Read Twixt Heaven And Hell for Free Online

chamber cheering his words as he removed himself from the room.
    “ Some of them understand. The number will grow, as long as I keep being right,” Darius thought. Then he sighed. “But with this, would I rather be right, or wrong?”
     

Chapter Four
     
    Before he had turned the corner, Kray felt it. He was too far away to detect the true beginning of the spell – a whisper of magic that spoke of rocks and trees and a distant place in the world – but this, anyone for miles would notice. At least, any sorcerer for miles would have noticed, and who else mattered?
    No. Incorrect. A fallacy. That was old thinking. Traigan would have laughed fit to kill had he heard Kray’s thoughts. The new Warlord was not as quick to execute a subordinate as others before him, but he did enjoy making sure the sorcerers were aware of his disdain. Several of Kray’s peers were still muttering about an incident half a week earlier, when Traigan had referred to magic as a ‘crutch.’ If not for the Demons’ protection, the man would have been killed months ago by an irritated sorcerer.
    Kray climbed the stairs to the entrance of the stronghold. From there he could see the wide plains beyond the city, covered in a second city of tents. Somewhere in the world the spell announced its presence like an errant finger of the sun, but here at the origin it was merely a blazing portal wide enough for two men at once to step through.
    There were other bonfires on that field already, and Kray could not tell them from the spell at this distance. Even if he had been close enough to watch, he would not likely have been able to decipher what he was seeing – this new magic was far beyond his abilities as a sorcerer.
    Kray wondered if this was another raid. Thus far, only two had been sent to test the spell, to regions in the enemy lands that were often empty of soldiers. Both forays had successfully gone and returned again, but Traigan had ordered that no more raids be sent.
    He never bothered to give an explanation. There were no sorcerers left with the gall to challenge Traigan’s orders. He may have been lenient with disagreement, but disobedience was expunged without mercy.
    This did not deter Kray from his planning, however. He would have his revenge.
    He left the gateway, heading deeper into the fortress on his way to the Great Hall itself. Guards flanked the door, but his status as a sorcerer afforded him immediate entrance. With Traigan in charge, Kray wondered how much longer that would last.
    The generals, sorcerers all, clustered around the map table at the center of the room. They wore golden circlets atop their heads, as opposed to the normal silver like that which Kray had sitting atop his own brow.
    With them was the Warlord, Mertoris Traigan.
    Rumor had it that there would soon be other non-sorcerers joining the highest ranks of command, but thus far it had not happened. As it was, Traigan was the only man to ever wear the crimson Warlord’s Circlet that had not worn the silver and gold before it.
    It was still jarring to Kray’s eyes to see it atop a mere soldier’s head. But it had been set there by an Archdemon, and if that very important fact was not enough to keep it there then the Thralls were always nearby.
    With such imperious company, many other sorcerers would have waited meekly to be noticed before they spoke their mind.  Kray had not risen above his minor abilities with magic through such behavior. He stalked straight up to the assembly of commanders and spoke to the Warlord in the tones of an equal.
    “Warlord! Why do we waste our time with this nonsense -” Kray indicated the maps where troops movements were marked in black ink. “- When we should be striking at the enemy with our new power? We must move quickly and seize the advantage!”
    The anger in his voice was as false as the idiotic speech. He had merely needed an excuse to get close to the map. A stolen glance told him all he needed to know. A large