Trial of Fire Read Online Free PDF Page B

that question, but it did at leastbreak the moment for him. He sighed and turned back to his window where nothing but the dark night could be seen. Stray snowflakes stuck hard against the corner glass. This was not about Andrew at least, and for that, he was grateful. ‘He didn’t want you all to know because he’s not entirely sure about it himself. There was no point in worrying you unnecessarily.’
    ‘And yet, here we are …’
    He’d warned Robert this moment would come one day. ‘There is an ancient Prophecy. Robert was given it as a child and it’s haunted him since then, driven so many of his actions and dominated his decisions. In it, he is told he is destined to fight some one called the Angel of Darkness. And there is another mentioned, called the Ally, which we know to be Andrew’s mother, Jennifer.’
    ‘And Robert? Is he named in this Prophecy also?’
    ‘He is called the Enemy.’
    ‘Enemy, eh?’ Payne pursed his lips. ‘And all this is something to do with Robert being a sorcerer? And Jenn as well? And Nash, I assume you mean he is this Angel of Darkness?’
    ‘He is.’
    ‘Then is not Kenrick named also? And what of Andrew? If this is to be the stuff of Prophecy, then surely they are also a part?’
    Aiden spread his hands. These questions had plagued him for years, and Robert too. ‘Unfortunately, we know too little about the Prophecy. Robert has spent most of his life studying the history of sorcerers, and I the last eight years. We are desperate to learn its true meaning, and perhaps gain some clues as to what we can do to increase Robert’s chances of beating Nash. Robert even sent his friend Patric to Alusia in search of the last rogue tribe of sorcerers in the hope they might be able to help. It’s been almost a year since we last heard from Patric and to be honest, I have given up hope that he will ever return, let alone bring us good news.’
    ‘What kind of news could he bring?’
    ‘I don’t know.’ Aiden paused, the truth sitting in the pit of his stomach like lead. ‘All I do know is that Nash knows more than we do, more than Robert does, and in this game, knowledge is everything.’
    Confused, Payne tilted his head. ‘How so?’
    Aiden sighed. ‘You mentioned Jenn, how strong she is and how her powers complemented Robert’s?’
    ‘Yes?’
    Unable to watch the as the truth sank in, Aiden turned and began walking back to the main keep. ‘Nowhere in the Prophecy does it say she’s
Robert’s
Ally.’

2
    A frantic banging on the door woke John out of a nightmare. He sat up panting, trying to clear his head, but the noise didn’t stop. With a groan, he rolled out of bed, stumbling on the rug, and reached the door in time to wrench it open before the next bout of banging. ‘What is it?’
    Lord Daniel stood before him, his sandy hair all over the place, trying to push his arm into the sleeve of a jacket. ‘Sorry, Father, but there’s a beacon lit on the cliff. A ship has foundered on the rocks and we’re on our way out to help.’
    ‘Just let me get dressed. I’ll meet you down there.’
    Lord Daniel was gone before he’d finished speaking. Pushing his own hair down, John grabbed the first clothes he found, barely able to see in the inky night. The last week had been a challenge as he tried to learn as much as he could, but early on, he’d been told of the beacons and the cliffs along the southern coast of Flan’har. It was an unwritten law: when ships were in trouble, everyone living within sight of the beacon would go to help. At this time of the year, pilgrim ships crossed the Gulf in flotillas, the better to ward off pirates; if just one of these ships went down, there could be hundreds of lives at stake.
    John grabbed his cloak and ran down to the courtyard, taking two stairs at a time. The yard was already full of mounted men and soldiers, along with the Bishop, Payne, Deverin and Daniel. Owen was giving orders for things to be made ready in case wounded