The Darkest Sword by Samantha Kroese (ebook voice reader txt) 📕

Master is…perverse, perhaps. But that doesn’t mean all who enjoy such things share his sickness.”

Ashiyn tilted his head as Soryn came closer. He could sense the other boy’s arousal with his magic, and it made him raise a brow again. “You find me attractive? Why? I would sooner rip out your heart than take you any other way.”

“Could you at least try to take me the other way first?” Soryn whispered as he leaned in close. “You can do as you like afterward.”

Ashiyn did not have time to react. He barely had time to register what had happened when Soryn flew to the floor. The giant blur of the monster before him was almost too fast. Ashiyn growled and grabbed Rhadamanthus’s arm before his Master could land a killing blow. “No! Stop!”

“You dare?” Rhadamanthus roared and flung Ashiyn like a ragdoll onto the table full of weapons.

Ashiyn landed hard and his body paid for it. Several of the weapons left their marks and drew blood. Still, he slid off the table and faced Rhadamanthus again. All he could see was Soryn lying there with a bloodied nose, absolute terror on his face. Ashiyn didn’t like Rhadamanthus taking away things he was interested in, and he knew the monster would kill Soryn. “He didn’t do anything!”

“He was going to! He is a perverse little worm just like his Master,” Rhadamanthus growled and kicked Soryn, making Soryn cry out. Ashiyn could hear the bones snap and he winced. “No. It was my fault. I was curious if you were right. Punish me instead.”

Soryn glanced at Ashiyn with a mix of terror and horror and shook his head.

Rhadamanthus ignored Ashiyn, and reached to grab Soryn, instead Ashiyn was there in front of him and smacked Rhadamanthus across the face with the flat of his blade. “I said punish me instead.”

Rhadamanthus stood back, stunned for a moment, his long black talons tracing over where the blade had struck him. “You will die for that, boy. I will teach you not to defy me.”

“Run,” Ashiyn hissed to Soryn as he backed up toward the other boy. “Hurry, or he’ll kill us both.”

Soryn scrambled to his feet and, clutching his ribs, scurried for the doorway. Ashiyn kept up his defiance until he saw Soryn disappear around the doorframe. Then he dropped his blade and let Rhadamanthus grab him. It took quite a while for his Master to exhaust his rage and, as Ashiyn finally crumpled and darkness swam at the edge of his vision signaling death was close, he saw Soryn still there in the doorway. The other boy had watched the entire thing. Ashiyn let out one last growl before the darkness took him.

CHAPTER THREE

Ashiyn strode toward the entrance of the castle when he heard the defiant scream of an animal. It did not sound anything like the bellowing of the massive bulls his Master’s race rode. He glanced back at the bull he had just left with the servant, and it stood there docile and quiet. The scream came again and lured Ashiyn toward the courtyard. There within the dusty courtyard a giant four-legged creature lunged and threw itself around one of the guards. Ashiyn had never seen anything like it. The animal’s silver coat glistened with sweat and foam, and its almond-shaped eyes bulged and were ringed with white. Nostrils flared wide and powerful legs flung hooves in fury at the man at the end of the rope.

Ashiyn sensed Rhadamanthus come up behind him. “What is that?”

Rhadamanthus made a disgusted noise. “That is a horse. They are flighty, unpredictable creatures that humans like to enslave as mounts. Unreliable. Dangerous. Terrible in battle.” Rhadamanthus trailed off as Ashiyn started away from him. “Where are you going?”

“I want it,” Ashiyn said, as though that explained everything. It did, really. He was Prince, second only to his Master. If it was something Rhadamanthus did not want, Ashiyn had free rein to take it.

“You idiot, boy. That beast will kill you. Will it be worth it? You have work to do!” Rhadamanthus called after him.

Ashiyn ignored him and dropped down into the courtyard. He used his magic to shred the man holding the beast to ribbons, and the confused horse squealed and bolted to the other side of the arena as soon as it was loose. He used his magic to free the horse from the ropes and other confusing contraptions they had strung on it, until the beast stood before him unconfined.

The animal stood across from him, shivering and snorting, its head lowered as though it was trying to decide if Ashiyn was a threat. Ashiyn could see the intelligence in the creature’s eyes. So much smarter than those stupid bulls that his Master insisted they ride. He looked around and saw a bowl of fresh fruit up by his Master. With an outstretched hand he used his magic to yank a piece of it to him then he broke it open. Maybe the horse would like it? He edged closer, offering the horse the fruit. “Come here. My Master says your kind serves humans. I’m human enough, see? I’ll protect you from these creatures. You can trust me.”

The horse’s long ears flicked back and forth at Ashiyn’s voice. Then it stretched its neck as far as it could and sniffed at the fruit. Ashiyn froze, watching the creature, trying to will it to trust him. He was not sure why he wanted the horse so badly, but he wanted it more than he had anything for quite a while. The horse’s velvet lips grabbed the fruit from his hand and munched it noisily.

Perfect. Easily bribed with food. Ashiyn snickered and ran a hand along the steed’s powerful neck. He offered the other half of the fruit and while the animal was busy eating it, he swung up onto its back. The horse snorted and flung