Blood Bride (Aarabassa World) Read Online Free PDF Page B

this?’
    ‘It is not a test Rikka, that will be performed by the Head Mage, my father. Only he has the skill to know if you tell the truth. You will be tried and tested most fairly. I merely wanted to hear you say my grandmother’s name. And yet, you do not say it with love in your heart. I cannot know why you left the embrace of your family, who you now wish to protect you. I meant what I said upon those words. If we are kin, we will care for you. That is, should your son be given the death sentence?’
    Heather swiftly left the cold chambers behind, relieved to be away from the people who she now believed may be of her own blood. This problem was becoming more complex. It was time to seek her father’s wisdom and love. Mindtalk was not easy with such distance between them but her father was strong enough to hold the magic. She felt a shiver of happiness run through her. It had been a long time since she had contacted any of her loved ones, it would take much strength but it would be her last opportunity before she left for the Darklands.
     

 
 
 
6                                              Judgement
     
    Head Mage Heimarl awoke the next moonwake splendidly happy. At long last his eldest daughter Heather had contacted him.  He had spent a good part of the moonsleep Mindtalking with her. Relieved that she was safe and had survived her first journey alone, pride overwhelmed him at the achievements of his wonderful daughter. Content with his lot, he felt ready to face his moonwake’s work in the catacombs of the libraries.
    His grief, over the loss of his lifetime friend King Alfred had been dampening his efforts in the current crisis. Then there had been the terrible discovery of finding the imprisoned villagers savagely murdered in the King’s dungeon. Blood stained tears dried on their cheeks and a ghastly hole in each of their chests revealing blackened shriveled dead hearts. It had been a dreadful sight and one that the King’s clerk was still gibbering over. The clerk was now in the care of the Healing Mages but his words kept repeating in Heimarl’s head. He had said that the monshaad Emperor had possessed the King’s mind and had warned them all to fear for their souls. Yet how could this Emperor have passed through the Wall to make such threats? His powers must indeed be increasing if he had done this by Mind Control, from such a distance. Heimarl shared this skill of Mind Control so knew the price one must pay to control another so far away.
    Arriving at his small study chamber, deep in the archives of the subterranean libraries, he usually spent his time from moonwake until the moonsleep searching through any old scrolls or books found written by Saurlton Barronz the Ancient Mage. He pulled out the heavy carved wooden chair to sit upon the soft cushioned seat and faced a smoothed yellow sandstone shelf, inbuilt into a crevice within the wall. The sconce above his head was already lit and had probably been burning non-stop since he had started his research of these writings. 
    Relaxing his stature, he concentrated on the problems he would have to ponder this moonwake. Through Heather’s contact, he had learned of shocking new developments. Rikka the old herbal nurse had claimed to be his wife’s sister, but he could not remember any talk of Minnah having any sibling relations. He had not approached Minnah on the subject yet, as he suspected there were darker secrets yet to unfold. First, he was going to deal with that treacherous son of hers. He had never trusted that man, not even when he had served at the palace, but he never sought to sway the King’s judgement. The murderous deeds Fedros had committed came as no surprise to Heimarl, he had suspected this pair of devious intentions all along but was never able to fathom out why he had felt such distrust for them.
    It was normal practice to allow the King’s Council to make such dire decisions on