The Final Redemption by Michael Manning (novels in english .TXT) 📗

of aythar. If I touched him now I’d probablyinadvertently drain his life away even as I was fixing his body.The link to the Iron Heart Chamber was now effectively tied up, butI had another source close at hand—Sir Egan.

Egan’s eyes were desperate as hehelplessly watched me remove his gauntlet, exposing his bare hand.“I want you to draw upon the earth. It will help offset what I takefrom you,” I told him, but I didn’t wait to find out if heunderstood. Clasping his hand in mine I began to draw heavily uponhis aythar.

The fire of fresh human life ragedwithin me as I drew upon him, sending a powerful cascade ofemotions into me, and mixed in with it was an ancient power, thedeeper strength of the earth. I pulled at him until I feared forhis life, filling myself with as much as I thought he could sparebefore releasing his hand. It wasn’t easy letting go, but I hadsomething more important waiting for me.

My son’s wound wasn’t complicated andhealing skin and muscle had always been easy for me. Today wasdifferent, though. I had to tightly control the flow of aythar toavoid draining his life even while I sealed blood vessels and fusedtissues back together. That extra complication, combined with theawkwardness of the armor I wore made my task far more difficult. Italso didn’t help that Moira seemed to think I was killing herbrother.

The enchanted shield vibrated with herfrantic attacks, but I didn’t dare look up from Matthew until I hadfinished closing his wound. I was careful to make sure that all thevessels were properly rejoined and that the skin and other tissueswere lined up. A sloppy job would leave him with scars that couldhinder his freedom of movement for life.

When I finally finished and looked up,I was shocked at Moira’s face. Her skin was red and her eyesswollen from desperate tears. At some point she had freed Cyhan andher mother. Penny had a hand on Moira’s shoulder, as if to calmher, but the intense look in her eye made me flinchinwardly.

“You can’t hide in your shellforever,” she said in a dry voice that sent chills down my spine,“Eventually you’ll have to come out, and when you do, I’ll take youapart.”

Moira looked away for a moment, “Thedragon’s coming.”

“We can’t let it take him away,”answered Penny.

It was clear that they hadn’t beenable to see exactly what I had been doing, and they had assumed theworst. I stared at both of them, trying to decide the best methodfor negotiating a peaceful resolution. Gareth was getting closer,but escaping my shield and reaching the dragon would beproblematic. As I watched, Moira’s eyes became glazed as if she wasfocusing on something far away. Faintly I could hear her voice,reaching into a place I could no longer touch.

Mother, help me. I needyou.

She was calling for MoiraCentyr.

The stone floor beneath their feetbegan to flow as if it were made of liquid stone, boiling upward toform the body of the Stone Lady, Moira Centyr—my adopted daughter’smother. With my magesight I could see her aythar wavering. She hadalmost nothing left to spare, and even the cost of manifesting nowmight be too much for her, but she had come anyway, responding toher daughter’s call.

I replaced my gauntlets and picked upmy son’s unconscious form. I needed a bargaining chip. With my wifeand daughter both standing against me, I had no hope of escaping.Gareth couldn’t get inside, and I was far too weak to force my wayout. “The boy is still alive,” I announced in my deep artificialvoice.

“What do you want…,” said Pennyquickly, before adding, “…and who are you?” Her features werewritten with her unspoken fear. She already suspected my identity.Too late I realized I had forgotten to replace the illusion hidingthe Cameron arms that decorated my breastplate.

Since I was covered from head to toein enchanted armor, she had no way of seeing my features as Ireplied, “I am Brexus, created to serve Mordecai Illeniel. I seekonly to remove the body of the She’Har woman in accordance with hiscommands.”

It was immediately obvious that mywife didn’t like anything I had just said. She frowned angrily, “Myhusband is dead. How can you claim to be taking his orders? Why areyou wearing his armor?”

“He created me before hisdeath, to ensure his wishes were carried out if he should die toosoon,” I improvised. The helm helped. Penny knew me too well, ifshe had been able to see my face, my lie would have been easilycaught. Of course, if I didn’t have thehelm on she’d also be able to see my identity with her owneyes.

Penny’s eyes narrowed, “That doesn’texplain why you are wearing his armor.”

“I am the armor.”

“You removed the gauntlet a momentago,” she countered.

I sighed inwardly.Why is she always so damned observant?“There is a rudimentary clay body within, but theprimary enchantments that I consist of are built into the armoritself.”

Cyhan spoke then, “Whatever is insidethe suit, it cannot be human flesh. It survived the flame of theSun-Sword after I thrust it within.”

“Take off the helm,” ordered mystubborn spouse.

“I cannot,” I stated flatly. “The boyneeds assistance. Let me take the She’Har woman, and I will troubleyou no more.”

“Give me my son, and I’ll let youleave,” she replied. “You may take no one else.”

“Lyralliantha is not your concern,” Iargued. Wing beats announced Gareth’s arrival in the streetoutside.

“And my son is none of yours!” Penny bitback sharply. “The people of this house are my responsibility, and I’ll turnnone of them over to—to whatever you are! If Mordecai really didcreate you, then you can rest assured, he would not want youharming his children.”

Obviously,I thought to myself. Ifonly she’d just get out of the way and let me get on withit. After a long moment’s hesitation Idecided to accept her terms. “Very well, let me leave, and I willgive you the boy once I reach the dragon.”

During our conversation I had beenable to faintly sense a hidden conversation occurring between mydaughter and the remnant of her original mother, but I had no wayof knowing what they had discussed.

“You’ll give me my son before you setfoot