saw
into the room where Dredmore was being held by the
Walshes. I vaguely recalled seeing a mirror of the same
shape on the other side.
“You trust them so much you have to watch them in
secret?” I asked as the Talian shoved me down in one of
the chairs.
“Be quiet.” He moved to stand behind me and placed
the knife under my chin.
I heard Lord Walsh’s voice, and glanced down to see
where it came from: a small grate at the base of the wall.
“—my intent from the beginning,” Walsh was saying.
“Your assaults on Lady Walsh have been entertaining,
but I cannot fathom why you settled on her as a method
of getting to me.”
“I never touched your wife, you daft prick.” Dredmore
gritted his teeth as Montrose tightened the rope round
his neck. “Th e Tillers will know what you’ve done. Th e
moment he begins casting, they’ll come for you. My only
regret is that I will not be here to watch your carcass
being dragged from the river.”
“My dear Dredmore.” Walsh’s face stretched into a
broad smile. “Th e wardlings that hang about almost every
neck and door in the city have hearts of dreamstone. I
know because our Talian friends forged them. Th e Tillers
won’t even know we’re here.”
I didn’t know what dreamstone was, nor did I think
99
Viehl_DisenchantedP2_EG.indd 99
7/15/13 10:25 AM
LYNN VIEHL
Dredmore could be duped by anyone, but from the look
on his face Walsh had done the very thing.
“I take it you lot are Reapers?” I asked the Talian.
“For a stupid skirt, you know much.” Celestino didn’t
sound as if he approved.
“Women in this country have always been vastly
underrated.” My throat tightened as Walsh took a
gleaming red stone from a white velvet pouch. “Lord
Dredmore is insanely wealthy, you know. If I could
convince you to intervene on his behalf, I can guarantee
he would see to it that you would never have to dirty your
hands again with this sort of nonsense.”
“Oh, miss.” He chuckled. “For this, Zarath will make
me king of my country.”
I saw Walsh drop the stone in Dredmore’s hand
before he took the pistol from his son.
I reached out to touch the surface of the two-way
glass. “Lucien.”
As if he’d heard, Dredmore turned his head to look
directly at me, put the stone in his mouth, and swallowed.
At the exact same moment, Lord Walsh placed the pistol
at his own temple and pulled the trigger.
Someone screamed—me, I think—and I gripped the
knife at my throat with my fi ngers and wrenched it out
of the Talian’s hand. Th e blade cut deep into my fi ngers
as I ran out and into the room where Lord Walsh’s body
lay on the fl oor, and his son gagged as he swiped at his
father’s brains, which were all over the front of his fancy
jacket as well as the wall behind him.
100
Viehl_DisenchantedP2_EG.indd 100
7/15/13 10:25 AM
Disench anted & Co., Part 1
I switched the bloody blade to my left hand, ready
to use it as I stepped between the men and Dredmore.
I stepped back until I could reach him. “Lucien, we’re
leaving.” I reached out and grabbed his sleeve, but he
didn’t move. “Lucien.”
Th is time the red streaks of light came out of Lord
Walsh’s body, fi rst from his slack lips, and then in a
burst out of the hole in his head. Th ey fl ew past me,
surrounding Dredmore, who had doubled over, choking
and heaving. Th e red lights swirled, closing in on him
until his entire body glowed. At last he stopped fi ghting
it and slowly stood, and the lights were sucked into the
darkness of his eyes, dwindling until they were two tiny
red glints.
“Dredmore.” I told myself it had been a trick, one of
his ridiculous illusions. “Say something.”
He said nothing, but held up one hand and turned it
over, as if he’d never seen it before. Th en he smiled, his
face changing into something beautiful and terrible, his
eyes taking on a horrid red glow. I didn’t even resist as
the Talian
into the room where Dredmore was being held by the
Walshes. I vaguely recalled seeing a mirror of the same
shape on the other side.
“You trust them so much you have to watch them in
secret?” I asked as the Talian shoved me down in one of
the chairs.
“Be quiet.” He moved to stand behind me and placed
the knife under my chin.
I heard Lord Walsh’s voice, and glanced down to see
where it came from: a small grate at the base of the wall.
“—my intent from the beginning,” Walsh was saying.
“Your assaults on Lady Walsh have been entertaining,
but I cannot fathom why you settled on her as a method
of getting to me.”
“I never touched your wife, you daft prick.” Dredmore
gritted his teeth as Montrose tightened the rope round
his neck. “Th e Tillers will know what you’ve done. Th e
moment he begins casting, they’ll come for you. My only
regret is that I will not be here to watch your carcass
being dragged from the river.”
“My dear Dredmore.” Walsh’s face stretched into a
broad smile. “Th e wardlings that hang about almost every
neck and door in the city have hearts of dreamstone. I
know because our Talian friends forged them. Th e Tillers
won’t even know we’re here.”
I didn’t know what dreamstone was, nor did I think
99
Viehl_DisenchantedP2_EG.indd 99
7/15/13 10:25 AM
LYNN VIEHL
Dredmore could be duped by anyone, but from the look
on his face Walsh had done the very thing.
“I take it you lot are Reapers?” I asked the Talian.
“For a stupid skirt, you know much.” Celestino didn’t
sound as if he approved.
“Women in this country have always been vastly
underrated.” My throat tightened as Walsh took a
gleaming red stone from a white velvet pouch. “Lord
Dredmore is insanely wealthy, you know. If I could
convince you to intervene on his behalf, I can guarantee
he would see to it that you would never have to dirty your
hands again with this sort of nonsense.”
“Oh, miss.” He chuckled. “For this, Zarath will make
me king of my country.”
I saw Walsh drop the stone in Dredmore’s hand
before he took the pistol from his son.
I reached out to touch the surface of the two-way
glass. “Lucien.”
As if he’d heard, Dredmore turned his head to look
directly at me, put the stone in his mouth, and swallowed.
At the exact same moment, Lord Walsh placed the pistol
at his own temple and pulled the trigger.
Someone screamed—me, I think—and I gripped the
knife at my throat with my fi ngers and wrenched it out
of the Talian’s hand. Th e blade cut deep into my fi ngers
as I ran out and into the room where Lord Walsh’s body
lay on the fl oor, and his son gagged as he swiped at his
father’s brains, which were all over the front of his fancy
jacket as well as the wall behind him.
100
Viehl_DisenchantedP2_EG.indd 100
7/15/13 10:25 AM
Disench anted & Co., Part 1
I switched the bloody blade to my left hand, ready
to use it as I stepped between the men and Dredmore.
I stepped back until I could reach him. “Lucien, we’re
leaving.” I reached out and grabbed his sleeve, but he
didn’t move. “Lucien.”
Th is time the red streaks of light came out of Lord
Walsh’s body, fi rst from his slack lips, and then in a
burst out of the hole in his head. Th ey fl ew past me,
surrounding Dredmore, who had doubled over, choking
and heaving. Th e red lights swirled, closing in on him
until his entire body glowed. At last he stopped fi ghting
it and slowly stood, and the lights were sucked into the
darkness of his eyes, dwindling until they were two tiny
red glints.
“Dredmore.” I told myself it had been a trick, one of
his ridiculous illusions. “Say something.”
He said nothing, but held up one hand and turned it
over, as if he’d never seen it before. Th en he smiled, his
face changing into something beautiful and terrible, his
eyes taking on a horrid red glow. I didn’t even resist as
the Talian
Similar Books
