Read Online The Dawn of a Desperate War (The Godlanders War) by Aaron Pogue - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Aaron Pogue
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him to a halt.
She was tall and strong, despite her frail build, and she held herself with a surprising confidence. Long blond hair and smooth, golden skin should have made her a beauty, but ferocity flashed in her green eyes. Corin tried to slip politely past, his eyes lowered, but she dodged right in front of him and stopped him short with hands on his shoulders.
“Please,” he said, eyes still downcast, “let me by. I must summon aid.”
“Who are you, stranger?” the woman asked, and she spoke with an air to match her powerful stride.
“I am but a humble priest of Ephitel—”
Pain exploded in Corin’s jaw, and colors flashed behind his eyes. He reeled a step backward, blinking furiously, and it took a moment before he understood that she’d backhanded him. A powerful woman indeed.
“Do not lie to me again,” she said. “Who are you? Why are you here?”
“I am an innocent bystander, caught in the temple when those murderers attacked. I donned a priest’s robes in hopes of escaping.”
She swung again, but Corin anticipated her this time. He ducked the blow and shrank away, but she knotted her other fist in the fabric of his cloak and held him trapped.
“One more lie, and I will throw you to the crowd. Do you understand? I’ll tell them you’re the murderer and let them do justice for me.”
Corin gaped. How could she know? The second lie had been almost a useless one, suggesting guilt if not confirming it, but it should have been easy to believe. For her to see through it with such confidence, to stop him in the street with such authority—
“You are a justicar,” he breathed.
She nodded. “And I’ll ask you one last time. Are you the man I seek, or are you the accomplice?”
Fear flared hot and hard behind Corin’s breastbone. A justicar in the flesh, and more than that, she knew his secrets. He forced himself to keep his eyes locked on her, not a sideways glance to show her where Ben was hiding, but she already knew he had a helper.
A justicar. Rumor said they could see a man’s sins like a living stain upon his garments; that they could taste lies in the air and feel a traitor’s plots. They were the enforcers of the gods, blessed with a holy strength to match their unearthly skills, and they were ruthless and unyielding in their hunt.
Corin’s sins were dark enough to match his midnight cloak, and he used lies and plots the way a carpenter used hammer and nails. He’d hoped to never meet a justicar at all; worse by far was facing one who knew his name.
Did she know his name? He considered her question and cocked his head. “Who is the one you want?”
“He has a certain sword.” Her eyes fell to Corin’s side, slipping past the rapier he’d concealed beneath his glamour, but that was not the sword she wanted. She wanted Godslayer . She’d come for it, not for the princes’ killer. She hadn’t known.
But surprise at that revelation betrayed him. Although he’d restrained himself before, when he thought of the sword, his gaze cut toward Ben’s hiding place across the plaza. It was only for the barest instant, but for a justicar, that was enough. Her jaw clenched and she nodded.
“The accomplice, then. I’ll find him. Captain!”
“Captain?” Corin’s heart sank. She called a captain to her aid. She had a little army here, but she was the true force. “Ephitel isn’t here? He isn’t coming?”
She narrowed her eyes, confused by the question, but still Corin spotted confirmation in her expression. Ephitel had sent a justicar. He had no reason to come in person.
And now Corin found himself in her power. Captains were coming at her call, and she’d consign him to them and then go for Ben. If she put her hands on the sword, then all was lost.
A justicar. He’d never planned to face a justicar. The fear within his breast had turned to anger and frustration, but it still burned just as hot. He tried to tamp it down, to no avail.
“Tell Ephitel I’m coming
She was tall and strong, despite her frail build, and she held herself with a surprising confidence. Long blond hair and smooth, golden skin should have made her a beauty, but ferocity flashed in her green eyes. Corin tried to slip politely past, his eyes lowered, but she dodged right in front of him and stopped him short with hands on his shoulders.
“Please,” he said, eyes still downcast, “let me by. I must summon aid.”
“Who are you, stranger?” the woman asked, and she spoke with an air to match her powerful stride.
“I am but a humble priest of Ephitel—”
Pain exploded in Corin’s jaw, and colors flashed behind his eyes. He reeled a step backward, blinking furiously, and it took a moment before he understood that she’d backhanded him. A powerful woman indeed.
“Do not lie to me again,” she said. “Who are you? Why are you here?”
“I am an innocent bystander, caught in the temple when those murderers attacked. I donned a priest’s robes in hopes of escaping.”
She swung again, but Corin anticipated her this time. He ducked the blow and shrank away, but she knotted her other fist in the fabric of his cloak and held him trapped.
“One more lie, and I will throw you to the crowd. Do you understand? I’ll tell them you’re the murderer and let them do justice for me.”
Corin gaped. How could she know? The second lie had been almost a useless one, suggesting guilt if not confirming it, but it should have been easy to believe. For her to see through it with such confidence, to stop him in the street with such authority—
“You are a justicar,” he breathed.
She nodded. “And I’ll ask you one last time. Are you the man I seek, or are you the accomplice?”
Fear flared hot and hard behind Corin’s breastbone. A justicar in the flesh, and more than that, she knew his secrets. He forced himself to keep his eyes locked on her, not a sideways glance to show her where Ben was hiding, but she already knew he had a helper.
A justicar. Rumor said they could see a man’s sins like a living stain upon his garments; that they could taste lies in the air and feel a traitor’s plots. They were the enforcers of the gods, blessed with a holy strength to match their unearthly skills, and they were ruthless and unyielding in their hunt.
Corin’s sins were dark enough to match his midnight cloak, and he used lies and plots the way a carpenter used hammer and nails. He’d hoped to never meet a justicar at all; worse by far was facing one who knew his name.
Did she know his name? He considered her question and cocked his head. “Who is the one you want?”
“He has a certain sword.” Her eyes fell to Corin’s side, slipping past the rapier he’d concealed beneath his glamour, but that was not the sword she wanted. She wanted Godslayer . She’d come for it, not for the princes’ killer. She hadn’t known.
But surprise at that revelation betrayed him. Although he’d restrained himself before, when he thought of the sword, his gaze cut toward Ben’s hiding place across the plaza. It was only for the barest instant, but for a justicar, that was enough. Her jaw clenched and she nodded.
“The accomplice, then. I’ll find him. Captain!”
“Captain?” Corin’s heart sank. She called a captain to her aid. She had a little army here, but she was the true force. “Ephitel isn’t here? He isn’t coming?”
She narrowed her eyes, confused by the question, but still Corin spotted confirmation in her expression. Ephitel had sent a justicar. He had no reason to come in person.
And now Corin found himself in her power. Captains were coming at her call, and she’d consign him to them and then go for Ben. If she put her hands on the sword, then all was lost.
A justicar. He’d never planned to face a justicar. The fear within his breast had turned to anger and frustration, but it still burned just as hot. He tried to tamp it down, to no avail.
“Tell Ephitel I’m coming
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