Mageborn The Line of Illeniel, Michael Manning [best ebook reader for laptop txt] 📗

was no humor in my tone. Inwardly I felt my heart clench painfully, but I refused to give in to it.

Penny didn’t reply, but I could feel her flinch at my cold words. We began searching the roadside. She got to the first of our ambushers before I did. “Here’s one Mort... oh! Oh gods!” she turned away, a look of disgust on her face.

As soon as I reached her side I understood why. It was a gruesome sight. The man’s head looked like an exploded melon, blood and brains were everywhere. I had put more force behind the rocks than I had known. We searched for the others but it was soon apparent that the results were all the same. Each of them looked as though he had been struck by a slaughterhouse hammer.

At some point it overwhelmed me, and I began retching. I had seen death before, just a year ago in fact, but this was different. The last time I had been struggling just to survive, and I passed out as soon as the battle was over. The bodies had been removed before I saw them. This time they were fresh before me, and their deaths had been particularly brutal. There’s nothing quite like seeing a man’s brains on the ground to drive the point home.

Even worse, I had done it without being in any real danger myself. Sure I hadn’t realized how lethally effective my stones were, but I had picked them off calmly, one by one. They hadn’t had a chance. Eventually my stomach was empty and I realized Penny was stroking my back sympathetically.

“It’s not your fault,” she said softly.

Like hell it wasn’t. I knew what I had done, and now I realized even better what I had done a year before. I had killed over a hundred men then and hardly given it a second thought. If her vision was true I would do so again, many times over in all likelihood. I straightened up, spitting to clear my mouth. “It’s a good thing I’ve got you.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you Mort. I thought you were losing your mind. I would have done anything to stop it,” her face was full of concern.

More than anything I wanted to accept her apology, to make up. I needed her love more than ever, but I was full of self-loathing at what I had done. It would have been so easy to let go of it. But I also knew death was coming for me, and I would do worse things before the end. I had the beginnings of a plan... to get rid of the bond before the end came, to save her. I would be doing her no favor by reinforcing her love for me, not when she would be left behind.

“That’s not what I mean,” I pushed her hand away. The hurt expression on her face was almost more than I could bear, so I looked away and then walked back to the road leaving her standing there. Once my back was to her I spoke again, “I mean it’s a good thing I’ve got you to finish me off... if I turn into a monster.” I headed back to our camp without waiting to see if she was following. I didn’t trust myself to speak again.

Chapter 17

Back at the remains of our campsite Marc was chatting amiably with Cyhan. The large fighter was still buried almost to his neck, so he didn’t have much choice in the matter. I might have felt sorry for him but Marc was an excellent storyteller. I doubted he had been bored.

“How was it? Is the road clear?” asked Marc.

“It is now,” I said bluntly. I didn’t bother asking Cyhan if he would behave, with a few words I opened the earth up around him so he could climb out. I figured he was pragmatic enough to let bygones be bygones, now that the situation was resolved. “Let’s get moving. We have a long day ahead of us.”

The large man looked me over carefully as he came up out of the hole. A tense moment followed as I waited to see what he would do. “You sure it’s wise letting me out after that?” he asked calmly.

“I did what I needed to do,” I answered. “I don’t see the need to make an issue of it. Would you prefer to go back in the hole?” Despite my bravado I was working hard to keep my voice even.

“At least you’re learning,” he answered me.

“Learning what?”

“Not to waste your time attacking me with your fists. You didn’t hesitate, and you effectively neutralized my ability to threaten you with a minimum of effort,” he dusted some of the dirt from his clothing. “If you were my student I would be pleased.”

“And since I’m not your student?”

“I’ll make sure you don’t get the chance next time,” he gave me a wicked grin. A smile on the big man was unusual and sight of his teeth made me uneasy, bringing to mind images of a dangerous animal.

A short while later we were riding down the road, mules in tow. When we got to the site of the slaughter Cyhan insisted on stopping to examine the bodies. I didn’t bother arguing. They should know what sort of man they were traveling with anyway. Marc joined him but Penny stayed on her horse, she had seen enough already. Neither of us spoke.

When the two of them returned I could see the shock on Marc’s face but Cyhan was more reserved. “I’ve never seen anything quite like that,” the veteran commented. “What did you use?”

“Rocks,” I pulled one out of my pouch and flipped it in his direction. He caught it deftly.

“Where did you get that idea?” he asked.

“I have an active imagination.” Sarcasm is one of my strong suits.

“Some of them looked like they were running.”

“I thought they might have friends,” I said simply. I wasn’t about to show him any of my