A Darker Shade of Sorcery (Sample of now published novel.)

Chapter Twenty Two

Kurrlan threw the body of the Dark-Venator to the ground. The man's face, a moment before etched with evil insanity, now looked young and scared. In his final moments the Dark-Realmer must've realised what Akirandon would do to him once she learned of his failure. Death was probably preferable.

Kurrlan felt no qualms killing him; he'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time. That was all.

Molten blue lava rolled down ruined rock, trickling into rivers of magma that writhed all over the cavernous nest.

The Dread lord looked down at the pieces of his fallen servant, then at the remnant of the spider queen, now only a dried, smouldering husk. Rage built within him, Sellatur had betrayed him.

After his first minion had failed, Kurrlan thought he'd use a more intelligent servant to retrieve the boy. Turned out Sellatur was too intelligent. Oh, how Kurrlan wished he could've killed Sellatur himself for this treachery.

Kurrlan's secret, the secret not even Akirandon knew, was now perilously close to being discovered.

His lieutenant spoke, "Do you think the Dark-Realmer's know about the boy?"

"No, the trace of his sorcery would have brought them here. But if Akirandon had an inkling another of them lived she'd already have him.

"Remove the bodies," Kurrlan ordered.

The Dark-Venators were sure to send more of their kind, to seek the one Kurrlan killed, but Kurrlan could not risk discovery.

His fury would not abate. He'd been mere hours from finally having one of them in his hands. He'd needed that boy. The boy meant everything and now he was in the clasp of those Veneseron fools. They would train him, care for him, they could learn what only Kurrlan knew. He couldn't let that happen. Kurrlan would wage war on Veneseron to have him in his grasp.

He summoned another portal and prepared to return to his own realm.

"Send another; our friends in Veneseron will aid you. I must have the child, before it's too late."