Read Online Wings of Sorrow (A horror fantasy novel) by Iain Rob Wright - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Iain Rob Wright
Ads: Link
Noy. “This text was written in Latin,” he explained, “but it has Florentine influences, too, which makes it rather complicated to translate. I was up most of last night going through it, trying to make some sense of it—and I did. The book describes everything, Scarlet, everything that is happening to you, The Saint, Sorrow. It’s all foretold.”
Scarlet leaned forward. “What do you mean? How could a book from hundreds of years ago know anything about me?”
“The book was sent to me by colleagues. The White Order already knew The Spark would rise in this location and sent me to bed in and be ready for its emergence. I had no idea I’d already found it. You are The Spark, Scarlet, and I should have realised it sooner. Your mother was a witch.”
“Screw you! You don’t know a thing about my mother, so don’t you dare insult her.”
He put his hands up. “No, Scarlet. I’m not seeking to demean your mother. I am being very literal. She was an Aldorian witch. Aldorians are devoted to the teachings of a 5 th Century Ostrogophic priest named Aldorix.
“Aldor-what?”
“ Aldorix . Aldorix was only a boy when he was visited by a creature named ‘The Oil’. It showed him how the world had been in times forgotten—the time before humanity oozed into existence, when great beings walked the earth. Aldorix saw how much power laid dormant and unreachable due to the meddling of a single being, known as The Father. You see, at the dawn of time, the being we might think of as God wove a great spell—a final spell. It banished all magical energy from our earth, and all of the creatures that thrived on magic were rendered impotent. Their weakness allowed humanity a chance to evolve and flourish, unthreatened by the monsters that would once have devoured them. By banishing all magic, The Father became our sole benefactor and protector. But the Old Ones never forgot his treachery.
“The Oil is one such creature who has never forgotten our green and pleasant land, and many hundreds of years ago, it promised Aldorix great power if he dedicated his life to the pursuit of bringing magic back to the world. So Aldorix became a priest of his own religion. His teachings spread all through Europe and reached many of the warriors during The Crusades. Many covens formed, and devoted themselves to his mission of bringing magic back. Eventually, Aldorix’s teachings reached all four corners of the globe. To this day, crones practise the black arts in his name, but they are nigh on powerless until The Great Turmoil arrives. That is why they have been waiting so long for The Spark to emerge.”
Scarlet folded her arms and frowned. “Witches are dumb. Are you saying they’re more than just a bunch of flowery weirdos with black dye in their hair?”
“Scarlet, witches are among the vilest beings on this planet, and your mother was one of them. Once I realised who you were, I was able to research your mother easily. Her name was Nesta, yes?”
Scarlet was shocked. “Yes! She was from Ireland. My dad met her when he was a student in Dublin.”
“She was a high priestess of Aldorix, and when she was your age, Scarlet, she bound herself to The Oil, the same spirit that visited Aldorix. The Oil lined her womb with traces of magic and allowed you to come into being as a creature of light. You are more than just a girl, Scarlet. You are the first magical being born in a millennium, and you have the power to change everything. Embodied in you is the end of humanity in its current form. Your mother’s necklace is key, because it is tied to you. If you die, your soul will migrate to the gemstone inside the amulet. Smashing it will free your disembodied soul and release The Spark. Think of it as a failsafe. Somebody kills you before you come of age, then the keeper of the amulet has a second chance to release The Spark. The Saint has taken it so that when he kills you, there will be no second chances. The amulet will forever
Scarlet leaned forward. “What do you mean? How could a book from hundreds of years ago know anything about me?”
“The book was sent to me by colleagues. The White Order already knew The Spark would rise in this location and sent me to bed in and be ready for its emergence. I had no idea I’d already found it. You are The Spark, Scarlet, and I should have realised it sooner. Your mother was a witch.”
“Screw you! You don’t know a thing about my mother, so don’t you dare insult her.”
He put his hands up. “No, Scarlet. I’m not seeking to demean your mother. I am being very literal. She was an Aldorian witch. Aldorians are devoted to the teachings of a 5 th Century Ostrogophic priest named Aldorix.
“Aldor-what?”
“ Aldorix . Aldorix was only a boy when he was visited by a creature named ‘The Oil’. It showed him how the world had been in times forgotten—the time before humanity oozed into existence, when great beings walked the earth. Aldorix saw how much power laid dormant and unreachable due to the meddling of a single being, known as The Father. You see, at the dawn of time, the being we might think of as God wove a great spell—a final spell. It banished all magical energy from our earth, and all of the creatures that thrived on magic were rendered impotent. Their weakness allowed humanity a chance to evolve and flourish, unthreatened by the monsters that would once have devoured them. By banishing all magic, The Father became our sole benefactor and protector. But the Old Ones never forgot his treachery.
“The Oil is one such creature who has never forgotten our green and pleasant land, and many hundreds of years ago, it promised Aldorix great power if he dedicated his life to the pursuit of bringing magic back to the world. So Aldorix became a priest of his own religion. His teachings spread all through Europe and reached many of the warriors during The Crusades. Many covens formed, and devoted themselves to his mission of bringing magic back. Eventually, Aldorix’s teachings reached all four corners of the globe. To this day, crones practise the black arts in his name, but they are nigh on powerless until The Great Turmoil arrives. That is why they have been waiting so long for The Spark to emerge.”
Scarlet folded her arms and frowned. “Witches are dumb. Are you saying they’re more than just a bunch of flowery weirdos with black dye in their hair?”
“Scarlet, witches are among the vilest beings on this planet, and your mother was one of them. Once I realised who you were, I was able to research your mother easily. Her name was Nesta, yes?”
Scarlet was shocked. “Yes! She was from Ireland. My dad met her when he was a student in Dublin.”
“She was a high priestess of Aldorix, and when she was your age, Scarlet, she bound herself to The Oil, the same spirit that visited Aldorix. The Oil lined her womb with traces of magic and allowed you to come into being as a creature of light. You are more than just a girl, Scarlet. You are the first magical being born in a millennium, and you have the power to change everything. Embodied in you is the end of humanity in its current form. Your mother’s necklace is key, because it is tied to you. If you die, your soul will migrate to the gemstone inside the amulet. Smashing it will free your disembodied soul and release The Spark. Think of it as a failsafe. Somebody kills you before you come of age, then the keeper of the amulet has a second chance to release The Spark. The Saint has taken it so that when he kills you, there will be no second chances. The amulet will forever
Similar Books
