Page 3 of Prince of Shadow and Ash

Regulus sighed, but the sigh wasn’t his. “First, I feel my power draining away to heal you twice in rapid succession, then I sense you defying me. I’m trying to decipher this ridiculous code. I don’t need distractions.”

Regulus’ arms raised his sword, and his legs moved him forward. The centaurs backed up, their faces contorted in horror. Regulus mentally begged them to run.

“What is so difficult about following instructions, boy?” his mouth said. “Kill them and get back here, or we’ll have a conversation about your friends.” Regulus’ mind shuddered and protested, but his body didn’t respond. “And be quick about it!”

The feeling of cold iron slipped out of his brain. Regulus teetered forward as control of his body reverted to his own mind. The mark burned faintly. The centaurs stood frozen. One of them muttered something in a language he didn’t understand and drew a strange symbol in the air.

Regulus steeled himself.At least they’re not human. Most centaurs don’t even like humans.The thought didn’t bring comfort.At least they’re not my friends.

He let his instincts and training take over and lunged. Years of sword fighting experience and every ounce of magically enhanced strength, agility, and speed powered his blade. He aimed a thrust at the golden-haired female’s equine ribcage. She gasped and reared back, but that just allowed him to bury the sword straight up through horse and human. She was dead before he pulled his blade free.

Regulus turned and slashed across the hind legs of the second female as she turned to flee, then drove his sword through her back. He turned and found himself staring at the young centaur. The boy stood shaking, rooted to the ground, like a sapling shuddering in a strong wind.

“Run,” Regulus rumbled. He turned from the boy and blocked the sword of a male centaur with a white-and-brown coat. Within moments, the centaur was dead. Regulus spun, looking for the remaining two adult males. Hooves pounded into his chest and Regulus fell backward, gasping for air.

The centaur raised his sword and aimed for Regulus’ neck. Regulus rolled and scrambled to his feet. The centaur turned, his face red. “Sorcerous abomination!”

The centaur swung wildly in his rage. Regulus easily parried the attack and drove his sword up under the bottom edge of the centaur’s leather breastplate. The centaur screamed and toppled over as Regulus pulled out his sword. He looked around. He stood surrounded by centaur corpses, watery mud stained with red swirls, and cattails that rasped against each other, making a sound like mourning. The boy and the last male centaur were gone.

He waited for the mark to burn, to tell him to hunt them down. But it didn’t. He sobbed with relief and left the centaur bodies before his stomach tried to force up nothing. He cleaned some of the blood off his blade with marsh grass. It took him a couple tries to sheath the oversized sword; his hands shook so badly.

Better them than Dresden or Harold or any of the others.Better centaurs in a marsh than my friends in my castle.Still, the screams of the centaurs echoed in his ears. Killing wasn’t difficult—in fact he was good at it. But he had always followed a strict no-killing-innocents policy. Until the sorcerer.

He double-checked the roots tied to his belt. After re-determining his direction, he trudged on. Guilt dragged him down more than the mud and water clogging his boots as the day wore on.

The sun had dipped low to the horizon when he spotted the standing stones. He picked up his pace, eager to be out of that dreadful marsh. His black stallion, Sieger, was waiting where he had left him, munching grass. He mounted Sieger with ease despite his heavy armor and the exhaustion and blood loss. His blood-soaked tunic had dried into stiff, uncomfortable folds beneath his neck.

Regulus made camp after midnight. Increased abilities and healing or no, he still needed rest. Time to recover. Not that he slept well. By himself, he couldn’t remove most of his armor. He slept for a few hours before waking to a pain in his back. Moonlight shone through the trees. With a groan, he stretched as best he could and staggered to his feet.Can’t die, but can still feel like death. He put his greaves, gloves, and helm back on.

“I’m sorry, Sieger.” He rubbed the stallion’s neck, coaxing him awake. “It’s time to go again.”

Sieger nickered and shook his mane.

“I know, I know.” Regulus rubbed Sieger’s muzzle. He would have given almost anything to be asleep in his own bed. But such was not his lot. He removed his helm to take a drink of water and was disappointed to find only one gulp left in his horn. Now he was out of food and water, and with little time to spare to get more. The sorcerer expected him back soon. Begrudgingly, he turned back to Sieger and gripped the pommel of the saddle.

He froze as a branch snapped behind him.

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