upon her within seconds, his crimson sword hovering inches from her face. Cold steel caressed her chin and left a red smear of the dead man’s blood on her face. Rhianna could still feel the heat of the dead guard’s life force against her skin, a hot kiss that carried a sinister promise. More blood would be spilled tonight.
“You want to know what my world was like? Let me give you a taste.”
Rhianna was terrified but to her surprise, her voice sounded almost calm and in control as she uttered words in the ancient tongue. “Please let me go.”
Rhianna didn’t know what effect she expected her words to achieve — Kenny’s head sitting atop a mannequin might account for her pessimistic outlook — but Cael grew stock-still. His gaze became distant, tuning into some invisible frequency. The moment lasted for a few seconds before his good eye shifted back to Rhianna.
“It is not here.“ Mounting fury edged into Cael’s voice. “Whereis it? Where is the Eye of Balor ?”
“I don't know...”
“I can smell your fear. You're lying.”
A sudden realization dawned on Cael. “The old man who left earlier. He took it with him, didn't he?”
Cael leaned closer and his eyes narrowed, a dangerous animalistic quality edging into his hawklike features.
“How do I find him?”
The question barely registered, Rhianna’s attention riveted on the blade that ominously loomed near her face.
“Please.”
“Perhaps the sight of your own blood will loosen your tongue. Tell me his name.”
Rhianna was on the verge of terror but she was not willing to give up anything that would endanger her father. She braced herself for the worst.
A thin smile played across Cael’s ascetic features.
“Your love runs deep for a father, but your thoughts betray you.”
Rianna could suddenly feel the fiend reaching deep inside her head and she gasped. It was a feeling that was hard to describe but she sensed that another consciousness had invaded her most private thoughts. The alien presence was roaming through her mind, probing, guided by his memory of her father. Rhianna tried to fight back but nothing in her life had prepared her for such a mental assault. The stranger overcame her laughable defenses with ease and plucked the information right out of her mind.
Dr. Benjamin Sharpe.
A dark smile of satisfaction rippled across Cael’s face. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
What had just happened?
Rhianna was reeling, her feet rooted. She had never been this afraid in her life. The rules of the world as she understood it had shifted. If someone could snatch memories right out of her head, what else were they capable of?
Cael took a step towards her. Light played across the blade in his hand. The weapon was forged centuries ago but looked just as deadly today as it must have then.
“Do not worry. You and your father will soon be reunited…”
Cael brought up the blade for the deathblow. He was about to make due on his dark promise when a knife rippled across the exhibit space. Thedagger tore into Cael’s blade in mid-descent. With an explosion of sparks, the druid’s sword went flying. It clanged across the floor, steel connecting with stone, and the sound echoed throughout the exhibit hall.
Rhianna cried out and looked up at her savior. It was the longhaired man she had encountered moments earlier. Rhianna didn’t know who the enigmatic stranger was or where he came from, but she was glad he’d decided to overstay his welcome.
Rhianna backed away from Cael, who had lost all interest in the archeology student. His focus was now directed at Artan. While the two men faced each other, Rhianna remained scrunched against the wall. Too terrified to move but also entranced by the powerful confrontation she bore witness to.
For a moment, Rhianna contemplated making a go for the nearest exit, but she decided it was too risky. She had no intention of becoming collateral damage. She had
“You want to know what my world was like? Let me give you a taste.”
Rhianna was terrified but to her surprise, her voice sounded almost calm and in control as she uttered words in the ancient tongue. “Please let me go.”
Rhianna didn’t know what effect she expected her words to achieve — Kenny’s head sitting atop a mannequin might account for her pessimistic outlook — but Cael grew stock-still. His gaze became distant, tuning into some invisible frequency. The moment lasted for a few seconds before his good eye shifted back to Rhianna.
“It is not here.“ Mounting fury edged into Cael’s voice. “Whereis it? Where is the Eye of Balor ?”
“I don't know...”
“I can smell your fear. You're lying.”
A sudden realization dawned on Cael. “The old man who left earlier. He took it with him, didn't he?”
Cael leaned closer and his eyes narrowed, a dangerous animalistic quality edging into his hawklike features.
“How do I find him?”
The question barely registered, Rhianna’s attention riveted on the blade that ominously loomed near her face.
“Please.”
“Perhaps the sight of your own blood will loosen your tongue. Tell me his name.”
Rhianna was on the verge of terror but she was not willing to give up anything that would endanger her father. She braced herself for the worst.
A thin smile played across Cael’s ascetic features.
“Your love runs deep for a father, but your thoughts betray you.”
Rianna could suddenly feel the fiend reaching deep inside her head and she gasped. It was a feeling that was hard to describe but she sensed that another consciousness had invaded her most private thoughts. The alien presence was roaming through her mind, probing, guided by his memory of her father. Rhianna tried to fight back but nothing in her life had prepared her for such a mental assault. The stranger overcame her laughable defenses with ease and plucked the information right out of her mind.
Dr. Benjamin Sharpe.
A dark smile of satisfaction rippled across Cael’s face. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
What had just happened?
Rhianna was reeling, her feet rooted. She had never been this afraid in her life. The rules of the world as she understood it had shifted. If someone could snatch memories right out of her head, what else were they capable of?
Cael took a step towards her. Light played across the blade in his hand. The weapon was forged centuries ago but looked just as deadly today as it must have then.
“Do not worry. You and your father will soon be reunited…”
Cael brought up the blade for the deathblow. He was about to make due on his dark promise when a knife rippled across the exhibit space. Thedagger tore into Cael’s blade in mid-descent. With an explosion of sparks, the druid’s sword went flying. It clanged across the floor, steel connecting with stone, and the sound echoed throughout the exhibit hall.
Rhianna cried out and looked up at her savior. It was the longhaired man she had encountered moments earlier. Rhianna didn’t know who the enigmatic stranger was or where he came from, but she was glad he’d decided to overstay his welcome.
Rhianna backed away from Cael, who had lost all interest in the archeology student. His focus was now directed at Artan. While the two men faced each other, Rhianna remained scrunched against the wall. Too terrified to move but also entranced by the powerful confrontation she bore witness to.
For a moment, Rhianna contemplated making a go for the nearest exit, but she decided it was too risky. She had no intention of becoming collateral damage. She had
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