"Sara Douglass - Redemption 2 - Pilgrim" - читать интересную книгу автора (Douglass Sara)

"Zenith!" StarDrifter breathed, locking eyes with the woman, but before he could move, Axis rose to his
feet.
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5
The Prodi
Axis stared, and тАФ in a single flash of thought тАФ remembered. He remembered the years of pain and
suffering that had been needed to defeat both Borneheld and Gorgrael. The men and women who had died
in order to reunite Tencendor. The lives that had been ruined by those who had thought to seize power
illegally. He remembered how he and Azhure had fought to rebuild a life, not only for themselves and their
family, but for an entire nation.
He remembered how they had thought themselves free of grief and treachery.
But here before him stood the son who had spent his time in Azhure's womb plotting how best to kill both
elder brother and father. Here was the son who'd conspired with Gorgrael, who had murdered RiverStar,
and who had single-handedly wrought the complete destruction of all Axis had fought so long and hard for.
Here. Before him. Standing as if he thought to ask for a place among them.
And beside him, Faraday and Zenith. Had both been corrupted by his evil, both seduced into supporting his
treachery? His lover and his daughter тАФ had they no loyalty for Axis either?
"You vile bastard," Axis said, very quietly but with such
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hatred that Faraday instinctively took a half-step in front of Drago. "How dare you present yourself to me?"
And then he leapt forward.
Herme stepped forward to stop him, but Axis spun about and slammed a fist into his face, knocking him to
the ground. As Herme fell, Axis grabbed a knife from the Earl's weapons belt and strode forward again.
Zared jumped to his feet, but was pulled back by Caelum, and both tumbled to the ground.
"No!" Faraday cried, taking another step forward, but Axis shoved her to one side. Faraday stumbled back
against Zenith who had to wrap both arms about her to prevent her falling.
Before anyone else had time to move, or even cry out, Axis seized Drago, slammed him back against a tree,
and buried the knife a half-finger's depth into the junction of Drago's neck and shoulder.
One of the donkeys brayed, and both pranced nervously.
"I should have done this forty years ago!" Axis cried, and he stabbed the dagger as deep into Drago's neck
as he could.
Drago gagged, uttered a low, choking cry, then sagged against the tree trunk as his father wrenched the
knife out.
Axis drew it back for the final, killing blow.
Blood pumped out of Drago's neck.
Faraday jerked out of Zenith's arms and tried to grab Axis' hand or arm, but he was too strong for her, and
threw her to the ground, overbalancing himself.
"Axis!" Zared yelled, scrambling to his feet again, but this time both Askam and Caelum grabbed him and
wrestled him back a pace or two.
"For the Stars' sakes, Zared," Caelum cried, "let my father end this now\" He hooked a foot under Zared's
leg, and toppled him to the ground.
Leagh dropped to her husband's side, shooting Caelum a hard look. At the same time Zenith knelt by
Drago, her joy at seeing StarDrifter alive completely forgotten in her concern
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for her brother. She grabbed at the hem of her cloak, tearing a section free, and folded the material into a
thick square, using it to try to stifle the blood seeping from Drago's throat. Everyone else stood, helpless
and unsure, wondering who was right, wondering what could be done, wondering whether or not another
death would truly help.