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«I knew that this tree is cursed,» she said, pointing ahead.
There was just the one spreading elm tree under which I left torn carcasses of animals that have reported them to Odil, but now I did not feel the smell of blood. All shed blood for a long time absorbed in the ground here, and to the terrible memories suddenly mingled another frightening sound, the creak of dry branches and the friction of the rope, as if something heavy swinging above the ground. Hanged! I knew it even before I turned around and a dead man reminded me a rag doll. It was she. It was a woman in a red dress with a bruised skin.
«This is Janet – my maid,» Rose said. «The one that did not have a bad habit to check what makes Ms. at night.»
The owl sat on that same branch, which was attached to the rope.
«I hate that old elm,» said Rose.
«I hate it too,» I remembered that in this place I had killed a gamekeeper who served Odil. It was cruel, but then it seemed to me that in this way I would be able to remind her that the predator was near and she had to beware.
Rose raised her ax high and wanted to throw it into a bird, brazenly stared at us with its unusual perch.
«Why?» I asked.
«This owl has too a piercing look,» Rose reluctantly lowered the ax, but still tightly kept for it. «I never have seen owls with red eyes.»
«Have you seen bats?»
«The bats flew behind my carriage from Lara. They still accompany me there and everywhere, hide in the walls of niches, on dusty attics. They are vile creatures, but intelligent.»
«Don’t offend them,» I said. «They themselves are not looking pretty enough, but they appreciate beauty. Since they liked you so much, it means they will not give you offence.»
«I want to believe in it,» Rosa sighed heavily, moved away from me in a few steps and sat down on the stump. I knew that Odil was pretty cruel, but the fact that she executed the maid for such a small guilt, even for me turned out to be an unpleasant surprise.
«Tomorrow I will be sent off from the castle. I overheard one conversation,» Rose said. «I don `t like it.»
She talked to me, as with an old acquaintance or simply took everything that was happening for a dream. I leaned back to the stem of ash, crossed my hands on my chest and feverishly pondered. Could I invite her to my gloomy country. Then life there would probably become somewhat lighter.
The year I gave her on thought has not yet passed. For the year she could change her mind. I took out of the frozen hands of Rose an ax, went to an ominous oak, swung and made a small cut on a thick trunk.
«In memory of what we met here,» I explained to Rose.
I tried to smile, went to Rose and took her hand to kiss, but in this moment, a fluffy gray lump was disturbed from somewhere. The sharp claws slammed me down the cheek, and the bat rushed away. Not that bat, whom I sent.
«Everything is in order, you can go,» I pressed my palm to the cheek, so that Rose did not see how the bleeding wound heals itself.
«And you?» Rose turned on the go.
«I am a predator and I want to turn the head to this animal.»
Having waited when she left, I began to listen. Somewhere here there was a staircase leading under the ground. My gnomes would not work here, it was someone else. As if in response to my thoughts, I saw Henri. He seemed materialized from the emptiness.
«At least she could drop her scarf,» he said with a light reproach. «I never met such a cautious girl. Usually I can take from any at least an earring, but not from this.»
«What else did you start?» I just remembered that I still kept an ax in my hand.
Henry had not a helmet, although the rest of the body was covered with armor.
Do you like?» he grinned. «I decided that in this armor I would look more impressive.»
«Did you?» In my opinion, at least in the armor, at least in the cloak, at least in the costume of Harlequin Henri remained all the same restless fighter for his rights.
«Did you use even a spy?»
«The intelligence never hurts,» Henri nodded with the type of philosopher. «In addition, I decided to add to my own possessions an abandoned watchtower from the most borders and, imagine, no one tried to prevent me. The most endless members of my order work under the ground make the tunnel, and everyone does not care for it. People are accustomed to live on earth, not under it, so my idea is unlikely to represent interests for someone.»
«What is the idea?»
«The underground city,» informed Henri victoriously. «After the full moon in your empire, I began to feel much better and bright ideas appeared. Daylight is too destructive for creatures, as we, it would not be easier to have spare asylum in soil layers – a city with many tunnels and labyrinths. Personally, I like this idea.»
«A stupid idea,» instead of the expected praise, I as usual honestly expressed what I think. «If you prefer lifestyle, like a mole, then this is your personal matter. By the way, were you hurt.»
«So, I was hurt about the root of the tree,» Henri tried to pretend that the wound is nothing.
«Is there a progress on the battlefield?» I asked him with a light irony.
«No, there isn’t,» Henri snapped. «You do not help us.»
He got angry again.
«Till the meeting,» he grunted angrily. «I’ll win without you.»
«As you like,» I noticed diplomatically and shouted to him. «Why do you need a princess’ thing?»
He did not want to answer, but not without the help of my spell stumbled on the root and spread out on earth.
«Here is rubbish,» he cursed, rising and rushing a strong oak with his foot. Better from this did not become anyone, only Henri frowned from pain. He obviously forgot that he was in armor.
«It’s hard to move in this armor,» he complained. «You seem to ask about her thing? I want to try out one probing spell, which I bought from the old predictor of fate. You know, the most amazing thing that he managed to predict was the epidemic of the plague in Lara. He told about it before it began, but naturally only a few people believed. And now he says that a violinist will soon break free.»
«If you want to know your destiny, so come to Viniena. The provider returned, and he remembers you,» Henri mockingly laughed. «A young man with an angelic appearance, inside whom the beast sits, who was it besides you? And the creature who loved to play the violin? I don’t know anything about her.»
He quickly disappeared behind the thick trunk of elm. Is it possible to understand the plans of this fraudster?
In any case, he disappeared from the surface of the earth, and I remembered my desire to turn the head of a nasty animal. No bats would have decided to attack me if it would not affect other strong sorcerer. In order to find out what I needed to have only to turn the ring with the signet, return to Lara, and threatening Vincent thoroughly if he had not had time to escape from the house. Oddly enough, he was already waiting for me on the threshold and first thrown with reproaches.
«You yourself said that none of us should approach this girl?» Vincent rarely lost control over himself to pour it out, it was necessary to hurt him for living.
«Where did you get such an obedient bat?» I asked.
«On the bell tower left a dozen of these nasty creatures. They do not look better, but they have sharp claws.»
«It seems you envy the fact that my skin is not dismissed with scars, like your throat.»
«Everything heals on you, like on a dog,» Vincent snorted and looked guilty. With the time of time and the acquisition of more experience in the sorcery he himself changed. Chestnut hair has become silky. Even the smallest mimic wrinkles under the eyes and those unfolded, and the eyes themselves instead of dark-brown acquired a warm walnut shade. If he looked at least sometimes in the mirror, he would not have envied anyone. There were scars on the neck, but they could always be covered with a scarf. In any case, the transformed Vincent, who stood in front of me now, was very handsome.
Vincent did not try to fasten the opening camisole’s collar, he understood that I still knew about his largest failure.
«Do you burn me with the house or do you use your claws?» He asked tiredly.
«I would be happy, but I don’t want to make a mess in my own home,» the grim humor and this time did not let me down.
Vincent regarded it as a joke and smiled radiant.
«So I’m forgiven,» he concluded.
«It was for the last time.»
From the street came some kind of noise and Vincent fearful looked back towards the window.
«For some reason, I have such a feeling that someone flew here and he was ready to cut my throat,» he admitted. «Probably, there were a few days of bad weather and the fact that the hunch-back in the mantle and crown wandered over the square. It seems to me that he is looking for you in the same way as the dog goes along the trail.»
«Is Camille with him?|
«Camille regularly visits „the Marionette“, but after Rose has gone from the stage, the play no longer uses such success. He wants to write something new and find a capable actress, but until he did not find one suitable.»
«The theater is just a cover for his dirty plans,» I wanted to burn the prince and his bloodhound. Camille was looking for me and, probably, he already regretted that he so easily gave away the picture. Perhaps over time, the portrait would acquire the same power as the amethyst. By the way, as for the amethyst, I have not felt the fatal attraction for a rather long term.
«You would need to build plans for the future, and instead of it you run behind the girl, I myself do not know why,» Vincent’s voice sounded quiet, like a rustling of a hazel. For all the time staying in fenced spells of the house, I heard only this voice, sweet, driving, full of poison. Vincent would have to speak speeches in the Royal Council, and not to sit voluntarily locked up. If he did not lose weight from the malice, then he could convince the listeners in his rightness, just as convinced the peasants from my village that their owner was the dragon.
«Just do not tell me a long-sorting history that you want to get married,» Vincent said. «You didn’t love anyone and you can’t have anything. You seem to be made of stone.»
«Did I not love anyone? And what about my family…»
«If you experienced some kind of warm feelings to the so-called family, you’d long have already dealt with the prince.»
«It is easier to say than to do. He is still strong. Do not forget that he taught me, and not I him. And who gave you the right to speak so disrespectful about my relatives.»
«Dead relatives,» Vincent corrected sullenly. «You looked among them clearly more than one-only elf in the castle of full people. Your relatives were afraid of you, because they knew about who you would.»
«And they hid it from me,» I thought out loud.
«But from the very beginning I admitted to you honestly,» immediately said Vincent, forgetting to mention that it happened after two unsuccessful attempts to deprive me of life.
«Yes, of course, it is the jackal’s method to pass over to the side of a stronger one,» he laughed, guessing my thoughts. «But, remember, even rats run from a sinking ship, and I stayed in Lara. This means that your chances of success are still more than by anyone else. If you win all your enemies, then for me it is a loss, but the princess will get to you.»
«Is it a loss?» I asked.
«Well, of course I don’t want her to contact you,» Vincent left a direct response. «You’re not even a man, you are a werewolf, an animal, but it seems she doesn’t care about it. Each makes his choice.»
Who am I for her? I am a shadow with candlelight, a voice in emptiness, an invisible and dangerous guest. It is well even if her duenna still did not call the priests to expel me. I had her ribbon only, but turning this pink slice of satin in my hands, maybe I could find out what she thought about.
It was a failure, the ribbon was pretty, but I could not know anything. Vincent urged me to engage in politics, settle things with the father of Henri, he did not leave the hope that the king would give me the throne.
The month high in the dark sky shone brighter, and it seemed to me that a red color was added to the silver shade of halo.
I was drawn into the sky, closer to the month, because the ill-fated amethyst was on someone’s hand. I cursed the prince. As not on time. The skin burned, and the most important thing I guessed, who this time had a terrible lot. Vincent prudently picked off a couple of books and ran to hide in the attic. Upstairs clicked, closing, a junk, a candle flashed. The whole house was granted to me, like the whole city, but this time it would be not enough to burn Lara. I decided to experience the fate. The first victim was the wagon, lonely dragging around the country road. It immediately found itself in the dragon’s claws, the beer barrels rolled back from it in different directions. But the pair of mules and the driver could not replace the one that was chosen for me for this night. She became engaged to death. I have to fly through the whole world, but find her. However, it is not necessary to look for a long time, one purple thread was visible for me, it stretched straight, and the location of the ring as a magnet pulled to itself. I could always unmistakably determine the direction.
Instead of a girl, I could sacrifice the carriage near the city gate, but already knew that it would be a vain sacrifice.
I would be free only when the prince himself became the victim. It’s time to get rid of him and find a weapon against him. Weapon, which, I did not doubt, was hidden in manuscripts. Magic is against magic. Evil is against evil. Deceit will determine the strongest.
I saw a girl in a room for meetings of the council, or in a ballroom. There was no time to look. I was attracted by a golden color, a single bright spot in the dark space. I broke the glass with claws and not even feeling pain from sharp fragments, chained in a dragon skin, I penetrate inside. The overwhelming size of the hall was quite spacious even for me.
The void in the stomach filled the annoying hunger. Following it, the feeling of malice to the whole living has increased. This feeling was not mine. The bright golden point attracted me. I myself did not understand how something trembled and fragile, similar to a small animal, was found in the claws. So it froze from fear in the claws of the predator a squirrel or a marten. And after all, I did not feel the fur in my claws. Brocade! From the first attempt I defined. It was the golden brocade. There was in my memory like a sharp glass shard, a name. Francesca! I didn’t want that with a beautiful creature in my claws was going to take place a misfortune as with Francesca. It was better to sacrifice someone else. It means I need to choose a dozen, hundreds of peasants. Fortunately, there was a smell of smoke, meat, firewood. There was a village. I rushed forward, without even thinking about what I was going to harm. The village, indeed, was there, and the fire did not pass it.
What is the main thing in battle?
The branches of the fir-trees clung to the clothes, scratched the face when I went past them.
I tried to not pay attention to scratches, they still would heal soon. All forest livestock and birds and animals realized that it was better not to disturb me. Even the hungry wolves were embarrassed, because they understood: a more terrible predator appeared even hungry than they. The wolves themselves could overnight become food for him.
For me, the difficulty was familiar. The most difficult thing was to protect the girl from wounds. The golden dress has burned my fingers. It was necessary to be careful, because if some kind of dry branch scratched the skin of the girl, which I carried in my hands through the whole forest, then I myself would have to treat it. Somewhere nearby there was a hut of forester, but it was not easy to reach it. I went on feet to the very boarder of my empire, and here it always was a strong frost. The cargo, which almost nothing weighed, began to pull my hands.
That’s hut. I almost with joy rushed there, and did not immediately feel someone’s gaze. I turned around. Behind us was only the snowfall. Not a single wolf attracted by the smell of blood would risk getting closer to me than a few meters.
«If you are unable to accomplish justice, then I will do it,» said a familiar voice at my shoulder. «Give me a girl.»
«Go away,» I almost hissed. «You will not cross the border at all wishes. Your justice is deaf and blind, but even if it was different, the prey belongs only to me.»
«So it will be the war? Do you want to fight?» The powerless rage caused the prince to increase the voice.
«As soon as you want,» I explained with cold courtesy. It did not even give me a pleasure that he trampled at the most borders and was unable to cross them. I left him behind the threshold, and I myself bowed my head in order not to knock on the threshold and disappeared in the doorway. The door itself slammed with noise, as if it separated two worlds.
The hut of huntsman was long empty.
One pure bed immediately became a bed for Rose.
Some creature appeared outside the door. It creaked and opened. Someone sniffed to the air and, apparently, having revealed me, rushed away. So, the new tenant will not be disturbed. Well, it’s even good.
Rosa managed to frozen much, but I knew that I could save her. My blood can return to her vital warmth. I looked around the sides in search of a knife and not finding it, without a ceremony bit the veins at my wrist and put a bleeding brush to her mischievous lips.
«Just do not die,» I mentally asked. «Who, besides you, will be able to divide my dark addiction to ancient magic with me. Maybe if you are near, I will understand all the ancient manuscripts.»
In the hut was even colder than in the forest. It seemed to be an icy wind in all the cracks. I could tell the fire to burn, but instead of it for some reason I began to look for firewood. Empty hero did not give hopes. Nor fire, nor firewood was found. I broke down a couple of unnecessary chairs, quickly clicked my fingers, carving a few sparks, and hastily turned on Rose, hoping that she had not woke up yet. And if she woke up, it would be strange to appear in front of it – the magician made the flame from nothing and broke off the chair with such ease, as if it was a thin twist. Nails from broken furniture fell on the floor. Their chime could wake up and dead, but Rose did not wake up for a very long time.
«Who are you?» The voice of Rose brought me out of stupor.
«Do you not remember?»
She just looked at me with beautiful, empty eyes. Eyes in which there were no memoirs left.
«Where is the dragon?»
«Where is the dragon?» I almost laughed, stupid, deaf, lost, but instead of it I only shrugged and lied. «I do not know.»
And it is instead of to honestly admit: «He is in front of you.»
