grabbed me, and dragged me
from the bed, thrusting me behind him as he assessed the
two men.
“I thought magic didn’t work near me,” I whispered as
I glanced over his shoulder.
“Th ey’re not using it on you,” he muttered back. “And
I have no power against Aramanthan-charmed icestone.”
“You couldn’t have mentioned this earlier?” We were
cornered, and the Talian and Montrose were coming
round the bed after us. I thought of what the diseased
little sod wanted to do to me and shuddered. “I’d like to
be killed fi rst, if you wouldn’t mind.”
“No one has to die,” Celestino said to Dredmore.
“Zarath will see to it that you live for a very long time,
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Disench anted & Co., Part 1
my lord.”
Dredmore’s hand nearly crushed mine before he spoke
to the Talian. “I will give you what you want, as soon as
you release Miss Kittredge.”
Montrose giggled. “Th at’ll be a snowday in Hades.”
“She’s nothing but a stupid, nameless skirt,” Dredmore
continued, making me want to kick him in a few sensitive
places. “You don’t need her.”
“True, but you seem to care for her, my lord.”
Celestino fl ipped his dagger over his hand in a fl ashy,
useless show of dexterity. “Cooperate with us, and I will
spare her life.” He smirked. “Perhaps Zarath will choose
to make her your body servant.”
Dredmore turned his back on them and grabbed me
by the arms, kissing me hard on the mouth before hauling
me through an adjoining door, slamming it shut in the
Talian’s face.
I glanced round us but saw no other door or window
to provide an avenue of escape. “Lucien, we cannot stay
in here forever.” Indeed, the men on the other side of the
door were hammering on it.
“I know. I am about to be possessed by one of the
Aramanthan, Charmian,” he said as he braced his
shoulders against the door panel. “A Reaper warlord,
who means to eat my spirit in order to own my body and
use my power for his own purposes. I am too weakened
by the drugs to fi ght him off , and he can control mortals
the way I control the spiritborn. With my power added
to his, no one will be able to resist him, not even you.”
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LYNN VIEHL
I saw the door shudder in its frame as someone on the
other side bashed against it. “Lucien—”
“Shut up. When they are fi nished, it will be on you to
put an end to it.” His grip turned bruising. “Th is thing
will occupy my fl esh, but my spirit will go where it can
never touch me. I understand now. I will be where Harry
has been, all this time. Now swear to me that you will
kill it. Kill my body.” As I remained silent, he shouted it
again. “Swear to me.”
“Lucien.” I saw the terror in his eyes, and it shocked
me into agreement. “I will. I swear it.” And then, because
I simply couldn’t help myself, I said, “I love you.”
Th e door gave way, thrusting Dredmore against me.
I held him as long as I could, my throat too tight now to
speak.
“So touching.” Montrose looped the rope round
Dredmore’s neck, dragging him back out of the way,
and forced him to his knees. I started after them, but the
Talian got hold of me again and marched me toward the
door.
Th e knife at my throat kept me from struggling. “I’d
like to stay, if you don’t mind.”
“We cannot have you in the room,” he told me.
“Nothing can interfere when the warlord takes
possession.”
“What warlord?”
“Zarath, like we said.” He grinned exactly as a child
let loose in an unsupervised sweets shop would. “Do not
worry. Soon you will come to know him very well.”
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Disench anted & Co., Part 1
He guided me into the next room, the furnishings of
which were oddly arranged in a half-circle facing the wall.
I saw an unframed oval of glass, through which I
from the bed, thrusting me behind him as he assessed the
two men.
“I thought magic didn’t work near me,” I whispered as
I glanced over his shoulder.
“Th ey’re not using it on you,” he muttered back. “And
I have no power against Aramanthan-charmed icestone.”
“You couldn’t have mentioned this earlier?” We were
cornered, and the Talian and Montrose were coming
round the bed after us. I thought of what the diseased
little sod wanted to do to me and shuddered. “I’d like to
be killed fi rst, if you wouldn’t mind.”
“No one has to die,” Celestino said to Dredmore.
“Zarath will see to it that you live for a very long time,
96
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Disench anted & Co., Part 1
my lord.”
Dredmore’s hand nearly crushed mine before he spoke
to the Talian. “I will give you what you want, as soon as
you release Miss Kittredge.”
Montrose giggled. “Th at’ll be a snowday in Hades.”
“She’s nothing but a stupid, nameless skirt,” Dredmore
continued, making me want to kick him in a few sensitive
places. “You don’t need her.”
“True, but you seem to care for her, my lord.”
Celestino fl ipped his dagger over his hand in a fl ashy,
useless show of dexterity. “Cooperate with us, and I will
spare her life.” He smirked. “Perhaps Zarath will choose
to make her your body servant.”
Dredmore turned his back on them and grabbed me
by the arms, kissing me hard on the mouth before hauling
me through an adjoining door, slamming it shut in the
Talian’s face.
I glanced round us but saw no other door or window
to provide an avenue of escape. “Lucien, we cannot stay
in here forever.” Indeed, the men on the other side of the
door were hammering on it.
“I know. I am about to be possessed by one of the
Aramanthan, Charmian,” he said as he braced his
shoulders against the door panel. “A Reaper warlord,
who means to eat my spirit in order to own my body and
use my power for his own purposes. I am too weakened
by the drugs to fi ght him off , and he can control mortals
the way I control the spiritborn. With my power added
to his, no one will be able to resist him, not even you.”
97
Viehl_DisenchantedP2_EG.indd 97
7/15/13 10:25 AM
LYNN VIEHL
I saw the door shudder in its frame as someone on the
other side bashed against it. “Lucien—”
“Shut up. When they are fi nished, it will be on you to
put an end to it.” His grip turned bruising. “Th is thing
will occupy my fl esh, but my spirit will go where it can
never touch me. I understand now. I will be where Harry
has been, all this time. Now swear to me that you will
kill it. Kill my body.” As I remained silent, he shouted it
again. “Swear to me.”
“Lucien.” I saw the terror in his eyes, and it shocked
me into agreement. “I will. I swear it.” And then, because
I simply couldn’t help myself, I said, “I love you.”
Th e door gave way, thrusting Dredmore against me.
I held him as long as I could, my throat too tight now to
speak.
“So touching.” Montrose looped the rope round
Dredmore’s neck, dragging him back out of the way,
and forced him to his knees. I started after them, but the
Talian got hold of me again and marched me toward the
door.
Th e knife at my throat kept me from struggling. “I’d
like to stay, if you don’t mind.”
“We cannot have you in the room,” he told me.
“Nothing can interfere when the warlord takes
possession.”
“What warlord?”
“Zarath, like we said.” He grinned exactly as a child
let loose in an unsupervised sweets shop would. “Do not
worry. Soon you will come to know him very well.”
98
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Disench anted & Co., Part 1
He guided me into the next room, the furnishings of
which were oddly arranged in a half-circle facing the wall.
I saw an unframed oval of glass, through which I
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