By the Sword - By Sara Flower Page 0,78

their confidence and fought back with a vengeance.

Chapter Twenty

The heavy rain had soaked through Queen Roselyn’s cloak by the time they reached General Edandir’s camp. Uittan had told her nothing the entire way there. They dismounted from their dragon steed, and she followed him into a small, white tent.

Inside was a girl, asleep on a thickly blanketed bed. Several bandages were bound tightly around her limbs. A surgeon was feeling her pulse.

Edandir nodded at Queen Roselyn and Uittan.

“Your Majesty. Prophet.”

“How is she?” asked Uittan.

“Her body has grown weaker every hour,” he said.

“Can we be alone with her for a moment?” asked Uittan.

The surgeon nodded solemnly and left the tent.

“Why, it’s Talya!” cried Queen Roselyn.

“She is the knight with whom I wanted to speak when I came to Sanctus with you. She has completed the mission that God called upon her to do, but at a great cost. If only I had been so faithful when I was that age.”

“Is she going to be alright?” asked Roselyn.

Uittan did not answer.

Roselyn felt guilty for hiding safely away in Sanctus while soldiers and knights far younger than she were risking their lives for their God and country. She hoped that Edandir’s daughter would pull through. He would be heartbroken a second time if Talya passed away.

Uittan placed the sack that he had been carrying at the foot of Talya’s bed. He laid his hand on her forehead and prayed in a tongue that Roselyn had never heard before. He did so for several minutes.

Roselyn knelt down, placed her hand on the girl’s shoulder, and prayed silently.

Uittan stopped and smiled at Roselyn.

“Thank you for praying with me,” he said.

“It is the least that I can do for her. I am her queen.”

“We must be off again.”

“Where are we going?”

“To the battle.”

*****

Jalarn stood alone in a world of black. He could not even see his hands when he held them right in front of his face.

“Jalarn…” hissed a familiar voice.

It didn’t seem smooth or hypnotic this time. Instead, it was hideous and chilling. It was the devil, and this time Jalarn knew exactly what he was.

Jalarn backed away from the voice, but it only came closer.

“Jalarn!” shouted the wretched, raspy voice.

I remember now. Ittonifer threw me down that chasm. I am… I must be… dead?

This was it then. He would pay now for what he had done to so many innocent people, for not putting his faith in the Savior. It was over for him. He hoped that somehow he would have the strength to bear the agony and loneliness that he knew would torment him forever.

Forever. Oh my God! I am a fool.

Cold fingers clenched themselves around his arm, digging their sharp claws deep into his skin.

“Come with me. The master has been waiting for you.”

So, this is not the prince, then. I should have known.

Jalarn couldn’t see it, but he imagined that the thing, whatever he was, was ugly and decaying.

He felt hopeless.

“Who are you?”

“Surely you know. We were very close, you and I. I was the voice inside your head. Oh yessss. I occupied your young, strong body the day that the old warlock anointed you. We were one. The master had such high hopes for you. Pity. Though, you would have ended up here soon enough.”

The evil spirit broke into mad laughter then, sending a chill through to Jalarn’s soul. That’s all he was now. A soul. Hell had been waiting to rip him from his body all that time. His life had been such a waste.

The darkness never left, but scorching heat pressed into his body. They had to be standing at the outskirts of Sheol. Once they went through the gate, Jalarn knew that there was no going back. He wanted to fight the demon, but he was powerless. He could barely move. He felt so tired. He had never felt so weak in all of his life.

A deep voice from somewhere above sang a soft, sad tune. Jalarn could not understand the words, but he instantly knew who was singing it. Suffocating sadness burned him from the inside.

God had truly loved him. He had tugged on Talya’s heart to spare him in Hunter Forest. He had showed him the Bible verse in Talya’s scroll by turning it red. He had suffered for him on the cross. He had done all He could, but Jalarn still had not believed Him. It was too late.

The cry grew louder. Jalarn was sure that it had reached the depths of hell. Jesus