Trail of the Gods_ The Morcyth Saga Book Four - Brian S. Pratt [36]
Both guards fall to the ground without as much as a peep. Illan was afraid the sound of the guard hitting the side of the office would alert those within, but after a moment they realize it hadn’t.
Upon reaching them, Shorty retrieves his knives, wiping them off on the clothes of the dead men before replacing them in his belt.
Illan moves to the door and places his ear against it.
“…a thief,” a voice says. “I want to know who sent you.”
James voice replies, “I already told you, we were there by accident and took nothing!”
Whack!
He hears James cry out as he’s struck with what sounds like a leather whip or strap.
“You don’t expect me to believe you do you?” asks the voice again. “You just happened, by accident, to be within a walled estate? No, I don’t think so.”
Whack!
Again, Illan hears James being struck.
“I’ll ask you again,” the voice continues. “Where is it and who sent you?”
“What is it you think I stole?” James cries out. “Is that why you’ve hounded me ever since that day?”
“Either tell me or you will not leave here alive!” the voice shouts at him.
“I DON’T KNOW!” screams James.
Illan glances at the others, and when they give him a nod saying they’re ready, steps back from the door and raises his foot as he kicks out hard.
Wham!
Connecting with the door, the force of his kick causes it to burst inside, swinging wide and slamming hard into the wall behind it.
Illan quickly assesses the scene. James is tied to a chair in only his pants, red welts across his shoulders and back show where he’s been struck repeatedly. Two other men are in the room as well, one is a well dressed man who is standing before James. The other is to the side and is holding a three foot long strap, obviously the source of the welts upon James.
The man before James has to be Lord Colerain, the quality of his clothes shows him to be a man of great wealth. He turns as the door crashes open and begins to say something when he sees them enter with their swords drawn. Pulling a knife, he moves threateningly toward James but a knife flies and strikes him in the shoulder, throwing him off balance.
The one with the strap throws it to the ground and draws his sword as he moves to put himself between the attackers and his lord. Illan strikes out and the man successfully blocks the attack but is run through by Scar who comes in beside him. Falling to the ground with Scar’s sword wedged in between his ribs, he breathes a few last raged breathes before lying still. Scar then puts his foot on the dead man and yanks his sword out.
“James!” Miko cries as he enters. Coming to where he’s tied to the chair, he gives him a hug.
“Easy, easy,” James moans when Miko’s hug brings pain from the welts.
“Sorry,” he says, releasing him.
Shorty comes and cuts through the bonds with a knife as James asks, “How did you manage to find me?”
“We’ll get into that later,” Illan says. “Right now we’ve got to get out of here.”
“What should we do with this guy?” Scar asks from where he’s covering Lord Colerain with his sword.
They look to see him holding the wound in his shoulder where the knife had struck. Shorty comes over and retrieves his knife from where it lies on the ground next to him. Glaring at all of them, he says, “Murderers and thieves! I’ll see you all executed for this!”
James gets up and stands before him, “Know this, milord. I did not take anything from you, and I am warning you to let me be!”
Lord Colerain sits up against the wall. Scar backs off slightly with his sword allowing him room to maneuver to a sitting position. “Warning me?” he asks eyes full of malice. “How dare you!”
“Understand this,” James says as he stares intently into his eyes. “If you should ever come against me again, I will not rest until you are destroyed, completely. I will not seek revenge against you because of what transpired here today, I simply want it to end.”
Leaning closer