Blood of the Redd Guard - Part Two Read Online Free Page A

attacking Semal doesn’t violate that.” He was angry enough that he didn’t regret the physical outburst, but he knew he would once he calmed down.
    “Noninterference with Paroke army. Semal doesn’t report to you and wasn’t here at your request. He snuck in and stole a key to the Paroke archives.” His wife glared at him. “If anything, you should be thanking us for trying to apprehend a thief and a trespasser.”
    “That’s part of the issue, isn’t it? Your people failed.”
    “My people had to depart when your guards showed up.”
    “And now you want me to finish the job.”
    Elaire snarled as she opened the door. “We’ll clean up our own mess. Don’t let them leave the base.”
    No matter how she wanted to look at it, this was crossing their boundaries. Helam had never agreed to do anything to help further her ridiculous cause. For the sake of Molach, their agreement had been to leave one another alone. If Helam wasn’t careful, that woman either would be the death of him or would bring down everything that he’d spent years building.
    His wife had never said as much, but Helam had assumed that if Elaire were to die under suspicious circumstances, she had something in place that would ensure he wouldn’t be far behind.
    Even the thought of planning her demise galled him but if she was going to start breaking their agreement, there was only so far he could let her go. While he loved his wife, he couldn’t stand by and let her undermine his plans and the safety of Rarbon when her ultimate goal was to serve the cause of the Kopal.
    If it hadn’t been for Elaire, Helam would have begun rooting out their infestation as soon as he’d discovered it. If his wife was serious about taking action while thumbing her nose at him, he’d have little choice in the matter. He’d put up with the Kopal for too long as it was.
    It was time to have her followed.
    How could I have married a woman who believes that the Hunwei will bring her salvation? He wondered. The notion that the Hunwei hadn’t come to destroy them all those years ago was laughable. All accounts, from all peoples, had agreed on one thing. The Hunwei had come to ravage and enslave. Nothing more. They’d even rebuffed any attempts at negotiation and had refused to enter a dialogue.
    Helam was startled into action again when he heard the front door shut. He assumed that meant his wife had left. Elaire was going to kill Semal unless Helam interceded. While the old man could be annoying, he had dedicated his life to studying the Hunwei.
    When they returned, Semal would be a handy person to have around.
    Helam left his office and was on his way to the door when he ran into Molach, limping along while leaning on Tymy—one of Helam’s personal bodyguards—for support. Molach was pale and held his hand to his side.
    “He just showed up,” Tymy said, “I’ve already sent for the doctor.” The doctor lived a block away, a fact that Helam had never appreciated until now.
    “I’m sorry--” Molach started to say, but Helam cut him off.
    “Quick. This way.”
    Molach stumbled and Tymy swept him up into his large bulky arms. Molach, a tall and strong man in his own right, looked small when compared with Tymy.
    Helam led Tymy to the guest bedroom. It was rarely occupied and hadn’t ever been used by any of Helam's guests. He tossed decorative pillows to the floor.
    “Put him here and find a candle.”
    Tymy stepped back when he was done, wiping blood from his face with the sleeve of his shirt.
    “Light! I need light.” Using his hands to feel in the darkness, Helam pulled out a dagger and cut away Molach’s coat and shirt. By that time Tymy had returned with a candle and the light revealed a long bloody wound on the side of Molach’s chest and another smaller cut on his arm. Neither looked life threatening.
    Helam opened his mouth to give Tymy an order but the guard had disappeared. Bloody Melyah! Helam thought, hoping that the man had gone to