"Sara Douglass - Redemption 3 - Crusader" - читать интересную книгу автора (Douglass Sara)

Sometimes the most insanely unhinged of people manage to assume the demeanour of the coldly logical,
and so it was with StarLaughter. She had her purpose — as madly illogical as it might seem to anyone
else — and purpose gave her the appearance of sanity.
She stared thoughtfully towards Spiredore, her now composed face wiped free of any
remaining spittle. Then, making up her mind, StarLaughter walked confidently back to Spiredore, its
white-walled towers still gleaming incongruously in the devastated landscape.
"Pray to every star in existence I have the time to do what I must," she muttered, and then
tossed her head at a low-flying mind-maddened egret. She smiled at it; one could not be sure these days,
among this horde of demented livestock, of which reported directly to the Demons and which just
eddied about in chaotic dementia, and StarLaughter knew she had to be careful.
After all, wasn't almost everyone in this devastated world plotting against her?
A hand grasped her ankle, and StarLaughter shrieked and tried to jerk herself free.
The hand tightened, and StarLaughter gave in to an instant of uncontrolled panic.
Only for an instant, as she realised who held her.
"WolfStar," she cried, almost unable to grasp her good fortune. This was a sign from the
Stars themselves!
Wolf Star completely missed the momentary joy that swept
across StarLaughter's face. His fingers tightened fractionally about her ankle. "I can feel your heartbeat
thudding through your veins," he whispered. "Did I surprise you?"
She pulled herself free — she would allow no-one to bind her again, not even WolfStar — and
stepped back. Her husband was a mess; his body was covered in bruises, abrasions and weeping scabs.
Clotting blood besmeared his chest and belly, and streaked his face and hands. StarLaughter thought he
should at least make the attempt to wipe it off.
Almost as if he'd read her mind, WolfStar absently wiped a hand across his chest, and flicked some
of the blood away.
It made no difference.
"Why are you still here?" StarLaughter said. "I thought you might have made good your escape by
now."
But she knew why he was still here, didn't she? Destiny had meant him to find her. One of her hands
twitched, half-extended itself towards WolfStar, then dropped.
"Who is it?" he hissed, making an unsuccessful grab at the hem of her tattered gown.
"What?" Surely he recognised her!
"Who still controls the enchantment in this Star-forsaken land?" WolfStar said. " Why is there still
enchantment about?"
StarLaughter chewed her lip, wondering if WolfStar's experiences had left him slightly
deranged.
"Tell me!" WolfStar shouted, managing to grab her ankle again and pull her over.
She fell atop him, puzzlement replaced with anger, and drove her fist into his belly.
WolfStar cried out and let her go, curling up into a ball and sobbing with agony.
 "You are a fool!" StarLaughter said, finally understanding what WolfStar was on about. She
scrabbled back to her feet, making sure that this time she retreated to a non-grabbable
distance. "You backed Caelum, didn't you? You thought he was the one to defeat Qeteb, didn't
you? Ha! He was not the StarSon."
"What?" WolfStar said, rolling over and staring at her. "Who is?"
She smirked, revelling in the knowledge that WolfStar needed her. "Think I am going to tell you? I
—"
"Who?"
Something howled far to the north, and StarLaughter looked toward Spiredore anxiously. "The