Read Online The Silent Tempest (Book 2) by Michael G. Manning - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Michael G. Manning
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came into view, and as he drew closer Tyrion could detect several people
within, two women, one man, and a boy. A moment later he had identified them. Mother, Kate, Seth, and the boy must be their son, Aaron.
His mother, Helen Tennick, appeared to be preparing a
meal, standing over a stove in the kitchen. The boy was close by, sitting at
the table, strangely quiet and still for a child of eleven years. He was
either tired or…
“…in shock,” said Tyrion as he rode.
Kate and Seth were arguing in the bedroom, and while
his magesight didn’t bring him their words, it showed him enough that he could
see it was a serious squabble. Tyrion kept his mind clear, refusing to
speculate. Not my business…
The boy, Aaron, fell out of his chair and began
scrabbling across the floor when Tyrion opened the front door. His eyes were
wide with fear. Helen was startled as well, but she recognized her son almost
immediately and began shushing the boy.
“Aaron, it’s alright. It’s my son,” she told him,
wiping her hands on a towel.
The boy was having none of it, and fled into the back
of the house. A door slammed as he sought sanctuary in his parent’s bedroom.
“I have some bad news, Mother,” said Tyrion.
Helen had been moving forward, picking up speed with
each step. She caught him in her arms, crying. “Daniel! They took her. They
took her, Daniel. There was nothing we could do!”
“I know,” he muttered over her shoulder. It felt
strange to be held. The smell of his mother’s hair was familiar, even though
it had been over ten years since he had last seen her. She felt small, almost
frail in his arms, but her grip was strong. She clung to him with the sort of
desperate emotion he never felt from Lyralliantha.
“Why?” she cried. “Why would they do this? Why did
they take Haley? We did nothing to them!”
“Because they’re my children,” he said flatly. His
magesight showed him that the others were creeping out the back door. Trying
to escape. They thought he was one of the wardens, back to inflict more pain
and suffering.
He put a hand over his mother’s ear. “Pardon me,” he
told her, before raising his voice and shouting toward the back of the house,
“Kate, Seth, it’s me! I’m not here to hurt anyone. I need to find the ones who
took Brigid!”
Helen pulled away, “It’s Daniel. He’s back!”
Tyrion flinched involuntarily at the sound of his old
name. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to say it.
A minute passed before the others stepped out from the
hall, the boy clutching tightly to his mother while Seth carried a heavy
crossbow. “What do you want?” asked Seth warily.
Tyrion didn’t answer immediately; his mind was
absorbing their images, remembering them, and readjusting to their new
appearances. Seth was older, with gray showing in his hair and beard. His
hairline was receding, and his body was heavier, thicker, with more muscle on
his shoulders, and a bit of fat around his chin.
Aaron was the most changed, naturally; no longer an
infant, the boy was a lanky adolescent with thin straight hair and a fearful
gaze.
It was the third person who took most of Tyrion’s
attention, however. His eyes stopped moving when they reached Kate. She had
somehow collected even more freckles, and her face showed lines around her eyes
where time and sun had taken their toll on her fair skin. Her fiery hair was
shorter now, and what there was of it was trapped behind her head, wound into a
tight bun.
Even in the dim room, her eyes sparkled with emerald
defiance. Her face was swollen and purpling on the left side. She took a step
forward but jerked to a halt as her husband pulled her back.
“Daniel?” she said, when he failed to respond.
“Your mother is dead,” he said finally, staring
through her, refusing to let his eyes focus firmly on any of them. “I need to
know which direction they took.”
Kate flinched at the words, but only for a second. “There
are too many, you
within, two women, one man, and a boy. A moment later he had identified them. Mother, Kate, Seth, and the boy must be their son, Aaron.
His mother, Helen Tennick, appeared to be preparing a
meal, standing over a stove in the kitchen. The boy was close by, sitting at
the table, strangely quiet and still for a child of eleven years. He was
either tired or…
“…in shock,” said Tyrion as he rode.
Kate and Seth were arguing in the bedroom, and while
his magesight didn’t bring him their words, it showed him enough that he could
see it was a serious squabble. Tyrion kept his mind clear, refusing to
speculate. Not my business…
The boy, Aaron, fell out of his chair and began
scrabbling across the floor when Tyrion opened the front door. His eyes were
wide with fear. Helen was startled as well, but she recognized her son almost
immediately and began shushing the boy.
“Aaron, it’s alright. It’s my son,” she told him,
wiping her hands on a towel.
The boy was having none of it, and fled into the back
of the house. A door slammed as he sought sanctuary in his parent’s bedroom.
“I have some bad news, Mother,” said Tyrion.
Helen had been moving forward, picking up speed with
each step. She caught him in her arms, crying. “Daniel! They took her. They
took her, Daniel. There was nothing we could do!”
“I know,” he muttered over her shoulder. It felt
strange to be held. The smell of his mother’s hair was familiar, even though
it had been over ten years since he had last seen her. She felt small, almost
frail in his arms, but her grip was strong. She clung to him with the sort of
desperate emotion he never felt from Lyralliantha.
“Why?” she cried. “Why would they do this? Why did
they take Haley? We did nothing to them!”
“Because they’re my children,” he said flatly. His
magesight showed him that the others were creeping out the back door. Trying
to escape. They thought he was one of the wardens, back to inflict more pain
and suffering.
He put a hand over his mother’s ear. “Pardon me,” he
told her, before raising his voice and shouting toward the back of the house,
“Kate, Seth, it’s me! I’m not here to hurt anyone. I need to find the ones who
took Brigid!”
Helen pulled away, “It’s Daniel. He’s back!”
Tyrion flinched involuntarily at the sound of his old
name. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to say it.
A minute passed before the others stepped out from the
hall, the boy clutching tightly to his mother while Seth carried a heavy
crossbow. “What do you want?” asked Seth warily.
Tyrion didn’t answer immediately; his mind was
absorbing their images, remembering them, and readjusting to their new
appearances. Seth was older, with gray showing in his hair and beard. His
hairline was receding, and his body was heavier, thicker, with more muscle on
his shoulders, and a bit of fat around his chin.
Aaron was the most changed, naturally; no longer an
infant, the boy was a lanky adolescent with thin straight hair and a fearful
gaze.
It was the third person who took most of Tyrion’s
attention, however. His eyes stopped moving when they reached Kate. She had
somehow collected even more freckles, and her face showed lines around her eyes
where time and sun had taken their toll on her fair skin. Her fiery hair was
shorter now, and what there was of it was trapped behind her head, wound into a
tight bun.
Even in the dim room, her eyes sparkled with emerald
defiance. Her face was swollen and purpling on the left side. She took a step
forward but jerked to a halt as her husband pulled her back.
“Daniel?” she said, when he failed to respond.
“Your mother is dead,” he said finally, staring
through her, refusing to let his eyes focus firmly on any of them. “I need to
know which direction they took.”
Kate flinched at the words, but only for a second. “There
are too many, you
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