him. I had your mother in thrall to me. Each night I summoned her to the river bank and sipped a little of her blood. I did that for a reason. I wanted your father to come in her place. I wanted tofight him blade against blade one more time. But he never did. His courage failed him.’
‘My mother wouldn’t allow him to go in her place. You’d threatened to kill me. She was trying to protect both me and him. He was brave to the end.’
‘Do you know the real reason why she wouldn’t allow him to take her place?’
Again I didn’t reply. I was standing close to the bars, aware that Hob might reach through at any time or tear them away. One part of me wanted to retreat, but my pride wouldn’t let me.
‘She wanted to meet me by the river, boy . . . When I drain the blood of a human female, it gives her intense pleasure. She was addicted to it. That’s why she wouldn’t let Mathias take her place.’
‘No!’ I cried, stepping closer. ‘That isn’t true!’
Faster than I could have imagined, Hob’s arms shot towards me. I had no time to move. He grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me hard against the grille so that the metal dug into my face and shoulder.
‘Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you now.’ It was hardly more than a whisper. The djinni’s eyes were cold; I couldn’t discern any emotion in them.
Our faces were inches apart and I was staring into those eyes – the whites unusually large, each small dark iris just a pinprick. I was conscious of the power emanating from him and my legs turned to jelly. Hobreleased me, but I was no longer able to move. Those eyes were staring hard into mine, and I was completely in thrall to him.
However, my hatred and desire for revenge soon returned, and I broke free, staggering backwards. Then, instead of retreating, I rushed back towards the bars.
‘In the arena!’ I shouted, almost spitting in his face. ‘We’ll fight in the arena. That’ll be your chance to kill me – that’s if you’ve got the courage! That’s if you’ve got the speed and the skill!’
For a moment Hob just stared at me. Then his hands came through the bars and he grasped my shoulders again, his grip tightening. I sensed his great strength: his huge hands were capable of crushing my shoulders.My courage was replaced by terror. I was about to die or be maimed so that I’d never be able to fight in the arena again.
Then, suddenly, he released me. I fell back onto the steps and rolled down three or four before I managed to stop myself. Trembling, I came up onto my knees and stared at the figure behind the grille.
‘Have you learned to love yet, boy?’ Hob asked , his voice full of menace.
He’d asked me this before, when I’d gone with Tyron to buy back Kern’s remains. Angered by what he’d done, I’d drawn a blade and Tyron had been forced to beg for my life.
Then Hob had asked that strange question:
‘Whom do you love, boy?’
My answer had been that I loved nobody. After all, my parents were dead and I’d had no close friends.
He’d then threatened that when I did
‘My mother wouldn’t allow him to go in her place. You’d threatened to kill me. She was trying to protect both me and him. He was brave to the end.’
‘Do you know the real reason why she wouldn’t allow him to take her place?’
Again I didn’t reply. I was standing close to the bars, aware that Hob might reach through at any time or tear them away. One part of me wanted to retreat, but my pride wouldn’t let me.
‘She wanted to meet me by the river, boy . . . When I drain the blood of a human female, it gives her intense pleasure. She was addicted to it. That’s why she wouldn’t let Mathias take her place.’
‘No!’ I cried, stepping closer. ‘That isn’t true!’
Faster than I could have imagined, Hob’s arms shot towards me. I had no time to move. He grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me hard against the grille so that the metal dug into my face and shoulder.
‘Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you now.’ It was hardly more than a whisper. The djinni’s eyes were cold; I couldn’t discern any emotion in them.
Our faces were inches apart and I was staring into those eyes – the whites unusually large, each small dark iris just a pinprick. I was conscious of the power emanating from him and my legs turned to jelly. Hobreleased me, but I was no longer able to move. Those eyes were staring hard into mine, and I was completely in thrall to him.
However, my hatred and desire for revenge soon returned, and I broke free, staggering backwards. Then, instead of retreating, I rushed back towards the bars.
‘In the arena!’ I shouted, almost spitting in his face. ‘We’ll fight in the arena. That’ll be your chance to kill me – that’s if you’ve got the courage! That’s if you’ve got the speed and the skill!’
For a moment Hob just stared at me. Then his hands came through the bars and he grasped my shoulders again, his grip tightening. I sensed his great strength: his huge hands were capable of crushing my shoulders.My courage was replaced by terror. I was about to die or be maimed so that I’d never be able to fight in the arena again.
Then, suddenly, he released me. I fell back onto the steps and rolled down three or four before I managed to stop myself. Trembling, I came up onto my knees and stared at the figure behind the grille.
‘Have you learned to love yet, boy?’ Hob asked , his voice full of menace.
He’d asked me this before, when I’d gone with Tyron to buy back Kern’s remains. Angered by what he’d done, I’d drawn a blade and Tyron had been forced to beg for my life.
Then Hob had asked that strange question:
‘Whom do you love, boy?’
My answer had been that I loved nobody. After all, my parents were dead and I’d had no close friends.
He’d then threatened that when I did
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