The Black Tower Read Online Free Page A

harnessed by anyone,” Kruje said.  “ I don’t believe the Skullborn have harmful intent, but if they figure out a way to tap into her magic they can do Malzaria incredible harm.  Worse, there are others who will be waiting to exploit them.”
    “Then we have trouble,” Thaenn said, looking suddenly shaken. “ A Dawn Knight and the Dream Witch fell into a rift, a cutgate Kala created.”
    “Where?” Kruje demanded.  The sharp pain in his heart already told him the answer.  “ And who in the name of the J’ann is Kala?”
    “Kala Azaean,” Thaenn said.  “ Imperial Princess of Jlantria.  We and the Red Hand came here seeking an alliance with her.”
    “I take it that didn’t work out too well...” Kruje said.
    “Not exactly.”
    Kruje thought for a moment.  Chairos had clearly known of the Janus Tree, the source of Chul Gaerog’s enduring power – it had been captured in a highly detailed mural on the floor of his desert stronghold.  There was no reason to believe this Kala was any different.
    “ What was Kala doing here?” he asked. 
    Methander angrily said something to Thaenn.  The night was thick and dark and the moon was gone, blanketed behind beds of iron cloud.  The two Bloodspeakers argued for a minute, and Kruje did his best to close his eyes and rest, but worry gnawed at his insides.  He already knew the answers to his questions; even asking them was a sort of denial, a hope that he was wrong.
    Thaenn finally made some semblance of peace with Methander. 
    “ We’re not entirely sure,” she answered.  “ But she knew we were coming, and she never intended to form any alliance.  She lured us here so she could sacrifice us to activate some relics...”
    “What relics?” Kruje said.  Fear poured through his veins.  “ Describe them.”  Thaenn looked taken aback, and from the corner of his eye Kruje saw Methdander turn and rub his fingers, sparking the edge of Veil power.  “ Please,” Kruje added after a moment.
    “They were round black stones as tall as a human ,” Thaenn said.  “ Each one had a silver rune, like a slash...”
    No , he thought. 
    “Did she succeed?” he asked.
    “ What do you mean?”
    “Did she sacrifice any of your band?” Kruje asked again, losing his patience. 
    “ Yes,” Thaenn answered coldly.  “All they could capture.  Now there’s just Methander and I.”
    Kruje nodded.  The girl was strong, but she was holding back tears, and now that the fighting had stopped the reality of her situation was setting in. 
    “I’m sorry,” Kruje said.  He looked up at the darkness of the sky.  The air was heavy, tainted and scorched with the taste of copper.  “She’s insane,” he said out loud.  “ Those relics are called Scarstones.  And by sacrificing your friends to activate them, Kala opened the way to Chul Gaerog.”
    The name of the Black Tower was the same in every language, and even hearing the name of the Blood Queen’s fabled and highly feared redoubt caused Methander’s eyes to widen with alarm. 
    “Why?” Thaenn asked.  “Why would she do that?”
    “ It’s hard to say,” Kruje whispered.  “To seize all of that power.  To resurrect the Blood Queen.  Because she thought it was the right thing to do.”  He cracked his knuckles, rammed his fist into his palm, and coughed again. 
    “ It might not even matter now,” Thaenn said.  “ Kala is dead.  The man with Ijanna killed him.”
    Kruje sat with his hands folded over his face.  This turn of events complicated things. 
    “And you said Ijanna and the Dawn Knight went into the gate,” he said.  “ Which means they went into Chul Gaerog.”
    “It seems that way,” Thaenn said with a nod.
    Kruje stood up, which sent needles of pain into his legs.  Only his supernatural metabolism was even keeping him upright, but he didn’t have time to worry about that now – he had to ignore his hurt and fatigue and find a way to carry on. 
    It falls to me