Read A Rule of Queens (Book #13 in the Sorcerer's Ring) for Free Online Page B

not his fists.
    Darius, dangling off the ground, groaning, felt
as if every bone in his body was going to crack. He cried out in pain.
    The taskmaster squeezed him harder, so hard
Darius was sure he was going to die. He then leaned back and head-butted Darius,
smashing his forehead into Darius’s nose.
    Darius felt blood gushing out, felt a horrible
pain shoot through his face and eyes, stinging him, blinding him. It was a move
he had not expected, and as the taskmaster leaned back to head-butt him again,
Darius, defenseless, was certain he would be killed.
    The noise of chains cut through the air, and
suddenly the taskmaster’s eyes bulged wide open, and his grip loosened on
Darius. Darius, gasping, confused, looked up, wondering why he’d let go. Then
he saw Loti, standing behind the taskmaster, wrapping her dangling shackles
around his neck, again and again, and squeezing with all her might.
    Darius stumbled back, trying to catch his
breath again, and he watched as the taskmaster stumbled back several feet, then
reached back over his shoulder, grabbed Loti from behind, leaned over, and flipped
her over his head. Loti landed on her back, on the hard ground, in the dirt, with
a cry.
    The taskmaster stepped forward, lifted his leg,
aimed his boot over her face, and Darius saw he was about to bring it down and
crush her face. The taskmaster was a good ten feet away by now, too far for
Darius to reach him in time.
    “NO!” Darius yelled.
    Darius thought quickly: he reached down,
grabbed his sword, stepped forward, and in one swift motion, he threw it.
    The sword went flying through the air, end over
end, and Darius watched, transfixed, as the point pierced the taskmaster’s
armor, impaling him right through his heart.
    His eyes bulged wide open again and Darius watched
as he stumbled and fell, sinking to his knees, then to his face.
    Loti quickly gained her feet, and Darius rushed
to her side. He draped a reassuring hand over her shoulder, so grateful to her,
so relieved she was okay.
    Suddenly, a sharp whistle cut through the air;
Darius turned and saw the taskmaster, lying on the ground, raise a hand to his
mouth and whistle again, one last time, before he died.
    A horrific roar shattered the silence, as the
ground shook.
    Darius looked over, and was terror-stricken to
see the zerta suddenly charging right for them. It sprinted for them in a rage,
lowering its sharp horns. Darius and Loti exchanged a look, knowing they had
nowhere to run. Within moments, Darius knew, they would both be dead.
    Darius looked all around, thinking quick, and
he saw beside them the steep slope of the mountainside, littered with rocks and
boulders. Darius raised his arm, his palm out, and draped his other arm around Loti,
holding her close. Darius did not want to summon his power, but he knew that
now, he had no choice, if he wanted to live.
    Darius felt a tremendous heat rush through him,
a power he could barely control, and he watched as a light shot forth through
his open palm, onto the steep slope. There came a rumbling, gradual at first,
then greater and greater, and Darius watched as boulders began tumbling down
the steep mountainside, gaining steam.
    An avalanche of boulders all rushed down on the
zerta, crushing it just before it reached them. There was a huge cloud of dust,
a tremendous noise, and finally, all was still.
    Darius stood there, nothing but silence and dust
swirling in the sun, hardly understanding what he had just done. He turned and
saw Loti looking at him, saw the look of horror in her face, and he knew everything
had changed. He had unleashed his secret. And now, there was no turning back.

CHAPTER SEVEN
     
     
    Thor sat erect at the edge of their small boat,
legs crossed, palms resting on his thighs, his back to the others as he stared
out at the cold, cruel sea. His eyes were red from crying, and he did not want
the others to see him like this. His tears had dried up long ago, but his eyes
were still raw as he