Read Online The Land Beyond All Dreams by Bryan Fields - Free Book Online

enjoying it.
    I staggered to my feet, Kindness in one hand and a convenient tree trunk in the other. I set my feet and brought Kindness down on the red crystal with everything I had.
    The impact knocked me backward into the tree. My hands and arms were numb, and refused to respond. I slid down the tree until I was sitting next to it, staring. I wasn’t sure where Kindness had landed, but I couldn’t see her.
    The scarabs flowed back up Thain’s legs and crowded back into his chest, leaving behind a tattered remnant of uniform and a skeleton with shreds of flesh sticking to it. Thain twisted the crystal’s chain between his fingers, smirking at me.
    “Blades are no better than bullets, fool. The rune Iron-Can’t-Bite protects me. No metal known to mortal man can afflict me.” Thain opened his chest to wrap the crystal’s chain around his heart again.
    The cop who pepper-sprayed me snapped his utility knife open. “Try this one, asshole!” He thrust the blade into Thain’s desiccated heart, slicing the chain in half. The crystal shattered, dissolving into a spray of crimson drops.
    Thain dropped to his knees. He looked up at the cop, bones cracking and skin dissolving. A dry, raspy chuckle slipped out as he smiled. “Most… unexpected…” He collapsed into a pile of bone and scrap.
    I got to my feet and reclaimed Kindness from the grass behind me. “Nice knife. What the Hell is it?”
    The cop folded it closed with his thumb. “Ceramic. It’s not metal, so when he said that, I decided to give it a shot.” He put the knife back on his belt and surveyed the area. “What in God’s name is going on here?”
    I sheathed Kindness and held my hands out away from my body, keeping them clearly visible. “I don’t know. Whatever he’s up to, I’m not part of it.” I forced myself to take a calming breath. Inhale for a four-count, hold for the same, out-two-three-four. I met the cop’s eyes and said, “You’re safe. It’s all over now.”
    The cop’s head twitched twice. He glanced around, looking for the other officers. When he looked back, I met his eyes again.
    “You should tell me to clear the park and go home,” I told him. “It’s safer for everyone that way.”
    “You’re a witness,” the cop responded. “You’re needed for questioning.”
    I smiled at him. “Well done,” I said. “Would you escort me back to my house so I can tell my girlfriend I’m all right?”
    “Of course.
    Five minutes later I locked the front door and pulled Rose into my arms. “Thank you, dear. I guess I need to practice that spell some more.”
    “Yes, you do.” She gave me a long kiss and added, “Still, bagging an undead necromancer is quite an accomplishment, even if he doesn’t stay dead.”
    I pulled back from her. “Not stay dead? Can that happen?”
    “I’ve heard of it happening. It’s rare, and I doubt he was powerful enough to pull it off.” She smiled and gave me a kiss. “You do need more training, though. We should get you some lessons with a Dwarven War-Priest. They worship the Lady of Death, and killing is their sacrament.”
    “Sounds like a real jolly bunch.”
    “They are,” she said. “They take joy in every moment and savor each new dawn, for it might be their last. The best way to die, they say, is with a song in your heart, a lover’s kiss on your lips, and your teeth in the throat of your enemy.”
    I nodded. “You’re right. I think I’d like people like that. We should have time, since I’m going to be unemployed soon.” I started warming water for a hot cup of chai and ran my hand through my hair while the microwave toiled away. “I’m scared, Rose.”
    “Of the dead man? Why?” When she saw my raised eyebrow, she shook her head. “If he had any power at all, he would have brought an army. Instead, he was trying to put one together. Raising an army here would allow him to attack his homeland with overwhelming force and complete surprise. It’s a good