When We Were Still Human Vaughn Foster (the kiss of deception read online .txt) đ
- Author: Vaughn Foster
Book online «When We Were Still Human Vaughn Foster (the kiss of deception read online .txt) đ». Author Vaughn Foster
âThe ancient grimoire that houses all knowledge of man, mirage, and Le Ciel?â Raeyluk tried again. Avia waited for her Mark to pulse like it had in the castle, but no vision came. The twinsâ mutual silence told her that, whatever this book was, Michael hadnât given anyone the details.
âReally?â Raeyluk sighed and set down his mug. âThe Kirkos-Arkhen had been trusted under Lord Daemon, but after his mutiny, it disappeared. The fact that Michael sent two of his Sins to the center of the Southern Kingdom would only suggest that heâs finally tracked it down.â
This wasnât right. No matter how educated a guess, there was no way for him to know what they were. âHow do you know so much?â Avia growled. She stepped closer to his chair. âAnd why do you have it?â
âA⊠friend of mine told me what I need to know,â Raeyluk answered cheekily. âDonât worry, I havenât told anyone of Michaelâs schemes and curses. However, I am afraid I canât give you the book.â
âA friend?â Avia clenched her fists.
âDaemon,â Paris whispered.
âAlright, yes, it was him,â Raeyluk confessed, throwing up his hands in mock-defeat.
Avia stopped in front of him, stunned. He confessed that easily?
Raeylukâs eyes were endowed with pride; it was like heâd been waiting his entire life for an opportunity to publicly defend his master. âWhile your beloved king seeks to destroy this world, Lord Daemon sees something worth saving. The Southern Kingdom is a barren wasteland. Nothing can grow here, and to build would be impossible with the glacial winds. The spells from this book have united us. These people were on the verge of becoming a land of lawlessness and violence, much like the Eastern Kingdom was before Lord Dracule. The magic I perform through the Arkhen has saved them. We are the only city on Earth to even rival the magnificence of Le Ciel.â
He stood and Aviaâs fire extinguished like a match. An invisible force coiled around her body and pulled her towards him. She tried to fight it, but quickly lost against the pressure. Against her will, her feet followed him to the back of the house.
âWhat the hell?! Let me go!â
To her right, Castor was doing his best to fight the spell. He strained his arms and legs against the invisible chains, but was inevitably dragged beside Avia.
Raeyluk smiled at them, then waved his hand in front of the posterior wall. It shimmered and rippled before fading away into mist.
Avia couldnât contain her gasp. Buildings and towers of solid ice decorated the skyline. Sunlight sparkled against the glossy surfaces, and even a mile away, she still had to squint. A colossal, rune-covered barrier surrounded the city with large gates posted throughout the wall.
Raeyluk stepped outside into the snow and motioned for them to follow. In an instant, they all stood in the heart of Ys. An elegantly carved stone fountain was placed in the center square. The water was spouted up and frozen into the flag of the Southern Kingdomâa trident crossed over a snowflake.
âDo you really want to tear this down?â Raeyluk asked. His mug was back in hand and he was peering expectantly over the rim.
Avia swallowed. âIf thatâs what it takesâŠâ But she couldnât deny it. Ys was something out of a fairytale. The dominant race was selkieâhumanlike creatures whose skin darkened into seal spots on their upper arms and shoulders. Freckled faces and dark, round eyes were the most visible feature. There were some, however, whose seal-resemblance carried into fur and large pawlike hands and forearms.
A few sweeps of the square showed that the population of Ys wasnât limited to Selkie. Mirage of different species cheerfully walked together, laughing and talking like age-old friends. Some, Avia recognized by her Mark. Milling about were several glacials, people made entirely of ice, or amarok, white-furred relatives of the lycans. Others were a mystery.
âBarbegazi,â Castor pointed out as she stared at a small man conversing with a blue-scaled Atlantean woman at a vendorâs stand. His skin and hair were the color of snow. A matching beard stretched down to his waist with shards of ice frozen into the hairs. Each boot was comically large compared to his stature of four feet.
âA race of dwarf found in the arctic mountains,â Paris explained. âTheyâre not known for being people-friendly, so itâs rare to see them out and about orâŠâ Castor stared a moment longer before turning back to Avia. âOr buying cappuccinos.â
âItâs as I told you,â Raeyluk said, clasping a hand on Castorâs shoulder. âItâs paradise. Go, explore to your heartâs desire. You will find that all life is not as wretched as your âholy kingâ would have you believe. Now, if youâll excuse me.â
Raeyluk cleared his throat and took a step back. âI was in the middle of a good book before you came.â A loud pop echoed through the air and a cloud of smoke spread out from where he was standing.
âWaiââ Avia started, but he was already gone. The smoke cleared and it was just the three of them.
âWell,â Castor said. He turned to face Avia and shrugged. âWe might as well have a look around.â
Chapter 19
A flickering smirk. An open palm. A wave of darkness. That was all it took. In half a second, sheâd been transported back to the castle. Back to the damn castle sheâd spent all morning trying to escape.
A scowl rolled across Valâs face as she angrily tore down the hall. The corridors had stopped shifting, or at least she hadnât noticed anything abnormal. She passed what had to be the third servant in ten minutes and tensed. He nodded in greeting, careful not to disrupt his cart, then pressed forward. Valâs eyes darted to his feet. His shadow
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