Shadows of Fire (The Shadow Realms, Book 1) by Brenda Davies (free e books to read .TXT) 📕

around before climbing intothe shadowy interior of the shed. She stepped out of Orin’s waybefore hurrying over to one of the three windows.

Even if someone had their face against theglass, they couldn’t see into the shed. Her father had made sure ofthat with tinted windows.

Still, she approached the glass slowly beforepeaking outside. Nothing moved through the trees, so she went toone of the other windows.

She checked that one before going to the lastwindow. The last window held her attention longer than the others.Through the trees encircling the shed, she could see smoke coilinginsidiously into the air from the remains of the marketplace.

The smoke made her recall the thunderousbooms that shook the earth and the way the dragon destroyed withoutremorse. Screams echoed in her head as that helpless feelingdescended over her again.

She despised feeling so powerless in thisnew, uncertain world. There had to be something she could do to putan end to all the death and senseless violence, but she had no ideawhat.

Orin’s reflection appeared in the glass as hecame to stand behind her. “What happened there?” he inquired.

“The Lord decided there was a traitor in themarketplace.”

“Was there?”

“I don’t think so.”

“That makes sense.”

She turned to face him. “How does that makesense?”

He shrugged as he rubbed at the thick layerof stubble lining his chin. “Because the only thing the Lord doesconsistently is killing and destroying indiscriminately. Now thatthe war is over, he has to focus his bloodlust somewhere, and itdoesn’t matter to him if that focus deserves it or not. He enjoyskilling too much to stop now.”

Her blood ran cold; the beings in themarketplace were most likely innocent, but she wasn’t. Harboringhim made her a traitor, but that might not matter. The Lord couldget bored and send his dragons here anyway.

However, she preferred to lessen her chancesof that happening. Terror spurred her into action, and she pushedagainst Orin’s solid chest as she nudged him toward the door. “Youhave to go.”

She expected him to resist her or offer upsome wiseass response, but he relented to her desperate hands. Whenhe arrived at the door, he rested his hand on the knob and facedher.

“Don’t ever tell anyone I was here,” hesaid.

“Do I look like an idiot?” she retorted.“Don’t ever come back. You’ll find the shed locked as well as theentrance to the tunnel. I also plan on shutting some gates andblocking off this section of the tunnel.”

His black eyes were as emotionless as ashark’s as they roamed over her. She didn’t shrink beneath hisscrutiny. Instead, she scowled at him as a smile curved the edgesof his mouth.

“Farewell then,” he said.

He opened the door and stepped outside. Shestarted to close the door behind him, but he held out his palm tostop her and nudged it back open.

“If I were you, I’d stay away from mybrother. Cole’s even more ruthless than me.”

With those final words, he released the doorand sauntered away like he didn’t have a care in the world. Thebastard shoved his hands in his pockets and whistled while hewalked.

It took everything Lexi had not to slam thedoor behind him. Instead, she quietly closed it and turned thelocks. She would have to remember to bring the keys with her thenext time she came to the shed; there was no way she was leavingthis door unlocked again.

She refused to consider his words as sheslipped into the tunnel and slid the bolts back into place beforeretreating into the tunnels. She closed a few gates behind her toensure the tunnel was blocked off further.

When she finished, the only thing she had todo was think on Orin’s parting words as she walked back toward thestables.

CHAPTER 56

“You’re home,” his father said as he glided acrossthe floor toward them.

He embraced Brokk first, and they hugged eachother before breaking apart. His father grasped Brokk’s shouldersand leaned back to study him. “How are you?”

“Much better now,” Brokk replied. “Though Icould use a shower and my clothes.”

“Go do what you must and then meet me in mysolar.”

Brokk nodded before leaving.

“And how are you doing?” his father inquiredas they embraced.

“I’ve been worse,” Cole said. “But I have toagree about my clothes.”

His father laughed and squeezed hisshoulders. “Go on then; meet me in my solar as soon as you’refinished.”

Cole slipped away. He retreated to his room,where he showered and dressed in clothes that fit him. His clotheswere far more comfortable, but he missed the ones he’d worn as theystill smelled of Lexi.

The soap and water had washed her scent fromhim. However, the memory of it teased his nostrils as he recalledthe feel of her in his arms. And the sooner he returned to hisfather, the sooner he could see her again.

He left the room and practically joggedacross the palace to his father’s private solar. The candlesfloating in the air cast shadows across the dark floors andwalls.

His steps reverberated off the stones as hepassed countless closed doors to rooms he’d never entered. He hadno idea what lay beyond most of them.

When he arrived at the solar, he knocked andwaited for his father to bid him enter before stepping into theroom. His father sat in his favorite chair with a glass of whiskeyby his hand. The fire crackling in the hearth filled the room withthe sweet aroma of fae wood.

Cole helped himself to a glass of the amberliquid and settled into the chair across from his dad. The warmthof the fire helped soothe some of his lingering anxiety, but he wasimpatient to get back to Lexi.

“What happened out there?” his fatherinquired.

Cole had only given him scant details in hisletters, and now he filled him in on the rest of it.

“You were lucky to find the witch,” hisfather said.

“Luck had nothing to do with it. I knew shewas there.”

“And how is that?”

“It was Del’s mansion; his sister was thewitch.”

“I see. I recall her from the party. I alsorecall that his daughter is a beautiful woman.”

“Yes, she is.”

“You sound intrigued by the girl.”

“It’s more than that; she’s my mate.”

“Your lycan mate?”

“Yes.”

Cole sipped his whiskey as he gazed over hisfather’s shoulder. One of the moons, Carpton, hung outside thewindow. The sight of