Lament (Scars of the Sundering Book 2) Read Online Free

winter.”
    Princess Valene reached behind,
moved her husband’s dangling arm out of the way, and then leaned against the
stone slab upon which he lay. “I intended to reward your service once things
settled down, before you left. I am pleased you’re not dead, you know. I
enjoyed our shared constitutionals in the mornings. I’m curious how you accomplished
this resurrection.”
    Pancras wanted those answers for
himself, as well. He had a suspicion, which lingered at the edges of his
memory. A gnawing, twisting feeling deep in his gut indicated he was not free
of the shadow creature. He needed more time to research the matter before
making any claims, however. “Perhaps the fetish I failed to create properly had
some effect after all?”
    “Is that possible?”
    Pancras shrugged and then rolled
his neck in an attempt to loosen the muscles. “There are very few impossible
things when it comes to the arcane arts. I have heard of ways to cheat death,
but I have never tried any of them myself.”
    “Under the circumstances, I think
it best if you keep a low profile. Some of the guards will not understand.”
Princess Valene circled the slab upon which Pancras rested, her heels clicking
on the stone floor. “In a few days, I will have completed my purge of those
loyal to Gavril, after which I should think you can move freely again. Besides,
there was another snowstorm while you were… away. No one will be able to leave
the palace again until tomorrow at the earliest.”
    “Snow? How long was I… dead?”
Intellectually, Pancras realized time must have passed in between the
confrontation in the throne room and awakening on a slab, but he had no sense
of it.
    “You died the day before
yesterday. The snow came upon us quickly; otherwise, we might have prepared you
for internment in the catacombs by now.”
    Pancras’s head reeled. He swayed,
grasping the slab to steady himself. Princess Valene touched his shoulder.
    “Easy. Your friends will be here
shortly. Rest now.”
     
    * * *
     
    “Firk—blast it, ye scaly—By
Adranus’s beard!” Edric’s sputtering cut through Delilah’s concentration like
an axe splitting a log. She slammed her grimoire shut and glared over her
shoulder at the dwarf. He sat in the center of the parlor with her brother and
Kali.
    “How am I supposed to get
anything done with the three of you making so much noise all the time?” Delilah
hopped out of the armchair and grabbed a poker from the side of the hearth. She
wanted to wrap it around the dwarf’s head but settled on stabbing the
smoldering logs in the fireplace.
    “Come on, Deli. We’re just having
some fun.”
    Her brother, Kale, always wanted
to have fun. How can he think of fun at a time like this? That’s why I’m in
charge now, I guess. I’m the only one who realizes we have serious business to
take care of.
    “Is that magic book of yours
going to teach you how to melt the snow away?” Edric stood and walked over to
the table. He poured himself a goblet of wine.
    “No.” Delilah pointed the poker
at Edric. “But it’ll teach me how to burn that beard of yours right off!”
    A knock at the doors interrupted
his retort. Delilah threw the poker to the floor and crossed the room to find
out who disturbed them. Lady Milena bowed as the drak invited her in. The
humans kept their distance since Pancras’s death; Delilah waited for the
Captain of the Royal Guard to speak first.
    She stared at the human. Behind
her, Kale coughed. “Deli?”
    Delilah raised her eyebrows. She
was determined not to extend any niceties.
    “Pardon my intrusion. The
princess needs to see you and your brother immediately.”
    Narrowing her eyes, Delilah
stepped away from the door. She reached behind her and fumbled at the armchair
for her staff. “What for now?”
    Lady Milena regarded the dwarf
and draks staring at her. “I’m not at liberty to say. It’s… it’s about Pancras.
It’s important.”
    Kali took Kale’s arm. “Then