What Lies Within (Book 5) Read Online Free PDF Page A

lock, then pocketed it. With the Noeticist's suddenly enraged yells receding in his ears he made off down the corridor.
     
     
    iii
     
       It took only moments to get back to the chamber where his children waited, and he encountered no one on the way.   
       'Quickly! Galry! Jace! We must run!'
       He glanced across the room. The sapphire armour and helm still lay beside the bed where he had left them. The armour would require precious minutes to don, yet it could prove invaluable if he was forced to fight - and the likelihood of that was very high. He calculated swiftly: Urch-Malmain, as far as he could tell, was in an isolated wing of the stronghold. It was assumed that he was dealing with Leth and under the protection of his guards. Hence his absence was unlikely to be noted for some time. It seemed to Leth that it was worth taking a risk.
       With Galry's help he strapped on the breastplate, arm- and shoulder-guards, and upper and lower leg-guards, then slid his hands into the gauntlets. He placed the visored helm over his head. Once again he marvelled at the lightness and flexibility of the suit.
       'Now! We must go!'
       He had only the most rudimentary plan in his head - almost no plan at all. He had acted on the spur of the moment, knowing that the one imperative was to free himself of the Noeticist before it was too late. But now . . . He led the children quickly downstairs towards the underground chamber where the portal lay.
       Descending two levels they came upon a pair of Abyss warriors playing dice at a small table outside Urch-Malmain's main reception chamber. The two glanced up but had no time to rise before Leth was upon them. He slashed, and again, and the two lived no more.
       He turned to urge his children on, and stopped short.  Galry and Jace were frozen, ashen-faced, gaping numbly, first at the two bloodied corpses, then at their father.
       'It’s the only way,' cried Leth. 'Believe me, these people mean us harm. We have to escape this place.'
       His fire was gone. His children had witnessed and suffered so much in recent days. He should have thought before subjecting them to this. Yet what else could he do?
       Chastened, he continued on down, following the curving stairs and dim passages that led to the chamber of the living artefact.
       A door opened a few paces ahead of them and a figure stepped through. With astonishment Leth recognized Hellia, Urch-Malmain's young, breathtakingly beautiful 'wife'. She was naked and in her hand she grasped a broad-bladed scimitar of the type wielded by the Abyss warriors.
       Before Leth had recovered from the sight of her nakedness Hellia had launched herself at him with a loud yell. Her attack came with unexpected ferocity and he had no time to respond before her weapon slammed against the side of his helm with a resounding clang. But the sapphire plate protected Leth, and he wondered at her state of mind that she should launch such a frenzied attack on a man she knew to be clad in highly superior armour.
       And then he realized, with sudden horror, that he was not her primary target.
       'No-ooo!'
       Hellia had used her momentum and his slow response to slip by him, her naked form a pale slender blur, a breath of womanly perfume wafting in her wake. Her scimitar was raised and she was rushing at the two small figures on the steps behind.
       Leth had no time to catch her. In an instant she had grabbed Prince Galry and retreated two steps up, holding him against her naked flesh, her scimitar-blade at his throat. Grinning, her eyes lit with a fevered gleam, she seated herself, keeping firm hold of Galry, curling her long bare legs about his, her face beside his. 'Your heir's life, heroic Swordbearer. Will you bear it?'
       Little Jace stood close on the step, gaping mutely. Leth breathed hard, a hand extended. 'Do not harm him.'
       'Throw down your weapon, and give me the key to the chamber where my love is