Lorkana by Emily Zimmerman. (free e books to read TXT) 📕

know of your discovery” the man said, quickly getting up and opening the door.
The door opened, and I gasped yet again.
The throne room was more beautiful then all of the castle put together, it was like a forest, trees surrounded us, flowers grew everywhere, but in the middle of this beautiful room was two thrones, covered in soft grass and flowers. The only reason I knew this was a throne, was because a man sat in it, he straightened when he saw us enter. Logan sat down, letting me ease off of his back. We walked side by side toward who I guessed was King Nefarious.
“What is the meaning of this Logan?” The king sounded outraged as he looked at me.
Suddenly, the white beast was not standing beside me anymore, but a man, he was not like the other shape shifters, his hair was completely white, and he had a stance of authority and pride, He bowed down on one knee, pulling me to do the same “your majesty, I ask your permission for me to explain” Logan said, not looking up at the king.
“No, I will not, first; you destroy my home, then, after I forbade you to come back for three months, you come back with a human!” he yelled in fury.
“Your majesty, this is no ordinary human-“
“I don’t care what she is, she is not allowed here! Do you realize what happened last time we let a human into our home?” King Nefarious got up, grabbing me by the arm and lifting me up from my bow.
His painful grasp on my arm did not let up as he grabbed a knife from his belt “Your majesty, n-“
“She cannot leave this realm alive!” he growled, he put the knife to my neck, but before he could slice it, he looked up into my eyes. He gasped and immediately withdrew the knife, dropping it to the floor.
“My daughter” he whispered, putting his hand on my cheek.
Chapter two:

I stared at him in terror, this man tried to kill me, and now he claims I’m his daughter? He saw the terror in my eyes and sighed “please forgive me, if I had known I…” he trailed off, glancing at Logan.
“Please, let me explain” he said, holding his hand out for me.
I looked at his hand, and glanced at Logan. Logan nodded encouragingly, so I put my hand in his, still a little hesitant.
He led me through a part of the small forest, into a clearing where three small chairs made of vines and grass surrounded a table made of the same thing. I sat down on one of the surprisingly comfortable chairs, across from King Nefarious and Logan “if you don’t mind my saying so, this place is absolutely beautiful” I commented quietly after a few seconds of silence.
“Not at all, thank you, I am glad you think so” he said with a smile.
I studied him as he studied me, I had to admit, he had my eyes, and my hair, chocolate brown hair, and bright green eyes, just like me. But I wouldn’t admit to myself that this man was my father, my father was a kind, loving family man.
“So, onto explaining” King Nefarious, said, starting the conversation that I somehow dreaded.
He took a deep breath and stared passed me, looking at nothing “it happened only three months after you were born, your mother died of childbirth, and I loved you dearly. We were attacked by the humans, and at the time, we weren’t as careful as we are now, the cave in which we live was not shrouded, but we have learned from our mistakes. Anyway, Nathanial Grey infiltrated the castle with a group of humans, we took the humans down easy, but Nathanial managed to escape while the others were distracted, he found in your nursery, the nurse was found knocked out behind your crib, you were gone.
“I never saw you again after that, though I never stopped looking, the only way to recognize you was your eyes, they are an unachievable green, no child ever born has your eyes, they have golden flecks in them, you achieved the gold from your mother, but, obviously, you have mostly my eyes” he explained, moving onto a lighter topic.
So that was how my father knew what the castle looked like, and how he knew I was special, I wondered why he took me, why he told me all these things, and didn’t tell me that he took me from the very place he talked of.
“So…I have been lied to for seventeen years?” I asked, my voice almost deathly calm.
Sadness took over his eyes “apparently so” he said.
I couldn’t…no…wouldn’t believe it! My kind, loving father was no liar, and he wouldn’t do that, a part of my mind informed me that I was in denial, but I didn’t listen.
“I don’t believe you” I whispered.
Shock took over his eyes “You don’t believe me?” he was in disbelief.
“No, I don’t believe you, my parents, and little sister, were slaughtered tonight, and you expect me to except your story with open arms? I’m sorry, but I can’t” didn’t they hear the obvious pain in my voice? If they didn’t hear that, then the tears streaming down my cheeks should have tipped them off to the turmoil I was feeling.
Logan looked apologetic, but not guilty. They both seemed to have no idea why I was crying, I guess they have never had their family slaughtered, heard their screams in the other rooms, knowing you couldn’t do anything about it.
I stood from my chair, “can I please go home? At least give my parents a proper burial, you might not know what it feels like to lose your family, and then get told they were not your family at all, but I do” I said, wiping the tears from my eyes.
King Nefarious stared at me for a few seconds more, and suddenly, his eyes softened “go ahead. Logan, please make sure she gets there safely” he said, waving a hand at Logan.
Logan looked at him in disbelief, but nodded, getting up and bowing his head. I did the same, letting Logan lead me away.
Logan was silent, much like when I first met him, as a beast. He changed into a beast once we were outside of the castle, in the sleeping town; he looked at me and then pointedly to his back. I got on and we were running, I could feel his anger as he ran, and I knew he was angry at me, but he didn’t go through what I went through, he can kill heartlessly, but my father raised me to be merciful to those who deserve it, my family did not deserve to die.
We ran through the plaza, and I did not receive the baleful glares that I did last time, but wolves and men alike, bowing on one knee. I hated it, I did not want that, I wanted my simple life, my father’s stories, my mother’s cooking, and my sister’s endless curiosity about princesses, I missed it all.
Logan ran up the stairs this time, seeming to express his anger through his feet, the faster he ran, was how angry he was getting. I had to concentrate on not falling off of him, but I knew how to ride a horse, being in the many horse races I had been in, I was skilled.
I didn’t care how tight I was holding his fur; I was desperate to stay on. He skidded to a stop as he reached my now eerily quiet house, and almost slammed down on his haunches, making me fall off of him and land on my butt. This did it; I was now angry at him “did it ever occur to you that this might be hard for me? I guess you would never know, since you are a heartless...selfish…beast!” I spat, getting up, dusting myself off and walking angrily toward my house.
I didn’t expect to see what I saw when I swung my door open, and I realized why he jumped out the window. Blood, it covered the floor, my father’s body lay in a pool of blood, I backed away, tripping on something and falling, yet again, to the ground.
My chest heaved with sobs, yet only gasping breaths came out; I covered my mouth and closed my eyes, praying that this was all a dream.
“Johanna, you don’t need to see this” Logan’s hand touched my shoulder, but I jerked away, scrambling to my feet.
“Don’t touch me, just…leave, alright? Leave, please” I begged, taking a step away as he tried to walk towards me.
He studied my eyes for a while, and then, finally, he nodded turning, shifting, and leaving.
I closed my eyes, praying for strength as I prepared to go back in. I opened my eyes, squared my shoulders, and turned to the house, my father always kept me working, kept my strength up, so I could probably dig all three of them proper graves. I avoided the house for as long as I could, walking into the barn, feeding the horse, and grabbing a shovel. I walked out to my mother’s garden, deciding this is where I’ll bury them.
I spent all night, digging three holes. I had just started on my sisters, when the light of day broke through the clouds. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and kept digging, I got about four feet in, before I decided that that was good enough. It was probably five O clock in the evening before I was done, I squared my shoulders, and yet again, prepared myself for what I was going to see. I was tired, and hungry, but then again I felt numb, I just wanted to get this over with. I brought the wheelbarrow over to the front door of the house, because I couldn’t carry my father alone. I closed my eyes, before looking into the still open door. My father’s blood was still partially wet, he felt cold, and his eyes were still open, I kissed his forehead, putting my hand over his face to close his eyes.
I picked him up the best I could, carrying him out of the house, I dragged him into the wheelbarrow, wheeling him to the deepest hole. I had picked a few roses, so, after laying him in the hole, I set a rose on his chest. Then, I went upstairs, into my mother and father’s room; my mother lay on the ground, her neck slit open. I sat beside her and cried, sobbing quietly. Finally, after about an hour of mourning, I wiped my tears as best I could, closed her fear struck, glazed eyes, and picked her up, she was lighter than father, so I didn’t have to use the wheelbarrow. I jumped into her grave, setting her down gently and