on the branches.
    “Starlyn?” he called out, unsheathing his claymore. Silence filled the air without even the gentle chirping of crickets or birds. Something or someone had been in a hurry to step on those branches hard enough to crack them. Cautiously, he looked around to search for more signs.
    A foul scent lingered in the air that reminded him of both death and cloves. It was odd that a pleasant smell could be surrounded with the smell of death. He clutched his claymore tighter as he stepped through thick shrubbery into a clearing.
    He nearly collided with something and was taken aback when he noticed it was Starlyn that was before him. She wasn’t alone; behind her was a kheshlar that held a curved dagger close to her throat. Her eyebrows were silver and matched Starlyn’s, but her skin wasn’t pale blue as other kheshlars. Instead, it was a light charcoal shade that he had never seen before. Her hair was pearl white and tangled atop her head, coming apart at two thick strands stopping just below her chest. He looked into her gunmetal eyes and had a hard time looking away.
     

Chapter 8
     
    T here seemed to be an aura of power surrounding the woman that Searon couldn’t explain. She resembled a kheshlar ranger with a bow attached to her back next to a quiver. Her black steel armor caught his attention with thick pointed shoulder pads and stripes of white to match her hair. Strangely, she only wore a steel gauntlet on her right hand while her left was bare, showing long fingernails. The armor on her bosom was half the depth of Starlyn’s. Silver scale mail covered her legs before they were met by parted boots just above her knees. Three sharp points like daggers rose to her knees from each boot, looking deadlier than the dagger she kept at Starlyn’s throat.
    Despite her exotic appearance, nothing kept Searon’s attention more than the woman’s face. It was very similar to Starlyn’s with high cheek bones, a small nose, and lips that nearly mirrored each other. The ears were also very similar with each other, but Starlyn’s weren’t quite as sharp on the tip.
    “Let her go.”
    He didn’t let his voice falter in the slightest, but inside he could feel chills run down his spine. For the woman to be able to capture Starlyn so easily he wondered how little of a chance he stood against her. Still, he clutched the handle of his claymore until he was sure his knuckles had turned completely white. He kept his eyes focused into the woman’s with as much courage as he could while trying not to be mesmerized by them.
    “Ah…you are attractive. I can see now how my sister lost control in your presence.” Her voice was cold and harsh like grinding nails.
    “Sister?” Searon breathed, shifting his eyes from the woman to Starlyn’s fearful expression.
    He knew Starlyn had told him about losing her sister to the draeyks. She had never told him of her change of appearance, though, and he had imagined the woman to be similar to Starlyn. Indeed she was similar to Starlyn, but the change of skin color took Searon aback. He was intrigued at how the woman could have changed so much. Now he knew that he hadn’t been given the full story of what had happened to her sister.
    The woman grinned, showing perfect white teeth. Searon half expected her teeth to be rotting like the charcoal skin on her body. Her skin didn’t appear rotten; in fact, it appeared smoother than Starlyn’s, and he had a craving to touch it. The same craving dwelled in him to feel her cold violet lips upon his.
    “Yes. I assume she’s told you about me.”
    She loosened the curved dagger, which held a blade similar to a flamberge sword, from Starlyn’s neck only slightly. Starlyn appeared to be partially