Download Sleeping Beauty - Harper Voyager Books

I backed toward the mouth of the cave and the green riot ofhook-briar. The drone of bees reached me now, the call of birds.High summer outside, the seasons turning whilst I slept.‘There’s no escape that way, Jorg.’ Kalla followed. ‘Hook-briarwas one of our works.’‘Yours?’‘Well, not mine. But from this facility. This was a big place once.Three hundred people worked here. Chamber upon chamber, waitingnow for a man with enough vision to excavate them. Hook-briar– a cheaper, self-renewing razor wire. Highly effective engineering.For warmer climes than this of course if you want all-year protection.They never did get a strain that wouldn’t die back in the winter.’‘And your... “projector” is out there?’ I tilted my head toward themidst of the thorns. ‘You’re not worried I might call on you inperson?’ I gave her my dangerous smile. I hadn’t felt like smilingsince I woke but now the edge of an idea sliced through the fadingfog of Kalla’s drugs.Hakon nodded. ‘Safe enough if you wore armour and carriedshears. Naked and without weapons you pose no threat. I tell youthis to show you how hopeless your situation is. Work with me andpower beyond your dreams could be-’‘I’ve dreamed enough, ghost,’ I said. ‘Time to die. Goodbye, BrotherHakon.’His lips twitched, a snarl of effort, and words stuttered out.‘B-b-beauty. S-s-sacrifice.’ His own voice, free of Kalla’s control. Themutterings of a broken mind. Or perhaps his memory of our jokingin Vyene about the price we’d pay to see our enemies burn.I set my strength to untwisting the top of the vial.