The Knaveheart's Curse Read Online Free
the heir, the Tenth Knaveheart Leader, to take over the Old World Knave Kingdom.”
“Ooh, the Tenth,” said Lexie. “Ten is my lucky number.”
“There’s nothing lucky about this news,” chided their father.
“I don’t get it. There’s a jillion vampires in the Old World,” said Maddy. “A Knave’s got tons more heirs to choose from over there.”
“True, but in The Gospel of Terrible Species and Unknowable Creatures, the text indicates that the Ninth Knave will cross into New World in search of a successor. We can’t say we weren’t warned.” Hudson flexed a claw. “Orville advises us to stay on the lookout.”
“So not only is the Ninth Knave here, but the Tenth heir, too? That’s two too many Knaves for my comfort.” Their mother shuddered.
“It’s funny, I was just thinking about writing my back-to-school book report about the Seventh Knaveheart, Vlad the Impaler,” mentioned Hudson. “Since our summer assignment is to write about a brave leader.”
“Hud, hon, I’m sure your teacher meant for you to write about a mortal leader,” advised their father. “Someone more like that New World explorer, Daniel Boone, who chopped down forests. Knave Vlad preferred to chop off heads. He might give your class nightmares.”
“I could write a comparative essay of both leaders,” mused Hudson.
“Okay, this family alert is adjourned,” said Lexie. “My knees are locking up.”
When Maddy returned to her bedroom, she took out her hybrid-language, Old World copy of The Gospyll of Trydrbllel Species & Unknwyble Chryttres.
Flipping to K , she read:
KNAEVEHEARTS
A Briefe and Trewe History.
P itie the soule who needes to reade uppe on the Knaeve! For the Knaeveheart Dynestie (1108-present) is the cruel-lest unbroken reigne of all the vampyre sovereignties, as welle as its most secrytive. The fewe times Knaeves have beene recognyzed, it was due to their strength, extryme nearsightedness, and propynsity to feaste on Rat bloode whilst lyttering the huskes for anyone to steppe upon.
After the appointemente of the Knaeve Heir, the male or femalle slayes his familey to prove that olde loyalties have beene severed. As a newe rule of terror begyns for the changed Knaeve, so shall the olde Knaeve leader be exiled to a moste remote seasyde location for a finalle death crumble.
In accordance with a ten-verse Storey-Poemme scripted in Cyrillic onto the foundation walles of the Château Duchem, in the Blacke Forest of Uze, Olde Worlde, we are destyned for Ten pureblood Knaevehearts, each ruling for one thousand yeares. Every Knaevish reign is more evyl than the laste, until by the end of the Tenth, the Worlde’s light is fulley darkened.
Such grimm horrors cannot be escaped unlesse the Curse is splyntered bye an Equitably Trydrbllel Chryttre.
A moste restpectfulle translation of the entyre Storey-Poemme, “The Knaeveheart’s Curse,” was penned by Boris Afanasyev.
Snore. Yawn. Maddy skipped through Boris’s translation of the first nine poems. She didn’t like poetry. But when she got to the “Storey of the Tenth Knaeve,” she stopped to read it as carefully as she could, picking over the Old World spelling.
Storey of the Tenth Knaeve (x)
Past Ninth Knaeve’s rule of boundlesse wrath
The Chryttre takes a dif’rent path
O’er salty sea to Newe World green
Treeless, where Nine glides unseen.
A family sircle makes a pact
Defends the Knaeve from front to back.
The Knaeve Heir x
Is first made sick
With poison strings and practised picque
Glass-eyed witnesses daren’t blink
In slumber, x’s blood blacks to Knaeve ink.
A dimwit sircle makes a pact
Defends the Knaeve from front to back.
As night then falls to feast and dance
Díverted by a game of chance
A call is made upon phantom arms
To breake this curse’s deadly charms
And spiral Knaeve
To dusty grave.
A violent sircle makes a pact
Defends the Knaeve from lies and fact
Glass-eyed ring should freeze
“Ooh, the Tenth,” said Lexie. “Ten is my lucky number.”
“There’s nothing lucky about this news,” chided their father.
“I don’t get it. There’s a jillion vampires in the Old World,” said Maddy. “A Knave’s got tons more heirs to choose from over there.”
“True, but in The Gospel of Terrible Species and Unknowable Creatures, the text indicates that the Ninth Knave will cross into New World in search of a successor. We can’t say we weren’t warned.” Hudson flexed a claw. “Orville advises us to stay on the lookout.”
“So not only is the Ninth Knave here, but the Tenth heir, too? That’s two too many Knaves for my comfort.” Their mother shuddered.
“It’s funny, I was just thinking about writing my back-to-school book report about the Seventh Knaveheart, Vlad the Impaler,” mentioned Hudson. “Since our summer assignment is to write about a brave leader.”
“Hud, hon, I’m sure your teacher meant for you to write about a mortal leader,” advised their father. “Someone more like that New World explorer, Daniel Boone, who chopped down forests. Knave Vlad preferred to chop off heads. He might give your class nightmares.”
“I could write a comparative essay of both leaders,” mused Hudson.
“Okay, this family alert is adjourned,” said Lexie. “My knees are locking up.”
When Maddy returned to her bedroom, she took out her hybrid-language, Old World copy of The Gospyll of Trydrbllel Species & Unknwyble Chryttres.
Flipping to K , she read:
KNAEVEHEARTS
A Briefe and Trewe History.
P itie the soule who needes to reade uppe on the Knaeve! For the Knaeveheart Dynestie (1108-present) is the cruel-lest unbroken reigne of all the vampyre sovereignties, as welle as its most secrytive. The fewe times Knaeves have beene recognyzed, it was due to their strength, extryme nearsightedness, and propynsity to feaste on Rat bloode whilst lyttering the huskes for anyone to steppe upon.
After the appointemente of the Knaeve Heir, the male or femalle slayes his familey to prove that olde loyalties have beene severed. As a newe rule of terror begyns for the changed Knaeve, so shall the olde Knaeve leader be exiled to a moste remote seasyde location for a finalle death crumble.
In accordance with a ten-verse Storey-Poemme scripted in Cyrillic onto the foundation walles of the Château Duchem, in the Blacke Forest of Uze, Olde Worlde, we are destyned for Ten pureblood Knaevehearts, each ruling for one thousand yeares. Every Knaevish reign is more evyl than the laste, until by the end of the Tenth, the Worlde’s light is fulley darkened.
Such grimm horrors cannot be escaped unlesse the Curse is splyntered bye an Equitably Trydrbllel Chryttre.
A moste restpectfulle translation of the entyre Storey-Poemme, “The Knaeveheart’s Curse,” was penned by Boris Afanasyev.
Snore. Yawn. Maddy skipped through Boris’s translation of the first nine poems. She didn’t like poetry. But when she got to the “Storey of the Tenth Knaeve,” she stopped to read it as carefully as she could, picking over the Old World spelling.
Storey of the Tenth Knaeve (x)
Past Ninth Knaeve’s rule of boundlesse wrath
The Chryttre takes a dif’rent path
O’er salty sea to Newe World green
Treeless, where Nine glides unseen.
A family sircle makes a pact
Defends the Knaeve from front to back.
The Knaeve Heir x
Is first made sick
With poison strings and practised picque
Glass-eyed witnesses daren’t blink
In slumber, x’s blood blacks to Knaeve ink.
A dimwit sircle makes a pact
Defends the Knaeve from front to back.
As night then falls to feast and dance
Díverted by a game of chance
A call is made upon phantom arms
To breake this curse’s deadly charms
And spiral Knaeve
To dusty grave.
A violent sircle makes a pact
Defends the Knaeve from lies and fact
Glass-eyed ring should freeze
Readers choose
Caitlin Rother
Amber L. Johnson
Diana Vreeland
Eve Bunting
Glynn Stewart
J. P. Barnaby
Lily Everett
Nikki Moustaki
Jessica Brown
Cindy Gerard