Read Online The Light-Bearer's Daughter by O.R. Melling - Free Book Online
Authors: O.R. Melling
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the end .
For it had come in the name of the Destroyer of Worlds .
ana scrambled up the steep ridge, past warning signs staked in the earth. DANGER. DO NOT CLIMB. ABSEILING PROHIBITED. Didn’t Gabe say these cliffs claimed at least one life a year? She found a trail too narrow for human traffic, most likely forged by the sika deer that ran wild on the upper slopes. The way was rough going. She had to push through bracken taller than herself, and the ground was wet and slippery. Higher up, she stumbled over knotted roots and patches of gorse that pricked her. Whenever she slowed down, the invisible hands hauled her upward. She was now glad of their help. She would never have made it without them.
The silvery mist had begun to recede from the valley, but the deathly silence remained, unnerving her. On her right, the waterfall hung eerily still, as if made of glass. Alert for any sound, she instantly heard the small stone that fell behind her as it clattered over the rock. She looked back quickly. Some distance below, the green sea of bracken wavered, though no wind blew. Her heart skipped a beat. Was something following her? For a moment she thought of running back to her father, but she knew he couldn’t help.
A voice called from above.
“Hurry, Dana! Hurry!”
The Lady sounded distressed.
The invisible hands were more insistent now, dragging her over rock and through nettles and briar. As she crashed through a clump of fraughan bushes the bilberries burst, staining her clothes and skin red. Dana didn’t object. Panic coursed through her. She had to get to the top. She had to reach safety.
She was almost at the summit when life returned to the park. Like the roar of a wave, the sounds broke over her—the rush of the waterfall, the chatter of birds, the cries of children playing. The invisible hands were gone. The Lady stood above her, extending a slender arm to help her onto the ledge.
“Something’s after me!” Dana said, gasping for breath.
The Lady peered down the slope with a frown. “I feel I know this thing and yet I do not. What can this import?”
Despite her manner of speech, she looked like a normal young woman in khaki shorts and a halter top, with leather sandals on her feet. A blond ponytail jutted from the back of her white baseball cap, and she wore stylish sunglasses.
“I have sent the others to investigate,” she continued, “but it has already taken flight.”
Though her voice was calm, she looked worried.
“What—?” Dana began, but stopped when a cry rang out below.
“Dana! Where are you?”
It was Gabe. He sounded surprised.
“That’s me Da,” she said with a pang.
The Lady drew her quickly away from the ridge and into the woods beyond the waterfall. Her grip was firm, reminding Dana of the invisible hands.
Gabriel’s shouts were coming faster now, echoing that mix of concern and annoyance peculiar to parents.
Dana stopped to look back.
The Lady’s grasp loosened as she, too, stopped to listen. A wistfulness came over her features. “I had a father once …” Then she bit her lip. “This is all wrong.” She shook her head. “What am I doing? How can I send you into the mountains alone? How can I put you in peril?”
Now Dana was the one who was doing the pulling. She clutched the young woman’s arm and hurried her through the trees. Behind them, Aradhana had begun to call too and Gabriel’s cries were growing more frantic. She had to escape them. It wouldn’t be long before they tried to climb the ridge. Any misgivings Dana had were dissolved by the Lady’s wavering. The fear of losing her wish made her all the more adamant.
“You can’t back out now! This was your idea! You got me into this!”
Deeper in the woods, beyond earshot of Gabe’s cries, Dana slowed down.
“Yes, it is my fault.” The Lady’s sigh was like a breeze in the branches overhead. “I have lured you to this. And when I’m like … Them … I don’t have a problem with
For it had come in the name of the Destroyer of Worlds .
ana scrambled up the steep ridge, past warning signs staked in the earth. DANGER. DO NOT CLIMB. ABSEILING PROHIBITED. Didn’t Gabe say these cliffs claimed at least one life a year? She found a trail too narrow for human traffic, most likely forged by the sika deer that ran wild on the upper slopes. The way was rough going. She had to push through bracken taller than herself, and the ground was wet and slippery. Higher up, she stumbled over knotted roots and patches of gorse that pricked her. Whenever she slowed down, the invisible hands hauled her upward. She was now glad of their help. She would never have made it without them.
The silvery mist had begun to recede from the valley, but the deathly silence remained, unnerving her. On her right, the waterfall hung eerily still, as if made of glass. Alert for any sound, she instantly heard the small stone that fell behind her as it clattered over the rock. She looked back quickly. Some distance below, the green sea of bracken wavered, though no wind blew. Her heart skipped a beat. Was something following her? For a moment she thought of running back to her father, but she knew he couldn’t help.
A voice called from above.
“Hurry, Dana! Hurry!”
The Lady sounded distressed.
The invisible hands were more insistent now, dragging her over rock and through nettles and briar. As she crashed through a clump of fraughan bushes the bilberries burst, staining her clothes and skin red. Dana didn’t object. Panic coursed through her. She had to get to the top. She had to reach safety.
She was almost at the summit when life returned to the park. Like the roar of a wave, the sounds broke over her—the rush of the waterfall, the chatter of birds, the cries of children playing. The invisible hands were gone. The Lady stood above her, extending a slender arm to help her onto the ledge.
“Something’s after me!” Dana said, gasping for breath.
The Lady peered down the slope with a frown. “I feel I know this thing and yet I do not. What can this import?”
Despite her manner of speech, she looked like a normal young woman in khaki shorts and a halter top, with leather sandals on her feet. A blond ponytail jutted from the back of her white baseball cap, and she wore stylish sunglasses.
“I have sent the others to investigate,” she continued, “but it has already taken flight.”
Though her voice was calm, she looked worried.
“What—?” Dana began, but stopped when a cry rang out below.
“Dana! Where are you?”
It was Gabe. He sounded surprised.
“That’s me Da,” she said with a pang.
The Lady drew her quickly away from the ridge and into the woods beyond the waterfall. Her grip was firm, reminding Dana of the invisible hands.
Gabriel’s shouts were coming faster now, echoing that mix of concern and annoyance peculiar to parents.
Dana stopped to look back.
The Lady’s grasp loosened as she, too, stopped to listen. A wistfulness came over her features. “I had a father once …” Then she bit her lip. “This is all wrong.” She shook her head. “What am I doing? How can I send you into the mountains alone? How can I put you in peril?”
Now Dana was the one who was doing the pulling. She clutched the young woman’s arm and hurried her through the trees. Behind them, Aradhana had begun to call too and Gabriel’s cries were growing more frantic. She had to escape them. It wouldn’t be long before they tried to climb the ridge. Any misgivings Dana had were dissolved by the Lady’s wavering. The fear of losing her wish made her all the more adamant.
“You can’t back out now! This was your idea! You got me into this!”
Deeper in the woods, beyond earshot of Gabe’s cries, Dana slowed down.
“Yes, it is my fault.” The Lady’s sigh was like a breeze in the branches overhead. “I have lured you to this. And when I’m like … Them … I don’t have a problem with
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