Sons of Evil: Book 1 Book of Dread (9 page)

Kaelesh went on as if Landri
had admitted the book was lost. “If you think the book not being in your
possession changes things between us, you are wrong. But I fear it falling into
the wrong hands.
That
could be a very, very serious problem.” As he said
this he leaned so close that Landri could feel the heat of his breath,

Unable to bear Kaelesh’s gaze
any longer, Landri turned his head. “I’ve always kept the book’s location my
own secret.”

“Of course. But I believe
someone has stumbled upon it and taken it.”

“Even if that were true, what
could be done about it?” Landri asked in a dismissive way, even as he allowed a
small bloom of hope to blossom within himself.

“I can find it, if you wish
it.”

“How?”

In reply to this Kaelesh only
smiled, a smile so cold and cruel it made Landri shudder.

The sun
was just rising over the horizon, and its first rays lit Luke’s face, but
didn’t yet wake him. Darius looked past his brother and saw the light play on a
spider web wet with morning dew. He didn’t care much for spiders, creepy, ugly
little creatures that usually gave him the chills, but there was a beauty to
their webs that few could deny. He marveled at how strong and delicate the web
could be at the same time.

So lost did he become in
admiring the web that when Adrianna nudged him he gave a start. He collected
himself, smiled an embarrassed smile, and took the peach she offered. Glancing
around, he asked, “Where’s Silas?”

“Morning prayer, I imagine. He’ll
be back shortly.”

When the cleric arrived a few
minutes later, he found his companions all awake and finishing their modest
breakfast. Luke held a peach out toward him.

“No, thanks,” Silas said. “Already
downed a few berries I found. But I brought you something.” He held up two
sturdy looking sticks, and tossed one to Luke. “Your brother has a sword, and
Adrianna… well, she doesn’t need weapons such as we do. However, as you and I
are short-handed, I thought these might be of use.”

Luke looked at the stick with
a smirk and a shake of his head. “This might be of use against a rabbit or a
pig, assuming it was slow-witted. If you want to use this on a man…maybe if
he’s asleep?”

Silas shrugged and smiled
softly, clearly taking no offense. “Grab your brother’s sword then, and come at
me.”

The challenge caught Luke
off-guard. “I’d be afraid I might hurt you.”

“Not your problem. I need a
workout anyway. Darius, give him your sword.”

Darius drew the blade slowly
and offered it to Luke. “I’m not sure this is a good idea. We don’t need an
injury.”

“I agree,” said Luke. “This is
dangerous.”

“I promise I won’t injure you
severely,” said Silas. He took his stick in both hands, holding it comfortably
in front of himself.

“Silas, I—”

“Come on, Junior. Unless
you’re looking to talk me to death.”

Luke sighed, then made a
half-hearted lunge at the cleric, bringing the blade around in a cautious
sweep, as if expecting to have to stop it inches from Silas’ ribs.

Silas spun the stick so
quickly it seemed to have leapt from one point to another. It batted the sword
aside, catching the flat of the blade, and Silas bounced back a couple of
steps. “Better come in hard next time, boy. I’m not going to just parry this
time.”

Luke did come in hard, too
hard, charging when he should have moved with steady purpose, and hacking
wildly. Again the blow was blunted, but this time the staff changed direction,
taking Luke in the back of the knees. No sooner was he off his feet than Silas
knocked the sword from his hand and brought the staff down hard, stopping
within a long whisker of Luke’s face.

“Not much of a workout,” Silas
said, “but we can practice in our spare time.” He offered an embarrassed Luke a
hand and helped him up.

“I suppose if I grab the sword
and lunge at you again when your back’s turned, I’ll end up on the seat of my
pants again.”

“You would. But you’re too
smart for that, I would bet. Emotion throws off your balance, and only a fool
repeats what’s already proven a failure.”

While Darius put away the
sword, Adrianna handed Luke the stick Silas had offered him, and added a pat on
the back. “If it makes you feel any better, the staff is his chosen weapon, and
he likely could disarm a group of trained soldiers.”

“ ‘Chosen weapon,’ ” Darius
repeated. “I thought you were a cleric, a man of God.”

“And so I am. One who can
defend himself as needed.”

“What about the meek
inheriting the world?” Darius asked.

“They might inherit it,”
Adrianna said, “but while they’re waiting, the strong will try to take it by
force.”

Silas shook his head and let
out a grunt of a laugh. “Why don’t you leave the theology to me?”

“Be glad to, and I’ll handle
the magic. Think your friend Barlow will agree to that arrangement?”

Silas shrugged. “One can
always hope.”

*

Another long day’s march had
stolen away their will for conversation, and as the sun neared the horizon they
passed silently into a narrow lane shrouded by tall oaks that grew on both
sides. In the canopy above, a sound grew, a rustling noise as of hundreds of
birds moving about. The large green leaves hid the winged creatures, which
nestled high up, from the gazes of the humans traveling below.

Silas was bringing up the
rear, and like the others he had been lost somewhere in his own thoughts when
the growing noise from above finally penetrated his consciousness. He studied
the trees, not liking the fact that he couldn’t see the source of the sound,
which increased the further down the lane they passed. He paused, then gave a
soft whistle to get the attention of his companions. When they turned to look
at him, he motioned for them to stop and be quiet. Slowly the four of them drew
together.

“What is it?” Adrianna asked
in a whisper.

“That sound,” he answered,
pointing to the trees.

“Just birds, right?” Luke
asked, unsure now because of the look on Silas’ face.

“I don’t think so. Darius, I’m
sure you’ve noticed the way carrion will trail the armies.”

Darius nodded.

“Noticed any other flying
scavengers, some that may or may not be birds?”

“We thought they were bats,”
Darius said. “Big, ugly ones. To be honest, I try not to watch when they come. It’s
disgusting and…well, next time that might be me.”

“I don’t blame you. And these
things do appear to be kin to bats, if you ever see one up close. I’ve heard
rumors of them becoming more aggressive, too. Going after livestock—living I
mean, not dead.”

This comment made them all
gaze upward again, and each shrunk away a bit more from the overhanging boughs
of the trees.

“I don’t think we should be under
here once it gets dark,” Adrianna said, gesturing at the setting sun, which now
appeared to be racing for the horizon as if it wanted to hide too.

“I agree,” said Darius. “Should
we go back? I can’t see the end of this lane going forward.”

“That would probably be best,”
Silas said. He turned and managed to take a few steps before a high-pitched
chattering noise started above them. It grew in volume, the unseen creatures
above calling and answering one another.

Darius drew his sword, the
sound of metal-on-metal drowned out by the cacophony around them. Luke gripped
his staff so tightly his knuckles went white.

Like an explosion the
creatures took wing. They soared over the tops of the trees, going north, and
were far more numerous than even the most pessimistic of the travelers would
have guessed. In the fading light of day, they almost appeared as one large
blanket, nearly blotting out the sky that had been visible above the lane. They
kept up their chattering as they took flight, a sound that sent chills down
every spine. They moved swiftly, and from the ground one could make out only
the rough form of a large bat, with claw-like feet that dangled well below
thick, leathery wings, and a body colored a mottled gray and red. Only when the
creatures were well out of sight did someone venture to speak.

“Didn’t see us, or smell us,”
Silas guessed. “If we can find a sheltered spot for the night, I think that
would be good.”

The others agreed, and
Adrianna added, “Wish we weren’t going the same way as those things.”

As they resumed their hike
under the trees, Darius moved close to Silas. “I’ve never seen them in numbers
like that.”

“Nor I, especially this far
from the war. I wish I knew what it meant.”

“It can’t be good.”

“No, it can’t.” With a sigh,
he walked on.

*

They were able to find shelter
in an abandoned barn that evening, and when the next day broke crisp and clear,
it was hard, looking at the picture-perfect sky, to imagine trouble of any sort
was happening in Corterra.

“A morning like this makes you
feel alive,” Silas said as he drew in a deep breath and let his chest rise and
fall. “Gorgeous.”

Darius smelled the sweet
fragrance on the air, but his smile was troubled. “When I was in the army, days
like this made me melancholy. Seemed wrong that people would die on such a day,
but die they did. Never known the sunshine to delay a General’s plans or change
a murderous heart.”

“Wow,” Luke observed. “Thanks
for the pep talk.”

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to depress
everyone. It’s just…”

Adrianna finished the thought,
“You’ve seen too much to think everything is as peaceful as it is here at this
moment.”

Darius nodded.

“I have, too,” Silas said,
“but dwelling on it won’t help us today. Be on guard, always, but while we have
such a day, be thankful and enjoy it while it lasts.”

What joy they took lasted
until just past noon. They crested a small hill, and before them was a farm, no
different than most they had come across on their journey, a small home with
some land for growing crops and some livestock, a family working to get by in
the world. But a stillness hung over the place like a black cloud, and though
they could see little until they moved closer, they all instinctively knew
something was wrong.

Darius called it first,
pointing to where a group of cows lay in the field. “Those bat-creatures came
this way.”

As they neared the fallen
animals, a stench of blood and death assaulted them. The cows looked less like
what they had been the closer they drew, having been gutted viciously, what was
left of their hides covered with puncture wounds received from hundreds of
small, sharp teeth. Luke turned green and had to stop, but he couldn’t manage
to take his eyes off the slaughtered animals.

“This is what I meant,” Silas
said softly. “They’ve become more aggressive.”
“They’ve never been shy at the front. You could tell when they were near from
the way the horses would start and carry on. And they usually ran off any other
carrion once they decided to claim a prize. But at least they kept their
distance from the army. Wonder if it will stay that way.”

Silas looked past Darius for a
moment, then said, “Why don’t you tend to your brother. Looks like he could use
some fresh air, and there’s nothing we can do here.”

Affected less by Silas’ words
than his expression, he followed the cleric’s gaze and saw that Adrianna was
moving away, going alone toward the house. “Guess she needed some fresh air
too.”

“Hmpf,” was all Silas managed
for a reply.

Darius moved Luke away from
the carnage, and a few minutes later Silas joined them, casting a worried look
back at the house every few seconds. At last Adrianna reappeared, carrying a
dirty sack and moving with purpose.

When she arrived, she opened
the sack and dropped one of the bat-things at their feet. Its head lolled to
one side, its neck broken, and blood still stained the row of sharp teeth
visible in its open mouth. Its eyes were open in death, and were a solid black,
adding to its malicious appearance. Its proportions set it apart from a bat,
the wings, head, and claws seeming too large for the body. Up close the gray
and red mottling of its skin gave it a sickly look, and it was hairless except
for a tuft on top of its head. Its ears were round and centered on the side of
its head, and all-in-all it looked far too much like a mutated child that had
grown wings.

“Things got in the house,”
Adrianna stated flatly.

“Were there—” Silas stopped
himself. Adrianna’s face was all the answer he needed.

“It was a family of four, as
best as I can tell. Must be at least thirty of these things scattered about as
well. The farmer’s family put up a fight, but from the looks of the place…”

“You needn’t speak of it
anymore,” said Silas.

“Only one more thing. The
windows were shattered and the door open. Whether that happened during the
fight or before, I can’t say. But I saw several roof shingles bent and broken,
as well as many boards that made up the walls of the home damaged in like
fashion.”

“What are you saying?” Darius
asked.

“That those things apparently
were tearing the house apart to get inside. That even shuttered windows and
locked doors won’t guarantee our safety, or anyone else’s.”

*

Kaelesh let the horse move
along at a plodding gait, every hoofbeat kicking up a small cloud of dust in
the sweltering midday heat. The soldiers that marched with him were covered
with sweat and grime, but there was nary a grumble or a dirty look amongst
them. All knew better than to get on the wrong side of Landri’s top advisor. Even
on a day such as this, Kaelesh did not appear to sweat, and felt no need to pause
for water, and therefore the men would march without drinks as well. He moved
slowly, not for them or for the horse, but because it pushed them toward their
limits in a different way than a fast march would have, the long, slow grind
testing them and their willpower. And Kaelesh loved finding to what limits men
could be pushed.