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

And she was scared she knew what it was.

“I suppose you’re helping them out of thekindness of your blackened heart?” she muttered sarcastically.

“You’re a lot more bitter than the last timeI saw you.”

“I’m sick of your shit.”

“Just mine or someone else’s too?”

She swore the top of her head was going toblow off as her blood pressure skyrocketed. It took everything shehad not to bash his brains in with the shovel. However, she wasnot in the mood to pick brains from her clothes.

“Leave, Orin, and don’t come back,” shesaid.

“They need a place to stay, or they’re goingto die. I’m running out of places to hide them, and the humans areslowing us down. Plus, I can’t take the mortals into any of theShadow Realms.”

“I can’t help you.”

“There were more of them yesterday. We losttwo; one was a child.”

“Leave, Orin.”

She hissed the words, but her gaze returnedto where the others huddled together while they warily eyed thetrees. The boy was gazing at her with his big blue eyes. When hismother wrapped her hand around his head and pressed it to herchest, he stuck his thumb in his mouth.

They were so broken and so helpless. Gettinginvolved with this was a very bad idea, but how could shesay no to the children? How could she turn any of them away?

Because it could lead to your death, thedestruction of the manor, and possibly get Sahira killed.

Still, her heart ached for them, and herconviction to get rid of Orin wavered.

CHAPTER 59

“Why are you trying to help them?” she askeddistrustfully. “I know it’s not from the goodness of your deadenedheart.”

“Ouch,” Orin said and slapped his hands overhis heart. “You wound me, milady.”

Lexi shot him a look; he returned it with asmug grin.

“Don’t screw with me,” she warned.

“Seriously, who got your panties in such abunch? Was it my big brother, or did he get them off?”

A muscle twitched in her jaw, and red filledher vision. She adjusted her hold on the shovel as she prepared tobash him with it, but he threw up his hands and edged back.

“Easy, killer,” he murmured.

“I’m not in the mood, Orin.”

“Obviously, but I’m not here to fight. I’mhere to find help for these innocent souls.”

“Why are you helping them?” shedemanded.

“I’m not the hideous monster you think Iam.”

“Oh, no?”

“No,” he said, and for the first time, therewas no amusement in his gaze. “They need help, and I’m going togive it to them. Plus, the more fighters we have to stand againstthe Lord, the better chance we have of defeating him.”

“So, it’s not entirely from the goodness ofyour heart?” she asked sarcastically.

He didn’t respond.

“They’re not fighters,” she said.

She refrained from saying there was no way tobeat the Lord as long as he had the dragons on his side, but sheheld her tongue. This day was depressing enough without adding moregloomy crap onto it.

“Not yet,” Orin said.

The little girl let out a small sniffle andwhispered, “Mommy.”

The man holding her shushed her as he swayedher gently from side to side. At first, Lexi thought he was rockingto comfort her, but she realized he was doing it because he wasabout to fall over.

“We lost her mother yesterday,” Orinsaid.

Lexi winced and lowered her shovel.

“Are you going to turn them away?” Orinasked.

She scowled at him, but when she glanced backat the refugees, some of her anger deflated. Then she looked towardwhat remained of the marketplace.

Smoke no longer rose from the ashes, but thestench of fire lingered in the air. For over a week now, she’d feltutterly helpless as she brought food to the broken masses passingher property.

The Lord must be stopped; it wouldn’t be withthis ragtag bunch of fugitives, but could she turn them away?

She glanced toward the manor, but shecouldn’t see it through the trees. However, she knew her home wasthere. The manor and Sahira were all she had left in thisworld.

No, they weren’t all she had left. She alsohad herself, and how could she possibly live with herself if sheturned these broken refugees away and the children died?

However, if she agreed to this, she wasputting everyone and everything she loved at risk. What would herfather think about her jeopardizing everything he worked toaccomplish?

But she knew he wouldn’t have turned any ofthem away. Her father had presented a gruff, tough exterior to theworld, but he’d been a big old softie at heart. He’d fought for theLord, but he never would have approved of what that monsterdid to the human realm.

The war over the mortal realm had been waged,but it wasn’t over. Instead, a new war was beginning, and she hadto choose a side.

But if she chose this side, it would pit heragainst Cole.

She immediately hated herself for thinkingthat. It didn’t matter if they ended up on opposite sides of thisnew war. He wasn’t coming back, and she had to accept that.

And even if he was coming back, this washer stance to take. No matter how much she cared for him,she wouldn’t let any man dictate where she stood in this world.

She had to get on with her life, and nomatter what side Cole and her father chose, she had to do what shebelieved was best. And there was only one decision that would allowher to have any respect for herself for the rest of her life.

What about Sahira?

Guilt tugged at her. Her aunt couldn’t knowabout this; it would only put her in danger. If Lexi was caught,Sahira could truthfully plead that she hadn’t known anything aboutthis. It might be enough to save her.

I’ll have to make sure I don’t getcaught. She didn’t think it would be that simple, but she woulddo whatever it took to protect her aunt.

Knowing she was putting everything she lovedat risk, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before saying.“I don’t have much food to spare.”

She opened her eyes to find Orin grinning ather. Her teeth ground back and forth as she glowered at thearrogant prick.

“I’ll help with feeding them,” he said.

“I can’t have you coming and going from thetunnels.”

“I’ll be careful and conceal myself in theshadows.”

She swallowed the lump rising